In previous writings I have given instruction on the importance of clear expectations and accountability when it comes to dealing with team members. So in turn, what expectations should your team have of you? What is a fair expectation from subordinates, and do you understand those expectations? How are you held accountable to your team?
As a manager you need to communicate with your team and make sure you understand what it is they need from you. As a manager you will always be held accountable by your team, even if not to your face. By understanding what each team member’s expectations are, you can begin to try and offer a tailored level of support to each team member that fits them and their specific needs. While no two people need the exact same support structure, I will address the two most common complaints I hear when asked, what could their manager do better?
Number one is: Support. As managers, sometimes we get caught up in all the day to day activities and forget that our team counts on us for support, guidance, or sometimes just as a sounding board. We need to understand that at times members of our team may be drowning, but may never ask for the proverbial ‘life preserver’. I have always been someone who tells it like it is and is never afraid to say “I don’t know” or “I need help”. However, it seems more and more common that people today don’t want to udder those words.
You need to take the time to understand what personalities exist on your team. Once you understand who will always ask for help when needed and who will not, you can start to put together a communication plan.
You will find that some team members will require constant assurance that they are doing well, or guidance due to lack of training. Others may be 90 percent of everything you need, but are afraid to ask for help. If you do not spend time communicating with them, by the time you find out who they are, it will be too late. I am not saying that these types of team members are any less valuable, just that they need more support in the day to day operations.
Some team members require very little support. They are highly motivated, well trained, and their views and philosophies run a close parallel to yours. These team members will require very little support from you but they are also the most dangerous. The reason being, that it is easy to forget about them. They don’t call you and they don’t require much direction. You just point them at the goal line and they will score every time. However, if you don’t take the time to let them know how appreciated they are, they can quickly become disconnected and possibly disgruntled. They may start to feel taken advantage of and begin to look around for another career path, which brings me to the second biggest gripe from subordinates: Feedback.
Lack of feedback is the number one reason employees will jump ship. Once again, as managers, we get bogged down and lose sight of the fact that we are dealing with people, not machines. I never give much thought to what people think of me, and I am very confident of my abilities. However, even I can start to question my worth to the company if once in a while I am not thrown a bone. It is not required to pat someone on the back every time they do a good job, but the more often you do, the happier you will make your team. And a happy team is a profitable team.
Most managers have the misconception that money solves everything. I know of companies that give raises to employees without ever even talking with them. No review, no communication, just all of the sudden more money in their check. This blows me away! I will never understand giving anyone more money without having them sit across my desk and the two of us going through an entire evaluation process. I make sure they know what they are doing outstanding, what they are doing well, and where they need to improve. Only after a new set of expectations and accountability are in place will we discuss an increase.
Stop! This doesn’t mean that money is what matters. In fact when over 40,000 people were polled in a National study about what motivates them at their job, money placed 7th. That’s right! 7th.My colleague Dave Cloniger, wrote a great blog detailing ways to motivate your team. http://mcdean-charleston.blogspot.com/2011/09/employee-relations-steps-to-success.html. In this blog he hits it right on the head. Most people just want to know what to do, when to do it, and did they do a good job? There are multiple ways to do this without spending money. I share everything with my team and therefore, they all understand the financial constraints we are up against right now, and have stepped up their efforts, with no compensation. I never hide the financial picture from them. They know when we hit a home run and when we strike out. This fosters a win-together/lose-together mentality. I never let them forget how much their efforts are appreciated, and I look for small ways to reward them for their devotion to the company.
It’s all about feedback. Letting them know when they do something right as well as when they do things wrong. Let them know what the expectations are and what will happen if they are not met.
In the end, if you can conquer providing individual support and feedback to your team, you will have made it to the red zone and then across the goal line. It’s only fair that your team holds you accountable to their expectations the same way you expect them to fulfill your expectations.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
No Fear!
Throughout my life I have given little thought to whether or not people like me, or what their conception of my abilities were. When in football, music, and business I always felt that what other people thought of me had little to do with the overall mission. I never spent time afraid of what was being said behind my back. In fact most of the things that were said were probably true, so why would I get mad. I am honest with myself and not afraid to admit my faults. Nor am I delusional and think that everybody is my best friend. I know I can be harsh and that my aggressive tactics cannot be received well at times. However, my conviction is clear and when things go south there are few people that would not want me by their side in battle.
Now the first paragraph of this piece could be misconstrued, and paint me as a maniacal narcissist. However, I am trusting that my followers already know by now that I truly understand the importance of a team and how to foster great business relationships. But that shouldn’t get drawn into making business decisions.
Be honest with yourself and ask these questions:
1. Am I afraid to deal with confrontation? (subordinates and supervisors)
2. Do I let what other people think of me effect my decision making?
3. Am I afraid to lose my job?
4. Do I fear what an employee will do in retaliation of a reprimand or termination?
5. Do I allow others to take blame for something I knew about?
6. Am I afraid to take on my superiors for the good of my team?
7. Am I unwilling to fight for change that will benefit my team?
8. Do I prefer to take the backseat and let others take the risks?
If you can answer yes to any of these questions then you need to be honest with yourself and realize that you are not a leader. That doesn’t mean that you cannot be an effective manager, just that you need to find a leader to put on your team and offer them the support required when problems arise. Do not just automatically say no to each question, but dig deep and do some soul searching.
Over my years in business I have seen multiple examples of managers that allow fear to get the better of them. They complicate situations by worrying about what an employee might do in retaliation of a reprimand or termination. This is in direct conflict with everything I believe in, from a managers stand point. When conflict arises, and decisions have to be made you do what is right to support your team, and your top performers. You do not waste time in fear of their retribution. If an employee is insubordinate you cut him off at the knees. You make sure he understands that type of behavior will not be tolerated. You need to deal with the problem employees with the same veracity you compliment the good team members.
I already know that I am going to get hundreds of emails from HR folks telling me the liability that exists when terminating employees. Please understand that I am not suggesting that you do not follow HR guidelines. I am also fully aware of all the HR implications when terminating employees. But if we continue to allow employees to hang on to their jobs because they file a complaint with HR, safety, or legal, when they get wind of an impending reprimand, then we are breeding a culture of squatters.
Just like in the rental housing industry, there are squatters that have figured out how to work the system, and can remain living in a house for years without paying any rent, with little concern to the path of destruction they have caused to the owners. There are employees that have figured out how to use the same guiding principles in business as these parasites have done in the housing market. These business squatters make accusations about managers to take the focus off their paucity in an attempt to save their jobs. To avoid HR, safety, or legal issues these problem employees get moved around the company from group to group, keeping their jobs for years and causing irreparable harm to the reputations of the managers they have attacked. And it is all due to fear!
I have never allowed fear to have any control over my actions. I don’t believe that any true leader can allow fear to play a part in their judgment. All business decisions need to be exactly that, a business decision, and let the chips fall where they may. The truth is that we have no control over what a disgruntled employee will do, and keeping them as part of your organization is just moving the risk to a different department. It is time that all companies take a stand against these business squatters and extricate them permanently from their organizations. Follow HRs guidelines, but start building a case to rid yourself of these destructive freeloaders once and for all.
In closing, you should never let fear run your business or affect your decision making. Whether it is with employees, customers, competitors, or any other outside influence you must persevere. Stay true to your core set of values and make decisions based solely on business principles and do not let emotions play any part. In the end you will be much happier and have a much stronger team around you, if you just do the right thing and leave fear where it belongs…out of the business world.
Now the first paragraph of this piece could be misconstrued, and paint me as a maniacal narcissist. However, I am trusting that my followers already know by now that I truly understand the importance of a team and how to foster great business relationships. But that shouldn’t get drawn into making business decisions.
Be honest with yourself and ask these questions:
1. Am I afraid to deal with confrontation? (subordinates and supervisors)
2. Do I let what other people think of me effect my decision making?
3. Am I afraid to lose my job?
4. Do I fear what an employee will do in retaliation of a reprimand or termination?
5. Do I allow others to take blame for something I knew about?
6. Am I afraid to take on my superiors for the good of my team?
7. Am I unwilling to fight for change that will benefit my team?
8. Do I prefer to take the backseat and let others take the risks?
If you can answer yes to any of these questions then you need to be honest with yourself and realize that you are not a leader. That doesn’t mean that you cannot be an effective manager, just that you need to find a leader to put on your team and offer them the support required when problems arise. Do not just automatically say no to each question, but dig deep and do some soul searching.
Over my years in business I have seen multiple examples of managers that allow fear to get the better of them. They complicate situations by worrying about what an employee might do in retaliation of a reprimand or termination. This is in direct conflict with everything I believe in, from a managers stand point. When conflict arises, and decisions have to be made you do what is right to support your team, and your top performers. You do not waste time in fear of their retribution. If an employee is insubordinate you cut him off at the knees. You make sure he understands that type of behavior will not be tolerated. You need to deal with the problem employees with the same veracity you compliment the good team members.
I already know that I am going to get hundreds of emails from HR folks telling me the liability that exists when terminating employees. Please understand that I am not suggesting that you do not follow HR guidelines. I am also fully aware of all the HR implications when terminating employees. But if we continue to allow employees to hang on to their jobs because they file a complaint with HR, safety, or legal, when they get wind of an impending reprimand, then we are breeding a culture of squatters.
Just like in the rental housing industry, there are squatters that have figured out how to work the system, and can remain living in a house for years without paying any rent, with little concern to the path of destruction they have caused to the owners. There are employees that have figured out how to use the same guiding principles in business as these parasites have done in the housing market. These business squatters make accusations about managers to take the focus off their paucity in an attempt to save their jobs. To avoid HR, safety, or legal issues these problem employees get moved around the company from group to group, keeping their jobs for years and causing irreparable harm to the reputations of the managers they have attacked. And it is all due to fear!
I have never allowed fear to have any control over my actions. I don’t believe that any true leader can allow fear to play a part in their judgment. All business decisions need to be exactly that, a business decision, and let the chips fall where they may. The truth is that we have no control over what a disgruntled employee will do, and keeping them as part of your organization is just moving the risk to a different department. It is time that all companies take a stand against these business squatters and extricate them permanently from their organizations. Follow HRs guidelines, but start building a case to rid yourself of these destructive freeloaders once and for all.
In closing, you should never let fear run your business or affect your decision making. Whether it is with employees, customers, competitors, or any other outside influence you must persevere. Stay true to your core set of values and make decisions based solely on business principles and do not let emotions play any part. In the end you will be much happier and have a much stronger team around you, if you just do the right thing and leave fear where it belongs…out of the business world.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Slow Your Swing
As many of you know, I love the game of golf, but unfortunately I have never really gotten proficient at the sport due to lack of practice. Being a perfectionist I have many internal arduous battles when I hit the ball and it doesn’t land exactly where I wanted it to land.
As any golfer knows if you don’t put the time into practicing you will never see any sustainable improvement in the game. With that known fact, and my schedule, I may as well sell my clubs and take up a sport I can handle, like dodge ball. At least that way I could alleviate some of the stresses from work. Haha!
The other day I made it a point to go to the driving range since it had literally been months since the last time I hit a golf ball. I was afraid to see how much my game had deteriorated over the past several months. Next to me was a man that had to be in his mid seventies, as I set up I noticed him crushing the ball off the tee. I warmed up and proceeded to tee up myself. The first strike was my usual slice. Nice to know nothing had changed since the last time I struck a ball. I dialed in a little better and started to keep them with-in sight. Every time I hit a ball, the older man next to me would hit the ball 60 or 70 yards past mine.
I guess my ego started playing with me, so I was starting to swing harder and harder. I noticed that the harder I swung the club, the shorter my drives were getting. The older gentleman just sort of chuckled. After it was obvious I was getting more and more frustrated, the man came over to me and said “You need to slow your swing down. It’s not about how hard you hit the ball, it is all about the groove, the plain, and where the ball strikes the club.”
The man took my club stood up and just effortlessly struck the ball. “Crack” it sounded like someone shot a gun. The ball flew down the range an easy 260 yards perfectly straight. While the things he said are all things I have heard several times over the years, I had never made the connection before with work.
It seems with today’s economy we are all trying to do more with less, which means less time for recreation and such. As we continue down this avenue, the stress begins to pile up and we lose our patience. This starts a domino effect of spending less time teaching and more time telling.
I continue to see more and more examples of managers taking on tasks that should be delegated to others, and less time spent working on the business. In other words, yes, we are ‘working harder not smarter’. Take some time to reflect, think of what the best solution is to complete a task and “Slow your swing down”. In the end you will reduce your stress and be more efficient at your job.
As any golfer knows if you don’t put the time into practicing you will never see any sustainable improvement in the game. With that known fact, and my schedule, I may as well sell my clubs and take up a sport I can handle, like dodge ball. At least that way I could alleviate some of the stresses from work. Haha!
The other day I made it a point to go to the driving range since it had literally been months since the last time I hit a golf ball. I was afraid to see how much my game had deteriorated over the past several months. Next to me was a man that had to be in his mid seventies, as I set up I noticed him crushing the ball off the tee. I warmed up and proceeded to tee up myself. The first strike was my usual slice. Nice to know nothing had changed since the last time I struck a ball. I dialed in a little better and started to keep them with-in sight. Every time I hit a ball, the older man next to me would hit the ball 60 or 70 yards past mine.
I guess my ego started playing with me, so I was starting to swing harder and harder. I noticed that the harder I swung the club, the shorter my drives were getting. The older gentleman just sort of chuckled. After it was obvious I was getting more and more frustrated, the man came over to me and said “You need to slow your swing down. It’s not about how hard you hit the ball, it is all about the groove, the plain, and where the ball strikes the club.”
The man took my club stood up and just effortlessly struck the ball. “Crack” it sounded like someone shot a gun. The ball flew down the range an easy 260 yards perfectly straight. While the things he said are all things I have heard several times over the years, I had never made the connection before with work.
It seems with today’s economy we are all trying to do more with less, which means less time for recreation and such. As we continue down this avenue, the stress begins to pile up and we lose our patience. This starts a domino effect of spending less time teaching and more time telling.
I continue to see more and more examples of managers taking on tasks that should be delegated to others, and less time spent working on the business. In other words, yes, we are ‘working harder not smarter’. Take some time to reflect, think of what the best solution is to complete a task and “Slow your swing down”. In the end you will reduce your stress and be more efficient at your job.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Obstacles To Customer Service
Are there obstacles between you and your customers? Are you putting processes in place to slow down or muffle your ability to provide a quick solution to your customers? If the answer is yes; then Stop!
Too many companies get caught up in checks and balances at the expense of their customers and their own ability to respond to a customer’s needs. I see this everyday in the business world. CEOs and CFOs are so worried about setting processes in place to control their own employees that they retard the ability to react in the event of an emergency. Please don’t misunderstand my point. Checks and balances are important, so is safety, internal controls, inventory, etc… However, if you have any processes in place that will stop you from being able to quickly resolve a problem for a customer, then you are missing the mark. Furthermore, all these processes cost money. From the personnel and time required to manage these processes all the way to the material costs of paper, ink, storage, etc… I have seen companies that have internal services that charge as much as 33% of the hourly bill rate. When you consider this, added to the division’s overhead, direct costs, direct and support labor, you can quickly price yourself right out of the market, building new processes and policies that do little to improve the overall operation of the company.
I have seen examples of companies that require Managers to get approvals for special purchases, overtime hours, safety requirements, even things as simple as stopping in at a local hardware store to purchase a two dollar item. While I understand internal controls, these need to be invisible to the customer. If we develop processes that require approval, while a technician is on site, this is slowing down our reaction time. If we require technicians to wait, or go off site, for specialized materials or tools, this is also impeding the process. Over and over again I see examples of reduced resources for the front line in order to have some fallacy of control.
I subscribe to the thought of putting the right person in charge and empowering them to make decisions that are within their skill set, then holding them accountable to the decisions they have made. I believe that if you hire the right team and provide them with the right training and support, then the rest will take care of itself and you will not need all these policies to police them, you will be able to trust them to make the right decisions based on experience and education. You still need controls in place but these are done on the back end where there is zero impact to the customers and zero impact to the team’s ability to react.
One needs to really look at the risk to reward when it comes to policies and processes. What is the real liability and what would it cost to implement this process. When I say cost I don’t just mean dollars and cents. What impact will this have on our ability to provide immediate and superior customer service to our clients? What psychological impact will this have on our team? Don’t be fooled! Trust is a big deal to most people and if they feel that they are not trusted by their employer they will move on. Finally, once you have balanced out this evaluation, if it makes sense to move forward, do so with zero impact to the customer. If this process or policy doesn’t pay for itself, then it probably isn’t a very good idea. Therefore it shouldn’t cost the customer any more for you to implement. Once fully implemented the new policy or procedure should not slow down your response time or the ability to handle a customer’s request on the fly, it should only improve your overall operation and support providing your customers with a better overall experience.
The service industry is about exactly that: “SERVICE!” When a customer has an emergency, or even just a need, it is our obligation to satisfy their need as quickly and efficiently as possible. We cannot afford to have obstacles and barricades in place to slow down or even stop our ability to respond. We need to react at the speed of light. We must never forget that it is because of the customer that we exist!
Too many companies get caught up in checks and balances at the expense of their customers and their own ability to respond to a customer’s needs. I see this everyday in the business world. CEOs and CFOs are so worried about setting processes in place to control their own employees that they retard the ability to react in the event of an emergency. Please don’t misunderstand my point. Checks and balances are important, so is safety, internal controls, inventory, etc… However, if you have any processes in place that will stop you from being able to quickly resolve a problem for a customer, then you are missing the mark. Furthermore, all these processes cost money. From the personnel and time required to manage these processes all the way to the material costs of paper, ink, storage, etc… I have seen companies that have internal services that charge as much as 33% of the hourly bill rate. When you consider this, added to the division’s overhead, direct costs, direct and support labor, you can quickly price yourself right out of the market, building new processes and policies that do little to improve the overall operation of the company.
I have seen examples of companies that require Managers to get approvals for special purchases, overtime hours, safety requirements, even things as simple as stopping in at a local hardware store to purchase a two dollar item. While I understand internal controls, these need to be invisible to the customer. If we develop processes that require approval, while a technician is on site, this is slowing down our reaction time. If we require technicians to wait, or go off site, for specialized materials or tools, this is also impeding the process. Over and over again I see examples of reduced resources for the front line in order to have some fallacy of control.
I subscribe to the thought of putting the right person in charge and empowering them to make decisions that are within their skill set, then holding them accountable to the decisions they have made. I believe that if you hire the right team and provide them with the right training and support, then the rest will take care of itself and you will not need all these policies to police them, you will be able to trust them to make the right decisions based on experience and education. You still need controls in place but these are done on the back end where there is zero impact to the customers and zero impact to the team’s ability to react.
One needs to really look at the risk to reward when it comes to policies and processes. What is the real liability and what would it cost to implement this process. When I say cost I don’t just mean dollars and cents. What impact will this have on our ability to provide immediate and superior customer service to our clients? What psychological impact will this have on our team? Don’t be fooled! Trust is a big deal to most people and if they feel that they are not trusted by their employer they will move on. Finally, once you have balanced out this evaluation, if it makes sense to move forward, do so with zero impact to the customer. If this process or policy doesn’t pay for itself, then it probably isn’t a very good idea. Therefore it shouldn’t cost the customer any more for you to implement. Once fully implemented the new policy or procedure should not slow down your response time or the ability to handle a customer’s request on the fly, it should only improve your overall operation and support providing your customers with a better overall experience.
The service industry is about exactly that: “SERVICE!” When a customer has an emergency, or even just a need, it is our obligation to satisfy their need as quickly and efficiently as possible. We cannot afford to have obstacles and barricades in place to slow down or even stop our ability to respond. We need to react at the speed of light. We must never forget that it is because of the customer that we exist!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Learned Behavior
The other day the AC stopped working in my truck and I had to use my wife’s car to get back and forth to work while my truck was being repaired. That particular morning it was raining outside and as I went to turn on the wipers, instead I turned on the lights. Over the next couple days I kept trying to put the key in the steering column rather than the dashboard where it belongs on my wife’s car, flashing my high beams rather than using my turn signal, etc, etc, etc.
This got me thinking about how many bad habits we get into as service providers. For our technicians this learned behavior could result in safety risks. For our management this same behavior could mean less responsive customer care. Let me explain.
With our service technicians, which can also apply to other industries as well, they get into situations where they are performing the same functions over and over again. This repetition causes them to stop thinking and just perform the learned behavior (trying to stick the key into the steering column). The reason this becomes a safety risk is that every job is not the same. Every job is unique even if it is the same action but in a different location. As an example, I have a technician that is on a job replacing wall packs on the outside of a building. The technician starts out on the back side of the building. In this location there is little outside influence. They are working in a dead end alley with no people around. As the tech goes up and down the ladder and back and forth to and from their truck they start a learned behavior. Moving along as the day progresses the technician starts to work on the side of the building. This side of the building has an entrance from a side street and parking spaces. If the technician is not careful they could come down off the ladder and walk into traffic, or drop something on a pedestrian walking to their car. Furthermore, they need to be more aware of cars that are backing in and out of parking spaces that could hit them, their truck, the ladder, etc. This is just one simple example but you can begin to see the danger in a learned behavior.
As managers we also get into learned behavior that can be dangerous. We continue to get more responsibility lumped onto us as the economy continues to shrink. We sometimes get into a rhythm of handling our daily activities. While this is beneficial to our efficiencies, when a problem arises, or a customer has a need, we can use this same learned behavior to brush over the problem or the needs of the customer. It is imperative that we never lose focus of the customer’s needs. We need to understand that every customer is different and every need they have is unique. Just like the technician scenario, if we get into the habit of dealing with every customer the same way every day we may figuratively get hit by a car.
We need to continue to stay focused on the task at hand and give it the attention it deserves. Let go of the learned behavior, and avoid repetitive thought processes. I am reminded of a story I read about a child who visited the circus with his parents. The little boy was in awe at the huge elephants being washed by the trainers. The little boy walked up to the trainer and asked her, “excuse me, how does the little chain around the elephants leg work?” The trainer said “why what do you mean little guy?” The little boy said “that elephant is huge, and I have seen in movies where elephants can rip trees out of the ground with just their trunk. It seems to me that the elephant could easily break that chain, or rip out the small wood peg the chain is attached to, couldn’t he?” The trainer chuckled and said “he sure could! But you see, when the elephants are little babies we chain them up like this and they are not strong enough to break the chain or rip out the stake we drive into the ground. When they are small they try over and over again to break free but they cannot and eventually they give up. The elephants have great memories and because of that, they never try again. They are convinced that they have already tried to break free but it is impossible.”
This story was retold by Ken Blanchard in one of his many great books on management and customer service. I am repeating it yet again because it has a valuable lesson about learned behavior. Not only are there risks involved with learned behavior as stated above, but what else are you not achieving because you have been convinced it is not possible through past experiences or years of others telling you so. Break free of the chains that bind you, and stop thinking as you once did, and start thinking of what could be. Only then you can eliminate all risks and open all possibilities.
This got me thinking about how many bad habits we get into as service providers. For our technicians this learned behavior could result in safety risks. For our management this same behavior could mean less responsive customer care. Let me explain.
With our service technicians, which can also apply to other industries as well, they get into situations where they are performing the same functions over and over again. This repetition causes them to stop thinking and just perform the learned behavior (trying to stick the key into the steering column). The reason this becomes a safety risk is that every job is not the same. Every job is unique even if it is the same action but in a different location. As an example, I have a technician that is on a job replacing wall packs on the outside of a building. The technician starts out on the back side of the building. In this location there is little outside influence. They are working in a dead end alley with no people around. As the tech goes up and down the ladder and back and forth to and from their truck they start a learned behavior. Moving along as the day progresses the technician starts to work on the side of the building. This side of the building has an entrance from a side street and parking spaces. If the technician is not careful they could come down off the ladder and walk into traffic, or drop something on a pedestrian walking to their car. Furthermore, they need to be more aware of cars that are backing in and out of parking spaces that could hit them, their truck, the ladder, etc. This is just one simple example but you can begin to see the danger in a learned behavior.
As managers we also get into learned behavior that can be dangerous. We continue to get more responsibility lumped onto us as the economy continues to shrink. We sometimes get into a rhythm of handling our daily activities. While this is beneficial to our efficiencies, when a problem arises, or a customer has a need, we can use this same learned behavior to brush over the problem or the needs of the customer. It is imperative that we never lose focus of the customer’s needs. We need to understand that every customer is different and every need they have is unique. Just like the technician scenario, if we get into the habit of dealing with every customer the same way every day we may figuratively get hit by a car.
We need to continue to stay focused on the task at hand and give it the attention it deserves. Let go of the learned behavior, and avoid repetitive thought processes. I am reminded of a story I read about a child who visited the circus with his parents. The little boy was in awe at the huge elephants being washed by the trainers. The little boy walked up to the trainer and asked her, “excuse me, how does the little chain around the elephants leg work?” The trainer said “why what do you mean little guy?” The little boy said “that elephant is huge, and I have seen in movies where elephants can rip trees out of the ground with just their trunk. It seems to me that the elephant could easily break that chain, or rip out the small wood peg the chain is attached to, couldn’t he?” The trainer chuckled and said “he sure could! But you see, when the elephants are little babies we chain them up like this and they are not strong enough to break the chain or rip out the stake we drive into the ground. When they are small they try over and over again to break free but they cannot and eventually they give up. The elephants have great memories and because of that, they never try again. They are convinced that they have already tried to break free but it is impossible.”
This story was retold by Ken Blanchard in one of his many great books on management and customer service. I am repeating it yet again because it has a valuable lesson about learned behavior. Not only are there risks involved with learned behavior as stated above, but what else are you not achieving because you have been convinced it is not possible through past experiences or years of others telling you so. Break free of the chains that bind you, and stop thinking as you once did, and start thinking of what could be. Only then you can eliminate all risks and open all possibilities.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Goal Setting
I was talking with a client over lunch yesterday and we were discussing some of the goals she had and that they seemed unattainable. The more time we spent talking, the more I realized the problem wasn’t with her goals but with her goal setting abilities.
We all have “Goals”, but the truth is, that when analyzed, most of us only have dreams-- not goals. So what’s the difference? Simple really, a goal is a final outcome someone has planned. Yes Planned! If you have a goal without a plan then it is just a dream.
Over and over again I have interactions with people that think they are real goal oriented with a one year, five year, and ten year plan. But when I ask probing questions I find out they really only have dreams. Now this isn’t to say that dreams can’t come true, but if you want to achieve a goal you need a plan.
I can comment on a personal example to help clarify this thought. Since I was a young child watching the “Wide World of Sports” I always thought that a tri-athlete was the pinnacle example of strength and conditioning. I can remember thinking to myself, ’someday I want to compete in a triathlon’. That was a dream. About two years ago I made a personal goal to lose weight and get back into shape. I focused my goal on being able to compete in a triathlon and check off that bucket list item once and for all. I sat down and worked out a schedule of exercising, diet, and month by month weight loss goals. I then started walking, then biking & swimming, and eventually running. I just registered for my first triathlon, on October 16th. I also put together a more focused training schedule that included weight training, running, swimming, and biking daily, to prepare for this event. I will let everyone know how it all turns out but there is little chance I will not accomplish this “goal” unless I give up on it, because I have a goal, and an action plan to accomplish it.
Now that we understand the difference between a goal and a dream, let’s look into the next biggest problem with goal setting. Too many people put time limits on their goals. In many cases this can cause destructive behaviors, internal stress, and a reduced level of patience. You become so focused on falling behind that you end up abandoning your goal, or you start to let other things in your life become effected. Also, you can get so drawn into accomplishing that goal within a certain time frame, that you will miss other opportunities that can have a greater impact in your life than completing the original goal itself. Furthermore, things change. Outside influences may change that directly affect your ability to attain that goal. Therefore, your goal has to be a moving target, both in time and effort. There is nothing wrong with having an approximate time frame attached to a goal as long as you understand that the timeframe is not the driving factor, the goal itself is what should be important.
To summarize, when goal setting, you must have the duality of the goal itself and an action plan in place to achieve it. The action plan should be a detailed, step by step program, without time constraints. It should also be an adjustable plan to make room for changes due to outside influences.
You should treat each goal as you would a vacation. Before you go on a vacation, you check the weather, air fares, hotel prices, etc. You plan your route, budget expenses, and make allowances for the unexpected. Just like a vacation you want to plan the details of your goals. Focus on what needs to happen to obtain the goal and plan step by step activities to achieve the goal. Only once you have a comprehensive plan of baby steps can you start implementing the required efforts to accomplish the goals you have set for yourself.
Finally, if you take the time to put together a solid action plan, the only thing stopping you from achieving the goals you set forth is you. Stay focused-- but fluid, and there won’t be any goals you cannot achieve.
We all have “Goals”, but the truth is, that when analyzed, most of us only have dreams-- not goals. So what’s the difference? Simple really, a goal is a final outcome someone has planned. Yes Planned! If you have a goal without a plan then it is just a dream.
Over and over again I have interactions with people that think they are real goal oriented with a one year, five year, and ten year plan. But when I ask probing questions I find out they really only have dreams. Now this isn’t to say that dreams can’t come true, but if you want to achieve a goal you need a plan.
I can comment on a personal example to help clarify this thought. Since I was a young child watching the “Wide World of Sports” I always thought that a tri-athlete was the pinnacle example of strength and conditioning. I can remember thinking to myself, ’someday I want to compete in a triathlon’. That was a dream. About two years ago I made a personal goal to lose weight and get back into shape. I focused my goal on being able to compete in a triathlon and check off that bucket list item once and for all. I sat down and worked out a schedule of exercising, diet, and month by month weight loss goals. I then started walking, then biking & swimming, and eventually running. I just registered for my first triathlon, on October 16th. I also put together a more focused training schedule that included weight training, running, swimming, and biking daily, to prepare for this event. I will let everyone know how it all turns out but there is little chance I will not accomplish this “goal” unless I give up on it, because I have a goal, and an action plan to accomplish it.
Now that we understand the difference between a goal and a dream, let’s look into the next biggest problem with goal setting. Too many people put time limits on their goals. In many cases this can cause destructive behaviors, internal stress, and a reduced level of patience. You become so focused on falling behind that you end up abandoning your goal, or you start to let other things in your life become effected. Also, you can get so drawn into accomplishing that goal within a certain time frame, that you will miss other opportunities that can have a greater impact in your life than completing the original goal itself. Furthermore, things change. Outside influences may change that directly affect your ability to attain that goal. Therefore, your goal has to be a moving target, both in time and effort. There is nothing wrong with having an approximate time frame attached to a goal as long as you understand that the timeframe is not the driving factor, the goal itself is what should be important.
To summarize, when goal setting, you must have the duality of the goal itself and an action plan in place to achieve it. The action plan should be a detailed, step by step program, without time constraints. It should also be an adjustable plan to make room for changes due to outside influences.
You should treat each goal as you would a vacation. Before you go on a vacation, you check the weather, air fares, hotel prices, etc. You plan your route, budget expenses, and make allowances for the unexpected. Just like a vacation you want to plan the details of your goals. Focus on what needs to happen to obtain the goal and plan step by step activities to achieve the goal. Only once you have a comprehensive plan of baby steps can you start implementing the required efforts to accomplish the goals you have set for yourself.
Finally, if you take the time to put together a solid action plan, the only thing stopping you from achieving the goals you set forth is you. Stay focused-- but fluid, and there won’t be any goals you cannot achieve.
Friday, August 19, 2011
What is Value in the Service industry?
We all know what value is when we are buying the “Big Gulp” at our local 7-11. It’s obvious! For ten cents more you get nearly 30% more. No brainer right?
In the service industry it is not quite as transparent as at your local convenience store or even with your favorite product. Service is an invisible product that most customers have to experience before they can decide if they are happy with it or not. Think of a restaurant. You can’t go out, order your food, consume your order, and then not pay because you were dissatisfied. You have to, pardon the pun, “eat it” and just not patronize that establishment again. While you can, and I suggest you do, complain about your dissatisfaction, you have little recourse at the end of the meal.
Why complain? In many cases the owner or manager will not know that there is a problem unless someone tells them. While I am a firm believer that a good manager needs to have processes in place to measure how they are doing, few actually do. I always preach that you need to worry about what people are saying, but what they are not saying is even more important. Most people will look you in the eye and tell you everything was fine, then tell everyone they know, about the awful experience they had, and never use your service again.
In some cases customers go after the cheapest price, throwing caution to the wind, and ignoring the signs of value, and get exactly what they bargained for, poor service and quality. However, in many cases it’s not that simple. A customer’s motivation was not just price, but they wanted the best value. Many poor service minded companies have great ad campaigns, and lure in unsuspecting customers who find out too late that the real signs of value didn’t exist.
So what are the signs of value in a service industry? My belief is that you need to focus on a few key points.
Reputation What is the reputation of your service provider? To start with, reputation is paramount. While yes it is possible to use a service with a great reputation only to have your expectations fall short. In general, the only way to build a reputation of excellent customer service is by covering all key points consistently. When you consider how easy it is for the general public to voice their disappointment within the online world, it is more important than ever to focus on complete customer satisfaction. So a company with a good reputation most likely earned it.
The Experience How would you rate your overall experience with your service provider? The other day I was sitting in a doctor’s office filling out paperwork and thinking to myself, in today’s electronic age, why couldn’t I have filled this out online prior to coming into the office? Instead I have to sit here and try to recall all the pertinent information and sit around and wait for the receptionist to enter all my information into their system. That is not thinking about the “customer’s” overall experience. If they were, they would have an online portal, for patients to enter and update their information, while having access to all their medical records. This would also save the doctor administrative time for entering and updating patient’s records.
As I have stated in previous blogs the overall customer experience, in my opinion, is the single largest reason that customers open their wallets, and develop loyalty to a service provider. It is also the number one reason a customer will never grace you with their patronage again if it was a bad experience. You need to focus on each step of the customer’s buying experience and do everything you can to make it as pleasurable and free flowing as possible. Remove any barriers that slow down the process, and make your service easier to use than any other service provider.
Dependability Can you count on your service provider? One key component to offering a great value to our customers is that when we say we will be there, we are there on time. When we say the job will cost this much, and be done by this time, that is exactly what we deliver. I have experienced many occasions of poor customer service in this area. Not to pick on doctors, but I have never shown up for a doctor’s appointment and been seen at the time of the appointment. Why is that? How is it that I can build a job that takes over a year to complete and finish it on time but a doctor can’t keep an appointment? If your customers can count on you to do what you say, and do it when you say you will, that is a huge value.
Communication Can you get a hold of your service provider? Every one of my customers has my cell phone number and when they call 24/7/365 I answer it or call them back within the hour. When you consider that we touch over 400 customers a month, just in the Tampa market alone, you might think I am crazy. However, because I have a great team that understands the culture built here, my phone rarely rings.
The key to good communication is to always answer your phone and talk with your customers. Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know-- but I will find out”. All too often I hear peers and students tell me that they don’t call the customer back until they have an answer. That is a quick way to be perceived as non-accessible.
In many cases poor communication is why people are considered undependable. You need to be clear with your customers, explain exactly what you will and won’t do, and when you will do it, or if you simply don’t have an answer right this minute-- tell them, but then get them one. Clear and concise communication will eliminate most cases of conflict or perceived unmet expectations.
Safety How safe is you service provider? Safety is one of the key points that most customers overlook. Depending on what service you are buying, safety could and should be your biggest concern. When hiring a service provider you are allowing unknown individuals access to your facilities, employees, customers and possibly sensitive areas. You want to know what kind of pre-hire screening, drug tests, background checks and training the company does before you just give the technicians carte blanche to your empire. In many cases they will be working around your customers, employees and the general public. You need to know what kind of training they have had to safeguard any risk of injuries. In our line of work we are actually working on the electrical systems, which are the life blood of your building, not to mention all the risks associated with electricity. We spend thousands of dollars per technician, and hundreds of training hours to make sure that we keep our customers and technicians safe. Our technicians understand the risks involved prior to beginning any project. We not only make sure our customers know our safety process, but get feedback from them to continually improve our methods to insure the utmost safety practices are being implemented, to protect our customer’s systems, employees, assets, and the general public.
Most of our customer’s general counsel and risk managers are aware of the importance of safe work practices and have put in place minimum requirements for those larger companies. But if you don’t have these resources you may want to ask a few questions before deciding on who you are going to grant access to your company’s assets.
• Do they have a written safety program?
• What training do they give to their Technicians?
• What safeguards do they implement to mitigate risks and protect the general public?
• What is their EMR (Experience Modification Rate) rating?
• What PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) do they provide their technicians to avoid injury?
While some of this may seem to be over the top, think about what it will cost your company if there is an accident on your site? Lawyer’s fees, Insurance claims, Workman’s comp claims, etc… not to mention the bad press you might receive, especially if you are found negligent. It truly isn’t worth the risk to save a couple of bucks.
In closing, while the economy continues to shrink, and everyone continues to tighten their belts, we all are looking to find a better deal and to shave a few bucks off our costs and budgets. However, I urge everyone to stay focused on what you are cutting. We all should be looking for better value, but that doesn’t always mean a lower cost. What we are really trying to do is ‘do more with less’. This takes some thought and strategizing, not just finding cheaper options. Bring in your service providers and see what they can do to help you. If they are true business partners they will listen to your issues and come up with options that can help. If they don’t they are not really business partners, they are just vendors. You need to find the “Big Gulp” companies that will help you figure out how to get 30% more for only ten cents. Those are your business partners and that is VALUE!
In the service industry it is not quite as transparent as at your local convenience store or even with your favorite product. Service is an invisible product that most customers have to experience before they can decide if they are happy with it or not. Think of a restaurant. You can’t go out, order your food, consume your order, and then not pay because you were dissatisfied. You have to, pardon the pun, “eat it” and just not patronize that establishment again. While you can, and I suggest you do, complain about your dissatisfaction, you have little recourse at the end of the meal.
Why complain? In many cases the owner or manager will not know that there is a problem unless someone tells them. While I am a firm believer that a good manager needs to have processes in place to measure how they are doing, few actually do. I always preach that you need to worry about what people are saying, but what they are not saying is even more important. Most people will look you in the eye and tell you everything was fine, then tell everyone they know, about the awful experience they had, and never use your service again.
In some cases customers go after the cheapest price, throwing caution to the wind, and ignoring the signs of value, and get exactly what they bargained for, poor service and quality. However, in many cases it’s not that simple. A customer’s motivation was not just price, but they wanted the best value. Many poor service minded companies have great ad campaigns, and lure in unsuspecting customers who find out too late that the real signs of value didn’t exist.
So what are the signs of value in a service industry? My belief is that you need to focus on a few key points.
Reputation What is the reputation of your service provider? To start with, reputation is paramount. While yes it is possible to use a service with a great reputation only to have your expectations fall short. In general, the only way to build a reputation of excellent customer service is by covering all key points consistently. When you consider how easy it is for the general public to voice their disappointment within the online world, it is more important than ever to focus on complete customer satisfaction. So a company with a good reputation most likely earned it.
The Experience How would you rate your overall experience with your service provider? The other day I was sitting in a doctor’s office filling out paperwork and thinking to myself, in today’s electronic age, why couldn’t I have filled this out online prior to coming into the office? Instead I have to sit here and try to recall all the pertinent information and sit around and wait for the receptionist to enter all my information into their system. That is not thinking about the “customer’s” overall experience. If they were, they would have an online portal, for patients to enter and update their information, while having access to all their medical records. This would also save the doctor administrative time for entering and updating patient’s records.
As I have stated in previous blogs the overall customer experience, in my opinion, is the single largest reason that customers open their wallets, and develop loyalty to a service provider. It is also the number one reason a customer will never grace you with their patronage again if it was a bad experience. You need to focus on each step of the customer’s buying experience and do everything you can to make it as pleasurable and free flowing as possible. Remove any barriers that slow down the process, and make your service easier to use than any other service provider.
Dependability Can you count on your service provider? One key component to offering a great value to our customers is that when we say we will be there, we are there on time. When we say the job will cost this much, and be done by this time, that is exactly what we deliver. I have experienced many occasions of poor customer service in this area. Not to pick on doctors, but I have never shown up for a doctor’s appointment and been seen at the time of the appointment. Why is that? How is it that I can build a job that takes over a year to complete and finish it on time but a doctor can’t keep an appointment? If your customers can count on you to do what you say, and do it when you say you will, that is a huge value.
Communication Can you get a hold of your service provider? Every one of my customers has my cell phone number and when they call 24/7/365 I answer it or call them back within the hour. When you consider that we touch over 400 customers a month, just in the Tampa market alone, you might think I am crazy. However, because I have a great team that understands the culture built here, my phone rarely rings.
The key to good communication is to always answer your phone and talk with your customers. Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know-- but I will find out”. All too often I hear peers and students tell me that they don’t call the customer back until they have an answer. That is a quick way to be perceived as non-accessible.
In many cases poor communication is why people are considered undependable. You need to be clear with your customers, explain exactly what you will and won’t do, and when you will do it, or if you simply don’t have an answer right this minute-- tell them, but then get them one. Clear and concise communication will eliminate most cases of conflict or perceived unmet expectations.
Safety How safe is you service provider? Safety is one of the key points that most customers overlook. Depending on what service you are buying, safety could and should be your biggest concern. When hiring a service provider you are allowing unknown individuals access to your facilities, employees, customers and possibly sensitive areas. You want to know what kind of pre-hire screening, drug tests, background checks and training the company does before you just give the technicians carte blanche to your empire. In many cases they will be working around your customers, employees and the general public. You need to know what kind of training they have had to safeguard any risk of injuries. In our line of work we are actually working on the electrical systems, which are the life blood of your building, not to mention all the risks associated with electricity. We spend thousands of dollars per technician, and hundreds of training hours to make sure that we keep our customers and technicians safe. Our technicians understand the risks involved prior to beginning any project. We not only make sure our customers know our safety process, but get feedback from them to continually improve our methods to insure the utmost safety practices are being implemented, to protect our customer’s systems, employees, assets, and the general public.
Most of our customer’s general counsel and risk managers are aware of the importance of safe work practices and have put in place minimum requirements for those larger companies. But if you don’t have these resources you may want to ask a few questions before deciding on who you are going to grant access to your company’s assets.
• Do they have a written safety program?
• What training do they give to their Technicians?
• What safeguards do they implement to mitigate risks and protect the general public?
• What is their EMR (Experience Modification Rate) rating?
• What PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) do they provide their technicians to avoid injury?
While some of this may seem to be over the top, think about what it will cost your company if there is an accident on your site? Lawyer’s fees, Insurance claims, Workman’s comp claims, etc… not to mention the bad press you might receive, especially if you are found negligent. It truly isn’t worth the risk to save a couple of bucks.
In closing, while the economy continues to shrink, and everyone continues to tighten their belts, we all are looking to find a better deal and to shave a few bucks off our costs and budgets. However, I urge everyone to stay focused on what you are cutting. We all should be looking for better value, but that doesn’t always mean a lower cost. What we are really trying to do is ‘do more with less’. This takes some thought and strategizing, not just finding cheaper options. Bring in your service providers and see what they can do to help you. If they are true business partners they will listen to your issues and come up with options that can help. If they don’t they are not really business partners, they are just vendors. You need to find the “Big Gulp” companies that will help you figure out how to get 30% more for only ten cents. Those are your business partners and that is VALUE!
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