I recently had a session with the Leadership Team of a nonprofit, K-8 grade school. This is a forward-looking Leadership Team who is setting a new standard for grade school education.

One of our discussions focused on the fact that several long-term teachers left the school this past quarter. They hired several new teachers to ensure they are ready to start the school year strong and with a full complement of educators.

The team recognized that losing what they refer to as “the old guard” was difficult on several levels. They will miss those teachers, the students will miss them, and a segment of their school’s history has left. We talked about the fact that on a certain level, they were mourning the loss of several colleagues.

What impressed me, however, was that they were able to take a deep breath and talk about what is ahead for their school. They anticipate the new teachers will see their school through a set of fresh eyes. They expect the new teachers will help everyone explore new territories rather than look for ways to refine what they have already been doing.

To that end, they adjusted their Functional Accountability Chart to identify how two current employees will develop into new roles this next year. That exercise allowed the Leadership Team to perceive new opportunities: to advance their educational offerings, to help two current teachers work closer to their Unique Ability™, and to develop additional expertise in areas under development.

The “aha” moment for me as I listened to their discussion was that they recognized the fresh eyes of a beginner can be a gift.  That acknowledgment does not diminish the contributions of the former teachers. Instead, it celebrates the foundation upon which the school will build.

What steps is your company taking to play a bigger game? Who on your team is ready to assume greater responsibility? Do you have a plan to develop your employees? Perhaps it is time for you to see through the fresh eyes of a beginner.

If you are looking for ways to develop your employees, I’m happy to help. Let’s get started by filling out the consult form below to request a free consultation with me. Together we can take our first steps toward seeing your own company with a fresh set of eyes.

Ever since the start of the pandemic, there have been numerous articles, social media posts, and podcasts regarding employee retention. Many articles I read offered great advice and tips companies can immediately put into practice.

What disappointed me, however, were the recommendations that companies add entertainment to their offices. Ideas included weekly pizza parties at lunch, a foosball table, a basketball hoop out back – you get the idea.

Let me be very clear – ordering lunch for the entire team, playing foosball, or shooting hoops on a sunny day are great ways to de-stress and provide folks an opportunity to take a break at work. I do not, however, agree that such events prompt employee commitment and retention.

So how do we impact employee engagement? I’m so glad you asked. Here are some ideas for your consideration:

• Identifying and sharing a company purpose that inspires people
• Challenging employees to grow and develop
• Mentoring and coaching employees to achieve their goals
• Recognizing and appreciating employees’ contributions
• Showing people they are valued
• Setting clear expectations and giving employees the necessary authority to achieve the expectations
• Building vulnerability-based trust

I could go on, but I think you get the point. Notice, not one time did I mention pizza.

Wondering how you can improve employee retention more concretely than just offering a pizza lunch? That’s where I come in. Please take a moment to fill out the consult form below. During our complimentary call, we can brainstorm together an employee retention plan that works for your business.

I attended the Pinnacle Business Guides Quarterly Summit in mid-May. It was an excellent opportunity to connect with colleagues and strengthen my abilities as a leadership team coach.

While I was there, Kris Kluver, a long-time friend and colleague, shared an exercise with me.

Kris recommended I sit down with a pad of paper and list the 50 outcomes I help leadership teams achieve. I’m sure the look on my face was one of disbelief! 50??!! Are you kidding me??!! Kris chuckled and said, “You’ll be surprised at what you discover.”

I took his advice. To my surprise, I listed 42 outcomes in about 15 minutes. I walked away from the paper at that point. Yet, over the next hour or so an additional eight results came to mind as I went about my day. And I suddenly had identified 50 outcomes.

I later shared this exercise with a leadership team as they discussed their company’s impact on their clients. They loved the idea and decided to do the exercise with their staff at an upcoming annual meeting.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab that pad of paper, start writing, and don’t stop until you have 50 outcomes. I expect you will be surprised!

If you need help getting started or want to talk through your progress, I can help. Simply fill out the consult form below to request a no-obligation 15-minute phone consultation with me. We can get to work listing your 50 outcomes together.

We use numbers to measure countless things in our lives.

Our accomplishments in school are measured in percentages that constitute grades. Time is measured in years, with markers like anniversaries and birthdays. Numbers help us measure if we’ve gained or lost weight, the type of mileage we get in our cars, or how fast we can run a mile.

We even use numbers in recipes, increasing or decreasing the amounts of certain ingredients to get the taste we want.

Businesses use numbers as well. The numbers guide us and give us a way to determine if what we are doing is working.

Today, let’s talk about creating your company’s scorecard.

A scorecard is a vital navigation instrument that helps you see how well your company, a department, or a satellite office is performing in relation to your company’s strategy.

Numbers work and should be used throughout your entire organization.

Here are eight reasons why everyone in your organization should have “a number.”

1. Clarity. Numbers help employees understand what is expected of them and how they will be evaluated. Numbers become a communication tool between managers and employees and identify opportunities to improve performance before it’s too late.
   
   
2. Accountability. When employees know what they are responsible for, they are more effective.
   
   
3. Job satisfaction. The right people in the right seats enjoy being part of a culture that promotes success through numbers.
   
   
4. Commitment. An employee who understands the number he/she is responsible for commits to achieving the goals.
   
   
5. Competition. Measurable outcomes make it possible to raise the bar and promote friendly competition between departments that benefit all.
   
   
6. Results. What gets measured gets done. Results benefit the entire organization, and numbers help get them there.
   
   
7. Teamwork. Working together to achieve numbers promotes teamwork, a sense of belonging, and cooperation.
   
   
8. Fast problem-solving. Numbers cut through the guesswork and opinions to identify problems early.
   
   

Not sure what to measure? Here are five ideas to get you started:

1. Get new customers
2. Get orders from existing customers
3. Make sure customers are happy
4. Serve those customers profitably
5. Have cash

Creating a company scorecard that shows if we are achieving the outcomes we want takes time. And that effort is well worth it.

Need some help creating your company scorecard? That’s what I’m here for! Fill out the consult form below, and we can get started ironing out exactly how using numbers will help improve your business.

How much consideration do you give to the customer service your employees provide to the people you work with? Have you defined what customer service means in your company?

Are all employees who interact with customers aware of that definition? Are they all qualified to meet the customer service expectations? More importantly, do they have the authority to meet the customers’ expectations?

I thought about these questions after having a conversation with a client. He recently learned that a customer had a disappointing experience with a former employee. From the customer’s perspective, the employee had been rude, did not listen, and did not do what was promised. My client thanked the customer for contacting him, accepted the customer’s explanation, and immediately asked what he could do to rectify the situation. The customer offered a few suggestions, all of which were acceptable to the client. The outcome – he was able to retain the customer’s business. Clearly, this could have gone in a different direction.

Customer service is one segment of the experience your company creates for its customers. Here are three components you can consider for your company:

#1. Define the experience you will deliver to your customers

• How do you want customers to feel when they interact with your company
• A clear timeframe in which all customer requests are answered
• An understanding of what a satisfied customer looks like

#2. Align your systems, processes, and activities around your ideal customer

• Identify your ideal customer – who they are, where they are, and what they value
• Look at your company from the customer’s perspective
• Continuously monitor customer feedback

#3. Allocate the necessary resources

• Make it easy for your customers to interact with your company
• Establish employee customer service expectations
• Provide commensurate authority to meet the expectations

I believe every employee is in the customer service business, whether they know it or not. Train everyone to follow your definition of customer service and ensure everyone knows how to find the answers your customers are looking for.

If you’re ready to enhance your customer service experience, while making sure your employees know how to best be of service, I can help. Fill out the consult form below, and we’ll get to work on improving the way customer service runs within your business.