Customer Service Managers: Are You Going to Make Your Troops March?

In an ideal world, each person would find his highestDays passed, and one of the senior managers
and best uses to society and apply himself to them.whispered to me:
He'd be paid in a manner that is precisely"They're not doing the program, why?"
commensurate to his contributions."They're waiting for you to tell them THEY MUST
He'd happily dispatch himself to work on timeDO IT," I replied.
because he would appreciate how blissful it is to beShe did, her people ended their procrastination and
well matched to one's job.avoidance behaviors, and the results were stunning.
As a manager, you wouldn't have to push him orThe firm's industry wide customer service rankings
cajole or entreat him to do his best, because he'dshot up to number one from twenty-four, and
gladly give 100% all of the time, finding joy insomething even more marvelous occurred.
challenges, while embracing change.Employee satisfaction soared, as well. The people
It sounds like a fairy tale world that I'm painting,who we trained, who had to be forced to roll out
doesn't it?the new techniques, got more satisfaction from their
But how different is this vision from that ofjobs. In fact, they topped all departments in
organizational development gurus who believe thatemployee satisfaction. Before the program started,
we can get the best contributions throughthey were dead last.
team-building, fire walking, woodland and seasideDISCIPLINE achieved these results. Sweet-talk and
retreats, and casual Fridays?encouragement and appealing to the higher nature of
When all is said and done, if people know how youassociates didn't do the trick.
want them to work, and the best ways to getIn fact, what are generally considered "enlightened"
results for customers, then it is their job, as Nikemanagement practices only spawned co-dependency
says, to JUST DO IT.and regression.
In my experience as an employee, a manager, and aTime and again, I've seen this pattern.
consultant I've detected that simply ORDERINGThe price of leadership is temporary unpopularity.
people to do their jobs is the last thing mostManagers need to forego their rapport with the
managers wish to do, yet it is necessary.troops in the greater interest of procuring victory.
For example, I designed a major training program forDo the right things, achieve winning results, gain
a financial services company. More than 250 peoplerecognition as being an elite unit, and you'll rightly earn
were briefed about the program, taught itseveryone's respect.
mechanics, and were expected to put them to work.