Talking with the receptionist

One of the first items in my inbox this morning was an article from Knowledge@Wharton entitled "Talking with the Receptionist". Who can resist a title like that?

The article begins with the story of Stephen Harrison, (at the time he was CEO of Lee Hecht Harrison, a global career management services company) being reprimanded by his COO for not greeting the receptionist when visiting one of their regional offices.

The COO explains that a receptionist is "a corporate concierge. They will talk to more important people in a day - suppliers, customers, even CEOs - than you will talk to all year."

It's well known that many organizational types think more about the people above them in the hierarchy, than those below them. Yet, it is frequently those at the lower rungs who have daily contact with the client, and make and deliver the goods and services for those same clients.

Leaders who understand this and pay attention to everyone within the organization, no matter their level, will be repaid a million times as their employees apply the same care and attention to customers.

Respect builds loyalty

Eli's parents came to Canada from Poland. They did not speak English. It was the kindness of strangers that helped them settle in and make their way in the new world.

Eli's experience influenced his later thinking when he established his sanitation business. He made respect a cornerstone of his employee relations policy.

Most of the positions in Eli's organization are filled by immigrants; decent people who due to language constraints are not able to work to their potential. Eli tells them they are valued and respected in many ways from paying their benefit package in full, to welcoming children to the compulsory bi-monthly staff meeting, and arranging English lessons on Saturday mornings.

Most of Eli's competitors are struggling to find good employees and turnover is high. Eli has the opposite concern - he has a surfeit of loyal and dedicated staff.

The story was told me by one of Eli's managers. He spoke about his staff and colleagues with more respect and concern than we have grown to expect in the workplace. And that's a pity because the business benefits of valuing your employees are real and relate directly to the bottom line.

Silent movies allow us to co-own the story

I'm probably one of few who hankers after silent movies.
This weekend my husband and I, and our 11 year old son, laughed and cried our way through The Gold Rush; one of Charlie Chaplin's most successful silent films. First made in 1925 the black and white film is a masterpiece of physical humor and pathos.

We watched both the original 1925 version and the one Chaplin edited and added narration to in 1942. All of us agreed that the original was a far more powerful piece of cinema.

A good story puts you right in the middle of the action. You feel like you are part of the drama. With silent film much of the interpretation is left up to you. You project your own thoughts and feelings (and words) onto the characters. You make the story part of your own experience - your own lexicon - and that is powerful. Powerful because once it becomes your story - you begin to integrate it into your belief system.

The same may be said of radio drama where you are encouraged to imagine an entire world based on conversations between people.
When people use storytelling in a corporate setting they offer listeners an opportunity to co-own a story - to make it their own. Replace the story with facts and figures and people struggle to make the story personal and integrate it with their belief systems.

Shopping can be instructive

My teenage daughter likes to shop at TNA. I have never fully understood the attraction. The clothes are attractive, sensible, decent quality and a little overpriced for a teen. As a parent I am thankful for the first three attributes.

Yesterday I went shopping with my daughter, and now I get it. Shopping at TNA is a connected, solutions-orientated experience. The shop assistants were right there connecting with my daughter, and finding solutions that worked just for her. It makes shopping a real breeze when you have someone looking for a way to make your experience personally satisfying.

How do they do it? I think I know the answer - passion. The young women who work for TNA love the product they sell and are excited to bring it to their customers. This can't be an accident.

Our next stop was a sporting goods store. The contrast could not have been more dramatic. It was hard to get the attention of the staff; they were lackluster and not very helpful. Clearly this was no more than a job.

Retail highlights the need to engage employees and bring them along on the corporate journey. There are lessons for the rest of us whether we are manufacturing tractors of developing software. We all have customers or clients even when we work in government or not-for-profits. If the people who work for you love the service or product you offer - they will sell or support it gladly.

Can you make people love your product or service?

Yes I think you can. Here are some of the things you will need to do:

• Help your employees understand how they support the product or service you offer. Help them understand how their daily activities move the organization closer to its goals;
• Help your employees understand the broader context in which you operate; who your customers are, and the added value you offer them;
• Show them the complete selling cycle;
• Set clear expectations and relate these back to your goals and objectives;
• Provide training;
• Build a culture that celebrates the people who exhibit the behaviors you want.