Satisfaction Stagnation

As if business owners, managers and supervisors didn’t have enough on their plates already, here’s another recent issue that some of my clients are facing, and it’s causing them deep concern. It’s satisfaction stagnation, and there’s likely a bit of it embedded in your organization and rapidly growing.

We Americans, as a group, are a pretty impatient bunch, and growing more so with each new generation. That’s good news to some businesses, because they can market their products or services to folks who wish to be instantly (or very quickly) gratified. Recent surveys seem to show that we are behaving more and more like that in the workplace – even more than in the 1980’s or the 1990’s. We’re impatient to wait for our next promotion, developmental opportunity, or new challenge. We want it sooner, rather than later. Is it just merely a function of society? Probably not.

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Toxic Customer Service

You may recall I’ve written about toxic managers or leaders, but recent personal experience and stories I’ve heard compelled me to look into the increasing polarization of customer service behaviors.
My good friend Dan, related a tale about buying some expensive technology products online from a leading retailer and when he arrived at their local ‘bricks and mortar’ store, he was denied picking up his purchase because he did not bring the credit card he used to make his online transaction.

Well, Dan had plenty of identification that would have assured the “customer service” representative that he was indeed the person who was entitled to the purchase. After all, they had charged his credit card for the order, and here he was to pick it up. But the company has a policy that requires the clerks to check the credit card of online buyers, and it can only be assumed that this is for a good reason.

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Providing Jobs is Not Enough Anymore

Building a culture of trust is critical.

“Tell me, I'll forget. Show me, I may remember. But involve me, and I'll understand.”
-- Chinese Proverb

Many workers today feel that the owners and top managers where they are employed are uninterested in their input, hiding away in executive suites and board rooms, and acting secretive about what the future may hold for them and their co-workers. I also hear that there aren’t procedures that allow them connect with senior executives to provide input regarding issues, challenges or other situations that they have uncovered and believe need to be heard. Most workers say that their company’s leaders are not communicating well with them, both in listening and in giving information, according to a new study of about 25,000 workers.
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The Ten Commandments for Leaders, Managers and Business Owners

If you are running a company:

I. Thou shalt never hire in haste.

II. Thou shalt reward only accountable people.

III. Thou shalt seek advice from those who do the work.

IV. Thou shalt focus on what is wrong before who is wrong.

V. Thou shalt not equate seniority, credentials or even experience with performance.

VI. Thou shalt rely on facts before opinions.

VII. Thou shalt honor results and quality over activities, and effectiveness over efficiency.

VIII. Thou shalt set individual goals with each employee.

IX. Thou shalt not dwell on past mistakes.

X. Thou shalt resist the temptation to believe that control of resources and of authority yields respect.