As an Analyst in the Customer Service industry, I'm often struck by how many people seem to approach Customer Service Quality as if it were no different from Quality in the Manufacturing Industry.
In the Manufacturing world, quality is a function of inputs. The nature of the materials used, and the processes applied to them determine the quality of the finished product. If I want to ensure a high quality product, I can do so by ensuring high quality inputs (top quality raw materials and rigourous processes). In theory, I have all but 100% control over the inputs, and thereby, 100% control over the outputs.
In the world of Customer Service, the most significant input is a variable. The Customer is the main input of customer service, and I know very little about that input until I come into contact with it. I don't even know if the Customer is male or female.
The second most significant input is also a variable. That input is the Customer Service Professional. As part of a Customer service group, the CSR has a unique style, a unique set of skills and talents, and a unique set of biases and blind spots. The process that works for another person may not work for the CSR.
We can't approach Customer Service with rigour. Rather, our approach must be principled and dynamic. The CSR must understand what they want to achieve, but they have to have sufficient freedom of movement to use their strengths and to compensate for their weaknesses in achieving it.
Friday, 10 August 2007
Wednesday, 8 August 2007
My Leadership Credo
Last year I completed a Leadership Training course conducted by the company for which I work. I learned a great deal, both about myself, and about Leadership. One of the final sections of the course had us draw together all we'd learned in the form of a Leadership credo. I thought I'd share mine.
Day by say, week by week, month by month:
I will do what is right and what is ethical, for myself and for others, and I will pay the cost required of me. I will persevere in the face of adversity, learning the lessons of failure to ultimately succeed. While striving for the ideal I will recognize the practical. I will live a life, not of no regrets, but of no wrongs unrighted, no sins unatoned for and no forgiveness ungranted. I will follow roads less traveled by and often swim upstream. I will be what I believe so passionately, so totally, and so transparently that my being lights a path. I will be the vanguard of something greater than myself and that surpasses me. And I will have fun!
Wednesday, 18 April 2007
Morphine
Well, that title has to get you wondering, especially if you know me. But I just wanted to Thank God for Morphine.
About a month ago, I had a kidney stone. 3 days of intermittent agony (or so I thought). Each day, for two or three hours, I would have an ache that transformed into some serious pain. The worst pain I'd ever felt. I toughed it out, it went away, and I made some lifestyle changes.
Sunday, I had a similar experience with my left kidney. Two to three hours of pain, that then went away. I thought I got lucky. Murphy was just toying with me. Tonight, I had to go to hospital for real pain. I've never vomited due to pain before. The admitting nurse jumped me in the queue because I was white as a sheet.
When the morphine finally kicked in, I knew what Heaven will be. It will be that true knowledge of the joy of the absence of pain.
Thank God for Morphine.
About a month ago, I had a kidney stone. 3 days of intermittent agony (or so I thought). Each day, for two or three hours, I would have an ache that transformed into some serious pain. The worst pain I'd ever felt. I toughed it out, it went away, and I made some lifestyle changes.
Sunday, I had a similar experience with my left kidney. Two to three hours of pain, that then went away. I thought I got lucky. Murphy was just toying with me. Tonight, I had to go to hospital for real pain. I've never vomited due to pain before. The admitting nurse jumped me in the queue because I was white as a sheet.
When the morphine finally kicked in, I knew what Heaven will be. It will be that true knowledge of the joy of the absence of pain.
Thank God for Morphine.
Tuesday, 27 March 2007
The Brutal Facts
Brutal Fact Number 1
It's been over 3 months since I posted. I can give a number of reasons, but I doubt anyone's really interested.
Brutal Fact Number 2
I'm mostly inspired (or provoked) to write by work. Anyone who knows me knows how much I define myself in terms of what I do. I like to think I'm very good at what I do, although sometimes I'm not even sure how to even describe that. I'm a Quality Analyst, but if you looked at my typical day, you'd find I spend very little time in a traditional analyst role.
However, as an analyst, I feel it's my duty to try to present things clearly and correctly. I try to avoid significant spin. I try to present the good and the bad without being a Pollyanna or prophesying the apocalypse. I believe that one of the signs of a truly effective analyst is that ability. One of the other signs of a good analyst is the number of bullets they take. Everyone shoots the messenger these days.
Jim Collins proposes that one of the characteristics of an organization that is poised to go from good to great is the ability to face the brutal facts (If you haven't read Good to Great go do so. Now.) In talking with friends and associates in different industries, I've come to realize how rare that is. Most organizations seem to be filled with people that want things spun. They don't want the facts. Which means, if Collins is right, that their organizations are not poised to ever be great.
It's been over 3 months since I posted. I can give a number of reasons, but I doubt anyone's really interested.
Brutal Fact Number 2
I'm mostly inspired (or provoked) to write by work. Anyone who knows me knows how much I define myself in terms of what I do. I like to think I'm very good at what I do, although sometimes I'm not even sure how to even describe that. I'm a Quality Analyst, but if you looked at my typical day, you'd find I spend very little time in a traditional analyst role.
However, as an analyst, I feel it's my duty to try to present things clearly and correctly. I try to avoid significant spin. I try to present the good and the bad without being a Pollyanna or prophesying the apocalypse. I believe that one of the signs of a truly effective analyst is that ability. One of the other signs of a good analyst is the number of bullets they take. Everyone shoots the messenger these days.
Jim Collins proposes that one of the characteristics of an organization that is poised to go from good to great is the ability to face the brutal facts (If you haven't read Good to Great go do so. Now.) In talking with friends and associates in different industries, I've come to realize how rare that is. Most organizations seem to be filled with people that want things spun. They don't want the facts. Which means, if Collins is right, that their organizations are not poised to ever be great.
Sunday, 17 December 2006
The Awe of the Simple
I just spent the last week in St. Louis, MO. I was on a business trip, but I always try to see one or two things whenever I travel to a new city. In this case, a couple of my co-workers were very gracious and took me to see the St. Louis "Gateway Arch".
It is hard to explain what impressed me about it. It's a very simple shape (A catenary curve, to be precise). Its size is certainly impressive, but there are larger structures, and certainly more difficult ones to build.
I think it was the elegant simplicity of it. Looming over the hodgepodge of architectural styles that make up the St. Louis Riverfront, it stands out by being a very pure expression. Many of the more intricate works lose something by their complexity.
It is hard to explain what impressed me about it. It's a very simple shape (A catenary curve, to be precise). Its size is certainly impressive, but there are larger structures, and certainly more difficult ones to build.
I think it was the elegant simplicity of it. Looming over the hodgepodge of architectural styles that make up the St. Louis Riverfront, it stands out by being a very pure expression. Many of the more intricate works lose something by their complexity.
Wednesday, 6 December 2006
Serendipity and Leadership
Sometimes, things seem almost too coincidental.
I had a conference call/training session this morning on the topic of leadership. It is part of the leadership development program in my company, and involved hearing from the COO of our organization. He talked about his leadership style, characteristics, and challenges.
One of the messages he gave us resonated strongly with my previous post. He talked about leading by example. How we need to be the example to those we lead, of the type of behaviour we expect. He talked about how this builds trust, and credibility. Parts of the discussion seemed to parallel my points regarding how the nature of an organization is often based on the example of the leaders.
On an unrelated note, the topic of ethics and integrity came up, which was something that hit me hard only a couple of hours later. He stated how integrity was critical to the organization and to leadership. A couple of hours later I found myself embroiled in an ethically questionable situation. I just don't know if I handled it properly. I sought advice from a couple of my role models, and took what I think was the ethical action for myself and the organization. But it wasn't pretty, and I don't know how things will fall out from this.
Integrity. Doing what is right, even when it's not easy.
Wow is that a lot more meaningful to me.
I had a conference call/training session this morning on the topic of leadership. It is part of the leadership development program in my company, and involved hearing from the COO of our organization. He talked about his leadership style, characteristics, and challenges.
One of the messages he gave us resonated strongly with my previous post. He talked about leading by example. How we need to be the example to those we lead, of the type of behaviour we expect. He talked about how this builds trust, and credibility. Parts of the discussion seemed to parallel my points regarding how the nature of an organization is often based on the example of the leaders.
On an unrelated note, the topic of ethics and integrity came up, which was something that hit me hard only a couple of hours later. He stated how integrity was critical to the organization and to leadership. A couple of hours later I found myself embroiled in an ethically questionable situation. I just don't know if I handled it properly. I sought advice from a couple of my role models, and took what I think was the ethical action for myself and the organization. But it wasn't pretty, and I don't know how things will fall out from this.
Integrity. Doing what is right, even when it's not easy.
Wow is that a lot more meaningful to me.
Start at the Top
As an analyst, I often get asked for my opinion on challenges faced by organizations. Sometimes my own, sometimes those of friends or acquaintances. I'll probably talk about those here, but I will make things anonymous to protect the confidentiality of the organization.
An acquaintance recently presented me with the following situation. A new project in his organization was floundering badly. Productivity and quality were both consistently under target. This had been an ongoing issue since the initiation of the project. He talked about the discussions he'd had with the project managers, and the actions they'd tried. Despite those initiatives, the various teams responsible for the project had failed to improve. His question to me was whether I had any thoughts on what else he could do to get the project turned around.
My response to him was very blunt. Look at the leadership. Any time you have a unit that is consistently under-performing, you need to ask yourself if you have the right people leading that unit. I believe it is entirely appropriate to start by looking at systems and processes, but once you've addressed those, it comes back to people.
People follow their leaders, in more ways that are immediately obvious. If you've got an organization that delivers poor quality work, the leadership doesn't value quality. If you've got a unit who in unproductive, ask how productive the leader is. These are problems that start at the top.
An acquaintance recently presented me with the following situation. A new project in his organization was floundering badly. Productivity and quality were both consistently under target. This had been an ongoing issue since the initiation of the project. He talked about the discussions he'd had with the project managers, and the actions they'd tried. Despite those initiatives, the various teams responsible for the project had failed to improve. His question to me was whether I had any thoughts on what else he could do to get the project turned around.
My response to him was very blunt. Look at the leadership. Any time you have a unit that is consistently under-performing, you need to ask yourself if you have the right people leading that unit. I believe it is entirely appropriate to start by looking at systems and processes, but once you've addressed those, it comes back to people.
People follow their leaders, in more ways that are immediately obvious. If you've got an organization that delivers poor quality work, the leadership doesn't value quality. If you've got a unit who in unproductive, ask how productive the leader is. These are problems that start at the top.
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