How To Deal With Problem Staff And Poor Performance
July 5, 2008
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By Iain Mackintosh
Poor staff performance and 'problem workers' are some of the trickiest things to be dealt with in the office. It's difficult to balance morale and productivity in the optimum way for office success, and as a result I often hear of managers turning a blind eye to poor staff performance, fearing that drawing attention to it will cause problems in the atmosphere and work environment.
The truth is that avoiding dealing with problem staff is often the worst thing you can do. If you turn a blind eye, the rot can spread to the other apples. If a member of staff is consistently late, for example, and nothing is seen to be done about it, then why should other staff members keep up high standards of timeliness? Inevitably, a rot sets in around the office and poor staff performance becomes the rule rather than the exception!
Even if it is something that others are unaware of, like plummeting productivity, it is still something that should be dealt with as soon as you become aware of the issue - intervening in a timely manner will hit the problem on the head early on, and prevent it from spreading and causing resentment and ill feeling. After all, problem employees may not realise they are doing anything wrong unless you intervene, and doing this early can act as a wake-up call to improve staff performance before it's too late!
So the first step of dealing with problem staff or poor performance is to inform them of the problem. Naturally this should be done in private to avoid shaming them in front of the others (this will cause major resentment), and the issue should be explained clearly so there is no grounds for misunderstanding. If they have a reasonable excuse for a drop in form (severe illness in the family or problems at home) then you should endeavour to be understanding and come up with a compassionate solution - see how you can help the employee return to standard.
If they have no reason, you need to reiterate (or in some cases, iterate) clearly what your expectations are from them - after all, if they don't know what they are it can be impossible for them to be met! If you have a problem employee, you don't want to wait until their annual review to tell them what goals they should have met!
The next phase is actually helping them to meet your outlined expectations. In the case of something like consistent lateness this is easy to monitor, but with something more abstract - like quantity and quality of work, it's harder for both you and the employee to keep an eye on things. For this reason, you may need to consider the following things when managing poor performance in your staff:
Plenty of Feedback
Positive, constructive feedback is a good idea to give your employee an idea of whether they're heading in the right direction or not. Let them know clearly what's improved and what still needs to be tightened - it should be specific, detailed and timely.
Possible Supervision
Problem employees often require direction and for employers to work closely with them in order for them to reach their potential. Both parties should understand that this hands on approach to managing poor performance is with the ultimate goal of the employee working competently independently of constant supervision.
Additional Training
In some (but by no means all) situations, the employees underperformance may be through no fault of their own, and they may as a result require extra training in order to reach the standard of skills and competency stipulated in their goals.
Checklists
Depending on the type of problem employee you have, you may find checklists to be of use. These are particularly useful for problem staff who struggle with their timekeeping and priorities, it allows them to stay focused on each task and organize their workload.
Positive Reinforcement
Having already been highlighted for doing something wrong, it is essential you redress the balance when the employee's performance improves. Positive reinforcement - telling the employee you're pleased with their work can make someone's day, improve their happiness at a company and - most importantly - make them more likely to deliver a repeat performance. Let them know that this is the sort of thing you've been hoping for.
Set a Period of Evaluation
One of the most important areas of dealing with problem staff is setting a period of evaluation. Put in writing the problem, the improvements you hope to see made, and the timeline for this. Close with the disciplinary actions that will be taken if things are not improved (and maintained) - all the way up to dismissal if there is no improvement.
Whatever you do, don't just make firing your employees your automatic response to poor staff performance! You need to work with the employees to try and resolve issues, and give them fair warning that their job is in danger, otherwise you are leaving yourself wide open for litigation. It may seem a lot of work, and easier just to let it slide initially, but failure to act early will cause the problem to get worse and worse, and potentially for discontent to spread within the office environment. Follow this procedure when managing poor performance, and there's no reason why your productivity shouldn't recover from the slight dip!
Iain Mackintosh is the managing director of Simply-Docs. The firm provides over 1100 legal documents and small business templates covering all aspects of business from holiday entitlement to managing poor performance. By providing these legal documents (with content provided by leading commercial lawyers, HR and health & safety consultants) at an affordable price, the company intends to help small businesses avoid costly breaches of regulation and legal action.
Leaders vs Managers: Adaptive Leaders Pursue Change; Old Style Managers Cling To The Past
June 9, 2008
Stan Truskie, Ph.D.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates recently criticized the
But in a world of chaos and ever changing conditions, Mr. Gates realizes that the ability to change and adapt is key to military success: What worked well in the past may now be an outmoded and ineffective approach.
Mr. Gates is pointing out a truism that US business organizations of all types and sizes have witnessed and/or experienced during the past 75 plus years: Unadaptive organizations underperform and/or fail in the long run. Companies like Sears & Roebuck, K-Mart, Pam Am, Howard Johnsons, Armour & Company, Westinghouse Electric are examples of businesses which were once at the top of their industrial sectors only to be toppled by competitors who looked into the future, adapted and out performed them. And the way their competitors did it was with adaptive leaders, not top-down managers.
So what’s the difference between the two?
Consider top-down managers first. These managers, for the most part, are predominantly linear thinkers. Linear thinkers are rational, logical and analytical. They are mainly concerned with the present, not the future. They tend to stick with things that have worked well in the past as opposed to experimenting with the unfamiliar.
They are very organized individuals who value orderliness and predictability. They favor rules and procedures to ensure that orders from the top are followed through to the lowest level. Their mentality is that managers think, workers do (as they are told)….an idea generated by the father of management science, Frederick W. Taylor during the early 20th century. This approach worked fine back then, during the early
If you have ever worked for one of these authoritative managers, you know first hand how autocratic and controlling they can be. Gather a group of these linear thinkers and place them at the top, running the organization, and guess what you get? A very rigid top-down organization that does everything by the rules, creating a bureaucracy that stifles innovation and creativity making it short-sighted, inflexible and unadaptive.
Enlightened, adaptive leaders are much different from top-down managers. They tend to be more non-linear in their thinking. These leaders are more intuitive, have greater insight, and are more creative. Being more conceptual, the see the “big picture”, are futuristic oriented, possess holistic insight and emotional intelligence.
They have greater spontaneity and flexibility—a balanced integration of rational analytical and unconventional imaginative processes. They have the ability to take a new perspective to an old complex problem and reassemble interrelated parts of the problem in novel and unusual ways leading to a viable solution. They are much better at coping with the non linear complex nature of the competitive context of our global business environment.
One would think that most of these adaptive leaders head up the newer hi-tech companies like Apple, Google, Nintendo, Microsoft and Amazon.com. But if you look at the recent list of the top 25 innovative companies recently compiled by BusinessWeek (
The good news is that managers can change and become more adaptive leaders just as traditional companies can become more innovative. As a corporate executive leadership coach, I have worked with hundreds of managers and executives for the past 20 years and I have witnessed a transformation of many individuals who have changed from top-down managers to adaptive leaders. All thinking and behavior can be changed…it is called learning. Through assessment, self awareness, action learning, and coaching, managers can become more effective and adaptive leaders.
In essence, my experience, research and observations have led me to conclude that the assertion, “Leaders are born, not made,” is a myth.
Stan Truskie,Ph.D. is President of MSD Leadership Consultants Inc. a
Five Ways To Alienate Your Employees: A Manager’s Guide to Investigating Errors
June 8, 2008
Norm Howe
Are you a manager with too much time on your hands? Do you go home at the end of an eight hour day with boring regularity, leaving a clean desk and a clear conscience?
When rare errors occur in your organization do your employees openly discuss what went wrong so that you can find the root causes. Do they then compound the problem by volunteering to implement solutions?
If you work in the drug, medical device, or any other FDA regulated industry, then you must be particularly troubled. When the FDA inspectors show up and ask for your Corrective And Preventive Action files, are your's too thin? Do the inspectors leave your company too quickly in search of someone else to inspect?
If all this sounds familiar, then you are not alienating your employees enough. Your employees have too much trust in you. They are too willing to share their experiences because they have no fear of retribution from you when you decide on corrective actions for errors.
Wouldn't you rather have NO discretionary time in your life? Here are five sure-fire tips to create more fear in your employees and keep them from ever sharing facts openly during problem solving discussions.
1) Blamestorm, don't brainstorm. When you investigate errors, focus on the people, not the business process. Frame your questions around the assumption that the employees are at fault. When you write up your corrective actions, use such terms as "Employee needs to be more alert" or "Employee assigned to be retrained". Your employees will never realize that these terms are business-speak for "This employee is a negligent moron."
Your corrective actions should never include engineering or procedural changes. These changes are a waste of time because they address basic business processes. After all, management designed the business process, and so couldn’t possibly be wrong.
2) Don't use a Standard Operation Procedure for investigating errors. Use a different method for investigating errors every time. This makes so many good things happen. First of all you will never have to worry about getting better at root cause investigations. How could you, if you use a different technique every time?
Another advantage is that your employees will never know what's going to happen. Predictability allays fear. You don't want that to happen. You want to show them who's boss.
3) Assume that none of your employees want to do a good job. You'll be surprised how people will live down to your expectations. Sure, you might get disappointed. Every once in a while someone will overcome your expectations and actually contribute a thoughtful suggestion during problem solving sessions. But those occasions will be rare. They will feel your attitude and will cover up problems just like you assumed they would.
4) Don't be concerned about fear in the workplace. W. Edwards Deming, the famous quality guru, insisted that managers must drive out fear. But why should employees fear you? After all you're a nice person and besides, you are just doing your job.
Forget that Deming said that fear arises from the structure of the employee – manager relationship. Forget that in the mind of the employee the manager has all the power in the relationship. Forget that the manager determines the employee's raise, that the manager can hire, that the manager can fire.
You don't have to drive out fear from your relationship. You don't have to build trust on a daily basis. You don't have to meet simple commitments that you make to employees. If you say that you will meet an employee at a particular time to discuss something of concern to him, don't worry about it. You're the boss. He'll understand it if you just blow him off.
5) Management By Walking Around. Stay parked in your office all day and don't get out where your employees work until the next crisis comes up. Make sure your employees only see you when you storm out of your office with a problem and an attitude.
Don't try to build relationships when you have time for a calm discussion about something the employee thinks is important. You want to give the impression that you're overloaded with important manager stuff. You can't waste time with their problems.
Follow these five simple principles and you'll never have to worry about having any free time on your hands. Your root cause solutions will never start to build on each other to form a solid operational foundation that prevents future errors.
Your desk will be stacked to Biblical proportions with uncompleted projects. Your email in-box will explode out of your computer monitor almost daily with complaints about the latest error in your department. Eight hour days? Forget it. You're going to be living at work.
About the Author
Norm Howe, Senior Partner at Validation and Compliance Institute, consultants for FDA regulated industries. He got his BS at UC, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in chemistry at UCLA. He has held many management positions, most at BASF. vcillc.com
The Upside of Down…
June 5, 2008
You can always laugh
So when that car cuts you off and it’s barely a miss
Don’t give them the finger, just blow them a kiss
Instead of being angry you can chuckle at their reaction
Hopefully the “road rage” will now be a retraction
On the bus where the only seat left is somebody’s lap
Because some loser filled a spot with all of their crap
Instead of being angry and staring them down
Offer to help move their stuff to the ground
When you’re parking to shop at your favorite mall
And you see a deadbeat take a handicap stall
Just give them a wave as you calmly walk past
Call security; let them ticket their ass
While you’re there spending your hard earned money
And the cashier is miserable try calling them “Honey”
Of course that only works when you’re opposite sexes
But it’s better than shooting them like they do down in Texas
When you’re out at the golf course enjoying your day
And the people behind you think you’re in the way
Just let them go past, do your best to ignore
When they’re ahead, count slowly to three, and then yell “fore!”
When you’re sitting at home and you just want to relax
But the kids are going crazy; you can’t get them off your back
Don’t get upset and tell them to “get out of your hair”
They grow up too fast, soon they won’t be there
When you’re all dressed up to take your wife on a date
As usual she’s slow and you don’t want to be late
Give her a break; go get some fresh air on the deck
Remember, men only have to shave their face and neck
When your neighbor lets their dog poop on your lawn
You can’t keep watching out for them dusk to dawn
You might have to pick it up, and yes, that's a drag
But they’ll think twice when it's on their step in a bag
Jody Urquhart is a professional speaker who for the last ten years has motivated and inspired professionals to use humor to change there lives. Please contact us to see how we can recognize and inspire professionals at your next event.
3 Customer Service Ideas to Earn Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty
June 2, 2008
Customer service has never been worse than it is in today's business environment. With companies trimming their budgets as much as possible, there isn't the time or money to spend on customer service skills. If it can be automated, it gets automated no matter how inconvenient it is for the customer.
How many times have you been ready for the now familiar message "please listen carefully for our options have changed" only to find yourself screaming at the phone after one too many option levels? Hey - it works for the business - it keeps their operating overhead down - they don't have to staff as many people as they used to because the call tree does the job on auto-pilot. No late or sick employee to worry about. No customers complaining about your phone receptionist cutting them off or having a bad attitude.
When you stop to think about all the conveniences we have lost over the years, it's pretty astounding. Doesn't it seem like we're doing more with all the automation that was supposed to make our lives easier? No more secretaries; we have a computer. No more gas jockey; we can do it ourselves and we even get to watch TV while we're pumping. Nobody to answer your call or tell you when they will; you can leave a message.
I don't know about you but all this convenience can be very frustrating for me. I can't ever sit back and let somebody else do the task because I'm expected to use self-serve. I remember the days when service people were expected to be extremely helpful. We have begun to expect poor service and we are no longer surprised when it occurs.
This is the perfect time for small businesses to step up and offer that which cannot be offered by the big companies. Convenience is such a big selling point, how about offering customer service as a convenience for your customers? Many small businesses are run by owners that are too busy running the business to implement good customer service on the Internet. In fact, customer issues may be rare and infrequently occurring, but as the business grows good customer service becomes a necessity. The business owner will eventually find it difficult and overwhelming in the long run.
The post sales process is just as important as the initial sales process when it comes to customer loyalty. A poorly treated customer will not have a reason to do business with you again even when you roll out new products and services. Here's three ideas for you to implement that will not take excessive time or money but will increase customer satisfaction and customer loyalty:
Follow-Up Personally with an Irate Customer
Running a business is like having a new adventure every day. You can never be surprised when the unexpected happens, only be ready to deal with it. When things go terribly wrong for your customer, have someone follow-up with a phone call. You may be surprised to learn that Internet shoppers think of online businesses with a bit of celebrity stars in their eyes. It is totally unexpected that an online business would call them to apologize for any inconvenience and make sure the issue was resolved to their satisfaction. I've done it - it works like a charm every time.
Use Words and Phrases Guaranteed to Calm Any Customer
Customers enjoy the speed of the purchase and the anticipation of the immediate download shopping on the Internet for digital products. Things can go bump in the night at any point in the purchase process, even getting to the download page. Make it easy for your customer to report the issue by having at least one method guaranteed to get results within four hours. And then be sure you always include "we apologize for the inconvenience", "please reopen this ticket if further assistance is needed", "thank you for notifying us of this problem", "please", "thank you", "we're so sorry for the delay", etc. This type of acknowledgment lets the customer know that you care. Isn't that really what we want?
Give the Customer Value for Their Inconvenience
New people are coming to the Internet every day so you should expect and plan for the "this is my first time" issues. One way you can do that is to provide your customer with more information than is required to resolve the issue. For example, solving the issue and telling your customer how to prevent a similar issue in the future will assist them in using the Internet and they will greatly appreciate the extra time and effort your business took to assist them.
Combine all three of the above ideas and you will provide customer service few have seen on the Internet, let alone in many offline businesses today.
Digital Info Diva™ supports Internet Marketers. Sign up for The Diva's customer service tips for Internet businesses and learn how to profit from your customer issues.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sherri_Wynters
Stress: It's The Little Things That Get You
June 1, 2008
Leadership in business management is not of epic proportions most of the time. Movies would have us think of business leaders doing heroic and super-human feats of courage. In fact, the very best of business leaders grow right out of the ranks of management, tending to the everyday humdrum gnitty-gritties that make up the bulk of most business days.
Good leaders are almost always aware of the stresses being experienced by the people they lead and whose work they manage. What are those stresses these days? How can the business leader be helpful without compromising productivity and profit? Here are a few items to consider. There are many more.
The stress of schedule. Consider: workers today have children to be picked up or taken to school and everywhere else. Workers also have spouses, parents, relatives and friends who sometimes need looking after, who sometimes throw parties and do celebrations, who often enough engage in shared projects such as building, painting or remodeling and who sometimes provide after-hours part time employment for your workers.
You can help reduce the stress of schedule by encouraging a flexible approach. When workers need to be late, miss half a day because of a school event, or leave early they should know in advance that they have your blessing.
The stress of money woes. Very few workers have too much money! Most can barely make ends meet. With gasoline prices inching towards $4 per gallon half of our country is approaching nervous breakdowns. Anger is rising. People feel helpless and angry as they get ripped off. Yes, it is only a few dollars. But yes, it is the little things that make for stress. The little things hit so close to home.
You can help by encouraging your workers to talk it over. Who could share rides? Who could pick up a needed item for a co worker on the way to or from school or the store? How could the miles travelled collectively be pared down by teaming up and thinking strategically?
The stress of credit. Without credit ANY minor emergency becomes major. It might be a medication, a dental emergency, a minor traffic accident, a broken window, a tax bill. It might be any unexpected expense, any necessary purchase, any financial surprise. Credit at this point in time is tightening. Money is not so easy to come by. Credit cards are expensive. Even a small financial worry constitutes a large stress because it never goes away. Some of your employees might also have large financial worries such as foreclosure, divorce or bankruptcy staring at them.
You can help. Help your employees get credit. Encourage and provide for financial management discussions that focus on where employees are, be that a need for understanding, a need for skills, a need for encouragement or a need to say out loud what is stressful, just to get the feedback and relief of knowing they are not the only ones. More significantly, never miss a chance to develop savings, bonus incentives, profit sharing, 401-K plans and any other type of financial advancement that would benefit your workers.
Medicine, gasoline, utility bills, house payments and mortgages, health care, insurance, credit, food and the future: it is a fairly safe bet that many if not all of the people in your company are VERY stressed about these things. There may be some who have lost loved ones in the ongoing military actions, others whose loved one is serving overseas.
Nobody expects you to solve their problems. But you can make it easier or more difficult for those you lead. Make it easier by thinking up ways to support and encourage your people as they search for solutions. No acting or pretending: be genuine, use some imagination and encourage others to do the same. And keep your word. There is more to business than production and maximum profit. Remember, you are a leader, not a slave driver.
Losoncy is a licensed therapist, an executive coach and president of three corporations. To learn more about his availability for trainings and for a schedule of his open seminars go to http://www.mvpseminars.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lawrence_Losoncy
Live for Today, Play for Today
May 28, 2008
The Power of Play to Exploit the Present
Constant worry about what’s around the corner is a waste of energy and can cause stress and anxiety. Your quality of life will improve a great deal when you take time to live in the present moment. You do that best when you play.
Recently I walked into a meeting of
Imagine you got up right now and played a game for the next 30 minutes with your colleagues. You laughed joked, poked fun at each other and were really engaged in the activity- what would be the result?
Decreased Tension
Expressed Emotion
Increased “feel good” endorphins
Increased Oxygen (increasing energy and focus)
Increased rapport and comrade
Have better social skills to relate to others
Elevated trust
Increased creativity…. Just to name a few benefits.
The sum result of all of this is when you go back to work you would have more energy, better teamwork and be more productive. No I’m not kidding.
This is not a program but a philosophy. Fun is spontaneous- it doesn’t necessarily happen on schedule; it grows in a culture that fosters its existence. You can’t plan to have fun you just have it.
The definition of play is, ‘a physical or mental leisure activity that is undertaken purely for enjoyment or amusement and has no other objective’. (Play Therapy International)
The use of play engages people in the moment. Time flies when you’re having fun because fun is in the present moment. It is positive, healthy, and vibrant and it is right here right now. When you play you usually laugh -Laughing heightens the experience of being in the present moment because it involves the emotions, the body, and the intellect, all at the same time.
The Power of Now.
When you are in the moment you have an infinite source of energy, it’s a state of flow where things are easy. You are in the present, and it’s the most dynamic, fluid awareness.
Play is a fun, enjoyable activity that elevates our spirits and brightens our outlook on life. Play relieves feelings of stress and boredom, connects us to people in a positive way, stimulates creative thinking and exploration, regulates our emotions, and boosts our ego (Landreth, 2002). In addition, play allows us to practice skills and roles needed for survival. Learning and development are best fostered through play (Russ, 2004)
More Fun = More Energy
Think of fun as something like electricity that can be accessed in different wattages. When you play more you learn to use higher energy levels for a sustained time. You can learn to plug into more power and use it without burning yourself out. Some people can use only very small amounts of power and some have developed and earned the ability to use very large amounts of it.
Manage your Time and your Energy
Managing time often involves setting goals to be reached within a set timeframe. Goals that won’t be accomplished immediately but hours, a month or a year down the road. To be most productive we have to also manage our energy. It’s our energy that we give to the present moment where we actually get the work done. There are numerous ways to increase energy like exercise, nutrition, sleep, etc and they all involve leaving the activity (the work that achieves the goal), get energized and come back to the work.
Fun also increases energy and it’s in the moment, so it doesn’t require time away from your present activity. If you can have fun while working, by experiencing the work you are doing as playful, light hearted and fun than you increase energy, accomplish goals, and stay in the moment. In essence with fun we can manage our energy and our time.
Play Therapy
So often in modern life we never seem to have enough time to spend with our children - just playing, just being there for them.
Play is now widely recognized as being beneficial in the emotional development of children. It has a therapeutic value. Play therapists are licensed professionals who use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development. (Association for Play Therapy)
Techniques used by play therapists range from Therapeutic Story Telling, Drama and Role Playing, Puppets and Masks.
Some studies indicate that 70% of children who have psychological problems are helped through the use of psychological based therapies such as play and creative arts.
Nuero science research confirms the importance of play for infants in developing children’s brains and minds. It has also been shown that exposure to metaphor and symbols, as used in play, has a beneficial effect upon the development of the brain.
Jody Urquhart is a professional speaker who compels stressed-out and fed-up professionals to rediscover their passion, purpose & sense of play. To discuss having Jody speak at your next meeting please call us at 1(877)
Get More Business Results By Having A Little Fun!
May 24, 2008
Do you think it's appropriate or professional to have fun in the workplace?
Research has shown that fun at work generally results in an increase of productivity, creativity, loyalty, and morale. Appropriate workplace fun is a key method for energizing workers and putting some life back into their routines.
Here are some additional benefits of having fun at work:
Fun fulfills the basic human need to be social
Fun can instill a sense of teamwork
Fun usually improves communication
Fun breaks up boredom that comes from doing repetitive work
Fun can dissolve conflict and tension
Fun can foster a positive company culture
Fun creates an opportunity for networking
The best type of workplace fun creates congratulations and "high fives" among coworkers. It might be a non-competitive ice breaker event scheduled in the office before a company meeting. Or it could be a sporting event that takes place after work with departmental teams that compete at the bowling alley or on the ball field. Lots of different activities can teach employees how working as a team can be fun as well as productive.
Social interaction among coworkers allows for an opportunity to improve one's "Soft Skills", or people skills. Soft skills are the compliment to Hard skills, which are the technical requirements of a job.
When having fun, we get to see our coworkers and managers in a more casual light. This glimpse into their non-business personality may make them seem more human and foster an improved, genuine relationship.
Matt Weinstein, author of the book, Managing to Have Fun, says that many bosses and entrepreneurs find it difficult to have fun at work. He feels they need to learn how to build more fun into the workday and to celebrate successes. If that doesn't happen, Weinstein warns that bosses can drive away the top employees who are responsible for those company successes.
But management can't just mandate that everyone else celebrate and enjoy themselves. The boss must participate, especially in smaller companies. Top management always sets the tone for the entire company, so if their fun isn't genuine or sincere it'll be obvious to everyone else.
Let's be clear that the following behavior should not be considered fun:
Telling inappropriate jokes
Being deceptive or playing pranks
Making fun of or teasing coworkers
Mocking or mimicking management
Play that intentionally excludes someone
Having fun at work should result in a renewed feeling of cooperation and a shared mission. If it doesn't accomplish this goal, in my opinion it's not a good use of company time and resources.
"A smile is the shortest distance between people." – Victor Borge (1909-2000)
Laura Adams is the host of the popular MBA Working Girl Podcast.The content combines brainy business school theory with real-world business practice from her career as a business owner, manager, consultant and trainer. Subscribe for FREE to this top-rated show and get the useful MBA Essential Tip athttp://www.mbaworkinggirl.com
Do You Care Enough to Keep the Very Best?
May 23, 2008
Last night we went out to dinner at a French Bistro restaurant in our home town in
The waiter did not engage you and seemed to be emotionally distant. The service was good, but no real effort was made to connect with us. It seemed so different than the Italian restaurants we love.
So what was the difference? My wife commented that you do not hear much about the French Bistro. The food was excellent, but we probably would not spread the word. Why? Because we did not feel cared about as customers.
Perhaps the owner of the Bistro could have a conversation with the waiter about the apparent disconnection with customers. The feedback given in a caring way could be pivotal to the success of the restaurant and the employee.
Do you create a remarkable experience for your customers where they are happy to spread the word? It does not take a marketing budget, rather a mindset of building relationships.
Engaged workers produce more, make more money for the company, and create emotional engagement and loyal customers. They contribute to good working environments where people are productive, ethical and accountable. They stay with the organization longer and are more committed to quality and growth than are the other two groups of not-engaged and actively disengaged workers.
Happily Engaged Workers
• Employees must have a strong relationship with their manager.
• They must have clear communication from their manager
• They need a clear path set for concentrating on what they do best
• They need strong relationships with their coworkers
• They must feel a strong commitment with their coworkers so that they take risks and stretch for
excellence
Engaged employees tend to get the least amount of focus and attention from managers, in part because they are doing what they are needed to do. They set goals, meet and exceed expectations and charge enthusiastically toward the next tough task.
Great managers do not leave these excellent employees alone. They spend most of their time with the most productive and talented people because they have the most potential.
The challenge for managers comes when the first signs of disengaging appear from an engaged worker. The symptoms need to be addressed immediately or else the disconnection is most likely to continue. Most of the time this disengagement process can be interrupted by having meaningful conversations that strengthen commitment through relationship.
Do you take the time to keep the very best fully engaged?
Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the BarOn EQi and
Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted adviser to senior leadership teams. We provide strategic talent management solutions to select and develop emotionally intelligent leaders and lawyers.
The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded two rare "Board Approved" designations for Dr. Maynard Brusman in the specialties of Executive/Leadership Coaching and Trusted Advisor to Attorneys and Law Firms.
Subscribe to Working Resources FREE electronic newsletter at http://www.workingresources.com Visit Maynard's Blog at http://www.WorkingResourcesBlog.com
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maynard_Brusman
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3 Customer Service Ideas to Earn Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty
May 23, 2008
Customer service has never been worse than it is in today's business environment. With companies trimming their budgets as much as possible, there isn't the time or money to spend on customer service skills. If it can be automated, it gets automated no matter how inconvenient it is for the customer.
How many times have you been ready for the now familiar message "please listen carefully for our options have changed" only to find yourself screaming at the phone after one too many option levels? Hey - it works for the business - it keeps their operating overhead down - they don't have to staff as many people as they used to because the call tree does the job on auto-pilot. No late or sick employee to worry about. No customers complaining about your phone receptionist cutting them off or having a bad attitude.
When you stop to think about all the conveniences we have lost over the years, it's pretty astounding. Doesn't it seem like we're doing more with all the automation that was supposed to make our lives easier? No more secretaries; we have a computer. No more gas jockey; we can do it ourselves and we even get to watch TV while we're pumping. Nobody to answer your call or tell you when they will; you can leave a message.
I don't know about you but all this convenience can be very frustrating for me. I can't ever sit back and let somebody else do the task because I'm expected to use self-serve. I remember the days when service people were expected to be extremely helpful. We have begun to expect poor service and we are no longer surprised when it occurs.
This is the perfect time for small businesses to step up and offer that which cannot be offered by the big companies. Convenience is such a big selling point, how about offering customer service as a convenience for your customers? Many small businesses are run by owners that are too busy running the business to implement good customer service on the Internet. In fact, customer issues may be rare and infrequently occurring, but as the business grows good customer service becomes a necessity. The business owner will eventually find it difficult and overwhelming in the long run.
The post sales process is just as important as the initial sales process when it comes to customer loyalty. A poorly treated customer will not have a reason to do business with you again even when you roll out new products and services. Here's three ideas for you to implement that will not take excessive time or money but will increase customer satisfaction and customer loyalty:
Follow-Up Personally with an Irate Customer
Running a business is like having a new adventure every day. You can never be surprised when the unexpected happens, only be ready to deal with it. When things go terribly wrong for your customer, have someone follow-up with a phone call. You may be surprised to learn that Internet shoppers think of online businesses with a bit of celebrity stars in their eyes. It is totally unexpected that an online business would call them to apologize for any inconvenience and make sure the issue was resolved to their satisfaction. I've done it - it works like a charm every time.
Use Words and Phrases Guaranteed to Calm Any Customer
Customers enjoy the speed of the purchase and the anticipation of the immediate download shopping on the Internet for digital products. Things can go bump in the night at any point in the purchase process, even getting to the download page. Make it easy for your customer to report the issue by having at least one method guaranteed to get results within four hours. And then be sure you always include "we apologize for the inconvenience", "please reopen this ticket if further assistance is needed", "thank you for notifying us of this problem", "please", "thank you", "we're so sorry for the delay", etc. This type of acknowledgment lets the customer know that you care. Isn't that really what we want?
Give the Customer Value for Their Inconvenience
New people are coming to the Internet every day so you should expect and plan for the "this is my first time" issues. One way you can do that is to provide your customer with more information than is required to resolve the issue. For example, solving the issue and telling your customer how to prevent a similar issue in the future will assist them in using the Internet and they will greatly appreciate the extra time and effort your business took to assist them.
Combine all three of the above ideas and you will provide customer service few have seen on the Internet, let alone in many offline businesses today.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sherri_Wynters
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