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By Shep Hyken
Here is a stat that’s hard to believe: Forty-eight percent of Americans would rather go to the dentist than call customer support. OUCH! It seems that going to the dentist to get a filling or a root canal is preferred over having to call customer support. This statistic comes straight from the 2021 Achieving Customer Amazement Study we conducted this year. We surveyed more than 1,000 consumers to find out what they loved and hated about customer service. What would make them come back or terminate their relationship with the brand or company? But let’s get back to this stat for a moment. The following horror story has happened to all of us. You spend 10 minutes searching a company’s website for a customer support phone number that you eventually find in tiny print on an obscure page. You make the call and you’re put on hold for an unreasonable amount of time. The hold music is terrible, and they don’t tell you how long it’s going to be. You just wait and wonder. Someone finally answers. You have a hard time understanding them. It may not be an accent that’s hard to understand. It may be that you can hear hundreds of other customer service agents in the background, making it hard to hear the agent you’re talking to. You take the time to tell the agent your name, address, last four digits of your Social Security number, your mother’s maiden name, and the answer to a security question. Then another five minutes explaining your story. The agent keeps saying, “I’m sorry,” so many times that it loses its impact and seems insincere. You hope this is the person to help you, but your dreams are shattered when the agent says, “I’m sorry, that’s not my department.” From there they transfer you to someone they think is better equipped to help you. And, then it starts over! The next agent and the experience is no better than the last. Finally, you ask to speak to a supervisor. Yes, you’ve done that! Admit it! I can keep going, but you get the idea. First, nobody wants to call customer support. They don’t want to have a problem that forces them to do something they hadn’t planned on doing. But it happens, and when it does, you can’t give your customers anything that resembles the experience I just described. So, do you want to know what’s important to customers? Here’s a peek at some of the findings from the ACA study. Customers want:
These are some of the basics! And to most of us, these are common sense. Unfortunately, they aren’t always as common as they should be. But the companies that get it right flourish ahead of the customer service laggards. Read more stats and facts in the 2021 ACA study that will help guide your decisions as you improve your customer service. The information the survey revealed is your motivation to deliver an amazing customer experience. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success!
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By Kenneth Kaufman
One of the COVID pandemic’s most bitter lessons has been the complete inadequacy and dysfunction of the U.S. public health system, if the word “system” can even be applied. Prior to COVID, these shortcomings were hiding in plain sight. Now, they are evident to all and exacerbated as the nation struggles to protect the health of its citizens in the face of a pandemic entering its third year. At the outset of the pandemic, research showed a $4.5 billion funding shortfall to provide what authors of a study in The Milbank Quarterly called “a minimum standard of foundational public health capabilities.” Further, more than 85% of public health funding comes from state and local sources, leading to significant variation by geography. For example, states including New York, New Hampshire, and Montana spend more than $129 per person to public health, while states including Nevada, Missouri, and Indiana spend less than $59. This geographic variation in funding indicates a significant inequity in the types and levels of public health services. Certainly, the existing public health infrastructure did not protect historically vulnerable populations from the effects of COVID, with Hispanic and Black individuals at least twice as likely to die from COVID as whites and almost three times as likely to be hospitalized, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of CDC data. Public health agencies also suffer from chronic understaffing. In the decade prior to COVID, state public health agencies lost 16% of their full-time positions, and county and city public health agencies lost 20% of their positions in the past 15 years. The result has been an inadequate, unequitable, and fragmented collection of services that, when COVID hit, was unable to deliver what the country desperately needed: prompt, consistent, and widespread testing and vaccination; effective contact tracing; and clear communication with the public about healthy practices. The politicization of health has made a bad situation worse. As of September 2021, 26 states passed laws that limited public health powers, and 303 state and local public health department leaders resigned, retired, or had been fired. Hospitals have always been the organizations that truly matter when it comes to healthcare delivery. And now, highlighted by COVID, hospitals have become the organizations that truly matter when it comes to public health. Consider some of the core services of public health, as defined by the CDC:
The slow but inexorable shift of financial risk from insurers to providers has created the economic incentive for hospitals and health systems to better understand population health status and the specific factors that influence it; to enhance access to care particularly in underserved areas; and to reach out into communities to manage health risks before they produce the need for more intensive levels of intervention. Perhaps more important than economic incentive has been the mission incentive of not-for-profit providers. Almost universally, not-for-profit hospitals and health systems articulate a mission to improve the health and wellbeing of communities. Increasingly, this mission has led hospitals into the challenging public health arena. The COVID crisis has taken these new health system responsibilities to a different level. Health systems were instrumental in developing and administering COVID tests, tracing COVID’s path, educating communities about the virus and how to avoid it, and providing front-line care for the huge swath of Americans affected by the virus. Moving forward, hospitals will be asked by communities all over the country to be the organizations that deal with a broader set of national problems related to the wellbeing of patients and communities—problems that COVID has made much worse, problems that the public sector has never been able to solve. With this new set of responsibilities comes an entirely new set of strategic, operational, and financial implications for hospitals and health systems. Meeting these challenges will require a new level of health system ideas, a new level of health system aggressiveness, and a new level of health system ambition. More than ever, health systems will need to have to address social determinants of health; access and analyze data about health conditions, reimagine access to preventive care, develop care models tailored to specific populations. The costs will be enormous, and the need for intellectual capital considerable. America is looking to someone or something to take on what is now a paramount set of national healthcare problems. It is up to the hospital sector to bring its charitable mission, its resources, and its passion to bear on this awesome responsibility. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Ron Culberson. With a master’s degree in social work, Ron Culberson spent the first part of his career working in a large hospice organization as a clinical social worker, middle manager, and senior leader. As a speaker, humorist, and author of "Do it Well. Make it Fun.The Key to Success in Life, Death, and Almost Everything in Between", he has delivered more than 1,000 presentations to associations, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and corporations. His mission is to change the workplace culture so that organizations are more productive and staff are more content. He was also the 2012-2013 president of the National Speakers Association and is a recognized expert on the benefits of humor and laughter.
Did you ever wake up in the morning and think, “How did I get here?” I’m not suggesting that you had too many fuzzy navels on spring break or that aliens abducted you in the middle of the night. I’m referring to that realization that occurs when we’re at a certain point in our lives and we’re not quite sure how we got there. Well, as someone once said, “Time flies whether you’re having fun or not.” My wife and I often talk about what we want to do when we “retire.” I just turned sixty and she’s close behind. We have no desire to work in our jobs longer than we have to. That does not mean that we will retire to a “home” or require our food to be pureed. We plan use our newfound free time to serve our community, spend time with friends and family, and maybe even do something that generates a bit of revenue. The point of our chat was to plan for our future. Rather than just spinning the wheel and seeing where life takes us, we’d like to carve out a routine that it is both meaningful and worthwhile. Even though we’re not sure what our retirement will look like, there is great wisdom in the concept that where we are today is a result of our thinking yesterday. In keeping with that philosophy, where we will be tomorrow is a result of our thinking today. In fact, when we look back, we can see how this plays out. Over the past few months, I’ve had the pleasure of working on a documentary film about my college band, or to be specific, the Award Winning University of Virginia, Fighting Cavalier, Indoor/Outdoor, Precision(?), Marching Pep Band and Chowder Society Review Unlimited, henceforth more succinctly referred to as “the Pep Band.” It’s an idea that bubbled up unexpectedly and has grown into a wonderful project. Several years ago, I was having dinner with my college friend, Dan McKeon, and his wife Kit. Dan was also in the Pep Band and whenever we get together, we tell band stories. Now, those of you who were members of a marching band probably have stories as well. But I would venture to guess that your stories are a bit different from ours. You see, we were a scramble-style joke band. We did not march in perfectly even blocks or company fronts. Instead, we ran chaotically around the field, while the announcer told a joke. We then settled into a funny image on the field and played an appropriate piece of music to accompany the joke. For example, during one show, the announcer said, “Would the owner of ten thousand dollars in small, unmarked, non-sequential bills, wrapped in rubber bands, please report to the ticket office. (Pause for effect) We have your rubber bands.” The band then formed a dollar sign and played Pink Floyd’s song, “Money.” For four years, I was part of the committee that wrote the jokes, designed the field formations, and chose the music for the Pep Band shows. During my last year, I was in charge of the committee. It was an amazing experience and the performances were very popular with the students, especially since the performance of the football team was not. Unfortunately, after a series of humor controversies and a few run-ins with the athletic department, the band was formally disbanded, so to speak, in 2002. At that fateful dinner with Dan and Kit a few years ago, Kit looked up after our tenth or eleventh Pep Band story and said, “This would make a great documentary.” And thus, the idea was hatched. Fast forward to the present day and I’m working with director Chris Farina to develop, film, and release a documentary about this unique band and our extraordinary experience in it. Recently the University of Virginia’s alumni magazine published a brilliant piece, written by Ed Miller, on the band’s history. To read the article click here: Pep Banned Article. To hear a radio show where Ed and I were interviewed about the article, click here: Sunday Morning Wake Up Call Over the past few weeks, I’ve been communicating with donors, former classmates, and band members who have shared their funny, bizarre, and heartwarming memories of the band. In the process of listening to the tales and doing my own reflection, I realized that where I am today has a lot to do with those four years in the UVA Pep Band. For one, I learned to write humor. I’ve never considered myself a gifted writer nor a comedian. But I learned about the mechanics of humor while writing jokes on the Pep Band Show Committee about our opposing teams, current events, or the terrible food in the university cafeteria. Ideas would be tossed around, lines would be written, and then we would edit until we had the perfect joke. I discovered that punchlines always went at the very end of a joke. Words with K or P were funnier. And jokes about beer were always popular among colleges students. A second lesson I learned was how to work on a team. We needed everyone on our committee from the funny people to the English majors to the music geeks. Everybody contributed to the success of the show by sharing their unique perspective. Third, I learned about leadership. During my last year in the band, I was one of the two Field Conductors (a position shared with my friend Dave Linkous), which meant that we were responsible for managing the Show Committee, and for leading the rehearsals and performances on the field. I quickly learned that if I yelled at band members who were not following directions, they would most likely resist my future requests. I also learned that if I had a good relationship with the band’s Music Director, the band’s Administrative Director, and the university’s Athletic Director, the work proceeded much more smoothly. And lastly, I learned about the power of humor to bring people together. Oh sure, we stepped on a few toes over the years and perhaps we could have done some things differently. But when we delivered a perfectly constructed joke with great accompanying music, we were rewarded with a chorus of laughter and applause from the stands. It was Humor Nirvana. I wish I had had the foresight to understand these valuable lessons at the time. Honestly, I just wanted to have fun and make people laugh. If I’d known I was developing skills that I would use today, I might have been more purposeful in honing them as I got older. But that’s how life is. Sometimes we’re on a particular path for a long time before we realize it. Yet, when we stop and think attentively about what we’re doing and where it’s taking us, we might instead wake up one morning and say, “This is exactly where I thought I’d be.” Indeed, where we’ve been is how we got here. Before closing, I thought I’d share one more line from a Pep Band show: “Now for the first time ever on the Scott Stadium Astroturf, the Pep Band presents its world-famous precision drill. Yes, that’s right, it’s a Black and Decker Precision Drill!” Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By John O'Leary. This was originally posted on JohnOLearyInspires.com. When John O'Leary was 9 years old, he suffered burns over 100% of his body and was expected to die. He is now an inspirational speaker and bestselling author, teaching more than 50,000 people around the world each year how to live inspired. John's first book, ON FIRE: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life was published March 15, 2016. John is a contributing writer for Huff Post and Parade.com. John is a proud husband and father of four and resides in St. Louis, MO. Order John’s book today anywhere books are sold.
While traveling for work through the UK years ago, I was introduced to the story of a man who is absolute proof that one person can change the world. Here’s his story. In 1938 Nicholas Winton was a 28-year stockbroker living in London. He planned to trade the gloomy rain of England for the glorious mountains of Switzerland for a holiday ski trip. A phone call from a friend changed his plans. And his life. Martin Blake told him to forget the skis and come instead to Prague. They had something far more important to do. With Europe tipping toward total war, the men anticipated the plight of Jewish children in Czechoslovakia. A shining example of how one person can change the world came at the dawn of the Holocaust, when a man skipped vacation to personally save 100s of children. Winton, working tirelessly, created a plan to send Jewish children in Czechoslovakia whose families feared potential Nazi occupation to England. Winton secured documentation, gathered resources, purchased train tickets and recruited families that would greet and raise the children in England. Before the Nazis made traveling out of the country impossible, Winton filled seven trainloads of children transported safely to freedom. He saved these children’s lives. And yet, he never told anyone what he did. Not even his wife. Five decades later, in 1988, his wife stumbled upon an old ledger with names in it. She asked Nicholas what it was, and he explained what he did in 1938 and 1939. He just wished he had done more. After news of this story broke in a local paper, Winton was asked to share his story with the BBC. With cameras rolling and a live audience, the host was clearly moved by Winton’s actions and humility. As the interview concluded, he asked one final question, “Is anyone in the audience a child that Nicholas personally saved from certain death?” A woman stood, wiping her eyes. And then a man stood. Then another. Next, a group. Until the entire audience was standing. Winton stopped looking around at the audience, put his head down, and wept. You can change the world, starting with yours. My friends, while others turned their backs, felt indifference or were simply paralyzed with fear, Winton took accountability, accepted risks and rescued children. In all, he directly saved 669 lives through his bravery and selfless actions. Some of the children gave him a ring to show their gratitude. It is inscribed with six simple words from the Talmud: “Save one life. Save the world.” So, can we actually save, change or fundamentally improve the world? Well, it may not be trainloads of children we save. We may not end up on BBC for our valor. We may never be Knighted by Queen Elizabeth or receive the highest honor from the Czech Republic. But undoubtably, small acts of kindness, done in love, can have mighty ripple effects. We’ve all experienced that healing power in our own lives. In a marketplace that often feels divided, isolated, and hopeless, we’re called to be that example to others in their lives. This is your day. Live Inspired. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Amy Dee
Would you like to build your resilience? To be sure, resilience builds when you become become more aware of your thoughts, and become more flexible in your thinking. In the following paragraphs, you’ll learn how to identify and immediately counteract the negative thinking trap called: Catastrophic Thinking. Resilience vs the Catastrophic Trigger At 11am you get the following email from your boss “Please clear your schedule from 3 to 4 pm and meet me in my office.” That’s it. Consequently, being armed with so little information causes your mind grabs a shovel and start filling in the blanks with every negative bit of dirt it can conjure. You start catastrophic thinking. Did a client complain about me? Is she angry that my report was two days late? Maybe she’s made that my numbers were low this month? And your thoughts keep going. What if I get fired? What if I can’t pay my mortgage? Will my house be repossessed? I’ll be homeless and on the street! And on and on and on it goes. Humans Aren’t Always Rational Let’s face it, we humans like to believe that we are rational creatures. We believe that when faced with a decision or projecting future outcomes, we judiciously weigh out all facts, carefully consider the pro and cons and come to a reasonable, rational decision. To put it bluntly, this is not true. Instead, every human brain is embedded with irrational thought patterns that blind us to the truth. Science describes these as cognitive distortions. But, for this blog, I’ll call them Thinking Traps. The result is, thinking traps cause errors in judgment. The good news is, that by becoming conscious of your thinking traps, you can stop them in their tracks. Definition of Catastrophic Thinking Catastrophizing is a thinking trap that causes you to waste critical energy ruminating. Instead of moving forward, you go around and around thinking about the worst-case outcomes of a situation. First, there’s a trigger i.e., the email from your boss. This activating event starts your mind racing, like an evil runaway train, rolling into every horrible thing that will happen. Next you get stuck ruminating on all of those irrational, worst-case outcomes. All of that negative energy and rumination blocks you from actually taking any action. In short, catastrophizing causes an imbalance between the interpretation and the reality of the threat. The threat becomes much bigger than it probably is. As a result, it looms over you, blocking out possible solutions. You not only overestimate the danger, but you also underestimate your ability to cope. Problems Catastrophizing Causes To illustrate, let imagine that you and your spouse have a pretty bad argument. Afterward, you can’t get the disagreement out of your head. Consequently, It’s hard to focus at work because you keep replaying and analyzing what you said and what you heard your spouse say. Not being able to focus is a common outcome of catastrophizing. Is he/she still angry? Did the kids hear our disagreement? Did he/she tell someone at work about it? Actually, while these catastrophic worst-case thoughts generate anxiety, they can also crowd out your ability to focus on your next project. In addition, replaying the argument gives you a headache or stomach pain, or sweating palms. You may even feel short of breath. Because there are all sorts of ways that catastrophic thinking affects our bodies. Unfortunately, pessimism is another trap caused by catastrophizing. If something doesn’t go well, our minds might automatically start painting a picture of doom and gloom. Resilience and pessimism don’t mix. The result is that problems became so much bigger than they actually are. Instead of confronting the stressors or issues that need your attention, you may withdraw. Catch Yourself Catastrophizing “My speech is going to bomb” I think. Now, with zero evidence, I forecast the worst possible outcome of a situation and brush away all facts that contradict my negative belief. Instead, I predict that everything will things will turn out badly. At the beginning, when you catch yourself worrying over something that hasn’t happened, start by identifying your pessimistic prediction. Afterward, ask yourself “Where’s the evidence for this conclusion?” 3 Catastrophic styles that Harm resilience The University of Penn, along with other researchers, have identified three styles of catastrophizing. 1.Downward spiral: You build an entire disastrous story out of one situation or event. Example: The email caused a downward spiral of thoughts. Your thoughts leap from: The meeting with the boss will be hostile to I’ll be fired, lose my job to being homeless and on the street. One event creates a downward pull of imagined threats. 2. Scattershot: You manufacture a massive variety of bad things that might happen to you because of the situation. Here, you don’t create a story like you do in the downward spiral. Instead, you imagine a widespread variety of bad outcomes that could happen. Example: You argue with your spouse, now your mind goes off in different negative directions. We’ve had been lots of arguments lately; could he/she be having an affair? What if Joey heard us argue and can’t concentrate? What if he flunks his Biology test today! Did our neighbors listen to us yell? They probably think we are such losers! 3. Circling: You ruminate about a central theme. Your supervisor asks you to rewrite a report and have it on his desk tomorrow at noon, and the circling begins. Example: My afternoon is packed full with meetings; I don’t have time for this! I have parent-teacher conferences at 7pm. How can I fit that in? I promised Zack I’d help him study tonight, but there’s no way I’ll have time for that. Plus I need supplies for Sara’s party is on Saturday. There’s no way I’ll get all this done! I’ve gotta sleep too! There’s just not enough time! How Catastrophic Thinking Harms Resilience: Whatever the type of catastrophizing you tend to use, be it the down spiral, scattershot or circling, they all end up blocking purposeful action. Not only that, all three types of catastrophizing lead to procrastination and anxiety. In addition, each one engages the flight or fight response. In other words, they all get in our way of handling or coping with the situation at hand. So we all need self-awareness to recognize when we are catastrophizing. But being aware isn’t enough. In addition to awareness, you need skills to challenge and change. U of Penn Positive Psychology has developed some easy-to-use skills that you can immediately apply. They call this Real-Time Resilience because as soon as you recognize that negative mental chatter, you can challenge it on the spot to regain your focus, confidence, and composure. The Steps of Real-Time Resilience by U of Penn 1. Evidence Explore evidence that proves your counterproductive thought is false. Start a sentence by using the phrase: This is not true because… Example: Recently I performed my first live event after a year of virtual events. I was nervous before going on stage, thinking, “It’s been so long, I am going to mess this up!“ Once I recognize my catastrophic thinking, I can stop myself and say “That’s not true because I’ve spoken in front of thousands of people, and most of the time, I get standing ovations!” Make sure you use vivid data (1,000’s of people-standing ovations)to prove why what you’re thinking is not valid. 2. Reframe Shift your perspective to change your perception of the situation. Start by saying, “A more helpful way of me seeing this is… Example: “A more helpful way of seeing this nervousness is as energy I can bring to my audience this evening!” 3. Plan When catastrophic thinking grabs you by the throat, screaming the horrible things about to happen, your anxiety increases. This increased anxiety stops you from performing effectively because you are entrenched in the fight or flight mode. So make a plan. Start by saying: If X happens, I will do Y “If I suddenly forget a story, I will take a deep breath, pause, make a joke about Covid Confusion and regain my composure”. Relaxing will help get my brain back on track.” In conclusion, building resilience requires you to be aware of your thoughts at the moment. In addition, it also requires you to ‘catch’ and counteract these negative thoughts. The good news is that YOU CAN DO THIS. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Courtney Clark
You’ve seen toxic positivity: it’s the over-the-top optimism filled with an almost obsessively upbeat attitude. It’s “good vibes only!” and “always look on the bright side!” It’s the denial of struggle. It’s a lie. The trend of rah-rah “you can do it” positivity has been growing for several years, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. But in the past year-and-a-half, I’ve noticed toxic positivity creep into our lives in scary ways. It starts small: “Things are a struggle right now, but I know a lot of people are struggling even more, so I don’t want to say anything.” “It could be worse. At least I don’t have COVID.” “I feel depressed. But what do I have to be depressed about?” When we diminish our own struggles in comparison to other people, we’re giving toxic positivity a toehold. We start to think that unless our entire world is crumbling, we should be happy. And even worse – we let other people guilt us into a forced sense of optimism. “Look on the bright side: at least you still have a job, some people lost everything.” “Aw, cheer up. Life doesn’t give you more than you can handle.” When I was diagnosed with cancer for the first time at age 26, people kept telling me “you’re so strong.” What was I supposed to say to that? I didn’t feel strong. I felt angry and scared and jealous of other people who had their health. What they were calling “strength” was really just me knowing I had to keep putting one foot in front of the other to survive. I didn’t have a choice. Platitudes are nothing but guilt-trips wrapped in positivity paper. And they would say “you’ve got this!” I know they were trying to help. I know they didn’t know what else to say. But now I know that forcing positivity on someone who is struggling can do more harm than good, because it’s isolating. All these platitudes are nothing but guilt-trips wrapped in positivity paper. And the platitudes have been increasing since the pandemic. People are all over social media trying to find the benefits of the pandemic, like time to learn a new hobby, or more hours spent at home with family. Finding the bright side of this terrifying past year-and-a-half has become a badge of honor for the privileged. It’s not *wrong* to find benefits in struggle. If that’s how you really feel, great! But when large numbers of people start to publicize and promote “finding the good” in something, what happens if you don’t agree? What happens if you feel crummy? It’s like the emperor’s new clothes: you don’t want to speak up for fear of being ridiculed. Everybody else seems to have found the silver lining, so you don’t want to seem ungrateful for the good things you have. You don’t want to be shunned from the group dynamic, so you force yourself to participate. Forcing positivity on someone who is struggling can do more harm than good. And that’s when toxic positivity gets you. You don’t feel positive, but you fake it. You force it, because otherwise you worry people will judge you for being negative. Having a positive attitude is an asset. It’s a good idea to build habits into your life that help you reflect, reframe, and feel gratitude. But having a positive attitude doesn’t mean you’re happy all the time. It means you can be sad when you should be sad, or disappointed when you should be disappointed, but that you’re able to balance those feelings with feelings of happiness when something happens that should make you happy. Being a real person means allowing both sides of your feelings to flourish. True positivity isn’t forced. It’s not guilt-tripped or coerced. You can’t be shamed into it. You can only build it. In 2022, maybe our culture can stop rejecting feelings of negativity as shameful. Feeling bad doesn’t make you a bad person, especially in times like these. Let’s reject toxic positivity and start appreciating the messy, up-and-down nature of true positivity. It’s not as meme-able, but at least it’s real. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Chip Bell
It is a question I get a lot from customer service leaders. They are convinced there is a missed tactic that, if implemented, would have the C-suite camping out in the contact center and inviting customers to board meetings. When I outline a number of possible approaches—translate CS yardsticks into the metrics of the bottom line, provide concrete links between customer affinity and the ROI, find ways to bring the voice of the customer into the conversations in the boardroom–they usually tell me, “We have done all that.” It reminds me of the legendary retailer, Les Wexner. I was working as a consultant with Victoria’s Secret. The hottest product about to be launched was the “Perfect Silhouette bra” patterned after the look of the pinup star of World War II, Betty Grable. The plan was for a controversial NBA star to lead the edgy ads for the bra. CEO Les Wexner, founder of Limited Brands (now L Brands), the parent company of Victoria’s Secret and renowned as a very savvy entrepreneur, wanted to place a very large order of a million bras to sell in the stores and online. The head of marketing asked to get some time with me on one of my consulting visits to corporate headquarters in Columbus, OH. The meeting was held in a conference room with the entire marketing leadership team. “We have done dozens of focus groups with our customers to test market this bra,” I was told, “and customers say they hate it. And the idea of a provocative NBA star as our pitchman, they find offensive. We can’t get Les to seriously consider the view of our customers.” “Have you done your very best to convince Les that customers will likely reject this product and promotion?” I asked the group. They were confident they had. “Who gets paid to make this call, the marketing staff or the company leadership? They all agreed it was the CEO’s call. “You have done your job and are convinced you have done it well; now give him the space to do his job,” I advised. Wexner changed his position; he ordered two million bras and the NBA star did the ads. The Perfect Silhouette bra was a major commercial success. Operations leaders love operations with the same passion that customer service leaders love customers. The finance leaders embrace the arithmetic of the organization with similar devotion. Ask a top salesperson which is more important to the growth of the company and they will likely tell you new prospects, not current customers. The office of the CEO is where all disciplines come together to direct the organization toward its mission. It is the melting pot of business paradigms; success is in the execution of that brew. Remember the riddle of the three blind men encountering a large strange animal at different parts of the animal’s body—is it a snake, or a rope, or a column? They needed combined perspectives to figure out it was an elephant. I believe smart organizations are customer-centric and have spent a career beating that particular drum. It is my job is to champion that perspective to the best of our ability. I believe it is also my role to give the CEO the space to do her job. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Kristin Baird
Connecting to purpose can make all the difference in engagement and job satisfaction. To counteract the Great Resignation or the “Big Quit” plaguing the country, we must look closely at the way we do work. This includes how we help our team members connect to purpose. Many of us who work in healthcare talk about the work as a calling. When I speak with nurses and other healthcare workers, I hear one thing a lot. They chose healthcare careers because they wanted to do work that makes a difference. They quickly become discouraged when they feel their executive leadership does not share that same sense of purpose. THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP CONNECTION Organizations whose leaders live the mission, vision, and values do much to foster this connection to purpose and engagement at all levels. One nurse leader recently told me, “I’m tired of putting on a brave face for my staff and telling them that our senior leaders hear them and feel their pain. The truth is that they don’t. I strive every day to foster a strong sense of purpose through one-to-one discussions. By helping them see the value of their work, I’m building engagement. And it’s raising the morale while feeding their sense of purpose.” In a recent Fast Company article, author Marc Inzelstien cites a McKinsey survey: “Respondents who indicated they were “living their purpose” at work were much more likely than those not doing so to sustain or improve their levels of work effectiveness, and they had four times higher engagement and five times higher well-being. Yet only one-third of respondents believe their organizations strongly connect actions to purpose.” HOW TO FOSTER CONNECTING TO PURPOSE Help staff connect to purpose by:
Here are a few conversation starters to help your staff connect to purpose:
In addition to fostering a strong connection to purpose, leaders must support employee wellbeing and see them as more than a body filling a shift. A study from Harvard Business Review found that while 87% of companies surveyed agreed that it was very or extremely crucial that managers support employee wellbeing, only one quarter do much about it. We must remember that healthcare organizations are first and foremost places of human interactions, not just medical transactions. Creating supportive interactions and social connections among our team members will foster greater engagement. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! |
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