It May Not Be Our Fault.... But It IS Our Problem

Hi it's Dave here. 

Welcome back to my blog and thank you for your continued support.  I hope that you are all making this week a great week in your lives, just like I am! 

Let's begin by asking a question

How often do you come across shop assistants or representatives of companies that flatly refuse to do something about a situation, complaint or product failure.  They just shrug their shoulders and say something like “that’s the way it is” or “we can’t do anything about that” and so forth?

It is my belief that (in general) many standards in business are slipping and that a lot more companies need to be declaring

 “It may not be our fault, but it is our problem”

Having an interest in the Corporate world – and something of a desire to work with business clients - this particular piece seeks to provide an insight into something that I feel is extremely important for ANY business and as such it suggests ways that (if implemented) can take an average business onto the road towards EXCELLENCE.

The foundation of this particular post was discovered in an extract from a report about Humana Incorporated working with the Disney Institute to turn their business around.

……not only did Humana have an image to represent the mission, the team had also defined Perfect Service by focusing on six key characteristics.

The first four were the real core elements. –

Accurate

Reliable

Easy to Use

Courteous

The fifth and sixth characteristics were

Proactive 

Personalized

These were goals that the company could continuously pursue in an effort to give customers and consumers an unexpected value.

These six characteristics were destined to be more than just a memo posted on a board.

Together they became “The Filter” through which every customer service decision would pass.

Printed on cards and delivered to each associate, it was a message that would be communicated to Humana’s customers.

On the reverse side of the card, Humana’s Perfect Service values –

Integrity

Respect

Teamwork

Transparency

Accountability

Quality

Leadership

Innovation

These underpinned this new approach.

Combined, the values and characteristics were the foundation of Perfect Service.

Although skeptics shrugged, gradually the key elements of Perfect Service began flowing from the top down and bottom up and, inevitably, everyone was engaged in a higher level of service. The “Naysayers” had lost their voice and ultimately joined the effort.

From the way claims were handled, calls were answered, or customers were treated, a new dynamic was being created. Associates felt better, became more productive and, most importantly, they stayed.

It was clear that Disney had become a key part of the catalyst for change.

Little Things Mean the Most

Perfect Service, modelled by Disney and defined by Humana, was woven into the fabric of corporate culture. Associates were recognized for their individual efforts in striving for Perfect Service. Modelling one of Disney’s practices, Kucera created her own service pins for associates’ participation in the annual enrollment of new clients. To offer personal recognition, Ganoni created shirts and produced cards to acknowledge outstanding efforts.

Furthermore, front line associates were encouraged to come up with new solutions to old problems. “Before, they’d just say ‘That’s the way it is,’ and could be complacent,” explained Ganoni. “Now they were asked to speak up when they saw something that didn’t look right and question it.”

“We also adopted Disney’s view that ‘It may not be our fault, but it is our problem,” commented Murray. “Now we can say ‘Let’s get it done to the satisfaction of our customer.’”

“When you engage your own associates and make them feel good, in turn, they will be more focused and committed to quality,” explained Murray. “They are better at interacting with customers who get better experiences, which ultimately enhances overall value.”

Our Mission ~ We serve. 
With our hearts we create a great place to be. 
With our minds we create an excellent place to shop.

Our Values ~ We are passionate about our customers and will fight for their rights. 
We care for, and respect each other. 
We foster personal growth and opportunity. 
We nurture leadership and vision, and reward innovation. 
We live by honesty and integrity. 
We support and participate in our communities. 
We take individual responsibility. 
We are all accountable.

Lasting cultural change had to be driven from the top, in ways that were visible and meaningful to every employee. During this time, Start’s leaders worked tirelessly to craft a company vision and mission statement, core values, leadership characteristics, service standards, human resources statements, and financial statements.

Four service standards were developed: accessibility, reliability, service provision, and efficiency. The Disney model “Chain of Excellence” was employed to guide the company through its change effort, with elements including leadership excellence, employee excellence, candidate satisfaction, customer satisfaction, and financial results/ customer value. All of this was designed to build further loyalty among Start’s flex workers and clients.

1)     Leadership must begin at the top.  It must stay the course, throughout the intervention and beyond.

2)     Set the measurement process up-front

3)    Be careful of promises. Every promise brings new challenges, and people have to meet them. Employees at all levels are watching to see the leaders’ true commitment, versus lip-service. If a leader says materials will arrive on a certain date, they must be there by that date, case closed.

4)    Understand your own culture, and how the program works in your culture, before cascading it to other countries. 

5)     Employ a methodical, top-down strategy 

Make sure the highest echelon of the organization “gets it” and is supportive before cascading the implementation to the next level, and so on.

Experience has shown that, “moving the line” of training down the organization was the most challenging part of the process, because there was extreme sensitivity when the higher level had already been exposed to key concepts and had greater insights than the next group.

Speed in implementation is important, but everyone couldn’t be trained at the same time. To allow time for the concepts to “sink in,” Start spaced its sessions four to six weeks apart. In addition, the company held two management meetings when it transitioned to the next group. The first of the two meetings featured a Disney Institute person, and the second meeting a Start representative.

 

6)     Don’t just conduct the training and then expect changes to become operational

Change takes a long time to take hold. If “everything speaks” – a key Disney principle about the importance of setting – then getting everyone to “speak” the same way requires constant nurturing.

Every company must find ways unique to its culture to refresh the training, reward positive modeling about the culture change, and provide networking opportunities. Start still utilizes its tool kit, and has created 14 functional Service Platforms to further drive home the concepts. Each Director has a service platform comprised of both staff and operations. All employee improvement ideas are communicated through the Service Platform, then sent to the Director, and then communicated to the organization wherever feasible. A reward and recognition program is being created to further encourage innovation and spur positive peer pressure. Communication about the leadership program is mailed to everyone’s home in the same manner. All of this is gradually building pride and ownership in the process.

If this has made you think about how you act, or if it has prompted any questions, then please feel free to add them as a comment in the box below or to email me:- thedavebaxter@mail.com

About Dave I am a coach; speaker; radio presenter and founder of The Blue Sky Company.  I am also a therapist and co-own a virtual light centre called The Crystal Spring.  My therapy work includes music therapy; reiki; crystal therapy

LINKS

Website at www.moonshadowmedia.wixsite.com/bluesky

Pinterest https://uk.pinterest.com/davethemerlin/the-blue-sky-company/

Over the years I have read a number of books by the late Dr Wayne Dyer and every single one of those books has made an impact on my life in various ways, below I have selected an example of his work that might be of interest.  This book is available via Amazon.

Have a fantastic day and live a life of Passion and Power.

And above all

Don't Predict The Future - CREATE IT!

DAve x

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