LEADERSHIP TRAINING
How to Manage Tasks and Lead People
Industry Content Supporter:
Marc Carriere
Managing Director
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marccarriere
There are two different approaches amazing Team Leaders understand and use to get the best out of their teams – management and leadership. Understanding and effectively making use of both of these approaches is important to Team Leaders because they need to manage tasks and lead people.
In my experience coaching or mentoring Call Center Managers and Team Leaders all around the world these past 35 years I’ve found many Team Leaders spend too much time using the management approach, and far too little time using the leadership approach.
Now when we look at the differences of both approaches – The Management approach can be said to be very task oriented. It is very skills based. It’s rational. It’s about events and processes, and calculations.
Just consider the vocabulary we use when we’re in management mode. You either hit your KPIs and sales targets or you didn’t. It’s very black and white.
Likewise, the way a Team Leader relates to people is one of authority. You report to me and you get paid for doing your job. So, you do what I tell you to do. That’s rational.
And, because I’m telling you what to do, that puts a lot of pressure on me as a Team Leader for knowing it all.
That’s what’s called a Push approach, because you’re telling a team member what to do and it’s coming from you to them, which also puts a lot of pressure on the Team Leader to have a lot of cognitive intelligence or IQ because you need to know it all. You’re not leveraging the team at all.
Now when you look at leadership… Leadership is very people oriented. It’s not really about the skills you have; it is more about your behaviors and your attitudes.
Leaders are inspiring and motivational. They want to understand more about the individual, and are interested in knowing the strengths of an individual. They want to know what makes an individual tick and they use that to inspire them.
Leaders also paint an appealing picture of the vision and where everyone is going with the team. So, they motivate individuals to follow, rather than pushing them to do something.
Following is a voluntary action; you can’t push people to follow. That’s why the leadership approach is a Pull approach.
Leaders ask a lot of questions and they’re genuinely interested in what you have to say. They don’t just tell you what to do like a manager does. And, because leaders are so interested in people, in the individual, they have a high amount of emotional intelligence.
Of course, cognitive intelligence is very important to be a leader. But you cannot be a leader without emotional intelligence. It’s about being inquisitive, asking people questions… genuinely listening and
understanding people. It’s about understanding human psychology.
Team Leaders need to both manage tasks and lead people, so they need to blend these two approaches to be amazing Team Leaders.
How to Manage Tasks and Lead People
Industry Content Supporter:
Marc Carriere
Managing Director
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marccarriere
There are two different approaches amazing Team Leaders understand and use to get the best out of their teams management and leadership. Understanding and effectively making use of both of these approaches is important to Team Leaders because they need to manage tasks and lead people.
In my experience coaching or mentoring Call Center Managers and Team Leaders all around the world these past 35 years I’ve found many Team Leaders spend too much time using the management approach, and far too little time using the leadership approach.
Now when we look at the differences of both
approaches. The Management approach can be said to be very task oriented. It is very skills based. It’s rational. It’s about events and processes, and
calculations.
Just consider the vocabulary we use when we’re in management mode. You either hit your
KPI’s as a sales targets or you didn’t.
And, because I’m telling you what to do, that
puts a lot of pressure on me as a Team Leader for knowing it all.
That’s what’s called a Push approach, because you’re telling a team member what to do and it’s coming from you to them, which also puts a lot of pressure on the Team Leader to have a lot of cognitive intelligence or IQ because you need to know it all. You’re not leveraging the team at all.
Now when you look at leadership… Leadership is very people oriented. It’s not really about the skills you have; it is more about your behaviors and your attitudes.
Leaders are inspiring and motivational. They want to understand more about the individual,
and are interested in knowing the strengths of an individual. They want to know what makes
an individual tick and they use that to inspire
them.
Leaders also paint an appealing picture of the vision and where everyone is going with the team. So, they motivate individuals to follow, rather than pushing them to do something.
Following is a voluntary action; you can’t push people to follow. That’s why the leadership approach is a Pull approach.
Leaders ask a lot of questions and they’re genuinely interested in what you have to say. They just tell you what to do like a manager does. And, because leaders are so interested in people, in the individual, they have a high amount of emotional intelligence.
Of course, cognitive intelligence is very important to be a leader. But you cannot be a leader without emotional intelligence. It’s about being inquisitive, asking people questions… genuinely listening and understanding people. It’s about understanding human psychology.
Team Leaders need to both manage tasks and lead people, so they need to blend these two approaches to be amazing Team Leaders.
4 Coaching Fundamentals Amazing Team Leaders Follow To Improve Their Team
Industry Content Supporter:
Marc Carriere
Managing Director
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marccarriere
Most Team Leaders understand they need to coach their teams regularly to consistently achieve team goals and KPIs. The challenge for many however, especially new Team Leaders, is they’ve had limited experience coaching and little to no training in how to coach.
They certainly want to coach their teams, but as they think about getting started many quietly ask themselves: What is coaching exactly, and how do I do it?
Outlined below are 4 key fundamentals of coaching Team Leaders need to understand and implement to become effective coaches and amazing leaders!
Fundamental 1: Building Strong Relationships
Certainly, the first fundamental of effective coaching is developing our people. We certainly have to be good at that and we do this by sharing our skills and sharing our expertise.
However, aside from having good technique and loads of experience to be an amazing coach, you have to be good at building relationships with your team members so they are comfortable coming to you.
Over 75% of the time, the person you’re coaching already knows (or think they know) where they need help. So, if you can build relationships where team members have no fear about raising their hand to say:
I need help with my closing skills.
I’m having a real problem handling objections.
I need to learn product knowledge a little bit better. I need to understand what’s expected of me.
That would be the ideal situation rather than always seeking them out, wouldn’t it? Because when they come to you, you know they are really committed, ready to listen, and open to trying something new.
To build good relationships, always remember to adjust your style to each person’s needs. What works for one team member could be the totally wrong approach for another.
Fundamental 2: Providing Clear Direction
The next fundamental of effective coaching is providing clear direction. Team Leaders need to let their team members know exactly what’s expected of them, where the team is headed and what’s going to be happening and how they can contribute.
This means Team Leaders need to be prepared and very clear with everyone on their team about the results they expect from them and when they expect them to deliver these results. Most team members are truly interested to know all of these things, it matters to them and critical in clarifying expectations and directions.
Fundamental 3: Providing Corrective and Nurturing Feedback
Team Leaders have a responsibility to regularly give their team members constructive, honest and helpful feedback. Team members need to know how they are doing, where they are going and if they are contributing to the overall team goal.
A big part of this is choosing to provide encouraging feedback over criticism. When you must criticize, give that feedback as soon after the event as possible. Be honest but compassionate, and then move on.
Fundamental 4: Expecting Results
Whether in business or sport… all coaches want results, they want to win and they want those they coach to win and they want the team to win, too.
So, have high expectations and believe in your team. Don’t ignore or sideline underperformers your team is only as good as your weakest team member. Instead, help them improve by making progress tangible, setting clear goals and milestones, and celebrating achievements when goals and KPIs are
reached.
INDUSTRY SERVICE TIPS
1. Define your contact center’s leadership needs. What does leadership mean in your contact center? Be specific. Vagueness breeds more vagueness. Build a program around the specific needs.
2. Practice. When managers are away let leadership development trainees step in and get some practice. These hands-on experiences will prove to be invaluable with lessons learned.
NEXT STEPS
To sustain a viable pipeline of managers, contact centers want to invest in a Leadership Development Program. Companies prefer to hire from within but many times don’t have the right leadership talent available internally, which forces companies to look outside. Implementing an LDP can change that scenario. Leaders are developed over time with the proper structure, leadership and direction.
The best LDP programs include real-world work, education, training and coaching guided by a structured curriculum with tests or accountability checkpoints along the way. Providing Leadership Development Trainees with the opportunity to learn all aspects of the business backfills their experience. The program should include self-study as well as group training and discussion. Assign the trainee with a project; something they can call their own and are responsible for managing and reporting the results.
Developing a Leadership Development Program is a wise investment for long-term staffing and growth. Well-led organizations tend to attract quality applicants, produce satisfied employees, incur less unwanted turnover, cultivate loyal customers, and yield impressive financial returns. Sounds like a tall order but it is possible with a well thought-out program that is committed to its people.
4 Steps for Building and Sustaining Team Momentum
Industry Content Supporter: Industry Content Supporter:
Marc Carriere
Managing Director
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marccarriere
Don’t you hate feeling stressed and frustrated when your team is struggling to reach its targets simply because it didn’t get off to a flying start and build momentum?
And, with many teams working remotely, it can be particularly challenging building and sustaining momentum!
Over the 35 years I’ve been running call centers around the world and consulting with businesses coaching and mentoring their Call Center Managers and Team Leaders, the biggest challenge I come across is teams regularly missing their targets and KPIs.
It can be really stressful and frustrating when you watch the clock slowly wind down and you know you aren’t going to hit your weekly or monthly target.
Here is a simple process amazing Team Leaders use to build and sustain momentum with their team to regularly reach, or even exceed, their goals regardless of the team working remotely or with each other in your call center:
Step 1: Set Clear Targets
To get your team off to a flying start and continue to build momentum to reach team goals, the first step is to set clear targets.
You need to make sure everyone on your team understand what the team’s target is and what the team needs to do to reach it.
You also have to speak with each member and let each of them know what they are specifically accountable to achieve themselves. You want everyone to be crystal clear about what the team needs to
do, and particularly what each team member needs to do on a daily and weekly basis to hit the target.
So, kick of the week or month with a quick team meeting to inform them of the team’s target and specifically mention each team member’s individual target that they are accountable for reaching.
Now, be sure to listen to any genuine concerns about individual targets and look at these concerns as opportunities to provide the coaching and training needed to help them achieve their target.
Step 2: Keep Everyone Accountable
Next you want to keep everyone accountable for reaching their target, so be sure to give everyone a daily update during the pre shift huddle telling them whether the team is on target or not, and where each team member sits with their individual target.
You also need to regularly update the team and team member’s progress throughout the day so everyone can see how the team is doing collectively and how all team members are performing individually.
Having a whiteboard prominently displayed is an easy way to do that if your team are working all together in one place, however if they are working remotely you can still do this easily simply by sending an update by email.
If specific team members are falling behind after a couple of days, you need to chat with them privately about their performance, and discuss ways you can help them catch up with some training or coaching.
It may even involve something simple as moving them away from team members who could be distracting them if the team are working together, or if they’re working remotely, discuss their work habits or anything that may be distracting them in their working environment.
Holding team members accountable this way helps them understand that you are focused on them and the team achieving their targets, which creates urgency builds momentum.
Step 3: Get Off To a Good Start
Other ways to build and sustain momentum is to concentrate on reaching your team’s target for the first hour of every shift, the first day of every week and the first week of every month.
Many team members like to slowly get started and ease themselves into the day. Problem with that is all too often they blow the first hour of the day or the first day of the week screwing around and quickly find themselves behind the eight ball, and then frantically try to catch up.
Just imagine if everyone were to hit or even exceeded their target for their shift every day, or were ahead of target for the first week of the month, how stress free would everyone be?
And, if they weren’t feeling stressed about hitting their targets how much confidence would they have about reaching them, and putting in extra effort if needed?
So, be sure to have your energy levels up for the first hour of every shift and the first day of every week so your team can feed off you and really concentrate on getting off to a good start.
Even if your team is working remotely you can keep their energy levels up by reaching out to them with a quick chat and encouragement.
You also need to regularly and sincerely recognize and praise your team members each time they get a win, especially when they reach their daily and weekly targets.
You can do this every shift during the team huddle and throughout the day, particularly if you have a whiteboard up that shows how people are doing achieving their targets, or simply email an goal update.
It can be as easy as praising them when they update the board with another achievement.
Step 4: Celebrate Wins
Finally you need to celebrate when your team hits their target and recognize everyone’s effort. And, you don’t have to go over the top.
If you’re all working together in the same location, you can do simple things that they enjoy like having a pizza night or having everyone bake something for the team to enjoy through the next shift, or even have a fancy dress day or add a casual dress day.
If you’re working remotely, set up an online ‘Toast Party’ by having everyone log onto a site so they can see each other and interact. Raise your glass and toast each other for your efforts and make special mention for those whose achievements are worth recognizing.
Just do something your team will enjoy that recognizes and shows appreciation for all the hard work they put in to achieve their target!
Preparing Your Team's Shift Mindset
Industry Content Supporter:
Marc Carriere
Managing Director
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marccarriere
to its most dominant thought, and as Henry Ford said many years ago: Whether you think you can or you
think you can’t – you’re right!
Let’s face it, every one of your team members have a lot on their minds when they come in to start their
shift. They’re thinking about all the good and bad stuff that’s going on in their lives, right?
Regardless of what they’re thinking, you need to get them quickly focussed on what they need to do and
how to do it to achieve their targets for the shift.
To change their thought process and pre frame team members positively, amazing Team Leaders use a
visualisation technique Dr. Denis Waitley used when he was working with staff at NASA and athletes on
the US Olympic Team.
Having your team condition or pre frame their mind before they begin a shift is a positive and beneficial
way to achieving the outcomes both you and they want. And, it’s not some Star Wars Jedi mind trick!
All top athletes and successful business people who demonstrate excellent ability use this technique.
Dr. Waitley did a study with the US Olympic team where they wired up athletes with electrodes all over
their bodies to see if anything happened when they visualised what they needed to do when they were
competing.
What he found was that when these athletes started to visualise the activity they were about to do, he
could measure the impulses sent from the brain to trigger various muscles and organs in the athletes’
bodies to prepare them for the physical activity to come.
After this study visualisation became a fundamental technique widely used in sport and business today,
and the same principle applies with your team members too!
What amazing Team Leaders do in their pre shift meetings is guide their team through a visualization
exercise where they see themselves on the telephone enthusiastically engaging with everyone they
speak with.
They have them visualize having great calls and successfully handling any objections, closing sales and
achieving their targets and KPIs. And, especially counting any commission they earn and how good they
feel spending it!
It’s really important to be as specific as possible when doing this exercise and adding as much emotion
as possible because the degree of success you achieve is measured by the intensity and clarity of what
you visualize.
That’s why you want them to also visualize counting their commission and how good they’ll feel
spending it on whatever they want.
Try this simple technique that Olympic athletes regularly use themselves with your team for the next two
to three weeks to allow your team to get used to it, and I promise you, you’ll be amazed at the results!
VIDEO FROM OUR EXPERTS
INDUSTRY EXPERTS
MARKETING TACTICS
Established in 2009 to provide consulting services to businesses involved in B2B and B2C lead generation and telemarketing activities.
With 30 years of direct marketing experience as a call centre proprietor, senior marketing executive and consultant Marc has been employed or provided consulting services to a wide variety of businesses involved in B2B and B2C activities in such diverse markets as Australia, Canada, Fiji, México, The Bahamas, United Kingdom and United States of America.
Companies out team has worked with – Accor Vacation Club, Club Noosa Resort, Diamond Resorts International, Elkhorn Resorts, GeoHoliday Club, Groupo Costamex, Holiday Resort Properties, Interval Property Management LTD, Resort Hotels of Australia, Shell Vacations LLC, Telstra Australia and the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra among others.
NETWORKING FOR CONTACT CENTER PROFESSIONALS
ABOUT NACSMA
NACSMA brings together like-minded professionals focused on advancing the customer contact industry and creating career growth.
BEST-IN-CLASS
Management of a best-in-class contact center sites require the continuous review of Agent Sourcing Models, Organizational Training and Management Development Programs.
NACSMA MEMBERSHIP
NACSMA is a professional, non-profit association whose members represent customer contact organizations and the vendors who support them.
IMPLEMENTATION
When a contact center organization expands to an additional site or requires new space, the steps to properly implement are unique to each organization but do have standard phases.