Respect… the Results Are In and Active Engagement is the Winner!

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Sandy

I recently did a quick survey in which I asked people to identify the subtle signs that others respect or disrespect them. The results, in terms of the signs of disrespect, are summarized below:

Signs of Disrespect Chart

As you can see, the biggest form of disrespect comes in the area of active listening/ engagement in the conversation, followed by reinforcement of that engagement through our body language and eye contact (either too much or too little). These related factors were mentioned in 36% of the responses. Right behind those factors (representing another 20% of responses) were: a) not considering advice when offered, b) talking/writing with others during meetings, and c) interrupting a conversation to converse with others (either by interjecting our own comments or by answering phone calls and texts).

In fact, let’s take a look at one particular situation that was mentioned most often as disrespectful – that of being distracted by cell phones (either by interrupting to answer calls or responding to text messages) due to the fear that we might miss something important if a call or text were missed.

In the world of systems analysis and programming, there is a saying: “Don’t program for the exception.” What this means is that we shouldn’t waste our time and effort on the 1% of scenarios that will likely never happen. Instead, we must do our best to ensure that the other 99% of situations will be handled in the best possible way.

I’ll offer the same advice for your life. 99% of the phone calls and texts we receive on a regular basis will not be so critical that they will negatively impact your life. So, don’t sabotage or sacrifice your in-person, everyday relationships by allowing yourself to focus on possible missed calls and texts when you should be building strong relationships by showing people the respect of being fully present when interacting with them.

Consider this: if you never build strong, respectful relationships in person, no one will ever make a phone call to you that is so important that you absolutely can’t miss it!

Here’s a tip: If you are expecting an important call and must keep the phone handy, tell the person you’re speaking with up front that you’re expecting an important call and must at least look at the phone if it rings. Notifying them and apologizing in advance for this potentially “rude” behavior completely takes the rudeness out of it because now they know why you’re doing it, and you’ll have their complete understanding and “permission” to do so. Just don’t make a habit of this, or they’ll begin to think it’s just a ruse to justify habitual rude behavior. One action that makes me feel very respected is when someone’s phone rings during a conversation with me, I ask if they need to answer it, and they tell me, “No. It can wait until we’re done.” WOW – and thank you! (And the next time that person has a ringing phone and does need to get it, I’ll be extra understanding because I know it’s not their habit to interrupt unnecessarily.)

The upshot of respect is this: It turns out that disengagement in personal conversations (which is perceived as disrespect) is as negatively perceived as disengagement in the workplace, which is also often viewed as a form of disrespect.

So, no matter what situation you find yourself in, be fully present and engaged, demonstrate the kind of respect you’d like to receive if you were trying to engage another person, and always remember that if you give your best for the 99% of situations that are likely to occur, you’ll be more easily forgiven for the 1% of the time that it’s just not possible.

Posted in Leadership/Employee Engagement, Rule #2: A WOWplace is Respectful, Rule #3: A WOWplace is Human... Not Humanoid! | Leave a comment

The Nuances of Customer Service Bring You From Very Good to WOW!

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Sandy

wow customer service, WOWplace, Sandy Geroux motivational speaker logoMy family just got back from a short “stay-cation” (where we took a few days off, visited popular local attractions, dined out and stayed at a local resort here in the Orlando area).

The resort was very good, but a few little tweaks and better attention to detail (namely, the small nuances overlooked by the average company but used by the exceptional company to create a competitive advantage) could have brought it from Very Good to WOW!

Here’s what I mean. The Very Good list is below:

  1. The unit was very spacious (it was a one-bedroom vacation condo).
  2. The furnishings and other appointments were attractive and soothing.
  3. The towels in the bathrooms were arranged artfully, with nice attention to detail.
  4. The unit was very clean and neat.
  5. A DVD and a CD player were provided for our convenience.
  6. The kitchen was well-stocked with plates, utensils and cookware if we chose to cook and/or eat in our condo, including dishwashing liquid, laundry soap, and even coffee and creamers.
  7. The staff was courteous and friendly.

Below are a few tweaks that kept it from being a WOW:

  1. The front desk clerk wouldn’t give us the Internet code when we checked in. We had to go to our room and then call the front desk in order to receive the code. We never received an explanation why.
  2. Although a TV and a DVD player were provided, the DVD player couldn’t be plugged in because the TV and cable box were taking up the only two electrical outlets near them. No extension cord was available. We had to call the front desk to get one, so we could watch a DVD.
  3. When we tried to use the DVD player, it wouldn’t work. We had to call again to get someone to help us figure it out (there were no instructions). It took over an hour for someone to get there, swap out DVD players, and correctly configure the connections before it would work. By this time, it was almost 9:30 p.m.
  4. There was a sofa bed in the living room that my husband and I intended to use (we gave the master bedroom to my elderly parents). However, the bed was not made, and there were no linens, pillows or blankets for it. We had to strip the linens from two bunk beds in the unit, as well as take their two pillows and the one blanket supplied (for two bunk beds) in order to make up the sofa bed so we could sleep on it.
  5. The garage was a nightmare of too-narrow aisles with barely enough room to turn corners with our Toyota Avalon, a nice-sized car but by no means huge; in fact, you could see paint scrapes on the pillars and walls where other cars obviously didn’t successfully navigate those tight curves. We parked outside after the first day.

All of the above, with the exception of the garage design, are easily fixable. The Internet code can be given at check-in (and usually is), and the housekeeping staff can make sure that all appliances and amenities are in good order after each guest checks out. As for the garage… well, they may be stuck with that weird design.

These small, but meaningful, nuances make an impact on the guest experience – and although our resort stay was still very good, I don’t think any resort (especially one in an extremely competitive tourist market) strives for Good, or even Very Good… they strive for WOW! And with very little effort this really nice resort could have made a WOW impact on our entire family and sent us away raving about it to everyone we know.

No matter what industry you work in, sit down with your staff and co-workers and examine every aspect of the guest experience; then figure out what works and what doesn’t. Fix what doesn’t and keep improving what does, a little at a time… until you figure out all the small nuances of your business that are often overlooked, but that with very little effort can be employed to add up to a WOW experience for your customers – and a competitive edge for your business.

Posted in Rule #2: A WOWplace is Respectful, Rule #4: A WOWplace is Innovative, Creative & Fun! | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

You’ve Mastered Active Listening… Now Practice Flexible Listening

Posted on October 25, 2014 by Sandy

CommunicationActive listening is one of the best techniques we can use to communicate well with others and avoid misunderstandings. The principles of active listening include the following:

1.  Truly pay attention to the speaker. Don’t let your mind or attention wander. If you have too much on your mind at the time, and the conversation is an important one, ask the other person if you can reschedule the conversation for another time. If that’s not possible, take a quick break to get a drink of water or visit the restroom and re-group so you can clear your mind and focus on the conversation at hand.

2.  Use appropriate body language to let them know you’re listening. Nod your head, smile, frown, or make other appropriate gestures. Respond with a “Yes” or “I see” from time to time to let them know you heard what they said. Make appropriate eye contact, but don’t engage in a staring contest; also, be sensitive to cultural differences (the rules are so different for various cultures that if you intend to have extended interaction with people of a particular culture, you should consult expert sources for their cultural norms. As a general rule, try not to hold eye contact too long with any culture, or you may make the other person uncomfortable).

3.  Reflect their main thoughts and ideas back to them. You can rephrase (“If I’m understanding this correctly…”). You may also ask questions to gain more clarity or deeper understanding (“Please tell me more about…” or “I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”).

4.  Refrain from interrupting them. It wastes time, often distracts them and causes them to lose their focus, and could show disrespect by not allowing them to finish their thoughts before interjecting your own.

5.  Respond honestly and openly, ensuring respect flows both ways.

Now that we’ve “mastered” active listening, here’s another concept I recently discovered that takes effective listening to a whole new level. It’s called “flexible listening.”

The guidelines for flexible listening ask us to go deeper in our attention to the other person, to listen beyond the words to the emotions and feelings behind them. With flexible listening, we become more observant in order to pay closer attention to tone of voice, eye contact and body language, as well as the words the other person is saying.

For example, when you are approaching a subject that is sensitive for someone, an observant person will usually notice a shift in their comfort level with that topic. They may shift their eye contact, their voice may get softer (or louder, if the topic angers them), their gestures change and may reflect more nervous habits, such as clasping their hands, raising their shoulders, or becoming more rigid in their stance. When we notice these things, it’s a clear signal that the person is uncomfortable discussing that topic and you should tactfully steer the conversation to another topic that is more comfortable for them.

On the other hand, if someone is anxious to continue a conversation, they will often smile, lean forward, talk faster, and eagerly participate in the conversation. This is an indication that they are interested in, and probably excited by, the topic and you should continue engaging in it.

These tips help us be more human, compassionate and relatable, whether we’re talking with co-workers, customers or even family and friends.

Try active listening and then notch it up to flexible listening and watch the effectiveness of your communications, and its related impact on your relationships, soar!

Posted in Communication, Rule #3: A WOWplace is Human... Not Humanoid! | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Homeless Shelter Cafeteria is Turned Into a 5-Star Restaurant!

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Sandy

WOW… take a look at what happened when, through donations of time, talent and a relatively small amount of money, the cafeteria in this homeless shelter was turned into a 5-star restaurant!

(If you’re viewing this post in an e-mail and can’t see the video image, click on the post title to visit the blog or click on the following link to view the video:

http://www.coolestone.com/media/10482/This-Is-What-Happens-When-Pranksters-/#.VEQlhPnF-kE)

Remaking a homeless shelter into a 5-sstar restaurant!

Remaking a homeless shelter into a 5-star restaurant!

I’m reminded of the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition episode in which one construction company’s workers came to the company owner and thanked him for enabling them to spend their entire weekend helping build a home (without pay!) for a deserving family they had never met.

Could your organization put together something like this to help others in your community? Do you think your team members would love to be involved in something this special? It doesn’t have to be this big, but this type of activity could be a big step in creating the kind of engagement, loyalty and positive impact we all desire.

Posted in Customer Service, Rule #2: A WOWplace is Respectful, Rule #4: A WOWplace is Innovative, Creative & Fun! | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Problem-Solving 101: Don’t Over-Think the Problem. Oh… And Ask Those Closest To It for Input

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Sandy

Thinking_gears-small

Sometimes when we have a problem, one temptation is to over-think it and come up with a solution that may solve the issue, but takes much longer and costs far more than necessary. Another temptation is to forget that those closest to the issue may have valuable insights into a simple and quick solution.

I’m reminded of the great story about the toothpaste company that was having an issue with shipping empty toothpaste cartons when the machinery accidentally missed the box while trying to insert a tube of toothpaste into it.

Determined to get the best minds on the project, the CEO and his team hired an external engineering firm to solve the problem. Six months (and $8 million) later, they had a solution in which high-tech precision scales would sound a bell and flash lights whenever a toothpaste box weighed less than it should. The line would then stop, a worker would walk over and remove the empty box, then restart the line.

However, after three weeks, the scales stopped registering empty boxes, a highly unlikely scenario. After investigation, leaders found that workers, annoyed with having to stop production and waste time walking over, physically removing empty boxes from the belt and re-starting production again, had found a simple solution to the original problem: they placed a fan next to the conveyor belt, which blew empty boxes off the belt and into a bin before they reached the scale (thus preventing the scale from sending an alarm… but also preventing the original problem of shipping empty boxes to stores)!

Much debate has ensued over the worker ignoring the new solution (rules), the safety of having a fan with a cord stretched out in the work area, and many more issues. But the messages are clear: not only was this issue way over-thought, but those closest to the issue should have been asked to provide input into a (much simpler and less costly) solution.

Workers may (or may not) have valuable input to offer leadership when problems arise, but by asking, leaders may get a simpler solution; an added benefit is that it also shows workers that leaders respect their intelligence enough to at least ask for their input, even if it’s not ultimately used.

Funny story: the same concept happened recently to my husband and me, as he tried to fix our pool vacuum. He was trying to remove some plastic pegs that had broken off and gotten stuck in the holes where new pegs needed to go. I heard him working on the lanai, using screwdrivers, a putty knife, pliers and finally a drill! When he started drilling, I went out to see what was up and discovered that he was trying to use the drill to break up the pieces and pull them out.

Walnut_pick-smallI took a look and my mind instantly went to the utensils I use in the kitchen. A walnut pick came to mind and I asked Bruce if he thought I could use that tool to get under the edge of the peg and pry it out. As he was telling me that it would never work, I went to the kitchen, got the pick, came back and tried it. POP – out came the peg!

When Bruce saw that, he chuckled and said, “See – I told you it would never work!”

Turns out that sometimes the one with the least knowledge comes up with the most creative ideas… simply because she doesn’t know any better!

So, the next time you have a problem with what should be a simple solution, and you’re tempted to over-think it, turn to the person with the least knowledge and ask if they have any creative ideas you would never have thought of yourself!

Posted in Leadership/Employee Engagement, Rule #1: A WOWplace is Safe, Rule #2: A WOWplace is Respectful | Leave a comment

Higher Engagement = Consistency = Better Customer Service

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Sandy

My good friend and fellow speaker, Bruce Wilkinson, speaks about the fact that there are two locations of the same fast-food franchise near his home. He consistently goes to one location, while avoiding the other.

Why? They both serve the same sandwiches, in the same serving size, and at the same price. But one of them has employees who go out of their way to make him feel welcome (and remember him!) when he visits. The other has employees who appear as though they couldn’t care less whether he visits them or not… so he doesn’t.

Thankfully for that organization, he still gives one location his business. But what would happen if neither location treated him well? I’m guessing that he wouldn’t give any location a chance because he would label the entire chain as “unsatisfactory.” There are just too many other restaurants to choose from, so the entire brand would suffer from the actions of a couple of restaurants.

Remember that CONSISTENCY is king when it comes to customer service: consistency from team member to team member, shift to shift and location to location.

If your representatives are not fully engaged, proactively thinking and taking ownership for your organization’s success, your consistency will suffer… taking your customer service, your brand reputation and your profits with it.

Ask yourself this question: Are your associates engaged and consistently creating the highest levels of service for your valuable customers?

The info-graphic below depicts the difference in engagement between world-class organizations and the average organization in the U.S. Where does your organization stand?

Employee_Engagement_Infographic

What does having even AVERAGE employee engagement do to:

  • Productivity
  • Morale
  • Profits
  • Customer Service
  • Brand Reputation

Take a look at the areas where your employees are performing at a level that could be better and more consistently excellent. Then ensure that they receive the training necessary to show them what types of behavior on their part will lead to success (for them and everyone in the organization) – and the level at which you expect them to perform. Give them the tools necessary to accomplish those goals, and then reward them for it.

When you do this, you will increase engagement because they know they matter, they know what to do to ensure that they make a positive difference, and they are rewarded for it. And that will pay off handsomely in terms of emotional and financial success for everyone involved.

Posted in Customer Service, Leadership/Employee Engagement, Rule #5: A WOWplace is Rewarding | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Want to give WOW Service? Don’t Make Customers Work for It!

Posted on September 27, 2014 by Sandy

WOW Customer serviceI went out for lunch one day and saw a menu item I liked that contained three different types of salads. I loved two of them, but wasn’t crazy about the third and asked the server if I could substitute that one for another salad.

Here’s the conversation that ensued:

Me: “Can I substitute that last salad for a different one?”
Server: “I don’t think so.”
Me: “You don’t think so – or you’re sure you can’t?”
Server: “I’m pretty sure you can’t do that.”
Me: “Well, can you ask someone and find out for sure? I don’t want the third salad and won’t order this menu item if I can’t substitute, but I’d like to know.”

She (reluctantly) went to the cooks and asked… lo and behold, the answer was yes!

The most frustrating fact was that not only was it like pulling teeth just to get her to double-check her facts on her own products… but afterward, there was no apology, and not even a glimmer of hope that she’d learned from this situation and would proactively check her facts in the future.

The same concept holds true for our service to co-workers. If, for example, a co-worker relies on you to provide information, a report, or other item on a regular basis in order to help them do their job on time, don’t make them ask you for it every time. Add a calendar reminder for the deliverables you owe them. But don’t add it on the day it is due – be proactive and add it to calendar for two days earlier. Not only will it be a nice gift for your co-worker to actually get the needed information ahead of time, but that built-in “cushion” of time could prevent either of you from missing your deadline by allowing for unforeseen delays in other areas.

Even better, you will create a WOW that will come back to you in positive ways in the future.

So if you want to WOW your customers – and co-workers – try to think proactively about what they want, what you can do about it, and how you can go about getting it for them, if at all possible, before they have to ask for it at all… but especially before they have to ask for it twice…

Posted in Communication, Customer Service, Rule #4: A WOWplace is Innovative, Creative & Fun! | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Want Higher Employee Engagement? Use the WOWplace Rules Success Model!

Posted on September 25, 2014 by Sandy

Many organizations want to create WOW experiences. But if you attract customers and employees with big, flashy WOWs (cool products and services, fun ways of using them), don’t forget to also get the basics right – customer service, high employee engagement, taking ownership and respect. Keep in mind that employees who are treated well are motivated to ensure that customers are treated well.

Have your customers ever said, “I love your products, but not your customer service”? Do your associates seem to be just marking time because they believe they don’t matter?Help them re-engage by reminding them that everyone can make a difference by committing to their critical role in making exceptional experiences happen.

If your organization could use more consistency in its customer service, more recognition and inspiration from its leaders, and more respect and humanity in every interaction… or if you want to pump them up to even higher levels… take a look at The WOWplace Rules and see where your organization has room to improve.

If you’re viewing this post in e-mail and the video doesn’t show up, please click on the following link to view it: http://youtu.be/7SOg0_Mpx0M

 

Posted in Leadership/Employee Engagement, The WOWplace Rules | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Talk About an Innovative Twist on a Familiar Topic!

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Sandy

I love it when I come across something so innovative, yet so simple, that I say WOW!! Take a look at Ikea’s promotion for their new catalog… they call it a BookBook.

(If you’re receiving this post via e-mail and the video doesn’t show, please click the following link: http://wowplace.com/2014/09/talk-about-an-innovative-twist-on-a-familiar-topic)

So, what did they do here?  They took the approach that “if everyone else is doing something, we need to do something else.”  And to all those “digital geeks” who say the printed book is dead, they took an innovative spin on the benefits of using their bookbook by addressing all the things that sometimes bug us about digital products:

  1. No cords
  2. No need to re-charge
  3. No lag time for loading pages

In addition, they put a fun spin on the benefits:

  1. “If the product is not there when you first check for it, “refresh” and check for it again the next day.
  2. It can easily be shared among users and pages bookmarked.
  3. It’s password-protected/voice-activated (so clever!!)
  4. It’s free!

I could go on and on about the creativity of this ad… but I’ll spare you any more gushing!

However, I will challenge you to watch this video with an open mind and an eye toward how you can take the lessons illustrated here and apply them to your business to catch people’s attention, get them to talk about you and your business, and get your message out at the same time.

Happy innovating!

Posted in Fun Life Observations/Motivation, Humor Eases All!, Rule #4: A WOWplace is Innovative, Creative & Fun! | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Organizational Justice and Its Role in Motivating Associates

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Sandy

Having a problem motivating your associates and co-workers to do what needs to be done? Or to ask for clarification on tasks, rather than guessing or assuming they know what you want… and then doing it wrong?

In order to better understand how to motivate people, it is bene­ficial to have at least a passing understanding of the concepts of or­ganizational justice at work in a group environment. There are three types of organizational justice that affect associate perceptions of fairness and justice in the workplace:

  1. Procedural Justice, which is defined as “fairness regarding procedures.” It refers to whether or not associates are given a chance to offer input into the design and implementation of organizational systems.
  2. Interpersonal Justice, which refers to how associates are treated by an authority figure, such as a supervisor or manager, especially when receiving performance feedback by that manager.
  3. Informational Justice, which refers to the quality of explanations given by a manager or supervisor about a process, procedure or policy.

Research shows that all three types of justice have strong implications for desired associate outcomes such as trust, commitment and job satisfaction, as well as undesirable outcomes such as with­drawal.

Associates have a much higher perception of fair treatment in the workplace when higher levels of interpersonal justice and informational justice are present.

In other words, when treatment by managers is respectful and preserves the associate’s dignity, and thorough explanations are offered for the use of complex or new policies, as well as during feedback sessions such as performance reviews, associates perform better. No surprise there.

However, the big ah-ha was that the presence of informational justice more positively influences associate trust in the manager than the presence of interpersonal justice and procedural justice. This demonstrates associates’ strong desire for clear explanations and direction from their leaders over other types of “fairness factors” in the workplace.

In fact, I submit that the presence of informational justice positively affects the perception of Interpersonal Justice. If an associate feels that his manager has clearly explained what he needs, doesn’t it follow that he will feel more fairly treated by that manager?

Take a look at how clear your explanations are. Do your associates know exactly what to do when asked to perform a task or accomplish a goal? Are they clear on what the goal actually is?  What the desired outcomes should look like?  How they’re going to get there?

If not, you may want to clear up any confusion so you can get on with accomplishing some productive work and help your associates feel good about the jobs they’re doing.

Posted in Leadership/Employee Engagement, Rule #2: A WOWplace is Respectful, Rule #4: A WOWplace is Innovative, Creative & Fun! | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment