Psychological Safety at Work

On December 15, 2021   /   Back to Work, Cancel Culture, Emotional Intelligence   /   Leave a comment
Psychological Safety at Work

Do your employees feel comfortable to share their ideas and concerns, or raise questions?  If you’re unable to answer that question with a confident and resounding “Yes!”, you may want to take a look at the level of psychological safety your workplace offers. 

According to Forbes, psychological safety at work is “a shared belief held by members of a company, department or team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.”  Simply said, if employees feel psychologically safe at work, they feel free to express their genuine thoughts and opinions without fear of rejection, embarrassment, or reprisal.

Psychologically safe workplaces are important because they foster innovation, increase productivity and improve retention. Employees are more likely to share unique ideas if they feel safe to do so. If mistakes occur, they can be treated as a learning opportunity; unlike employees in psychologically unsafe workspaces where mistakes may be hidden due to job security concerns.  Not surprising, turnover is reduced because great teams flourish in psychologically safe work environments.  Employees want to work where they’re valued. Ultimately, being part of a great work environment is beneficial to the company, its consumers, and the community.

Improving psychological safety in the workplace requires dedication and must be a priority to management.  Begin by observing your team’s communication style. How are differing opinions handled? Ensure all ideas are heard by reassuring the team that honest feedback is welcomed.  Be sure to thank team members for their contributions.

Celebrate diverse thinking and show respect for all opinions.  Model how to provide constructive criticism without belittling others.

What steps are you taking to improve psychological safety in your workplace? Let us know in the comments below and remember…make it a great day!

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Tis the Season

On December 10, 2021   /   Uncategorized   /   Leave a comment
Tis the Season

Ahh, it’s that time of year again. Undoubtedly November and December are peak months for discretionary spending. And as we enter another holiday season, it can be stress inducing for shoppers as well as business owners. Shoppers are under pressure to secure the perfect gift while competing with other shoppers for items in limited supply.  Business owners are enduring staff shortages and supply chain issues. So today we’re taking a look at 3 common customer service complaints and how to prevent/reduce their occurrence.

1) Calling the wrong number when trying to reach a specific service area or department frustrates customers. To rectify this, add department/service area descriptions next to the phone number provided on your website. Track the type of calls you receive to identify trends. If you’re able to identify a common cause for concern, consider adding that information to your website along with the direct number should additional assistance be required.

2) A common consumer complaint is long wait times for service. Generally everyone packs a little extra patience around the holidays, but you should always look for ways to operate more efficiently.  Of course, this will look different for every business model, but it can include things like pre-scan, self checkout, or order ahead.  Offer special promotions during low volume periods to help re-distribute traffic to your storefront. 

3) Try to make the wait enjoyable. Things like musical selection and volume as well as temperature can create a sense of ease and make long waits more bearable.

4) Rude customer service agents round out our list of common customer service complaints. While our hope is no agent is ever rude to a customer, it happens. 

Consider:

  • Adjusting shifts
  • Creating additional breaks
  • Providing a catered lunch/snacks to show your appreciation
  • Providing additional training on topics about effective communication with colleagues and customers

Will your company do anything unique to improve the customer experience this holiday season? Let us know in the comment section below and make it a great day!

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Workplace Bullying

On November 17, 2021   /   Back to Work, Business Etiquette, Empathy, Workplace Bullying   /   Leave a comment
Workplace Bullying

What happens to elementary school bullies?  In some cases, they grow up to be adult bullies who lurk in offices and workspaces doing what they’ve always done—tormenting their targets.

According to the Workplace Bully Institute (WBI), workplace bullying is defined as “repeated, health-harming mistreatment by one or more employees of an employee; abusive conduct that takes the form of verbal abuse; or behaviors perceived as threatening, intimidating, or humiliating; work sabotage.” 

The WBI also found in a 2021 study that 30% of employees are bullied in the workplace with 43% of remote workers enduring the same experience.  Bullying can result in qualified employees’ high absenteeism, lost productivity, lost revenues, and high turnover.

While harassment at work is illegal, bullying is not because harassment involves mistreatment based on a protected class such as religion, race, national origin, or sex.  

Workplace bullying takes on many forms including but not limited to:

  • Hostile or aggressive written and/or verbal communication
  • Withholding resources
  • Unrelenting criticism
  • Invasion of personal space
  • Non-verbal intimidation 

Often times, the bully is the target’s manager but the behavior can also occur among peers.

If you are bullied at work,

  • Address the situation in the moment
  • Say exactly what he/she is doing to you and why it’s a problem
  • Call the bully by name and use self-assured body language
  • Document all incidents including how you responded
  • Retain all emails, voice mail, and other communications 
  • Present your documentation to human resources.  Your documentation should include suggestions on how you would like to see the issue resolved

Through company culture and policies, this offensive and unacceptable behavior can be eradicated.

In the comments below, let us know if you’ve experienced bullying in the workplace and how you handled it.

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Thrive During Change in the Workplace

On November 3, 2021   /   Building Trust, Company Changes, Empathy   /   Leave a comment
Thrive During Change in the Workplace

Change.   Some people love it; others despise it.  Change in the workplace is inevitable.  Let’s be clear, companies must evolve in order to remain competitive.  So, how do employees learn to accept change AND thrive in the process?

From an employee’s perspective, it can be difficult to perceive opportunities that effective change brings to the company.  Also, they may not fully understand how improvements can advance their career.   Sometimes, employees focus on disruptions and their fears…nothing else.

To counteract negative feelings, encourage employees to look for the silver lining by identifying at least one positive outcome from the new way of doing things.  For example, what new skill will they learn? 

Focusing on self-care is essential to managing physical and emotional impacts of change in the workplace.  Encourage employees to:

  • Practice stress relieving techniques such as visualization, talking it out, meditation, etc.
  • Flexibility is key.  Help them identify ways to blend old practices with new ones

As a leader:

  • Create a psychologically safe environment for them to offer input/feedback
  • Be transparent
  • Be consistent with updates
  • Keep the lines of communication open…it fosters trust and inclusivity 
  • Create committees tasked with addressing the specifics on how the change will impact morale

Some people will be slower to adapt to change but that does not make them poor employees.  Slow adapters are still valuable team members and must be afforded extra time to accept change.  Employees and leaders working together position the company to thrive throughout the change process.

Talk to us in the comments below and remember…make it a great day!

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Healthy Obsession: The Client Experience

On October 20, 2021   /   Getting on Track to Meet Goals, How to Increase Customer Loyalty, Increasing Profits, Leadership   /   Leave a comment
Healthy Obsession: The Client Experience

In previous discussions we’ve touched on measuring customer satisfaction.  Let’s also explore how to close the gap between customer expectations and customer experiences.  The customer experience has several components ranging from packaging to logistics to employees performance. 

As an oversimplification, the customer experience can be described as how consumers view and receive a company’s brand.  Consistent positive experiences are the springboard to establising loyalty and creating a competitive advantage over competition.

Consumers want efficient service and quality products but they also want to do business with companies who share their values on topics such as diversity, ethics, and the environment.  Using data collected from customers through surveys and other means, companies can determine where they fall short.  Your approach to improve the situation must be holistic.  For example, data may show that customers think your marketing doesn’t influence them.  The fix will require re-examining your product/service as well as intangible systems such as empathy, etc.

Implementing a holistic approach to improve the customer experience also includes re-shaping your company’s principles regarding your:

  • Customer Service Philosophy
  • Vision Statement
  • Mission Statement
  • Core Values
  • Corporate Culture
  • Customer Experience Vision Statement

The customer experience vision statement will serve as the guiding light for every employee and will drive business decisions. Every employee plays a role in shaping the customer experience, therefore, all of these principles should be embedded in training and development…they must be at the core of every behavior and interaction.

Be obsessed with your customers’ experiences and make it a great day!

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