Peak Performance in Local Government

Peak Performance is an authorised Strategic Purchasing supplier and a corporate member of LGPro.

We provide a wide range of learning and development programs focused on improving customer service, developing more customer centric organisational cultures and enhancing leadership capability within local government in Australia and New Zealand.

Our partner Dr Ian Brooks has extensive experience in the public sector and has worked with a large number of local governments in New Zealand, to help them become customer driven. His message is clear. Local Government may not be profit-making businesses but they are expected to act in a businesslike manner. That means understanding the council has customers, and meeting the needs and expectations of these customers is just as important in the public sector as in the private sector.

Unlike most businesses, the customers of local governments have no choice and must deal with their council. This makes it harder, not easier, for council staff because they have ‘hostage' customers. Most hostage customers resent their lack of choice and therefore council staff are on the back foot even before the transaction begins. Aiming to provide good customer service is not enough in today's marketplace. Organisations need to create superior customer value (see Ian's best-selling book, Second to None: Six Strategies for Creating Superior Customer Value) and to do that they need to become customer driven (see Ian's book, 10 Steps to Becoming Customer Driven).

Dr Brooks has recently run a series of half day workshops for managers and staff at Auckland City Council as that organisation begins its journey to become customer driven. Last year, he ran a series of similar workshops for all managers and staff at Rodney District Council.

Prior to that he has consulted for over a year to the Christchurch City and Dunedin City Councils and, again helping them to become customer driven. In addition to these longer term projects, Dr Brooks has addressed all managers and staff at the Northland Regional Council, Whangarei District Council, Hamilton City Council, Waikato Regional Council, Rotorua District Council, Tauranga District Council, New Plymouth District Council Palmerston North City Council, Manawatu Regional Council, Manawatu District Council, Thames District Council, Selwyn District Council, Rangiora District Council. In most cases, these addresses have been to large all-staff events to launch a council's new customer service initiative and in many cases, these initiatives were based on Dr Brooks' ideas.

Ian has also delivered keynote addresses to SOLGM (the Society of Local Government Managers) on two occasions, the Local Government Customer Service Conference on two occasions, the Local Government Human Resources Conference and LIANZA (the Library Association of New Zealand) Conferences on three occasions.

Ian was a main contributor to the asset management manual currently used by New Zealand local authorities and was the keynote speaker at a road show that travelled New Zealand to introduce the new manual.

Contact linley@peakperformance.com.au for more information.