Today’s business world is changing. As an answering service provider, we know that business is done on a global scale, even for the local shop down the street. Employees are asking for more time off, flexible hours and the ability to set their own schedule. Customers have more options than ever before and are demanding high quality paired with exceptional interactions.
It’s a tall order!
Especially when you consider the fact that the latest trends are showing that the companies who can nimbly respond to these shifts are leading their industries, including our own answering services industry, and setting the tone for the next generation.
So how should you respond? How do you implement some or several of these new trends into your business while also maintaining productivity and serving your customers? That’s the real question here. And in the answering services industry our focus is on providing support to our customers, both internal and external. Therefore, this is a question we take to heart and one that we want to see answered with accuracy and intuition.
Today we are going to look at the link between productivity and morale. And how you can greatly improve the productivity of your team by keeping a close eye on morale as you work to build the strong habits that will sustain you as you move forwards.
Step 1: Study the Big Picture
Looking at the current market trends and company shifts can be overwhelming, especially when you begin contemplating how to apply those shifts within your own organization. It can be tempting to either try everything all at once to get it over with, or to go to the other extreme and do nothing because the prospect is absolutely daunting.
What do we suggest? Neither.
Instead of an all or nothing approach, take some time to look at your business, your customers, and your team. What are they asking for? What seems to be your pain points? What affect would these potential changes have on their day-to-day lives? These are the real questions to focus on!
It may be that you find offering flextime to your team allows them more freedom in their schedule and improves morale. Or it may be that investing in your company’s web presence makes for a better customer experience and removes frustrations for your customers and therefore your team. It may be something completely different! But taking the time to step back and truly identify the area that needs to shift is an invaluable step.
Step 2: Outline a Plan
Once you identify what needs to change, the next step is to outline a very clear plan. This is absolutely crucial! You need to write down what you are changing, why you have made this decision, how the change will work and what will be required of your team. Then, you need to give a clear timeline as to when and how all of these things will happen.
Build your plan, and then ask for input. Make sure what you are proposing is clear, well defined and relevant. This is crucial for both morale and productivity.
Step 3: Become a MASTER Communicator
It could be argued that this is the most important step in the whole process. Identifying the right move is great and a well-designed plan is crucial, but the way you communicate these changes to your team has the ability to make or break the whole process.
So you want to be very open and very clear. Tell people what is going to change, and more importantly tell them why. Adults need the why. They need to have a well-defined reason for something before they can embrace it.
Approaching the change process in this way can help your team embrace the new normal and support it. That encourages excitement, which stimulates morale and enhances productivity.
It is a win/win all the way around!
Step 4: Be Consistent and Transparent
The thing about change is that even the best-laid plans can hit a speed bump. When this happens, be honest. Tell your team about the challenges and share why the plan has changed or simply shifted. Because the reality is that these kinds of things happen and if you are open about them then your team will be more relaxed as they understand the process.
These steps seem simple…..because they are. But SO MANY PEOPLE skip through them. They rush to the end and leave their team and their customers confused. We don’t want you to be like that! We want to see you THRIVE!
So take your time. Work the process. And reap the benefits. Your team and your customers will thank you!
