The Little Voice In Your Head
Filed under: Engagement, Leadership, Management, People, Relational Leadership
I heard a speaker today talk about how to lead a productive and happy life. He talked about the need to keep a positive and focused attitude. The angle for his speech was to ask, “what music is playing in your head. Is it a positive song with expectations for positive outcomes or is it a song of negative thoughts?”
I had a friend tell me recently that the “little voice in his head” was nagging him to do something new with his life. Now if you knew my friend you would probably ask the same thing I did – are you sure that it is one voice or many? Because if “you are hearing voices in your head you may have a different problem.” So let me ask you this – what is the little voice in your head telling you? Are you one of those people that starts the day with a positive spin on life or do you tend to look at the negative possibilities.
I watched recently as a supervisor in a call center stood in the middle of the room as people arrived for the morning shift. She greeted each one with a positive comment and a great smile. I heard her say things like “this is gonna be your best day of the week….” and “are you ready for a great day?” The power of this simple act was reflected in the attitudes of the people who sat down to talk with customers and potential customers. I bet if you could look inside her head there is great music playing – maybe some U2 or Creed. It was obvious that she chooses to start each day with positive thoughts.
I have been on a mission lately to help supervisors, managers and leaders narrow their focus for success to three things. I love to ask, “What are the top three things you want agents to do when they talk with a customer?” or “What are the top three things you want employees to do when they greet a customer?” Defining these three things clearly allows the employee to understand your expectations.
So with that in mind – here are the three things about that little voice in your head:
- Be a moti-vator not a moti-sucker. Have you ever been around one of those people that are so negative that they just suck the air at out of the room? Don’t be that person. Start today trying to find the positive spin on things. Do the “Tony Robbins” thing and start out telling yourself that you WILL be more POSITIVE today!
- Compliment someone as the first task of the morning. Create a 10-before-10 rule with yourself. Spend 10 minutes before 10:00 am walking around the office with the express purpose of telling someone that you appreciate their work.
- Read something positive. Make time for yourself. I told a new supervisor last week that they should learn something every day that no one can ever take away. Reading is like that. My recent Amazon.com search showed that there are 2016 items about leadership and 530 about positive thinking. Pick one, buy it, read it and invest in yourself.
And the next time that little voice in your head starts to go negative – tell them you are not listening any more.
Leading While Distracted
I know that driving distracted is a serious issue. Nationwide Insurance recently released a study that that includes data from the University of Utah that says “distraction from cell phone use while driving (hand held or hands free) extends a driver’s reaction as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent.” But, as I was driving through the state of Kentucky this past week, I saw something that hit me as funny. The signs that span interstate 65 had a flashing message that read “Driving Distracted is Dangerous Driving!” Is it just me or is it ironic that the big flashing sign that distracted me was put there to remind me that I should not be distracted? Sorta crazy, huh?
So what does this have to do with frontline management and customer experience? Glad you asked!
Do you have metrics and statistics posted throughout your office or call center that are actually distracting your employees from what is really important? Do you have information posted on service levels or statistics but nothing that focuses on the level of satisfaction or quality?
I have been in many call centers across America that post “talk time stats” and “average answer-time” but not one metric anywhere that show quality scores or customer satisfaction. Yet the leadership told me that quality was a top priority.
So, do this soon – walk through your office for the express purpose of reading posters, banners, reader-boards and bulletin boards. What is the message that you see? Is your culture on display? Is the customer represented? Are metrics internal or externally focused?
Another set of questions to ask: Is the metric actionable? If we are missing the goal, does the management team have a plan to correct the situation? What are the specific plans that accompany the failure to meet the metric goal?
I believe that the messages we post are just as important as the messages we speak! Please don’t attempt to lead with distractions. Distractions are dangerous!
Are you showing favoritism as a leader?
Filed under: Engagement, Leadership, People, Relational Leadership
I went to dinner the other night with friends that have several young kids. The conversation moved to their new school and how they are adapting to the change. The 10 year old son said something funny that stuck with me. He said, “I don’t think my Spanish teacher likes me… because she does not spend as much time with me as with the other kids.” Interesting that at the young age he has already figured out the code – CARING = TIME.
So here is the question of the day. Who are you not spending time with on your team or in your organization? Who is feeling a little under-loved because they notice that they do not get as much time as others. As a leader we are sometimes guilty of spending a lot of time hanging out with the “successful” people on the team because it is easy. We then spend a lot of time with the “problem” people because they need the time. Guess who gets left out? The middle kid. The employee who is doing good work but not winning the awards.
Schedule some time today or tomorrow to spend some time with the ones you have neglected. Don’t them them feel like “I don’t think she/he likes me…..”
Bob Furniss
As founder and President of Touchpoint Associates, Inc., Bob Furniss has more than 25 years of experience in the customer service field - assisting organizations to increase productivity and profits by bringing out the best in their people. He has shared his experience in the areas of leadership and service with some of the top companies in America - companies like FedEx, Corporate Express, DePaul University, Delta Airlines, Hanley Wood and more.
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