Challenge Solved: How do we get our leadership team to demonstrate the right service-oriented behaviors to our front line?
Submitted by Ulysses Learning
March 2024
Dina Vance, Senior Vice President from Ulysses Learning, takes on our reader’s question this month. She offers several observations and best practices that are commonly overlooked in contact centers across the US. According to Dina, these are the among the top of those best practices that can transform your contact center into a customer experience-focused operation that gets high marks.
NOTE: We’re looking for more of your challenges. Email your contact center-related questions to: ChallengeSolved@ulysseslearning.com
Q: How do we get our leadership team to demonstrate the right service-oriented behaviors to our front line?
A: Dina Vance, Ulysses Learning
There may be a lesson to be learned from Taylor Swift along the way! Let me start with the fact that I am not an avid football fan. That said, I did sit up and take notice of an article I read about Taylor Swift at a Chief’s game picking up trash in the suite during the game.
I was impressed by her selfless leadership. I am sure there are plenty of team members available to help clean the suites, however, Taylor apparently saw a need and modeled a behavior she wanted performed. Not only did it impress me, but it apparently also impressed Travis Kelce’s dad, Ed. Ed had met Taylor the same night in the suite, and he later recounted in the article the “very special” moment he realized Taylor was a “very genuine” person rather than a “diva” and was willing to do the work herself to create a better environment for the friends and family.
Given Taylor’s 40 million followers, I’d say that Taylor is a role model to others as well. She’s showing all her followers that if you want a job done well, sometimes it requires modeling the behavior first. Relating this back to the workplace, sometimes our greatest leadership trait is in demonstrating the desired behaviors versus just speaking to them.
When you look around your workplace, and at your leadership team, are you all modeling the behaviors that you want your team to follow? Would you characterize your team as having selfless leadership? Do you take pride in the way the team approaches the little things in life?
What is selfless leadership?
Rolling up one's sleeves as a manager in the workplace embodies the essence of selfless leadership—a style of leadership focused on serving others first. When a manager demonstrates a willingness to get their hands dirty, dive into the trenches alongside their team, and lead by example, speaks volumes about their commitment to the team's success and fosters a culture of collaboration and teamwork.
Building trust and respect.
By actively engaging in the work alongside their team members, a manager not only gains firsthand insight into the challenges and opportunities faced by the team but also builds trust and respect. This hands-on approach signals to employees that their manager is not above any task and is willing to invest time and effort to support them in achieving shared goals.
Show humility and empathy.
Moreover, a manager who rolls up their sleeves sends a powerful message about humility and empathy, demonstrating to every team member that their contributions are valued and supported. Which creates a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect within the team, leading to higher morale, increased productivity, and a more positive work environment overall.
Examples of the little things.
Leading by example can show up in many different ways and in gestures both big and small. Following are several simple yet impactful ways leaders can illustrate a selfless leadership in the workplace:
Active Listening: Take the time to genuinely listen to your team members' concerns, ideas, and feedback without interrupting or dismissing them. Show empathy and understanding by acknowledging their perspectives and validating their feelings. Keenly listening is noticed in any circumstance - when you run into someone in the break-room, or when you’re in a one-on-one meeting.
Offering Support: Be proactive in offering your assistance and support those who may be struggling with their workload or facing challenges. Offer to lend a hand, provide guidance, or allocate resources to help them overcome obstacles. This doesn’t mean that you have to do their job for them or put out their fires, but it is offering assistance and in some case re-distributing resources to help them out.
Recognizing Contributions: Take the time to recognize and appreciate the contributions of your team members, whether through verbal praise, written notes, or public acknowledgment. Celebrate their successes and achievements to show that their efforts are valued and appreciated.
Empowering Others: Empower your team members by delegating tasks and responsibilities, providing them with opportunities to develop new skills and grow professionally. Trust them to take ownership of their work and make meaningful contributions to the team.
Acting with Integrity: Lead with honesty, transparency, and integrity in all your interactions with team members. Admit mistakes when they occur, take accountability for your actions, and uphold ethical standards in decision-making.
Caring for Well-Being: Show genuine concern for the well-being of your team members by checking in on them regularly, asking about their workload and stress levels, and offering support or resources to help them maintain a healthy work-life balance.
These little gestures may seem small, but they can have a significant impact on morale, motivation, and team dynamics. By consistently demonstrating service-oriented behaviors, managers can cultivate a positive and supportive work environment where employees feel valued, empowered, and motivated to succeed.
But what about the skeptics?
TaylorNation wasn’t skeptical but there were definitely internet trolls that questioned the authenticity of her cleanliness and suggested it was a publicity stunt or an attempt to garner positive attention rather than a genuine act of kindness.
For skeptics who may question the effectiveness or sincerity of selfless, service-oriented behaviors in the workplace, it's essential to address their concerns and demonstrate the tangible benefits that such behaviors can bring to the organization. Those benefits can include:
Employee Engagement and Retention: Point out the positive impact of employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention. Research shows that employees are more likely to stay with organizations where they feel valued, supported, and empowered by their leaders.
Team Dynamics: Illustrate how selfless leadership fosters a culture of collaboration, trust, and accountability, leading to improved team performance and productivity. When employees feel respected and appreciated by their leaders, they are more motivated to go above and beyond to achieve shared goals.
Business Results: Emphasize how selfless leadership is not about being soft or passive, but rather about achieving results through empowering and supporting others. Highlight examples of successful companies and leaders who have embraced servant leadership principles and achieved outstanding performance and profitability.
By showcasing the tangible benefits of service-oriented behaviors in the workplace, leaders can help foster a greater appreciation for selfless leadership principles and inspire positive change within their organizations.
In Taylor’s case it also led to an improved relationship with her boyfriend’s father. And who knows where it can go from there? (Wink wink!)
If you want to discuss some of the solutions further, please feel free to give me a call.
All my best,
Dina
About Dina Vance
Senior Vice President, Managing Director of North American Operations at Ulysses Learning
In her current capacity with Ulysses Learning, Dina is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company and also serves as the chief client relationship executive, working with Fortune 100 clients and other progressive organizations to redefine the way customers are cared for. Under her leadership, Ulysses has become well known for its work in transforming customer service, sales and coaching cultures through the development of emotional intelligence or “EQ,” enabling reps to confidently, consistently and expertly handle every call. The company has special expertise in serving the insurance, utilities, and financial services industries.
Before joining Ulysses in 2001, Dina was responsible for the ground-level startup of two contact centers to serve bankers including Fortune 100 clients First Chicago, Harris Bank, American Express and Citibank. This led to her role as call center lead consultant and division manager for an international bank training organization prior to Ulysses. Outside of work Dina is actively involved in local volunteerism and enjoys cooking, gardening and nature walks.
Dina can be reached on LinkedIn or at dvance@ulysseslearning.com; for more details on Ulysses Learning visit www.ulysseslearning.com
Challenge Solved! Is sponsored by:
Ulysses Learning was founded in 1995 as a joint venture with Northwestern University’s world-renowned Learning Sciences department. Since then, Ulysses’ continued focus on research and development has earned it prestigious awards and recognition and, most importantly, the respect from its clients who rely on Ulysses for innovative performance improvement solutions that change with their rapidly developing and evolving environments.
Contact centers achieve profound business results ahead of schedule with Ulysses Learnings’ artful blend of patented simulation-based e-learning, facilitated exercises, coaching, and technology-driven tools, that redefine the way customers are cared for and transform customer service, sales, and coaching cultures. Ulysses has one of the only training systems proven to build EQ with its proprietary Framework with Freedom© approach, enabling reps to develop skills to empathize with others, build stronger customer bonds, and improve team dynamics with confidence, consistency, and excellence.
Ulysses Learning is a multi-year recipient of the Gold Stevie© Award for the best contact center customer service training.
Begin your contact center transformation now. Phone 800-662-4066 or visit www.ulysseslearning.com to get started.
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