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By Laurie Guest
When it comes to a business environment, fun is a relative term. You might be part of a team where boisterous laughter or lots of teasing is appropriate while other industries may require a very serious environment. Some places might even fool you because they are so different than what you expected that the experience becomes memorable. A dear friend of mine had to go to chemotherapy and asked me to accompany her on several occasions. This environment was new to me. On the way in the door, I pictured a quiet place, with a kind of sadness hanging in the air, and certainly not a place where fun would be had. What a surprise when I found the complete opposite! I found upbeat chatter, smiles on the faces of every team member, and games. On the day we were there, we played bingo all afternoon. When you won, they wheeled over a cart filled with prizes to choose from. If a place can make chemo fun, then why can’t more organizations find small ways to create joy? After all when we’re making the experience fun for others, the staff is having fun too. Spice It Up Professionalism does not mean you have to be serious all the time. Consider ways to bring fun to work. 1. Let the customers know you’re a fun place by your actions. Southwest Airlines is a perfect example of this by using humor in their announcements and sometimes coordinating games. I recently saw a gate agent for Southwest conduct a paper airplane contest in the boarding area of a delayed flight. There were over 40 people playing and the winner received a $25 gift card. So much fun! 2. Create a tradition the staff enjoys. Several companies have Casual Friday where jeans are allowed, and once a month they have a birthday potluck for lunch. Everybody brings something to share as they recognize that month’s birthdays. 3. Develop staff recognition programs. People thrive on being recognized. Our company had a fun activity we did for several years: staff could nominate others for a “smiley award.” The name of the program sounds a little weird, but we had small yellow tickets printed up, and the staff could give those to each other for actions that deserved applause. For example, scraping a patient’s windshield in the winter or going the extra mile for a co-worker earned a smiley award. The names of the nominee and the nominator were written on these awards. At our quarterly staff meeting all the smiley slips were placed in a fish bowl. Three tickets were drawn. Nominees won gift certificates to a local restaurant or store, while nominators won lottery tickets. What was especially great about this praise was management had nothing to do with it. Nominees were peer recognized and prizes were given by the luck of the draw. In reality, everyone won. We celebrated the praiseworthy things people were doing that could easily be overlooked. Creating fun in the workplace takes a bit of effort, but chances are you can find ways to add a bit of joy to the day no matter your industry. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success!
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By Laurie Guest
There are three facets of workplace participation that can make all the difference in productivity and results: attitude, initiative and engagement. These characteristics may come naturally to some, but often they must be cultivated in a workplace. Attitude – Yours, Mine, and Ours in the Workplace Your attitude is your choice. Choose well. Choose to surround yourself with the thoughts you want to have. Set boundaries on those inside and outside of your work who impact your thoughts. If you live with a person who is constantly stating things in the negative, consider having a conversation about adjusting that tone. If there are friends that can’t seem to get out of the negative place, maybe consider distancing yourself just a little bit in order to self-preserve. In the workplace, it’s a little harder to put space in place. It’s likely you’re not in a position to have the positive conversation talk with co- workers, but think about your own attitude. Initiative – Or is it interest? I believe at the core of the lack of initiative is lack of interest. Visualize the least motivated person you know personally or professionally. Can you picture them? Got it? I bet you’re picturing a person who is detached from the situation, looks bored, or appears irritated. What you may have is a corporate employee low on initiative who does what’s asked but doesn’t ever step it up a notch. How can you create more initiative in the workplace? Find out what aspect of the job interests the employees. If at all possible, give them responsibilities in that area. For example, I once consulted in an eye doctor’s office where one staff member was deemed the troublemaker. When I met with her and asked her questions about her job, she showed only mild interest in anything work related. Finally, I switched topics and asked her if she ever had a job she loved. She responded by telling me about her retail clothing job she had when she was just out of school. With the doctor’s permission, we asked her to take over displays in the optical area and in the windows. When her creative work got noticed and she was praised by others, her confidence went up and work performance improved. Initiative comes from being interested in the work at hand. What is it going to take to get all team members interested in your product, your services, and the guests that you are privileged to serve? Engagement – Ready for Battle While initiative is one’s personal responsibility to action, engagement means a formal promise, or, in its original form, ready for battle. What do we mean when we say, “We want engaged staff, or how do we facilitate that behavior?” Engaged staff means present in the moment and ready to take an action that fulfills the promise you have made to your guest. A server at a restaurant is engaged when he or she hears me place my order. For example, I already know I have to indicate a salad dressing, a side item choice, and a beverage, and do so when I order. A truly engaged server will smile and say thank you or possibly repeat the order if I said it too fast. A disengaged server will say, “How would you like that meat prepared? Do you want the soup or the salad? Would you like lemon with your tea?” You get my point. I’ve had this happen on many occasions in all kinds of industries and so have you. The disengaged employee doesn’t really listen and is on automatic pilot. How do we help staff be more engaged? What about asking for ideas from the team on how to do things differently or smarter? Attitude, initiative and engagement are the cornerstones to a successful organization. They do not appear automatically but rather through skillful planning and execution. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Laurie Guest
Winning back guests you have lost is not an issue people like to talk about, but it is a necessary topic in staff development. What skills do your team members need in order to thwart a customer defection? It begins with being totally present in the encounter in order to realize the guest is unhappy enough to leave. It ends by saying and doing the right things to turn it around. I have a great example of this happening in my personal life. Not long ago, my husband and I purchased a new refrigerator. We like to buy local whenever we can, and have been loyal customers for many years of a certain appliance store in our community. The new refrigerator has needed a repair man to come out four times for a series of issues, one right after the other. Eventually, it was determined that the left door was manufactured incorrectly, and a new one would need to be installed. Unfortunately, the company sent the wrong door, but that wasn’t determined until three hours of repair were completed. We ended up with a door that still didn’t dispense water or ice and even had aesthetic issues that included holes where a cover plate belonged. The part that bothered me most was that I was the one doing the calling every time to check on the status of the next step in the long, long saga. I had a refrigerator door that wasn’t right for over eight weeks, and I was still waiting. Exasperated, I finally drove to the appliance store to get an answer. The owner told me, “Oh, we have the new door. I just don’t know where to put you in the schedule, so I haven’t called you back yet.” Wrong answer. If he would have just called me with regular updates, I would likely be fine with the progress. He even told me he sees my name on the list regularly and keeps telling himself they need to fit me in. This is the last purchase we made at that local shop, I’m sad to say. I had been kind and patient every step of the way, in what was now edging into a four-month ordeal. He knew that I was not happy, but he did nothing to turn it around. If he told me that he had arranged for a new door and was doing the repairs at no charge to me, that would have been good service. The reason I will be moving on, never to return, is because there wasn’t an attempt to win me back after things went wrong. I haven’t received an apology for any of this, and clearly an apology was owed. After a bad customer service experience, my mom used to say, “I’ll do my voting with my feet.” Then she would stop doing business with that establishment and become a walking billboard of information about her experience. Whether you work for a mom and pop store or a global brand, you will have haters, but you can’t afford to ignore them. You need to learn how to embrace complaints, put haters to work for you, and turn bad news into good. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Laurie Guest
If you are a member of a team, working with your team is essential. Team building is one of the most frequently requested topics in my work with organizations. I always ask the client to first reflect on what teamwork means in his or her environment. Does it mean that the staff get along and are mostly tension free? Does it mean everyone knows his or her position and how it fits into the big picture? What kind of work environment are you looking to create? Knowing where you currently stand and where you aspire to be is the critical first step. Start the conversation with your team’s definition of teamwork. Teamwork means two or more people committed to working together to achieve a common goal. That sounds like a simple definition, but when we break it down a bit, it’s obvious that it’s harder than it seems. First: a team consists of two or more people. I always say wherever two or more are gathered, there’s trouble. Think about it. Different personality styles and different ways of communicating. What about the listening issue? I may think I’m being very clear with my words, but you hear something totally different. I think we can all agree that getting along with other people can be tough sometimes. The solution is to be understanding, forgiving, and nonjudgmental with your co-workers. Though I wasn’t very good at this in the early years of my career, I learned to be more tolerant by not making everything about me. Just because a co-worker doesn’t offer an enthusiastic “good morning” with a smile, doesn’t mean they’re mad at me. Odds are good it has nothing to do with me. Next: a team commits to working together. When I’m invited to an organization to help with teamwork issues, the first thing I do is try to figure out what things all parties agree about. For example, do we all agree that we want to be known as the premier place to buy our product? Do we agree that we can provide better service if we work together for a seamless delivery and stop airing our dirty laundry to customers? Yes? Okay, then what do we have to do to make these answers a reality? If we cannot agree to commit our efforts for the good of the guest, the company, or our co-workers, then cohesive teamwork is impossible to achieve. We will have to start at the foundation and work up to strength. Finally: a team strives to achieve a common goal. This is where we can dive in and make progress when we’re trying to improve comradery. Do we have attainable goals as an organization? Are the goals written down and reviewed on a regular basis? Does everyone understand his or her role in helping us achieve these goals? Is there a reward for all of us in achieving the goal? In other words, what’s my incentive? If you can’t answer yes to all these questions, then examining goal setting and incentives will be an important first step in getting everyone to work on the same page. A team consisting of two or more people working together to achieve a common goal is essential in a successful organization. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Laurie Guest
Does lack of consistency and low productivity impact your work environment? How? What tools have you tried to get back on track? During my days of managing others, there were three specific techniques I used to help people be more consistent and productive that are worthy of sharing. Weekly meetings with a notebook in hand Hallway management can get you in trouble fast. You’re walking down the hall, you see someone you manage, and you stop them with an instruction. They listen, nod, and then you both continue on your way. With no formal interaction, with no chance for the employee to document the new information, and with no paper trail to prove you even informed him or her of the information, it is likely the instruction is lost. Also, with this type of management, the only time employees get audience with you is when they knock first. Consider instead quick, formal, one-on-one meetings on a regular basis. The employee comes with a notebook or an electronic device for documentation. The bullet points of the meeting are written down, decisions made, dates and deadlines added, and then both people sign off on this document when the meeting is over. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s consistent. Figure out your MBAs Also known as your “making bank activities,” we all have tasks we do during the course of a day that make us feel productive but likely don’t lead to increased revenue or decreased expense, which are two things that lead to profit. One time, I made a list of all the things I’d already done during the day just so I could use my trusty highlighter to cross them off the list. What a waste of time that was! But it sure made me feel a sense of accomplishment. However, it wasn’t an activity that helped me make bank. Make a list of your daily activities that provide the best results to meet your goals. Put them in a priority order and then be consistent in attending to those things first. If you have support staff that will handle some of these things for you, you have time to concentrate on other things. Evaluate whether those other things that you’re doing are a good use of your time and whether they make you more productive. Adopt a one-pass system This concept comes from my medical office days. My doctor had a philosophy that directly impacted his level of success: using a one-pass system as much as possible. That means he would touch a file one time, complete everything that was necessary, and then pass it along to the next staff person who needed the file. He would not allow a stack of charts to sit in a pile, waiting on answers to questions. He felt that a lot of time was wasted shuffling papers around. I bought into the same philosophy in my office. When I’m self-disciplined enough to follow my own rules, it makes a huge difference. When the task comes in, take action on it immediately all the way to completion whenever possible. That means all the way to the cabinet and its proper resting folder. Touch it once. Finish, file, and put it to rest. If it needs further action, then properly document, set the ticket reminder and the system that works for you, and then store it where you can find it until the earliest possible time that you can resolve the task. It works like a dream even if you are not paper-based and everything is electronic. For more consistency and increased productivity in your workplace, initiate formal one-on-one meetings on a regular basis, concentrate on activities that lead to increased revenue and decreased expense, and adopt a one-pass system to complete tasks. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Laurie Guest
When I was in my early 20s, I left a job solely because I felt undervalued and under-appreciated. When I look back on that experience, I realize that may not have been true. I probably needed a little maturity to understand what was really going on. Regardless, I left a field in which I received a degree, a good job with several years of experience in my pocket, and an opportunity to grow within that practice. In fact, most people leave a job because of feeling under-appreciated by coworkers or leadership. However, we can actually retain more staff if everyone, bosses and coworkers alike, learned to be more appreciative of the people around them. What’s the proper way to do this? The Appreciation Formula. There’s a formula for that? Think of it like frosting on a cake. You want it evenly spread, not too thick in any one spot. The formula is very simple. It’s the person’s name, followed by what you’re praising them for, and ending with why it makes a difference. Imagine hearing someone say, “Hey everybody, good job today.” That’s just white noise, a blanket praise. Now listen to the difference here: Look the person in the eye, use her first name, tell her why you’re thanking her, and include why it makes a difference. It sounds like this, “Betty, the way you handled that angry patient today was fantastic. By the time we did her exam, she had calmed down, and things went much, much better. Thank you.” Hear the difference? Though it sounds a little odd and rehearsed, in real life with the sincerity of the situation, it is a huge improvement over “Thanks a lot” or “Great job today.” Simple, right? Get out there and praise someone today. It’s the gasoline between paychecks and one of the easiest staff development tools that I offer. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Laurie Guest
During my years as a professional speaker and trainer, I have paid close attention to the actions of successful business management teams. One factor that seems consistent is the ability to retain good staff. I have a few common sense ideas, often overlooked by employers, for retaining good people and building long-term professional relationships... Appreciate good work Watch staff members in action and comment on their good work. When was the last time you gave a sincere thank you to the staff for arriving early to open, staying late to close, or making your day go smoothly? A quick “Thanks a lot!” yelled over your shoulder as you are halfway out the door does not count. Take the time for sincere gratitude. Acknowledge productivity Increased customer volume directly benefits the owner. The staff, on the other hand, may only see it as more work. Recognize hard work with an individualized reward system that increases morale. The key to this idea is to determine what each staff member feels a good “reward” would be. Donuts for breakfast may not always be the extra special treat you anticipated. While one person would like a small cash bonus, a working mother might appreciate time off to catch her child’s soccer game on a Saturday afternoon. Provide continuing education Make it a top priority to send your staff to educational programs in your industry. Encourage your team to become members of any state or local organizations that are pertinent to your product or service. If there is no such thing, then create “on-site” teaching opportunities. Employees that feel they are growing in their position will stay longer. You would not think of denying your children a chance to go to school, yet many staff people are denied “work schooling” that could make a big difference to their careers. Build opportunities for growth Plan annual retreats and develop long-term action plans. Focus on personal growth for each team member along with business goals. Allow shadowing of different areas of the company so overall knowledge is as widespread as possible. On occasion, send key staff people to visit others in your industry in a non-compete area in order to bring back business building ideas to share in the workplace. In summary, if you want to know how to find and keep good people, think of it like a good marriage. Find staff people who have similar interests and values, then treat them like treasured family members. Open communication, mutual respect, time for fun, and plans for a future together will build a long-term professional relationship. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Laurie Guest
Onboarding is the current buzzword for new employee orientation. No matter what you name it, please tell me you do it. Why? Onboarding is a must because the success of a new employee depends on not only learning how to do the tasks required in a job but also learning all the rules and regulations that go into the job. After all, many of these might be rules you haven’t thought to tell someone without an existing onboarding process. Onboarding contains knowledge, skills, and behaviors that lead to long-term success and proper understanding of the culture of your organization. Something so important cannot be left to chance. How Onboarding Works Begin with a structured plan for all new hires to follow during the first few days or even weeks on the job, depending upon the depth of the position and the size of your company. Oddly enough, it may even begin before their first day of work. When the job offer is given, set the expectation of the onboarding process so the applicant knows what to expect. In our organization, we started a buddy system where veteran staff people volunteered to take a new hire to lunch the first day or at least sit with them in the lunch room. This may sound like junior high, but not knowing how to fit in the first day is a moment of stress no matter what your age. Informing the new hire in advance who his or her veteran will be on the first day is a simple way to introduce the social aspect of the job. Make sure that the system you put in place for big picture exposure is the same for all new employees. I know of a hospital that didn’t take the time for big picture explanations for certain positions, like housekeeping and dietary roles. This proved to be a mistake for them. It indicated the gap between departments and how they were respected within the system. Include everyone in the same orientation until it is time for a job-specific task training. Also, be sure to include indoctrination into appropriate work culture on day one. What are the expectations of proper behavior? Is it in writing? How is it taught? What are the consequences of noncompliance? Why is the culture important to the success of the company? Finally, what words do you use to show the new hires how important they are to the organization regardless of position? Why put it in writing? Prepare a written policy and procedure guidebook for new hires to review and keep. It’s a good idea to have a signature page at the back for the new hire to sign and return to you after he or she has read and understands the guidelines. In our organization, we had a policy manual that was the same for every employee that included mostly human resource information: time-off policies, dress code, and disciplinary matters. In addition, each department had a policy and procedure manual specific to that team. Be purposeful about the documents you prepare. If you treat the policies with the respect they deserve, you demonstrate to the new hire that we take the rules seriously. If you don’t do that, too much is left to chance. Consequently, learning then comes by making mistakes. Take the unspoken rule in our medical facility: No microwave popcorn allowed. Our doctor felt that a medical facility should not smell like a movie theater, and everyone who worked there knew we were not allowed to make popcorn. However, no one thought to tell the new people this. Sure enough, within the first few weeks, a new staff member ultimately ended up making popcorn for lunch, and every employee came in going, “Who’s making popcorn? Who’s making popcorn?” As you can imagine, the new employee felt foolish! Eventually, we added that rule to the onboarding information sheet. Though that sounds like a silly example, put yourself in the shoes of the new employee. Even little things can make a big impact on the success of the first quarter on the job. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Laurie Guest
Reframing issues, a specialized topic in communication, assists in restructuring thinking and addressing problems. Because mindsets are powerful and influence future choices and behaviors, successful reframing puts your organization in a favorable position through accurate communication. When should you consider reframing your issues? When the public perception of a situation is skewed or when false information is floating in your marketplace, consider reframing. What does reframing look like? When I worked for two doctors who were married, we photographed them separately any time we planned a special event so we could get more photos done with our guests in a shorter period of time. She would be seen with some referral sources while he would be seen with others. Those professional photos would then be sent to the local papers of the referring source as a press release. As a result of the published photos, the rumors started that they were headed for a divorce. How did we reframe it? We simply took the photos with three people in the picture so they no longer looked separated. Another even wider known example is with Domino’s Pizza. For years, they’ve had a reputation of producing subpar pizza. Taking the issue head on, they put it in their advertising, “We want to make our pizza taste better.” They called it as people were seeing it, which was a very bold move. It was also a great way to reframe how consumers felt about their product. Most of the time, thinking in advance about framing the issue pays off. If there’s a false rumor surrounding your organization or maybe a truth to the gossip, you need to take a stand for your position. Steps to Reframing An Issue What are the steps to reframe an issue and avoid pitfalls? Begin by asking what is the issue, who’s involved, what lead to the problem, and what’s the best solution? Does the public need to know about this? What will be different in the public opinion after we reframe? You may be wondering how staff play a role in this topic. It may seem like this is a management and business owner issue. However, staff play a large role in keeping the issues rolling. Sharing inside gossip at backyard barbecues with friends and family exacerbates the rumor mill. Like the old game of telephone, the retelling of data is rarely exactly the same. By the time it has passed between several people, the message becomes unrecognizable from the original. Though this is certainly easier said than done, remember what goes on at work should stay at work. What is the image you send to the community? If a friend asks, “How are things going at work?” and you respond, “Man, I’m telling you, things are so messed up over there. I don’t know how much longer we can even keep the doors open,” you just pushed yourself one more millimeter out of a job. Instead, reframe the issue in positive language. Say, “Well, things have been stressful lately, but I really believe in the work we’re doing. I’m hoping the new management will make things easier.” When you reframe your image, remember to choose words to your advantage. As a team, discuss whether you need to reframe current issues in the marketplace. If you do, then develop a campaign to reframe and improve your image. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Laurie Guest
Scripting, an often-overlooked technique in customer service, can make a big difference in the impression you give your guests. For example, a customer at a retail location asks where a certain item is located. The response could be, “Hey, it’s over there in aisle three.” The better, scripted response is, “I’d be happy to show you. Please follow me.” See the difference? We feel totally engaged with the person who used the scripted response. I learned this concept at an early age. My dad would come in from a night of farming, go upstairs to take a shower, and then settle into his La-Z-Boy in the living room. On more than one occasion, he would turn to me and ask, “Pumpkin, will you run upstairs and get my slippers?” Boy, did this drive me crazy. That man was just upstairs! Why couldn’t he get the slippers himself? One day I decided to educate my father to that fact. I said, “Dad, you were just upstairs. Why didn’t you get your slippers yourself?” He then proceeded to teach me the best four words I’ve ever learned in my life. He explained, “Laurie, I’m your dad, and when I ask you to do something, you would be much better saying I’d – be – happy – to. I will feel better about asking you, and you will feel better about doing it.” I didn’t understand at the time, but the lesson remained with me. Years later when I entered the work force and was taught the concept of scripting, I heard Dad’s words. I realized my dad had first taught me about putting the right words together to communicate the best possible impression. Another area that falls under the topic of scripting is the taboo word list. These are words that our team had decided not to use. Of course, the list varies among industries. I’ve chosen my universal taboo words and provided replacement words or phrases. The first one is the word “no.” Replace it with the word “actually.” When somebody questions, “Can I expect to receive that order tomorrow?” and you reply, “No, not going to be here,” it comes across as rude. If instead you respond, “Actually, it’s due to arrive on Friday,” it sounds courteous. Another taboo word at our office was the word “busy.” We replaced is with the phase “currently assisting other patients.” Next is the expression “there’s nothing we can do.” That is like throwing gasoline on a fire. There is always something more you can do. You can listen, empathize, or redirect. For my healthcare clients, remember not to call guests by what they need, “Hey, we got a pap in room two.” There’s not a pap in room two. There’s a patient who needs a pap test in room two. Instead, refer to them by their names. My final taboo phrase isn’t really taboo, but more of a pet peeve. It’s the sentence in our culture that bothers me more than any other, and it is so common. In fact, it’s impossible to go a day without hearing it. Any guesses? The phrase is “How are you?” Although it is a common greeting, do we expect an honest answer and then stick around to hear it? I think the replacement phrase for that is a simple “Hello,” or “Hello, nice to see you.” Only ask “How are you?” if you mean it and plan to stay engaged long enough to hear the answer. Remember, if we don’t teach scripting, the staff will bring their own personalities and previous experiences in communication to the position. If they naturally excel at this task, you are all set. But years of training have taught me that many need help on this concept... Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! |
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