Archive
Three Words to Power Up Your Relationships
“I trust you.”
When it comes to building trust in relationships, someone has to make the first move. One person has to be willing to step out, be a little vulnerable, and place trust in another person. Is it risky? Yes! Without risk there isn’t a need for trust.
So in a work setting, who makes the first move, the leader or the follower? Some would argue that trust has to be earned before it is given, so that places the responsibility on the follower to make the first move. The follower needs to demonstrate trustworthiness over a period of time through consistent behavior, and as time goes by, the leader extends more and more trust to the follower. Makes sense and is certainly valid.
I would argue it’s the leader’s responsibility to make the first move. It’s incumbent upon the leader to extend, build, and sustain trust with his/her followers. Why? It’s the leader’s job to create followership. It’s not the follower’s responsibility to create leadership. In order to create followership – influencing a group of people to work toward achieving the goals of the team, department, organization – trust is an absolute essential ingredient, and establishing, nurturing, and sustaining it has to be a top leadership priority.
When you make the first move and say “I trust you,” through word and deed, you accomplish the following:
- You empower your people — Being trusted frees people to take responsibility and ownership of their work. Trust and control are closely related. We don’t trust others because we want to remain in control and over-supervising or micromanaging employees crushes their initiative and motivation. Extend trust means letting go of control and transferring power to others.
- You encourage innovation — When employees feel trusted they are more willing to take risks, explore new ideas, and look for creative solutions to problems. Conversely, employees that don’t feel trusted will do the minimum amount of work to get by and engage in CYA (cover your “assets”) behavior to avoid catching heat from the boss.
- You tap into discretionary effort — Trust is the lever that allows leaders to tap into the discretionary effort of their people. People who feel trusted will go the extra mile to do a good job because they don’t want to let the boss or organization down. Being trusted instills a sense of responsibility and pride in people and it fuels their efforts to succeed.
- You free yourself to focus in other areas — What happens when you don’t trust your people? You end up doing all the work yourself. Leadership is about developing other people to achieve their goals and those of the organization. Does it take time? Yes. Is it hard work? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely! Develop and build trust with your team so that you can spend time on the critical leadership tasks that are on your plate.
Let me make an important point – I’m not suggesting that leaders extend trust blindly. It’s foolish to give complete trust to someone who isn’t competent or hasn’t displayed the integrity to be trusted. I’m talking about extending appropriate levels of trust based on the unique requirements and conditions of the relationship. Leaders have to use sound judgement in regards to the amount of trust they extend and it usually begins with small amounts of trust and grows over time as the person proves to be trustworthy. But the point is, someone has to make the first move to extend trust in a relationship.
Leaders – It’s your move.
Randy Conley is the Trust Practice Leader at The Ken Blanchard Companies and his LeaderChat posts appear the last Thursday of every month. For more insights on trust and leadership, visit Randy at his Leading with Trust blog or follow him on Twitter @RandyConley.
The Number One Key to Great Customer Service
I travel a lot, and in my travels, whether for business or pleasure, I try my best to stay in the same hotel chain. Why? Because I know what I’m going to get.
Similarly, when I’m traveling overseas, I actually look for a very recognizable quick service restaurant chain. Why? Because I know what I’m going to get (and depending on where I’ve traveled, sometimes I just want food I recognize, HA!)
I’ve come to realize that this restaurant isn’t primarily in the food service business at all…they’re actually in the CONSISTENCY business. They just happen to sell fast food.
Consistency in delivery will keep customers coming back
How’s your company doing when it comes to delivering consistent service? It’s so important to get it right because it is the foundation upon which the service event rests. Think about your own experience. Why do you patronize the stores you do? Isn’t one of the reasons because you know your expectations will be met? You may say, “I just like shopping there, eating there, staying there,” but behind those words is consistency in delivery.
Process and People
A consistent delivery experience has two components—a clear process, and people to implement it. You need both to be successful. Here’s a simple five-step model that will help you to begin identifying where you’re at when it comes to having a process and the people in place to deliver a consistent customer experience every time. Put it together and you’ll see it spells out “I CARE,” which is a great reminder also!
- Ideal Service—what’s your picture of the ideal experience you want your customers to have?
- Culture of Service—is your environment focused on the customer?
- Attentiveness—do you know your customers and their preferences?
- Responsiveness—do you and your people demonstrate a genuine willingness to serve? What specific behaviors do you want to see?
- Empowerment—are you taking the time—and providing the training—to empower your people to implement the service vision?
Organizations are only as good as their people. This is especially true in any environment where you are directly dealing with customers. Remember the I CARE model to improve your process and provide a model for your people. It’s one of the best ways to get started with creating the consistent experience that keeps customers coming back time and time again. Get started today!
About the author:
Ann Phillips is a senior consulting partner with The Ken Blanchard Companies. You can read Ann’s posts as a part of our customer service series that appears twice montly.
Managing Your Boss – 3 Keys to Leading Up
I have been very fortunate to work with some fantastic leaders in my career—but not all managers I have worked for have qualified for that title. They may have been my bosses, but they were not effective leaders.
So what do you do when you have a manager who is not providing the leadership you need or deserve? I suggest three key strategies for managing your boss.
Key #1: Manage Yourself First
What? “I thought this was about managing my boss,” you say? It is difficult, if not impossible, to manage others if you’re not managing yourself first. That means being accountable, keeping commitments, supporting other team members, and doing what you can to make a contribution—to add value. The more you are seen as a valued member of the team, the greater influence you will have in managing up.
Key #2: Communicate Regularly
If you don’t do this already, I recommend that you schedule regular one-on-one time with your manager. At least once every two weeks, sit down together for fifteen to thirty minutes and share progress reports, obstacles and concerns you face, and needs you have for direction and support. Start each one-on-one meeting with an update of commitments both you and your manager made during the previous one-on-one.
Key #3: Ask for What You Need
Managers are not all-seeing, all-knowing human beings. Just like everyone else, they are generally horrible guessers when it comes to what others need. Do you need more clarity about a recent assignment? Do you need direction on where to start? Do you need your manager to trust you and give you the autonomy you deserve on this assignment? Then ask. Be clear and specific and ask for what you need. For example: “Hey boss, do you have five minutes to provide some more detail about what you need from me on this assignment?” Or “Hey boss, since this is something I have done before, I would really like to lead this activity.” Most managers are willing to help but wary of micromanaging so they don’t offer. Remember to just ask.
What if Your Boss Refuses to be Managed?
You can be a solid performer with superior communication and people skills and your manager can still choose to be unsupportive, or even worse: A seagull manager. Seagull managers are never around until you make a mistake. Then they fly in, make a lot of noise, dump all over you, and fly away again. If you have done everything you can to get the leadership you need and it is not working, you have two choices: (1) accept it and let it go; or (2) remove yourself from that manager. (See an earlier blog post for more information regarding these options.)
What other strategies do you use to manage your boss with integrity, in a way that builds the relationship? I’d love to read your comments.
About the author:
John Hester is a senior consulting partner with The Ken Blanchard Companies who specializes in performance and self-leadership. You can read John’s posts on the second Thursday of each month.
Do you have a service friendly culture? 5 questions to ask yourself
Service in the airline industry is kind of a wash in my opinion, but I want to tell you about an exception—Southwest Airlines. Here’s a recent travel experience that I think speaks volumes about the service focused culture that Southwest has created.
The line at curbside check-in was very long and the baggage handler didn’t have a moment to spare, yet he made his way inside the terminal and found me.
He said, “These fell out of your purse when you checked your bag and I was sure you’d want them back. I’m so glad I found you.” He handed me two $20 reward certificates from Nordstrom that indeed had been in the outside pocket of my purse.
And then he was off—I didn’t even get his name.
Is it something in the water?
What do companies do to instill this type of caring in their employees? What kind of service culture nourishes this type of behavior?
This experience with Southwest Airlines reminded me of when I worked at Walt Disney World.
At Disney, we were unconditionally empowered to do the right thing by the guests at our theme parks and hotels. We realized that people came to visit us because we had “magic”—and bad things don’t happen in the midst of magic.
We couldn’t make a mistake when caring for a guest, and that was constantly reaffirmed. Our mission was to create a great guest experience—period. This philosophy was bolstered by the fact that we were treated with respect, supported, and trained, and that we fully understood the mission. The same is true at Southwest Airlines.
Are your people set up to succeed?
If you are the leader of a team, department, or organization that delivers service to customers, here are some questions for you to consider in this new year:
- Is your service philosophy clear to all of your employees? Can they repeat it?
- Are your people empowered and trained to deliver on that philosophy?
- Have you asked your employees for their input on serving customers? (The front line always knows what customers expect.)
- Is support in place for them to execute? (The Southwest employee left his position to run into the airport and find me—he knew he wouldn’t get in trouble for going the extra mile for a customer.)
- Are your people recognized for creating the stories that people will write and talk about?
The beginning of a new year is a great time to revisit the merits of your organization’s customer service philosophy.
About the author:
Barbara Notre is Director of Corporate Communications and Initiatives for The Ken Blanchard Companies. You can read Barbara’s posts as a part of our customer service series which appears on the first and third Thursday of each month.
Sometimes, just being there is all that matters–3 ways for leaders to get started
Several years ago, The Ken Blanchard Companies conducted a test on the effectiveness of regular one-on-one meetings between managers and their direct reports to improve perceptions of managerial effectiveness.
Managers met with their direct reports every two-weeks to discuss issues that the direct report wanted to discuss. At the end of six months, surveys were conducted to see if the more frequent meetings impacted perceptions.
They did, but the results were mixed.
The leaders in charge of the managers who were being studied noticed a positive change in the performance of the managers and the people who reported to them. From the senior leader’s perspective, more frequent conversations were having a positive impact on performance and morale.
The managers who were being observed had the opposite reaction. They scored themselves lower than they had before the experiment. The managers felt ill-prepared and somewhat ineffective in trying to solve many of the difficult issues that employee’s were facing.
The direct reports were the last group surveyed. Their reaction? Overwhelmingly positive. How could this be when the managers saw themselves as performing so poorly? Hand-written comments added by the employees provided a clue, “My manager might not have all the answers, but they listen and they try. I’ve never felt so well-supported.”
Getting started with One-on-Ones
So why don’t more managers conduct regular one-on-ones? The top three reasons cited most often are time, lack of perceived skills, and a lack of training. Don’t let that hold you back from spending more time with your direct reports. Here are three ways to get started.
- Maintain a regular schedule. Start off meeting at least every two weeks. The meetings do not have to be long—30 minutes is a good way to begin.
- Remember that this is the direct report’s meeting. Your job as a manager is to listen, support, and see how you can help.
- Be easy on yourself. People know that you have limitations. You don’t have to have all of the answers to be effective. Work together with your people to identify options, access necessary resources, and plan a course of action.
Partner with your people to provide the direction and support they need to succeed. Working together to solve issues is a great way to build relationships and improve performance at the same time. Even if you feel that you are not very good at solving all of their issues, you’ll still be having a positive impact. Don’t wait. Begin today!
Customer Service—it can’t be about THEM until it’s about YOU
There’s a common misconception that customer service is all about the customer. Surprise—it’s not necessarily so. Service is definitely for the customer—internal or external—but it’s about you, the service provider.
“What?” you may be asking. “No, it’s about my client.” True … kinda. But it can’t be about them until it’s about you.
The service experience begins and ends with you. That experience is primarily within your control. You get to decide the kind of experience you want it to be. It’s your vision, values, and behavior that drive the service experience.
A case in point
Many years ago, on February 14, I was flying from Chicago back home to San Francisco. I remember the day not only because it was Valentine’s Day, but because I had a reason to be excited that it was Valentine’s Day. (HA!—a rare occasion at that time in my life.)
I arrived at Chicago O’Hare Airport in what I thought was plenty of time to catch my flight, only to discover that I had misread my flight time as my boarding time. Now, instead of being early, I was running late. Once through security, with my briefcase and coat in one hand and my purse in the other, I started running to my gate. As I was running, a felt someone take my briefcase.
I stopped, looked up, and a guy with his hand on my briefcase said, “Where are you goin’?”
I said, “To Gate 75.”
He said, “Let’s go.”
He then took my briefcase and coat and ran all the way to Gate 75 with me. Once we arrived, he handed me my briefcase and coat, wished me well, and left.
Thinking beyond the job description
I don’t know who he was or what he did at the airport. From the jumpsuit, my guess is that he worked in engineering, facilities, or something of that nature. My guess is also that no place in his job description did it say, “When you see a woman running frantically through the airport with a coat and briefcase in one hand and a purse in the other, stop whatever you’re doing, take her coat and briefcase, and run to Gate 75 with her.” I would wager big bucks those words did not exist in his job description anywhere—but he did it anyway.
Service experiences are visceral. What will that experience feel like, look like, and sound like, with you? As a trainer, facilitator, speaker, and consultant, I want to leave participants feeling inclined, compelled, perhaps even inspired to act—to learn more, share information, try something new, DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT!
So, decide:
• What’s your goal for the service experience?
• How do you want to leave people feeling?
• What do you want people saying about you?
Since decisions can become behaviors and behaviors can become instinct—decide carefully.
About the author:
Ann Phillips is a senior consulting partner with The Ken Blanchard Companies. You can read Ann’s posts as a part of our customer service series which appears on the first and third Thursday of each month.
Mindfulness at Work—3 ways to get started
Being aware of what is happening to you in the present moment without judgment or immediate reaction. It sounds so simple. The noticing and awareness part is one thing—but without judgment or immediate reaction? This requires practice: To notice when someone is pushing your button and take it in as information, but to not get caught up in the emotion of it. To be an observer of yourself in the world and not judge if what you observe is good or bad.
We are so caught up in the “busyness” of life, that practicing Mindfulness appears antithetical to producing the results and productivity required in our roles. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth.
When you notice and are aware of what is happening without judgment, you release yourself from patterns of behavior based on past experience, your dispositional tendencies, and your prejudices that limit your response. When you do this, you have a myriad of choices for how to respond or react. When mindful, you are able to choose a higher quality experience from your now unlimited choices. The benefits to your own health, success, and productivity are rewards enough.
Practicing Mindfulness
Ready to practice some Mindfulness in your own life? Here are three ways to get started:
- Consider an important goal, task, or situation you currently have on your priority list.
- Notice the physical sensation in your body that occurs just by thinking about it. Does your stomach turn, your jaw clench, your chest tighten, your forehead frown? Do you break into a smile, have butterflies in your stomach, or feel your pulse race? Your body notices how you feel before you do!
- Now notice the emotion attached to the physical feeling. Is it positive or negative? That’s judgment. An emotion is your opinion of the physical sensation you are experiencing. What if you were to let go of it and simply notice? This would present you with a myriad of more choices than the one that so automatically came to your awareness.
Ripple effect with others
Donna, a participant in a recent Optimal Motivation workshop, told me that a major action step she committed to at the end of the session was to practice Mindfulness at work. Being a woman in a leadership role in a manufacturing environment, Donna described herself as extroverted, strong, vocal, and quick to react. She began taking a breath before calls and meetings; rather than immediately reacting to people and situations, she observed what was happening as “data.”
Donna reported that after a month of this practice her 17-year-old daughter said to her, “Mom, you seem really different; calmer.” Donna was amazed that her practice had filtered throughout her life and that even her teenage daughter had noticed.
I hope you will experiment with Mindfulness. Google it. Check out the research by Kirk Warren Brown. Travel to India and study with a yogi. Or better yet, join us for an Optimal Motivation session and discover how Mindfulness can help you experience greater energy, vitality, and sense of positive well-being.
About the author:
Susan Fowler is one of the principal authors—together with David Facer and Drea Zigarmi—of The Ken Blanchard Companies’ new Optimal Motivation process and workshop. Their posts appear on the first and third Monday of each month.
Do your people have permission to cut up the watermelon? 3 strategies for empowering employees
I love being pleasantly surprised, especially when it comes to customer service experiences. I had one of those experiences a couple of weeks ago when I was visiting my son at college. Let me share what happened and what I learned about the impact of empowerment as a result.
My son goes to school in the small town of Pueblo, Colorado. I was in town for his football game and wanted to buy some easy-to-eat food for a pre-game tailgate party. I thought fresh fruit would be nice, so I headed to the produce department at a local Albertson’s grocery store.
I found some watermelon that was already cut up and ready to serve. It looked as if it would be ripe and juicy, but being a spoiled Californian when it comes to fruit, I decided to ask a young man who was re-stocking some vegetables what he knew about the watermelon. He told me he hadn’t tasted it himself, so he didn’t really know, but immediately asked me if I would like to taste it for myself.
At first I said, “No, that’s okay,” but he insisted I try it, saying it was no problem at all. Since he seemed so genuine, I took him up on his offer. He then asked me to wait just a minute and said he was going to go in the back and cut some for me and he would be right out. Through the small window of the door to the back room, I watched him get a watermelon, cut it open, section off a couple of center slices, put them on a plate, grab a napkin, and then walk back out to me.
It was delicious! Once I tasted the watermelon and gave him my sign of approval, I proceeded to tell others around me how good it was—and I still am, weeks later. I became a Raving Fan of Albertson’s because of that short interaction—I felt so good about how this young man took it upon himself to make my experience a positive one.
Are you and your team creating Raving Fans?
So what can you learn from this kid from Pueblo, Colorado? As a leader, keep these simple tips in mind to surprise and delight your customers.
- Remember that it is everyone’s job to deliver service. Never miss an opportunity to deal with a question or situation in the moment whenever possible. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that customer service is someone else’s job. To the extent you can, serve the customer in the moment.
- Let employees know they are encouraged and allowed to use common sense at work. This young man didn’t spend ten minutes trying to find a manager to get permission to cut open the watermelon—he just did it.
- Look for ways to surprise and delight your customers. I never expected this young man to help me to the extent he did. I was completely surprised by his ownership and creativity—and he made a big impression on me as a result.
Your service is only as good as your people. Are your people empowered and encouraged to serve customers? Don’t miss an opportunity to create Raving Fans for your company. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results when you do!
About the author:
Kathy Cuff is one of the principal authors—together with Vicki Halsey—of The Ken Blanchard Companies’ Legendary Service training program. Their customer service focused posts appear on the first and third Thursday of each month.
You always have a choice—the power of reframing
A friend of mine was bemoaning the fact that he HAD to attend a wedding in Florida with his wife.
He did not want to go but felt he had no choice.
I asked: “What would happen if you CHOSE not to go?” He replied that his wife would be very upset and it would harm their relationship.
Next, I asked: “How do you think your current attitude will impact the quality of your time together at this wedding?” He pondered this for a minute and admitted that he would have a miserable time and that would have a negative impact on his wife’s experience – not too much different than if he stayed home.
Finally, I asked: “Knowing that you really DO have a choice, what would happen if you looked at your options and CHOSE to attend the wedding and make this a great experience for your wife?” He admitted things would probably be better and he made the choice to attend.
When he came back from his trip, I asked him how it went. He hit me in the arm and then said “I hate it when you’re right. We both had a wonderful time.”
Exercise choice
There is power in the words we tell ourselves and others. Think about the last meeting you feel you HAD to attend – you felt like you had no choice. How did you act during that meeting? What was your attitude? What did you get out of the meeting? What would happen if you made the CHOICE to attend instead? You looked at your alternatives – go or not go – and decided it was worth attending. (NOTE: You may want to contact the meeting organizer and have a discussion about your attendance before making a final decision!)
Think about these examples and how reframing your words can impact the quality of your experience:
Instead of Consider
I have to… I choose to…
They made me… I’ve decided to…
It can’t be done… There has to be another way…
As you go through the rest of the week, notice your language and the impact it has on your attitude. See if you can reframe your experience by changing your language. Let me know how it goes.
“Change your language and you change your thoughts.” ~ Karl Albrecht
About the author:
John Hester is a senior consulting partner with The Ken Blanchard Companies. You can read John’s posts on the second Thursday of every month.
Stand Out! Three Steps To Discover What Separates You From The Crowd
What is one thing that you do better than anyone else? For some people, that may be easier to answer than others. If I asked Usain Bolt that question, I’m pretty sure he’d say that he can run faster than anyone on the planet. For most of us though, the question would prove to be quite a stumper. Try answering it for yourself. It’s not so easy, is it?
Granted, out of 7 billion people in the world, the odds of you being the absolute best at a particular something or other is pretty remote. But the point of the question is more general. What is it that you do really well? Probably better than most people you know? Knowing the answer to that question can help unlock levels of job satisfaction and engagement that you didn’t know existed.
Here are three steps you can take to understand the unique value you bring to your work and how you can stand out from the crowd.
1. Identify your strengths. Sounds pretty basic, huh? Well, it is pretty basic, but believe it or not, many people don’t have a good understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, or personality traits that help or hinder their success. Assessments such as the DISC, MBTI, Strengths Finder, or Marcus Buckingham’s newest StandOut survey can give you insight into what motivates you or how your personality preferences shape the way you perceive work experiences and “show up” to other people.
2. Understand the type of work or circumstances that best leverage your strengths and personality traits. One of my first “real” jobs was working for a popular Southern California fast food chain. I lasted one shift. The reason? My supervisor drilled into me the importance of following all the rules to the letter and corrected me whenever I deviated from them, yet he would go into the back of the kitchen and smoke a cigarette whenever he wanted (clearly in violation of the rules). I knew that I would never be happy working for a boss who didn’t display integrity in his actions. For me to be at my best, I need to be surrounded by people who have honorable values and strive to live up to those values.
One way to identify situations where you’ll thrive is to make a list of all the times where you’ve felt “in the flow” – those instances where you’ve been so absorbed in your work that you’ve lost track of time. What are the commonalities among those experiences? It might take a little digging and analysis, but you can probably find some themes running through those experiences. Perhaps it’s the type of people you worked with. Or maybe there was an element of problem-solving involved. Maybe it was the opportunity for you to use certain skills, like writing, teaching, or public speaking. Whatever the theme may be, it’s a clue to what really engages you and prepares you to take step #3 below.
3. Intentionally seek your “sweet spot.” Your “sweet spot” is that place where you find fulfillment in your work. You have two basic choices when it comes to identifying your sweet spot. The first is to leave it up to chance. You can hope that you stumble upon the type of job that is a good match for your personality and skills. Not a good option. The second choice is to actively look for situations that are a good match for what you bring to the table. Take what you’ve learned in steps 1 and 2 and apply it to your current situation. If you’re in a job that’s a complete mismatch for your personality and strengths, begin to put a plan together for how you can transition to something more in alignment with your natural gifts. If you’re in a job you like, but need a little more pizzazz in your work, map out new projects, tasks, or areas of responsibility that could benefit from the application of your strengths.
Discovering your strengths and learning how to use them in combination with your personality traits is an evolutionary journey. It doesn’t happen overnight and sometimes there is a lot of trial and error involved. However, taking a purposeful and introspective look into yourself and following these three steps can put you on the path toward finding a higher level of fulfillment and success in your work.
Randy Conley is the Trust Practice Leader at The Ken Blanchard Companies and his LeaderChat posts appear the last Thursday of every month. For more insights on trust and leadership, visit Randy at his Leading with Trust blog or follow him on Twitter @RandyConley.
