Times are tough. Does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out. When times are tough we have a tendency to cut corners. We need to cut costs, utilize our employees to their fullest yet we always need to do it "right".
Here is an exerpt from The Four Minute Customer:
Truth 10: Nike Was Wrong: Losers “Just Do It” Winners “Do It Right.”
Who am I to argue with a 100 million dollar advertising campaign? They’re Nike; after all!
In sales and service, there is a tendency to participate or survive rather than pursue excellence and flourish. Doing it right may sound obvious but we often miss it. Many organizations have a “just do it” kind of attitude. This does not mean they are careless, lack focus or are not professional. It means that they are surviving (see earlier chapter) vs. trying to pursue excellence. Doing it right in sales and service means having a clear plan or strategy, installing an operating system, pursuing excellence, measuring the results, making changes and starting the process all over again. The pursuit of excellence sounds like a sports slogan. “Natural” service and sales people who were born to be great can often overtake this part of our business. They see a situation and they react. While it is wonderful to have these people, we must be able to build an organization of people that can respond professionally to customer situations whether sales or service.
How to measure?
1. Is my organization on purpose about achieving excellence not simply results? (In other words, how we do it not just did we succeed?)
2. Do we measure the accomplishments that lead to the results (i.e., the number of cold calls made in a sales environment rather than just the end sales numbers.)
3. Do we have a plan and an operating system for customers and employees? Is it in writing?
4. Are we serious about competing for employees?
5. Do we pursue customer experience and synchronize that with our services and sales offerings?
6. Do we invest in our front-line management team?
You need lots of yes’s in order to be going in the right direction. Any no’s and there is work to be done.
Do it right and you will not only survive but you will prosper as well.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Perspective
This past week I had the privilege to participate in a group of meetings focused on the newspaper industry. If you have not read the "papers"-no pun intended- the newspaper business is in a state of turmoil. Readership is down, large papers are going out of business and as you would expect much of the decline is the result of the internet.
The group was friendly and professional. You could feel the malaise that was surrounding their industry and business. I kept wondering who their real competition was. Almost all of them were one paper towns, no competitor doing what they did. They were all active on the web as well. It leads to a discussion of competing. One of my favorite subjects.
When you compete; you need to have a game plan and execute it. If you listen to a newspaper talk it is confusing to figure out who their real competition is. Who do they compete against? Who is the "bad guy" in their scenario. If you are not careful you might pick the "internet" as their competitor. That would be a mistake. You can't compete with something that has no real owner nor can you compete with something that is so big you could not possibly come up with a strategy to overcome it an finally each one of them is already invested in the internet as well.
You need to know who your competition is and what your plan is. Maybe its a union when it comes to the EFCA. Maybe it is your congressman that is voting for it. Maybe it is a call center down the street that is stealing your people. Maybe it is a couple of employees that are steering the rest of your employees to be organized.
Do you have a list of who you compete against? You compete for your employees everyday. You compete against advertisements in the very newspapers we are talking about here. You compete for their focus with texting, emails, web browsing, etc. You compete for your customers everyday with the other companies they connect with by phone, web, in person each day. Don't think that your customers are comparing you against other firms like you. They compare you against the bank, the cable company, the retailer or whoever they do business with that day, week or month. Don't miss this. You are not competing only against the company you think you are.
Being able to know who your competitor is helps you to focus and make a plan. Without one you will fail.
Stop here if you could care less about newspapers.
So who does the newspaper industry compete with? In my humble opinino it is the following;
1. The truth- The internet is "great" yet we have no idea whether any of it is true at all. Newspapers have built a history of telling the truth. One of the reasons that they are slow is because they get it right. I would be pitching;" News you can depend on to be right and researched."Make your business and personal decisions based on what we tell you; you can count on it."
2. Speed of information- News has turned into a speed deal. Who can report it first becomes more important than what is reported. Headlines of newspapers should shift from being about what happened last night and more about what is important to people for a longer period of time.
3. Personalities and familiarity counts- Individual make a difference on the web and they do in newspapers as well. Columnists often make news. Columnists in your paper should have less access on the web. At worst case, slow down access. In Texas, I will read Randy Galloway a sports reporter for the Fort Worth Star telegram. Today, I can read him on the web at the same time I can read him in the newspaper. If it took a day to read him on line, I might be more pre-disposed to read him in the paper first. Speed can work against you as well. Newspapers will never be faster than the web but they can be faster with their own information.
4. Local is okay. The web has driven us to get as much access as we can as quick as we can. In other words what we say locally can effectively be broadcast to the world almost immediately. Who cares? If we have local information that is valuable locally. Hold onto it. Make it come out when you are ready after you have gained value from it. Then release it. In reality who cares if the rest of the world knows anyway.
5. Change the name,- Just the fact that it says news-paper is bad enough. On my Kindle, I can get the Austin American statesman. Very cool.
Clark Kent would be proud.
The group was friendly and professional. You could feel the malaise that was surrounding their industry and business. I kept wondering who their real competition was. Almost all of them were one paper towns, no competitor doing what they did. They were all active on the web as well. It leads to a discussion of competing. One of my favorite subjects.
When you compete; you need to have a game plan and execute it. If you listen to a newspaper talk it is confusing to figure out who their real competition is. Who do they compete against? Who is the "bad guy" in their scenario. If you are not careful you might pick the "internet" as their competitor. That would be a mistake. You can't compete with something that has no real owner nor can you compete with something that is so big you could not possibly come up with a strategy to overcome it an finally each one of them is already invested in the internet as well.
You need to know who your competition is and what your plan is. Maybe its a union when it comes to the EFCA. Maybe it is your congressman that is voting for it. Maybe it is a call center down the street that is stealing your people. Maybe it is a couple of employees that are steering the rest of your employees to be organized.
Do you have a list of who you compete against? You compete for your employees everyday. You compete against advertisements in the very newspapers we are talking about here. You compete for their focus with texting, emails, web browsing, etc. You compete for your customers everyday with the other companies they connect with by phone, web, in person each day. Don't think that your customers are comparing you against other firms like you. They compare you against the bank, the cable company, the retailer or whoever they do business with that day, week or month. Don't miss this. You are not competing only against the company you think you are.
Being able to know who your competitor is helps you to focus and make a plan. Without one you will fail.
Stop here if you could care less about newspapers.
So who does the newspaper industry compete with? In my humble opinino it is the following;
1. The truth- The internet is "great" yet we have no idea whether any of it is true at all. Newspapers have built a history of telling the truth. One of the reasons that they are slow is because they get it right. I would be pitching;" News you can depend on to be right and researched."Make your business and personal decisions based on what we tell you; you can count on it."
2. Speed of information- News has turned into a speed deal. Who can report it first becomes more important than what is reported. Headlines of newspapers should shift from being about what happened last night and more about what is important to people for a longer period of time.
3. Personalities and familiarity counts- Individual make a difference on the web and they do in newspapers as well. Columnists often make news. Columnists in your paper should have less access on the web. At worst case, slow down access. In Texas, I will read Randy Galloway a sports reporter for the Fort Worth Star telegram. Today, I can read him on the web at the same time I can read him in the newspaper. If it took a day to read him on line, I might be more pre-disposed to read him in the paper first. Speed can work against you as well. Newspapers will never be faster than the web but they can be faster with their own information.
4. Local is okay. The web has driven us to get as much access as we can as quick as we can. In other words what we say locally can effectively be broadcast to the world almost immediately. Who cares? If we have local information that is valuable locally. Hold onto it. Make it come out when you are ready after you have gained value from it. Then release it. In reality who cares if the rest of the world knows anyway.
5. Change the name,- Just the fact that it says news-paper is bad enough. On my Kindle, I can get the Austin American statesman. Very cool.
Clark Kent would be proud.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
You get what you pay for
The second "truth" of sales and service is "You only get what you pay for". See the "trust" truth in an earlier blog. Simply put we reap what we sow. In the ever present shadow of the Employee Free Choice Act is the issue of wages and their impact on an organized drive within your company. What ever your position as an organization what you pay people has an impact on the performance of your organization and on the attitudes and direction of your employees. Let me be clear; I live by the motto for companies to""Provide the highest quality of sales and service for the least amount that is profitable to the client and profitable to the company. This means companies should pursue every competitive advantage possible to compete. This includes paying wages that are responsible. Just beware of what you choose.
Here is the 2nd truth:
"Truth 2: You Only Get What You Pay For
Yes, I inserted the word “only.” The reason? Most people still don’t get it. You can’t pay dirt, invest no money in training, recognition, supervisors, quality, workforce management, administrative support, treat everyone lousy and expect great customer experience. A better perspective might be that when you don’t invest in sales and service appropriately you get even less than what you pay for. Performance is even poorer.
We have a conundrum in that many entry-level jobs have such high turnover that companies are afraid to invest (tools, training, etc.) in a job that has a high turnover rate. The result is a self-fulfilling prophecy that we cannot invest if they leave; yet we are unhappy while they are with us because they don’t do a good job.
One of our challenges is that we are equally reticent to invest one level up at the frontline manager. The majority of these folks are our “star front-liners” promoted. We need to invest in making these people successful right from the start. If we don’t teach them what to do the results will be unfortunate. The reason is prior to this move they were only responsible for themselves. Now they are responsible for a team of people.
Let me be clear; money does not solve all problems. Some of the worst organizations we have seen overpay their people. Steven Covey, in his book “The Eighth Habit” states that organizations consider land, material and technology assets yet “they?” consider people liabilities.
If you are reticent to invest in people then invest in the process and operating system that these people use. Install the “right way” to lead, coach, run meetings, measure performance metrics, build winning culture and then no matter who comes in or out you are guaranteed to get quality results.
Companies that don’t invest in their people (both the value-side and the able-side) lose every time."
Here is the 2nd truth:
"Truth 2: You Only Get What You Pay For
Yes, I inserted the word “only.” The reason? Most people still don’t get it. You can’t pay dirt, invest no money in training, recognition, supervisors, quality, workforce management, administrative support, treat everyone lousy and expect great customer experience. A better perspective might be that when you don’t invest in sales and service appropriately you get even less than what you pay for. Performance is even poorer.
We have a conundrum in that many entry-level jobs have such high turnover that companies are afraid to invest (tools, training, etc.) in a job that has a high turnover rate. The result is a self-fulfilling prophecy that we cannot invest if they leave; yet we are unhappy while they are with us because they don’t do a good job.
One of our challenges is that we are equally reticent to invest one level up at the frontline manager. The majority of these folks are our “star front-liners” promoted. We need to invest in making these people successful right from the start. If we don’t teach them what to do the results will be unfortunate. The reason is prior to this move they were only responsible for themselves. Now they are responsible for a team of people.
Let me be clear; money does not solve all problems. Some of the worst organizations we have seen overpay their people. Steven Covey, in his book “The Eighth Habit” states that organizations consider land, material and technology assets yet “they?” consider people liabilities.
If you are reticent to invest in people then invest in the process and operating system that these people use. Install the “right way” to lead, coach, run meetings, measure performance metrics, build winning culture and then no matter who comes in or out you are guaranteed to get quality results.
Companies that don’t invest in their people (both the value-side and the able-side) lose every time."
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Choice
On Monday, Citicorp made a "choice" to downgrade the stock price of Walmart with the expectation that the Employee Free Choice Act would harm their profitability. Read it for yourself.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/citigroup-downgrades-wal-mart-hold-unionization/story.aspx?guid=%7BF079F734-3FA2-4F34-A910-D1579223B32F%7D&dist=msr_1
The other side is fighting as well:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/03/10/the_employee_free_choice_bill.html?hpid=topnews
This bill is all about "choice". For this blog I would like to shift from looking at the employees "choice" in the future and the ramifications of that in this bill to the choice they make each day today in working for you. Each day that they make these choices; it affects your profitability today and potentially "organized labor" tomorrow.
How are you doing with these employee choices?
1. The choice to trust your organization and more specifically their manager.
We have discussed the impact the front line manager makes on your organization. The employee is asking; "Does this person have my best interests in mind?" Are they looking out for me? Are they treating me fairly? If they trust the manager, you have a much better (but not certain) chance they will trust the company. Do you trust your managers?
2. The choice to contribute and be part of the team or create problems.
Most simply contribute but some have more activity planned. In every organization you have trouble makers. What happens to them? Are they punished fairly? Do they get away with it? Is one manager easier than the other? Bad folks corrupt good character. It always starts somewhere. Passed over for a raise, faulted for something they did not do, penalized as a group for something management should have controlled, troubles outside that they are allowed to bring inside.
3. Similarly, the choice to be part of the solution or part of the problem.
Once problems exist, employees choose to help out or let it ride. Some even make it worse. If being a part of the solution is not rewarded, recognized (most important) or simply encouraged then it makes it easy to just be a part of the problem. You pick it: quality, tardiness, calling in sick, gossip, lack of respect, complaining, whining; you get the idea.
4.The choice to be pro-company.
If there is an environment where it is 'cool" to be pro-company then your job is easier. Being a company "lifer", cheerleader, encourager, waste finder, new employee finder are all examples of creating the kind of culture you want. If these folks are rewarded and recognized they will be followed.
5. The choice to seek employment elsewhere.
Nothing helps you measure your success with employees better than your turnover rate and how big the line is to get into your company. Are you a place people are breaking down the doors to get in; or busting down the doors to get out? If you can not hold onto your roses (your best employees) you will be stuck with weeds. Weeds are not good for profitability!
If you think it is a good "choice", please send this link to someone that might like to read it or learn more. Thanks. http://tamerpartners.blogspot.com/
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/citigroup-downgrades-wal-mart-hold-unionization/story.aspx?guid=%7BF079F734-3FA2-4F34-A910-D1579223B32F%7D&dist=msr_1
The other side is fighting as well:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/03/10/the_employee_free_choice_bill.html?hpid=topnews
This bill is all about "choice". For this blog I would like to shift from looking at the employees "choice" in the future and the ramifications of that in this bill to the choice they make each day today in working for you. Each day that they make these choices; it affects your profitability today and potentially "organized labor" tomorrow.
How are you doing with these employee choices?
1. The choice to trust your organization and more specifically their manager.
We have discussed the impact the front line manager makes on your organization. The employee is asking; "Does this person have my best interests in mind?" Are they looking out for me? Are they treating me fairly? If they trust the manager, you have a much better (but not certain) chance they will trust the company. Do you trust your managers?
2. The choice to contribute and be part of the team or create problems.
Most simply contribute but some have more activity planned. In every organization you have trouble makers. What happens to them? Are they punished fairly? Do they get away with it? Is one manager easier than the other? Bad folks corrupt good character. It always starts somewhere. Passed over for a raise, faulted for something they did not do, penalized as a group for something management should have controlled, troubles outside that they are allowed to bring inside.
3. Similarly, the choice to be part of the solution or part of the problem.
Once problems exist, employees choose to help out or let it ride. Some even make it worse. If being a part of the solution is not rewarded, recognized (most important) or simply encouraged then it makes it easy to just be a part of the problem. You pick it: quality, tardiness, calling in sick, gossip, lack of respect, complaining, whining; you get the idea.
4.The choice to be pro-company.
If there is an environment where it is 'cool" to be pro-company then your job is easier. Being a company "lifer", cheerleader, encourager, waste finder, new employee finder are all examples of creating the kind of culture you want. If these folks are rewarded and recognized they will be followed.
5. The choice to seek employment elsewhere.
Nothing helps you measure your success with employees better than your turnover rate and how big the line is to get into your company. Are you a place people are breaking down the doors to get in; or busting down the doors to get out? If you can not hold onto your roses (your best employees) you will be stuck with weeds. Weeds are not good for profitability!
If you think it is a good "choice", please send this link to someone that might like to read it or learn more. Thanks. http://tamerpartners.blogspot.com/
Friday, March 6, 2009
Time to start preparing
Biden supports bill to make unionizing easier
By KELLI KENNEDY – 22 hours ago
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden pressed the White House's agenda for a new labor bill Thursday before the nation's largest union.
The AFL-CIO "brought me to the dance a long time ago. And it's time we start dancing, man," he told the group, one of his biggest supporters during the election.
Biden spoke warmly during the nearly hourlong speech in Miami Beach, addressing many members by name and offering support for the Employee Free Choice Act, which would give workers the option of unionizing by signing cards or petitions instead of holding secret ballot elections.
On Tuesday, President Barack Obama offered some of his most supportive comments for the Act since he took office, telling AFL-CIO members in a videotaped message that he will work to pass the bill.
Biden's speech was the latest signal of the new administration's pro-union tilt, including the appointment of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, the daughter of union members. She was also in Miami this week drumming up support for the bill.
Before the inauguration, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said he'd been to the White House only once in the past eight years. Now he visits at least once a week.
"He gave a strong statement of support for workers, their wages ... collective bargaining and the Employee Free Choice Ace," Sweeney said.
Biden echoed the Obama administration's platform during the campaign saying they were committed to raising the standard of living for the middle class, the spine of the economy.
"For too long the middle class has been dealt out. I'm here to tell you in this administration it is dealt in. It is the first card on the table," he said.
Obama's first bill was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, an equal-pay bill that is popular with labor and women's groups. It's expected to make it easier for workers to sue for decades-old discrimination.
Labor officials say the Employee Free Choice Act could rebuild dwindling membership; one in eight workers today is a member of a union, down from about one in five 25 years ago.
Business groups vehemently oppose the legislation and claim passage will put many of their members out of business.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
By KELLI KENNEDY – 22 hours ago
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden pressed the White House's agenda for a new labor bill Thursday before the nation's largest union.
The AFL-CIO "brought me to the dance a long time ago. And it's time we start dancing, man," he told the group, one of his biggest supporters during the election.
Biden spoke warmly during the nearly hourlong speech in Miami Beach, addressing many members by name and offering support for the Employee Free Choice Act, which would give workers the option of unionizing by signing cards or petitions instead of holding secret ballot elections.
On Tuesday, President Barack Obama offered some of his most supportive comments for the Act since he took office, telling AFL-CIO members in a videotaped message that he will work to pass the bill.
Biden's speech was the latest signal of the new administration's pro-union tilt, including the appointment of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, the daughter of union members. She was also in Miami this week drumming up support for the bill.
Before the inauguration, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said he'd been to the White House only once in the past eight years. Now he visits at least once a week.
"He gave a strong statement of support for workers, their wages ... collective bargaining and the Employee Free Choice Ace," Sweeney said.
Biden echoed the Obama administration's platform during the campaign saying they were committed to raising the standard of living for the middle class, the spine of the economy.
"For too long the middle class has been dealt out. I'm here to tell you in this administration it is dealt in. It is the first card on the table," he said.
Obama's first bill was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, an equal-pay bill that is popular with labor and women's groups. It's expected to make it easier for workers to sue for decades-old discrimination.
Labor officials say the Employee Free Choice Act could rebuild dwindling membership; one in eight workers today is a member of a union, down from about one in five 25 years ago.
Business groups vehemently oppose the legislation and claim passage will put many of their members out of business.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Gaining momentum
You just don't have to work very hard to really make a point when there are so many others that will do it for you:
http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/03/03/solis-meets-with-workers-in-first-public-appearance/
The most important line of this whole article is the very last one where it talks about the next meetings for our new secretary of Labor and the gentleman that will follow her in the meetings. The next gentleman is Vice President, Joe Biden.
As stated earlier, Washington is in a feeding frenzy right now. Never has the opportunity to spend money been so high and so prevelant. As a result, all politicians are focused on spending money. This is a unique set of circumstances we are in and there may never be another time in history when spending will be this high and this easy. Washington will stay focused as long as the times are this good for them.
Once this passes, however, the next natural step is payback for the past election. Number one on the list in the Employee Free Choice Act. It has to be. Too much money was given, too much support provided by unions to not deliver back. Maybe the legislation will be watered down but my guess is that there is no reason to water it down. They have the votes and they have a President that will sign it.
This blog is a call to action. Not a call to action for legislative lobbying but a call to get your business in order so you have some sort of control over your employee base. The call to action is so that you can compete for your employees against organized labor. If you have been reading you already know that we believe the same actions you take to protect your employee base are also the same actions to make you a more competitive organization. You compete by having a workforce that delivers more productivity and customer satisfaction because they work for a company that brings out their best. When this happens; everyone wins. The client gets a superior product and service, the company gets profitability by lower costs and higher revenue and the employee gets to work in a environment where they can do their very best.
And yes, it is pretty hard for organized labor to gain any sort of a foothold in that type of company
http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/03/03/solis-meets-with-workers-in-first-public-appearance/
The most important line of this whole article is the very last one where it talks about the next meetings for our new secretary of Labor and the gentleman that will follow her in the meetings. The next gentleman is Vice President, Joe Biden.
As stated earlier, Washington is in a feeding frenzy right now. Never has the opportunity to spend money been so high and so prevelant. As a result, all politicians are focused on spending money. This is a unique set of circumstances we are in and there may never be another time in history when spending will be this high and this easy. Washington will stay focused as long as the times are this good for them.
Once this passes, however, the next natural step is payback for the past election. Number one on the list in the Employee Free Choice Act. It has to be. Too much money was given, too much support provided by unions to not deliver back. Maybe the legislation will be watered down but my guess is that there is no reason to water it down. They have the votes and they have a President that will sign it.
This blog is a call to action. Not a call to action for legislative lobbying but a call to get your business in order so you have some sort of control over your employee base. The call to action is so that you can compete for your employees against organized labor. If you have been reading you already know that we believe the same actions you take to protect your employee base are also the same actions to make you a more competitive organization. You compete by having a workforce that delivers more productivity and customer satisfaction because they work for a company that brings out their best. When this happens; everyone wins. The client gets a superior product and service, the company gets profitability by lower costs and higher revenue and the employee gets to work in a environment where they can do their very best.
And yes, it is pretty hard for organized labor to gain any sort of a foothold in that type of company
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