Who's Running the Show?
1 Mar, 2008
By: Sharon DanielsManagement Strategies to Win Rave Reviews
Successful contact center managers know that a customer’s impression of an individual agent is paramount, as the agent may well be the customer’s only contact with the organization.
Agents who are unhappy in their jobs often lack the service skills needed to retain customers, and we know there is a direct correlation between agents’ level of dissatisfaction with their managers and their level of dissatisfaction with their jobs. That’s why it’s critical for contact center managers to develop a strategy to engage their agents and, in turn, retain customers through stellar customer service.
But today’s contact center managers must possess more than just leadership skills --- they must also have genuine leadership qualities. We define these as personal attributes that emerge over time when someone applies a leadership skill in a variety of situations and in ways that encourage participation. It’s not enough, in other words, for managers to be skillful at developing plans. They must also be able to work with others to put those plans into action.
Building a Foundation
If contact center managers aspire to leadership, they must be able to achieve results through others. Following are five qualities they should possess to accomplish that:
• Collaboration. Successful managers know that the best ideas, plans and processes emerge from a collective effort. Even though they may sometimes grow impatient with the collaborative process, they realize collaboration motivates people to do their best personally as well as achieve the best results. Successful managers demonstrate collaboration by creating an environment in which work can be done by others, expressing confidence in their ability and helping others meet their challenges. Managers must also give freely of their time, resources and positive advice and serve as an advocate for those facing difficulties.
• Inventiveness. Gone are those predictable days when managers could be successful by simply following established procedures. Success today requires alert, creative, fast-thinking men and women who are not afraid to take risks to overcome obstacles and take advantage of opportunities. Inventive managers initiate positive action without being asked to do so. Responding quickly and effectively to changing conditions, they draw on all available means to solve problems, come up with unusual solutions to stubborn problems and often find new ways to accomplish desired results.
• Skillfulness. Managers gain credibility when they are seen as competent people who value the need for continuous learning and training – for both technical and interpersonal skills. Furthermore, as contact centers continue to staff down, managers are valued for their availability to step in and “do the work.” Skillful managers take every important task to completion, acquire key skills required to achieve desired results and are able to balance the demands of multiple tasks. They have the experience and temperament to head-up important projects and are constantly sharpening vital skills.
• Vision. The challenges of modern life are too complex, and the rate of change too fast, for managers to demonstrate this quality in an ivory tower. Visionary leaders know that success depends not just on “seeing” the future, but on creating a shared vision and working with others to make it happen. Successful managers demonstrate this quality by working tirelessly to achieve important goals, continually watching for opportunities and dangers in addition to championing unpopular ideas that will help the organization. These managers take measured risks to achieve important goals and can inspire others with their actions and words, painting an inspiring future that motivates others.
• Mindfulness. Loyalty to organizations is an artifact from the past. That’s why it’s all the more important for managers to have good relationships with their agents and to demonstrate how they as managers uphold the organization’s values. Mindful managers are always aware of how their behavior affects others – emotionally, cognitively and operationally. Mindful managers are particularly alert when it comes to early warning signs of potential problems that may require attention. At the same time, they demonstrate a steadiness in the face of adversity that keeps people focused, calm and moving forward. Mindful managers respect the human needs and concerns of their agents, while applying the same performance standards to everyone. They are able to make and keep realistic promises and avoid actions that bring personal benefit at the expense of others. Able to freely admit mistakes, successful managers often reflect on the implications of past and pending decisions.
Developing the Strategy
By themselves, the qualities of genuine leadership do not necessarily produce the kind of leaders agents are looking for. What’s missing are the guidelines for how to work with others in situations that aren’t necessarily covered by a specific leadership skill. Once a strong foundation is built using these qualities, developing a clear and focused management strategy is the next challenge.
To get you thinking, consider these guidelines for working with others to accomplish results, which are incorporated into six basic principles. These will not only help managers achieve specific results, but also help create an organization of strong and committed employees.
• Focus on the situation, issue or behavior --- not on the person. The challenges facing contact center managers today call for level-headed objectivity, not blaming.
• Maintain the self-confidence and self-esteem of others. To encourage people’s best thinking, managers need to let them know they have ideas worth contributing. But, this basic principle is about more than that. To handle the ups and downs of change and to persevere when things are going wrong, people need all the self-confidence they can muster. By following this principle, leaders will help employees realize their own worth.
• Maintain constructive relationships. Especially during difficult times when resources are scarce, it’s tempting to find fault with other departments and other people. The fact is, though, that everyone needs to work together to achieve what should be common organizational objectives. Maintaining constructive relationships can include addressing festering inter-departmental issues, participating in support networks and offering help when it’s needed.
• Take initiative to make things better. Successful contact center managers don’t wait to be told to make improvements. They know that it’s everyone’s job to do what needs doing.
• Lead by example. Leaders are always being scrutinized by the people around them. The best way they can influence people’s behavior in a productive direction is to model the behavior they want to see in others.
• Think beyond the moment. This principle encourages managers to consider the consequences of their actions, both short- and long-term. It also exhorts them to try to anticipate the future and to set goals and make plans that will guarantee the organization’s survival and success. This principle underscores the fact that the best manager is a kind of organizational statesman or stateswoman – always aware of how actions today will affect the organization tomorrow.
Executing the Strategy
Once the strategy has been formulated, communicating the strategy to all agents and rallying the organization around the plan can be just as daunting a task. Many management strategies fail, not because they are bad ideas, but because they are not executed properly.
It is essential that leaders consistently support the strategy through the encouragement of behaviors that yield the intended outcomes. This can be accomplished by identifying specific training needs and offering a program that includes formal training and coaching. The plan should cover all the skills and abilities that contribute to successful agent performance, including interpersonal and communication skills, problem solving and planning skills, team skills and negotiation skills, as well as knowledge of products, customers’ businesses and the organization’s competitors. And, as with any training program, measuring and documenting progress is key.
Yet even communication modeling desired behaviors and constant reinforcement from the top do not guarantee successful strategy execution. To accomplish this on a companywide basis, leaders must go beyond merely communicating and espousing the merits and benefits of the strategy. They must ensure employees understand what the company’s strategy means to their everyday jobs and they must encourage and empower employees to design their own action plans that support and are aligned with the company’s goals.
Genuine leaders know how to achieve results without sacrificing either agent commitment or long-term organizational health. They build a work environment that enables agents to learn, grow and see the impact of their individual efforts on the success of the organization. Guided by the basic principles and drawing on their qualities of leadership, contact center managers should then be equipped to develop a strategy that will surely win rave reviews.
