Month: October 2013

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Great Managers Are Great Pioneers

Focused manager brainstorming in a boardroom

Great leaders and entrepreneurs are not content merely to maintain the status quo. They are driven to see and seek out opportunities to make a big impact.

Peter Drucker said, “Results are obtained by exploiting opportunities, not by solving problems. All one can hope to get by solving problems is to restore normalcy.”

This is one of the primary differences between leaders and managers. Leaders lead. They go first. They begin the quest for a new order. They plunge into new, sometimes dangerous, and at times unpredictable territory .Managers, on the other hand, maintain the existing order. They organize, and establish necessary processes and controls.

Leaders as pioneers want to turn around a failing business or non-profit, or start up some new radical venture, or develop an original product line or service, or revolutionize an existing process. They want to mobilize others in the face of strong inertia or resistance. They may not change the world, but they passionately pursue making a significant difference

Here Are Ways to Start!

1. Treat every project, however big or small, as an adventure in an unexplored wilderness.
If leaders want to inspire the best in others, they must find or create opportunities for people to get fired up, tap into their great potential and not be fearful of difficult goals.

2. Question the status quo and confront ineffective sacred cows.
Obviously, some standard practices and policies are critical to the organization’s success. But many are simply “The way we’ve always done it”. Leaders, as pioneers, examine how work gets done and asks: “Is there a better way to do it?

3. Tap into the wisdom of your people and harvest new ideas.
Many times the people who have been doing something for years have conceived of new and better processes. But no one has ever asked them for their opinion!

4. Forget, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
It may work well, but can it work better? Especially in a new assignment, dumb questions are tolerated. This can lead to uncovering needed improvements and a fresh approach which can result in quantum leaps in organizational effectiveness.

5. Assign your best people to opportunities not to problems.
Naturally, problems must be dealt with, but opportunities are the life-blood of our organizations. Solving a problem contains and prevents damage, but seizing an opportunity produces growth and new life.

Management Success Tip:
So are you a pioneer? Here are some questions to help you find out.

  • What makes something, for you, new, innovative and worthwhile doing?
  • Think of a time that you or a leader you know challenged the status quo or sacred cows. What happened?
  • When have you pushed your own limits to get extraordinary things done? What did you risk? What did you gain?
  • In terms of leading others, what are some of the actions you’ve taken to create a climate for change and encourage risk-taking?

Do you want to develop your Management Smarts?

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Unleashing the Power of your Story: Creating a New Leadership Story

A young black man presenting to his team

This post as a distillation from Chapter IV of my upcoming book: Unleashing the Power of Your Story

smashwords, Winter, 2013.

My last post focused on learning to see your current story. This entry is about creating a new one.

You Can Change your Story

Remember that we are exploring the story you have told yourself about your life experiences. You are not a victim here. You created the story, and you can change it. You can come to reframe it and see your story anew–as a source of grace and wisdom rather than as a one of hurt and constraint. You can also learn to modify the parts that hold you back, emphasize the parts that work, and create a new leadership story that is more aligned with your highest aspirations. This learning process may happen in a step-by-step fashion or more organically, but, either way, the elements of adopting a new story are the ones below.

Learn to See your Old story

Seeing your systemic story (previous post) helps you identify your patterns of behavior over time and the assumptions that support them. Usually we make these assumptions without even realizing we are doing so; they are implicit. For example, if your story is about not pushing back on authority figures, an underlying assumption is probably that such behavior will impact you negatively. Through story work, our implicit assumptions can become explicit and, therefore, more easily changed.

Ask yourself, “Do the behaviors, thoughts, feelings, and assumptions that comprise my story really fit my present day situation?” Often the answer is no. They may have been effective in the earlier situation(s) for which you developed them, but now they are not.

Once you see your story, alternatives become almost immediately apparent. In the example above, an alternative behavior is to speak your mind diplomatically in front of superiors, and a different assumption would be that so doing actually causes them to see you in a better light and respect you more

Identify how you want to be as a leader

At this point, you have a good picture of your systemic story, how it has contributed to patterns of behavior over time, how it plays out in present day high stakes situations, and what some other options may be.

Reflect on how you want to be as a leader. Picture yourself as being that leader. Then, identify specific behaviors, thoughts, and feelings that you want to be engaging in. Notice and adopt key assumptions that support these new ways of being.

Let’s say your story includes something like: “I never say no to new opportunities and challenges because I don’t want to be seen as inadequate.” As a result, you get overloaded and stressed. You have thought about a number of possible alternatives. The new story you choose is, “I say yes when I truly want to, I say no when that is called for, and I negotiate when I think appropriate. My life is in balance.” Then identify specific behaviors and assumptions that will support your new story, for example, the behavior of sometimes saying no to authority and the assumption that they, rather than thinking less of you, will respect you for standing up for yourself.

Undertake Behavioral Experiments

To bring your new story into being, identify specific behavioral experiments–situations in which you will try out your new behaviors and assumptions. For example, “In our upcoming budget meeting, I am going to state my position very clearly and not cave in when people question me.” Again, you might begin your experiments in situations that are lower risk and later try them in situations that are higher risk–holding your own in the budget meeting may be less risky for you than opposing your boss in a 1/1 stand off.

Pay attention to what comes up

Try your experiments and notice what comes up for you—what you think, what you feel, what you say to yourself. Chances are you will experience both some satisfaction at having done something new and some anxiety in having tried something unfamiliar. Affirm your feelings of satisfaction and notice the thoughts and feelings from the old story. Notice them but don’t get tangled up in them. Metaphorically step back from them, see them, and recognize that they are part of the normal mix of things but that you don’t have to let them be in control. Choose to act in ways that support what you want to create.

When you are trapped by your old story and engage in less than optimal responses, your story is in the driver’s seat. When you choose and practice a new story, your choice is in the driver’s seat.

Sustain the Changes

Finally, to create sustainable changes in your behavior, make aligned, supportive changes at three key levels of your life system. Shift your behavior (your face to face system). Modify how you think and feel—practice adjustments in your thinking and feeling (your internal system) that support the behavioral changes you have made. And lastly, create elements in your social environment (your larger social system—family, organization, and/or community) that also foster the new way of being e.g. modifying your job description with your boss, changing organizations, tapping into your professional support network.

Reflection and Practice

Set aside an hour to reflect on your current and desired leadership stories.

  • Reflect on a recent leadership challenge that was high stakes for you. In your mind, put yourself into that situation. Notice what you were thinking (your self talk), what you were feeling, and what you did. Identify the assumptions you were making that lay under what you did. In all likelihood, you now have a pretty good version of your systemic story.
  • Identify the kind of leader you want to be as you face future leadership challenges. Identify the thoughts, feelings and behaviors you want to exhibit. Identify new assumptions that support these new ways of behaving.
  • Select 1-3 upcoming situations in which you will practice your new way of being as a leader.
  • As you are trying new things out, notice what comes up for you. Notice your satisfaction. Also notice the voices that are trying to dissuade you from your new way of leading. Simply notice them, but don’t get enmeshed in them. Say to yourself, “that’s just my self talk. Those are just some of the things that come up, but I don’t have let them be in control.”
  • Choose to engage in your new behaviors, notice the results you get, and notice your satisfaction at having successfully done something new.
  • Continue with your experiments until the new ways of leading became a natural part of your way of being.

Steve is a senior executive coach and consultant. He has developed and successfully uses a powerful approach to leadership coaching, Creating your Leadership Story, which enables leaders to make deep, lasting improvements in their leadership effectiveness in short periods of time. He and a group of partners created a breakthrough educational program, Coaching from a Systems Perspective, in which you can significantly enhance your abilities as a systemic leadership coach.

If you would like to learn more about systemic approaches to leadership or story work, feel free to call or email Steve:

Steven P. Ober EdD

President: Chrysalis Executive Coaching & Consulting
Affiliate: Systems Perspectives, LLC
Office: PO Box 278, Oakham, MA 01068
Home: 278 Crocker Nye Rd., Oakham, MA 01068
O: 508.882.1025 M: 978.590.4219
Email: Steve@ChrysalisCoaching.org

Website: www.ChrysalisCoaching.org

Leadership Blog: https://staging.management.org/blogs/leadership

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Listening And Writing

Lady on black dress listening and writing

You are gathering notes at a meeting for a group of documents that need to be produced. Are you listening to the individuals as they speak? Are you really hearing what they are saying? Not only that, are you writing down what they are saying? What is the meaning behind what they are saying? Are they being specific or general?

You will be the author of many documents and have to handle many different scenarios and have to be able to transcribe what you hear.

  • If someone is speaking on subjects that are scientific, technical, or analytical in nature, then describing what is being verbalized, is probably straight forward to follow. (That is, if you are familiar with the subject and are able to ask questions later on functionality, expertise, and quality of what is being shared.)
  • If someone is speaking about businesses and what they want developed, can you read between the lines and understand them even when they cannot verbalize what they truly want? If you cannot, then you will have to try to find answers from an assistant, a subject matter expert, from researching online, or from someone else that is familiar with that person or business.
  • If there is a conflict and you have more than one person yelling about a process or topic, then it’s more about who is being the loudest in the room. At this point, they just want everyone to focus on them; to be the main speaker. Then what do you write?

As a writer, you have to listen to what is spoken, and most importantly, what they are not saying and then translate that onto paper for verification.

This brings me to semantics. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines it as ‘the study of the meanings of words and phrases in language and the meanings of words and phrases in a particular context’.

You’ve heard the saying ’it’s all semantics’. The phrase usually means its words referring to the same meaning. But do people really mean what the words portray?

How you phrase words or use terminology is very important when it comes to technical writing and communicating. Defining technical terms is like defining mathematical values. If I say I am displaying ‘2’ icons on a screen, then I mean, I am only displaying ‘2’ icons on the screen, and not ‘1’ nor more than ‘2’. There is only one number and one way to state it.

When you are told (or instructions have been written) to cancel a script, do they want you to stop it and dismiss it for now or terminate it permanently? If the verbal (or written) instructions say to cancel and delete, the operator would know to stop and remove it.

Instructions are not like semantics. Instructions must have very distinct meanings. So be careful when you are communicating. Be as precise as possible, and if need be, use pictures to help describe what you mean.

Once the context is fully written, described, communicated, and confirmed then it will be complete and accurate.

If you have ever run into situations describing terms with double meanings, please leave a comment. Also how did you rectify the situation? Thank you.

 

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The Interim Between CEOs Is Important – Make the Most of It

Cheer young businessman working with a laptop

Often the transition time between Executive Directors is a difficult and caretaker time for nonprofits. But if a Board lets it be just that it may not be taking advantage of an important opportunity. The transition – or interim time – can be a valuable, building block and stepping stone period for the next Executive Director’s success.

In my work, a favorite project is assisting small nonprofits in their search for a new executive director. I have developed a cost effective process that is very effective in identifying outstanding ED candidates and efficiently choosing finalists. But frankly, I haven’t thought much about the interim period for nonprofits between permanent EDs…until now. I currently chair the Search Committee for a new pastor for my church congregation. This truly a huge and humbling responsibility and fortunately I am part of an extremely capable Search Committee. The Church’s governing body has hired an interim pastor and he is not involved in nor can be a candidate for our next permanent pastor according to our church rules. However, reconciling the past and preparing for the future are part of what is in his contract. I have read his contract over and over and I am impressed with some of the listed responsibilities. Here are some highlights:

The interim period is seen as prime time for renewal, re-energizing the parish in its life and mission.

Specific tasks include:

1) Coming to terms with the history of the congregation and its relationships with previous clergy.

2) Discovering the congregation’s special identity, what it dreams of being and doing apart from previous clergy leadership.

3) Dealing with shifts in leadership roles that naturally evolve in times of transition, allowing new leaders to come to the fore constructively.

4) Renewing and reworking relationships with the Diocese, so that each may be a more effective resource and support to the other.

5) Building commitment to the leadership of the new rector in order to be prepared to move into the future with openness to new possibilities.

That’s a tall order. But step back a moment and think about it. If done right it lays a lot of groundwork for the future success of our new pastor who will be called to lead our congregation.

All of this has made me think of how important this interim phase is to nonprofits – especially small and midsize organizations. This is a time of uncertainty and it can me marked by anxiety, impulsive change by temporary leaders, reduced fundraising, etc., etc.. Or it can be a time of understanding who you have been, who you are now, and what are your dreams of becoming. It should be a time of “renewing and reworking” your relationships with major funders and key supporters. And it should be a time of preparation for willingness to adapt to a new leader with a new approach, personality, style and goals.

I have seen a wide range of transitions to new executive directors – both as a consultant and as a Board Member. And for the first time, I am learning how valuable this phase can be.

Each transition to a new Executive Director is unique and therefore the plan for each must also be unique. You may be hiring a first executive director or replacing a founder who ran the place “his way” for the last 25 years. The ED may have quit after a short tenure or may have left under less than ideal circumstances. The ED may have just left for a better paying job closer to home. Whatever is the case the Board should plan to make the interim period be a valuable time rather than just a caretaking period. Here are just a few thoughts on this matter for boards to help with the transition.

Conduct and Exit Interview

There are basic HR functions that should occur with an exit process but in addition at least two Board members should interview an exiting ED in order to gain insight that will be helpful with the next ED. You should ask about any key concerns that the person has with the organization and Board and what they see as the organizational priorities, strengths and weaknesses.

What Needs to be Accomplished in the Interim

Based on the unique issues facing your organization, develop a clear list of responsibilities and goals for the Interim ED. Make it more than just “keeping the ship afloat.”

Communication

Communicate the Board’s commitment to the mission and the future to all constituents including staff, funders, volunteers and supporters. Share the search process and hoped for timeline for a new ED to be in place. Encourage contact with the interim leadership.

This is a good time to hold meetings with your various constituents to see how they view the issues and priorities for the organization. This information can be helpful as you get further into your search process and what you are looking for in a new ED takes on more clarity.

The Right Welcome

The Board needs to take a leadership role in welcoming the new ED. Make sure it is announced with fanfare – press release, email blast and reception. Board members should accompany the new ED on a first visit to funders and major donors.

I am considering developing a model for a “Transition Retreat for Boards and Other Constituents. What do you think? What do you suggest I include in such a model? Please leave your comments.

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Development Committee Membership: A Question of Ethics

Question mark sign

An email raised this question:
My organization is in the process of developing a Fundraising Committee.

Three of our Board members are on this Committee and we are trying to determine other non-Board members who we could invite to join as well.

We have one major gift donor who began to fund us at the recommendation of her [philanthropy] advisor. I would like to talk to this advisor, who I have become acquainted with through email exchanges, about possibly joining our Fundraising Committee or perhaps recommending others who might join.

Are there any conflicts of interest around this that would prohibit my reaching out to this advisor?

The response:
To avoid conflicts of interest, you should not consider asking the philanthropic advisor to be a member of the committee. S/he can’t advise you and, at the same time, advise her/his clients to give to you if s/he is on your committee.

Also, ethically, the advisor can’t give you information about his/her clients without their permission to do so. If s/he would be willing to talk to those clients on your behalf (without being on your committee) that would be acceptable … as long as it was clear that the advisor was not, in any way, being compensated by you.

The best recommendation that s/he could give his/her clients would be that some other client became a donor and was very pleased with how they were treated, how their support has made a difference, and how the donor’s needs have been satisfied.

One question: Do you have a job description for the “Development Committee”?

I say, “development,” because the main/major function of the committee should be to establish/identify, maintain, and enhance relationships that will result in gifts. It’s not a fundraising committee, it’s a “relationship” committee.

In that context, you should not look to recruit people to the committee just because they have the financial ability to give significantly. The basic criterion for committee selection should be the extent to which an individual can help you do the identifying, creating, maintaining and enhancing of relationships.

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Have a comment or a question about starting, evaluating
or expanding your fundraising program?
AskHank
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Have you heard about
The Fundraising Series of ebooks.
They’re easy to read, to the point, and cheap ($1.99-$3.99) 🙂
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Lack of Focus Hurts Social Media Crisis Management Efforts

Social Media in Colorful Alphabets

It helps to stick to familiar ground when it comes to social media crisis management

Our friend and colleague Chris Syme published a blog post last month in which she explained why spreading your social media crisis messaging too thin can be a major problem. This issue seems to pop up most often when organizations attempt their own crisis management without consulting an expert, but there are some in our field who are guilty of taking on too many communication channels in a misguided effort to get word out as well.

This quote from Chris’ post cuts right to the heart of the matter:

Stay within your established platforms. This is the most important guiding principle to remember. For instance, if you have a Facebook page, a Twitter account, a YouTube channel, and an Instagram account, stick to those channels when planning any kind of crisis responses. This is where your fans are and this is where your detractors will want to voice their opinions.

There are several reasons for doing this but the most obvious is that a crisis is not the time to build an audience or plan strategy for a new channel. Objectives are different in a crisis than in everyday social media. Your goals should be two-fold: reach the widest audience and enlist advocates who will help you spread the message. Second, every channel you post on, you have to monitor. Think of your resources, personnel, and time. Third, you don’t have to answer every negative post that pops up on every channel. You’ll be playing whack-a-mole. Stick to the channels where you have established a fan base, and enlist your advocates to help you amplify your message. Use scheduling and amplification tools, but don’t try to build a presence on a new channel during a crisis.

From a crisis management standpoint, the major reason we encourage clients to establish a presence and stay active on social media is to A) create an active communications channel which has a publicly viewable history of your attitude and actions, and B) build the cushion of goodwill that Chris refers to when she says, “Stick to the channels where you have established a fan base, and enlist your advocates to help you amplify your message.”

While there is no set formula for determine the best channels to utilize, we suggest you ask the following questions:

1. What medium will best reach the client’s stakeholders?
2. What medium currently features negative information about the client?
3. Where do you already have active advocates and a cushion of goodwill established?

Just going through this short list should seriously narrow down options for almost every crisis situation, freeing up valuable resources, and, even more important when you have a breaking crisis, TIME, to handle business.

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

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How to Train Shy, Introverted People

-trainee-in-an-organization.

hybrid-computerDo we treat shy or introverted people any different from other trainees? We should. This relates back to my differentiated learning post. This will be a short blog–especially short for me.

Everyone has encountered that person at work who doesn’t look at you, stays buried in paperwork or the computer, sneaks off to lunch and leaves right on time. He or she rarely has any contact with others. We have to distinguish whether the person is an introvert or painfully shy; they aren’t always the same thing.

Introverts don’t care much to be with others to a varying degree. For example, I’m an introvert, yet I still managed to be on stage as an actor, speaker, teacher. So, that definition of introvert fits more how I re-fuel. Introverts re-fuel by a quiet activity like reading, watching television. After every performance or rehearsal, I would need an hour of downtime. The extrovert gains energy from social contact and can drive an introvert absolutely crazy, depending on how far apart they are. So, what we are dealing with is someone who is not so much an introvert, but an extremely shy person.

Aren’t we and and the employer concerned with how this shy person does his or her job? My second question: How did this person get a job in the first place? Perhaps, it was a job that he or she only had to take a test for, meet briefly with the supervisor, and not say much at all. Government maybe? Entry-level position. I doubt this person will be able to fight for any promotion but he or she will always look good on paper since there is no contact there. For ease of writing, let’s just name the “person” Doris or Bill and they are interchangeable so no arguments about sex.

Everyone deals with the lack of recognition differently–even shy people, and probably–different from the sexes as well. Doris is always in tears in her supervisor’s office. She feels she has tried and tried and tried. She has a great resume, but no people skills and doesn’t show any initiative, which would be a risk she would have to take in dealing with other people.

Bill has a family, and, although his job is steady and his wife works, there is a strain on their marriage because his wife now makes more money than he does and doesn’t understand why he can’t get a raise or a promotion. Neither does he.

Like Doris, he looks good on paper.

The shy types lack confidence, self-esteem perhaps (shyness is not always due to low self-esteem), the ability to mingle with fellow workers, or need to face the realistic fact that their employer is not going to promote someone like Doris or Bill who need to deal with the public when they clearly can’t. Employment is rarely a competition of who made the best resume, although there are people who make resumes for people who would tell you otherwise.

What do most employers do to deal with a Doris or Bill? They fire them for incompetence, for not being able to do their jobs.

  • The ideal would be to send them to a therapist or even a trainer who specializes in building confidence and helping them navigate the corporate/company world.
  • The same person or someone in HR could help them prepare for interviews.
  • The company HR could also set up a work plan that uses little steps to make Doris or Bill more comfortable with social contact.

They don’t have to be the nerds of the office. And, if you are the one providing the answer, all the better. I’m sure we’ll think up more ways to train as we go. Please send questions or comments. I’d love to hear from you.

As the Host of the Blog site, I ask that you take a look at my new blog that focuses on other topics than training. My training/speech blog is still out there, but I’m letting it die in cyber space. My best selling e-book, The Cave Man Guide to Training and Development is out. I need to tell you that I know Cave Man is not spelled that way and that is on purpose. The Cave is where we work, play and live. Read the book and you’ll get it. I hope to have two more following it soon. I also have a futuristic e-novel, Harry’s Reality, a look at what happens when society gives up control of the mismanaged dying planet to an evolving artificial intelligence. It is also available at any book store that sells e-books for direct downloads to your e-reader, and directly through Smash words. By the way on my blog site you’ll find snippets of the novel and a coupon for a free download of my novel through Smash words. Happy training.

For more resources about training, see the Training library.

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CFC Fundraising: Thoughts at Mid-Campaign

Fundraising concept

Thank you for what you do.

If you’re reading this blog, I’m going to make the educated assumption that you’re probably involved (directly or indirectly) with non-profit fundraising. Regardless of the particular role you have, you make a difference in the lives of your non-profit’s beneficiaries whether they are called clients, members, students, citizens, or are non-human (water, animals, plants, trees, etc.).

My favorite quote about fundraising is by Mother Teresa, who always recognized the value and importance of fundraising in relationship to all the other components of her work: “It takes oil to keep the lamps burning.”

We are now at the mid-point of the 2013 CFC campaign solicitation period, and this is when the CFC donors are pledging their gifts for so that their favorite charities can “keep the lamps burning.” I thought it would be valuable for you to get a glimpse into what a typical CFC donor experiences during the course of a CFC campaign.

During the summer, each Federal agency recruited its CFC team, and the various campaign roles were staffed (campaign manager, communications chair, logistics chair, team captains, and key-workers – the Federal employees who directly solicit their coworkers).

In the early fall, each Federal agency conducts their Campaign kickoff, where the agency head and a few selected charities are invited to share their stories, and all employees are invited to attend. The program will include the video message from the President of the United States, (the videos started with President Carter and have been made by all Presidents since). Here’s the link to the President Obama’s CFC message (it’s short – 2:07).

If you watch it, you will see the consistent themes of thanking the Federal work force for all that they do, thanking them and encouraging them to participate in the CFC because of the difference it does make, and emphasizing that there is a list of thousands of charities from which they can choose.

While giving and participation is always encourage, there is never pressure to support any particular charity and indeed that is against multiple CFC regulations.

The CFC is always evolving and, where there is a printed “Catalog of Caring,” for many regions that is now available online — it lists national and international charities, and has the local list that is unique to that particular regional CFC.

Each federal employee will also be given a pledge card, or the link to its electronic version; and, regardless of the manner of the actual pledge, it always contains examples of what a donation at a particular level can mean to the recipients of the CFC charities’ efforts.

Your gift does make a difference–whether it’s $5 or $100 per pay period, see how your gift can impact the local and global community:

Per 26 Pay Periods:
$5  Allows 20 kids to attend a nature-oriented, guided education program.
$10  Provides 15 cases of nutritional supplements for HIV and AIDS patients.
$20  Provides 52 mosquito nets in Africa for the protection against mosquitoes
that transmit malaria.
$25  Provides medical professionals with 20 first-aid kits, 156 blankets, and
65 surgical scissors to use in some of the hardest-hit regions of the globe.
$30  Provides a half day of chemotherapy for a child cancer patient.
$40  Patches two leaky roofs for a senior or disabled homeowner.
$50  Vaccinates, feeds, and cares for a 13 shelter dogs and/or cats for a week.
$100  Feeds and cares for approximately1,600 disaster victims for a week.

In the pledge form itself, there are blanks for the non-profit CFC 5 digit code, plus the annual amount that the federal donor is pledging to that CFC charity, as well as the personal information about the CFC donor, (name, address, e-mail, etc.).

In addition, there is an “Information Release” option about whether or not he or she wants their personal information released to the CFC charity, because a CFC donor can choose to remain completely anonymous. Between 60-90% of the Federal donors choose to remain anonymous, so you need to plan for this in your communications and thank you responses.

You may have noticed that I started this post with an example of how you can thank someone anonymously, and I thank you again for your attention and comments. In the next post I’ll talk about additional techniques to use during the solicitation period.

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During his 25-year career in the Federal sector, Bill Huddleston, The CFC Coach,
served in many CFC roles. If you want to participate in the Combined Federal
Campaign, maximize your nonprofit’s CFC revenues, or just ask a few questions,
contact Bill Huddleston
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks.
They’re easy to read, to the point, and cheap ($1.99 – $3.99) ☺
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you’re reading this on-line and you would like to comment/expand on the above, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of this page, click on the feedback link at the top of the page, or send an email to the author of this posting. If you’ve received this posting as an email, click on the email link (above) to communicate with the author.

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Customer Service: Don’t Train This…

A customer feedback concept on a red background

Because it’s idiotic! Really, don’t make it worse than it already is.

Customer service as we use to know it is getting to the point where we have to accept what we get, instead of a human-to-human exchange of what does us the best, and actually helps us. What’s idiotic? Making appointments for quality customer service, especially when no one else is standing in line. I waited an hour at…I don’t really want to name names here, but the first part of their name says it’s the Best (which it isn’t–my opinion) and Buy (to assure the public that their prices are the “best buy”–not always–again, my opinion). To be fair, my so-called appointment was with the much-touted Geek Squad, the super geniuses of computers. Of course, their failures reflect on the bigger company.

An ima

I didn’t have a software or a hardware problem. I needed a smarter computer guy than me to push the right settings so my laptop could do what it is supposed to; we did buy the computer there. For a smart computer person, five minutes max. Still, no one was in line by the time I made my reservation for tomorrow because I didn’t want to waste another hour waiting for one today. I get home and I have an e-mail confirming it with all the charming language, which didn’t work because I was already pissed and getting pisser by the minute.

This kind of exceptional customer service was quite the opposite of assuaging my negative feelings, making me feel more loyal and positive toward the company, so loyal in fact I may recommend it to others. That’s exemplary customer service plays. Those days are numbered. By the way, did I tell you I was a customer service manager for five U.S. States and the District of Columbia for eight years? Just sayin’.

At least two of these customer service strategy methods today drive me nuts. Like everyone, I have to tolerate some of the methods or I get nothing done.

The ones noted below assure me that we are becoming a society of deadheads who will accept what we are told about customer service interactions procedurally. Most customer service team is handed on via the comment section on a website, e-mail, a website’s frequently asked questions (FAQs), a talk with a representative that’s most likely a cyber (that’s kind of a dis-embodied robot–the human voice–no body), e-mail or if you are very lucky you will be given a number to call. The voice you hear to move you through several more prompts, which may or may not get you the answer or action you need, will undoubtedly be soothing and feminine. I’m not being sexist. It just is. Point of fact.

I wrote the book on what happens when humanity becomes a bunch of “deadheads” and lets the cyber takeover, but let’s save that for later.

So, what do we trainers do? I don’t know. You tell me. I don’t want to turn into a deadhead. Is that anything like a zombie? It is getting close to Halloween.

Actually, I do have some thoughts as you knew I would. The above was part rant and part exaggeration, but I wanted to get everyone’s attention. People should walk away from customer service pleased not pissed, yet, we see it every day and the customer service teams. Is it an economic shortcut? Someone isn’t getting the message that word of mouth does a lot for a store, one way or the other. Someone in line told me that she had heard Best Buy was closing–all of them. Rumor or fact, I don’t know, but let a few people emphasize that it is a good idea and it will ensure its demise. I honestly doubt it because of its share of the market, but “appointments for customer service?”

Restaurants do it so much better. Send a steak back, the manager will come to your table to make sure it’s cooked right; he or she might even throw in something extra like an appetizer or a dessert. The restaurant wants to make sure that existing customers are more than satisfied, and will remember the positive experience and positive customer feedback with the customer service tips. But a smile, genuine concern, and willingness to help work as well as customer satisfaction with excellent customer service.

I think we should do our part as trainers or customer service representatives or customer service professionals do not ignore customer service when we go in see a client propose training. We need to ask questions and make it part of the final analysis we present to our client. We have been doing without true exemplary customer service for so long we may have forgotten what it looks like or even its true value to our clients to show them our customer relationship management. If they had an up-and-running customer service unit, we checked it off. This time test it to see it if passes the customer service skills test (the upset, disappointed, frustrated, and angry people test). If it doesn’t, mention its value to the client. Now, that would be a selling feature for the company. Hit while it’s hot!

In Conclusion

The phrase “Don’t Train This…” when it comes to great customer service should be interpreted with caution. While some argue that customer service is an innate skill that cannot be taught, it is important to recognize that training can still play a significant role in improving good customer service. While it may be true that some individuals possess natural talents in communication and problem-solving, training can provide essential tools and techniques to enhance these skills and provide consistent, high-quality service.

A disclaimer. This commentary is mine and mine alone, and the opinion expressed here is not influenced by The Free Management Library in any way.

As the Host of the Blog site, I ask that you take a look at my new blog that focuses on other topics than training. My training/speech blog is still out there, but I’m letting it die in cyber space. My best selling e-book, The Cave Man Guide to Training and Development is out. I need to tell you that I know Cave Man is not spelled that way and that is on purpose. The Cave is where we work, play and live. Read the book and you’ll get it. I hope to have two more following it soon. I also have a futuristic e-novel, Harry’s Reality, a look at what happens when society gives up control of the mismanaged dying planet to an evolving artificial intelligence. It is also available at any book store that sells e-books for direct downloads to your e-reader, and in any format directly through Smashwords. By the way on my blog site you’ll find snippets of the novel and a coupon for a free download of my novel through Smashwords.

Happy training.

For more resources about training, see the Training library. For more resources on Customer Services check the links here as well as our blog on Customer Service.

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Ever Heard of NFIB? Instagram?

Using Instagram for his business

@NFIB – National Federation of Independent Business

NFIB (“The voice of small business”) is America’s leading small business association; promoting & protecting the right of its members to own, operate and grow their businesses. NFIB started out small. One man, Wilson Harder, founded the organization in 1943. Harder began with a home office and sold the first memberships to his neighbors. Harder’s vision was to give small and independent business a voice in governmental decision making through policy advocacy.

Today, they help businesses grow and flourish in many ways, including helping business owners with marketing and advertising. Recently, one of their articles caught my eye and I think you’ll enjoy learning about the companies that’ve been helped.

According to NFIB’s article, “Using Instagram, small business owners can instantly put a face to their businesses’ name—and watch their customer relationships and sales flourish as a result.”

Instagram’s developers describe their platform as a “quirky,” “fun” and “beautiful” way to share photos: You can snap a picture on your mobile device, apply a vintage-inspired filter, and then instantly push that content out to multiple social media channels simultaneously.

But beneath the app’s playful appeal is a powerful way to market your services and connect with customers. Using Instagram, small business owners can instantly put a face to their business —and watch their customer relationships and sales flourish as a result

Three business owners explain how they have adopted Instagram as a marketing tool.

Build Your Brand

Michael Satterfield, owner of Morgan’s and Phillip’s, an automotive-inspired apparel retailer, uses Instagram as a window into his business as well as his life. Satterfield’s Instagram feed reflects what is important to him on a daily basis. For him, that includes his dog and grilled pork burgers as much as it includes the T-shirts he sells.

He insists that when people feel personally connected to a brand, they’re more likely to “follow” your business on Twitter and Instagram and “friend” you on Facebook. Each social media channel is another venue to advertise your product.

“We just posted new shirts for summer,” Satterfield says. “And we’ve already gotten ‘likes.’ It’s a great way to showcase things, especially if you’re a visual-based company.”

Share Your Expertise

Valeen Parubchenko, director of Private Picassos, which provides private art lessons in New York City, uses Instagram to document her students’ art projects from start to finish. Many of her business leads come from parents sharing and commenting on the photos, as well as people who happened to stumble across them in a search.

“I don’t do any paid advertising, so it’s a way to encourage your client to do the marketing for you,” Parubchenko says.

Harness the Power of Hashtags

Hashtags, which look like the pound symbol, corral search results into relevant categories and conversations on Instagram’s website. For instance, Satterfield may include the tags #classiccar or #hotrod along with the tag #morgansandphillips, so people who are searching for photos of classic cars will stumble across photos of his automotive-inspired apparel.

“Direct sales will come from using the correct hashtag,” Satterfield says. “When you log in, you’ll be notified if you have comments [on the photos]. Maybe people are asking when or where [the product] is available. Instantly reply to those and point people to your website, where they can buy the shirt.”

Meghan Ely, owner of OFD Consulting, a wedding consulting firm, uses hashtags to connect with her industry peers.

“I might be at an industry event or a conference and I’ll upload and tag a photo [from the event] with the appropriate hashtag,” Ely says. “That way, I can find clients and colleagues who are doing the same thing I am.” This type of real-time photo sharing can spark a conversation, deepen current colleague and client relationships and let potential clients know that you’re keeping up with trends in your industry.

Have you tried Instagram?

Thanks to National Federation of Independent Business for content