Monthly Archives: May 2012

Confidence is…

31 May
by Bridget DiCello

Confidence

The main obstacle to getting things done is often not the processes, obstacles or situational factors.   It is the way the people react to what happens.  Confidence is not an egotistical reaction that ignores reality.  It is a determination and perseverance that we can and we will get it done.  It is not a conversation of if we can, but how we will.  There are plenty of excuses why things do not get done, do not get done completely or do not get done to the level of quality they could have.  The fact is that most of us, given our workload, will accept one of those excuses and let a project stop short of its potential.

 

Getting Things Done

28 May
by Bridget DiCello
  • Do you manage your own time well?
  • Do you manage another’s performance successfully?
  • Do you finish projects or is the last 10% a struggle?
  • Is there just too much going on to maintain your focus?

 Commitment and Confidence

With demands from so many different directions, it may seem impossible to stay a course of action and finish anything.  New projects, different priorities and demanding individuals may continually pull you in new directions.

Create the Plan

Typically, even the most organized people fail to plan when they are overwhelmed with the amount they must do.  However, if you invest the time to plan, two important things happen.

  1. You test against reality.  The target date is three weeks from now.  In order to make that happen, we break the project into bite-size steps.  We determine that in order to meet our deadline, we need to complete three steps of the process each week.  Each step takes 10 hours.  Given our other commitments, we test whether or not we do or do not see time to schedule 30 hours each week for this project.  When scheduling the three 10-hour steps, take into account the typical interruptions, emergencies and schedule changes that routinely happen.  Do not ignore your history, or expect history to not repeat itself unless you’ve made significant changes of some sort.
  2. Test your “If…then’s.”  Look at the people involved in the process, the obstacles you expect, the variables that are most ambiguous, and the probable outcomes at each step of the process.  For example, every time you interact with Bradley, he gives you the information you need, but then thinks about it for a few days, and comes back to you with additional valuable and correct data that is important and must be considered.  You know this will take him two or three days from the date of the original conversation.  So, plan for it in the schedule.  “If Bradley is involved, thenhis input will arrive over three days time.”There may be multiple “If…then’s” in each step of the process.  When you know they may or will occur, take them into consideration both in your planning and in your reality checks.

Commit to the Plan

When obstacles come into the picture, don’t be surprised; have a course of action discussed by your project team ahead of time, “When [obstacle] occurs, we will [course of action].” You cannot think of everything, but you can think of a lot of the problems that reoccur.  A majority of issues that occur in any company have occurred at a point in the past in one form or another.  Pay attention to those patterns, plan for them, and commit to moving through them, staying focused on the plan to which you have committed.

Confidence

The main obstacle to getting things done is often not the processes, obstacles or situational factors.   It is the way the people react to what happens.  Confidence is not an egotistical reaction that ignores reality.  It is a determination and perseverance that we can and we will get it done.  It is not a conversation of if we can, but how we will.  There are plenty of excuses why things do not get done, do not get done completely or do not get done to the level of quality they could have.  The fact is that most of us, given our workload, will accept one of those excuses and let a project stop short of its potential.

What are you working on right now that you are ready to give up on?

For what project do you need to create a plan?

Strengthening Customer Relationships

14 May
by Bridget DiCello

Are your customers happy? How do you know? Because they pay the bill and haven’t complained? Do you think there is a level of service you could provide that would take your customer relationship to a new level?

I’ll be honest, there are definitely times when talk of customer service wears me out! My customers are wonderful, I enjoy every moment with them, am delighted when I find a way to serve them even better and find innovative solutions that facilitate their even greater success.

But, when I think about how I can serve the customer better, the first thought is that I need to spend more time, more energy and give more for each dollar received. Then, I realize that there is great potential to deliver more value in innovative ways.

And the most innovative solutions ever discovered, especially in less technical businesses, come from an understanding of the customer’s need more clearly and delivering a service or product that meets their needs, solves their problem and deliver results they never thought were possible.

In a way, it’s the old, “Work smarter not harder.” But, let’s pinpoint the ‘smarter’ work to be purposeful conversations with customers about their needs and expectations. They may never have had the time to spend to get a very accurate and clear picture about what they need from you. They say they need X, you do a good job with X, offer it at a fair price, have built a strong, trusting relationship, so you do business together.

When you want to know if you are doing a good job. You may send a survey or call and ask:

“How are we doing?” The customer says, “Fine.”

You say, “How did we do on the last order?” Customer says, “Good, it went well.”

You say, “Is there anything else we can do to make life easier for you?” Customer says, “I don’t think so, you are all doing a really great job. Thanks!”

You say, “Okay. Please feel free to call if you need anything!” Customer says, “Okay!”

You invite them to golf, talk about the spouse, children and football, and the relationship builds.

There is still valuable information in their head that could take that relationship to the next level. This standard conversation is pleasant, the customer may feel like they are being honest, and you are showing your concern. If there was a problem with the order, this is an opportunity to find out, rectify this situation, and make sure it does not happen again.

What if you asked questions more along the lines of:

“Thank you for your business! On your last order, how did we do on a scale of one to ten?”

“If we could change one thing, anything, even if it seems impossible, about the process, what would you like to see change?” Customer says, “You’re great!” You respond, “Really, I’d love to know, even if it seems impossible.”

“What is a frustration in your business in the area [of your expertise, industry, the area in which you interact with them] that you’d love to see resolved?

Don’t take their time with nicety conversations and surface questions. Spend your time with them wisely. Find out what they really think, desire and would love to see different. Even if it’s impossible now, keep it on your radar and look for the next opportunity to build a relationship based on amazing service, not just a consistent good job.