Best Practice

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Finally, a simple, back-to-basics leadership practice to keep everyone engaged on the frontlines of daily operations. A simple five-step process, or set of actions, to involve and self-motivate associates, customers, and partners. Both a career skill for team leaders/managers and a tool for supervisors in working backwards to build long-term customer focus, learning and commitments within the enterprise.

Begin and end with "Thanking" everyone. This provides recognition and appreciation through daily operations.
Next invite participation to demonstrate everyone's intentions
Then ask, almost always non-verbally, "How are we doing?" on the 'critical' daily operations which determine success.
Distribute the feedback with everyone through activities. Let them 'naturally' become involved and challenged.
Continue to bulletin or share workplace experiences and relationships. Make assessments (share opinions) by fostering a continuous dialogue.

"If you give a team member customer feedback, you focus them for a day. If you teach a team member how to "ask" for customer feedback, you focus them for a lifetime!"

As a "best practice", it has application to most all industries because it is rooted in human relationships - for providers, partners and customers. It is in growing these three multiple relationship areas together that builds and maintains the long-term focus. The key word is maintaining, because this is where most operational projects or programs have trouble. They may create "customer focus", "customer satisfaction", or customer feedback" using customer training or programs as a "means" to build focus, satisfaction, and/or feedback as an "end", often to see it wane in the long-term. These programs usually are associated with a single relationship area at a time such as "customer service", "teamwork", or "partnering"

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This "relationship" practice uses a process of recognition through "asking" to maintain focus, satisfaction, and feedback as "means" or activity directed towards the customer as the "end". For example, if as a front-line manager I can learn a skill, or leadership activity, to create feedback, satisfaction, and focus not only among my team members and customers (customer service) but also between fellow team members (teamwork) and members of other internal and external teams (partnering) then I have a tool for maintaining "how" to get "what" management needs done operationally for customers. Difficult? No. Just basic - simply ask, share, measure, recognize and thank so as to involve team members, customers, and partners. Then practice, practice, practice - as with any skill.

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