Month: January 2024

leadership dot #4172: tell us

January 31, 2024January 30, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

It seems like I receive an email survey after every purchase asking me about my experience, and this doesn’t count all the customer feedback links that appear on the bottom of receipts. This week alone I’ve been inundated with subject lines such as:

Loving your latest find?
Give us the scoop on your recent purchase
Let us know what you think
Tell us how we did
Guest store survey
We want to hear about your recent purchase

I wonder a) whether people do spend the time to fill them out, b) whether anyone reads them, and c) what changes occur as a result. Is it a waste of time for everyone?

If you’re one of the many companies that frequently ask for feedback, consider whether the quantity of data is worth the time to process it. Would you be better asking only after certain parameters are met (e.g. a dollar amount, frequency/infrequency of visit, type of purchase) rather than automatically pushing out a survey after each transaction? Could you share how the feedback is being used and give examples of where it had an impact? Can you reward customers for taking their time to comment (e.g. as Panchero’s does with a free queso & chips for survey-takers) instead of just expecting people to invest their time on your behalf?

My answer to “Tell us what you think” is that surveys have become as out of control as tipping. Just because technology makes it possible doesn’t mean that frequency is your friend.

leadership dot #4171: date

January 30, 2024January 29, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

In the novel The Covenant of Water, a marriage broker is having a conversation with two Indian women about the lessons he has learned over the decades. “The first priority is: Set the date!” Aniyan says. “Simple. You know why? Because you set a date and you’re committed.”

While his words of wisdom were shared in conjunction with matchmaking, I believe they apply in a far broader context. When projects are open-ended, there is less incentive to complete them compared to when there is a hard deadline for the end. (For example, we finished our promotional work for the bond referendum on Election Day but are still working on the final report that had no hard conclusion time.)

Setting the date for personal goals, organizational tasks, or friendships makes it more likely that these things will be accomplished. “Let’s get together” is vastly different than “Let’s go to lunch on Tuesday at 11:30.”

I invite you to apply the wise matchmaker’s advice and see if it doesn’t help you achieve your commitments.

leadership dot #4170: disruptions

January 29, 2024January 28, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

When weather causes flight cancelations, travelers are more likely to blame the airline rather than Mother Nature, even though the airline usually cannot avoid the disruptions. To appease its customers and provide good service in such situations, Delta partnered with Roomstorm, an independent company that offers discounted hotel and car rental rates to displaced passengers. Roomstorm flyers and contact information are available at special Delta direct-line kiosks located throughout the terminal, another step toward providing the best service possible in unfortunate circumstances.

You and your organization are on the hook for the customer’s entire experience — from booking to parking, to finding their way to your office, to billing, to the interaction itself. If you know there are points where glitches regularly occur, work to partner with someone who can help you look like the good guy, even when it’s not your fault.

leadership dot #4169: pet me

January 28, 2024January 23, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

The Humane Society has a petting station inside the Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) airport where volunteers bring adoptable dogs three times each day. The “animal ambassadors” serve as a diversion or comfort to travelers — pet lovers welcome the chance to say hello to a furry friend when they are missing theirs. It also serves as an enticement to the locals who may see a dog that steals their heart and prompts an adoption.

Follow the lead of the Humane Society and go to your audience. Don’t rely on advertisements or for people to come to you, rather take what you offer to them. Make it easy for people to wag their tails with delight by experiencing you in person.

leadership dot #4168: sticks

January 27, 2024January 23, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Someone saw a hassle and turned it into a business idea. ShipSticks will pick up your golf clubs, get them to your destination, pick them up at the course, and return them home — eliminating some of the expense and inconvenience of dragging your clubs along on vacation. Their motto: “Leave the heavy lifting to us!”

Two takeaways from this venture: 1) If it’s something you don’t like doing, you can be assured that there are others like you. Where can your organization can offer a service that makes something easier or eliminates a frustration? 2) Think small. ShipSticks is clearly a niche — their entire business is shipping golf clubs and skis, but they have done it over 3 million times. Where can you have depth vs. breadth? Answer those two questions and you’ll have an idea that sticks!

leadership dot #4167: assume

January 26, 2024January 23, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

A friend received a call from his harried wife who believed that she lost her purse while out running errands. She had it at Walmart but when she arrived at the gym, her crossbody was not in its usual secure location across her chest. Panic ensued, and she began working with authorities to review camera footage, etc. When my friend arrived, he calmly searched the car and found her purse in the center console. She had put it there for safekeeping while she was in the gym — but went to Target first and forgot about her plan.

This same friend was involved with a HVAC presumed malfunction at work. The system just was not working even though he did everything right — until he stopped in his tracks and replayed the whole scenario, only to realize there was another step to take that would resolve the problem.

In both situations, the person had the answer the whole time. There wasn’t really a problem with the purse or HVAC — the problem was that people made assumptions and were momentarily so convinced that they were right, that they failed to stop and replay the scenario step-by-step to challenge what they thought to be true.

The next time you’re faced with a dilemma, methodically review what assumptions you have made. Taking a few moments to think clearly about where you might be wrong could be the quickest path to helping you get it right.

Thanks, Brian!

leadership dot #4166: squeezed

January 25, 2024January 23, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I’ve worked with many middle managers who struggle to put a positive spin on their boss’ changing expectations and help them make sense to their staff. Those closest to the leadership are privy to more information and have a deeper relationship with the person who may alter their priorities. Also, the direct reports are typically more committed to the organization and have bought into “this is how things are around here” so the changes are seen as normal instead of a surprising aberration.

But the continual flip-flopping or change in direction extracts the highest price from the next layer of employees. Often, it’s this group who must implement tactics and the frequent modifications cause them to become frustrated, waste time, duplicate effort, need to backtrack, or feel embarrassed if they must retract something in front of others.

Then, when the middle manager spares the leader by filtering this staff pushback, the leadership doesn’t understand why there is an employee performance or retention issue, and it becomes an unresolved cycle.

Rather than place the burden on your middle management to smooth the waters on both ends, work to cultivate a culture where honest feedback can be shared. Implement a truly anonymous feedback mechanism. Hold informal conversations with non-direct reports to listen to concerns. Conduct lessons learned meetings where barriers and frustrations can be recorded in an attempt to prevent them on the next project. Have a neutral party conduct exit interviews and aggregate themes to protect anonymity, or implement a 360-degree feedback assessment of the leader.

The direct reports may not articulate the squeeze they feel but the frequent changes at the top are creating more lemons than lemonade.

leadership dot #4165: 15 minutes

January 24, 2024January 23, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I’ve always been a big believer in reflection to help with learning but a recent experiment provided some data to illustrate how powerful reflection is.

Giada DiStefano studied a company’s new hires as they went through an extensive training program. Over 100 employees were divided into two groups, and both received the same training until the final 15 minutes of the day. Then one group continued with their lessons, while the other spent that time reflecting in a diary about the main lessons they learned that day.

The company then conducted an assessment on the effectiveness of its training: the control group scored 54% while the reflection group scored 71%! When they tracked results one month later, the reflection group had higher customer satisfaction scores as well. Think about that. The reflection group actually had less training (by 15 minutes/day), yet outperformed on the assessment and performance metrics.

Perhaps you can adapt this learning to your organization. I always have students reflect on one thing they have learned at the end of a workshop or class — you could require it after a seminar, online class, onboarding, training, or other learning environment. It may be the most valuable 15 minutes of the day.

Source: The Power of Reflection Learner Lab podcast by Trevor Ragan

leadership dot #4164: date night

January 23, 2024January 22, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

You may have heard about Applebee’s big Date Night promotion where they offered “a limited number” of passes, valid for 52 meals, for only $200. As you can imagine, it received a lot of buzz in the media and their own website warned that the passes would likely sell out fast. Even with this insight, the site crashed multiple times during the release, and I received a “sold out” notice before the “purchase” button ever appeared on my screen, less than ten minutes after the big release.

It’s great to generate interest with an over-the-top offer, but unless you’re prepared for the rush, it may cause more harm than good in the process. It may be a badge of honor for some to “crash the internet” but it’s a turn-off for the average consumer trying to interact or purchase. Your goal should be to develop a relationship, not just awareness, and to engender loyalty instead of frustration with your promotions. Don’t fancy like Applebee’s did for their date night.

leadership dot #4163: field trip

January 22, 2024January 21, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

A meme on Facebook read: “Field trips shouldn’t stop after you graduate. I feel like if a bus pulled up to your job every few weeks and your boss was like ‘We’re going to the planetarium and lunch is provided and your friends are all coming too’ that things would be so much better.”

Jonathan Edward Durham wrote it as humor, but I believe there is truth in his first line. Field trips shouldn’t stop after you graduate. Think of how your organization could learn if you visited other places every now and then. You could experience how other organizations handle customer service. Check out competitors. Test out wayfinding by being in a new situation. Get inspiration for office layout or decor. Get closer to your customers. Learn about the history of your community, or visit organizations in a totally different industry and see what ideas you could adopt.

In addition to the learning, field trips could serve as a team-building experience and stimulate creativity thanks to a break from the routine. Think about how you can incorporate experiential education into your professional development plans.