Pathways for Success?

I just returned from a vacation with my family. As I sat on the beach late last week and thought about my career and where it may lead to in the future, I started thinking about "success" and what it truly means to me, and may mean to others. I've been in the financial services/BPO/collections industry for 27 years now (where did that time go??) and as I prepare for my next big adventure I began to question if I've been focused on the right goals and objectives when accepting challenges and new teams. Have I given my teams the right direction to allow for the individual team members to feel successful and invested in their company while exceeding client expectations?

For all of the various ways "success" can be achieved, I began to focus on two main pathways to achievement - Employee Morale and Operational Efficiency. Now, I'm sure anyone reading this may say that those are two small pieces of a much bigger picture. Someone may say, "Yes, but what about this, that, and the other?" My opinion is that most of the "this", "that", and "the other" fall under Employee Morale and Operational Efficiency.

Employee Morale - For a person to enjoy what they're doing, feel accomplished in their position, invest physically and emotionally in their company, believe they have a good home/work balance and be successful, they need to be positive about the following:

• Fair Salary - Everyone believes they should be paid fairly. To hire a new team member at a salary they feel is fair for the position they're in, you start with an employee that is happy and excited about their future with your company. This goes a long way to ensuring this is a long-term employee
• Good Benefits - Providing Health and other benefits has become a challenge to some companies. I strongly suggest finding the best possible way to overcome any challenge and provide great benefits to your employees. It remains a very effective and powerful recruiting tool and an employee's morale is directly affected in a positive way knowing that they and their family can rely on a solid benefits package if something were to go wrong in their personal life
• Great Training - Training, and the employee's thorough understanding of the training, is a cornerstone to that team member's success in whatever position they may be in. Training is very often where the initial impression of a company is derived from. Poor information, bad flow/layouts, a Trainer with a less than positive attitude and lack of energy all can lead to a negative impression that may lead to high turnover within the first 90 days of employment; something a lot of employers struggle with. A great Trainer, with up to date and easy-to-comprehend material, along with a welcoming attitude and willingness to work with individuals, goes a long way early in the employee's tenure. It also directly impacts their morale, which leads to a very productive team member resulting in excellent results for them as individuals and for the team and your clients
• Open Communication - The failure to adequately communicate to your teams on a regular basis can lead to misinformation, distrust, anxiety, and disassociation with the company. A clear and timely communications plan that is easily relayed to all employees is a must. I've struggled personally with this from time to time, and what I have learned is to not underestimate even the smallest bit of information and how it impacts employees. I've often thought, "Well, they wouldn't even care about that.", only to realize later that I was very wrong
• A Safe and Welcoming Workplace - Important to the wellbeing of your staff as well as the trust of your clients. Unsafe physical conditions, a lack of facilities, and inadequate space for downtime/breaks can result in staff feeling under appreciated. It may also lead to clients developing a poor opinion of your investment in the teams assigned to them
• A Secure Workplace - An employee should feel safe in their work environment at all times. Working with HR and your IT/Data Security staff, as well as your clients to ensure that adequate and required physical security is in place at all times. Along with HR policies and procedures that are enacted and followed to protect all employees, these steps lead to all employees feeling safe and secure in your facility, resulting in less anxiety and a positive experience
• The Ability to Advance - a strong internal advancement and promotion program along with a continuing education program at all levels is imperative to an employee's understanding that they can continue to grow with your company, and lessens the feelings of stagnation or boredom that can come from some call center positions. Constantly encouraging ways for the employee to achieve personal and career growth can be one of the most powerful tools in employee retention

Operational Efficiency - To achieve your company goals, along with exceeding your client's goals, you need your entire staff to be efficient and thorough. Some suggested points to bolster goal achievement and efficiency:

• The Right Tools/Software/Hardware to do the job - Emphasis on RIGHT tools. I've seen many companies struggle over the years due to antiquated software/hardware, vendors, letters, payment processing, etc... along with outdated thinking on how to approach the cost vs. reward of having the the RIGHT tools for your company. While one CMS or Collection System may work for one company, it doesn't mean it will work for another. You may have used 5 collection letters successfully at one company or a particular type of Dialer, but don't assume they will yield the same result at a different company or with a different client. A successful employee has the right tools at their disposal
• The Right Employee in the Right Position - You can have the best Trainer, the best tools, the best amenities, but if you don't have an employee that's in the position best suited for her/him, you will never get optimum output or efficiency from that person. I've seen several personality evaluations that produce very valuable and insightful information. I suggest your company invest in a program and have every team member take the evaluation, from new-hire to CEO. This will give you a unique view of your employees, as well as directing you to perhaps what are the best indicators for which type of person fits best in each role in your company
• Great Training - Yes, this is a repeat from the Morale section. As I described above, and employee with a great morale/attitude, with proper training, tools at their disposal, and drive to advance makes for an employee that's invested in the company, the client, and their personal goals, which leads to an efficient and successful team member. It starts with training and understanding the right way to do their job
• Data - "Big Data is not about the data" - Gary King, Harvard University. I'd agree that companies absolutely need great data to produce great strategies and results. Though, to Mr. King's point, just make sure that you're doing something with all of that data!! Data is just data. It's the analysis of that data and actions that result from the analysis that matters. In order to execute on strategies based on your data in a way that's important to your company and your clients in the most efficient manner, you need smart and motivated employees
• Self Service Channels - This could possibly go under the "Right Tools" section, but I believe just having an online portal for customers to access doesn't make it efficient, or even useable for your customers. Utilizing the Tools, Employees, Training, and Data described above, you need to identify which channels best fit your customers and clients, and provide ease of access and usability
• Active Management - Managers that are actively engaged with their employees on a daily basis provide valuable lessons, techniques, feedback and understanding to team members
• Customer Experience Team - Listening to your customers is your #1 mission. If a customer is unhappy with your service in some way, all of the tools, data, training, etc... really doesn't matter. You're not providing the service you agreed to provide. Listen to the problem, understand the problem, find the root cause, decide on the best and most efficient way to correct the issue, and act on it. A successful Customer Experience Team should be the voice of your customer at every customer-facing touchpoint within your organization
• Listen To Your Team Members - Employee feedback is very powerful. Hearing from team members that are dealing with the same successes or challenges on a daily basis can provide you with valuable information on how to continue success, or improve on a deficiency. I suggest weekly roundtables with rotating team members. This along with an ability to immediately bring important situations to Management is key to improving efficiency

My opinion that these two pathways lead to success are just that, my opinion. Given the competitive environment we're in today it's imperative to have your own path to helping your team/company/clients succeed while providing compliant, efficient, and great customer service at a competitive price.

Choose these pathways or your own! I'm just a guy back from vacation with a tan searching for my next success.