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Frequently
Asked Questions-
How
can I retain good
people?
Q:
I am a Manager in a busy call center where
we track call quality and volume metrics. We have
a tendency to promote the high producers but have
not really trained and mentored our leadership
(Seniors or my fellow managers). We are
experiencing a significant decline in morale and
productivity. We do an amazing job of hiring very
smart and motivated people and then turning them
off fairly quickly. I realize turnover costs our
organization a lot of money. What can we
do?
A:
This is a common theme. Folks can rise up the food
chain because they can perform a job well but they
can't necessarily manage people. Often they never
even receive the training and coaching they need
to become effective leaders. For some the concept
of leadership was formed as a child watching
lifeguards at the pool- constantly circling the
pool eager for a chance to blow the whistle and
point out an infraction. This is not the best way
to manage adults- it is demoralizing and does not
get you the long-term results you desire.
In a perfect world, we would all report to
amazing leaders who would successfully develop us
to the next level in our career (or even to
perform well where we are!). Since we don't
all live in a perfect world we sometimes have to
give ourselves, what we wish someone else would
give us. One of the best ways to shift your
thinking about your leader role is to see your
staff as your customers. There are two books
that you may find enlightening on this
topic.
Servant
Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of
Legitimate Power and
Greatness
by Robert Greenleaf and Servant
Leader by Ken
Blanchard
Here
are some key questions to periodically ask your
team members during your one on one meetings with
them to help you best "serve your customers
needs":
- Are
you getting the right amount of direction and
support from me that you need?
- Am
I accessible?
- Do
you feel I adequately recognize your
contributions?
- Are
you comfortable with the various Leadership
styles I use with you? Do you feel my
style matches your needs?
- Do
you feel respected and valued by
me?
Another
tactic is to round up your fellow leaders and have
a monthly meeting designed to share best practices
and mentor each other. It will take a while to
build trust so start slowly. Create an informal
agenda where everyone comes prepared to discuss a
situation and get input on how to best foster high
performance while also delivering exceptionally
high customer service to team members. It can be
particularly effective to get an internal or
external coach to help you facilitate these
discussions.
Lastly,
a suggestion I have often given my leaders is
"throw some bones" on a regular basis. Think of
having a box of Milk Bone dog biscuits on your
desk. Instead of being the lifeguard with your
whistle, walk around and search out folks doing
things right. No matter what level of
employee, recognizing efforts, intentions and
achievement makes a lasting impression. If your
goal is long-term effectiveness, recognizing
things done well is always going to be more
effective than pointing out the
negative.
How
can I prepare for year-end?
Q:
I lead a large Finance division in my company and
I am worried about the toll the year-end cycle
will take on my team. In the past, I have
lost people from burn out. I worry some of my
newer staff does not even know what is about to
hit them. How can I effectively prepare my team
for the "marathon" of
year-end?
A:
While organizations can have differing year ends
dates- the challenges are usually quite
similar. First of all, the sooner you start
preparing the better. You want to give your
folks as much time to prepare and plan as
possible. For your newer team members you
are going to have to provide more direction but
don't underestimate the benefit of a refresher for
folks who have been through this
before.
- Try
to allow at least 6-8 weeks of
planning.
- Explain
process, schedule and needs
- Identify
challenges (longer hours,
exhaustion)
- Brainstorm
ways to overcome challenges (Try not to schedule
much at night for the month prior to year -end,
keep hydrated, get rested now, eat well, get as
caught up on your work now as possible, maybe
take some time off now to
re-charge)
·
Plan
to inject a bit if fun- (schedule a couple of
pizza dinners, order some stress balls or other
toys, take a time out and have folks stand up and
stretch or dance to the music for a few
minutes)
- Communicate,
communicate, communicate (even if you feel you
are repeating yourself - people hear things
differently and get the message when they are
ready)
- Plan
time to check in with your team (individually
and as a group) in the middle of the
"storm." You need to keep on top of
issues. As a "Servant Leader," your job is
to rally, equip and encourage the troops as they
"go into battle." You need to continually
assess resources and watch for issues so you can
expedite resolution.
- Congratulate
your team for a job well done- plan a
celebration- recognize and reward
contributions. Encourage folks to talk
about their experiences - what worked what did
not and what they will do differently next year.
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