Down To The Bone

Welcome to a second week’s collections of observations, insights and rants about the always curious, sometimes bizarre, often mind-numbing and, from time to time, fulfilling (admit it; you know it’s true) World of Work. Where, for most, creativity is squelched, independent thinking shunned, a real focus on the customer – so widely preached – rarely is more than talk and, sadly, where that thing some refer to as "upside potential" is unrealized. Sad, because we’ve never faced a time quite like this. A time where every company needs great ideas, needs every person to step up, needs real leadership, needs to blow the socks off of its dwindling pool of customers. To exceed expectations, to surprise and delight, to shine. Now’s the time to tap that upside potential and take it for a spin around the dance floor. See if there’s truth to the rumor that people, when jazzed about possibilities, mobilized to perform as a team and, critically, given the room to contribute can, indeed, accomplish amazing things. Hey, we’ve seen it happen with our own eyes and, let me tell you, it’s a beautiful thing.

• This thing called 'service'. Last week, to the delight of a very few, we wondered aloud about the dearth of warm, genuine and/or gracious customer service. Assuming that it ever existed in the first place, the question remains: Where has all the service gone? To this we humbly offer our Theory of Bad Service, which defines four core possibilities for the observable decline in customer service:

1. Like other expendable budgetary items, companies have downsized service. This is obvious to anyone who’s ever asked for a second bag of peanuts or another cup of water on that plane that’s over an hour late, waited at the cash register in a line that seems endless, had to stand up and drag a wait person to your restaurant table, or held a phone to your ear for forever while on hold hearing that infernal computer voice (who is she?) for the 100th time tell you that your business is important. Companies have been cutting to the bone and we, my fellow customers, are that bone.

2. As companies mess with their employees (read: layoffs, cuts in pay, reduction in benefits, etc.), employees are, in turn, doing the same with the companies’ customers. The anger and frustration many customer-facing employees have runs strong and deep. How best to get even? Yes! The customer! No matter that we’re paying their salaries. No matter that we’re all that’s between them and unemployment. ‘If we’re going down,’ I’ve been told, ‘I’m taking everyone at the top of this company with me.’ Lovely.

3. Although they’ll deny it into bankruptcy court, companies don’t really care about service. If they did, would the service typically delivered be mediocre at best? Of course there are exceptions – the service at Apple stores is always terrific – but it appears that most companies simply don’t care about making us feel that our money was well spent. Come to think of it, aside from Apple stores, I can’t think of another example of a large, for-profit company that provides consistently outstanding customer service. Can you? And while companies will deny their lack of interest in service long and loud, the answers to two questions will reveal the truth: What care is given to hiring and training those who will serve in customer-facing roles? What will these people be paid?

4. It’s hard to treat others well when you’re scared. And many of us are scared. Unemployment is as high as anyone can remember, state governments are teetering, U.S. automakers are dying before our eyes, and few companies are taking any real steps to assure their people that we, together, will get through this. But, here’s the skinny: We will get through this and those companies that take appropriate steps now will be positioned to thrive as we do so. And, hardly a shock, it will be companies that inspire their people, giving them the freedom to make a difference, making them feel important, allowing their people to provide outstanding service, and providing hope for the future – these will be the companies that will thrive and those where we’ll feel that our money was, indeed, well spent. More about that soon.
Our Theory of Bad Service, in four easy pieces.

• 'Dad, wanna have a catch?' Lastly, like It’s A Wonderful Life for Christmas and The Robe or The Ten Commandments for Easter, shouldn’t Field of Dreams be the official movie of Father’s Day? (If you don’t know to what I refer, watch it again.) Happy Father’s Day to all of you who mentor, coach, guide, support and/or have the backs of anyone, anyplace.

Have fun at work and see you next week.

So You Think You Can Dance

Welcome to a week’s collections of observations, questions and rumblings about the wild and often dangerous place we refer to as ‘work’: where axes fall, the other foot drops and heads are often kept low. Where we always see something astounding, something you simply couldn’t make up on your own. Where there’s often excessive analysis and way too little freedom to act. Where inspiring leadership is, especially now, in huge demand but is largely invisible. Where people want to make a real difference but are prevented from doing so. Where ‘valued customers’ are too infrequently treated with value and, surprisingly, rarely like customers. Where the vast majority of employees would never return if they could afford to and many know to the day how much time remains before retirement. Welcome to The World of Work, a place where many are forced to dance with unattractive partners (called ‘employers’).

• Generations only differ in age. Enough with the Baby Boomer, Gen X, Millennial differences already! This thing about generational differences in the workplace just doesn’t fly, no matter how hard the researchers work at it. The experiences of the different age groups varies – my grandparents, for example, would never have considered traveling by air, especially if snacks were an added cost – but our basic desires about work are largely the same. Who among us, regardless of age, doesn’t want meaningful work, a chance to do our job in our own style, have opportunities to grow, receive recognition for performance, get paid commensurate with our contributions, have the ability to help our company win, and, critically, to be treated with dignity and respect? Maybe we should focus on creating workplaces where our basic needs can be met, rather than debating the differences between the age groups. Maybe then more people would stop counting the days to retirement and companies could flourish.

• Can ‘strategy’ and ‘HR’ be used correctly in the same sentence? If there is any function in the workplace looking for credibility, it’s Human Resources. Long relegated to the dark and dank ‘back room’ of organizations, HR of late has been asked to shed its Personnel shackles, invited to sit with the adults at The Table and, at very long last, has been asked to join the conversation about how to grow the business. Sadly, far too many HR departments have yet to contribute to this conversation in any real and meaningful way. Sad, because a strong case can be made that only HR – given the talent and expertise that resides there – is capable of creating a work place that can sustain long-term profitable growth. And, hardly a shock, they can do so by creating a work environment where people have meaningful work, a chance to do the job in one’s own style, and the other critical elements of work mentioned above. But, are they doing this? Not nearly enough. Instead, many HR functions debate, among other things, about whether they represent management or non-management (the wrong question, to be sure), whether Payroll should be part of their function (no offense, Payroll; we love and need you), and whether performance reviews should be done on the employee’s anniversary date or conducted all at the same time (like it really matters). Now is the time for HR functions across the land to step up, develop an effective strategy for growing the business and executing that strategy brilliantly. You’re at The Table. Don’t let us down, HR. We need you.

• “We know you have a choice of airlines.” For those among us who fly, you’re familiar with this phrase, repeated after every landing, thanking those on the plane for paying real cash money for almost no service. And while we should never overlook the fact that the plane landed safely, the question remains: Where has all the service gone? What does a smile cost? A warm welcome? A heartfelt good-bye? A second cup of water? And it’s not just airlines that seemed to have forgotten who pays the bills. Service just about everywhere seems to have taken a noticeable hit. Surprising, too, given that as spending declines and the competition for business increases, one would think that service would truly become a competitive advantage. If that were indeed true, we should all be experiencing amazing service, no? So, why is this not the case? Why is service declining? Could it be that United and the others don’t think we really have a choice of airlines? That stores don’t believe we can shop elsewhere? That banks and insurance companies don’t need to provide good service? That service doesn’t matter? That we won’t remember? We’ll share our Theory of Bad Service and what to do about it with you next week.

Enough ranting. It’s your turn. Use the comments to leave us your thoughts, examples and especially your ‘dance steps’ – your way of handling what’s dealt to you at work. See you next week.