It was 1982 - my mother was a floor supervisor at Woolco and called to tell me that a return of a computer has been made and if I was interested in it - it would be $40 cheaper because it was a return but it was in perfect shape. It was a popular Commodore Vic-20.
Being a paperboy on paperboy salary, the thought of owning my own computer was mind-blowing. My family, being of lower income meant I would have to come up with the funds myself to purchase it. The cost? $115. A huge sum for a paper boy who's weekly income was roughly $7-10 per week but I couldn't ignore the savings. I estimated it would take at least 10 weeks to pay off. And at the time, when credit was in short supply for 12 year olds - lay-away was a good choice that a lot people back then used.
I asked my mother to lay it away and I would have 10 weeks to pay it off - near the maximum at the time for layaway at Woolco. And I planned for the next 10 weeks to work harder than ever to make sure my paper route customers were happy with my service with the hope of maintaining my tips. I made sure the papers didn't get wet on rainy days, and i made sure they were all delivered as soon as i had them, especially the Saturday issue. Furthermore, I was careful not to rip or tear the papers placing them inside the storm doors or mailboxes.
And to my surprise, within just 6 weeks I had accumulated enough to purchase it.
But I didn't only learned that hard work was key to saving money, but how increasing my client satisfaction resulted in better financial gains! Good service meant happy clients which meant when I collected the paper money at the end of the week, to my surprise my portion was larger by significant amounts. Delivering late papers, or letting them get wet was not earning me favors with clients. Or doing the bare minimum without getting fired wasn't doing the job - it was doing a job. The inherent difference in all client services is to ensure not only that you're doing the job well, but if the client sees you're putting a lot of effort into it, the work becomes appreciated and rewarded.
That in turn increases profits, customer retention, and client satisfaction.
And if a simple paperboy can figure that out, why do so many IT service providers just do a job but not THE job of client service. Why do so may do just the bare minimum? Why cheat the SLA'S? Hire the cheapest staff and give them the bare minimum and cheapest benefits -> all towards Maximizing the profits (and let me add, not great profits either). Why can't they just take the good-ole paperboy approach? Do great service. Be proactive. Hire the right people for the right roles. Be looking for ways to improve your service. Be good to your customers and they'll be good to you. And does that not in turn save money because you're saving money not fixing symptoms of poor client services? Just Be!
If you approach the entire service delivery model with the good paperboy approach, will you not have to focus less time (and time is money) fixing symptoms of poor customer service like lost revenue from dropped contracts and high turnover from unhappy staff?
Why is that so hard to see from the IT service provider perspective? I mean, what are they thinking when it comes to this approach to their service delivery model?
Is the answer is simple or complex? Is it a Swiss-cheese effect? Is it a lack of proper procedures and processes? Is it not understanding the client needs? A changing demographic or landscape of client/service interactions? Generational?
My answer is quiet simple. As the friendly giant once said... Look up. Waaaaay up. Client Service begins at the very top. Why at the top? well, lets ask some basic and fundamental questions on leadership. Who sets the tone and culture of an organization? Who teaches others how we interact with one another? Determines the overall service delivery model, the values, the mission, the goals of any company? And then when we answer that.. we start to see how the very top of an organization and all the way down through truly helps shape the delivery of services to any organization. And it's not because people don't want to do a good job, but because they're taught how to treat their customers in how the management treats them as staff.
And it begs to ask...what kind of paperboy are they?
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Out of work? 5 Things Your Partner Needs to Know
If you have ever been laid off, it can be a life-altering experience. We all choose how to react to the sudden change -whether it's expected or not. But either way, you need to get into the 'job hunt' groove or you seriously risk your ability to quickly find that next great opportunity. Otherwise, you could be sucked into habits of 'helping out' that often plague relationships for out-of-work partners. So, please find your partner/wife/common-law better half. N o w. Yes, grab their hand - and sit them down in front of your reading device. They're here? Ok, I need to talk to them.
Hi there. If you're reading this, it's because your better half or partner has grabbed you to show you some important information that will help them find that next great job. For you, it's probably filled with a lot of unknowns - how will you make ends meet, what do to next. Trust me, having been in your shoes a couple of times in my life, there are five simple rules we all need to follow to help your partner find their next opportunity. Failure to adhere to these rules put his or her chances of finding work quickly in jeopardy.
Besides, this is a great opportunity to turn a bad job into a great career with a new company. If you give them the support they need right now, the faster and easier this transition can be!
Hi there. If you're reading this, it's because your better half or partner has grabbed you to show you some important information that will help them find that next great job. For you, it's probably filled with a lot of unknowns - how will you make ends meet, what do to next. Trust me, having been in your shoes a couple of times in my life, there are five simple rules we all need to follow to help your partner find their next opportunity. Failure to adhere to these rules put his or her chances of finding work quickly in jeopardy.
- Now is not the time to catch up on household work, fix outstanding items, or do any renovations that you've wished to do. Why? It's not their job. Their job and focus needs to be finding new work. Your partner needs to be out there - meeting work friends, networking lunches and coffees, and generally getting his/her name out there that they are looking for work.
- Be supportive. If you start pointing fingers that this is their fault, best be holding up the mirror and look at yourself and ask - how would I want to be treated if it was me? Right now, your partner needs your patience and support to help them find a new job. Loosing a job can have a serious impact on your partners morale. If you start to feel resentful about their situation, ask yourself - are you truly being a life partner or a parasite? But if you're on board and supportive, it helps them maintain life balance. And remember, looking for work should take 6-8 hours a day. (But take the weekends off!)
- Ensure they keep their regular schedule they had before the job loss. If your partner used to get up at 6am, work out, then go to work, then make sure you kick their butt out of bed and hit that gym, or walk, or yoga class. Routine is the best medicine to help maintain mental health (ego, esteem, and energy). Were you planing an inexpensive trip? GO! Routine, routine, routine!
- Let EVERYONE know. And I mean everyone. No secrets. Last thing you want to do is show up at a family function and Uncle Bob finds out the hard way - "Hey Alice - did you get that bonus you were hoping for?" "Umm, sorry Uncle Bob, I got laid off last month". Facebook it, tweet it, and share the info. Job opportunities often come not from your direct contacts, but often through third parties of your friends. The more that people know you're looking for work, the more ears that are listening for opportunities.
- DON'T PANIC - Help them pick the 'right' job. I was once unemployed and I panicked, picking the first opportunity that came by. Not only did I pick a job that was worse than the one that I just left, but the environment was employee-toxic with horrible management practices and low corporate morale. Make sure they don't just take the first offer. And now that you have a little time - research the company doing the offer. Ask friends - is it a good place to work at? Why did the last person leave the job? What's the turn-over rate like? Is it a good work-life balance? Future career opportunities?
Besides, this is a great opportunity to turn a bad job into a great career with a new company. If you give them the support they need right now, the faster and easier this transition can be!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Self awareness - not you - your team.
During a recent team meeting, I noticed a couple of my staff were not necessarily engaged in the discussion. Normally loud, outspoken, and energetic, they sulked in their seats. Interesting, I thought, what exactly is going on.
Two weeks prior, I had taken off for a 10-day vacation, returning to this sudden dreary meeting. I had sent out an email to the department identifying who the key contacts for coverage for various areas of my responsibility should someone need assistance. The two I had mentioned were also the two individuals withdrawn in the meeting. Later that morning, I grabbed one of them and asked what was up by having them go out for coffee with me. He initially refused, but I insisted that I wanted to catch up on several important items. During the walk to the coffee shop, I prodded and probed as gentle as I could... how are you, project going well? Did you get in touch with the vendor for updates? And finally "what is going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"Something is wrong, and I know it. When you're ready to discuss, drop by my office for a talk."
We walked back to the office mostly in silence, and 10 minutes after we got back, he came into my office with a huge team-dynamics problem to resolve. I pulled in the other individual and found out the issue - listened to their concerns, and tried to help them rationalize a solution. Both had also felt the email I had sent out was identifying new roles for them on the team - not my intention - coupled with this team-issue, it was icing on the cake - they felt isolated, stepped on, and shut out. All from an email.
After much clarification and listening on my end both felt they had their leaders help resolve the issue - and I had a better understanding of the inner-team dynamics that were going on. It's easy to see how an email - innocent as an out-of-office notice, can cause a snowball effect that steamrolls into an avalanche of negative emotions and misunderstanding.
What's important as leaders is that we need to be watching behaviours and patterns as close as possible. Do they always go out for coffee? Who do they have coffee with normally? Do they have lunch with particular people? When they decide to be talkative and social, do they hang out at any particular location?
Once we understand the habits of our staff, it helps imprint on us, as their leader, a great self-awareness of our team. Changes can then be easily picked out to identify problems before they become serious issues. Its not that we want to figure out how much time they waste in a day (unless it's a performance issue), but what are my team member's habits to help understand their routines. Changes could indicate stress at work or at home that could negatively impact performance.
We're not supposed to be psychologists (some days I do wonder), but we can be mindful of how our team members interact with one another. Knowing these traits, in the long run, goes a long way to increase team performance and keep them on track. Good team dynamics = happy team = high performing team.
Two weeks prior, I had taken off for a 10-day vacation, returning to this sudden dreary meeting. I had sent out an email to the department identifying who the key contacts for coverage for various areas of my responsibility should someone need assistance. The two I had mentioned were also the two individuals withdrawn in the meeting. Later that morning, I grabbed one of them and asked what was up by having them go out for coffee with me. He initially refused, but I insisted that I wanted to catch up on several important items. During the walk to the coffee shop, I prodded and probed as gentle as I could... how are you, project going well? Did you get in touch with the vendor for updates? And finally "what is going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"Something is wrong, and I know it. When you're ready to discuss, drop by my office for a talk."
We walked back to the office mostly in silence, and 10 minutes after we got back, he came into my office with a huge team-dynamics problem to resolve. I pulled in the other individual and found out the issue - listened to their concerns, and tried to help them rationalize a solution. Both had also felt the email I had sent out was identifying new roles for them on the team - not my intention - coupled with this team-issue, it was icing on the cake - they felt isolated, stepped on, and shut out. All from an email.
After much clarification and listening on my end both felt they had their leaders help resolve the issue - and I had a better understanding of the inner-team dynamics that were going on. It's easy to see how an email - innocent as an out-of-office notice, can cause a snowball effect that steamrolls into an avalanche of negative emotions and misunderstanding.
What's important as leaders is that we need to be watching behaviours and patterns as close as possible. Do they always go out for coffee? Who do they have coffee with normally? Do they have lunch with particular people? When they decide to be talkative and social, do they hang out at any particular location?
Once we understand the habits of our staff, it helps imprint on us, as their leader, a great self-awareness of our team. Changes can then be easily picked out to identify problems before they become serious issues. Its not that we want to figure out how much time they waste in a day (unless it's a performance issue), but what are my team member's habits to help understand their routines. Changes could indicate stress at work or at home that could negatively impact performance.
We're not supposed to be psychologists (some days I do wonder), but we can be mindful of how our team members interact with one another. Knowing these traits, in the long run, goes a long way to increase team performance and keep them on track. Good team dynamics = happy team = high performing team.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Packing your teamwork raincoat
It's not every day that I have a great opportunity to share my experiences with people I respect and care for - and around 5 years ago, I had a great story to tell that for some, changed their perspective on how teamwork isn't about laying fault, but looking at yourself in how you can make everyone succeed.
Having spent over 10 years in the Canadian Army Signals (Reserve and Regular), I had the privilege to teach Basic Training to Canada's newest and brightest back in the summer of 1995. One of the biggest learning points for these young kids was the concept of teamwork - but not your typical corporate project team framework (that's another story for another day). What the military is about is ensuring you not only take care of yourself but ensure your peers are at the same level as well.
The second week of training starts and that Monday on the parade square for practice drills and it starts to rain. We order the troops to don their raingear, but unfortunately, Private Smith forgot his raincoat. I, with a nod from our troop commander who was also assisting me that morning, order everyone to put away our raingear. Everyone started to complain and I silenced it with a story. Even the troop commander and I put away our raingear.
As we were all standing in the pouring rain, the smarty-pants of the group came to the 'prove' position - a move which indicates a question when you're in troop drill formation. "Why must we all put away our rain gear Master Corporal? It was only Smith who forgot his." At this comment, everyone in the troop glared at Smith.
"Well, Private Paulin" I explained to everyone, "you have failed Private Smith - in fact, everyone has failed Private Smith." A confused look when over the troop faces - I continued', "Imagine you're on a patrol and you forget to take along drinking water. Now, everyone has to share water with you. Or if you forget to pack a change of socks, extra ammo, a cleaning kit for your rifle? What implications does it have for the rest of your troop? Did you ever hear of the proverb of the want of a nail? The story of the messenger who didn't get to the King?" I asked.
"No Master Corporal," they replied in unison.
I explained loudly,
"For want of a nail the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe the horse was lost. For want of a horse, the rider was lost. For want of a rider, the battle was lost. For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
...and how different is a raincoat to a nail Paulin?" I asked softly standing directly in front of her in the formation.
She paused for around 10 seconds, and I could see the light not only go on in her eyes but of the entire troop. She replied, "I understand Master Corporal."
I continued, "Folks, you are not an army of one, but an army of we. We. Before you go anywhere, ensure you all have your raincoat packed before start of a parade. You all need to rely on one another because there will come a time that you many need that raincoat - and when I say RAINCOAT, I'm not necessarily talking about raincoats - do you all understand?"
In unison, the troops shouted. "Yes, Master Corporal."
From that point forward, for every patrol, for every parade, for every activity, the troops were a team. They were always checking over everyone else before every activity - and to my surprise, they developed a buddy system where they paired off and would check each other's gear before any outing to ensure it was functional and the right equipment was being taken. Friendships were hardened that summer as they began to understand the concept of "We the people", teamwork and partnership.
All for the want of a raincoat.
Having spent over 10 years in the Canadian Army Signals (Reserve and Regular), I had the privilege to teach Basic Training to Canada's newest and brightest back in the summer of 1995. One of the biggest learning points for these young kids was the concept of teamwork - but not your typical corporate project team framework (that's another story for another day). What the military is about is ensuring you not only take care of yourself but ensure your peers are at the same level as well.
The second week of training starts and that Monday on the parade square for practice drills and it starts to rain. We order the troops to don their raingear, but unfortunately, Private Smith forgot his raincoat. I, with a nod from our troop commander who was also assisting me that morning, order everyone to put away our raingear. Everyone started to complain and I silenced it with a story. Even the troop commander and I put away our raingear.
As we were all standing in the pouring rain, the smarty-pants of the group came to the 'prove' position - a move which indicates a question when you're in troop drill formation. "Why must we all put away our rain gear Master Corporal? It was only Smith who forgot his." At this comment, everyone in the troop glared at Smith.
"Well, Private Paulin" I explained to everyone, "you have failed Private Smith - in fact, everyone has failed Private Smith." A confused look when over the troop faces - I continued', "Imagine you're on a patrol and you forget to take along drinking water. Now, everyone has to share water with you. Or if you forget to pack a change of socks, extra ammo, a cleaning kit for your rifle? What implications does it have for the rest of your troop? Did you ever hear of the proverb of the want of a nail? The story of the messenger who didn't get to the King?" I asked.
"No Master Corporal," they replied in unison.
I explained loudly,
"For want of a nail the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe the horse was lost. For want of a horse, the rider was lost. For want of a rider, the battle was lost. For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
...and how different is a raincoat to a nail Paulin?" I asked softly standing directly in front of her in the formation.
She paused for around 10 seconds, and I could see the light not only go on in her eyes but of the entire troop. She replied, "I understand Master Corporal."
I continued, "Folks, you are not an army of one, but an army of we. We. Before you go anywhere, ensure you all have your raincoat packed before start of a parade. You all need to rely on one another because there will come a time that you many need that raincoat - and when I say RAINCOAT, I'm not necessarily talking about raincoats - do you all understand?"
In unison, the troops shouted. "Yes, Master Corporal."
From that point forward, for every patrol, for every parade, for every activity, the troops were a team. They were always checking over everyone else before every activity - and to my surprise, they developed a buddy system where they paired off and would check each other's gear before any outing to ensure it was functional and the right equipment was being taken. Friendships were hardened that summer as they began to understand the concept of "We the people", teamwork and partnership.
All for the want of a raincoat.
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