Do people in your organisation play to succeed?

What is teamwork?  It is when a group of people play to their strengths to make the team move forward.  A team is built upon mutual trust factors and the cooperative feel of all members. A team can only be successful if all of the players work in a similar direction and focus on the particular mission at hand. 

What happens when a team member falls short of this cooperative style of working, and lets their self interest and ego come in the way? As soon as someone in your team starts referring to the team as ‘I’ rather than ‘we,’ that’s when you know that the member has lost interest in teamwork.  Everyone wants to be recognized in today’s competitive world and the urge to win this race as an individual performer is very high, but in certain contexts this can bring down the whole team.

Take the example of a business venture where a team has been formed to prepare a presentation for the boss. Studies say that it is possible that at least one person in the team would work solely with the purpose of impressing the boss with his individual skills rather than with the team effort. Such sabotage can lead to misaligned communication, bad blood between team members and possible failure of the team.

Some people are inherently extremely competitive and tend to put self about the team interests. Others may become more self-centered as they feel left out or alienated in the team. Alienation of a member could lead to them working independently, thus killing the team spirit yet again. 

The ‘free rider’ is another example of poor team relations. In this, while the team members on the whole make an effort, one team member does the least amount of work, and yet displays “team bonhomie” when it comes to taking credit as a team.

There are many ways to build team work, for example through the training by soft skill developers, group games and also going on a holiday together too. Sitting around a bonfire sharing anecdotes on team building, can build up strong bonds amongst the team members. These trust exercises lead to better communication and more robust solution-finding as a team. 

Whenever you notice someone who is more of a sole player in your team, try and talk to them separately about this and also involve them more in the work of the team. Explain to them that it is the fist that is more powerful rather than the individual finger. No company can function on the merits of one individual. We are all cogs in the wheel, and everyone has an important role to play, from the cleaner, to the secretary to a senior vice president. 

Founder and CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezo, has successfully tapped the power of teams by making them accountable for their own work. In fact he treats a team like a small company within the parent company, and expects team members to treat each other as internal clients. In other words the colleagues are expected to treat each other with the same sensitivity and robustness as they would an external client. Under his able leadership the teams have learnt how to play to succeed.

Importance of compassion in customer service

What do you really understand by the term compassion? People have confused the term with sympathy or empathy, but actually it is beyond this. According to a website by University of California, Berkeley,

“Compassion literally means ‘to suffer together.’ Among emotion researchers, it is defined as the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering.”

So what does compassion have to do with customer service? Compassionate service is the key to building a loyal customer base. A company that has a compassionate approach can deal with all sorts of situations and all types of people, even angry ones. Drawing on compassion makes it easier to serve even the most difficult customer with ease.

When employees are able to draw on compassion when confronted with an angry customer, a confused coworker or an overbearing boss, they tend to look a little deeper before they react. There is a tendency to judge less harshly, as they try and fathom the root cause of that particular behaviour. They may even recall a time where they acted in a similar fashion. Such an employee tends to be less defensive and so is able to choose his language wisely, and in a more positive manner.

Here are some ways in which can build create compassion in customer service:

1. You should always smile
   Smiling is the smallest gesture which you can show to your customer. It gives the satisfaction of acknowledgement to other person, and is a welcoming gesture.

2. Be polite
   The way you talk to your client is a very important aspect, and one must never forget manners and etiquette. People appreciate courteous and polite behaviour.

3. Listen actively
   You must listen openly and objectively to what your customers say. Your customer must realize that their time is being valued and their problem is your problem, which you are trying your best understand.

4. You should own up to your mistakes
   If you ever mistake, it is best to set one’s ego aside, and apologize to your customer.

5. Be genuine
   Never try and be fake about your concerns toward your customer. People can spot fake concerns straight away, and this is a huge turn off.

6. You must have a great memory
   If you have a regular customer, your basic need is to recall their name when you talk to them next.

7. Offer solutions and options
   Your objective should be to be your customers guide by offering helpful solutions and options that would put their mind at ease.

8. You must have clear communication
   You must be able to convey what you what you mean in clear, unambiguous terms.

By remembering these small details and making conscious decisions about your customer service, you can show your compassion in your service. Your clients will truly appreciate it, as research findings show that the emotional aspect of customer service is the most critical, with one in every 3 customers prioritising being treated well over and above their problem being solved immediately.

How do you support your employees’ personal lives?

Supporting your employees in their personal lives is as important as supporting them while they are working. For example, women rejoining the workforce often don’t know where to start after their maternity leave. They feel that they have fallen behind in their work during their break. Balancing personal and professional life is a tough task and employers should be sensitive towards that.

 

Supporting your employees’ personal life is very important. If the maternity leave is given for a short period of time, and not a long enough duration, then the mother would be burdened with stress which is not good for the infant’s health, nor good for productivity in the workplace. 

 

 

There are many more issues and situations which require the support of an employer, like bereavement. Bereavement generally traumatizes people. A person could even develop psychological disorders during this situation like post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or they could go into denial. During this time the office needs to be very sensitive towards the person. The employers should give full support to the person affected. 

Sabrina Bryan- actress, author and singer says, “You can do anything as long as you have the passion, the drive, the focus and the support.”

 

Supporting employees who are parents is also important, for example if a child falls ill. During this time the employees would prefer to stay at home and take care of the child, but at the same time they have the responsibility of finishing off their office work. The employer needs to empathize and support the parent in their time of need.

 

With an increase in nuclear families, many working parents become anxious about the care being provided to their infants at home in their absence. It is prudent to follow the example of many offices around the world which provide a crèche and trained caretakers for the kids. While the employees are working, their kids are in the same building playing and being taken care of. 

 

Many employees are students too. Although they are working, they continue their study side by side. At times offices don’t support an employee who needs to take leave to sit for an exam. What if the person’s main goal in life is to excel in this exam? The employees should be supported if they are studying for an exam by providing them a short period of study leave.

 

Creating a supporting and nurturing work environment for employees goes a long way in creating satisfaction. And as we all know, a happy employee is more often than not a productive one.a

Have you set your goals right?

If you give a man a bow and arrow and tell him to shoot, he will ask you, “At what?”  

Why do we need to set goals? These provide us with short-term motivation and long-term vision. All successful businessmen, and achievers in other fields too, such as athletes, set long- term goals. Setting goals helps you to organize your time and use your resources efficiently. In fact if a person doesn’t have any goals, it is an uphill battle for him to achieve anything of great significance.

But how do you know if you have you set your goals right? Here are a few common mistakes people tend to make:

 

• Setting goals which are unrealistic

When you start exploring possible goals, you need to think big and use your imagination, but make sure that the goal you decided is realistic and that you can achieve it in the given timeframe. For example if your goal is to become a commercial pilot, but you haven’t studied science, then this goal might not be practical. As a manager you may want to exceed the annual targets that have been set for your division, but three of your 20 team members are on maternity leave and two more are on extended sick leave.

• Focusing on professional goals in isolation

Suppose you have set your goals for the next year. The goals are that you will make sure that your sales increase by 10 per cent by opening another branch of a food chain, and you also aim to buy new furniture for your food chain. These goals seem to be achievable, but they have been made in isolation, not taking into consideration personal goals of you and your family. So when you are setting your professional goals, make sure that you strike a balance with the goals in your personal life too.

• Setting too many goals
  When you start setting goals, you many want to accomplish many things. However, we have a finite amount of time and energy. It is important to remember that quality is always preferred over quantity. Prioritize between the various goals and you’ll have the time and energy to do them well.

• Aping other’s goals

When you see a close friend/family member doing something which is pretty exciting, like travelling the world, or starting an e-company, you may be tempted to follow in their footsteps. People copy the goals of others, but at times they don’t succeed in completing them because that’s not what they really want to do deep in their heart. So set your own goals, ones that you are passionate about, rather than aping others.

• Underestimating the deadline

It’s very common for people to miss completing their projects on time. If the goal achievement deadline is not realistic, it can be discouraging for all concerned if things take longer to achieve.

• Not reviewing progress

It takes time to accomplish goals. Sometimes it might feel that you are not making any significant progress and this is likely to lead to demotivation. It is advisable to keep a track of one’s progress by setting sub-goals, which can be celebrated at each stage.

 

Is your organisation a great place to work?

You must have heard your colleagues, friends and parents often complaining about their workplace. On the other hand you may have also come across people who love their work and are passionate about it. How can one build up an organization in a way that all employees find it to be a great place to work in?

Psychologists say that the workplace is an important part of a person’s life, as it not only provides an earning, but becomes a part of one’s identity and gives purpose to life. No doubt work can be tough at times, as you have to face lots of challenges, you have lots of work pressure and there are expectations which are often hard to meet. It becomes even more of an uphill task if your organisation is a toxic place to work in. You will not be able to achieve what you want, your physical and mental health will deteriorate and this will finally lead into a burnout.

Here are few signs which will help you recognise that yourworkplace is a toxic one:

• Your boss is more of a bully than a guide and mentor.
• Major problems in communication, from lack of communication, to misleading instructions.
• No one takes responsibility
• Your work is affecting your physical and emotional health negatively
• Lack of work-life balance

People generally like working at an organization with a strong supportive culture, which places an emphasis on professional growth. Challenging and rewarding work, and also a place where other employees are friendly and helpful, are equally important factors.

In a toxic workplace, employees will often leave and join different companies, as they cannot handle the negative vibes.  This proves to be a cost for the organization, as replacements have to be hired and then trained. And as soon as new recruits start sensing the negative atmosphere at the workplace, they too will start looking for other opportunities.

An employee thinks that the workplace is great when:

• They trust the people they work for, thanks to the management’s credibility.
• They take pride in the job they do.
• There are good day-to-day relationships with colleagues.

From a manager’s point of view a great workplace is one where:

• They achieve their prime objectives
• The employees give their personal best
• All team members work together as a compatible group of professionals.

To make your organization a great place to work, one needs to take into consideration both the employee and the managers views. Here are few points for the management which will help make your organization a great place to work:

• Recognize that human resources are not expendable. Each employee is not simply a cog in the wheel, but a valuable resource who needs to be respected.
• Make sure you appreciate your employee’s good work.  This acts as a positive reinforcement, which in turn leads to loyalty. As they say, even a dog needs a pat on the back.
• Cooperation should be encouraged over competition.
• Make sure you communicate effectively with your colleagues and employees. Communication also means listening to them and then reacting accordingly.
• Focus on fair work appraisals and on employee training and development.

In order to ensure that your organization is a great place to work in, aim for a collaborative environment that ensures complete staff satisfaction. More often than not, a happy company is a successful company.