Hi it's Dave here.
Welcome back to my blog and thank you for your continued support. I hope that you are all making this
week a great week in your lives, just like I am!
Let's begin by asking a question
How often do you come across shop
assistants or representatives of companies that flatly refuse to do something
about a situation, complaint or product failure. They just shrug their shoulders and say something like “that’s the way it is” or “we can’t do anything about that” and so forth?
It is my belief that (in general)
many standards in business are slipping and that a lot more companies need to
be declaring
“It may not be our fault, but it is our
problem”
Having
an interest in the Corporate world – and something of a desire to work with
business clients - this particular piece seeks to provide an insight into
something that I feel is extremely important for ANY business and as such it
suggests ways that (if implemented) can take an average business onto the road
towards EXCELLENCE.
The
foundation of this particular post was discovered in an extract from a report
about Humana Incorporated working with the Disney Institute to turn their
business around.
……not
only did Humana have an image to represent the mission, the team had also
defined Perfect Service by focusing
on six key characteristics.
The
first four were the real core elements. –
Accurate
Reliable
Easy to Use
Courteous
The
fifth and sixth characteristics were
Proactive
Personalized
These
were goals that the company could continuously pursue in an effort to give
customers and consumers an unexpected value.
These six characteristics were destined to be more
than just a memo posted on a board.
Together
they became “The Filter” through which every customer service decision would
pass.
Printed
on cards and delivered to each associate, it was a message that would be
communicated to Humana’s customers.
On
the reverse side of the card, Humana’s Perfect
Service values –
Integrity
Respect
Teamwork
Transparency
Accountability
Quality
Leadership
Innovation
These
underpinned this new approach.
Combined,
the values and characteristics were the foundation of Perfect Service.
Although
skeptics shrugged, gradually the key elements of Perfect Service began flowing from the top down and bottom up and,
inevitably, everyone was engaged in a higher level of service. The “Naysayers” had lost their voice and ultimately joined the effort.
From the way claims
were handled, calls were answered, or customers were treated, a new dynamic was
being created. Associates felt better, became more productive and, most
importantly, they stayed.
It
was clear that Disney had become a key part of the catalyst for change.
Little Things Mean the Most
Perfect Service,
modelled by Disney and defined by Humana, was woven into the fabric of corporate
culture. Associates were recognized for their individual efforts in striving
for Perfect Service. Modelling one
of Disney’s practices, Kucera created her
own service pins for associates’ participation in the annual enrollment of new
clients. To offer personal recognition, Ganoni created shirts and produced cards to
acknowledge outstanding efforts.
Furthermore,
front line associates were encouraged to come up with new solutions to old
problems. “Before, they’d just say ‘That’s the way it is,’ and could be complacent,”
explained Ganoni. “Now they were asked to speak up when they saw something that
didn’t look right and question it.”
“We
also adopted Disney’s view that ‘It may
not be our fault, but it is our problem,” commented Murray. “Now we can say ‘Let’s get it done to
the satisfaction of our customer.’”
“When you engage your
own associates and make them feel good, in turn, they will be more focused and
committed to quality,” explained Murray.
“They are better at interacting with customers who get better experiences,
which ultimately enhances overall value.”
Our
Mission ~ We
serve.
With our hearts we create a great place to be.
With our
minds we create an excellent place to shop.
Our
Values ~ We are passionate about our customers and will fight for their rights.
We care for, and respect each other.
We foster personal growth and opportunity.
We nurture leadership and vision, and reward innovation.
We live by honesty and
integrity.
We support and participate in our communities.
We take individual
responsibility.
We are all accountable.
Lasting
cultural change had to be driven from the top, in ways that were visible and meaningful
to every employee. During this time, Start’s leaders worked tirelessly to craft
a company vision and mission statement, core values, leadership
characteristics, service standards, human resources statements, and financial
statements.
Four service standards were developed:
accessibility, reliability, service provision, and efficiency. The Disney model
“Chain of Excellence” was employed to guide the company through its change
effort, with elements including leadership excellence, employee excellence,
candidate satisfaction, customer satisfaction, and financial results/ customer
value. All of this was designed to build further loyalty among Start’s flex
workers and clients.
1) Leadership
must begin at the top. It must stay the course, throughout the intervention and beyond.
2) Set
the measurement process up-front
3)
Be careful of promises. Every promise brings new
challenges, and people have to meet them. Employees at all levels are watching
to see the leaders’ true commitment, versus lip-service. If a leader says
materials will arrive on a certain date, they must be there by that date, case
closed.
4)
Understand your own culture, and how the program works in your culture,
before cascading it to other countries.
5)
Employ a methodical,
top-down strategy
Make sure the highest echelon of the organization “gets it” and is
supportive before cascading the implementation to the next level, and so on.
Experience has shown that, “moving the line” of training down the
organization was the most challenging part of the process, because there was
extreme sensitivity when the higher level had already been exposed to key
concepts and had greater insights than the next group.
Speed in implementation is important, but everyone couldn’t be trained
at the same time. To allow time for the concepts to “sink in,” Start spaced its
sessions four to six weeks apart. In addition, the company held two management
meetings when it transitioned to the next group. The first of the two meetings
featured a Disney Institute person, and the second meeting a Start
representative.
6)
Don’t just conduct the training
and then expect changes to become operational
Change takes a long time to take hold. If “everything speaks” – a key
Disney principle about the importance of setting – then getting everyone to
“speak” the same way requires constant nurturing.
Every company must find ways unique to its culture to refresh the
training, reward positive modeling about the culture change, and provide
networking opportunities. Start still utilizes its tool kit, and has created 14
functional Service Platforms to further drive home the concepts. Each Director
has a service platform comprised of both staff and operations. All employee
improvement ideas are communicated through the Service Platform, then sent to
the Director, and then communicated to the organization wherever feasible. A
reward and recognition program is being created to further encourage innovation
and spur positive peer pressure. Communication about the leadership program is
mailed to everyone’s home in the same manner. All of this is gradually building
pride and ownership in the process.
If this has made you think about how you
act, or if it has prompted any questions, then please feel free to add them as
a comment in the box below or to email me:- thedavebaxter@mail.com
About Dave I am a
coach; speaker; radio presenter and founder of The Blue Sky Company. I am
also a therapist and co-own a virtual light centre called The Crystal Spring. My
therapy work includes music therapy; reiki; crystal therapy
LINKS
Over the years I have read a number of books by the late Dr Wayne Dyer and every single one of those books has made an impact on my life in various ways, below I have selected an example of his work that might be of interest. This book is available via Amazon.
Have a fantastic day and live a life of
Passion and Power.
And above all
Don't Predict The Future - CREATE IT!
DAve
x
PS. I send out daily emails each containing
a new Inspirational Phrase. These are
available by subscription only and are delivered free of charge to your
mailbox.
To be included in these mailings please
opt in by sending an email to moonshadowmedia@mail.com using
"add me" as the subject line.
