Author: Dr. Flores Page 31 of 44

How is long-term defined? As we know, the generations before ours were known for being loyal to their concerns. Today, most of us find it somewhat humorous to say that we will commit even five years to an organization.

The times have changed,but what is different? Is it because the tide has changed to pro-employee, and we have many more choices today? We are now the Monster.com Generation, with so many new opportunities for employment. At a time when many people are still looking for work matching their skills set, I’m not so sure that the employee is completely in the driver’s seat.

Nonetheless, employees can control more of their future by developing the talents needed today, such as leadership, communication, and technological prowess. By being prepared, they can take advantage of opportunities when they arise.

I recently ran into a friend who described her new job, and was enlightened by her level of enthusiasm.

Me: Hi, Jessica! How are you doing?

Jessica: I’m doing great! It’s good to see you.

Me: Same here. What’s keeping you busy?

Jessica: Cross-Tech hired me as a Network Administrator several weeks ago. I applied about eight months ago, and was finally interviewed last month. I had three interviews, and one with a panel of sorts. It was grueling!

Me: Great! I’m glad you were selected. I do remember you have a Computer Information Systems degree, and several years of work experience in the field.

Jessica: I do, but the industry is super-competitive. I think the industry certifications helped me a bit. Regardless, it was a tough process. The timing was good, though. I’m ready for a management position, especially since part of my team is in Shanghai, China. This is an exciting position!

Me: Oh! So, this is not necessarily a stepping-stone for you? You plan to be at Cross-Tech for several years?

Jessica: This is really a cool company. I met the managers and other employees, and they love working there. I want to be there for the long-term.

Me: Long-term can mean different things, right? I know some people who think long is like five years.

Jessica: Yeah, I guess you’re right. But, I’m thinking like forever! The 401(k) program is terrific, and the company’s value is increasing every year. I’m pretty sure I can commit to the company the rest of my working career. Of course, many things can change, and I’m aware of that.

Me: Regardless, it’s great to see that you found a place where you love to work. With this enthusiasm, I’m sure you are going to impress many leaders at Cross-Tech.

Jessica: My commitment should make a difference. At least, I hope! It was great seeing you! We need to do lunch soon.

Me: For sure! Let’s plan for next week. Is Wednesday ok?

Jessica: Perfect! See you then!

This conversation with Jessica reminded me that some employees want to make a difference for their employers and are willing to make a long-term commitment. I think Jessica’s situation is unique, but even a 7-to-10 year investment from an employee is impressive.

A win-win situation takes place when company leaders reciprocate by providing a challenging and rewarding work experience for their employees. By making this investment in their workforce, the organization can expect to increase its competitiveness in the marketplace and become an employer of choice.

A Conversation with an Employee That is a Keeper

On a recent business trip, I overhead a manager talking with a recently-hired employee in her department, and here is part of this discussion:

Manager: Abby, you’ve been here one week. Tell me what you’ve learned.

Employee: Oh, Ms. Ramirez, where do I start?

Manager: What do you mean? Tell me more.

Employee: Well, you see, I know I was hired mainly because I have good Spanish-speaking skills. I can make sure our customers are comfortable when they walk in the door. I’ve been here only a week, and I want to speed up the learning process.

Manager: You were hired because you are an asset to our organization. We considered many different applicants before we hired you.

Employee: You’re so nice to say that, and I am delighted to have this opportunity. I liked working for SystemTech, but this position at Medic Professionals looked challenging to me. Also, when I interviewed here, the employees seemed happy, and I knew this was the right time for me to make a change.

Manager: I’m not always available during the day because of meetings and other administrative work. How do you keep yourself occupied?

Employee: Really, Ms. Ramirez, I don’t really try to stay occupied. Let me explain. Staying occupied to me means that I try to look busy even when I have nothing to do. I didn’t accept the position at Medic Professionals to waste time. In fact, I became interested in this position because I wanted to learn more about the health care industry. One friend told me he liked it because it gave him the opportunity to help people. In just one week, I can tell that I can make a difference.

Manager: Abby, please remind me, where did you work before coming here?

Employee: Ms. Ramirez, I worked for Hotel Intercontinental in Jackson. While this position is different from that one, I use the same approach. First, when the patient walks into the office, I make sure to smile. I want that person to feel comfortable, and to have someone who is ready to help him. Our patients have pressing problems, and it helps when we greet them and are prepared to help them.

Manager: How do you handle a patient who is upset?

Employee: Let’s me use an example from when I worked for the hotel. One customer was upset because a smoke alarm was triggered around 1 a.m. The customer was dead asleep, and he wasn’t happy the alarm awoke him. He called downstairs, and I answered the phone. He wanted the problem fixed right away. I informed him that I was the only person on duty, and could not leave the front desk. He didn’t like my response – at all!

Manager: What did you do?

Employee: I told the hotel guest to give me 5 minutes, and I would find a solution. I had the option to move the customer to a new room, but that was not a good option.

Manager: What did you go?

Employee: I decided to go against policy a bit. You know, I’m not supposed to leave the front desk unattended. However, I locked the front door, and even though I knew nothing about smoke alarms, I was going to give it a shot.

Manager: Did you figure it out?

Employee: The guest was surprised when I knocked on his door. Sure enough, the smoke alarm was blaring. I told him I new little about how to stop it from making the loud noise, but I was going to try. With my ladder in tow, I replaced the battery, and within a few minutes the problem was resolved.

Manager: Did you report the incident to your manager?

Employee: I documented the incident in my issue log, but the guest awoke very early, and approached my manager when he arrived at 6 a.m. The guest lost about an hour of sleep, but he was impressed that I bent the rules a bit to resolve the problem. He said, “You need to make sure and keep that employee. I can tell you there aren’t many like her.

When you find an employee who is accountable, you must do whatever possible to keep her on our team. Rules are rules, policies are policies, but you must ensure everyone is prepared to make gray area decisions.

3 Nonverbal Mistakes to Avoid in Your Next Interview

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.

How to Manage a Belligerent Employee

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.

Don’t Make Me Think! Just Tell Me What To Do!

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.

If I Were President: No More Micromanagers!

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!

Attentive Service for the Pretty Girl

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!

Customer Experience: Difference Between Rude and Frustrated

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.

3 Sure-Fire Ways to Turn off Your Customer