I've always liked Business Week, and one of my favorite pieces every month is the article entitled The Welchway, co-written by Jack and Suzy Welch. In the March 2 edition they describe how they view the Obama administration's having broken three cardinal rules of leadership, and regardless of one's politics, their points on leadership are worth reading. I'll do a quick review here.
"First, business leaders gain nothing by showing uncertainty and indecision." This is so basic as to often be forgotten, and for some reason these days there's seen a virtue in showing one's feelings regardless of position or circumstance. As the Welches point out, having these feelings is normal, and I might add in today's business environment to be expected, but you don't broadcast your uncertainties, fears and doubts. Not if you're a leader or aspire to leadership. Employees, and citizens too, look to leadership for confidence that they themselves might not have. If I see my boss or my president equivocating or telling me what a mess everything is and wasting time pointing fingers, that's not leadership.
"Second, business leaders undermine success by talking about the risk of failure." This builds on the issue of confidence. Business and political leaders all know that strategies carry risk, and that some may well fail. And so do the rest of us. But once more, we look to leadership to hold the torch high and give a reason to believe and follow. Absent that, again, I'll look somewhere else.
"Finally, business leaders cannot indulge bureaucratic data dumpers." The Welches bemoan managers who drown themselves in statistics, charts and PowerPoint slides (cheer!) and become paralyzed to the point of becoming unable to make a decision. And then they take the same paralyzing information and dump it into the boss's lap with no analysis or action steps. What help is that to leaders? None at all, and it is in fact destructive to effectiveness.
Don't we want our leaders, whether it be our CEO or our President, to inspire us and build confidence in the future with them at the helm? I know I do. I've worked for companies and had bosses that haven't done this and it rippled through the ranks like a virus. It's discouraging and deadly. I want the same from my president as the Welches write about. I want to hear confidence in our country, its people and its institutions. And that includes the creators of wealth and the drivers of the economy.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Who's to blame here?
I'm confident that most problems that companies face can be traced to their culture, as it's the culture that influences employee belief in their company which subsequently determines their behavior. And behavior, of course, determines results. I'm inclined to now issue an "except for" clause after reading the following blurb from the Workplace Law Network. Read this:
"Company culture will be at the centre of a court probe into the first corporate manslaughter prosecution, a top lawyer and leading union officer have warned at a recent British Safety Council (BSC) conference, which examined the responsibilities on directors to prevent injury and ill health to their workers and the consequences of failing to act or getting it wrong." (http://www.workplacelaw.net/news/display/id/18640)
Company culture so dysfunctional, so perverse, so dangerous that it leads to manslaughter? This will be a stretch, I suspect. Now I don't know what the details are yet, but this concerns me on a foundational level. Culture does indeed influence belief and behavior, and I believe most problems can be ascribed to the culture except for individuals who are disturbed, who are sociopaths or suffering from a major traumatic experience in their life. We've read the horrible accounts of workplace violence in many, too many companies, and as far as I remember there was never anything about the corporate culture that seemed to play even a marginal part. Some have been troubled businesses, some successful, and there seems to be no one industry that spawns such behavior (nope, no Going Postal jokes here). Even if a business has a culture with a command-and-control leadership, lousy performance management and poor communication, that does not translate into direct influence on violent behavior. And the threat to the directors who might "get it wrong" and are therefore culpable? Come on. I can think of a lot of areas in which directors screw up but holding them responsible for the violent actions of an individual is dangerously dumb.
Corporate culture explains a lot of things, but manslaughter in the workplace? Here's a thought: maybe there's something wrong with the individual committing the crime. Just a thought.
"Company culture will be at the centre of a court probe into the first corporate manslaughter prosecution, a top lawyer and leading union officer have warned at a recent British Safety Council (BSC) conference, which examined the responsibilities on directors to prevent injury and ill health to their workers and the consequences of failing to act or getting it wrong." (http://www.workplacelaw.net/news/display/id/18640)
Company culture so dysfunctional, so perverse, so dangerous that it leads to manslaughter? This will be a stretch, I suspect. Now I don't know what the details are yet, but this concerns me on a foundational level. Culture does indeed influence belief and behavior, and I believe most problems can be ascribed to the culture except for individuals who are disturbed, who are sociopaths or suffering from a major traumatic experience in their life. We've read the horrible accounts of workplace violence in many, too many companies, and as far as I remember there was never anything about the corporate culture that seemed to play even a marginal part. Some have been troubled businesses, some successful, and there seems to be no one industry that spawns such behavior (nope, no Going Postal jokes here). Even if a business has a culture with a command-and-control leadership, lousy performance management and poor communication, that does not translate into direct influence on violent behavior. And the threat to the directors who might "get it wrong" and are therefore culpable? Come on. I can think of a lot of areas in which directors screw up but holding them responsible for the violent actions of an individual is dangerously dumb.
Corporate culture explains a lot of things, but manslaughter in the workplace? Here's a thought: maybe there's something wrong with the individual committing the crime. Just a thought.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Improving focus can be done!
I have a terrific college student that I mentor who asked for some advice on staying focused when distractions threaten to take her off-course from her goals. These are no ordinary distractions. She's in South America for several months and has educational responsibilities among other things to accomplish. Before leaving she had worked hard to determine a set of what she felt were achievable goals in several areas of her life and was making real progress. We have accountability meetings or phone calls every week, until now anyway, as we've switched to emails. So this is for her, and for anyone who wants a few tips on how to stay focused on accomplishing tasks.
First off, let's deal with the question of whether the problem is of organic origin, such as ADD. I've seen adults with ADD who are functionally disorganized, unstructured and unfocused, and for whom medications (prescribed medications) have been miraculous. If you suspect you suffer from this or something related, see a doctor. Get tested and get treated if that's the issue.
If, however, you're one whose problem is more behavioral, then there are behavioral and cognitive techniques to improve. People who have trouble focusing often have challenges in three areas: planning, prioritizing and following through. Prioritizing tasks isn't hard if you're honest with yourself. What simply must be done? What would be good to get done? What would be a bonus? I'm simplifying things, of course, but not by much. One tip in prioritizing is to examine the purpose. For each task, ask why do this? What's the reason, the point here? Focus your purpose, get some clarity and you can focus your time. Planning also means scheduling, a great habit to develop and one usually lacking by those who can't focus well. I advocate more than a to-do list; write them in the order you want to address each one, and if you really have trouble sticking to it add a time frame to each (8-9:00 AM for this, 2-3:00 PM for that). Then decide you will not, cannot move to another task until you have spent the requisite time on the one you have begun. By the way, it's easier to do this when you're clear on the purpose for each task. Follow-through is a common problem for those who have trouble focusing. One thing I hear all the time is "I'm great at getting a task/project/job started, but then I get distracted and I never finish." If you follow the first suggestions here, then this often takes care of itself. Once you know why you're doing something and have a sense of purpose, then prioritize and schedule your time, internal motivation often kicks in to help you both start and complete a task.
Distractions are an issue, though. Take the initiative to prevent them from occurring if you can, or decide what you'll do before it happens if you can't. So that might mean turning off your cell phone while you write that report, or making the conscious decision to check email twice a day at certain times, or placing a object on your desk that you've told people if they see it out, you're not to be disturbed. A friend of mine has a technique for politely getting rid of office visitors: he stands up and walks toward the door, still talking, and his visitor automatically does the same and leaves. Painless and effective.
Take the time to understand your particular challenges and give these ideas a try. By the way, that takes a little focus by itself. You might need to follow these steps just to get started! Is it important to you (the purpose)? Is it a priority? How much so? When will you do it? What day? What time and for how long? And how will you handle possible distractions? And you're on your way.
I'm aware there are whole books written on focusing, managing time and priorities and so on, and maybe you want to read some for more ideas. But don't let a system take over your life! Develop the good habits that allow you control over your life, stay focused, be productive and happy.
First off, let's deal with the question of whether the problem is of organic origin, such as ADD. I've seen adults with ADD who are functionally disorganized, unstructured and unfocused, and for whom medications (prescribed medications) have been miraculous. If you suspect you suffer from this or something related, see a doctor. Get tested and get treated if that's the issue.
If, however, you're one whose problem is more behavioral, then there are behavioral and cognitive techniques to improve. People who have trouble focusing often have challenges in three areas: planning, prioritizing and following through. Prioritizing tasks isn't hard if you're honest with yourself. What simply must be done? What would be good to get done? What would be a bonus? I'm simplifying things, of course, but not by much. One tip in prioritizing is to examine the purpose. For each task, ask why do this? What's the reason, the point here? Focus your purpose, get some clarity and you can focus your time. Planning also means scheduling, a great habit to develop and one usually lacking by those who can't focus well. I advocate more than a to-do list; write them in the order you want to address each one, and if you really have trouble sticking to it add a time frame to each (8-9:00 AM for this, 2-3:00 PM for that). Then decide you will not, cannot move to another task until you have spent the requisite time on the one you have begun. By the way, it's easier to do this when you're clear on the purpose for each task. Follow-through is a common problem for those who have trouble focusing. One thing I hear all the time is "I'm great at getting a task/project/job started, but then I get distracted and I never finish." If you follow the first suggestions here, then this often takes care of itself. Once you know why you're doing something and have a sense of purpose, then prioritize and schedule your time, internal motivation often kicks in to help you both start and complete a task.
Distractions are an issue, though. Take the initiative to prevent them from occurring if you can, or decide what you'll do before it happens if you can't. So that might mean turning off your cell phone while you write that report, or making the conscious decision to check email twice a day at certain times, or placing a object on your desk that you've told people if they see it out, you're not to be disturbed. A friend of mine has a technique for politely getting rid of office visitors: he stands up and walks toward the door, still talking, and his visitor automatically does the same and leaves. Painless and effective.
Take the time to understand your particular challenges and give these ideas a try. By the way, that takes a little focus by itself. You might need to follow these steps just to get started! Is it important to you (the purpose)? Is it a priority? How much so? When will you do it? What day? What time and for how long? And how will you handle possible distractions? And you're on your way.
I'm aware there are whole books written on focusing, managing time and priorities and so on, and maybe you want to read some for more ideas. But don't let a system take over your life! Develop the good habits that allow you control over your life, stay focused, be productive and happy.
Monday, February 2, 2009
But what about motivational speakers?
Let me add to my post on motivation by addressing a topic that comes up as a "what about?"response to my thinking about motivation in general. The topic is the motivational speaker.
This has become an actual category in public speaking, and for some time now. But shouldn't every speaker be a "motivational speaker" regardless of the topic? Whether I listen to a speech on leadership or a sermon at church I want to come away with a new motivation (or inspiration) to take some positive action. "Motivational speakers" tend to give advice on personal development and how to change one's life. That's great. I do that too when asked. But if I give a speech on developing lasting customer relationships or a workshop on team building, I want to be a "motivational speaker" there, too! I want to inspire people to do something different and better in whatever I present.
I need to reiterate the difference between motivation and inspiration. Motivation is internal and intrinsic, and a motivational speaker cannot motivate me; I can only motivate myself as inspired to do by the speaker. Or not. Consider this very common phenomenon: a person who listens diligently to motivational speakers, both in person and on CDs, but nothing changes in his or her life. This happens all the time. A person comes away feeling wonderfully inspired to do whatever motivated her to listen in the first place. See the difference? Her motivation, her decision to listen, was internal. It came from within. What she hears is inspiring and she wants to implement the plan, the suggestions, the "10 Steps" or whatever it was. But something prevents her from getting started. And so she listens to a different speaker or buys a new set of CDs, and around it goes.
Is it the fault of the motivational speaker that this woman stays the same and doesn't significantly improve her life? Was the speaker not motivational enough? Maybe he's just not a good motivational speaker. Maybe, in one sense. There are plenty of mediocre speakers out there! But the speaker's role is to inspire, to plant the seeds of motivation that must develop within the listener. What happens after that is up to the listener. As a side note, if motivation is there, but follow-through is not, the answer is usually found either in a lack of accountability for taking the steps, a seeming inability to even begin, or a lack of confidence in ones's ability to do so. That's where a coach can help, and in fact that's where coaches are most helpful. I have addressed each one of those issues with my own coaching clients.
I like to listen to "motivational speakers," most of them, anyway, and I like the message they bring. It's inspiring and I hope I'm motivated enough to take action. But I want all the speakers I listen to to be motivational, that is, again, that through their message and delivery they inspire me to do things differently and make the improvements I need to make.
This has become an actual category in public speaking, and for some time now. But shouldn't every speaker be a "motivational speaker" regardless of the topic? Whether I listen to a speech on leadership or a sermon at church I want to come away with a new motivation (or inspiration) to take some positive action. "Motivational speakers" tend to give advice on personal development and how to change one's life. That's great. I do that too when asked. But if I give a speech on developing lasting customer relationships or a workshop on team building, I want to be a "motivational speaker" there, too! I want to inspire people to do something different and better in whatever I present.
I need to reiterate the difference between motivation and inspiration. Motivation is internal and intrinsic, and a motivational speaker cannot motivate me; I can only motivate myself as inspired to do by the speaker. Or not. Consider this very common phenomenon: a person who listens diligently to motivational speakers, both in person and on CDs, but nothing changes in his or her life. This happens all the time. A person comes away feeling wonderfully inspired to do whatever motivated her to listen in the first place. See the difference? Her motivation, her decision to listen, was internal. It came from within. What she hears is inspiring and she wants to implement the plan, the suggestions, the "10 Steps" or whatever it was. But something prevents her from getting started. And so she listens to a different speaker or buys a new set of CDs, and around it goes.
Is it the fault of the motivational speaker that this woman stays the same and doesn't significantly improve her life? Was the speaker not motivational enough? Maybe he's just not a good motivational speaker. Maybe, in one sense. There are plenty of mediocre speakers out there! But the speaker's role is to inspire, to plant the seeds of motivation that must develop within the listener. What happens after that is up to the listener. As a side note, if motivation is there, but follow-through is not, the answer is usually found either in a lack of accountability for taking the steps, a seeming inability to even begin, or a lack of confidence in ones's ability to do so. That's where a coach can help, and in fact that's where coaches are most helpful. I have addressed each one of those issues with my own coaching clients.
I like to listen to "motivational speakers," most of them, anyway, and I like the message they bring. It's inspiring and I hope I'm motivated enough to take action. But I want all the speakers I listen to to be motivational, that is, again, that through their message and delivery they inspire me to do things differently and make the improvements I need to make.
What exactly is motivation, anyway?
I answered a question today on LinkedIn in which someone asked about tricks to motivate people, and how to create and boost motivation. Have to admit I was a little dismayed with the question itself, as it reflects a too-common mindset that motivation is something we do to people. I keep wondering how long this idea will continue?
Here is a little of what I wrote:
I take issue with a lot of what's written out there about motivating people. A lot of it is manipulative and designed to make it easy on the manager by using tricks and techniques better suited for rats in a maze than human beings. More like what you see in Dilbert cartoons. What managers forget or often purposely avoid is the significance of interpersonal behavior...their behavior...in motivating employees.
First of all, we don't motivate, we inspire. I really believe this. We may inspire motivation, and in fact we better! Motivation is intrinsic, and we can provide the environment that inspires and reinforces internal motivation, or just the opposite. It depends on what the manager does.Much has been made of the research that shows people quit their manager, not their company, and one contributer above alludes to that in suggesting that the manager-employee relationship is an essential component in motivation. I agree. It begins with the manager. Assuming you're the manager here, do you have the desire and the skills to develop relationships with your people? If not, forget about their motivation.
Develop a vision for your employees, whether it's an entire company, a division or even a work group. Communicate it constantly. Take the time to understand individual work style and discover what motivates them in general. This requires close observation and careful listening, two of a manager's most-needed skills. Know precisely what work product is required and communicate that. Decide the type of environment you want and make that clear. Find out what type of recognition creates a positive work response and follow-through religiously. Consistency in these areas is essential, as is your commitment to walking your own talk.
These are steps in building belief in your people, both you in them and them in you. This will develop internal motivation to perform, i.e., their behavior will follow their belief. What you've done now is develop a culture that inspires people to accomplishment. The motivation comes from within because they want to achieve. I'm convinced this is applicable in any work situation and any economic condition. I would argue that in today's economy it's more important than ever. No tricks involved.
Well, that's actually a lot of what I said, not a little. But I wanted to post this in both places because I feel strongly we need to change our perspective on motivation in general and what it means to motivate someone else. On a personal level, I look for inspiration to motivate me to certain actions. Motivation must come from within, however, inspiration is external and can come from other people, certain experiences we have, books we read or even music we listen to. We can be a source of inspiration to others, and whether it's as a manager, as a friend or as a parent, I think it's something to which we should all aspire.
Here is a little of what I wrote:
I take issue with a lot of what's written out there about motivating people. A lot of it is manipulative and designed to make it easy on the manager by using tricks and techniques better suited for rats in a maze than human beings. More like what you see in Dilbert cartoons. What managers forget or often purposely avoid is the significance of interpersonal behavior...their behavior...in motivating employees.
First of all, we don't motivate, we inspire. I really believe this. We may inspire motivation, and in fact we better! Motivation is intrinsic, and we can provide the environment that inspires and reinforces internal motivation, or just the opposite. It depends on what the manager does.Much has been made of the research that shows people quit their manager, not their company, and one contributer above alludes to that in suggesting that the manager-employee relationship is an essential component in motivation. I agree. It begins with the manager. Assuming you're the manager here, do you have the desire and the skills to develop relationships with your people? If not, forget about their motivation.
Develop a vision for your employees, whether it's an entire company, a division or even a work group. Communicate it constantly. Take the time to understand individual work style and discover what motivates them in general. This requires close observation and careful listening, two of a manager's most-needed skills. Know precisely what work product is required and communicate that. Decide the type of environment you want and make that clear. Find out what type of recognition creates a positive work response and follow-through religiously. Consistency in these areas is essential, as is your commitment to walking your own talk.
These are steps in building belief in your people, both you in them and them in you. This will develop internal motivation to perform, i.e., their behavior will follow their belief. What you've done now is develop a culture that inspires people to accomplishment. The motivation comes from within because they want to achieve. I'm convinced this is applicable in any work situation and any economic condition. I would argue that in today's economy it's more important than ever. No tricks involved.
Well, that's actually a lot of what I said, not a little. But I wanted to post this in both places because I feel strongly we need to change our perspective on motivation in general and what it means to motivate someone else. On a personal level, I look for inspiration to motivate me to certain actions. Motivation must come from within, however, inspiration is external and can come from other people, certain experiences we have, books we read or even music we listen to. We can be a source of inspiration to others, and whether it's as a manager, as a friend or as a parent, I think it's something to which we should all aspire.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Learn, lift and live.
A friend and colleague was reading my biographical sketch the other day as I edited material for my soon-to-be-updated website. She thought I should translate a Latin phrase I included that explains something of my personal philosophy: mens sana in corpore sano. She's right, and here is the translation: a sound mind in a sound body. It's something I've tried to live by for many years, and the older I get the more valuable I believe the saying to be.
A sound mind is one that remains inquisitive and open to new information, that is prepared and grounded with sound values to ensure good judgment. It means listening to varied viewpoints and developing discernment for valid evaluation. It includes reading from a variety of sources, newspapers to novels, and conversing with other people without fear of contrary opinions being expressed. It's all about the input; what we allow to enter our minds, and the filters of evaluation we develop over time to make sense of it all. A sound body means we treat our bodies with the respect they deserve, taking care of this God-given gift in a variety of ways. Like with the mind, that means we watch the input. Excess food and drink cause physical problems of many kinds. Witness the obesity epidemic we have in the US today and its attendant issues like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and circulatory problems. Excessive alcohol has been the cause of millions of deaths from drunk driving, in addition to liver disease and a host of other concerns. Soft drinks aren't off the hook here with their exorbitant amounts of sugar! But a sound body also means output, as in the output of energy, and that means movement. Running, walking, biking, hiking, and my personal favorite, weight training. I've lifted weights since high school (yes, a very long time ago) and still go to the gym four days a week. My days of 400 lb. squats are over, but 225 is still easy and my knees have never been stronger. I do a variety of cardio exercises and I have goals for this part of my life as with any other.
Where do you find the time, I'm often asked. I don't find it, I make it, just like we all make time for the things we do every day. A bonus for me is the mental acuity benefit, and my family will attest to the fact that my mood stays more positive when I'm consistent in my workouts. And I rarely need any help moving heavy things around the house. Downside? You've probably guessed who gets called when there's something big and heavy to move in someone else's house. That's OK.
You may have variations on what it means to have a sound mind in a sound body. There's no one or best meaning, but what matters is believing this to be important, essential even, and then taking action. The results are gratifying, and the process itself is immensely satisfying as you gain new appreciation for life and all it can be, indeed, all it should be.
A sound mind is one that remains inquisitive and open to new information, that is prepared and grounded with sound values to ensure good judgment. It means listening to varied viewpoints and developing discernment for valid evaluation. It includes reading from a variety of sources, newspapers to novels, and conversing with other people without fear of contrary opinions being expressed. It's all about the input; what we allow to enter our minds, and the filters of evaluation we develop over time to make sense of it all. A sound body means we treat our bodies with the respect they deserve, taking care of this God-given gift in a variety of ways. Like with the mind, that means we watch the input. Excess food and drink cause physical problems of many kinds. Witness the obesity epidemic we have in the US today and its attendant issues like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and circulatory problems. Excessive alcohol has been the cause of millions of deaths from drunk driving, in addition to liver disease and a host of other concerns. Soft drinks aren't off the hook here with their exorbitant amounts of sugar! But a sound body also means output, as in the output of energy, and that means movement. Running, walking, biking, hiking, and my personal favorite, weight training. I've lifted weights since high school (yes, a very long time ago) and still go to the gym four days a week. My days of 400 lb. squats are over, but 225 is still easy and my knees have never been stronger. I do a variety of cardio exercises and I have goals for this part of my life as with any other.
Where do you find the time, I'm often asked. I don't find it, I make it, just like we all make time for the things we do every day. A bonus for me is the mental acuity benefit, and my family will attest to the fact that my mood stays more positive when I'm consistent in my workouts. And I rarely need any help moving heavy things around the house. Downside? You've probably guessed who gets called when there's something big and heavy to move in someone else's house. That's OK.
You may have variations on what it means to have a sound mind in a sound body. There's no one or best meaning, but what matters is believing this to be important, essential even, and then taking action. The results are gratifying, and the process itself is immensely satisfying as you gain new appreciation for life and all it can be, indeed, all it should be.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Radio station leadership lesson.
You don't have to go very far to find lessons in leadership. Sometimes it's right in your own community. That doesn't lessen the impact of the lesson, however. Here's what I experienced recently.
We're fortunate to have three public radio stations here in Salt Lake City, two that are very similar with a mix of NPR and locally produced shows, the other a classical music station. Of the two NPR stations, I prefer one, KUER, for a variety of reasons. Their local programming is excellent and they're politically fairly neutral, quite unlike the other, KCPW (it's hard enough to keep my personal filters on during the NPR pieces, let alone the local talk). I confess that like many listeners, I hadn't become a member of KUER, despite the many fundraising drives I'd listened to over the years. So when one of my kid's cars became too expensive to repair, I decided to donate it to KUER through their vehicle donation program. The cars are sold at auction and the station gets whatever the final bid price is, minus a nominal fee to the agency who runs the donation process. Even if it was only $500, that would cover many years of not becoming a member. Better yet, I thought, it might even count towards a current membership. So I called the station to find out. That's when the lesson in leadership, empowerment and customer service began, and it wasn't pretty.
I spoke with two people in the development office, both of whom thanked me for what I was doing and agreed, yes indeed, a car donation would also get me a membership for one year. All I had to do was wait for the car to be sold, wait for a confimation letter to arrive to me and call back. Well, great, I thought. This would be a real win-win. The letter arrived about a month later and I was right about the sale price at auction: $500. I was excited to call KUER and follow up on their instructions. This time when I called, the station manager answered the phone. Unusual, I thought, but I was happy to tell him what I had done and that I was looking forward to being a member finally as a result of my car donation. Not so fast, came his reply. Donating a car does not entitle one to a station membership at KUER, he told me. I explained that his own development office thought it did, so why the discrepency? He went on to tell me that the development people were wrong and should not have agreed to give me a membership simply because I donated a car (and unlike them, he did not thank me). What's more, he would not honor their promise. I told him that KUER just received $500 from me and that a year's membership was only $40, so why not honor the word of his own people? And why don't they know their own station's policy?
This small-minded station manager was willing to risk losing the goodwill and support of a listener to rigidly maintain a policy (unknown to his own development office!) guaranteed to alienate me. Customer service 101, anyone? He has not empowered his people to make decisions on behalf of members or potential members. Leadership 101, anyone, again? As you might imagine, the odds of any future financial support from me to KUER are nill. And like so many customer service studies show over and over, unhappy customers like me will repeat their stories to others. Just as I'm doing here.
A $500 donation not worth a $40 membership? Not honoring the word of his own staff? This is not the proverbial rocket science here. How many leadership and customer service books, and articles are written, seminars, speeches and workshops attended, designed to teach the most elementary of lessons to lead an organization and create loyal customers? How about even common sense, which is too often not commonly applied? Lest you conclude this is more typical of nonprofits like KUER than in the private sector, think for a moment if you don't have a similar story to tell from a for-profit business. Thought so.
We're fortunate to have three public radio stations here in Salt Lake City, two that are very similar with a mix of NPR and locally produced shows, the other a classical music station. Of the two NPR stations, I prefer one, KUER, for a variety of reasons. Their local programming is excellent and they're politically fairly neutral, quite unlike the other, KCPW (it's hard enough to keep my personal filters on during the NPR pieces, let alone the local talk). I confess that like many listeners, I hadn't become a member of KUER, despite the many fundraising drives I'd listened to over the years. So when one of my kid's cars became too expensive to repair, I decided to donate it to KUER through their vehicle donation program. The cars are sold at auction and the station gets whatever the final bid price is, minus a nominal fee to the agency who runs the donation process. Even if it was only $500, that would cover many years of not becoming a member. Better yet, I thought, it might even count towards a current membership. So I called the station to find out. That's when the lesson in leadership, empowerment and customer service began, and it wasn't pretty.
I spoke with two people in the development office, both of whom thanked me for what I was doing and agreed, yes indeed, a car donation would also get me a membership for one year. All I had to do was wait for the car to be sold, wait for a confimation letter to arrive to me and call back. Well, great, I thought. This would be a real win-win. The letter arrived about a month later and I was right about the sale price at auction: $500. I was excited to call KUER and follow up on their instructions. This time when I called, the station manager answered the phone. Unusual, I thought, but I was happy to tell him what I had done and that I was looking forward to being a member finally as a result of my car donation. Not so fast, came his reply. Donating a car does not entitle one to a station membership at KUER, he told me. I explained that his own development office thought it did, so why the discrepency? He went on to tell me that the development people were wrong and should not have agreed to give me a membership simply because I donated a car (and unlike them, he did not thank me). What's more, he would not honor their promise. I told him that KUER just received $500 from me and that a year's membership was only $40, so why not honor the word of his own people? And why don't they know their own station's policy?
This small-minded station manager was willing to risk losing the goodwill and support of a listener to rigidly maintain a policy (unknown to his own development office!) guaranteed to alienate me. Customer service 101, anyone? He has not empowered his people to make decisions on behalf of members or potential members. Leadership 101, anyone, again? As you might imagine, the odds of any future financial support from me to KUER are nill. And like so many customer service studies show over and over, unhappy customers like me will repeat their stories to others. Just as I'm doing here.
A $500 donation not worth a $40 membership? Not honoring the word of his own staff? This is not the proverbial rocket science here. How many leadership and customer service books, and articles are written, seminars, speeches and workshops attended, designed to teach the most elementary of lessons to lead an organization and create loyal customers? How about even common sense, which is too often not commonly applied? Lest you conclude this is more typical of nonprofits like KUER than in the private sector, think for a moment if you don't have a similar story to tell from a for-profit business. Thought so.
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