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Service Savvy & Diversity

Service savvy  means providing outstanding service to internal and external customers, regardless of how different they may be from you. Here are five things you can do to increase your service savvy:

  1. Demonstrate Respect—go beyond tolerating differences and strive to appreciate those who are different from you. (Example: remember that kids are customers too!)
  2. Avoid Assumptions—be aware of your sub-conscious thoughts about people and don’t “label” or “stereotype” your internal and/or external customers.
  3. Avoid Cultural Taboos—remember that cultural norms differ. There are many things to consider like space /proximity and gestures, just to name a few.
  4. Lower Language Barriers—be creative in helping customers who do not speak your language. (Example: draw pictures if necessary!)
  5. Adapt Products & Services—consider the needs of your diverse guests and find ways to meet those needs as often as possible. (Example: provide Braille menus or other items.)

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Coaching for Improvement

Nearly everyone enjoys providing positive feedback, and it is a power tool for continuous improvement. While providing not-so-positive feedback isn’t much fun, remember that when provided properly it is a valuable coaching resource.  The purpose of feedback is to help the receiver, not to embarrass him or her or to make judgments. So be kind. Examples: “I’m concerned about you meeting your deadlines because you’ve been late three times this week. Is everything okay?” or “I felt uncomfortable when you lost your temper with our client. How are you feeling about what happened and what do you think we should do next?”

Notice that in the examples above you didn’t see harsh judgments, personal attacks or labeling, such as: “You always miss your deadlines; you procrastinate too much.” or “You’re a loose cannon and you’ve cost us that account.” If the person’s inappropriate behavior did, in fact, cost the organization an account, disciplinary action might be necessary.  When coaching, however, remember to state the facts without intentionally embarrassing the person, don’t belittle or use “labels” and give the person an opportunity to do their own self-evaluation. People typically know exactly what they need to improve upon.  Be caring, not callous.

 

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Providing Effective Feedback

How many of the following effective feedback behaviors do you display on a regular basis?

  1. I carefully select the time and place to provide feedback.
  2. I respect those who provide me with negative feedback.
  3. I ask for clarification when communicating with others.
  4. I offer the person an opportunity to evaluate their own behavior.
  5. When offering feedback, I focus on helping the other person.

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Where Is Your Focus When Mistakes Happen?

True leaders focus on positives while others are trapped dealing with negativity.  How did you react the last time something went wrong in your department or organization?  Did you focus on the negative events leading up to the problem?  Did you identify fault and take the necessary disciplinary action?

I don’t remember when or where I first heard the following leadership advice, but it’s a great guide for dealing with mistakes:

When something goes wrong, great minds focus on ideas for preventing the problem from happening again, mediocre minds focus on the events that caused the problem, and small minds focus on the people involved and look to place blame.

While the people and events may need some attention or may need to be analyzed, preventative ideas should be the major focus of a leader.  If you follow this guide and help others follow it as well, you’ll see a shift in the ability of your team to solve problems.  You’ll also notice that your workplace environment is more pleasant and effective!

 

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Code Phrase Can End Pity Parties

My family has always had a weird way of making light of a wimpy display of self-pity.  If one of the six McMichael children whined or complained about something insignificant, they would likely hear this family response: “Moo, Moo, Moo, Moo.”  Now I don’t know where this silly retort came from, but I do know that when used appropriately, it almost always gets a smile from the complaining sister or brother.   You might say this response is the McMichael code for “you just might be over-reacting—get a grip.”

I’ve never been foolish enough to try the “Moo, Moo” attitude adjustment technique on someone outside the family, but I do think having such a “code” can be healthy.  Perhaps we can ease into this technique with a “code” to end pity parties.  For instance, one of the greatest things I learned in my Dale Carnegie class was not to complain, criticize, or condemn other people—ever!  They call this avoiding the 3 Cs.  And… since this is usually what happens during a group pity party, it would only take one person to say… “Don’t forget the 3 Cs”  to end the pity party.  Now this won’t be as colorful as “Moo, Moo, Moo, Moo,” but I think it could be as effective.

 

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