Real leaders know that they can’t fight every battle.

But their values are crystal clear long before they are faced with critical decisions. So when a situation demands it they don’t hide, cower or flock…

This post honors the stands of a REAL LEADER that spent several years working overseas.

When the business struggled, this leader:

• Offered solutions: By reminding peers and executives that they could SIGNIFICANTLY decrease expenses, and increase efficiency, effectiveness, customer retention and revenue by holding people accountable to policies that were already in place.
• Spoke the hard truth: By pointing to the root cause of issues instead of agreeing with popular thinking that only treated symptoms.
• Maximized the resources he had: By playing to his strengths and the strengths of his team and leveraging old assets he kept expensive and critical operations running for nearly an entire year without a budget.

“ If you are an executive in an organization: What would you give to have titled leaders like this leading your company?

When five rounds of layoffs came, this leader practiced:

• Compassion: By treated exiting employees with honesty and respect.
• Understanding: By speaking truth and encouragement to his remaining employees.

When the sixth layoff came, this leader:

• Encouraged character-based leadership: By reminding other titled leaders that the time had come to let go of their jobs so that the remaining frontline employees and the business could go a bit farther.
• Led by example: And offered his position so others could keep theirs.

“ If you are an employee: What would you give to work for someone – like this?

Then the business began to impact his family at a higher level:

Three days after he offered himself in the layoff, and before his offer was accepted… A disconnected department in the company sent a letter.  The letter told him that he needed to move from a home he had been in for four years – that was located in a secure community with many amenities – to the 32^nd floor of an apartment building.

A year earlier this leader had watched from his home as a neighboring six-story apartment building burned.

He’d witnessed:

• Limited and inadequate fire fighters and equipment
• The screams of the people trying to get out
• How long it took to get helicopters to rescue people from the roof

And later heard stories of locked and blocked exits and inadequate fire codes in the country.

After being informed that he needed to move, he stumbled into information emphasizing a lack of security protocols in the proposed apartment building.

He knew that he and his family had embraced their initial move across the world and successfully adapted and added value in this new location, but this move put their safety, security and sanity at risk.

He knew that he’d taken stands for the business and for his people. And this time he took a stand for his family.

“ If you are a spouse: What you give to be married to someone who takes stands – like this?

Those who have the courage to stand, risk being:

• Misunderstood
• Judged
• Ignored
• Replaced

But their commitment to a greater good drives them to lead in an uncommon way.

They are the leaders that inspire generations.

Real leaders are like eagles, they don’t flock…

You find them one at a time.

“ If you are a titled leader: Do you have the courage to take stands – like this?

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For years I’ve been asking executives and hiring managers what their biggest challenge is. At least 90% of the time I get the same answer: “People.” That comment is quickly followed by an explanation about how hard it is to find enough qualified and caring people to do the work.

It is interesting to note that some titled leaders are so desperate for people that they hire anyone that can “fog a mirror” which often results in skill gaps and behavioral issues that can damage their culture and reputation and stunt their growth.

Other titled leaders hold so tightly to a specific checklist of requirements that they miss hiring a stronger applicant that has the passion, drive and emotional intelligence to take their department and organization to the next level.

Often their decision to wait a long time to fill a needed position adds stress to their teams, and doesn’t guarantee a cultural fit, the drive or the fresh perspective that instigate growth.

If your organization is struggling to find smart, caring, committed people that will improve your culture, your service and your reputation then consider this.

[Tweet “Learning to identify diamonds in the rough is a competitive advantage.”]

Here’s one example:

Years ago I interviewed a 30-year-old bartender for an entry-level corporate position.

He was so late for the interview that I wasn’t going to meet with him.

But when the receptionist said he was visibly shaken and my compasion kicked in, so I walked to the reception desk anyway. Then I learned that prior to the interview, he encountered several uncontrollable circumstances that made it impossible for him to arrive on time or to communicate what was transpiring. So I took the time to do the interview.

His passion for people and service shined through his eyes as he shared stories of how he handled specific work experiences. It was quickly evident that he was a deep thinker with a delightful sense of humor. And before the interview was over, I learned that he was extremely computer savvy and looking to make a long-term career move.

Yes I hired him!

He became a highly valued, long-term employee that increased teamwork and customer satisfaction in our department and cross-functionally, and willingly took on additional projects. One of those projects turned a cost-center into a significant profit center that was duplicated throughout the entire company.

Five years after I hired him, I left the company we both worked for and six years after that he was offered a role with another company in an unrelated industry. (Another example of a hiring manager that has learned to look outside of the box for people that will serve her team and her organization at a higher level.)

Last week I received this message from him,

Hi Chery,

Just thought I would pass along that that my boss has named me team lead after about a year on the team.

As a result she is flying me out of state to give workshops designed to improve interdepartmental communication between Sales and Finance.

The whole transition from _____ to my new role here with its higher level of performance and responsibility (and the significant boost in pay and workplace happiness) would never have been possible without that chance you took on me.

I have not nor will ever forget it, and that means from time to time you will get a note of gratitude from me

Receiving his note made my heart swell with pride as I thought of him, of his family and of his new workplace. I can’t wait for the next edition of this story!

Here’s the thing: He’s not the only diamond in the rough waiting to be discovered.

• Who are the diamonds in your organization that are waiting to be seen and unleashed?
• Who have you interviewed recently that may have no experience in your industry – but has transferrable skills, a strong desire to learn and contribute, and a fresh perspective that could add huge value to your organization?

Please share:  Have you ever hired a diamond in the rough?  

What happened?  

Read more stories about identifying and employing diamonds in the rough.

Not sure how to mine for diamonds in the rough?

These two books were invaluable to me as a young hiring manager:

First Break All The Rules

Now Discover Your Strengths

Beyond Behavioral Interview Questions – These are some of the questions I ask to learn more about the person I am interviewing.  

• What adjectives would you use to describe yourself?
• What are your greatest strengths?
• What are you passionate about?
• What are your weaknesses?
• I believe that attitudes are contagious. Why is yours worth catching?
• What kind of leadership motivates and inspires you? What kind of leadership hinders you?
• Who are your heroes? Why?
• Why would anyone “do more than necessary?”
• Tell me three things that you think would delight most customers?
• What’s the coolest thing that’s ever happened to you as a customer?

Shortly after our move we began visiting churches. (In all of our other moves we visited one church and kept coming back.)

• This time we decided that we wanted to know what all of our options were before we joined one.
• And if we liked some of what we observed we attended more than once.

That decision quickly became a fascinating opportunity to observe towering strengths, glaring weaknesses, powerful vision, synergy or the lack of it – and a whole lot more!

Our observations apply to workplaces too!  

…Which one sounds like your organization?  

GREAT FACILITY, NO VISION, NO PASSION, DYING:

One had a beautiful, old, well-kept building that we would have loved to explore.

There were not nearly enough people present to fill the building.

They had no idea how to engage with visitors.

And offered no assistance understanding how to navigate their service.

HUGE FACILITY, OUTSTANDING MUSIC, LIVING IN THE PAST:

One was a huge auditorium.

Filled with amazing music.

And each time the pastor spoke it became clear that a few years earlier there had been a big division in the church and that he was still grieving, processing and defending. In nearly every sermon he continually reminded those present of his contributions to the church prior to the split.

DESPERATE:

In two locations we were pounced on within seconds of arriving and with such intensity that we felt more like prey than potential members.

PROFOUND MESSAGE, NOT GOOD AT ENGAGING VISITORS:

One consistently offered deep thought-provoking, life-changing messages.

And not one person ever greeted us.

[Tweet “”If you don’t live it, you don’t believe it.”  C. William Pollard”]

VISION and ORGANIZATON – BUT IS IT THE RIGHT VISION?

In one church we filled out a card indicating that we were first time visitors. Within 5 hours there were two people from the church at our door with a welcome gift, wanting to come in and visit.

(We were wowed by the efficient process that was in place and more than a little uncomfortable that we didn’t know they were coming and they wanted to sit and visit.)

OUTDATED INFORMATION…

One church advertised a contemporary service on their website, when we arrived at their building not one person could tell us where it was or how to get there.

HONORING AND ENGAGING…

Some honored and included children.

Some were more inclusive of senior citizens.

Others focused on special needs families.

Others appealed to diverse nationalities.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE OUTSIDE OF THEIR WALLS:

Most of them were engaged in the community in some way, some with great vision and energy, some with more of a spirit of obligation.

As we considered what we were observing and where we needed to be – I was reminded of a different church in a different city…

• Nothing was published about the classes they were offering, what they were studying, what times they were meeting, where they were meeting or who to contact.
• They frequently made reference to a second location by its name – assuming that everyone in attendance knew what it was. Each time they said the name – I thought it sounded like a nursing home.  …It took nearly a year to discover that was not the case!
• During the service they would reference things they did to support the community, as if everyone knew what they were doing, what they needed, who to contact and how to get involved.   (Only we didn’t.)

How Are First Impressions Impacting Your Organization?

• Do you know what you want your organization to reflect to others?
• Do you know what your organization is actually reflecting to others?
• How do first-time visitors feel in your organization?   – Are they welcomed, ignored, or attacked?
• Even the most gifted leaders can’t carry the entire organization – everyone’s gifts are needed.
• If you have a great plan and are working it efficiently – have you evaluated if it is producing the results you want?
• Is it assumed that everyone knows what is going on or how to get involved? Or is it clear?

What are your employees, long-term customers/members blind to that your first-time guests spot instantly?

Image Credits:  iStock & Ace Concierge 

Have you SAVED THE DATE?  April 20th is the launch of our new book:  Energize Your Leadership!

The power of storytelling comes alive in this collaborative book, Energize Your Leadership. These diverse leadership pros wisely decided to write a book that reached instead of preached. They dug deep into years of personal experiences to offer every leader and future leader the ONE thing they each need: A reflective way to stay energized. Without lecturing or proclaiming there is one best practice, they break through the apathy, that all leaders can intermittently feel, with stories that inspire.  ~Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach

Recently I found myself wondering about others numero uno leadership lessons, so I posed this question on Social Media.

[Tweet “What’s the greatest leadership lesson you’ve learned so far?”]

 These were some of the answers I received:

[Tweet “”It’s not about the leader, but about everyone else!” @ErinSchreyer”]

“The most effective place from which to lead is not from position but from character. Position matters little for lasting influence.”  Sharon Kohring

“MBWA. (Manage by Walking Around.)  That’s my motto!”  Tom Wells

“Listening.”  Mike Sommer

“To listen.”  Becky Heinecke

[Tweet “”Your team should be aligned with you not just behind you.” Bryan Bean”]

“People work with me, not for me.” Tom Rhodes

“From a teenage employee I had years ago who quoted his father: “The measure of a person is not how well they do what they like, but how well they do what they don’t like. Stuck with me for the last 20 years.” Paul LaRue

[Tweet “”The leader has to model the behavior they’d like to have.”  @MikeHenry”]

“Don’t make assumptions. Ask.”  Mary Schaefer

“Great communication.”  Cynthia Bazin

“Back in the days, my father told me to treat everyone the same regardless of their appearance.” Will Lukang

“Accept people where they are, and do whatever you can to help them grow.” Page Cole

“Always act with love, compassion and understanding. People are only doing the best with what they know how.”  Kristy Burns

[Tweet “”Never blame other people for your mistakes.” Dolores Teubner”]

“The customer is always… The customer. Right or wrong.”  Brian Sooy

“If you don’t trust yourself, nobody else will either. Be intentional from a core of solid knowledge, ethics, and discernment.”  Jane Anderson

YOUR TURN!  

• What is your greatest leadership lesson – so far?
• How are you sharing that lesson with others?

This week is customer service week!  In honor of the big week I introduced a 3-part mini-series of blog posts:

• The first focused on the external customer and asked the question, “Can great customer service be taught…  To anyone?”
• The second focused on the internal customer and emphasized how organizational growth is limited or unleashed when employees interact with each other.

Today’s post is about two thoughts that spark my creative fire.  Two separate thoughts from different sources that consistently make my cells jump up and down, Thoughts that make me dream of building uncommon solutions with others that are bigger and better than I could ever imagine on my own…

Instead of telling you what I imagine – please tell me what these quotes stir up in you.

The first one comes from the book “First Break All The Rules” by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman when the authors highlight the following,

Gallop interviewed over a billion customers from across industries trying to identify what customers really want.   …Although customer needs vary by industry four expectations remain remarkably consistent across various types of businesses and types of people.  In hierarchical order:  1.  Accuracy  2.  Availability 3.  Partnership 4.  Advice

Pause for a minute and reread that.

Do you agree?  Are those the things you’d love to receive as a customer?

• Accuracy?  Check.
• Availability?  Check.
• Partnership?  Wait…  What?
• Advice?  Really?

Have you ever been on the receiving end of customer service that looked like that?  

• Have you ever provided customer service that includes all four levels of service? 
• Will you share your experience?   

The second quote is from Intel.

Again my cells dance!

Imagine asking your employees and your suppliers to think like this. 

• Would it transform how you do business? 
• Would it help you provide uncommon levels of service to your customers? 
• Would it help your company create the future and get there first?    

Image credits: Microsoft

This is the second post in a three part series about customer service.  The first post asked the question, “Can great customer service be taught to anyone?”

This post examines the need for people at every level of an organization to share a vision and view each other as their customer:

• Have you ever needed something from a co-worker in order to do your job but encountered red-tape or bad attitudes?
• Have you ever gone in search of answers about data that was required for a critical report only to be passed from person to person and from department to department, finding that no one would provide a straight answer let alone take ownership?
• Have you ever sat through a meeting where it was more important to point fingers and place blame than it was to look for solutions?
• Has your organization ever laid anyone off because it wasn’t generating enough revenue, and you know that you know, that you know; that the biggest challenges they are facing weren’t created “out there”  it was created by the silos, politics and turf wars within the organization?

Below are several real examples: 

When a new patient is being admitted to the hospital for testing he waits in the waiting room for several hours.  En route to the room, the orderly talks smack about the disorganization of the administrative staff.  Throughout the rest of the stay in the hospital the patient witnesses hospital staff being kind and friendly with him, and yet repeatedly knocking other departments.  If you were the patient would you be very trusting about your diagnosis, your care, or even the accuracy of the billing, based on the lack of teamwork you were witnessing?

When people see a lack of alignment at the top, they know they don’t have to align.  Ken Blanchard

A candidate is flown into town from another state, HR requests that the drug test is done while the candidate is in the area.  The hiring manager doesn’t think it is a priority.  The candidate returns home without taking the drug test.  The battle between departments begins.  Ultimately the candidate is asked to fly back again, just for the drug test!  Wasting time, wasting finances, increasing the battle lines and decreasing trust.  If you were the prospective new hire would you be concerned about what it is like to actually work for this organization?   

Silos – and the turf wars they enable – devastate organizations.  They waste resources, kill productivity and jeopardize the achievement of goals.  …They cause frustration, stress and disillusionment by forcing employees to fight bloody, unwinnable battles with people who should be their teammates.  Patrick Lencioni

An organization creates a new program to help customers drop off items at the place of business before it opens, to make things more efficient for their customers.  The program is promoted in their newsletters, their internet site, and throughout their locations.  Soon after the new program is rolled out, one of the stores institutes a change that makes it impossible to provide this service. Then another store makes a change. Soon customers are up early and driving from location to location for the marketed service, to find that it no longer exists in some locations, causing them to question if it has been discontinued through the entire organization.   If you were the customer would you start doing business with a competitor?

Customers make repeated requests to frontline employees for changes in procedures that would support their needs at a higher level but when the department heads meet to discuss the request, the response is “No!  There is no way we can do that.”  No consideration, no debate.  Because after all it is more important to make things easier for one person, or one department than to consider the needs of the customer or the entire organization….  Would you invest in a company if you knew this is how they did business? 

“Are you bringing a spirit of obligation or a spirit of contribution to your team?” Nikki Nemerouf

The office staff is frequently yelled at, cussed at, and belittled by the sales staff in a large organization.  As a coping mechanism the office staff create rigid rules that must be followed to the letter, no exceptions.  Daily the two teams tangle.  Daily they waste time.  Daily decisions are based on who can trump who, not on what is best for the customers or for the organization as a whole.  If you were one of the employees caught in this turf-battle would you get tired of the energy-suck?   

The country you call home is divided over a heated battle between conservative and liberal, he said, she said.  It looks like children fighting on a playground worrying more about “ME” than “WE.”   People do what people see.  How are you leading?    

Whether you are the CEO or lead a small work team, you are ridiculously in charge if you are the leader.  And you can certainly protect it and defend it against that which would infect it, derail it, or bring it down. You will get what you create and what you allow.  Dr. Henry Cloud

Does everyone in your organization share a powerful vision?

Does it pull people together?  …Increasing teamwork, service and results?  

If not.  Start there!  

Image credits:  iStock

Last year I participated in a #PeopleSkills Tweet Chat.  At one point in our chat we were debating if Customer Service could be taught.

I KNOW that it can! As a high school student I worked a retail job after school.  I’ve always cared about people so I was polite and helpful but I’m not sure that I was remarkable.  In hindsight, I am also very thankful that this first experience was in a small town where we all knew each other – as I result I never dealt with an angry customer.

Right after graduating from high school I went to work for the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation in a little tourism town that almost completely shuts down in the winter.  (Imagine closing stores, smearing white wax on the windows and covering everything inside with sheets.)

Each spring college students would descend on this little town, move into dorms, wash windows, shake out dusty sheets, destroy the cobwebs, put out new merchandise, open café’s and get ready for a big summer.

The first summer I worked there, each employee was given a checklist that listed every tourist attraction in the area.  We were expected to go to each location and play tourist.  The goal was to learn where everything was, to experience what our customers were going to experience and to prepare us to provide directions and information about the entire area to anyone that asked.  Our checklist had to be signed by employees at that location and turned in when it was completed.  (A brilliant and simple strategy that I highly recommend!)

The second summer I worked in that town, the Foundation hired someone from the North Dakota Tourism Department to provide an additional 8 hours of training for us.  During those hours we were given opportunities to consider situations that I had never faced.  Specifically:  The Angry Customer! During the class we had the opportunity to view an angry customer from a couple of perspectives.

• First through the eyes of the frontline employee.  (Yikes –  That customer was so nasty we were all taking the employee’s side!)
• Then through the customer’s eyes.  (What a reality check to see what had happened in his day.  Can you imagine losing a loved one, and then trying to deal with anything else?  …Let alone a long list of things that would irritate anyone?)

Immediately I felt like a light bulb had been turned on:  I’m not sure I’d ever considered what the customer’s day was like.  I’m pretty sure I would have been humiliated and embarrassed if I had to deal with an angry customer in front of others and would have taken it personally, and I’m 100% sure I would have been clueless about how to turn a bad situation into a good one.

As odd as it might sound, I left the training anxious for the opportunity to work with an angry customer! …Just a few days later I got my wish:  I was working the front desk of the hotel and received a call from a woman that had made reservations for a very special vacation.  She had just received her confirmation in the mail and it was all wrong.  She was speaking fast, talking loud, at times sounding rather harsh and at times choking back tears. So I took the HEAT:

1. I HEARD her – She was trying to recreate a special vacation from that past and needed to have specific rooms reserved in our smallest hotel.  From her perspective not getting those rooms would ruin the entire vacation.
2. I EMPATHIZED with her – I understood.  If I were planning something that special, I would want those rooms too!
3. I APOLOGIZED – On behalf of my company for our mistake.
4. I TOOK ACTION – I gave her my name.  I gave her my contact number.  I asked for a little time to look into everything and I promised to call her back within an hour.

By the time we hung up the phone the angry tearful woman that made the call was calm and appreciative for my efforts. When I called her back with the good news that we were able to get the right rooms for her on the nights she needed them, she was thrilled!  (And every cell in my body was dancing!)

Here’s what I know to be true:

[Tweet “Customer Service training does not have to be complicated or expensive.”] 

[Tweet “Ordinary people can be taught great customer service and ROCK at it! “]

[Tweet “Every employee can be taught how to take the HEAT! “]

Having that training at such a young age transformed my thinking, my behavior and my career.

Please share!  

• Do you believe that nearly anyone can learn great customer service?
• What’s your customer service story?  

If you are looking for a great place to start grow the customer service in your organization, below is a picture of books that have influenced my customer service journey.  

• Customers for Life
• Fish Tales 
• Our Star Service Journey
• Raving Fans
• Share the Spirit!  North Dakota

]]> https://consultgiana.com/can-great-customer-service-be-taught-to-anyone/feed/ 4 https://consultgiana.com/the-greatest-opportunity-for-improvement-and-competitive-advantage/ https://consultgiana.com/the-greatest-opportunity-for-improvement-and-competitive-advantage/#comments Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:30:15 +0000 Chery Gegelman http://consultgiana.com/?p=756

Every time I read this quote from Patrick Lencioni every cell in my body wants to stand up and cheer!

“I am convinced that once organizational health is properly understood and placed into the right context it will surpass all other disciplines in business as the greatest opportunity for improvement and competitive advantage.  Really.”  

I can tell you true stories for hours that emphasize why the truth in that quote sparks such passion!  Here’s one of them…