by Avish Parashar

Have you ever heard the expression, “do as I say, not as I do?”

Well, as in most cases, that’s a pretty stupid way to go. Let’s look at an example…

I went to my local library the other day (which I love) hoping to find some material to broaden my mind – or at least a good novel to get lost in. As I perused the new releases, I noticed an interesting thing: the library was quite loud.

I had always assumed the library was supposed to be quiet, like a morgue, or an audience at a John Cage Concert. This day the library sounded more like a coffee shop or small cocktail party. I could hear at least three distinct conversations echoing through the large room.

I was confused. Why hadn’t the staff quieted these warblers? I looked up to see who these vociferous windbags were…

Yup, you guessed it: Library staff members were involved in all three of the conversations!

*Sigh*

Two of the conversations were between staff and customers (is “customer” the right word when it comes to people who use a library? What’s a better word? Patron? Client? Frugal reader?). The other was between two staff members behind the counter.

What the heck?!? Is it just me? Does no one else believe that:

1. Libraries should be quiet? And …
2. Employees should follow the rules they set for others?

Maybe I’m wrong, and libraries are no longer a place of relative silence. But if I’m not (and I don’t think I am), shouldn’t the people who work there be setting an example, not violating the rule?

Sadly, you see this kind of hypocrisy all the time:

• Rules and admonishments that the environment should be quiet, but the employees are the ones making the noise.
• A posted sign says, “No food or drink,” but the owner often eats openly in front of everyone.
• Offices that penalize you for being late but are always running behind schedule.
• A company with a strict “no personal calls” policy – except, of course, when the boss needs to make one
• And on and on

If you’re the one in charge, be it as an owner, manager, or employee, it’s easy to look at the rules and say, “eh, these don’t apply to me.” But if you want happy customers, content employees, and a growing business, you should rethink that mindset.

(For the employees, you might be saying, “why should they care, they’re not in charge?” To which I respond, “Yes, and with that kind of attitude they never will be.”)

If you are a leader, or aspire to be one someday, set an example, lead from the front, and stop being a hypocrite. Your customers, workers, and bottom line will thank you.

Avish Parashar is an innovative, energetic, and humorous speaker who uses his 18+ years of experience performing, directing, and teaching improv comedy to deliver unique and refreshing presentations to a variety of audiences. In his “Ding! Happens!” keynotes and workshops, Avish gives his audiences simple ideas they can use to deliver great leadership, service, and teamwork – even when things go wrong.

by Zoe Training staff

Perfecting Connecting© – what Sarah Michel calls her networking strategies to promote personal and professional success – aptly describes her expertise on the art of intentional connecting. And Sarah should know the power of networking: as a cancer survivor, Sarah’s network helped save her life. And now as a speaker, she shares the lessons she learned from her inspirational journey to motivate her audiences to connect not just for the moment, but for life.

What’s your favorite topic(s) to present on? Why?

NetWORTHing™, which is the new way to network if you want to build social capital in today’s reciprocal business climate.  I teach people how to communicate their value proposition to their network to grow their networth.  I’m all about connecting so my topics are focused on ways to improve your connection to your customers, coworkers (team building), and colleagues.  I’m a certified practitioner with Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and help people discover the power in personality differences to encourage innovation, networking, creativity, and problem solving.

Three words that describe your presentation style:

High energy, Interactive, Humorous

What are your favorite groups of people to work with?

Professional Associations, Nonprofits, Healthcare Organizations, Entrepreneurs

Do you have a favorite quote? What/why?

‘You can have anything you want in life, if you help others get what they need first.” – Zig Ziglar

This is the mantra of a true connector, and if you stand in the intersection of your life looking for ways to connect people, opportunities and ideas, you will experience true happiness and reap rewards beyond your wildest dreams.

What are some things that surprise you or inspire you about your interactions with clients/participants?

I’m surprised and delighted when someone tells me they always thought of themselves as a “bad networker” or someone who “hated networking,” but after hearing me speak, they discover a whole new way to look at. I love when they tell me they had a complete paradigm shift and now walk away with a whole new game plan for how to approach their network and for the first time, feel like they can be successful at it. I’m always inspired when my story of how my network helped saved my life when I battled cancer five years ago, inspires someone to reach out to their network for support. There is no better feeling for me then to think my story will positively impact someone else’s healthcare challenge.

Are you involved in any community projects/issues?

I’m on the board for Partners in Housing in Colorado Springs which helps homeless families achieve self-sufficiency and ultimately home ownership. It’s a two-year program commitment and we have a 75 percent success rate with our partners. I have been an active volunteer for over a decade and on a mission to end homelessness in Colorado Springs. I’m also involved with our school district and special education services because I have a daughter with learning disabilities.

by D.J. Vanas

We all know the classic story of the three little pigs.  To protect against the big bad wolf, one pig built a house of bricks, one of sticks and one of straw.  Similarly, we all know the different facets of customer service – the good, the bad and the downright ugly.  Put them together and we have a new twist on a classic tale.  I give you the illustration below, The Three Little Pigs of Customer Service, in hopes that it inspires you to deliver great service to others whether you’re a health care worker, a CEO, a military member, a project director or a dedicated parent.

Once upon a time, in the land of Customer Service, there lived three little pigs…

The First Little Pig – built his house of straw.  This was poor decision making from the start.  This little pig provides the most selfish model of customer service for his own good – whatever is easiest and quickest, requires the least amount of concern, care or effort.  At work, this little pig does just enough to keep his job and is often as crusty as a pork rind to anyone who dares to bother him.  In his mind, customer service is not “in his job description” (even if it actually is).

The Second Little Pig – built his house of sticks.  This model is obviously better than straw, but that’s not saying much in comparison.  This little pig provides just enough customer service to keep his complaint box clear and the boss off of his back.  When you need help, this little pig will point the way, if they aren’t busy, but don’t expect to be taken there.  They may provide a smile if they’re in the mood and you aren’t being difficult by asking for anything “complicated.”   Basically, this pig goes through the motions to serve – but the emotions are absent.

The Third Little Pig – built his house of bricks.  He chose to use solid material and to be thorough while others play and cut corners.  This pig is in it to win it, providing outstanding customer service by giving his full attention to customers (e.g. no iPod in the ear, personal phone calls, eating, etc.).  He is friendly, authentic and enthusiastic to help.  He goes above and beyond black and white job descriptions because he has the ultimate goal of not pleasing himself but others.  This pig realizes that customers are not a burden, they are the reason he has a job at all.  Because of this, he lives in a house of security and comfort when the big bad wolf comes.  When layoffs come, his bacon is safe and even if his house is blown down, he builds another one much quicker.  When promotions come, he gets it because he’s built his reputation on bricks!  They become successes and know it wasn’t luck, but by design, applying simple concepts consistently.

I would not dare ask “what pig are you?” so in order to avoid that sticky wicket, I’ll instead ask, what model do you see yourself most often fulfilling?  These examples give us a reference to rate not only customer service provided to us, but more importantly, the customer service we provide to others.

A motivated entrepreneur, author, and professional speaker, D.J. Vanas started Native Discovery Inc. in May of 1999 to “build the warriors to tomorrow…today.” D.J. uses traditional warrior concepts and colorful wisdom found in Native American culture to inspire others to achieve their best in life, school, and career. For the past decade, D.J. has used his dynamic programs to build warriors in 49 states and internationally to over 3,000 audiences at organizations such as IBM, NASA and hundreds of tribal communities, governments and schools.

by Ashley Andrus

In 2011, Punxsutawney Phil celebrated the 125th Anniversary of Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, PA.  On February 2nd, he emerged from his burrow and (according to folklore) predicted the arrival of spring.  According to the official rules of Groundhog’s Day, if he sees his shadow, there will be 6 more weeks of winter.  If, however, he does not see his shadow, we are in for an early spring.

Giving Phil the benefit of the doubt and assuming his prediction is correct, one must admire the precision of outcome metrics: Shadow = 6 weeks. No shadow = Less than 6 weeks. Clear, straightforward, easy to use.

Phil’s system got me thinking about the metrics (and lack thereof) often associated with training initiatives. Too often, organizations implement a training program with no clear plan for identifying actual outcomes and ensuring the ROI of the investment.

In many cases, a 1-page evaluation form distributed at the completion of the training is the only information available to help determine if the program was a success, identify means of building upon knowledge gained, and decide whether the content is worth repeating with future groups of participants. The problem with that, of course, is that a 1-page form distributed immediately upon the conclusion of the program doesn’t cast a very large “shadow” for prognostication purposes!

So what are some options for gathering better information?

• Measure Direct Outcomes: Organizations can administer tests to identify pre- and post-program levels of proficiency on specific skills. You can track direct outcomes such as increases in sales volume or decreases in customer complaints. You can measure productivity levels pre-program, immediately after, and then in 30- or 60-day increments after that. Identify the key skills to be taught, map those skills to a handful of expected organizational outcomes, and track.

• Track Workflow and Productivity: Many process-oriented organizations have the ability to track employee productivity and efficiency with relative ease. Items such as number of calls handled per hour or number of interactions required to resolve a client complaint are straightforward and easy to track. If your organization provides training directly aimed at improving efficiency, it makes sense to take a baseline and track the results following the program.

• Survey Your Employees: Following a training program, an employee evaluation provides immediate feedback; for information regarding the efficiency of the program, you’ll need to gather information again once they’ve had a chance to practice and implement the skills learned. Asking for both quantitative and qualitative feedback 30 days after the program will help you understand what they’ve retained and what skills they are actually using. You can also ask managers and team leads for observations regarding performance in the wake of a development opportunity.

• Target Customer Satisfaction: “Customer” can be defined in a number of ways for metrics purposes. Your learning organization may track satisfaction of workshop participants as direct customers. You may identify internal customers supported by the participants of a particular program and conduct pre- and post-evaluations of performance as judged by those internal clients. You may identify ways in which a training program should directly impact external customers and solicit feedback from them as well.

Metrics aren’t the end-all, be-all, of course. As Albert Einstein famously noted, “Not everything that counts can be measured. Not everything that can be measured counts.” A complex spreadsheet doesn’t guarantee improved ROI on employee development. And a simple system doesn’t guarantee results, either, if you can’t influence the outcome—Punxsutawney Phil may be right, but those of us who wish for an earlier spring don’t have much hope of increasing the chances of a cloudy day to influence whether or not he sees his shadow.

That said, identifying a handful of key indicators of training effectiveness can help you plan, administer, and build upon the training programs you implement. So the question, then, is: What’s YOUR “training groundhog”?

Ashley Andrus is President of Zoe Training & Consulting. Her passion is making HR folks and meeting planners look like *rock stars* by providing one-stop access to 90+ speakers, trainers, facilitators, coaches, and consultants.

by Orvel Ray Wilson

This weekend I traveled with Denise to New Orleans to speak at the City & Regional Magazine Association conference. I was doing break-out sessions on Guerrilla Selling and Guerrilla Marketing with Social Media.

We were nearly next in line to check our bag when a burly ticket agent turned on the crowd and barked, “WHOSE BAG IS THIS?!”

“Mine,” I said, sheepishly raising my hand. I had scooted it under the queuing strap so as not have to carry it an extra 20 feet, and was standing less than 6 feet away.

“YOU HAVE TO ATTEND YOUR BAGGAGE AT ALL TIMES!” he shouted. I was like, SO busted.

“I AM attending it,” I pleaded. “I’m standing RIGHT HERE!” demonstrating that I could almost touch it.

He shouted like a marine drill sergeant, “YOU HAVE TO BE WITHIN ARM’S LENGTH OF YOUR BAG AT ALL TIMES!”

“OK, Ok, ok . . . “ I muttered as I slinked forward in line, cutting ahead of four other people to hover, humiliated, over my bag for the next 12 seconds.

Keep in mind that I have enough frequent flier miles on this particular airline (that shall remain nameless to protect the not-so-innocent) to qualify for the next Space Shuttle. They have always been gracious, accommodating, and helpful. That’s why they’ve been my favorite airline for two decades. And I concede that I was breaking the rule, but a little courtesy would have gone a long way. Anyway, I love this airline so much that I can over-look one rules-happy power-crazed ticket agent who’s having a bad day.

The topper came when we arrived in New Orleans. We were waiting by the baggage carousel when Denise realized she had left her purse on board. She dashed back to retrieve it, and was stopped at the concourse security desk (of course). A call was made and within minutes a friendly airline representative returned with her purse. So far, they’re 1 and 1.

In the cab she discovered that her cash was gone. We called. We got transferred. We got a lecture about how, “We’re not responsible for lost items.” Of course, that wasn’t the point. We assumed SOMEONE would share our concern that one of their employees was stealing. Seems no one was even interested. So we shrugged it off and didn’t let it ruin our day. It was only a hundred bucks.

But it DID ruin a twenty-year relationship. This airline has just joined two other well-known carriers on my “Do not fly” list. How can you trust them with your life if you can’t trust them with a purse?

Guerrilla marketers spend years and years and millions of dollars building customer loyalty. Everyone in your organization can do everything exactly right in thousands of transactions spanning decades. Even so, a single moment of carelessness, impatience, or greed can destroy it all. And you know what? It didn’t surprise me that someone took the money. People are desperate. The disappointment was that we cared more about the airlines’ security problem than they did.

Never make your customers feel wrong or stupid, even when they are. Good manners are simply good business. Make certain that your commitment to your customers is demonstrated at EVERY touchpoint, EVERY time, and that EVERY customer experience is CONSISTENT across the board. And when there is a problem, give it your undivided attention, whether you mean to fix it or not.

Orvel Ray Wilson, CSP, speaks worldwide to sales meetings, conventions and small-business groups about unconventional sales and marketing tactics that build business. From a general-session keynote to an intensive, full-day workshop, he will arm your people with hundreds of simple, low-cost, or no-cost sales and marketing tips, tactics, and tricks that return big profits.

by Todd Hudson

Whenever I’m in Portland, Oregon, my favorite place to shop is a natural foods chain called New Seasons Market. The produce is fresh. The selection is great. But what really sets them apart from every other grocery store is their top-notch customer service.

At New Seasons, there’s always an employee nearby to cheerfully answer a question or help me find an item, whether they’re behind the counter, in the aisle or at the cash register.

And it’s not just at one store. It’s at all nine of them. New Seasons employs 1,700 people. Having run operations for decades myself, I know you don’t get such consistent high performance by accident. What’s their secret? I wondered. Could it have anything to do with training?

In a recent phone call, New Seasons HR Director Charla Hayden and Recruiting Manager Bill Tolbert shared the company’s training philosophy with me. I was pleased to discover that many aspects of their employee development follow Lean Knowledge Transfer principles.

People-Oriented Business? People-Oriented Training.

Bill said that New Seasons specifically looks to hire people with an innate desire to help others. “We look for candidates more interested in genuine human interactions than in an ‘items per hour’ ratio,” he said.

Therefore, training delivery at New Seasons reinforces human-to-human interaction. “There’s no e-learning or videos,” Charla said. “The vast majority of our training is done by our more seasoned employees as a dialogue. Their in-store experience lends credibility. They can speak persuasively about how to do things our way because they do it themselves.”

Let Them Learn by Walking Around. Then Teach Some More.

At New Seasons, you won’t see new hires crammed into three days of New Employee Training that’s so common today. After their Day One Orientation, New Seasons newbies are pretty much set free in their departments. “New Seasons’ training is like a Waldorf School experience. There’s no codified way for people to learn most jobs. People are told to look around, figure it out and ask for help when they need it,” said Charla.

Whoa. Figure it Out Themselves? What If it’s Complicated?

“Our Wellness department has the most complex product mix,” Charla said. “New employees are given time to look around and get to know the products, ask questions, go online, read literature and shadow experienced employees. From a training perspective, we’ve created an environment where an employee’s learning style is accommodated because they learn their own way, at their own pace and in an order that makes sense to them.”

About a month after a new employee starts, they attend a short training event that the company playfully calls ‘Disorientation’. Conducted by New Seasons executives Brian Rohter and Lisa Sedlar, Disorientation allows new employees to learn more about New Seasons’ values and how to be successful.

A consistent message is that it’s okay to say ‘I don’t know’ and to ask for help. “We tell employees that explicitly,” Charla said. “We believe that if someone at the company needs your help, you drop what you’re doing and give it. We treat our coworkers like we treat our customers.”

What I like about this approach is that, rather than stuff a lot of information into someone’s head on Day 1 when they have no frame of reference, New Seasons gives them a month of experience to see the company values and methods in action and absorb them from their peers.

Matching the ‘Organic Rhythm’ of the Store

We’ve covered onboarding the newbies. What about training for more experienced employees?

Ongoing training at New Seasons happens at the store in short sessions. No one has to drive anywhere, or commit a long time period. It’s all designed to fit into the pace of the store’s work day.

“We train to the employee’s needs, not to the trainer’s. And we only teach what people can learn and immediately apply. Our test is that it has to be of value to them,” Charla said.

Bill said that class sizes are small, ten to 12 people, regardless of the topic. “We want to make sure people got the information they need and have a chance to give us feedback. In larger groups, people get lost,” he said.

Lessons from the Grocery Aisle

What can we learn from New Seasons? Three things.

1. How you deliver training should reinforce your values and business model. Is customer service key to your success? Face-to-face methods like mentoring might be best. Yes, everyone’s jumping on the e-learning bandwagon today, but before you do, ask yourself ‘How does sitting at a computer taking in information align with the value our employees deliver?’ There are plenty of situations where e-learning is the right choice. Just make sure it’s your situation.
2. Training should align with the environment. Learning by walking around at a grocery store is great. But at a copper mine? Not on your life! Too dangerous; more structure would be needed. Walking around ‘virtually’ in a simulation would be a great alternative. Whenever possible, let the work environment organically teach employees as much as it can and at their pace.
3. Training and learning should be a part of the natural rhythm of your company’s work day. Don’t let training stick out like a sore thumb and disturb your business. If you have night shifts, train at night. If your company’s work pace is irregular, then training should fit into these periods of inactivity. Here’s a simple rule: If people are complaining about training, you’re doing it wrong.

New Seasons has developed a training approach that is completely organic to their needs and delivers great results with no wasted effort. (The very essence of Lean Knowledge Transfer.) Can you say the same for your company’s training and development?

A forward-thinking, creative change agent, Todd Hudson, MS, MBA, works with companies of all sizes. His client list includes General Electric, Wafertech (Taiwan Semiconductor), Wacker Siltronic, TriQuint, Pacific Star Communications, General Motors, Planar Systems and many others. With more than 20 years’ experience in microelectronics, automotive, and heavy and light manufacturing, Todd has tackled everything from small projects to managing manufacturing systems with budgets totaling over $1 billion.

Todd Hudson’s Blog: The Round-Up—A Maverick Institute Blog