Phillip Van Hooser - Transformational Leadership

Leader Transformation Tip 6: Know your followers’ service anniversary date and call attention to it every year. http://www.vanhooser.com

Phillip Van Hooser
Cultivating Great Leaders to Create Competitive Advantage
phil@vanhooser.com

During 2009 my professional horizons were stretched quite literally.  Five times I left the United States to speak to and meet with international audiences in Canada, England, Germany, South Africa and Venezeula.  From Cape Town to Calgary to Caracas and beyond, each trip provided unforgettable intellectual experiences.  

In Marlow, England, I met and was interviewed by an award winning TV and radio broadcaster familiar to BBC audiences throughout Europe.  Jeremy Nicholas and I shared the stage and afterward, paused for a few minutes of lighthearted conversation regarding a number of topics including humor (”humour” for my European friends), connective communication and the importance of seeing ourselves through other people’s eyes.

 I hope you enjoy this brief, but lively exchange.

 Phillip Van Hooser
Cultivating Great Leaders to Create Competitive Advantage
phil@vanhooser.com

Our society revels in success stories. The rags to riches, Horatio Alger stories are inspirational for all of us. But being too ambitious can be seen as a negative by your followers. Remember there are two ways to get to the top. First, I am sorry to say, you can get there by climbing over people. Most of us know a few people who have chosen that approach. However, dedicated leaders know that there is an alternative route to the top. They know you can also get there by being lifted up by people. I ask, which of the two approaches has the firmer foundation?

Phillip Van Hooser
Cultivating Great Leaders to Create Competitive Advantage
phil@vanhooser.com

Maintaining your customer service momentum and building upon the foundation you’ve put in place is the key component for customer service success. If you want to get the most mileage out of your customer service efforts, consider these tips for maintaining your service momentum.

1.  Redefine Your Routine Service Activities.

 All of us have aspects of our jobs that are routine, mundane and down right boring. Often these activities require little thought or planning. Unfortunately, this is the place where our service momentum lags or breaks down first. Redefining the routine, mundane and mindless aspects of our job functions often reveals new opportunities for service at a level unexpected by our customers. Take a quick survey of the routines in your job that you dread, dislike or find boring. With list in hand, schedule some time to talk with the most imaginative person you know. Ask for suggestions that might breathe new life and excitement into these routines. A fresh perspective may reveal possibilities to which we have become blind.

 Additionally, ask for the opportunity to spend some time each month working along side another employee in a job other than your own. This might be a subordinate, a peer, and when appropriate, a superior. The new perspective will give you a better understanding of the overall direction of your organization. You will have the chance to learn more broad-based skills and develop more collaborative working relationships. The change of pace and scenery allow you an opportunity to be infused with new insights and energy regarding how you might better serve your customers.

 2.  Listen, Think and Use Common Sense.

 Exceptional customer service boils down to building relationships with people. The best service providers are interested in the customer’s needs and work to provide a satisfactory solution for those needs. As you are engaged with each customer, ask thoughtful, focused questions that will reveal what the customer is thinking, how the customer is feeling and what the customer wants to happen next. Once you ask a question - listen. The response the customer provides will help you formulate ways to create a common sense, tailor-made plan of service.

 3.  Bend the Rules, Sometimes.

 Some people have been trained and conditioned to think bending rules and going against established organizational policies - for any reason - is the equivalent of heresy.  Hear me clearly, I contend that “bending” rules is different than “breaking” them. An example might help here. The clothing store policy states that store hours are from 10:00am to 9:00pm. A customer purchased several garments and has requested alterations. She needs the items for a business trip tomorrow. The alterations have been completed, but your customer must leave town before the 10:00am store opening time. Question: Which will build your customer service momentum more quickly - opening early for your customer to pick up her alterations or forcing her to abide by the company policy? Gray areas like this occur in business every day. Consider these two points of caution. Evaluate which policies, rules and procedures are pliable and which are not. Those activities that would be too risky, too costly, illegal, immoral or unethical are off limits. The activities which have more room for independent decision making are the ones that, on occasion, can be bent to satisfy the needs of your customers. Finally, take a minute to think. What are the specific, long term ramifications of the action? What is the best thing that can happen if I respond to a customer this way? What is the worst thing that can happen? A moment of thought may save hours of regret.

 4.  Make the Last Few Seconds Count.

 People remember most what they experience last. Making the last few seconds count is a great way to build on the momentum of your customer service efforts. The first step to accomplish this is to display and communicate an appreciative attitude. Tell your customer specifically what you appreciate about them, Specificity proves you know and care about what others do for you. Next, never part company without asking if there is any other way you can help your customer. Offering your assistance is the single beset way to identify continuing or additional needs your customers may have. Finally, if you really want to extend the momentum of your customer service efforts, write your customers a thank you note -whenever possible. This follow up communication is rarely expected. Most service providers miss this additional chance to be top of mind with their customers. It will cause your customer to think about you just a little longer and (hopefully) more positively than your competition. Now that’s momentum!

Phillip Van Hooser
Leadership Expert, Author & Keynote Speaker
phil@vanhooser.com

Phillip Van Hooser’s perspectives and personal experiences change the way people think about leadership and service. His best-selling book, Willie’s Way: 6 Secrets for Wooing, Wowing and Winning Customers and Their Loyalty, has been used by companies all across the U.S. and beyond to help their people develop a renewed spirit for serving their customers. A frequent keynote speaker for top U.S. corporations, Phil shares many of his leadership and service strategies for top U.S. corporations. Learn more now at www.vanhooser.com.

If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there–but you won’t know when you get there, because you never really expected to get there in the first place! There are folks who live their lives and work their careers based on this motto. Leaders cannot afford such ambiguity. I would like to suggest that you consider the five elements that come together to create a workable leadership strategy.

1. Leadership Mission: What is your driving purpose or cause?

To develop an appropriate leadership mission, the aspiring leader must determine the “primary service” to be offered to his or her followers, including but not limited to information, education, experience, inspiration, courage, vision, or any combination of these and others.

2. Leadership Goals: Where is it that I can make the greatest impact?

Leaders have the ability to choose their “primary focus” points (i.e., response time, quality performance, sales volume, profit enhancement, morale improvement, etc.)

3. Leadership Objectives: When will I know that I have been successful?

Leaders should create “primary markers” which serve as a basic measurement tool indicating leadership success or lack of it. Leaders must know and must be able to communicate these indicators to their followers.

4. Leadership Strategy: Which routes are most appropriate for us to pursue?

Leaders recognize there is more than one way to achieve the desired and stated goals and objectives. The most important question to be answered involves which method is best for you, your followers and your organization.

5. Leadership Tactics: Which action plans will I initiate?

With the leadership mission, goals, objectives and strategies clearly identified the action plans begin to take shape. It becomes a process of “planning your work and working your plan.”

Phillip Van Hooser
Leadership Expert, Author & Keynote Speaker
phil@vanhooser.com

Recently, an audience member approached me, enthusiastically complimenting the scope, depth and value of my program. I was thrilled with the public approval. But, before I could break my arm patting myself on the back, she asked a question worth considering. “How can you be so certain of the practical benefits of the lessons and techniques you share?” In other words, how do you know these things will work?

This woman’s question allows me to reveal one of my professional passions. I consider myself an avid observer of human behavior. In almost every situation, I find myself constantly watching, wondering and often asking “why” or “why not”? Over the years, the truths I have discovered have proven to be invaluable for my own journey.

For instance, I often asked myself, “Why are some individuals successful leaders, while equally talented folks seem to flounder.” In search of an answer for this question, I watched, considered and queried literally hundreds of successful leaders. I have concluded that all effective leaders possess at least three common characteristics. Thus, I have come to believe that these three elements constitute an equation critical for leadership success. I refer to them as the “Triangle of Success”.

Let’s begin with the first element–knowledge. I hope we can agree that knowledge is a key element in successful undertakings. But, what is knowledge and is knowledge alone enough? Knowledge is not manifest in a wall full of diplomas and certificates. It’s not accurately measured by a numeric grade point average or by years of workplace seniority. True knowledge equals understanding. In the case of leadership, understanding what our followers both need and expect from us provides practical working knowledge. Without such an understanding we are doomed to wander aimlessly from one irrelevant issue or activity to another.

The second element is skill. Is skill more important than knowledge? I say not more important, rather equally important. Both, knowledge and skill are critical to personal leadership development. Simply stated, skill equals application. The ability to apply a concept or idea to some task serves as an unmistakable leadership advantage. A few specific skills which can be immensely beneficial in leading followers include professional courage, decisiveness, patience and the ability to listen honestly. Each of these skills can be learned. But, each must be applied for their benefits to be realized.

A question remains. We all know great numbers of people who possess both knowledge and skills in considerable measure. Why then, are there still many more followers than leaders? The third element in the “Triangle of Success” is attitude. Attitude is key. More important than either of the previous two. Why? Because attitude equals desire. Anyone can have the knowledge and skill necessary to accomplish great things. But, if no personal desire exists to drive behavior and performance, the end result will be unrealized potential. Conversely, we all know individuals who lack great knowledge and skill, yet their attitude, their desire, serves them, even drives them, as they methodically overcome the obstacles before them. For them, desire is the great equalizer.

Our challenge is to consciously ward off feelings of complacency and over confidence as we develop one or more of the elements above. We must realize that school is never out for leaders and that desire is the true breakfast of champions.
 

Phillip Van Hooser
Leadership Expert, Author & Keynote Speaker
phil@vanhooser.com