Semantics mean something

A three minute lightning talk I gave at a Digital, Data and Technology event in government.

Summary:
The words we use affect how we act which shapes what we do. Most people use words *unconsciously* but we need to watch what we say if we want to build the right kind of service delivery culture.

Transcript

1. @charles_rt Semantics mean something Change our words, change our services
2. @charles_rt “This event is focused on the needs of our businesses…”
3. @charles_rt No it isn't!
4. @charles_rt Businesses don’t have needs
5. @charles_rt Users have needs
6. @charles_rt Users.
7. @charles_rt Users. Not customers.
9. A person who buys goods or a service Customer (noun)
12. @charles_rt Good customer service
13. @charles_rt Good customer service
14. @charles_rt They have to use our service
15. @charles_rt They have to use our service
16. @charles_rt They have to user our service
17. The activity of buying and selling goods and services Business (noun)
18. @charles_rt Business. Government.
19. @charles_rt “This event is focused on the needs of our businesses…”
20. @charles_rt “This event is focused on the needs of government…”
21. @charles_rt Government doesn’t have needs
22. @charles_rt Users have needs
23. @charles_rt Users.
24. @charles_rt Users. Not customers.
25. @charles_rt User needs vs Government needs
26. The goal should be to remove anything, including language, that creates a sense of ‘us and them’ when working on a public service. Ben Holliday, DWP Head of User Experience and Design http://www.hollidazed.co.uk/2016/12/05/the-problem-with-customer/ “
27. @charles_rt Government is a means to meeting the needs of its users
28. @charles_rt Government is a means can’t have needs
29. @charles_rt Government can have goals
30. @charles_rt Government can have motivations
31. @charles_rt Government can have ends
32. @charles_rt Government can’t have needs
33. @charles_rt “This event is focused on the needs of government…”
34. @charles_rt “This event is focused on the goals of government…”
35. @charles_rt Build the right kind of delivery culture
36. @charles_rt Services that meet the needs of users
37. @charles_rt Services that matter
38. @charles_rt It's not just semantics
39. @charles_rt Semantics mean something
40. @charles_rt Thank you ✌