Month: November 2014 Page 4 of 5

You’ve worked hard to become a finalist for an excellent employment opportunity. Your skills and work experience are a good match. However, you are now one of three finalists who are asked to interview for the position. Your body of work is important in the selection process, but your interview skills will carry just as much weight, if not more.

You must be prepared. You must know that body language says a lot about you, and your ability to lead. When interviewed by a committee, you can expect all eyes on you, and your nonverbal actions.

#1: A fake smile can kill your chances.

Upon meeting the interviewer, show a warm smile. Remember, the smile has to be real. You want to avoid a nervous smile, one that disappears from your face in less than a second. Even worse, is the smile that remains frozen on you for what seems like an eternity.

A genuine smile is an excellent icebreaker. You give the impression that you are comfortable and approachable. The interviewer will feel the positive vibes, and you will get started on the right foot.

#2: Clasping your hands or crossing arms is a sign that you are closed-minded.

Salespeople are taught to hand something to a prospect who has his arms crossed. By holding something in their hands, they can no longer cross their arms, and might be more receptive to the message.

Clasping your hands communicates lack of interest. A palm-to-palm gesture signals that you lack confidence. Do your best to avoid this type of nonverbal communication because it can make the interview session uncomfortable.

It’s recommended that you have your hands opened and relaxed. A calm appearance communicates confidence, control, and trustworthiness.

#3: Steepling your fingers suggests arrogance.

Steepling your fingers may lead the interviewer to feel that you are a know-it-all. In essence, you’ve changed the dynamics of the interview. It might appear that you are attempting to control the process, and that might threaten others, especially if you are being interviewed by a future manager.

More work today is done by consensus building, and not in an autocratic manner. The interviewer is aware of nonverbal cues that make you the wrong choice for the position. The less you use your fingers and hands during the interview, the less likely you are to send the wrong message.

More than anything, you need to be yourself in the interview. While you should be prepared, you should avoid having a canned response or nonverbal gesture for every possible event. A well-crafted script is fine, but interviewers want to know you as a person. They are interested in both your content and method of response.

The interview is a test. You are being graded. Remember that you can pass the test and still fall short of a job offer. To enhance your chances of becoming the finalist for the position, be aware of your body language. The majority (up to 85%) of your communication is non-verbal, which means that you must allocate the necessary time to the delivery of the message. By understanding the impact of our body language during an interview, you improve your performance, which ultimately leads to more job offers.

There are some people on your team that are tough to manage. They have all the answers, and they are unwilling to play nice. During meetings, these belligerent employees do their best to show you how bored they are with the proceedings. For the most part, they arrive to meetings on time, but they are pre-occupied with other issues. When the meeting begins, they are reading emails from their iPhones, or engaged in something unrelated to work.

Put Your Foot Down

As a manager, it’s critical that you set the ground rules. You cannot allow one person to cause problems for the rest of the team. I make it a point that unprofessional behavior will never be tolerated.

Here are some ways that I communicate this point in my meetings:

• “I want to let you know that I appreciate everyone being here. As we begin to work with each other, I want to reinforce the importance of professionalism. For us to succeed, we must respect each other.”
• “Remember that we are a team. When someone needs your help, make sure to step in and contribute. By working together, your project will succeed.”
• “Please understand that we all bring significant value to this project. To excel, we need to combine our talents. Your level of engagement makes a huge difference.”
• “We can expect conflict to occur on our team. This is normal. When conflict does arise, let’s work together to resolve it. However, let’s avoid finger-pointing. Instead, let’s become problem-solvers.”

When to Intervene

As a manager, it’s important to allow team members to resolve their own issues. During initial meetings, inform the employees that you expect them to work together when a problem arises. In most cases, the team can handle work-related situations.

However, you may have to intervene when a “bad-apple” is causing problems. The individual might be using an autocratic style as if the opinions of others do not matter. In essence, he wants to be the informal leader.

I recommend that you immediately step in and confront the problem. An off-line conversation might do the trick, but you must be forthright, such as: “Dan, I do appreciate your points regarding the Manila project. However, please understand that we must seek the expert judgment from other team members. When participating in the team, let’s work together to find a common solution. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this approach.”

Once you set the guidelines, you must ensure they are followed. Make sure that you stay engaged because employees will test you. They want to know if you really mean what you say.

Working with tough people is part of the process. Regardless of the type of work you do, you will run into individuals who are difficult, and sometimes outright belligerent. As a manager, you need to set the ground rules right away. When someone fails to follow your guidelines, confront the problem. By taking immediate action, your team has a better chance of working harmoniously and meeting the expectations.

Management theorist Douglas McGregor stated there are two types of workers:

• Theory X: People who are lazy and inherently dislike work.
• Theory Y: People who love challenges and look forward to productive work.

I suppose there is another category somewhere in the middle. Theory X workers are generally followers, while Theory Y employees are more likely to become leaders of the organization. As a manager, you must determine in which category employees fall.

To be sure, I’m not advocating ignoring the potential of Theory X employees, but you must ensure that you are using the most effective management style when working with them. Theory Y employees, need the tools, resources, funding, and empowerment to get the work done. Once the manager does this, it’s best to get out of the way and marvel at the good work they do.

My Theory X Experience

Many years ago, I served the role of clinic administrator for an established gastroenterology surgery practice in Houston. One employee, Emma, was a veteran of the clinic, having logged more than 15 years. She was respected and trusted by the doctors. In her role in the Business Office, she collected the checks from the daily mail and applied the payments to the dates of service in Versyss, the patient management system we used.

Emma was a loyal employee, and she arrived at 7 a.m. ready for her routine. In fact, I think she followed the same process each day, taking breaks and lunch at exactly the same time. Because she came to the office early, the doctors allowed her to leave by 4 p.m., and her husband would wait for her by the building’s main entrance after she made her way down from the 23rd floor.

I began working at the medical clinic after earning my MBA, which meant I had a ton of knowledge regarding leadership theories. One of my favorites is the democratic approach, in which the manager and employees engage in decision-making via a consensus. By doing so, the employees are more likely to take ownership of their work.

Emma Objects!

For the most part, the employees appreciated the democratic management approach, and we were making progress. However, Emma was unaccustomed to providing her input. Throughout her working career, her managers had provided clear requirements, and she followed them without questioning them or considering the big picture. She worked from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. with one hour of lunch, and she did as she was told.

One morning around 7:30 a.m., I went to Emma’s desk, and she pointed to a yellow Post-It Note stuck to the side of her computer that read: Don’t make me think! Just tell me what to do!

The lesson from this experience is that changing an employee from Theory X to Theory Y is challenging. While I understand that it’s not impossible, it’s also not easy. It was even tougher to ask Emma to consider a different approach because she was only a year or two from retirement, and she often reminded me of this looming date.

Emma never bought into the ownership mentality, but she was a valued employee. In retrospect, I also learned the importance of having a loyal and hard-working employee.

I am a candidate that will be specific with my ideas. I understand that I might lose some votes with my policies, but it’s important that I share how I will change the American workplace.

Identifying Micromanagers

Micromanagers are individuals who have moved up the ladder largely because they look busy. They often carry a notepad and a sharpened pencil with them. They are often more comfortable in the work environment because this is the only place in which they have a position of authority.
Micromanagers do whatever possible to catch employees doing things wrong. During the performance appraisal, they pay close attention to the areas in which you failed to meet expectations. By finding fault in your work, they feel more important.

A major problem with micromanagers is that they major in minor things. They are more focused on checking items off the list, and less concerned about doing productive work. It’s a no-go!

First Week

There is no need to wait 100 days for me to take action. During the first week, I will make micromanaging illegal in the United States. In other words, looking over one’s shoulder to make sure that work is getting done is a thing of the past.

I’m unsure of the punishment, but this person will no longer have the “manager” title. Each organization will implement a process by which to identify micromanagers. These individuals will be allowed the opportunity to dispute the evidence against them. If they lose their appeal, they are removed from the management track.

Justification

While I agree that oversight is important, micromanagers take it too far. They track the work done by employees largely to find where a misstep takes place. A competent manager, on the other hand, looks for ways to help one succeed.

Here is an example of a conversation I had with a micromanager:

David: Jimmie, do you have the report ready?

Me: Which report?

David: The one that is due today.

Me: Which report do you mean?

David: The one that was assigned last week.

Me: David, which report was assigned last week?

David: You and Cindy were working on the GPS report. Cindy emailed it to me two days ago.

Me: From your email, this report had no due date. My understanding was that it was due by end-of-month like all other progress reports.

David: No, sir!

Me: What do you mean, “No, Sir”?

David: We have a meeting at 10 a.m. with Jack, and he expects to have the reports ready. So … you have about 15 minutes to get it ready.

Me: Why didn’t you call me to remind me of this requirement?

David: I got a little busy and, anyways, no one calls these days. We send emails.

Me: Why didn’t you send me an email?

David: I thought I did.

This is an example of a micromanager at his best. David was more interested in catching me do something wrong. He informed me of the report shortly before the meeting. I was fortunate that Jack understood the miscommunication, and I provided the report to him later in the day.

As president, I will bring change to the workplace, and it starts by eliminating micromanagers. A bold step for America!

I was at a bank here in San Antonio trying to coordinate a transfer of funds. I was a bit confused why my transaction wasn’t processed on time. I completed the paperwork, and called to confirm that all the fields were completed correctly. The discussion with the teller became animated when she hinted that it was probably my fault for selecting a wrong “account-type.”

The Pretty Girl Story

Before approaching the counter, I noticed an attractive lady in her mid-20s scribbling on a notepad. This was unusual to me because most people use deposit or withdrawal slips provided by the bank. It wasn’t my business, so I proceeded to take care of my business.

A few minutes later, the same pretty girl made her way to a teller, and here is how that conversation sort of went:

Teller: Hello! How can I help you?

Pretty Girl: I wanted to check the balance on my account. When I logged in using phone, it shows my balance to be this [pointing to her notepad].

Teller: Okay, ma’am. Let me check.

[The teller collects the account number, and verifies the identity of the pretty girl.]

Ma’am, it appears that your balance is overdrawn by $428.

Pretty Girl: What? No way!

Teller: Here are the four most recent charges: $521 at Victoria’s Secret, $177 at Macy’s, $715 at Delta Airlines, and $78 at Hark Rock Café San Antonio.

Pretty Girl: That’s weird! I haven’t bought any airline tickets. I haven’t been to Hard Rock in months.

[The pretty girl grabs her mobile phone and calls a friend or family member. She begins to sob.]

Male Banker to the Rescue!

[A male banker who was not too far away, quickly came to help out this pretty customer. He was going to save the day, even if it meant leaving his station.]

Make Banker: Miss, how may I help you?

Pretty Girl: I think someone has access to my account, and they are buying stuff.

Male Banker: Do you know who it is?

Pretty Girl: I think it’s my ex-boyfriend. He knows my account info.

Male Banker: Miss, let’s see what we can do. Leslie [the teller], we might think about cancelling the account.

Pretty Girl: No! That is not necessary. I will call him and ask why he is doing this. I’m sure that he won’t care.

This scenario intrigued me. As a business instructor, I’ve read many case studies where attractiveness makes a difference when it comes to customer service. There were many dynamics in this case, such as a male banker appearing out of nowhere to offer assistance. We also had a pretty lady crying at the counter of a bank. This is something we don’t see often.

Regardless, I finally resolved my issue regarding the transfer, but it did take about 45 minutes. In my case, I had to ask for the branch manager to help me. He made me wait about 20 minutes in the queue.

I guess I wasn’t pretty enough!

Image Courtesy – www.kenyanlist.com

Every one of us has been less than polite in certain situations. Yes, keeping our cool is important, but not everyone can stay in control when they feel that someone is being unfair or failing to pay attention to their concerns. For example, your order at the restaurant took far too long to deliver, or the customer service agent was unwilling to waive a late fee even though our payment was tardy by just a couple of hours.

Sticking with Policy

For a business process to succeed, policy is important. For example, an airline company will train its customer service agents to follow policy, and escalate any issues that warrant a closer eye. Therefore, when you call the agent to discuss a situation, you can expect them to stick with policy. You can talk until you are blue in the face, but they are not going to change their minds. They have trained responses, and that is the bottom line.

The problem with policy is its inherent inflexibility. A canned response is insufficient to handle all situations. There must be times when an agent can make an exception, and it shouldn’t always be escalated. To make this happen, they must be trained and empowered to act.

The Rude Approach

A customer is rude when he crosses the line and insults the employee, such as:

• “You are incompetent, and your company is plain stupid!”
• “I can’t even understand what you are saying! Do you speak English?”
• “I refuse to talk to stupid people! Since you are stupid, transfer to me a manager who can help me. I do hope he is not dumb like you!”

It is wrong to cross this line. Even if you get your way, you violate the principle of treating others like you would like to be treated. Despite believing the situation is unfair, you must avoid this tactic.

The Frustrated Approach

A customer can express frustration by saying the following:

• “I’ve called several times over the past week to reconcile this issue, and it seems like no one is working on it. Will you please make sure the right person is assigned to it?”
• “I understand the late payment policy, but I wanted to see if you could waive it. I’ve made my payments timely for more than three years, and this is an unusual occurrence.”
• “The online system is not working correctly. When I submitted payment last night, I was charged twice. It’s imperative that I receive reimbursement right away because the $1,500 charge is showing up twice at my bank. I hope you understand the urgency of this matter.”

I’m of the opinion that you must stand your ground, and you need to fight for what you believe is right. There are times when you will take the hit, but in many situations, negotiations will take place. You are more likely to resolve the matter in a positive manner when you are professional. Just as important, you will feel better about managing the situation in a professional manner.

Growing your customer base is easier than you think. You must take the time to know the true needs of the buyer. Of course, you have to know what you sell, and what makes you attractive to the potential customer. What is your competitive edge? What is your unique selling proposition?
I recently went to a local shopping mall, and walked into a store specializing in fresh cookies. One employee was assigned the task of giving away samples of their famous chocolate chip cookie.

“Sir, here’s a sample.”

“No, thank you. I’m not much into sweets, but I would like to see what I can buy for a friend.”

She quickly broke eye contact, and lost interest in me as a customer. It appeared that she lost the bet, or was the lowest person on the totem poll, which meant she was in charge of the samples. The situation turned awkward, and I found the exit shortly thereafter.

Here are three sure-fire ways to turn off your customer:

#1: Speak only about what you sell.

The first part of any meeting with the customer should be spent on knowing what the customer needs. You can’t sell anything to anyone until you know what he or she needs. To know the customer’s requirements, you must ask questions. Remember that your goal is to bridge the gap from the customer’s current situation to where they want to be in the future.

“Ms. Customer, I see you’re here to purchase a used car. What is the purpose of the car? How many miles do you plan to drive per year? Are you going to be the sole driver? What is your range for a monthly payment? What is your preferred color?

It’s surprising how many salespeople first try to sell a car without first knowing what is important to the customer.

#2: Look distracted during the meeting.

I remember not long ago I was discussing a business situation with a young attorney. During our 1-hour meeting, he checked his Blackberry several times, and took one call from his wife. He did try and apologize: “Oh, sorry. My wife wants me to stop by the grocery story on my way home. I guess I’m in charge of the avocados!”

The fact is that I could care less about the avocado salad, and I am even less interested about the demands imposed on him by his wife. During that one paid hour, he needs to focus 100% on my legal needs and nothing else. Even apologizing doesn’t make the situation better.

#3: Try to oversell.

I recently rented a car in Oklahoma City, and was surprised with the aggressive selling technique. I have a sales background and understand how to overcome objections, but these techniques are usually uncommon in the rental car industry.

“Mr. Flores, for $20 dollars more, you can get an SUV, which is much more reliable in snowy and icy weather like today.”

“I’ll stick with my compact car. I only have a few miles to drive.”

“Let’s add the insurance option for $34.99, which covers you in case anything happens to this car. You can also take our liability coverage, which pays your deductible.”

I thanked her for the 150 options she provided to me, and declined them all. I’m sure that some of the options were good, and perhaps even smart given the inclement weather. However, when looking into her eyes, I could see a big “Q” – or a monthly quota. She looked like the manager-type, and I know it was important for her to meet her end-of-month numbers.

Regardless of what you sell, you must put the customer first. The buyers are looking for products and services that are right for them, and they will give that business to a seller who improves their situation. A good sale takes place when the customer believes the purchase is an investment, and not merely a transaction in which money is exchanged.

After a busy morning with meetings, I decided to get a take-out salad from a local restaurant here in San Antonio. It was nearly 2:30 p.m. before I had time for lunch. The salad bar option was an easy choice because it was quick.

As I expected, the lunch crowd was far from gone, but the restaurant was steady. It got me to thinking about who eats lunch this late in the day. Is it dinner for them? Do they eat four times per day? I didn’t ask anyone, so I suppose my curiosity will persist.

After a few minutes waiting for the person with the proper credentials to operate the cash register, my order was processed. As it turns out, the manager helped me, and he didn’t look to be in a good mood.

ME: Sir, I will have the salad to go – just the salad, please.

MANAGER: Just the salad? That’s $5.72.

ME: Looks like you guys are bit busy around here.

MANAGER: We’ve been dead for a Monday. I tell you – no one comes here anymore!

[This was a strange comment because I could see 30+ patrons behind him. I guess he was having a tough day, and his expectations were higher.]

ME: I’m sure that will turn around here soon, and you will have plenty of customers.

MANAGER: That’s not going to happen – not with the people we have around here!

[I’m unsure what he meant by this comment. Did he mean that his employees were losers or that the San Antonio market is wrong for the soup and salad menu? I know we like our fajitas and margaritas in San Antonio, but there are plenty of health-conscious folks in our city. Regardless, the comment was inappropriate, especially coming from a manager.]

ME: Thank you very much.

As I walked away, I wondered if I should even be eating here. What level of quality can we expect of the food when the manager is this unhappy? The fact is that quality of product and service are impacted by the commitment of the leadership team.

When teaching my business courses, I make it a habit to remind students that we must look at the root cause of the problem and not the symptoms. The actions of this manager are symptoms to underlying issues.

To better understand the root causes, I would ask the following questions:

• What are the qualifications required for this management position? In other words, are you hiring the right people?
• What type of training is provided to managers? I want to know more about the onboarding process and ongoing training. This manager might have lost his enthusiasm after being in the field.
• Do you believe this negative attitude is systemic? In many cases, poor employee morale is not isolated to one person. You need to conduct further analysis to determine the size of the problem.

After reaching my office, I ate half the salad. For some reason, the poor customer service made me lose my appetite.

I am not sure if it is just me, but I am beginning to think that even doing a little more for the customer is impossible. In fact, you can almost eliminate “going the extra mile” or “wowing” the customer. Those marketing concepts have largely disappeared, and most companies are fine with merely meeting expectations.

Learning from the Mandarin Oriental in Manila

I recently had a meeting in Manila, The Philippines, and I stayed at the Mandarin Oriental. While the hotel is a luxury-type, the American dollar is strong enough that the price is reasonable. The point here is that my room rate gave me access to the lounge where I could have snacks, invite guests, and so on. After introducing myself one time to the staff, they called me by name for the rest of my stay. They did not forget. Second, when I asked where the fitness room was located, a friendly representative walked me to the workout room. Finally, when heading to the lobby, one staff member beat me to the elevator and pressed the “Down” button for me. These actions happened because the leadership team is committed to strong customer service.

The Confused Look is a Sign of Poor Customer Service

Not long ago I went to purchase a few pants at a department store here in San Antonio, Texas. Like most men, I had no idea where anything was located in the store. When asking for directions, one store employee pointed to the general location of the escalators, and that is where I would find the men’s clothing section. After a few minutes, I found the escalators that went up, and of course they were hidden behind the women’s beauty section.

Upon arriving in the men’s section, I asked the salesman to help me with pants my size, showing him the brand of pants I like to wear by showing him what I had on that day. He gave me a weird and confused look and said, “Oh, those are casual and I am sure Mary can help you.” He went about his business, and I was on my way. As you guessed, I had no idea who Mary was, and so I took the bold move of looking for my own pants. As it turns out, I eventually found what I wanted, but with little help from anyone in the store.

What’s the Point?

The Mandarin Oriental and department store examples show a clear difference in how leadership drives customer service. In one case, employees go out of their way to ensure I am a satisfied customer. They are not going to break rules, but they are going to do whatever possible to make me happy. In the department store example, the experience was poor. The point here is to move product, and they can increase sales by guiding the customer. Mind you that I went to buy my pants on at 11 am on a Tuesday morning. The salespeople were not busy.

The takeaway here is that doing more takes less effort than you might thing. Even if you improve the attention given to the customer by just 10%, you will lead the pack. Imagine what can happen if you decide to revamp the entire approach to servicing the customer. By creating a plan that is supported by leadership and committed to training, backed by an incentive program, your company can rise to the top of the industry in short order.

Regardless of the business, you all know that you must treat your customers right, go the extra mile, focus on the long-term, provide value-add, and on and on. However, you must avoid thinking that customers will always reciprocate by being loyal to your organization and referring their family, friends, and colleagues. If you have a quid pro quo mindset, your customer service plan will soon hit a brick wall.

Machu Picchu Example

I was recently in Cusco, Peru, and purchased a tour to Machu Picchu, an Incan ruin that is still largely intact. Let me take a step back and explain how it started. After landing in Cusco, I was assigned cab driver Wilfredo, who doubled as a tour guide. Instead of going directly to the hotel, I went to the travel agency where the different tours were explained. Before I knew it, I had purchased a package that included the 4-hour train rain on PeruRail, a bus trip up to Machu Picchu, an entry fee to the historical site, and payment for the guide.

All was going well until I arrived at Machu Picchu, and the paid guide was nowhere to be found. Wilfredo made it clear that a tour guide would call my name, but none of the many tour guides had “Jimmie Flores” on the list. Not wanting to be left behind, I paid another tour guide 20 soles to join his group.

Upon arriving back in Cusco, I called Wilfredo and advised him of the situation. He informed me that payment was made to the tour guide, and that once the money was received from that person, I would receive a refund. Here is the problem: my return to Lima, Peru was immediate, meaning that it would be impossible to collect while in Cusco. Second, 20 soles converts to about $7US, and that is petty cash in the scope of things.

The Point

Wilfredo knew that I did not have any time to wait for a refund. Second, he is banking on the fact that our paths will never cross again. The lesson here is that many people operate their businesses in the same way. They think of the customer as a one-time transaction, and are largely concerned with making the sale, and moving on to the next “victim.”

Even when you know that a customer will purchase only one time from you, you cannot deviate from a long-term customer service plan. In other words, you have to follow your plan and do what is right, despite the fact that the customer has little interest in you. The point here is that a customer service plan is about how you treat all customers, and not just one. In other words, leaders are concerned about the big picture, or the macro perspective about how their businesses are conducted.

If you take the Wilfredo approach, you might survive. However, tourism in Cusco is competitive, and soon enough the customer-focused companies will take the lion’s share of the market, and less reputable tourism agencies will share only the ruins left behind.