Tag Archives: empowerment

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Customer Service

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From time to time organizations are called on to provide assistance and advice to those people who buy or use its products or services. This can include people who work for the organization as long as they also purchase goods or services from the organization.

The prime motivation of this action of helping or doing work for someone is most likely primarily the monetary compensation received from the organization.   The customer must be dealt with because that is the specified task they are paid to do.

Company or Client

The biggest challenge in customer service is balancing the needs of the organization against those of the customer.  Loyalty to the company is imperative but effective customer service requires more than simply empathy.  The customer must be satisfied.

The most successful organization have empowered their front-line employees allowing them to act logically (within reasonable constraints) rather than simply preaching the corporate gospel, particularly when it does not make sense to them.

Using Common Sense

I recently encountered an example of a lack of common sense in a customer exchange with BMO (my former employer for 33 years).  The customer service representative I was dealing with blindly insisted on something that made no sense.

I insisted on speaking to her manager.  She reviewed the case with her boss and told me the manager would review and call me in 15 minutes.  They did not.

Ultimately the situation was resolved to my satisfaction, what I was proposing was accepted as totally reasonable, but the hoops I needed to go through left a pretty bad taste in my mouth.

Find the Balance

Disaffecting customers through blind stupidity is caused by a lack of empowerment.  The risk of not acquiring or retaining a customer needs to be balanced against the blind adherence to policy (or what the service provider thinks is policy).

Organizations with top-flight customer service understand this and enable their employees to do what is right without jumping through a series of silly hoops.

 

 

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Micro-manage

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Taking charge and control over every part, however small, of your assigned accountabilities (i.e., micromanage) can be stressful if you have a broad mandate.

Typically, the larger your span of control, the more support you have available to draw on.  Micro-managing in this case is not only stressful to you but harmful to others.

Turn-over

If you are a leader, those associated with you will typically dislike micro-management.  It leads to the question “ Why am I here?”  It also demonstrates a lack of trust.

The result is team members leave, at a high rate.  You replace them but the replacements leave, and so on.  Turn over off 100% in the course of a year would not be unheard of.

Quality

The efficiency and effectiveness of a group become greatly diminished when the expectation of them is clearly do this or do that.

Creativity and innovation are quashed.  The leader seeks to control everything and is not open to others ideas or methods.  Alternate methods, even if they are a more amenable way  to the person performing them are not allowed.

The theme that prevails is the leaders way or the highway.  High turn over rates illustrate this is not just a saying but reality.

Do it Yourself

Many workplace studies of new leaders challenges have found one of the greatest difficulties they have is getting things done through others.  Doing it yourself, your way is so much easier and often more self satisfying.

Sadly though this approach is neither sustainable nor as noted does it result in high quality, innovation or creativity.  However, the leader may feel good about themselves.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Lead me

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I often observe people complaining their leader/manager/supervisor does not meet their expectations.

I hear, “ Whats my purpose?, Whats our strategy? How can I perform well if you don’t spoon feed me.  You seriously expect us to think for ourselves?”

The Leader Within

Typically most folks don’t embrace my advice, that is “Be the leader you want to be!”.  The concept of top down leadership and a hierarchical structure that rolls up to a single power base just does not resonate with me.

Classic management theory is based on leadership from the top.  Success depends on the quality of the leadership.  I don’t subscribe to this thinking.

This practice has a single point of failure and relies on the exercise of granted power over the more powerfull and sustainable use of earned power (although it is harder).

Collaboration

High quality, effective and low cost results are far more likely to be achieved when the knowlege skills and capabilities of a group of individuals are integrated seemlessly.

No one is in charge alone, all are in charge collectively.  Idealism you say.  I have practicle experience demonstrating it can be done.  Agreed though, it is not easy and does not happen naturally.

Much effort is required.  The key to this approach is buy-in from all participants.  Someone with strong leadership capabilities can act as a catylst to get all to agree.

However, it is important they do not take overall charge and employ granted power versus earned.  Creation of a high performing team of independent collaboraters is not simple but the results are well worth the effort.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Taking and Giving Accountability

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When you are expected to make and standby either a decision or ensure an activity is completed to everyone’s satisfaction you are accountable.

Accountability is the condition of being accountable and it is either taken on (by choice) or given to you.  When assigned you may technically have the choice to accept or decline but in reality, this is not always the case.

Self Motivted

Choosing to take accountability, whether for your own actions or those of others ultimately you are the one making the decision or ensuring the successful completion of an action.

Taking accountability without being assigned or requested to do so is a leading indicator of a high level of initiative.   Typically this is recognized as a positive behavior although it needs to be balanced so as not to appear arrogant or authoritarian.

Self-motivation is a critical attribute for high performing groups.   Whether it be a Corporate, non-profit or even a family context when members take the accountability to make sure decisions are made and activities completed the outcomes are easier to achieve and of a higher quality.

Encouraging Initiative

Sometimes it is difficult to let others take accountability.  Our natural tendencies are for control and to take charge.  Allowing others to take accountability, particularly when we are in a leadership role can be difficult.

There is a risk, but it is a risk well worth taking.  The greatest way to motivate others to take accountability is quite simple, let them do it. The key here is making sure the culture is clear,  everyone is empowered.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Empowerment

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Authority surrounds us.  Our culture, and therefore our basic behaviours, are shaped by authority structures.   From political leaders to the police our lives are governed by external authority.

Basic authority is defined as the the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.  Without this structure, whether from the head of household to leader in the workplace our lives would be chaotic.

It is a natural human trait to recognize and respect authority.  This is  basically a genetically inbred herd mentality present in all humans although influenced by nuture factors and therefore practiced to varying degrees, based on each individuals personal behaviour.

On the whole though, the majority of people need authority to function and respect and accept it’s presence.  Few (criminals and the like) adhere to authority less stringently (but still need some).

Empowering Others

Leaders and other obvious authority figures function most effectively when they are able to balance their power with those they interact with.  That is, power sharing or empowerment of others.

This practice does not diminish a persons authority but rather enhances it if the proper balance is achieved.   The major challenge is to determine where that balance lies so authority is maintained but results are enhanced.

A dictoral practice of authority is typically easier to employ (balance not needed).  Additionally this usually leads to immediate results although they might not be of the highest quality or sustainable.

For higher quality sustainable results over the longer term employing some level of empowerment is advisable.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Using power wisely

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I heard a couple of stories the other day intended to highlight examples of good and bad approaches to leadership empowerment.  They are simple but informative.

Ruling wisely

Consider an imaginary country.  The ruler needs to designate a deputy and after some investgation he summons the prime candidate and puts the proposition to him.

“I want to delegate these specific governance accountabilities to you”  he tells the candidate (specifying the area of responsibility).  Will you accept the role.

The candidate replied, “On one condition, that you accept my directions and decisions without question whether you agree or not as long as they are within my accountabilities.

The leader was taken aback at first arguing he had overall accountability of everything.  The candidate explained the only way he could achieve success was to be empowered.  Following discussion which included more details of the value behind the concept of empowerment, the leader agreed and the appointment was made

And now the country is thriving under strong and effective leadership that is neither overtaxed nor contradictory or confusing.

But what if?

In the alternate scenario the leader decides to uses two deputies.  Each are empowered but only as long as the agree with each other.  Otherwise decisions are raised to the overall leader for arbritration.

In this fantasy example, things do not work well.  Decision making is confused, often slowed by the need for arbritration by the leader.  Also the deputies devise ways to undermine or circumvent each other.

Clearly defined accountabilities are need for real empowerment to work.   Mandating that wo leaders will collaberate rarely succeeds.