management
Seeking Call Center Excellence?
Call centers are driven by data and key performance measures. Setting those KPMs is both the challenge and the opportunity. One measure I frequently find for call centers is abandon rates. The averages I typically see are 5-8%. But, be careful of measuring yourself against peers on this measure because if you are just a…
Read MoreWords Matter in Leadership
“Words Matter,” I did not create this phrase. The first time I heard it was from a great CEO I worked for, Gerry Agnes, at Elevations Credit Union. He used this short statement often. However, these two words take on a lot of nuanced meanings. When used in grammar and spelling, words say a lot…
Read MoreIs your job spiraling into (un)planned obsolescence?
Will robotics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, the buzzwords of this decade, disrupt your job? Here are the types of situations that are at risk: Tasks that are simple and repetitious Functions that take require decisions that can easily be taught to another Jobs that involve data entry from disparate sources Tasks that provide reactive…
Read More5 Reasons to Define Leadership
Leadership is too often leadership is seen as the job of the chosen few as dictated by the org chart. Let’s move past this arcane concept and change our paradigm. Leadership isn’t for the few; leadership is for the masses. Here is why I know this to be true: Marine Corps boot camp taught me…
Read MoreHow to Create a High Performing Team
The largest expense line on the income statement is compensation and benefits. This expense must be maximized and leveraged. To accomplish getting the most from your comp and benefit’s expenses starts with performance management. Unfortunately, performance management has become an annual or semi-annual exercise in futility for too many organizations. When performance management becomes a…
Read MoreSo You Want to Be a Leader; A 3 Step Primer
First, let’s define leadership. Leadership IS NOT about title, rank, direct reports or hierarchal power. Leadership IS about creating change. A person that is not creating change is maybe good at tasks and people management but not a leader. Being a leader requires the individual to have the courage to take risks, use her/his voice…
Read MoreCareer Setback or “The Sky Is Falling”?
If it hasn’t happened yet, it will. Suddenly, seemingly out of the blue, you get; pick one: Demoted, laid off, fired, passed over, or criticized for your execution of a project. What happens next will determine your future for a long, long time. When a career setback happens, it will most likely be very emotional.…
Read More2019 is not a year for Wimps
Are you a resolutions person? Personally, I’m not a big fan of resolutions. It seems they are just another way to procrastinate what you should have done days, weeks, months, or even, years ago. What I prefer to do to celebrate a new year is to evaluate, reinvent, and re-energize my focus and attention. How…
Read MoreMake your Strategic Plan a Hero’s Story
When doing a strategic plan, most organizations really are good at thinking with aspiration, hope, and promise. Where the “failure” happens is on the execution of the plan. If you think about engaging movies, they all seem to be stories that include a variation of the hero’s journey. “Lord of the Rings”, “Star Wars”, and…
Read More