Archive for June, 2009
It’s just words…
If you take this place and feed the words in to a word cloud generator, this is what you get…
Make your own word clouds at www.wordle.net
Social media and customer service…
I just had a tweet hit my phone. Okay, I have lots of them hit it… but this one was different. It wasn’t Darth Vader trash talking the Rebels, or McCain commenting on the latest meeting he’s in. It wasn’t the usual prose from a fly fishing writer buddy pondering the meaning of life on a small stream somewhere in the world… or even my daughter’s facebook status update that she posts via twitter.
The tweet I am referring to came from Dan Haseltine (scribblepotamus), who’s job is to sing for Jars of Clay. He has a modest following on the social phenomenon that is twitter of just under 2,700 followers.
The message was simple, and to the point – a factor of the 140 character limit imposed by twitter:
scribblepotamus “Is confident that the airline industry is the least customer friendly and they don’t care… More to come”
So there his subscribers were, hanging on the “more to come…” Sympathetically pondering something we all likely have experienced in one way or another. Six minutes later, more did come:
scribblepotamus “AA wouldn’t give a flight credit to our crew member who had to change a flight cuz his wife went into labor. Hmmm… Not helpful at all”
That simple message hit roughly 2,700 people within seconds of the event that inspired it. One random act of poor service, and WHAM! We now have a situation, and a company, and the seed has been planted.
This chain of events got me thinking. What is the real implication of the new Social Media and customer service? Can it be measured? Even more importantly, for a truly exceptional service company or provider, can it be LEVERAGED? I recently asked a good friend in the business of studying leadership and the continuum of human behavior about how his company is using Web2.0 media. Then this happens with twitter. I’m not sure where my mind is going, but feel free to join me.
This also jogged my memory – I have my own AA story that I may share someday that would begin with “There’s really no good place to sleep in the airport in New Delhi…”
Social Media and Customer Service. I’ll get back to you on this one. In the mean time, feel free to post or email your thoughts.
Dan, I’m really sorry about the lack of service your crew member received, but really appreciate the tweet. I hope Dad, Mom and baby are well.
Tags: American Airlines, Jars of Clay, poor customer service
7 Ways Leadership Training Helps to Recession-Proof Your Company
This article is relevant… and posted here with permission from my friends at the Center for Leadership Studies (www.situational.com - the single most influential management and leadership training program I have come across in the seventeen years I’ve been doing this…)
In a recession, many leaders tend to freeze up, leaning toward indecisiveness even when bold action is required. As a consequence, they not only deal with the downturn poorly but also are not prepared to take advantage of the inevitable upswing in demand that occurs when the economy recovers. If leadership falls down, companies fall behind. Here are seven ways leadership training helps to recession-proof your organization:
1. Adapt to the “New Normal” — Eventually all great strategy translates into work – take action before analysis paralysis sets in. Don’t let a short-term trend or a sudden disconnect derail your strategic thinking. Innovative companies do not abandon promising strategies; they adjust to the times. Adaptation to the “new normal” is an essential leadership skill.
2. Leadership Wins – The number one reason people stay motivated through tough times is the same as the number one reason why people abandon hope – the leader. People are tuned into their boss, not the organization.
3. Identify Customer Pain – If there is a “new normal” your leadership must recognize that pain shifts or new types of pain may arise in your customer base. From the board of directors to the delivery dock, your people must be sensitive to these changes. Your leadership must have the skills to absorb input and take proactive measures to address the changes in customer pain.
4. Stick to Your Values – Do the right thing – short cuts and compromises may be tempting but don’t abandon the values, the quality gains, the core processes that built your business. Play your best strengths better and honor your history.
5. Believe in Your Leadership – Remember that effective leadership training generally focuses on your most talented and valued employees in high-impact roles. These are the key people to lead you out of a recession and the people at the helm during prosperous cycles, but if people don’t believe in your leaders they won’t follow. You need to believe in them first and show others that you do by investing in them.
6. Believe in Your People – Maintain and support the right staff with the right attitude. If layoffs need to occur, don’t go purely by seniority – now is the time to get rid of the saboteurs and the dementors. Will your people break in the face of adversity…or will they break records?
7. Take Advantage of Opportunities – A downturn in the economy means that many doors are slammed shut. However recessions bring a wealth of opportunities as markets shift. Well trained leaders are able to see the larger picture and drive innovation.
Catch the Next Wave:
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