I went to visit the doctor the other day, and at the end of my short appointment I walked out the door. No sooner had I left the office, the receptionist had phoned both my mobile number and my home phone to remind me that I hadn’t paid the bill.
I started talking about self-determination last post as one of the aspects of being person-centred. But how far does self-determination go? The doctor’s receptionist certainly didn’t like my carefree approach to bill payment although it was probably more a case of absent-mindedness than self-determination.
Self-determination in the service sector, such as in an organisation like Baptistcare is not about whether to pay the bill or not, but it's really important that people can make decisions about their lifestyle. We need to ask, how a person can make decisions for themselves, rather than handing the decision-making process across to the organisation, along with their independence and self-respect.
What are some of the things service organisations have assumed were non-negotiable that are actually opportunities for individuals to exercise their right to self-determination? How do we hold the tension between person-centredness and corporate efficiency and a desire to keep costs to a minimum?
By the way, I went back and paid the doctor.
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