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: Demonstrate Respect—go beyond tolerating differences and strive to appreciate those who are different from you. (Example: remember that kids are customers too!) Avoid Assumptions—be...
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Good Customer Service Can Be Therapeutic
Several years ago my neurologist, who is more than an hour from home, prescribed physical therapy 2-3 a week. In an attempt to find a therapist closer to home, I took a referral from a good friend who loves his physical therapist. I never got a chance to see how good the therapist is, because...
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Remember the SWOT Analysis Concept?
SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. The concept is an oldie, but goody and is an opportunity for leaders to examine aspects of an organization, individual team or department. Example characteristics include: Strengths—strong team, strong market presence, quick delivery Weaknesses—limited new product development, slow response to problems Opportunities—up-sell to current clients, sponsorship...
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You're Never Too Old To Change
The idea of a change like increasing employee morale will require many of us to step outside of our comfort zones. It will require us to change our routines. After all, if we continue to do what we’ve always done, we’ll continue to get what we’ve always got. And… the excuse for not doing new...
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Creating a Good Interview Environment
Direct all your calls to another team member or voice mail. Provide a private place so that the applicant can speak freely without interruptions. Avoid displaying family photos or other objects that might lead the conversation in a personal and sometimes illegal direction. Begin the interview on time and personally greet the applicant in the...
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Topics to Avoid During an Interview
The SAD REFS acronym features “sad references” or topic areas that are illegal or potentially illegal. Sex—gender or sexual orientation Age Disability—medical conditions, mental or physical disability Race or religion Ethnic heritage, national origin or citizenship Family status, marital status, children, pregnancy or credit history Some others—veteran’s status, convictions, arrest records
Developing Good Interview Questions
During the information gathering stage of an interview you will ask questions that are critical to discovering the applicant’s knowledge and skill levels. The following questioning techniques can be helpful: Past Behavior-based questions refer to situations the applicant has handled in the past. Rather than asking, “What would you do if…?” questions, try “Tell me about...
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Improving the Interview Process
With companies downsizing and rightsizing it is more important than ever that we practice due diligence when filling valuable open job slots. There are three important components of an effective selection process: 1. Preparation—to include identifying essential job functions, both discipline-specific (technical skills) and performance skills such as adaptability, communication skills, effective relationship building skills...
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Workplace Creativity
Surprise – I’m not always feeling creative when I sit down at my computer to write this blog. So this month I searched the Chase’s Calendar of Events, typed in the month of May, hit search and a page came up. I was just sure I could find an idea on the list so I...
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You Can’t Give What You Don’t Have
Here’s a fact we all know: You can’t jump start a dead battery with another dead battery. Well, the same is true for recharging the emotional batteries of your employees. The leader must first have a strong, positive attitude and competent emotional intelligence skills to effectively guide others in that same direction. So be sure...
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