Regardless of your field of expertise, people are the key to any success that you will achieve. You might work for a bank, the government, a charity, a hospital, in manufacturing, or in any other type of organization, and everything comes back to how people are treated and how they feel about what you or your organization does. Karma is real.
This truth should be self-evident; however, in my experience many organizations allow other priorities to subordinate the people they serve, the people they rely on externally, and sadly, many of the people who make up their organization.
Where to start? How to help? In five minutes or 1500 words, there are some simple fundamental truths that you or anyone can use today that will make an immediate difference.
Never judge a customer, client, staff, or supplier by their appearance. Many people form their impression of someone in the first few seconds they meet someone. This bias does not take into account the variety of circumstances that brings people together. Dig deeper, listen, understand, empathize, and you will learn insights that most people will ignore.
Always smile and say “hello” to every person you see. This costs nothing and can change the course of someone’s day. Remember how you feel when someone fails to acknowledge you, that negative feeling can ripple through any organization.
Never assume that someone visiting your organization has been helped. It is as simple as acknowledging anyone you don’t recognize in your workplace. Smile, say hello, introduce yourself, and offer to help; if you and everyone in your organization provide this same level of friendliness, your organization can only benefit.
Always remember that “karma” is alive and well. Being energetic and positive may not be acknowledged as much as it should be however, being pessimistic and negative is almost always noticed by customers, clients, co-workers, supervisors, and every person who comes in contact with that person or people.
Never make yourself look better while blaming your organization. Find ways to deal with frustration and issues with someone who can help. Complaining to customers, clients, suppliers, and co-workers while blaming your organization doesn’t help anyone.
Always ensure you can deliver what you promise. The ability to “do what you say,” is the fundamental cornerstone of establishing trust. For example, merchants need to have timely stock availability information, medical offices need to address health issues in a reasonable time, and charities need to demonstrate how donations are used.
Never forget the person in front of you is more important than anything else. Every person deserves respect, dignity, and acknowledgment. Constantly interrupting or making someone wait fails them and the vision of your organization.
Always review what has been promised when finished interacting with someone. People can easily misinterpret or become confused, particularly when under stress or in a new environment or situation. Providing a brief but concise review and highlighting the next steps will provide clarity and reinforce their dignity and respect.
Never forget the basics. When someone provides their name, phone number, email, or contact information, write it down before entering them into a computer. Ask for the correct spelling and ask them to confirm that you have it recorded correctly.
Always respond quickly to online requests. A fundamental misconception for many organizations is that there is no urgency for online requests … this is wrong. People making online inquiries should be treated the same as if they were standing in front of you. If your organization fails to appreciate this truism, they will find the person has bypassed them and is attempting to find an alternative service provider.
Never let the phone ring more than three times. Too many organizations allow messages to go to answering machines, and providing exceptional customer service should be everyone’s responsibility.
Always remember that your competition gets better every day. This maxim is true for any organization in any sector, if people do believe they do not have any competition they are biased and wrong.
Never underestimate the competition. While similar to the preceding truth, underestimating those people competing in your sector can be devasting for any organization. Everyone has blind spots, don’t let this one be true for you.
Always smile when on the phone, or even online when talking to a customer. When smiling the tone of your responses is different than when you are not. Projecting warmth and a willingness to help is important in any communication, particularly in forms that do not allow non-verbal communication.
Never allow anyone to feel they have come to the wrong door. If a person has arrived at the wrong place, make them feel that it isn’t a big deal. If possible, do a “warm transfer” and walk them to the correct place. If they must go to another place, then provide good directions and call ahead for them.
Always follow up if you have taken a message for someone. “Own” the message, provide messages promptly and follow up to ensure the call was returned.
Never rely on emails to solve problems. Emails are useful; however, if you have not gotten a response, call instead of sending a second or third email. Emails are easily missed and/or ignored.
Always be learning something, and try to be better than yesterday. Job security is fleeting, always be making yourself more valuable. Upgrade your education, learn new skills, and allow your behavior to evolve.
Never dwell on a mistake. Mistakes happen, learn, remember the lesson, and move on. Too many people focus on mistakes and often make more of them.
Always keep your workspace organized. Being organized sets the example, it looks professional, improves efficiency, and reduces duplication.
Never miss an opportunity. Good or bad experiences can teach valuable lessons, there isn’t any type of organization that can allow people to leave upset. Brainstorm and find ways to take a positive from every and any kind of interaction.
Always know your organization’s social and regular media. Awareness of your media footprint and your competition gives strength to your organization.
Never use read receipts on emails. It is tempting and it seems like a useful tool. It is highly disrespectful to high-performing teams because it shows a lack of trust.
Always walk people visiting your organization out, thank them, and invite them to return. Any success depends on people and how they feel about how your organization treated them. Seeing them out and ensuring they have had a positive experience builds trust and reinforces dignity and respect.
Never “slam” your competition. There is no “upside” to this, attacking them makes your organization seem afraid. The best advice is to point out the facts and express your desire for people to make an “informed decision.”
Always after every interaction with people, ask yourself: “What did I do right?”, “What did I do wrong?” and “What could I have done differently next time?” This short debriefing is a valuable tool for organizational and individual self-improvement.
Never ask your supervisor for something in front of a customer or client. When this scenario occurs, your supervisor is in an awkward unwinnable position. The question has created a “Win/Lose” situation that should have been avoided.
Always do what you said you would for a person. Trust and reliability are perishable commodities. Call back even if you don’t have an answer yet, advise people who are waiting about delays, and remember “bad news” never gets easier to say, people only get angrier the more they must wait.
Always realize that a person who looks like they have a question does. Many people are very comfortable asking questions, but likely an equal number are not. Looking for non-verbal cues and having the ability to recognize and respond to them will pay you huge benefits over time.
Never be afraid to speak your mind. Remembering that picking your spot is vitally important. Not every organization is the same and look for ways to express your thoughts and opinions without embarrassing someone or backing them into a corner.
Always work as if your boss is watching you. In my experience, the people who succeed more have adopted this approach. Many people work differently when their supervisor is not around, try not to be one of them.
Never embarrass someone who doesn’t have the right word to describe something. I find this happens at hardware or automotive stores to me quite often. I know what I want but don’t know the right term and many times I have been left to feel foolish because I didn’t know. The places that took the time to listen and help me, are the places I go and recommend to others.
Always avoid gossiping and spreading rumors. Organizational communication is difficult at best, having people fueling gossip and half-truths only weakens the organization. Ask questions, clarify misunderstandings, and discourage gossip will make your culture stronger for everyone.
Never forgot to prioritize your work. Stress and anxiety about the number of tasks we have to complete are very common in most organizations. Rank what needs to be done, either yourself or by asking for help, and do your best.
Always try to be 10-15 minutes early. Our lives are full of deadlines and pressure, take every opportunity to reduce that stress. One easy-to-implement way is to try to be early if you can.
Never assume that someone else will help. If you see someone struggling, stop and ask if they need help. You might be the only one, imagine if you were the person needing help and how grateful you would be if someone noticed
Always appreciate different perspectives. There are more solutions than just yours, someone who is difficult to deal with may have just received horrible news, having the ability to recognize alternatives or when someone is struggling is one of the most important life skills we can possess.
Never assume that people know anything about your organization. Many of us are guilty of this statement. We refer to processes and people as if they were common knowledge and they are not. Using “buzz words” or abbreviations or acronyms is another common mistake many people do without appreciating their specialized knowledge is not commonplace.
Always look at your organization as if you were a client/customer or your competition. We all have blind spots and organizations have them too. Constantly working to improve and polish your processes and culture helps to minimize those blind spots.
Never stop. The more we learn the more we appreciate how much more there is to learn.
I have exceeded my 1500 words by a little; however, within these few pages are some tools that you can start using today. My Dale Carnegie instructor once chided me for using “Never and Always;” however, I think even he might appreciate how I have used them in this post. Like the other posts on my blog, this one is full of “Tools You Can Use Today,” I hope you do and that you have found it helpful and interesting.
Good luck,
Paul.