Monday Aha!s

Advice for Leaders

Want to be a “love worthy” boss? Here’s how.

By Barbara Burke. June 10th, 2013

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Ordinary jobs can be turned into extraordinary jobs by a supervisor.

“Making small changes in our daily activities can make a job more rewarding and engaging, but people who love their jobs also have bosses who inspire them, get the most out of them and truly care about them. That’s no accident. People who want the most from their work go boss-shopping. They may change shifts or make lateral moves in a company or industry to work for bosses who can become influential leaders in their lives,” according to Gallup researcher Shane Lopez in a recent New York Times article.

 

Lopez surveyed 8000 American workers and found that people who love their jobs:
> Use their strengths every day, as do their co-workers.
> Feel that they are an important part of their organization’s future.
> Are surrounded by colleagues who care about their overall well-being.
> Are excited about the future because of their leader’s enthusiasm.
5 Top Ways To Be a Love Worthy Supervisor

1. Have a conversation about nothing.
Stop by, say hello and ask how their weekend was, their dog, their kids — any topic but work.
2. Pay sincere, heartfelt compliments.
Spend 2 hours pointing out what’s right and see how good it feels to both you and the recipient.
3. Get out of your office.
The most successful supervisors spend half their day out on the floor with their people in problem-prevention mode.
4. Talk less about numbers and more about them.
In your next performance review meeting, have a conversation about their career goals and offer your help.
5. Foster a positive, inclusive work environment.
For starters, have a zero tolerance for badmouthing customers and other forms of toxic talk.

Be happy,

Barbara

2013 © Barbara Burke All Rights Reserved

 

Agent survey reveals what they want from a supervisor

By Barbara Burke. May 28th, 2013

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Be there.

As a supervisor you juggle multiple priorities. Your days fly by. With the endless stream of personnel issues, reports to write, unhappy customers to deal with, and multiple meetings to go to, it can be nearly impossible to find time to be out on the floor supporting your team.

In case you are wondering whether being there for your team makes a difference, you may be interested in what 114 agents had to say.  

    

Last week I asked the agents:

“In your opinion, what role  does a supervisor play in creating a harmonious team? To what degree does a supervisor influence the success of their team?” 

Here are a few responses that sum up the agents’ opinions about the importance of a supervisor:

  • “A supervisor’s role is very important in creating a harmonious team. My supervisor is positive, encouraging, & supportive. She creates a very nurturing environment, allowing us to feel like a unit, a family, there to lean on one another.” 
  • “By being there for their team, either with an individual or as a group. By knowing that you can go to your supervisor with any problem personal or work related. Our supervisors
    encourage us to share with each other. They encourage us to help each other.”
  • “In my opinion, supervisors play a HUGE role. They can be enthusiastic and pumping us all up to want to do great! And we will feed off their energy and want to do great. Or they can come in to work and go in there office and never interact or even seem to care, which will lead the team to feel like… ‘well if he/she doesn’t care, why should I?’”  

This week when faced with the choice of going to another pointless meeting or spending time out on the floor with your team, I hope you pick the latter. Your presence makes a HUGE difference.


Be happy, 

Barbara

2013 © Barbara Burke All Rights Reserved

Get ahead of the rumors by providing the facts

By Barbara Burke. May 13th, 2013

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Without the facts, they’ll make something up.

 

A few months ago, I saw what happened when the employees in a large contact center believed a false rumor. The company is a large outsourcer that takes inbound customer service calls for several Fortune 500 companies.

Word spread among the agents: their biggest client was so unhappy they decided not to renew their contract. Once the rumor mill kicked into gear, it wasn’t long before the agents were spinning multiple worst-case scenarios.  

Convinced that there was going to be a major lay off, employee morale tanked and so did their performance.

Luckily, the center’s manager was an old hand at dealing with rumor-generated panic. He understood that Nature abhors a vacuum. Absent the facts, it is natural for people to speculate about what could be true. Enter the rumor hill.

He also subscribed to what I call, the “Rule of Five.” That is, if you want a group of employees to really “get” an important message, delivering it once is never enough. In order for important information to stick it should be delivered at least five times and in five different ways. Even then, you’ll be lucky if 75% of the group actually absorb the information.

As it turned out, when the employees learned that the client wasn’t going anywhere and had, in fact, just inked a new multi-year contract, they breathed a collective sigh of relief. Confidence was restored. Performance scores shot up and service levels went back to normal.

Stay ahead of the rumor mill. The best way to prevent rumors is to provide your employees with timely, factual information. If the information is important, be on the safe side and follow the Rule of Five.

  

 


What’s your experience with damaging rumors at your office?
Share your insights on Facebook. Learn from others.    

Be happy,

Barbara

2013 © Barbara Burke All Rights Reserved

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