I POUNCE on internal and external requests.
I RECORD EVERY CUSTOMER CONTACT.
I don’t answer questions – I ADDRESS NEEDS.
I don’t say ‘No’ – I PRESENT OPTIONS.
I give a specific BY WHEN.
If I’ll be late to the plate, I SAY SO SOONEST.
If in doubt, I CALL. (If I wonder if I should call, I CALL.)
I CONFIRM that it works.
I GET AGREEMENT that I ADDRESSED THE NEED.
Auto Sizing
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Customer for Life: Asking & Listening
It is impossible to overstate the importance of building strong Customer relationships. People are more likely to do business with someone they trust. To build that trust, the two most important skills for the Customer for Life disciple are asking and listening.
WHAT TO ASK
LISTEN
WHAT TO ASK
- How do I make you a Customer for Life?
- What will make you a hero to your boss?
- What will make you a hero to your direct reports?
- What will make your life easier?
- What will get you home sooner every day?
- What will take away your biggest worry?
- What will reduce the amount of manual work that you have to do?
- Do you prepare reports? What do you do with them? How are they used, and by whom?
- What is your favorite part of your job?
- What is your least favorite part of your job?
LISTEN
- Listen until the Customer is done talking.
- Listen to understand - not to respond.
- Through listening, figure out what your Customer is really asking for. What is their true need?
- Customer complaints are a good thing, because they give us the opportunity to repair and even improve our relationship with our Customer. Most Customers who have complaints never voice them at all. They simply leave.
- Never say ‘No’. Instead, repeat the issue back to the Customer to let them know that you have heard and understood them.
- Do not Guess, Assume, or Speculate. FIND OUT. Eliminate GAS.
- Question everything. (Once. Then move on.)
- Don’t tell the Customer what you are going to do. Offer them choices, explain how each may meet their needs, and let them give their approval.
You Are Your Company (and So is Everyone Else)
First, some statistics. Stop me if you’ve heard these before:
We don’t receive good or bad service from companies - we receive good or bad service from people. For the duration of each and every interaction that each employee has with a Customer, internal or external, they are your company. Your Customer’s entire impression of your organization rests on their shoulders.
Try This Experiment
Using an outside line (preferably one that will not identify you), call your organization's most-advertised telephone number. Tell the first person who answers that you have a problem with your account. Make it a relatively simple issue. Write down how many times you are transfered, and how many times you are put on hold.
Call again. This time, you have a technical problem with a product. Again, write down how many times you are transfered and your total time on hold.
Last call. This time, you are just generally unhappy with how you have been treated. You may need a new sheet of paper for how many times you are transfered and how long you are put on hold for this one.
Now you have something interesting to discuss at your next management meeting. Start with this: Today's Customer is willing to wait on hold about 20 seconds before hanging up and calling your competitor.
- If we receive good service from someone, we tell between 9 and 12 people.
- If we receive bad service from someone, we tell 20 people.
- If we have a problem, and the first person that we speak to responds quickly to that problem, 82% of us will do business with that person's organization again. (Significantly, 1 out of 5 of us still won't.)
- If we have a problem, and the first person that we speak to responds slowly (or not at all), 91% of us will never do business with that person's organization again.
- All other factors being equal, we will pay up to 10% more for the same product just to get better service.
We don’t receive good or bad service from companies - we receive good or bad service from people. For the duration of each and every interaction that each employee has with a Customer, internal or external, they are your company. Your Customer’s entire impression of your organization rests on their shoulders.
Try This Experiment
Using an outside line (preferably one that will not identify you), call your organization's most-advertised telephone number. Tell the first person who answers that you have a problem with your account. Make it a relatively simple issue. Write down how many times you are transfered, and how many times you are put on hold.
Call again. This time, you have a technical problem with a product. Again, write down how many times you are transfered and your total time on hold.
Last call. This time, you are just generally unhappy with how you have been treated. You may need a new sheet of paper for how many times you are transfered and how long you are put on hold for this one.
Now you have something interesting to discuss at your next management meeting. Start with this: Today's Customer is willing to wait on hold about 20 seconds before hanging up and calling your competitor.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Vision
It is vital that you have a vision, and that you communicate your vision clearly, in your actions as well as your words. How many organizations have you been a part of whose mission statements were just a bunch of words that had nothing to do with you?
The purpose of vision/mission statements is to create culture. Your goal is to make your employees think the way that you think so that, when you're not around, they still act the way that you want them to.
When it's time to define what your organization is and does, don't go all namby-pamby about mission statements and vision statements that use weak, oatmeal-flavored words that don't actually say anything. To embed themselves in your corporate culture, your vision must inspire your employees. Everything that you think, say, and do must constantly refer back to that vision.
Take a look at these:
Example #1
Our goal is to provide value-added services to our defined customer base in order to maximize revenues and return outstanding shareholder value within the parameters of our core competencies. We differentiate ourselves from our competitors with a superior value proposition that is both customer-focused and profitable.
Example #2
We are the greatest company in the world. We live and breathe that every minute of our lives, in everything we think, say, and do. We crush our enemies by thinking, acting, and producing so far beyond their pathetic abilities that they gnash their teeth and take their own lives.
Which company do you want to work for?
The purpose of vision/mission statements is to create culture. Your goal is to make your employees think the way that you think so that, when you're not around, they still act the way that you want them to.
When it's time to define what your organization is and does, don't go all namby-pamby about mission statements and vision statements that use weak, oatmeal-flavored words that don't actually say anything. To embed themselves in your corporate culture, your vision must inspire your employees. Everything that you think, say, and do must constantly refer back to that vision.
Take a look at these:
Example #1
Our goal is to provide value-added services to our defined customer base in order to maximize revenues and return outstanding shareholder value within the parameters of our core competencies. We differentiate ourselves from our competitors with a superior value proposition that is both customer-focused and profitable.
Example #2
We are the greatest company in the world. We live and breathe that every minute of our lives, in everything we think, say, and do. We crush our enemies by thinking, acting, and producing so far beyond their pathetic abilities that they gnash their teeth and take their own lives.
Which company do you want to work for?
How to Lead: Part One
"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."
(Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
The best way to lead people - and the easiest - is to figure out where they already want to go and show them how to get there. Of course, some people don't know where they want to go, and other people want to go somewhere other than where you want to go. The trick in both instances is to show these folks that where you want to go is where they wanted to go all along - they just didn't realize it yet.
Where do people want to go? Well, it varies a bit from person to person, but generally:
Your job is to show them how to get there, provide the resources for them to get there (this includes any necessary training and support), and sit down with them regularly to measure their progress, offering advice only when asked. (Making their own mistakes is part of the process.)
The perfect employee to apply this to first is the one who, in meetings or in front of their fellows, complains about everything. Often, they are otherwise good employees (or you would have fired them, right?), but they need some help growing. Usually, their real issue is fear of failure. They mastered the old way of doing things, they were perceived as a hero for their skill at it, and now you come along and threaten their status and self-image by proposing change.
Let's call this employee Tim (in my mind, I hear 'timid'). The moment you hear Tim fire up his engines, and in front of as many people as are nearby, say this:
"Tim, I'm glad that you brought this to my attention. You obviously have a strong understanding of the issues involved, and we/I appreciate you volunteering to find a way to resolve it. Let's go talk in my office about what resources you think you'll need to do that, and agree on a timeline."
Then do exactly that, right then. Don't wait.
They will push back, of course - this is well outside their comfort zone, and the complete opposite of where they want to be. But: You've addressed their "want to be a hero" need by acknowledging them as knowledgable and brave. It was in front of other people so, if they back out immediately, they look like nothing but a whiner - the exact opposite of their desired self-image. No one likes a whiner. You have shown that they are valued (again, in front of other people) by giving them an important project. And you have held out the prospect of growth. The obstacle that you will address in your office is fear.
First, no matter what, don't let them wiggle out of it. The moment you do, you have effectively lost a valuable employee. Their self-image will never recover. They will have failed, you and their coworkers will know they failed and, worst of all, they will know it, and it will ruin them from that moment on. Their performance will speedily decline, and you will eventually have to let them go.
They deserve better than that, and it's up to you as their manager to give it to them.
These are the steps that must be completed before Tim walks out of your office:
By the time the project is completed, Tim will have grown tremendously, and his outlook regarding change will have changed (not completely, but it's a step in the right direction). He will also be a lot less likely to complain - and so will everyone else.
Here's the most important part: Once Tim has successfully completed the project, publicly and loudly celebrate his success. This serves several purposes. First, you are celebrating his victory over fear. He will begin to believe that he can do more than he thought he could, and at some point may even ask to take on greater responsibility. Second, his coworkers will see not only his success, but that recognition and value are bestowed on those who define issues and address them. Third, morale and culture grow, because you have shown that you value employees, want to help them grow, and reward them for taking risks.
What if Tim fails? This will happen, and it's most likely to happen Tim's first time at bat. But the worst thing you can possibly do is let him off the hook. Your regular meetings with Tim are about helping him to succeed by making sure that he hits those milestones. If you fell down on your end, acknowledge that, apologize for it, and give him the support that he needs to finish. If the failure was outside of his control, he is likely to want to throw up his hands. Don't let him. Regroup and rethink, then set new milestones to address whatever hit you unawares. If the failure was Tim's, ask him why he thinks he failed. He may hem and haw on this - remember, he doesn't want to see himself as anything but a hero - but you have to define it in order to move forward. Don't criticize him for failing. You have failed plenty of times; tell him so. The important thing is to learn from the failure. Now he has something to prove to you (and to himself), and is more likely to ask you for advice on the way.
(Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
The best way to lead people - and the easiest - is to figure out where they already want to go and show them how to get there. Of course, some people don't know where they want to go, and other people want to go somewhere other than where you want to go. The trick in both instances is to show these folks that where you want to go is where they wanted to go all along - they just didn't realize it yet.
Where do people want to go? Well, it varies a bit from person to person, but generally:
- People want to be heroes.
- People want to be liked.
- People want to feel valued.
- People want to grow.
Your job is to show them how to get there, provide the resources for them to get there (this includes any necessary training and support), and sit down with them regularly to measure their progress, offering advice only when asked. (Making their own mistakes is part of the process.)
The perfect employee to apply this to first is the one who, in meetings or in front of their fellows, complains about everything. Often, they are otherwise good employees (or you would have fired them, right?), but they need some help growing. Usually, their real issue is fear of failure. They mastered the old way of doing things, they were perceived as a hero for their skill at it, and now you come along and threaten their status and self-image by proposing change.
Let's call this employee Tim (in my mind, I hear 'timid'). The moment you hear Tim fire up his engines, and in front of as many people as are nearby, say this:
"Tim, I'm glad that you brought this to my attention. You obviously have a strong understanding of the issues involved, and we/I appreciate you volunteering to find a way to resolve it. Let's go talk in my office about what resources you think you'll need to do that, and agree on a timeline."
Then do exactly that, right then. Don't wait.
They will push back, of course - this is well outside their comfort zone, and the complete opposite of where they want to be. But: You've addressed their "want to be a hero" need by acknowledging them as knowledgable and brave. It was in front of other people so, if they back out immediately, they look like nothing but a whiner - the exact opposite of their desired self-image. No one likes a whiner. You have shown that they are valued (again, in front of other people) by giving them an important project. And you have held out the prospect of growth. The obstacle that you will address in your office is fear.
First, no matter what, don't let them wiggle out of it. The moment you do, you have effectively lost a valuable employee. Their self-image will never recover. They will have failed, you and their coworkers will know they failed and, worst of all, they will know it, and it will ruin them from that moment on. Their performance will speedily decline, and you will eventually have to let them go.
They deserve better than that, and it's up to you as their manager to give it to them.
These are the steps that must be completed before Tim walks out of your office:
- Agree on the parameters of the issue. (You can't expect someone to hit the target if you didn't agree on what the target was.)
- Let Tim tell you what resources he initially needs to address the issue. Be flexible - after all, this is probably his first time having to think this way - but make sure that Tim is the one doing the bulk of the work. And if he comes to you later and says, "I think I'm going to need X, too," and it seems reasonable, give it to him.
- Break the issue down into chunks - tasks, teams or departments (if it's a bigger issue), components, etc. This will do a lot to dispel Tim's fear. If he's still giving you the wild eye, you can even address just the first item, let him succeed at that, and use his increased confidence to leverage the remainder of the project.
- Ask him for a completion date. Then strongly suggest a date one week earlier (or one month earlier, if he's just being silly). Set milestones and dates for those milestones.
- Agree on how often you will meet to assess his progress. Set a day and time and, no matter what, don't miss it or allow him to.
By the time the project is completed, Tim will have grown tremendously, and his outlook regarding change will have changed (not completely, but it's a step in the right direction). He will also be a lot less likely to complain - and so will everyone else.
Here's the most important part: Once Tim has successfully completed the project, publicly and loudly celebrate his success. This serves several purposes. First, you are celebrating his victory over fear. He will begin to believe that he can do more than he thought he could, and at some point may even ask to take on greater responsibility. Second, his coworkers will see not only his success, but that recognition and value are bestowed on those who define issues and address them. Third, morale and culture grow, because you have shown that you value employees, want to help them grow, and reward them for taking risks.
What if Tim fails? This will happen, and it's most likely to happen Tim's first time at bat. But the worst thing you can possibly do is let him off the hook. Your regular meetings with Tim are about helping him to succeed by making sure that he hits those milestones. If you fell down on your end, acknowledge that, apologize for it, and give him the support that he needs to finish. If the failure was outside of his control, he is likely to want to throw up his hands. Don't let him. Regroup and rethink, then set new milestones to address whatever hit you unawares. If the failure was Tim's, ask him why he thinks he failed. He may hem and haw on this - remember, he doesn't want to see himself as anything but a hero - but you have to define it in order to move forward. Don't criticize him for failing. You have failed plenty of times; tell him so. The important thing is to learn from the failure. Now he has something to prove to you (and to himself), and is more likely to ask you for advice on the way.
The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
Definition: Sacred tenets of behavior/business created by the Ferengi (an alien species) on the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The Ferengi were extremely profit motivated; Ferengi children were required to memorize 285 "Rules of Acquisition" as part of their general education to become consummate entrepreneurs.
(For the geeks: The Rules first appeared on episode No. 11, The Nagus. Historically, the earliest Rule of Acquisition was penned by the Grand Nagus Gint. The Ferengi also had a salvage code which stated that anything found abandoned was up for grabs. The Rules of Acquisition were created by writer Ira Steven Behr. )
Some of the Rules are just plain silly. Others are unethical and not recommended by Work Iz War (although you've probably seen examples of them in practice). Most were never shared with viewers. (Those that were are below.) But there are some clever and useful tenets here that are worth remembering. See if you can spot them:
Rule 1: Once you have their money, you never give it back.
Rule 9: Opportunity plus instinct equals profit.
Rule 13: Anything worth doing is worth doing for money.
Rule 16: A deal is a deal ...until a better one comes along.
Rule 18: A Ferengi without profit is no Ferengi at all.
Rule 19: Satisfaction is not guaranteed.
Rule 21: Never place friendship before profit.
Rule 27: There's nothing more dangerous than an honest businessman.
Rule 31: Never make fun of a Ferengi's mother.
Rule 33: It never hurts to suck up to the boss.
Rule 34: War is good for business.
Rule 35: Peace is good for business.
Rule 48: The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife.
Rule 52: Never ask when you can take.
Rule 60: Keep your lies consistent.
Rule 82: The flimsier the product, the higher the price.
Rule 89: Ask not what your profits can do for you; ask what you can do for your profits.
Rule 94: Females and finances don't mix.
Rule 104: Faith moves mountains of inventory.
Rule 109: Dignity and an empty sack is worth the sack.
Rule 111: Treat people in your debt like family - exploit them.
Rule 121: Everything is for sale, including friendship.
Rule 162: Even in the worst of times, someone turns a profit.
Rule 177: Know your enemies...but do business with them always.
Rule 190: Hear all; trust nothing.
Rule 192: Never cheat a Klingon unless you're sure you can get away with it.
Rule 208: Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than the question is an answer.
Rule 211: Employees are the rungs on the ladder of success--don't hesitate to step on them.
Rule 217: You can't free a fish from water.
Rule 242: More is good...all is better.
Rule 261: A wealthy man can afford anything except a conscience.
Rule 263: Never allow doubt to tarnish your lust for latinum.
Rule 266: When in doubt, lie.
Rule 284: Deep down, everyone's a Ferengi.
Rule 285: No good deed ever goes unpunished.*
*Someone was reading their Burroughs.
(For the geeks: The Rules first appeared on episode No. 11, The Nagus. Historically, the earliest Rule of Acquisition was penned by the Grand Nagus Gint. The Ferengi also had a salvage code which stated that anything found abandoned was up for grabs. The Rules of Acquisition were created by writer Ira Steven Behr. )
Some of the Rules are just plain silly. Others are unethical and not recommended by Work Iz War (although you've probably seen examples of them in practice). Most were never shared with viewers. (Those that were are below.) But there are some clever and useful tenets here that are worth remembering. See if you can spot them:
Rule 1: Once you have their money, you never give it back.
Rule 9: Opportunity plus instinct equals profit.
Rule 13: Anything worth doing is worth doing for money.
Rule 16: A deal is a deal ...until a better one comes along.
Rule 18: A Ferengi without profit is no Ferengi at all.
Rule 19: Satisfaction is not guaranteed.
Rule 21: Never place friendship before profit.
Rule 27: There's nothing more dangerous than an honest businessman.
Rule 31: Never make fun of a Ferengi's mother.
Rule 33: It never hurts to suck up to the boss.
Rule 34: War is good for business.
Rule 35: Peace is good for business.
Rule 48: The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife.
Rule 52: Never ask when you can take.
Rule 60: Keep your lies consistent.
Rule 82: The flimsier the product, the higher the price.
Rule 89: Ask not what your profits can do for you; ask what you can do for your profits.
Rule 94: Females and finances don't mix.
Rule 104: Faith moves mountains of inventory.
Rule 109: Dignity and an empty sack is worth the sack.
Rule 111: Treat people in your debt like family - exploit them.
Rule 121: Everything is for sale, including friendship.
Rule 162: Even in the worst of times, someone turns a profit.
Rule 177: Know your enemies...but do business with them always.
Rule 190: Hear all; trust nothing.
Rule 192: Never cheat a Klingon unless you're sure you can get away with it.
Rule 208: Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than the question is an answer.
Rule 211: Employees are the rungs on the ladder of success--don't hesitate to step on them.
Rule 217: You can't free a fish from water.
Rule 242: More is good...all is better.
Rule 261: A wealthy man can afford anything except a conscience.
Rule 263: Never allow doubt to tarnish your lust for latinum.
Rule 266: When in doubt, lie.
Rule 284: Deep down, everyone's a Ferengi.
Rule 285: No good deed ever goes unpunished.*
*Someone was reading their Burroughs.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Decisions, Decisions
For most people, decisions are the hardest part of management. In the end, though, they’re why you collect a paycheck. Unfortunately, good decisions often come only after years of bad ones (either your own or someone else’s), when you’ve finally collected enough experience to have some idea of what you’re doing.
There are a lot of unnecessary civilian casualties between here and there. Work Iz War is meant to help you avoid at least some of that by giving you the benefit of others’ experience. Think of it as mentoring on the cheap.
DO IT NOW
There is a cardinal law of business decisions that supercedes all others. If you remember nothing else that you read here, remember this: Do it now.
I know it’s hard. I know you’re insecure about it. I know you feel like a deer caught in a truck’s headlights. Suck it up! If you can’t make decisions, you’re not a manager. At best, you’re an overpaid babysitter. Also, you can’t wait. Here’s why:
THE LEAKY ROOF SCENARIO
Hey, did you know that your roof is leaking? That’s what a decision that hasn’t been made yet is, a leaky roof. So you bravely climb up on the roof in the snow, take a look at the hole, and it’s not too bad, so you call around to a couple of roofing contractors. Their bids are more than you expected (when are they not?), but you have enough to cover it. The thing is, your car needs new tires pretty soon and you want to go out Saturday and the hole isn’t really all that bad.
So you wait. Until spring.
When spring comes, you call the contractor that bid the lowest in December, and he comes out to re-bid, only something’s wrong. The new bid is three times what it was in December, and it’s a lot longer. When you ask the contractor, he says you should have had him fix the hole in December, before the leak allowed water to rot the roof joists and part of your bedroom ceiling, both of which now have to be replaced.
The lesson: Anything that you don’t do now will cost 3 times as much later.
This lesson also applies to firing an employee who is not doing their job, is working against you, or who was just a bad hire (these happen to the best of us).
Do it now. Don’t wait. Or be prepared to pay and pay and pay.
There are a lot of unnecessary civilian casualties between here and there. Work Iz War is meant to help you avoid at least some of that by giving you the benefit of others’ experience. Think of it as mentoring on the cheap.
DO IT NOW
There is a cardinal law of business decisions that supercedes all others. If you remember nothing else that you read here, remember this: Do it now.
I know it’s hard. I know you’re insecure about it. I know you feel like a deer caught in a truck’s headlights. Suck it up! If you can’t make decisions, you’re not a manager. At best, you’re an overpaid babysitter. Also, you can’t wait. Here’s why:
THE LEAKY ROOF SCENARIO
Hey, did you know that your roof is leaking? That’s what a decision that hasn’t been made yet is, a leaky roof. So you bravely climb up on the roof in the snow, take a look at the hole, and it’s not too bad, so you call around to a couple of roofing contractors. Their bids are more than you expected (when are they not?), but you have enough to cover it. The thing is, your car needs new tires pretty soon and you want to go out Saturday and the hole isn’t really all that bad.
So you wait. Until spring.
When spring comes, you call the contractor that bid the lowest in December, and he comes out to re-bid, only something’s wrong. The new bid is three times what it was in December, and it’s a lot longer. When you ask the contractor, he says you should have had him fix the hole in December, before the leak allowed water to rot the roof joists and part of your bedroom ceiling, both of which now have to be replaced.
The lesson: Anything that you don’t do now will cost 3 times as much later.
This lesson also applies to firing an employee who is not doing their job, is working against you, or who was just a bad hire (these happen to the best of us).
Do it now. Don’t wait. Or be prepared to pay and pay and pay.
Saying Goodbye
Okay. You have an employee that you have to let go. It might be a performance issue, it might be a layoff, it might be because they peed on your shoes. No matter the reason, they’ve got to go. And, like anything else in business, there’s a process.
1. Don’t wait. Don’t hesitate. You’re not making it better for anyone. It’s even money that your employee knows that they’re on the chopping block; prolonging it is nothing but unkind.
2. So you let your employee go. Eventually, they’ll get another job, most likely in the same industry. That means they’re going to go work for one of your competitors. And if their dismissal isn’t amicable - or even if it is - the thing that will help them the most when moving into that new job is to take as much of your organization’s information with them as possible. Especially if they are leaving you under their own power, rather than being let go.
To prevent this, immediately after you meet with your employee for the last time (or, even better, while they are meeting with you), have an IT guy remove their access to EVERYTHING. No company that I’ve ever worked for has done this. In one case, my access to company applications and databases was still active two years after I left the company. Are you happy to share your customer lists and processes with your competitors? Then cut them off!
Remember: IT guys are never in a hurry to do anything, so make sure that they understand how crucial the timing of this task is, and follow up immediately to make sure that they got it done.*
* Yes, that’s a stereotype. That doesn’t make it any less true.
2a. Supervise the employee cleaning out their desk, or have someone else do it. If it seems cruel and demeaning to you, let them go at the end of the day and do it then. If you don’t, your Customer list is going to end up on a flash drive in your departing employee’s pocket, along with a few software applications, files, and their key card and corporate credit card. And when you make sure their access is cut off, don’t forget email!
Have I mentioned that you should have a checklist? You should have a checklist.
3. If the parting is through no fault on the employee’s part, make sure that you provide severance pay (if you are able). One week’s pay for each year of service is traditional. Why? Because unemployment doesn’t pay squat, and having a little extra money to cover the transition while your ex-employee figures this out will help get them through the period when they can’t even really believe that they no longer have a job.
Remember, people who lose a job go through the same seven stages of grief as those with any other type of loss:
A little extra cash may get them all the way to anger. Okay, admittedly not the best landing point, but at least it’s three steps along on the road to acceptance and, hopefully, another job.
4. Help them figure out how to file for unemployment compensation. They’re going to do it anyway; the least you can do is make the whole thing less painful. If you plan to contest their claim, tell them that right up front. Even if they embezzled money, you should still... well, wait a minute. Scratch that. If they stole money from you, shoot the bastards. But if they only did a poor job, chances are they’ll mess up all of the unemployment forms, too, and only come crying to you later about how terrible their life has become since you let them go. Save yourself the discomfort: contact your local unemployment office and see if they have any handy pamphlets that explain the claim and filing process. If they don’t, create one internally. Believe me, you’ll thank me later.
5. 401k’s. As of this writing, I have 4 or 5 of these floating around. I get Christmas cards from them every year, little notes telling me how they’re doing, but I have no idea how to combine them or why I shouldn’t cash them in while I’m unemployed or how to roll them into my next employer’s plan. See if your 401k vendor has a handy pamphlet for this, too. If not, create one, and give it to every employee that comes aboard and every one that disembarks.
1. Don’t wait. Don’t hesitate. You’re not making it better for anyone. It’s even money that your employee knows that they’re on the chopping block; prolonging it is nothing but unkind.
2. So you let your employee go. Eventually, they’ll get another job, most likely in the same industry. That means they’re going to go work for one of your competitors. And if their dismissal isn’t amicable - or even if it is - the thing that will help them the most when moving into that new job is to take as much of your organization’s information with them as possible. Especially if they are leaving you under their own power, rather than being let go.
To prevent this, immediately after you meet with your employee for the last time (or, even better, while they are meeting with you), have an IT guy remove their access to EVERYTHING. No company that I’ve ever worked for has done this. In one case, my access to company applications and databases was still active two years after I left the company. Are you happy to share your customer lists and processes with your competitors? Then cut them off!
Remember: IT guys are never in a hurry to do anything, so make sure that they understand how crucial the timing of this task is, and follow up immediately to make sure that they got it done.*
* Yes, that’s a stereotype. That doesn’t make it any less true.
2a. Supervise the employee cleaning out their desk, or have someone else do it. If it seems cruel and demeaning to you, let them go at the end of the day and do it then. If you don’t, your Customer list is going to end up on a flash drive in your departing employee’s pocket, along with a few software applications, files, and their key card and corporate credit card. And when you make sure their access is cut off, don’t forget email!
Have I mentioned that you should have a checklist? You should have a checklist.
3. If the parting is through no fault on the employee’s part, make sure that you provide severance pay (if you are able). One week’s pay for each year of service is traditional. Why? Because unemployment doesn’t pay squat, and having a little extra money to cover the transition while your ex-employee figures this out will help get them through the period when they can’t even really believe that they no longer have a job.
Remember, people who lose a job go through the same seven stages of grief as those with any other type of loss:
- Shock or Disbelief
- Denial
- Anger
- Bargaining
- Guilt
- Depression
- Acceptance
A little extra cash may get them all the way to anger. Okay, admittedly not the best landing point, but at least it’s three steps along on the road to acceptance and, hopefully, another job.
4. Help them figure out how to file for unemployment compensation. They’re going to do it anyway; the least you can do is make the whole thing less painful. If you plan to contest their claim, tell them that right up front. Even if they embezzled money, you should still... well, wait a minute. Scratch that. If they stole money from you, shoot the bastards. But if they only did a poor job, chances are they’ll mess up all of the unemployment forms, too, and only come crying to you later about how terrible their life has become since you let them go. Save yourself the discomfort: contact your local unemployment office and see if they have any handy pamphlets that explain the claim and filing process. If they don’t, create one internally. Believe me, you’ll thank me later.
5. 401k’s. As of this writing, I have 4 or 5 of these floating around. I get Christmas cards from them every year, little notes telling me how they’re doing, but I have no idea how to combine them or why I shouldn’t cash them in while I’m unemployed or how to roll them into my next employer’s plan. See if your 401k vendor has a handy pamphlet for this, too. If not, create one, and give it to every employee that comes aboard and every one that disembarks.
It's All in the Family
You know what’s worse than working for your father? Working for your father-in-law. That’s it; that’s the only thing that’s worse. In both situations, my advice is to shoot yourself. It’s certainly faster and cleaner then letting them grind you down a little bit each day, crushing your soul by degrees.
No matter what you may believe and secretly pray for, they are never going to retire and lightning is never going to strike them dead. They will outlive you, if only to spite you. And if you try to bump them off, fate will intercede to botch the job, and that will be one more thing that they’ll ride you about until you’re ready for the special jacket with the arms that go all the way ‘round.
Do you work with your spouse? If so, you might as well divorce them now, because it’s going to happen sooner or later. Why wait? Who can take that kind of pain over the long haul? You deserve better, and so do they.
How about brothers? Brothers are the worst. You promise to be impartial, you agree that you are equals, but someone’s always just a little more equal, aren’t they? A nicer office, a little more money, a little more power... It’s like The Godfather!
You know why being in business with family doesn’t work? Because they’re exclusionary terms.
You cannot conduct business with family members; there’s just too much baggage involved. And a bad day at work gets personal faster than the speed of light if a family member is involved. At least any other employee gets the benefit of the doubt. And every employee in the building knows when you’re fighting, no matter how well you think you hide it.
The opposite is too often true, as well: We keep a relative on the payroll long after we would have fired anyone else. How is that good for your organization? It certainly murders morale. Especially if the relative in question has people under them that would be better in their job than they are. Aren’t you supposed to hire only the best possible candidate for each position? Then why did you go into business with these losers?
Business is business. Family is family. Learn something from all of the gangster movies: there’s a reason why they all kill each other. Keep your family and your business as far apart as possible. You’ll live longer, and you’ll certainly die happier.
No matter what you may believe and secretly pray for, they are never going to retire and lightning is never going to strike them dead. They will outlive you, if only to spite you. And if you try to bump them off, fate will intercede to botch the job, and that will be one more thing that they’ll ride you about until you’re ready for the special jacket with the arms that go all the way ‘round.
Do you work with your spouse? If so, you might as well divorce them now, because it’s going to happen sooner or later. Why wait? Who can take that kind of pain over the long haul? You deserve better, and so do they.
How about brothers? Brothers are the worst. You promise to be impartial, you agree that you are equals, but someone’s always just a little more equal, aren’t they? A nicer office, a little more money, a little more power... It’s like The Godfather!
You know why being in business with family doesn’t work? Because they’re exclusionary terms.
You cannot conduct business with family members; there’s just too much baggage involved. And a bad day at work gets personal faster than the speed of light if a family member is involved. At least any other employee gets the benefit of the doubt. And every employee in the building knows when you’re fighting, no matter how well you think you hide it.
The opposite is too often true, as well: We keep a relative on the payroll long after we would have fired anyone else. How is that good for your organization? It certainly murders morale. Especially if the relative in question has people under them that would be better in their job than they are. Aren’t you supposed to hire only the best possible candidate for each position? Then why did you go into business with these losers?
Business is business. Family is family. Learn something from all of the gangster movies: there’s a reason why they all kill each other. Keep your family and your business as far apart as possible. You’ll live longer, and you’ll certainly die happier.
Don't Work Below Your Pay Grade (or Let Anyone Else)
Have you ever said, “It’ll be faster if I just do it myself”? Of course you have; it’s human nature, we all do it, and there’s nothing wrong with thinking that. It only becomes an issue if you act on that impulse, and do work that someone with a lower pay grade should be doing.
In a way, doing work that is someone else’s responsibility is pure snobbery - you do it because you think that you can do it better or faster than someone else. You may even be able to do it better or faster. That’s not the point. The point is, you are being paid to do something else - supposedly something that no one else can do - and, by avoiding your own work, you are cheating your organization by becoming the world’s most expensive office manager/technician/dishwasher/automobile porter/accountant/snowplow driver/etc./etc./etc.
You are paid more because the tasks assigned to you have a higher monetary value for your organization. By not performing those tasks, you are essentially goofing off. Goofing off costs your organization money because you are not being as productive as your pay grade requires you to be.
Aside from sheer monetary concerns, the ‘I can do it better’ attitude is condescending at best. If the person who is tasked with performing a certain function really can’t do it faster or better than you can, it’s your fault for hiring the wrong person, or not training them properly, or not thinking the job requirements through before deciding that you needed someone to fill a position.
Then consider this: Just because they may do things differently than you would doesn’t make them wrong.
In a way, doing work that is someone else’s responsibility is pure snobbery - you do it because you think that you can do it better or faster than someone else. You may even be able to do it better or faster. That’s not the point. The point is, you are being paid to do something else - supposedly something that no one else can do - and, by avoiding your own work, you are cheating your organization by becoming the world’s most expensive office manager/technician/dishwasher/automobile porter/accountant/snowplow driver/etc./etc./etc.
You are paid more because the tasks assigned to you have a higher monetary value for your organization. By not performing those tasks, you are essentially goofing off. Goofing off costs your organization money because you are not being as productive as your pay grade requires you to be.
Aside from sheer monetary concerns, the ‘I can do it better’ attitude is condescending at best. If the person who is tasked with performing a certain function really can’t do it faster or better than you can, it’s your fault for hiring the wrong person, or not training them properly, or not thinking the job requirements through before deciding that you needed someone to fill a position.
Then consider this: Just because they may do things differently than you would doesn’t make them wrong.
Employees to Fire Today
1. Victims
“Can you believe what they want us to do now? And of course we have no time to do it. I don’t get paid enough for this. The boss is clueless.”
2. Nonbelievers
“Why should we work so hard on this? Even if we come up with a good idea, the boss will probably kill it. If she doesn’t, the market will. I’ve seen this a hundred times before.”
3. Know-It-Alls
“You people obviously don’t understand the business we are in. The regulations will not allow an idea like this, and our stakeholders won’t embrace it. Don’t even get me started on our IT infrastructure’s inability to support it. And then there is the problem of ….”
Also, once you decide to fire someone, FIRE THEM! Don’t avoid it or stretch it out. It’s part of your responsibility, it’s your job, waiting will only demotivate everyone else that much more, and it may give the person that you do eventually get around to firing a toehold for potential litigation (“I did the same thing I’ve always done. If they didn’t like it, why didn’t they fire me before now?”). And you know what? They’re right!
If you can’t fire people, you don’t belong in a management role.
“Can you believe what they want us to do now? And of course we have no time to do it. I don’t get paid enough for this. The boss is clueless.”
2. Nonbelievers
“Why should we work so hard on this? Even if we come up with a good idea, the boss will probably kill it. If she doesn’t, the market will. I’ve seen this a hundred times before.”
3. Know-It-Alls
“You people obviously don’t understand the business we are in. The regulations will not allow an idea like this, and our stakeholders won’t embrace it. Don’t even get me started on our IT infrastructure’s inability to support it. And then there is the problem of ….”
Also, once you decide to fire someone, FIRE THEM! Don’t avoid it or stretch it out. It’s part of your responsibility, it’s your job, waiting will only demotivate everyone else that much more, and it may give the person that you do eventually get around to firing a toehold for potential litigation (“I did the same thing I’ve always done. If they didn’t like it, why didn’t they fire me before now?”). And you know what? They’re right!
If you can’t fire people, you don’t belong in a management role.
Be the Boss, Not a Friend
You can either be their boss or their friend. You can’t be both. Period. If you try to be their friend, you are doing them a disservice that will eventually cost them their jobs. What kind of friend does that make you?
In a lot of ways, being the boss is like being the parent – a lot of the same rules apply. Employees are smart – if you hire them right, many of them will be smarter than you, which is a good thing – but they usually lack the experience that you bring to the table. That experience and hands-on knowledge is what gives you the right to be the boss – it’s why you get paid and why they work for you. If you don’t have confidence in that, either go get the experience that you require or get out of the game: it’s that simple.
Just like children, employees need rules and guidelines to keep them out of trouble. They expect that. No matter what they may say, they want that.
How many? As few as you can reasonably get away with.
In a lot of ways, being the boss is like being the parent – a lot of the same rules apply. Employees are smart – if you hire them right, many of them will be smarter than you, which is a good thing – but they usually lack the experience that you bring to the table. That experience and hands-on knowledge is what gives you the right to be the boss – it’s why you get paid and why they work for you. If you don’t have confidence in that, either go get the experience that you require or get out of the game: it’s that simple.
Just like children, employees need rules and guidelines to keep them out of trouble. They expect that. No matter what they may say, they want that.
How many? As few as you can reasonably get away with.
Crewing a Call Center
Hiring employees for a call center is like choosing the crew of a submarine: They will be doing repetitive tasks in an enclosed environment for a very long period of time. Because of this, even small frictions can instantly flare up into major blow-outs. A key part of your role as hiring manager is not just to choose people that can do the job, but to also choose people that fit within the team like pieces in a puzzle.
If you involve existing call center employees in the hiring process, it can go a long way toward alleviating this issue. Once you have the pool of candidates whittled down to a chosen few, invite existing staff to perform the second interview. Meet with them afterward and get their honest feedback. They are likely to ask (and answer) questions that you may not have thought of. Remember: they do the job all day, and may be more qualified to determine who is or isn't a good fit for the job than you are.
Keeping a candy bowl on site, and always filled, helps a lot, too. It's amazing how much tension a little bit of chocolate can take away. Team-building helps, too. No, not trust-building exercises and blindfolds. That kind of silliness is for salespeople. This is a call center crew; they have to be bulletproof. You want to create a bond so strong that your crew will babysit each other's children, cover days off for each other, and go holiday shopping together. The only way to do that is to take work out of the equation.
Try these instead:
No matter what you do, it's important that it be voluntary. The minute you make anything mandatory, it becomes work, no matter how good your intentions.
If you've had successful team-building events, I'd love to hear about (and steal) them.
If you involve existing call center employees in the hiring process, it can go a long way toward alleviating this issue. Once you have the pool of candidates whittled down to a chosen few, invite existing staff to perform the second interview. Meet with them afterward and get their honest feedback. They are likely to ask (and answer) questions that you may not have thought of. Remember: they do the job all day, and may be more qualified to determine who is or isn't a good fit for the job than you are.
Keeping a candy bowl on site, and always filled, helps a lot, too. It's amazing how much tension a little bit of chocolate can take away. Team-building helps, too. No, not trust-building exercises and blindfolds. That kind of silliness is for salespeople. This is a call center crew; they have to be bulletproof. You want to create a bond so strong that your crew will babysit each other's children, cover days off for each other, and go holiday shopping together. The only way to do that is to take work out of the equation.
Try these instead:
- In the summer, an after-work squirt gun battle on the company grounds.
- Make wine together. Check online; you may find that a small local vintner or brewery allows this even for small parties. If none exist in your area, there are kits that you can order. Then, after the wine has aged 6 - 12 months, get together outside work to taste it.
- Picnics and themed pot lucks. (They also help break up the monotony of call center life, and give everyone something to look forward to.)
- Draw names for the 2 employees who will go out together - during work hours - with some of your money to restock the candy bowl. Do this weekly.
- Order in a buffet lunch for no particular reason. Don't make it on a holiday - those already have enough family-related angst to compete with. Make sure everyone knows at least 2 months in advance, so that they have it to look forward to. (Hmm... if these often have to be a day earlier or later than planned - especially out of the blue - do you think it might improve attendance?)
- Celebrate 'Pie Friday' (this one is all mine, and still my favorite): Ask each employee what their favorite kind of pie is, go out to a bakery or restaurant, and bring each employee back their own personal pie.
- Games. Rotate which employee chooses that month's game, and put them in charge of organizing it. (It will help them grow.) Game time can be at lunch during the slowest day of the week (especially if you buy lunch).
- Go to the beach together. You bring buckets of chicken, everyone else brings one item. (Some employees are funny about being seen in swim wear by other members of the team. In that case, substitute a trip to the zoo - you buy the passes, and include spouses and children, absolutely - or the movies.)
No matter what you do, it's important that it be voluntary. The minute you make anything mandatory, it becomes work, no matter how good your intentions.
If you've had successful team-building events, I'd love to hear about (and steal) them.
Chain of Command
Colin Powell once defined chain of command as giving the person above you in the chain your suggestions regarding how to approach or resolve an issue, up to the moment that they make a decision. As soon as the decision is made, you must treat it as if it were your own. Whether you personally agree with it or not makes no difference at all.
If you can't do that, you are a weak link, and you can't be a link in that chain any more.
There are some folks who believe that chain of command is an outdated management concept, or at least one that only belongs in military organizations. This is nonsense. While every organization’s goal should be to keep its organizational chart as flat as possible and encourage the flow of ideas from bottom to top and top to bottom, chain of command is as necessary to effectiveness as it has ever been.
In general, an organization’s chain of command consists of three levels, determined by each group’s responsibility. Depending upon its size and complexity, your organization may actually have many more levels, but they will still fall roughly into three groups:
In general, your organizational chart should look like a pyramid, with the bulk of employees at the base, fewer employees in the middle, and the fewest at the top. If it doesn’t look like a pyramid, it is probably not as efficient as it could be, and you are probably spending more on salaries at the middle and/or top than you should.
In general, to be effective, no manager should have more than seven to ten direct reports. That is about the most that any manager can effectively manage, respond to, and cultivate. If they have fewer than five, you should look at whether it makes sense to consolidate them with another department or group.
There seems to be a trend in some organizations to assign the title ‘manager’ to employees that have no direct reports. This may be an excuse to pay a favored employee more money, or to use a fancier title as a means to avoid paying more. From an organizational perspective, however, an employee that has no one to manage – that is, no direct reports - is not a manager.
To avoid both of the scenarios above, you may wish to consider the title Coordinator. It is both more accurate and less likely to encourage paying more or less than the tasks in question are worth.
Remember: It is never about how much a person is worth (people are priceless). It is always about how much the position – that is, the tasks accomplished – is worth. Keep that in mind when you assess compensation, and you are much less likely to overpay or underpay.
Each level within your organization has a fixed perspective – that is, they each see varying amounts of the ‘big picture’ on a daily basis. In general, the executive level sees the entire big picture, the mid-level managers see just enough to determine what tasks are necessary to accomplish the vision and follow the direction determined by the executives, and the line-level workers see just enough to accomplish the tasks assigned by the mid-level managers.
If the employees at any level see more of the big picture than they can actually act on, it is likely to be a distraction, and may even lead to conflict over decisions made at higher levels. To borrow a military analogy, it is not up to a private to question why he or she is attacking a given hill. That decision is made by a general, who has access to more information, as well as the experience - and responsibility – necessary to make that decision.
Bear in mind, this is only the day-to-day perspective of each level. In general, it is healthiest and most effective if employees at all levels know the organization’s overall vision, direction, and core values, so that everyone moves in the same direction and toward the same goal(s).
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the first and love the second, or he will be devoted to the second and despise the first. (Matthew 6:24)
If any employee of your organization reports to more than one manager, your organization is a club, not a business. There are two reasons why you don’t want this, and both have to do with chaos.
First, let’s look at it from the employee’s point of view:
At some point, a task assigned by Manager A is going to conflict with a task assigned by Manager B, if for no other reason than that the employee has only so much time in his or her day, and has to make a decision about which task has priority. If either manager disagrees with the employee’s decision, both managers and the employee waste time figuring out how to resolve the conflict.
This will happen over and over again, for no good reason. Because wasted time is wasted money, wasting time is a cardinal sin of business.
Now let’s look at it from the managers’ point of view:
Suppose the employee doesn’t want to perform a task assigned by Manager A. Rather than going to Manager A about it, they go to Manager B and ask for their permission to ignore the task, or at least to push it down their list of priorities. Or, if they are really clever, they won’t even ask. Instead, they will simply get Manager B’s agreement that one of Manager B’s tasks is very important, and use that as an excuse to downgrade Manager A’s task(s).
Sound familiar? It’s the age old strategy of going to Dad and, if Dad says no, going to Mom for the answer that you want. If there is conflict, it occurs between Dad and Mom; the child throws up their hands and says, “It’s not my fault!”, when of course it is.
To begin with, because of the limited view imposed by their position, a lower-level employee’s priorities should be set by their manager. This is impossible if the employee has more than one manager. The employee has freedom to prioritize the actual steps involved in carrying out a given task.
To a certain extent, this is dictated by the employee’s ability and readiness, as well as their level within the organization. For example, a mid-level manager has more responsibility to make decisions about the priority of their tasks than an entry-level employee, and should have more ability to do so (that is, if you’ve hired the right manager).
Of course, all employees ultimately work for and report to the organization. Organizations that fail to cultivate this perspective as part of their culture are headed for trouble. A single manager or even a group of managers may assign tasks that are in their own best interests or the interests of their department, and in opposition to the interests of the organization. While there are times this impression may simply be the result of the lower-level employee’s limited view (i.e., they cannot always see the ‘big picture’, because they do not know all of the facts), in general it is best to keep the lines of communication open, and encourage lower-level employees to go to their manager’s supervisor if their manager presents tasks that appear to conflict with the goals of the organization.
If you can't do that, you are a weak link, and you can't be a link in that chain any more.
There are some folks who believe that chain of command is an outdated management concept, or at least one that only belongs in military organizations. This is nonsense. While every organization’s goal should be to keep its organizational chart as flat as possible and encourage the flow of ideas from bottom to top and top to bottom, chain of command is as necessary to effectiveness as it has ever been.
In general, an organization’s chain of command consists of three levels, determined by each group’s responsibility. Depending upon its size and complexity, your organization may actually have many more levels, but they will still fall roughly into three groups:
- Executive (determine direction and vision)
- Mid-level management (determine which tasks are necessary to achieve the vision, see to it that these tasks are completed)
- Line-level workers (determine the steps necessary to complete the tasks and do most of the actual work)
In general, your organizational chart should look like a pyramid, with the bulk of employees at the base, fewer employees in the middle, and the fewest at the top. If it doesn’t look like a pyramid, it is probably not as efficient as it could be, and you are probably spending more on salaries at the middle and/or top than you should.
In general, to be effective, no manager should have more than seven to ten direct reports. That is about the most that any manager can effectively manage, respond to, and cultivate. If they have fewer than five, you should look at whether it makes sense to consolidate them with another department or group.
There seems to be a trend in some organizations to assign the title ‘manager’ to employees that have no direct reports. This may be an excuse to pay a favored employee more money, or to use a fancier title as a means to avoid paying more. From an organizational perspective, however, an employee that has no one to manage – that is, no direct reports - is not a manager.
To avoid both of the scenarios above, you may wish to consider the title Coordinator. It is both more accurate and less likely to encourage paying more or less than the tasks in question are worth.
Remember: It is never about how much a person is worth (people are priceless). It is always about how much the position – that is, the tasks accomplished – is worth. Keep that in mind when you assess compensation, and you are much less likely to overpay or underpay.
Each level within your organization has a fixed perspective – that is, they each see varying amounts of the ‘big picture’ on a daily basis. In general, the executive level sees the entire big picture, the mid-level managers see just enough to determine what tasks are necessary to accomplish the vision and follow the direction determined by the executives, and the line-level workers see just enough to accomplish the tasks assigned by the mid-level managers.
If the employees at any level see more of the big picture than they can actually act on, it is likely to be a distraction, and may even lead to conflict over decisions made at higher levels. To borrow a military analogy, it is not up to a private to question why he or she is attacking a given hill. That decision is made by a general, who has access to more information, as well as the experience - and responsibility – necessary to make that decision.
Bear in mind, this is only the day-to-day perspective of each level. In general, it is healthiest and most effective if employees at all levels know the organization’s overall vision, direction, and core values, so that everyone moves in the same direction and toward the same goal(s).
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the first and love the second, or he will be devoted to the second and despise the first. (Matthew 6:24)
If any employee of your organization reports to more than one manager, your organization is a club, not a business. There are two reasons why you don’t want this, and both have to do with chaos.
First, let’s look at it from the employee’s point of view:
At some point, a task assigned by Manager A is going to conflict with a task assigned by Manager B, if for no other reason than that the employee has only so much time in his or her day, and has to make a decision about which task has priority. If either manager disagrees with the employee’s decision, both managers and the employee waste time figuring out how to resolve the conflict.
This will happen over and over again, for no good reason. Because wasted time is wasted money, wasting time is a cardinal sin of business.
Now let’s look at it from the managers’ point of view:
Suppose the employee doesn’t want to perform a task assigned by Manager A. Rather than going to Manager A about it, they go to Manager B and ask for their permission to ignore the task, or at least to push it down their list of priorities. Or, if they are really clever, they won’t even ask. Instead, they will simply get Manager B’s agreement that one of Manager B’s tasks is very important, and use that as an excuse to downgrade Manager A’s task(s).
Sound familiar? It’s the age old strategy of going to Dad and, if Dad says no, going to Mom for the answer that you want. If there is conflict, it occurs between Dad and Mom; the child throws up their hands and says, “It’s not my fault!”, when of course it is.
To begin with, because of the limited view imposed by their position, a lower-level employee’s priorities should be set by their manager. This is impossible if the employee has more than one manager. The employee has freedom to prioritize the actual steps involved in carrying out a given task.
To a certain extent, this is dictated by the employee’s ability and readiness, as well as their level within the organization. For example, a mid-level manager has more responsibility to make decisions about the priority of their tasks than an entry-level employee, and should have more ability to do so (that is, if you’ve hired the right manager).
Of course, all employees ultimately work for and report to the organization. Organizations that fail to cultivate this perspective as part of their culture are headed for trouble. A single manager or even a group of managers may assign tasks that are in their own best interests or the interests of their department, and in opposition to the interests of the organization. While there are times this impression may simply be the result of the lower-level employee’s limited view (i.e., they cannot always see the ‘big picture’, because they do not know all of the facts), in general it is best to keep the lines of communication open, and encourage lower-level employees to go to their manager’s supervisor if their manager presents tasks that appear to conflict with the goals of the organization.
Words Shape Your World
Language is power. Words shape our thoughts; language equals culture. Our thoughts determine our actions. A single word can draw us together or distance us from the issues and from each other.
Example: Clients. That’s a nice, sterile word, isn’t it? Clients. It suggests a vague association, a temporarily convenient, necessary-for-the-moment relationship, someone held at arms’ length. It lacks ownership and warmth; we might as well be discussing thumbtacks.
“I lost a client.”
“Oh, really? Well, I’m sure another one will come along. In the meantime, why not borrow one of mine? I’ve got plenty.”
We don’t have clients. Saying a client has an issue is nothing more than a way to distance ourselves from ownership of either one. It’s a self-patronizing, politically acceptable way to abdicate our responsibility for providing solutions.
We have Customers. Customers are people, just like us. People don’t have issues; people have needs. Feeding those needs is the solution we provide.
A Grammatical Pet Peeve
It seems to be a custom among poorly educated people to claim ownership of events, processes, appointments, etc., that actually belong (linguistically) to the company. For example:
"I have an opening at 3:00." (Where the appointment in question is actually for someone else.) Correct usage: "We have an opening at 3:00."
"My service application is not working at the moment." Correct usage: "Our service application is not working at the moment."
Incorrect grammar identifies the employee as poorly educated, and reflects on your company. Be certain that employees that you hire to answer the phones - and anyone that spends time on the phone, such as support or sales personnel - have excellent grammar.
Example: Clients. That’s a nice, sterile word, isn’t it? Clients. It suggests a vague association, a temporarily convenient, necessary-for-the-moment relationship, someone held at arms’ length. It lacks ownership and warmth; we might as well be discussing thumbtacks.
“I lost a client.”
“Oh, really? Well, I’m sure another one will come along. In the meantime, why not borrow one of mine? I’ve got plenty.”
We don’t have clients. Saying a client has an issue is nothing more than a way to distance ourselves from ownership of either one. It’s a self-patronizing, politically acceptable way to abdicate our responsibility for providing solutions.
We have Customers. Customers are people, just like us. People don’t have issues; people have needs. Feeding those needs is the solution we provide.
A Grammatical Pet Peeve
It seems to be a custom among poorly educated people to claim ownership of events, processes, appointments, etc., that actually belong (linguistically) to the company. For example:
"I have an opening at 3:00." (Where the appointment in question is actually for someone else.) Correct usage: "We have an opening at 3:00."
"My service application is not working at the moment." Correct usage: "Our service application is not working at the moment."
Incorrect grammar identifies the employee as poorly educated, and reflects on your company. Be certain that employees that you hire to answer the phones - and anyone that spends time on the phone, such as support or sales personnel - have excellent grammar.
Verbal Communication
Every time you communicate with someone, you send three messages. They are:
1. Verbal Messages: the words you say
2. Paraverbal Messages: the way you say your words
3. Nonverbal Messages: your body language
The better you manage each message, the more likely that people will be drawn to you.
And the most important part of verbal communication: Listen!
1. Verbal Messages: the words you say
2. Paraverbal Messages: the way you say your words
3. Nonverbal Messages: your body language
The better you manage each message, the more likely that people will be drawn to you.
And the most important part of verbal communication: Listen!
Metrics: Lifeblood of Your Organization
If you don't kick the tires, you can't complain about the ride.
If you are not a 'numbers person', hire one to be your #2 - then listen to them. 99% of all companies that fail were led by people that led with their gut, rather than by a clear understanding of their metrics and what they meant.
There are three parts to the metrics equation:
This is harder than it sounds. But, like any other behavior (positive or negative), it becomes habit with daily practice.
If you are not a 'numbers person', hire one to be your #2 - then listen to them. 99% of all companies that fail were led by people that led with their gut, rather than by a clear understanding of their metrics and what they meant.
There are three parts to the metrics equation:
- Knowing which numbers are significant.
- Tracking and reviewing those numbers on a daily basis.
- Knowing how what you do impacts those numbers positively or negatively.
This is harder than it sounds. But, like any other behavior (positive or negative), it becomes habit with daily practice.
When Something Goes Wrong
Errors happen, and one complaint screams louder than thirty compliments. To turn a negative into a positive:
- An angry Customer wants to know that their complaint is being heard NOW!
- Do not send an email – CALL.
- Take ownership. Whenever possible, solve the issue yourself. If that’s not possible, at least be the Customer’s one point of contact.
- "I'm sorry. How can I make it better?"
- Don't give a Customer cause to say that their needs were not met.
- Go out of your way to make it right.
- Handle all internal communication yourself – don’t pass the buck.
- Once you’re done, ask your Customer if they are satisfied with the results.
- After you make it right, apologize again.
- Learn from your mistakes.
To Call or Not to Call
- A phone call is always better than an email.
- Never deliver bad news via email.
- These days, no one has time to chat. If an internal or external Customer calls you on the phone, it’s because they need immediate help, and can’t wait for an email reply.
- Never ask a Customer to call back – offer to call them back.
- If you have to transfer a call, make sure that you transfer the Customer to a human being, never to a voicemail. Also, tell the Customer whom you are transferring them to, and let the person you are transferring to know whom you are transferring to them and what the issue is.
Customer Appreciation
- Thank Customers for doing business with you.
- Make quarterly follow-up calls to see if each service is doing what your Customers need it to do.
- Do they need additional training? (Remember, it’s free.)
- Would they recommend you?
- Are they expecting a baby, just get promoted, recently married, just returned from an interesting vacation?
- Send a hand-written note or card to tell your Customers that you value their business.
- The most powerful tool in your marketing arsenal is a Customer referral. Give your Customers a reason to brag about you and they will spread the word.
What is Customer for Life?
Let’s start with what Customer for Life is not:
It is not another way of saying ‘the customer is always right’. In fact, to someone who actively practices Customer for Life, ‘the customer is always right’ is a nonsensical statement.
It is not a variation on the Golden Rule. Customer for Life assumes from the outset that we treat each other decently and, if we don’t, that we’ve probably self-excluded ourselves from most meaningful human contact, anyway.
Customer for Life is not “brown-nosing”. You will not tell the customer (or your boss) what they want to hear, paint a rosy picture, oversell, promise anyone the moon and stars, or make lemonade out of lemons. You don’t have to give away the store, your right arm, blood from a stone, or your firstborn child. Your goal is not to make the customer your best friend, exchange trinkets for treasure, or become an external resource. You will be able to look yourself in the mirror without feeling any sense of self-betrayal.
Customer for Life can be described as an approach to social interaction that is transaction-based. Because of this, it is particularly well-suited to organizations that are structured according to a hierarchy. (This can mean your business, your customers' businesses, governments, religious and military organizations, and on and on.) Like a meme, it is distributed virally.
Now here’s what that really means:
Our job is to learn enough about our Customer, their business, their job, and their personal needs to present them with sound advice about how to make the best use of our products and/or services – and about which ones will or will not help solve their problems.
If you practice Customer for Life, every Customer – internal or external - is treated exactly the same: professionally, personally, perfectly. That means co-workers, vendors, your children, significant other, business partners, your mail carrier, and the Customer who makes you the least money.
Here are the fringe benefits of Customer for Life:
All of these are true, but none of them are the real reason that we choose to live this way. Why do we practice Customer for Life?
Because it’s the right thing to do.
It is not another way of saying ‘the customer is always right’. In fact, to someone who actively practices Customer for Life, ‘the customer is always right’ is a nonsensical statement.
It is not a variation on the Golden Rule. Customer for Life assumes from the outset that we treat each other decently and, if we don’t, that we’ve probably self-excluded ourselves from most meaningful human contact, anyway.
Customer for Life is not “brown-nosing”. You will not tell the customer (or your boss) what they want to hear, paint a rosy picture, oversell, promise anyone the moon and stars, or make lemonade out of lemons. You don’t have to give away the store, your right arm, blood from a stone, or your firstborn child. Your goal is not to make the customer your best friend, exchange trinkets for treasure, or become an external resource. You will be able to look yourself in the mirror without feeling any sense of self-betrayal.
Customer for Life can be described as an approach to social interaction that is transaction-based. Because of this, it is particularly well-suited to organizations that are structured according to a hierarchy. (This can mean your business, your customers' businesses, governments, religious and military organizations, and on and on.) Like a meme, it is distributed virally.
Now here’s what that really means:
- Everyone you come in contact with is a Customer – including coworkers, boss, family members, the person who cut you off on the way to work. Even the telemarketer who called you in the middle of dinner.
- Your sense of well-being and happiness are dependent upon these Customers.
- All of these Customers can help you reach your goals or prevent you from reaching them, be steps up the ladder or obstacles.
Our job is to learn enough about our Customer, their business, their job, and their personal needs to present them with sound advice about how to make the best use of our products and/or services – and about which ones will or will not help solve their problems.
If you practice Customer for Life, every Customer – internal or external - is treated exactly the same: professionally, personally, perfectly. That means co-workers, vendors, your children, significant other, business partners, your mail carrier, and the Customer who makes you the least money.
Here are the fringe benefits of Customer for Life:
- It wins us converts from our competitors.
- It increases Customer retention.
- It increases how much each Customer spends with us.
- By helping Customers feed their needs and achieve their goals, they are more likely to help us do the same.
Because it’s the right thing to do.
Discrimination
From a business perspective, human beings come in just one color: green. They either represent money to be made or money to be saved. If you think of people in any other way in your professional life, you deserve to fail and fail miserably, because you are letting a personal prejudice get in the way of making money.
That is not to say that people don’t come in various shades of green. Each shade represents a customer’s or employee’s potential monetary value. And don’t think small, here: a given customer may not be in a position to purchase much from you now, but that may change, in time. They may also be a champion for your business and introduce you to their friends. An employee can become more valuable through internal or external training and experiences that affect their personal results and the results of others with whom they share their new knowledge. They (and external customers) can also suggest better ways to do things, saving you money.
Does this mean that we should not be aware of and posture our language, gestures, and approach to internal and external customers based on their various cultures? Of course not! Aside from being poor business practice and pulling money right out of your pocket (perhaps even your entire business or organization), that is just plain rude. (What would your mother say about that?)
But it does mean that we don’t make assumptions about someone’s ability to be or to generate revenue based on their appearance. This includes color, gender, sexual orientation, age, nationality, religion, politics, and beauty (an important point; remember, we are hard-wired to select for people that are attractive, even if they perform poorly).
Everyone is a customer, at some point. EVERYONE. Remember that.
That is not to say that people don’t come in various shades of green. Each shade represents a customer’s or employee’s potential monetary value. And don’t think small, here: a given customer may not be in a position to purchase much from you now, but that may change, in time. They may also be a champion for your business and introduce you to their friends. An employee can become more valuable through internal or external training and experiences that affect their personal results and the results of others with whom they share their new knowledge. They (and external customers) can also suggest better ways to do things, saving you money.
Does this mean that we should not be aware of and posture our language, gestures, and approach to internal and external customers based on their various cultures? Of course not! Aside from being poor business practice and pulling money right out of your pocket (perhaps even your entire business or organization), that is just plain rude. (What would your mother say about that?)
But it does mean that we don’t make assumptions about someone’s ability to be or to generate revenue based on their appearance. This includes color, gender, sexual orientation, age, nationality, religion, politics, and beauty (an important point; remember, we are hard-wired to select for people that are attractive, even if they perform poorly).
Everyone is a customer, at some point. EVERYONE. Remember that.
It's All About Time
If you run a lean boat, your employees' hours are already filled to capacity. When you initiate a new process or bring on a new service vendor, etc., there are no 'extra' hours in which to fit the time that the new process takes. Instead, it is necessary to drop something else to make room. Because of this, you must carefully consider all of the ramifications:
1. Is the new process replacing an old, less efficient process that will save time and/or money?
2. How much time, exactly?
3. How much money, exactly?
4. What will be dropped to make room for the new service?
5. Can this afford to be dropped, or should it be shifted?
6. Is there somewhere/someone to realistically shift it to?
7. If not, will the new process result in the necessity of hiring more staff (and increasing overhead)?
8. If so, will the new process's cost and/or time savings more than cover the increased overhead?
When you look at a new process in this light, what initially seems like a good idea may not seem so shiny. Bear in mind, this realistic viewpoint is not intended to stifle innovation or positive change - only to ensure that the change at least pays for itself, and does not cause more problems than it cures.
1. Is the new process replacing an old, less efficient process that will save time and/or money?
2. How much time, exactly?
3. How much money, exactly?
4. What will be dropped to make room for the new service?
5. Can this afford to be dropped, or should it be shifted?
6. Is there somewhere/someone to realistically shift it to?
7. If not, will the new process result in the necessity of hiring more staff (and increasing overhead)?
8. If so, will the new process's cost and/or time savings more than cover the increased overhead?
When you look at a new process in this light, what initially seems like a good idea may not seem so shiny. Bear in mind, this realistic viewpoint is not intended to stifle innovation or positive change - only to ensure that the change at least pays for itself, and does not cause more problems than it cures.
What Managers Do
Yes, you have other tasks, but you know what? The only one that you’re being paid to do is this one, because it’s the one that no one else can do. If you don’t spend the bulk of your work day with your direct reports, you’re not doing your job.
Ultimately, a manager has 5 basic tasks:
Ultimately, a manager has 5 basic tasks:
- Define the target.
- Provide the resources necessary to reach the target.
- Remove any obstacles to reaching the target that reps can't move on their own.
- Defend the team and take ownership for the decisions that they make.
- Grow the team and the team members.
Things Are Managed; People Are Led
Things are managed. People are led.
Do not choose managers based on their physical appearance or social skills, as much as your monkey mind tells you to do so. Choose managers based on their ability to manage.
I know this sounds simple, but look at the managers at your company and other companies you have encountered in your life and you will see how rare this is.
Do not choose managers based on their physical appearance or social skills, as much as your monkey mind tells you to do so. Choose managers based on their ability to manage.
I know this sounds simple, but look at the managers at your company and other companies you have encountered in your life and you will see how rare this is.
Assume the Sale
Commandment Number One in sales: ASSUME THE SALE!
This includes selling yourself, the appointment, your company, your products... everything. It is not a rule, it is not a suggestion, it is not a business practice. It is a commandment. If you don't do it every single time, you don't deserve to call yourself a salesperson, because assuming the sale is what salespeople do.
How many times have you heard this: “Would you like to schedule an appointment?”
Wrong! WRONG! Of course they want to schedule an appointment, because you are a great person, you work for a great company, and you have a great product. With that in mind, this is the only reasonable question:
“Which day is best for you?”
This includes selling yourself, the appointment, your company, your products... everything. It is not a rule, it is not a suggestion, it is not a business practice. It is a commandment. If you don't do it every single time, you don't deserve to call yourself a salesperson, because assuming the sale is what salespeople do.
How many times have you heard this: “Would you like to schedule an appointment?”
Wrong! WRONG! Of course they want to schedule an appointment, because you are a great person, you work for a great company, and you have a great product. With that in mind, this is the only reasonable question:
“Which day is best for you?”
"Special Situations"
I've met a lot of people in business - people who are otherwise intelligent and thoughtful - who firmly believe that some Customers should be treated differently than others.
"They spend a lot of money with us," goes the refrain. "They have a right to expect additional consideration."
Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong!
First of all, did this Customer ask for that 'additional consideration', or did you offer it up because you were so pleased at landing this Customer and afraid that they might go elsewhere?
Treating Customers differently is a trap. In the first place, that additional consideration eats into your profits and - because this Customer is such a large account - it takes big bites. And if your relationship with this Customer is built on 'additional considerations' - things not spelled out in writing between you - the list of what those 'additional considerations' include will only grow over time.
Second of all, the minute that you say that one Customer deserves to be treated better than another, you've driven the first nail in the coffin of Customer service. Because if they deserve better, then all of the other Customers must deserve less, right?
How much less?
Again, because nothing is spelled out in writing, it becomes a slippery slope, causing Customer service to erode a little more each time one of your employees has to decide what constitutes less than your highest level of service.
I'm not saying don't have incentive programs. What I am saying is do have everything spelled out: "Our minimum service commitment to all Customers is x, if a Customer spends y with us within a year, that entitles them to z."
Invariably, one of your employees - usually someone in sales - will come to you with a 'special situation'. Bullshit. There's no such thing. The 'special situation' is a convenient and clever myth, created by salespeople to overcome what they see as an obstacle to making the sale - in this case, to you.
One final thought: If everything is a ‘special situation’, then nothing is.
"They spend a lot of money with us," goes the refrain. "They have a right to expect additional consideration."
Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong!
First of all, did this Customer ask for that 'additional consideration', or did you offer it up because you were so pleased at landing this Customer and afraid that they might go elsewhere?
Treating Customers differently is a trap. In the first place, that additional consideration eats into your profits and - because this Customer is such a large account - it takes big bites. And if your relationship with this Customer is built on 'additional considerations' - things not spelled out in writing between you - the list of what those 'additional considerations' include will only grow over time.
Second of all, the minute that you say that one Customer deserves to be treated better than another, you've driven the first nail in the coffin of Customer service. Because if they deserve better, then all of the other Customers must deserve less, right?
How much less?
Again, because nothing is spelled out in writing, it becomes a slippery slope, causing Customer service to erode a little more each time one of your employees has to decide what constitutes less than your highest level of service.
I'm not saying don't have incentive programs. What I am saying is do have everything spelled out: "Our minimum service commitment to all Customers is x, if a Customer spends y with us within a year, that entitles them to z."
Invariably, one of your employees - usually someone in sales - will come to you with a 'special situation'. Bullshit. There's no such thing. The 'special situation' is a convenient and clever myth, created by salespeople to overcome what they see as an obstacle to making the sale - in this case, to you.
One final thought: If everything is a ‘special situation’, then nothing is.
Salesmanship
The kids filed back into class Monday morning. They were very excited. Their weekend assignment was to sell something, then give a talk on productive salesmanship.
Sally led off: "I sold girl scout cookies and I made $30," she said proudly. "My sales approach was to appeal to the customer's civic spirit. I credit that approach for my success."
"Very good," said the teacher.
Jenny was next: "I sold magazines," she said. "I made $45 and I explained to everyone that magazines would help them keep up on current events."
"Very good, Jenny," said the teacher.
Eventually, it was Johnny's turn. He walked to the front of the classroom and dumped a box full of cash on the teacher's desk. "$2,467," he said.
"$2,467!" cried the teacher, "What in the world were you selling?"
"Toothbrushes," said Johnny.
"Toothbrushes? How could you possibly sell enough toothbrushes to make that much money?"
"I found the busiest corner in town," said Johnny. "I set up a Chips & Dip stand, and gave everyone that walked by a free sample. They all said, ‘Hey, this tastes like dog crap!’ Then I would say, ‘It is dog crap. Wanna buy a toothbrush?’”
Sally led off: "I sold girl scout cookies and I made $30," she said proudly. "My sales approach was to appeal to the customer's civic spirit. I credit that approach for my success."
"Very good," said the teacher.
Jenny was next: "I sold magazines," she said. "I made $45 and I explained to everyone that magazines would help them keep up on current events."
"Very good, Jenny," said the teacher.
Eventually, it was Johnny's turn. He walked to the front of the classroom and dumped a box full of cash on the teacher's desk. "$2,467," he said.
"$2,467!" cried the teacher, "What in the world were you selling?"
"Toothbrushes," said Johnny.
"Toothbrushes? How could you possibly sell enough toothbrushes to make that much money?"
"I found the busiest corner in town," said Johnny. "I set up a Chips & Dip stand, and gave everyone that walked by a free sample. They all said, ‘Hey, this tastes like dog crap!’ Then I would say, ‘It is dog crap. Wanna buy a toothbrush?’”
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