Recently a credit card company made a mistake with my account. They are very sorry … but they won’t fix it. Anticipating a heavy travel schedule last month, I decided to call in and make 2 payments. One payment for the current month, and another payment for the following month – paying it early. Too early. Instead of recording a payment for the current month, and another for the following month – they just put me down as making two payments for the current billing period. As far as they were concerned, instead of paying early – I missed a payment, which not only blemishes credit history but also comes with a late fee.
So I called them and explained the situation, “Let me give you the transaction confirmation number that your representative gave me.” Certainly that would clear it all up, because that’s what confirmation numbers are for – to confirm or prove that you have done something, right? Nope. In a bored monotone she answered, “Ma’am the confirmation number doesn’t matter (what?!), all that proves is that you gave us money. You shouldn’t have paida bill for the next month until the current billing period was over. Everyone knows the system doesn’t work that way.” Apparently not the rep who took my money and gave me the useless confirmation number. Sadly, over the next 2 hours I had 7 nearly identical, frustrating & sometimes rude conversations as I went up the chain of command. Finally someone said they would listen to the conversation that hadbeen recorded for customer service training purposes. Six days later they called to tell me that I was right, the rep had given me wrong info but they could not – would not correct the error because (get ready) … I should have known that I couldn’t make a payment early … even if their own employee didn’t know. Mind-numbing.
THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Summarizing the customer experience in this situation:
A customer intentionally did something positive and responsible.
Working with an employee who does not know his own company’s rules & processes.
The customer was told that the company gives out useless confirmation numbers that do not protect the customer.
The company admittedly made a mistake, but will not make it right.
I have to believe that the above situation was not the objective & vision intended by the Executive Team, as the desired customer experience with their company.
The danger here is that many of us could confidently say, “That would never happen in my company.” Maybe not on the scale described above, but likely your organization’s processes and systems don’t account for every contingency or errors by well-meaning employees. Processes are very important & necessary, but if they took care of everything then you wouldn’t need employees – customers would simply interface with the processes directly. Chances are your team knows exactly where the sticky situations occur – and why it happens. Chances are good that they also have ideas about how to make it work better. How can you make it a priority to regularly review your processes to ensure that they aren’t making it hard for your customers to do business with you, and that your team members are empowered and encouraged to provide help and flexibility in the situations that may need it?
By the way I closed my account with that credit card company. The new company sent me a gift for opening my new account. I hope they don’t end up charging me for it and then refusing to take it off my bill …
Have you ever thought about all of the things we have in our lives today, trying to imagine how we survived before they were invented? How did we write term papers before personal computers? Make popcorn before microwaves? Get a cavity filled before Novocaine? How did we live without the Internet, Google, Amazon, cellphones, and texting? Now you can add Everything DiSC® Comparison Reports to this list.
“Come on, really?!,” you say. Ok, I admit they may not be as indispensable as Novocaine… but while Novocaine dulls the pain, Comparison Reports can help prevent or reduce the very real pain of the interpersonal variety.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, Everything DiSC Comparison Reports compare the DiSC styles of two people, highlight their differences and similarities, and provide tips for working more effectively with each other. People are encouraged to have a conversation about their similarities and differences, and consider how their working relationship may be impacted as a result. Afterwards, each person is asked to consider how they’ll apply what they’ve learned about working with the other.
So why are these reports so valuable?
They’re the perfect tool to use in conflict resolution or when two people are struggling to work with each other. (And more importantly, in preventing conflict or struggle from happening in the first place!)
They’re a quick way to help people understand differences and commonalities, in a very non-threatening or non-judgmental way.
They build understanding and trust between a supervisor and direct reports, and between members of a team.
They serve as a powerful component during important conversations like performance reviews, on-boarding, and aligning team members.
We recently recommended using these reports to a customer, who was having a challenge between two managers. Their relationship was nearly destroyed due to several business conflicts. We were brought in to help mediate their situation. The two managers glared at each other across the table, and we handed them their Everything DiSC Comparison Reports. After a few minutes of reading silently, one said, “Well this explains a lot!” Then they both burst into laughter, and began to have a conversation.
While the Everything DiSC Comparison Report wasn’t a miracle cure, it helped them to see that their personality differences (and similarities) were really the catalysts that ignited their “professional differences.” They began to appreciate each other’s differences and build a functional relationship, acknowledging that the other person’s behaviors are simply different from their own. They weren’t wrong, they weren’t right, they just were different!
If this story hits close to home, just know … we are here to help.
I recently read that 40% of our daily behavior is driven by habit not conscious planning. That made me very curious…
Then I came across this fantastic article in the February issue of Experience Magazine. You can read the full article here.
Habits are those choices that we make at some point and then stop thinking about it and just automatically do it. Researchers at MIT discovered a simple neurological loop is at the core of every habit. They dub this the habit loop. In other words, a habit is a formula that the brain automatically follows: When I see this cue, I will do this routine in order to get that reward.
This loop applies to both individuals and organizations. So, the key to changing a habit or behavior is harnessed in the power of this loop.
Step 1: Identify the Routine – With most habits, the routine is the most obvious aspect: It’s the behavior that you want to change. Research shows that habits aren’t actually broken, they’re modified – and it’s possible to satisfy harmful habits by adopting a healthier routine.
Step 2: Experiment with Rewards – The idea is to test different hypotheses to see what is driving your routine. The book suggests at that moment you catch yourself ready to do the bad thing that you always do (and that you want to change), that you write down a few words that come to mind at that exact moment. The exercise serves two purposes: it provokes awareness of what you are feeling or thinking, and it will help clarify the reward your seeking with your habitual behavior.
Step 3: Isolate the Cue – Cues are triggers for our habitual behaviors. To identify the cue ask yourself these questions:
Where are you?
What time is it?
What’s your emotional state?
Who else is around?
What action preceded the urge?
The key is that once we define our habit loop, you can begin to shift the behavior. You can develop a better routine by planning for the cue and choosing a behavior that more constructively delivers the rewards that you’re craving.
Step 4: Have a Plan — It sounds simple but it really requires a tremendous amount of energy to make a conscious choice.
Funny, story… after spending a few days thinking about the bad habit I have of eating late at night. I realized that my kids push my buttons at night when I am tired (the Cue) which makes me stress and then I get the munchies, so I grab the snack foods (the routine) and it does honestly make me feel better at that moment (the reward)!
My new habit loop is: When the kids start driving me nuts (the Cue), I grab my headphones (the routine), put on my favorite song and head for the treadmill … I feel better (the reward). Plus, hopefully now I can loose that extra 5 lbs. that’s been bugging me.
Napoleon Hill, the author of “Think and Grow Rich” shares many profound ideas.
The question isn’t will these concepts help you become rich. To me the question is “What does wealthy mean to you?”
I would argue that if you truly think about, learn and apply these concepts, then you will have “richer” personal relationships, family life, volunteer programs and yes, ultimately more profitable businesses too.
What do you think?
Lesson 1: Definiteness of Purpose
Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. Without a purpose and a plan, people drift aimlessly through life.
Lesson 2: Mastermind Alliance
The Mastermind principle consists of an alliance of two or more minds working in perfect harmony for the attainment of a common definite objective. Success does not come without the cooperation of others.
Lesson 3: Applied Faith
Faith is a state of mind through which your aims, desires, plans and purposes may be translated into their physical or financial equivalent.
Lesson 4: Going the Extra Mile
Going the extra mile is the action of rendering more and better service than that for which you are presently paid. When you go the extra mile, the Law of Compensation comes into play.
Lesson 5: Pleasing Personality
Personality is the sum total of one’s mental, spiritual and physical traits and habits that distinguish one from all others. It is the factor that determines whether one is liked or disliked by others.
Lesson 6: Personal Initiative
Personal initiative is the power that inspires the completion of that which one begins. It is the power that starts all action. No person is free until he learns to do his own thinking and gains the courage to act on his own.
Lesson 7: Positive Mental Attitude
Positive mental attitude is the right mental attitude in all circumstances. Success attracts more success while failure attracts more failure.
Lesson 8: Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is faith in action. It is the intense emotion known as burning desire. It comes from within, although it radiates outwardly in the expression of one’s voice and countenance.
Lesson 9: Self-Discipline
Self-discipline begins with the mastery of thought. If you do not control your thoughts, you cannot control your needs. Self-discipline calls for a balancing of the emotions of your heart with the reasoning faculty of your head.
Lesson 10: Accurate Thinking
The power of thought is the most dangerous or the most beneficial power available to man, depending on how it is used.
Lesson 11: Controlled Attention
Controlled attention leads to mastery in any type of human endeavor, because it enables one to focus the powers of his mind upon the attainment of a definite objective and to keep it so directed at will.
Lesson 12: Teamwork
Teamwork is harmonious cooperation that is willing, voluntary and free. Whenever the spirit of teamwork is the dominating influence in business or industry, success is inevitable. Harmonious cooperation is a priceless asset that you can acquire in proportion to your giving.
Lesson 13: Adversity & Defeat
Individual success usually is in exact proportion of the scope of the defeat the individual has experienced and mastered. Many so-called failures represent only a temporary defeat that may prove to be a blessing in disguise.
Lesson 14: Creative Vision
Creative vision is developed by the free and fearless use of one’s imagination. It is not a miraculous quality with which one is gifted or is not gifted at birth.
Lesson 15: Health
Sound health begins with a sound health consciousness, just as financial success begins with a prosperity consciousness.
Lesson 16: Budgeting Time & Money
Time and money are precious resources, and few people striving for success ever believe they possess either one in excess.
Lesson 17: Habits
Developing and establishing positive habits leads to peace of mind, health and financial security. You are where you are because of your established habits and thoughts and deeds.
If your boss set you up with a coach to help you improve your results and impact, what would your reaction be? Would you feel proud that a significant investment is being made to help you develop and grow? Would you be thrilled to have someone to assist you in achieving your goals? Or, would you feel somehow as if using a coach were a sign of weakness or defeat, signaling a need for help outside of your own capabilities?
Times are changing fast. A couple decades ago, coaching used to be more typically reserved for troubled teammates who were not meeting performance standards and truly needed someone to intervene. In recent years coaching has made a dramatic shift to more of an investment mode; a resource used for highly successful people. We are more enlightened today to the fact that more self-aware leaders (who constantly look for ways to improve) see the best results.
A coach is a powerful resource that can support a leader’s journey and facilitate learning. The meaning of the word “facilitate” boils down to making things easier. Here are some ideas of how to best utilize a coach. You can consider these form both formal and informal coaching you may receive and even apply them to working with a mentor:
You are in the driver’s seat – Take responsibility for what you want to accomplish and what outcomes you can achieve by working with a coach or mentor. As Franklin Covey stated, “Begin with the end in mind”. What do you want to improve upon? What would be different in 60-90 days if you successfully implemented that change in how you operate? Own those results. Truly no one else can do it for you.
Use your sounding board – In today’s world of technology our thoughts are often out for public consumption in cyber space the moment we conceive them. Thanks to email, texting, blogs, social media and cell phones our communication is real-time and frequently not thought out. High stakes communication may not receive any forethought. A coach or mentor can help you consider the impact of your communication and think through those tough, but necessary conversations. When the stakes are high and outcomes are important, a sounding board found in a coach can help you consider your audience, tailor your message and be perceived in a way that aligns with what you intended.
Do not think of your coach as a consultant or therapist – Effective coaching is empowering and assumes you are an expert in your role, perfectly capable of achieving the goals you set. A coach’s job is to support action and provide mechanisms for accountability over time. Consulting typically provides advice and solutions and leaves it at that. There is not necessarily the follow up or accountability involved in coaching when you work with a consultant. On the other hand therapy typically focuses on insight and resolution of emotional issues. Because these approaches are so different, you and your coach you should be clear about these distinctions.
So if you currently work with a coach or have the opportunity to do so in the future, embrace it. This is a chance to partner with someone who will be extremely focused on your success and help you see the bigger picture at times. Use these guidelines along with the skills of your coach to genuinely make things easier.
Nothing unites a team like a common cause!
(Adapted from one of my favorite quotes “Nothing unites a team like a common enemy!”)
Consider organizing a unique team building event this summer that gives back to the community. The most recent issue of Success Magazine focused on the topic of Happiness and Significance. It reported that some of the keys to achieving happiness can be found through developing meaningful relationships and giving back.
Success had several articles that talked about the key to “significance”. There was no surprise here… the most fulfilled people actually gave back to their community. The surprising part was that people are actually rethinking the definition of success, especially the next generation because they don’t strive as much for money and possessions. Research states that after our basic needs are met (shelter, nutrition, security, adequate medical care, etc.) financial success does little to make us happier. The research says there is however a direct correlation between happiness and quality relationships.
So I got thinking…. If we want to create significance and happiness at work then …. What if we combined these two ideas and created an experience that helped develop meaningful relationships at work by giving back!
It’s fun, it’s relevant, it’s happening and it works! Our clients are out there doing it!
Here are 10 ideas to unite as a team by giving back!
1. Sponsor a “Jeans Day”: A large Detroit corporation charges $5 each Friday for the opportunity to wear jeans to work. Each Friday on of the departments sponsor the jeans day and they pick the charity and also work together to generate more sales by holding a bake sale, car wash etc.Last week I watched as the HR team donated a check for over $2500 to the local food bank.
2. Sponsor a Habitat for Humanity House: A midsized company has adopted the charity Habitat for Humanity. They work all year collecting donations and then each member of the company is then when the house is being built each employee is encouraged to sign up and take part. They are given paid time off to work alongside their CEO to build the house.
3. Host a community “Lunch on the Run” program: An automotive company dedicates one day each year to delivering lunch orders to other local businesses in the community. All proceeds go to a needy cause.
4. Hold a car wash and with the proceeds going to a charity the team chooses…
5. Participant in or coordinate a bowlathon.
6. Run a 5k and organize one and encourage the community to participate too!
7. Serve at a local soup kitchen or food bank.
8. Clean up a neighborhood park … paint, spread new mulch and earn the funds to add something to the park too!
9. Rally every member of your company to donate few dollars from each pay check to a powerful cause like United Way!
10. Rent a dunk tank for the day and “Dunk Your Leader”! Have the each team in your company compete for which department can dunk their leader the most times.
So I called them and explained the situation, “Let me give you the transaction confirmation number that your representative gave me.” Certainly that would clear it all up, because that’s what confirmation numbers are for – to confirm or prove that you have done something, right? Nope. In a bored monotone she answered, “Ma’am the confirmation number doesn’t matter (what?!), all that proves is that you gave us money. You shouldn’t have paid a bill for the next month until the current billing period was over. Everyone knows the system doesn’t work that way.” Apparently not the rep who took my money and gave me the useless confirmation number. Sadly, over the next 2 hours I had 7 nearly identical, frustrating & sometimes rude conversations as I went up the chain of command. Finally someone said they would listen to the conversation that had been recorded for customer service training purposes. Six days later they called to tell me that I was right, the rep had given me wrong info but they could not – would not correct the error because (get ready) … I should have known that I couldn’t make a payment early … even if their own employee didn’t know. Mind-numbing.
