I recently had the opportunity to attend the ASU Compete Through Service Symposium.  During one of the breakout sessions, “Coaching For Service”, I listened to Dean Newlund, President, Mission Facilitators International, Inc. talk about what motivates people to improve or reach goals.

He shared information from the work of Daniel Pink, former speech writer for Al Gore, around intrinsic motivation versus extrinsic motivation.  In Daniel’s presentation, he raises some interesting questions for business leaders to consider when they create compensation plans, bonus plans, etc.

How do we go about truly motivating our people to achieve the business objectives we’ve identified that will help us improve year over year?  How do we motivate our teams that are not engaged with sales activities to move a needle or raise the bar?

Here is Daniel Pink’s presentation, at a recent Ted Conference, on the “Surprising Science of Motivation”.

Raises some interesting questions for us to consider as we work our way into a profitable year.

How are you choosing to motivate those around you and on your team?  Is it working?  Really?

M

Posted under Employees, General, Leadership

A-Ha….there is a great post on Customer Connection from Leslie Pagel at Walker Information sharing how missing an opportunity to capture a customer’s idea in an immediate and simplistic fashion can make a difference – perhaps a game-changing difference.

“The other night my husband and I sat at a bar for dinner when I overheard the following conversation between the bartender and another customer.

Customer: Can you put on the IU (Indiana University) football game?
Bartender: No hun. We don’t get the Big Ten Network.
Customer: That is too bad. I was hoping to watch the game while I ate dinner.
Bartender: You can go to our website and submit a request to add that channel. They do listen when customers submit feedback. They’ve implemented a lot of things that have really helped us out.
Customer: Oh. OK.

The customer had a cell phone with internet access, but did not take the next step to submit his feedback. Instead, he used his phone to check the score of the game.

While I don’t know for sure, I doubt this customer ever submitted his feedback, which got me thinking. How many ideas get lost because sharing feedback is inconvenient for customers? Think about it. How many times have you thought, “I should send them a message to tell them what a great job they did,” or “That was inconvenient. I should send them a letter?”

How many times have you been in meetings, social events or even “just hanging out” where you witness or have an “a-ha moment”?  How do you take action on that idea?  In that moment?  Do you write it down on a napkin, call yourself and leave a voice-mail, write a note in your cell phone?  None of the above?

Right, too often we find ourselves not able to take the immediate action needed to capture an idea that would improve the delivery of service or product.  Enabling communication with the powers that be within a company is a nut worth cracking.

We have the ability to access information immediately.  How we leverage that ability or create a link to that information to harness the ideas of our customers is our next challenge.  As Leslie points out in “How many ideas get lost because sharing feedback is inconvenient?”, a challenge doesn’t have to have a complex solution.  It can be as simple as taking an order.

Great article and great food for thought Leslie,

M

Posted under Business & Process Innovation, Customers, Employees, General, Leadership, Shareholder Value

We’ve recently moved into a new house.  I use the term “new” rather loosely as it was built in 1973.  It’s new to us, not new to the neighborhood.  In fact, neighborhood and yard is amazing.  The gentleman who owned the house before us was an organic gardener.  Three rather large plots out back, as well as a mature orchard of about ten fruit trees.

As you can imagine around most of the plots and orchard area there is edging.  You know that lovely thick sharp metal kind.  The kind you hate to hit with a lawn mower and the kind you hate to have your dog step on at a dead run.

Yep, hard, fast running dogs and metal edging are not meant to be in the same yard.  Not a good or safe combination – In My Humble Opinion.

Now, I also think I have the best vet care around, Allpets Clinic in Boulder.

You have a bleeding dog, you call with an emergency, they get you right in and make an immediate initial assessment of the situation.  They made sure Max was stable then came out to talk to me about next steps.

Now here is an occupation where you might think soft communication skills are not always valued.  People are attached to their pets.  Crazy attached to their pets.  At least in most cases.  And sometimes it’s hard to make medical decisions based on your financial situation, but you do.  And the doctors understand that.  Now I’m one of those people who will take care of their pet regardless of cost, but the time spent with me by the doc so I would understand every aspect of what they were going to do was priceless.

She was patient, direct and compassionate about the situation.  I understood what she was going to need to do and how long it would take.  She needed to act and I needed to give her an answer right then and there.  I felt completely informed and I knew Max would be taken care of to the best of her abilities.  Once she was further into the situation, she came out and kept me informed.  Not once, but twice.

I point all of this out because she didn’t need to take that much time with me.  She could have  given me the information in several different ways, but she didn’t.  She could have sent a Tech, but she didn’t.  She showed me she cared about Max as much as I do.  How do you teach that?  Can you teach compassion and caring?

You can teach lots of things needed to be successful in your job, I’m not sure about this one.  It falls under my thought of hiring the right kind of people, with the right kind of spirit and attitude.  You can teach them all of the skills to do the job, but you can’t teach them how to have a good spirit and a good attitude.

Because of who they hire and how I and my animals are treated, I’m loyal to Allpets Clinic.  That’s why Allpets has been my vet since 1992.

M  –  And Max is doing great with a little TLC.

Posted under Customers, Employees, General, Leadership, Shareholder Value

We just finished the “Official” Customer Service Week and just like Steve Curtin writes, “The Emperor Has No Clothes”.

He raises an interesting point about how employees act when the company president is on-site versus not.  People knowingly act differently, in order to be on their best behavior when the “top brass” is in town.  Things are cleaner, tidier and top-notch.  He uses very strong examples from a retail experience, but the premise holds true regardless of the industry.

1. Employees openly texting, emailing or surfing the internet instead of assisting a customer.
2. Employees taking a smoke break just outside the front door.
3. Employees complaining about their schedules, co-workers or other customers openly.

“What happens in most cases is that: a.) there are no credible standards in place to enforce; b.) even though standards are in place (usually in the employee handbook that hasn’t been cracked since each page was initialed during employee orientation), mangers are unaware of them or apathetic towards their enforcement; or c.) managers themselves engage in the same indifferent behaviors!”

Steve goes on to write, “Here’s a litmus test I like to use when determining whether or not an employee’s behavior is acceptable: If I were the division president conducting an on-site visit, would this employee behave the same way? Would his manager tolerate it then?”

I just had an unpleasant experience with a moving company in this regard.  As they loaded items on the truck, I noticed they’d packed the tall ladder needed to gain access to shelving space overhead in my garage.  When I questioned them, the lead said he’d find someway to get up there.  “I’ll just climb up there.”  I asked him not to as it wasn’t strong enough to hold him.  I’d be right back with another ladder.  As I started to leave, I noticed him push on the top lid of the chest freezer in the corner.

When I got back with the ladder, the shelves were completely empty.  Hhmmm, interesting.  No one confessed as to how they got everything down until we got the other location.  Upon unloading the freezer, it had a huge dent in the lid where he stood to get to the shelves.  Now we’re arguing about replacement.

Customer Service Week isn’t just one week out of the year.  It needs to be every week.  Act like I’m the president of the company or he’s there looking over your shoulder.  Do the right thing regardless.  Every chance you get.

M

Posted under Customers, Employees, General, Leadership, Shareholder Value, Value Proposition

Loyalty comes in all shapes and sizes.

When you think of loyalty, you might think of a loyal companion – like a dog.  You might think of a close friend or you might think of family or your country.  Loyalty truly does come in all shapes and sizes.  All kinds of flavors from all kinds of directions for all kinds of reasons.

The common denominator is the underlying emotional connection loyalty inherently triggers in all of us.  It’s a feeling, it’s emotional, it’s palpable.  There may be reason and logic behind it, but not always.  It just feels right.  It fits.  It’s the commitment I have to you – personally.  It’s a connection.

It’s a connection tailor made to fit me and who I am.  When its all said and done, I will stand by you, turn to you, go to bat for you because of our relationship.

Because I trust you.  I trust you to take care of me and  my needs if I asked.  And I would do the same in turn.

Throughout this week, I hope you built or strengthened those relationships.

You Smiled, You Listened, You Asked and You Partnered Well.

I choose my experiences with you over anyone else.  Thank You!

M

Posted under Customers, Employees, Leadership, Shareholder Value, Value Proposition