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
   

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2. @charles_rt
   “This event is focused on the
   needs of our businesses…”
   

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3. @charles_rt
   No it isn't!
   

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4. @charles_rt
   Businesses don’t have needs
   

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5. @charles_rt
   Users have needs
   

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6. @charles_rt
   Users.
   

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7. @charles_rt
   Users. Not customers.
   

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9. A person who buys goods
   or a service
   Customer (noun)
   

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12. @charles_rt
    Good customer service
    

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13. @charles_rt
    Good customer service
    

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14. @charles_rt
    They have to use our service
    

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15. @charles_rt
    They have to use our service
    

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16. @charles_rt
    They have to user our service
    

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17. The activity of buying and selling
    goods and services
    Business (noun)
    

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18. @charles_rt
    Business. Government.
    

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19. @charles_rt
    “This event is focused on the
    needs of our businesses…”
    

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20. @charles_rt
    “This event is focused on the
    needs of government…”
    

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21. @charles_rt
    Government doesn’t have needs
    

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22. @charles_rt
    Users have needs
    

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23. @charles_rt
    Users.
    

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24. @charles_rt
    Users. Not customers.
    

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25. @charles_rt
    User needs
    vs
    Government needs
    

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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/
    “
    

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27. @charles_rt
    Government is a means to
    meeting the needs of its users
    

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28. @charles_rt
    Government is a means
    can’t have needs
    

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29. @charles_rt
    Government can have goals
    

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30. @charles_rt
    Government can have motivations
    

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31. @charles_rt
    Government can have ends
    

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32. @charles_rt
    Government can’t have needs
    

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33. @charles_rt
    “This event is focused on the
    needs of government…”
    

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34. @charles_rt
    “This event is focused on the
    goals of government…”
    

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35. @charles_rt
    Build the
    right kind of
    delivery culture
    

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36. @charles_rt
    Services
    that meet the
    needs of users
    

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37. @charles_rt
    Services
    that matter
    

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38. @charles_rt
    It's not just
    semantics
    

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39. @charles_rt
    Semantics
    mean something
    

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40. @charles_rt
    Thank you ✌
    

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