Best Recipes Ever

Category: Influencing Skills

  • You scratch my back and i’ll scratch yours – the law of reciprocity

    In Robert Cialdini’s Influence: Science and Practice (2009), he describes the powerful rule of reciprocity as one of “the most influential dynamics of human behaviour, the reciprocation rule essentially states that if someone gives something to us, we feel obligated to repay that debt.”

    Reciprocation, “the quality or state of being reciprocal: mutual dependence, action, or influence.” (Merriam-Webster dictionary)  “To be reciprocal it is something that is given, felt, or done in return, (of an agreement or obligation) bearing on or binding each of the two parties equally.” (Collins English Dictionary)

    In Brexit negotiations, Theresa May has indicated that there could be an “implementation period” of up to two years after March 2019, in order to avoid a “cliff edge” that some have warned about. But some Brexiteers argue that this is too much and delays us leaving the EU. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/brexit-negotiations-tracker/

    Lets look at an everyday example of reciprocity which by the way translates perfectly across cultures, to understand the Brexit state of play. Take the example of going to a Moroccan Souk and you see a rug that would be just perfect in a particular location in your home.  The sales person starts high because of course he wants maximum price, but also within the Moroccan culture it is expected that you negotiate down, and this very fact is built into the price.  What happens when you show some hesitation or say “No” to the offered price?  You end up with a jug, pot or similar being thrown in, and all of a sudden you find yourself agreeing to the price with the pot included!  Did you want or need that pot?  Probably not.  It is simply that the deal looks fairer and therefore of more value.

    Looking at Brexit negotiations where is the “rug” and where is the “pot”?

    The Moroccan sales person could easily be representing EU negotiators, metaphorically speaking of course! Despite being offered various “throw ins” and communication going back and forth, you, the UK, decide it is time to walk away instead.  What would happen? Either he will come after you with the main concession of price, movement, trade etc, or will let you go in the confidence that you will return for that rug you so dearly want, because after all it is perfect.  This according to Cialdini’s (Six Principles of Persuasion) is rejection-then-retreat strategy of concession and as the rules of reciprocity further show, often this approach results in agreement to the deal you want, with the sales person adding even more “throw-ins” or concessions for future needs

    At what stage are we in the Brexit negotiations in terms of reciprocity?  Clearly the EU wants the UK trade as much as the UK want access to the EU market. Are our wants and needs too far apart, or is the EU simply negotiating like a Moroccan rug sales man and therefore keeping our eye on the ball, is it time to walk away and see what happens?

    We might ask the question – are we powerless to the strength of the rule of reciprocity?  Despite the rule’s unspoken influence, we have the ability to effectively discern, adjust, or simply say “No” to reciprocation.   We don’t need to reject the services, favours, or kindnesses of others, but we do want to evaluate intention, as well as our return concessions.  If we feel that we are being conned, walked all over or exploited, then Cialdini recommends that “we redefine the initial favour so that we no longer feel a need to respond with a favour or concession  (p. 49).” By knowingly engaging in the exchange of reciprocity, we can minimize the potential effects of exploitation.  “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours!”

     

    References

    Cialdini, R.B. (2009).  Influence: Science and practice (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/brexit-negotiations-tracker/

  • Two phenomenal leaders of our time – Kofi Annan and Aretha Franklin

    The sad news last week of the passing of Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul and Kofi Annan the statesman who spent his life dedicated to a fairer and more peaceful world, leaves two huge empty pairs of shoes for someone to step into. Their contributions to this world, their ability to touch the minds, hearts and souls of so many is true inspiration, and phenomenal leadership.

    Annan set up the Kofi Annan Foundation in 2007 after stepping down from the role of Secretary-General of the United Nations (1997-2006), to build a “Road to Peace” with the premise that “No long term peace is possible without development and no sustainable development is possible without peace.  No society can remain prosperous without the rule of law and respect for human rights”.

    One of Aretha’s most famous songs, “Respect” through the lyrics shouts loudly about the need to respect each and every person irrelevant of who they are – man, woman, black or white, old or young.

    Annan was awarded the Nobel Peace prize for his unrelenting dedication to peace, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law.  Aretha won many awards including the Grammy award for best R&B female vocals every year between 1968 and 1975.  Both earned the respect and consequently honour of these awards by what they lived and contributed to this world every day of their lives.

    Annan’s speech, on 20 July this year at the Citizen’s Manifesto Forum on the impending election vote, as Chairman of the Elders group, founded by Nelson Mandela, on “Time for Zimbabwe’s Third Wave” so succinctly points to the people.  His words “If a leader fails to lead, the people can lead and make them follow, and that is what you are trying to do with this manifesto, whoever wins this election.“

    Aretha Franklin and Kofi Annan had so much in common, neither waited for some one else to show the way or to create the road.  They got out there and did it themselves by believing in, sharing and living their values, thus leading with determination, commitment and very often courage.  Aretha through her lyrics, and heartfelt voice. Kofi Annan through his untiring dedication, love and respect of the human race.

    Thank you is simply not enough.

  • Walk your Talk: developing a healthier work environment and workforce.

    I recently attended the Daily Standard SME Expo in conjunction with Water Cooler “Connecting Workplace Wellbeing Solutions.” Hats off to the organisers for this excellent event that gathered together many experts from different fields to discuss, debate and deliver thoughts, ideas and opinions on different topics related to workplace wellbeing as well as to answer the most urgent questions facing SME’s today. Out of this event has come my latest blog about developing a healthier work environment and workforce.

    Many years ago as a junior member of the management team at the Elangeni hotel in Durban, South Africa I was constantly reminded by my then General Manager to “Walk my Talk.” As I remember this phrase was never really explained to me, but it is pretty straight forward that “Walking your Talk” is doing what you say showing an example to your team members of how to interact with customers, treat each other, carry out your job role professionally etc. While I don’t think this has changed, nor should it, in the new business environment for leaders and team members perhaps it is time for “walking your talk” to take on a broader meaning?

    “According to the World Health Organization, poor worker mental health will cost the global economy $1 trillion this year. Without intervention, 122 billion working days — or 500 million years of work — will be lost between now and 2030.”


    I don’t know about you, but it is unlikely that I will live 500 million years! Joking aside, in order to address workplace health, the current paradigm has to change. Leaders are being called on and challenged to come up with creative ways to inspire and lead others in the process of achieving company vision and goals. Taking a simplistic approach to health we know that sound health and wellbeing – the feeling of being well, the feeling that you are ready to embrace the world and what it has to offer, the sense that you are part of something greater that is both miraculous and inspiring leading to all the energy you need to fulfil your life there has to firstly be love for yourself and the many roles you play – mother, father, son, daughter, aunt, bus driver, engineer, programmer, customer account manager and so on as well as, love for your job and the company in which you work.

     Team members and employees always want to do a good job, it is human nature to feel valued for who you are and what you contribute, therefore returning to the office has to offer something new – an environment that is fun, creative and a comfortable place to be. In other words, it has to create the state that organisations want their employees to be and to achieve. Going into the office to answer emails, no longer makes any sense as that can be done at the home office. Therefore, what does the new office environment need to offer?

    •  Spaces where teams can get together to enhance social connection that a home office cannot provide. 
    • An environment that is less about me and more about us – where individuals can “catch up” and collaborate.
    • An environment that stimulates co-creation and fun.
    • A place that individuals go to get their energy fix and dose of inspiration from their boss and colleagues.
    • An environment that fosters healing and overall wellbeing.

    What about the leadership?

    Leaders need to start connecting more to their hearts and become whole humans to provide a welcome to those in need of coaching, mentoring or simply someone to listen to them while they share what is going on in their lives. Most of us don’t need fixing we need someone to truly listen.

    Of course, organisation goals don’t take a back seat to make way for human interaction on a heart-felt level. Instead we go about achieving the goals in a different way by turning the current paradigm on its head and taking care of people first, so that they take care of the customer, fulfil their K.P.I’s and productivity levels as well as the organisation goals because they feel valued, happy and well.

    The pillars of health include a nutritious diet, adequate sleep, hydration, fresh air and nature as well as a job role that we love. How many people do you know that are working because they have to and not because they want to? How many people do you know that are working for toxic bosses? How many do you know that are working at something they dislike as the pay is good? Too many of these people end up in my consultation room suffering from different issues, such as back pain, digestive problems, hormone issues, headaches, adrenal fatigue…….. mostly because they are in roles in their working lives where they feel undervalued, exploited and even in some cases abused through managers and leaders who themselves are suffering from the pressures that are fed down through the organisation in pursuit of certain numbers. All this is doing is making people sick, literally.

    Looking at normal business processes, why not go about daily tasks through “active working”, a phrase used in one of the discussions I listened to, by holding meetings outside with your team and actually, walk as you talk? When someone comes into your office for a “chat”, put your coat on and go for an active walk. Stop at some point to breathe in deeply the healing that mother nature has to offer. Stop to listen to the birds singing, running water, to look at the beauty of a single flower, or the amazing cloud formations overhead. Mother nature has a profound effect on our nervous system, slowing down the sympathetic to balance with the parasympathetic nervous system putting both you and your colleague or employee at ease and making it easier to open up to what is bothering them. If nothing per se is bothering them, slowing down the sympathetic nervous system, increases focus and attention, encouraging a productive output to the conversation.

    Meetings held outside that start with deep breathing and tuning into yourself as well as into the surroundings, can have profound effects on performance. Resulting in becoming more aware of their feelings as well as those of others, because they simply stop to tune in.

    During fine weather if the “Office” has an outdoor space how can you encourage people to leave their desks and go out to eat, leaving the Wi-Fi driven environment for at least half an hour to allow the immune system to come off high alert and return to normal.

    How can you use “walking your talk” through active working to develop a healthier work environment and workforce? How can you use this approach to encourage collaboration, co-operation and fun? After all the best tonic for the immune system is a good laugh. How can walking your talk enhance the leadership approach to inspire and create dynamic teamwork through becoming present, focusing on the wellbeing of your team and the overall environment through your awareness both of self and others, and ultimately the way you lead?  

    If you would like some help to Walk your Talk and create a healthier work environment and workforce phone us on +44 (0) 1235 639 430 or book a call!

  • What is Intuitive Leadership?

    In day-to-day operations when things go wrong and there is a problem to solve, the first place that we all invariably go is to the facts surrounding the situation. Through understanding and analysing those facts, we make a decision.  Are decisions based solely on facts combined with previous experience of a similar situation, or do we inject our intuition at some point?

    WATCH MY VIDEO ON THIS TOPIC!

     

     

    WHAT IS INTUITION?

    Intuition, considered as a neurocognitive model, as either “Deliberative” or “Creative intuition” provides a framework for considering intuition and the  importance in leadership decision making.

    Deliberative intuition – Managerial intuition, problem solving, unconscious constructive deliberation, pattern matching, inferential processing and inferential intuition.

    Creative intuition – Entrepreneurial intuition, radical intuition, experiential non-linear processing, synthesis of unconnected memory fragments, strong emotional (afferent) component, passionate attention, holistic intuition, intuitive insight and classical intuition.

    Most of you will be familiar with the psychometric models for assessing intuition, such as MBTI (Myers Briggs), Rational/Experiential Inventory (REI) and Symbolon – Thinking/Feeling, Intuitive/Concrete.  The mere fact that we try to measure the degree of intuition, indicates that this characteristic has some value and importance in the business world, especially when needing to influence and inspire others as in a leadership role.

    HOW DOES INTUITION SERVE US?

    Research amongst GP’s and Emergency doctors, (Coget & Keller) that explored through interviews the role of initiation, came to the conclusion that intuition is important and a common part of practice in the following areas:

    • A sense that something is wrong – a sense of alarm / sense of reassurance
    • Recognition leading to a quick, non linear diagnosis
    • Insight leading to eureka moments through spontaneous diagnostic realisations and sudden frame shifting
    • Quick assessment – sick or not sick
    • Mismatch – when there is a lack of coherence in the symptoms.

    This research shows that the potential advantages of using intuition appear to be speed, accuracy and confidence. Jean-Francois Coget, who carried out this research on intuition, suggests that there is a “Critical Decision Vortex” and this has analytical, intuitive and emotional components.  Coget further suggests that exclusion of any of the three components risks reducing accuracy and speed.  Nygren et al. 2002, supports the idea that intuitive decision making can be more accurate than analytical decision making.

    Taking the example of a wild animal grazing – his or her intuition is going to warn about lurking danger, thus stimulating the necessary response to find safety.  When that danger has gone, it goes back to peaceful grazing.  Therefore, intuition is not something that is switched on and off, it is a sixth sense that is with us all the time. For example, choosing from two well qualified candidates:

    • For some reason the interviewer is in favour of one rather than the other.  However the reason is not explainable in a logical and rationale manner, but rather having an emotional element.   
    • Another example might be when looking into a problem and for some reason you are driven in a particular direction, which might not add up in terms of the analysis and the facts, but yet for some unconscious reason you are drawn to and make the decision based on that direction.

    INTUITION AND LEADERSHIP

    Harnessing and working with intuition is key to effective leadership.  Simply using our “head” brain all the time does not utilize everything in our tool-box.   It only analyses the facts together with any previous experience, discounting feelings connected with the heart as well as our gut feel.

    Understanding emotional issues through the heart, to ensure we tap into our own feelings as well as the feelings of others who are involved or who might become involved, and adding what our intuition is saying, provides a much broader picture and foundation for sound decision making.  In other words what does our gut say or feel about the person, the situation or the conversation in the present moment and therefore what questions have to be asked around the facts to deepen knowledge and understanding before making the final decision?

    As Coget says “Exclusion of any of the three components risks reducing accuracy and speed.”

     

    References:

    Coget, Jean Francois, Kellar Eugene The Critical Decision Vortex: Lessons From the Emergency Room https://doi.org/10.1177/1056492609357009

    Dorfler, Viktor, Ackermann, Fran Understanding Intuition:  The Case for Two Forms of Intuition. Management Learning 43 (5) 545-564 https://cyberleninka.org/article/n/1049255/viewer

    Nygren, Thomas E., White, Rebecca J. 2002  Assessing Individual Differences in Decision Making Styles: Analytical vs. Intuitive https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/154193120204601204

     

    Rachel ShackletonRachel Shackleton is an entrepreneur who owns and manages Green Key Personal Development and Green Key Health. Working with local and multinational organisations, she is a public speaker and trainer in the spheres of leadership, communication and customer excellence. She ensures sustainable productivity and profitability through healthy self-management and leadership practices, ensuring a focused and successful workforce.

  • What is Self Leadership?

    After many years of working in the corporate world as a manager and leader and as a person passionate about development of others, I have come to the understanding that self leadership is essential to effective leadership.  In other words, if you can not lead and take responsibility for yourself  as a totality, how can you lead others?

    What is involved in self leadership?  Self leadership is taking responsibility for yourself, for your family and other responsibilities that you have “signed up to”.  This process begins with your inner core.  Inner core – who you truly are – your values around family, health, work, eating , leisure sport……, and the list goes on. 

    Self leadership is about what makes you comfortable with who you are – your confidence around your knowledge, your ability to share ideas, opinions, disagree with others with assertion, being creative, having the force of your convictions and so on.  However, for me self leadership is also about how comfortable you feel within your body and mind?  And how demanding you are of your body and mind?

    Having goals and direction in life and being in touch with why you are here and having the drive to follow that path, means having respect for the vehicle that carries this programming.  Would you feed your car with a McDonalds and Coke?  What a stupid question I hear you saying followed closely by the answer -“Of course not”!  Why then do you expect you will perform well on the same diet?  Peak performance includes body and mind.  The two are inextricably linked.  A healthy body links to a healthy mind which is able to assess information, evaluate situations, respond quickly under pressure, absorb information, and cope reasonably with crises as and when they occur without causing a huge cortisol rush and constant drain on your adrenals.

    Self leadership for me means listening to your body and responding to how it feels and what it needs in order to keep it on peak performance.  In a nutshell – it is about balance in your chosen profession or work with eating a healthy diet, making sure that movement is in your daily schedule, whether that is swimming, running, walking, doing pilates or anything else, but simply moving, and having adequate quality sleep.  In addition it means recognising and following your life’s purpose, having the courage to follow that path that keeps nagging, but we don’t do due to some reason, some trap or excuse that holds us back.  Is that trap money, time, lack of something, inability, fear or something else?  In fact do you realise that you are trapped?  Zhang Xin (Chinese billionaire business magnate) said “The only thing that limits us is ourselves”.

    What is limiting you from becoming what you want to be?

  • What is the impact of morale on productivity?

    I have been working with a hotel client who has been undergoing a change in ownership from one owner to another.  Any kind of management buyout, transfer of ownership, or change of direction within an organization is guaranteed to create unease amongst the management and staff.   Fear of the unknown is always daunting irrelevant of how vital our position might be or how many times we have been through similar situations.

    Major change automatically, whether consciously or not, takes an individual out of their comfort zone and into the potential sphere of the unknown, with the ultimate impact of slowing down work ethic and productivity through comments such as “The new owners may not like it this way – lets wait.”  “The new owners will probably change this so no point in starting.”  “Why start something now when a new General Manager is coming in soon and he will for sure want something different?” And so on.  Sounds familiar?  This slowing down has its effect on the business through less productivity, less desire to sort out customer problems and more “private chats” in the corridor.  The overall effect usually sees a drop in staff morale

    My client supported the idea of a one day ‘Change Management” programme with elements of effective communication, as the foundation to sharing information – concerns, worries, problems etc   The main goals of the workshops were to:

    • Realize the new owners expect a change in service offered to guests
    • Feel excited and empowered to make those changes
    • Be motivated to want to stay with the new owner

    These goals, whilst appearing unambitious revealed an enormous amount of information about how personnel were feeling, giving them an opportunity to share in a non-threatening environment. Additionally, providing an understanding of where the real problems lay – lack of uniform, poor canteen food, unfair scheduling, the difference between how casual labour are treated against full time staff, lack of and poor communication throughout the operation, lack of working equipment, thus driving the need to hide their own equipment to avoid being embarrassed when serving the guest, to identify a few.

    What was the impact of all these points on the overall morale of the personnel and therefore the direct correlation in how they were communicating with and serving guests and clients?  Knowing you are starting the day looking worn out, with only eight hours between finishing one shift and starting the next.  A uniform that is no longer smart and fresh looking because you only have one, and on this particular day, had no time to wash and dry it before the new shift.  These examples have great impact on internal confidence and morale even before considering the lack of operating equipment needed to serve all customers in the manner that is expected and other issues such as scheduling, communication and taking responsibility.

    As managers and leaders, how can we ask “more” of team members under these circumstances?  Clearly, we cannot.  Addressing these issues and many more has provided a foundation to build trust and from this to start to excite and inspire individuals to believe in what they are doing and to work together to achieve levels of excellence expected from each and everyone in the team.

  • Why is Leadership Development Important?

     The Health & Safety Executive estimated that 31.5 million working days were lost due to work-related physical and mental health in 2022/23. If including work-related non-fatal injuries the figure is a staggering 32.5 million days lost to organisations and businesses. Think about the impact of lost workdays on your business?

    Is management of stress a function of leadership?  One could argue that it is up to the individual to regulate their own stress levels in order to manage what life throws at them, and therefore does not fall under the leadership role or umbrella.  However, if workdays are being lost from absenteeism due to overload and stress, it becomes every leader’s concern and issue. Surely, therefore, it is better to help employees manage their stress levels before it gets to the stage where they call in physically or mentally sick, thus increasing the urgency and pressure that someone going off sick creates on daily operations as well as those left behind to pick up the pieces. 

    Working with individuals on work-life balance, as well as with groups on self-leadership and leadership of others, I am seeing more and more people with adrenal stress, very often worked-related. Reasons for stress vary, some can be self-inflicted, such as striving to be a perfectionist, the inability to say “No”, poor time management, inability to delegate as well as procrastination by putting things off. As for external factors that might cause stress, the first one that springs to mind is living in a blame culture, thus creating an environment of fear. Inappropriate leadership styles and habits such as a boss who doesn’t listen, or a boss who can only influence and get things done by using manipulation techniques, a boss who lives in crisis due to poor planning and time management or a boss who is unable to communicate effectively, displaying chameleon type behaviours, swinging from one mood to the other, making employees’ lives hell when they are not sure which persona they will be greeted with at any moment in the day. 

    Adrenal fatigue occurs when the adrenal system struggles to maintain homeostatic balance, leading to depletion and dysregulation of the adrenal glands and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis after a long period of emotional stress and/or chronic illness. Adrenal stress presents in different ways. Early signs might be intermittent lack of energy, headaches, cravings for carbohydrate or salty foods, low motivation and poor sleep feeling tired and exhausted on waking up. More advanced stages of adrenal fatigue may include these symptoms, and others such as night sweats, brain fog, lack of energy to do anything, poorly functioning immune system, resulting in catching every cold or flu bug that is flying around, as well as cravings for stimulants including coffee, chocolate and fizzy drinks all giving that quick, short lived, hit and energy boost that only leads to an energy low within a very short period of time. 

     Effective leadership walks a fine line, on the one hand between challenging team members enough to ensure they are not bored, and that they grow and develop, to on the other hand over challenging and therefore causing undue and unhealthy levels of stress, which due to constant pressure may lead to sickness and the inevitable time off work. Continued over-stress can lead to diseases such as hypertension, anxiety, depression and various forms of chronic disease, as well as mental ill-health whether anxiety, complete overwhelm, brain fog or depression. Many of these conditions will lead to the individual taking sick leave, leaving managers responsible for managing the gap this creates, picking up the pieces and somehow inspiring other team members to compensate for their colleague’s absence.

     Surely its worth getting this right from the beginning and investing in managers and leaders who are able to lead effectively through creating an environment where employees want to work, love working and consequently are heathy and happy? Does this mean there won’t be conflict or times when everyone has to step up due to peak periods in the business or additional demands for extraordinary reasons, of course not! Investing in leadership development gives leaders the confidence, skills and ability to rise to the occasion and support their team members fully during these extraordinarily demanding periods. 

    John C. Maxwell once said, “The single biggest way to impact an organisation is to focus on leadership development.” Avoiding investment in development of your leaders is short-term thinking, indicates lack of foresight and is overall detrimental to your business in terms of ROI, growth and quality of service delivered to your customers and reputation, as well as employee physical and mental health and wellbeing.

    References

     https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/dayslost.htm

     

  • Swan-like leadership – a festive thought moving into 2018

    At this time of year many of us try to be the archetypal model of a swan, gracefully gliding over the surface whilst paddling like fury under the water line trying to get everything done both in the work environment and at home!  I can relate to this, especially with so many events that come one after another.

    Above the surface we may seem calm and our leadership style appears in control, but minds are racing as we try to make sure that everything is in place to ensure we can enjoy the few days off from our place of work over this festive period, whilst at the same time multi or triple tasking to do all the things for the family to make the time together special.  As minds are on ‘organisational alert,’ we risk asking the retrospective question of ‘was it worth it?’  We ask this because our minds weren’t there to enjoy it … they were on other things!  In all of this we know that this isn’t the real ‘mature’ or most effective way to live, to enjoy this season and to enjoy life as a whole.

    What should we do to avoid this trap of frenzied living?

    There are other levels in life, from deep spiritual to intense physical times.  Often these happen unexpectedly and in these times we can and do experience deep joy, a sense of perspective, a sense of peace and calm.  Frequently these times of true living are missed. When I think of life and how easy it is to fall into the ‘swan’ model, I know there is more.  There are other levels to know and live a fuller life.  I am not saying that we should ‘down tools’ and not work hard towards the good things we want for ourselves and others.  To me it is all about ‘multi-level living as opposed to triple tasking!’  Seeing clearly what is important and working with commitment and in full presence.

    In the coming year I hope to be ‘swan-like’ as I do my part to organise and put into place all resolutions, goals, events etc. I wish everyone a level of spiritual calm that puts things into perspective showing us what is and is not important, a resource that gives a deeper sense than that of frenzied paddling, leading to a sense of balance, bringing about refreshing leadership, clear decision making and a fun place to be as well as a fun person to be with.

    Wishing everyone joy whilst celebrating this special festive season and inner calm to ensuring effective and fun self leadership and leadership of others in 2018.  May all your goals and resolutions be achieved with ease.

  • Leading a Contact Centre – The Hidden Challenges

    As a manager of a support or contact centre, do you recognise any of these challenges when trying to lead your team to deliver excellent and consistent customer service, while also meeting demanding performance targets?

    If so, you’re not alone. Many contact centre managers face a combination of people, performance, and engagement challenges that make leading others one of the toughest, but most rewarding roles in business today.

    1. The Leadership Learning Curve

    Too often, managers step into their roles with little preparation or development for what leadership truly entails. They may have been top-performing agents, but managing others requires a different skill set entirely.

    Common challenges include:

    • Difficulty transitioning from team player to manager
    • Lack of emotional intelligence to build trust and strong relationships
    • Avoiding difficult conversations or giving feedback when performance dips
    • Struggling to coach effectively to drive behavioural change
    • Handling too many escalated calls, which may signal a lack of team empowerment.

    Leadership in a contact centre is about influence, coaching, and empathy—skills that require focused development and continuous learning.

    2. The Human Connection in a Hybrid World

    Many organisations celebrate hybrid working as a win-win: reduced office costs, better work-life balance, and increased flexibility. But there’s another side to the story—human engagement between managers and employees can easily drop when face-to-face contact becomes rare. The phrase “out of sight, out of mind” too often becomes reality.

    When team members feel disconnected, motivation slips, communication weakens, and performance targets suffer. Today’s managers need new skills to lead remotely—skills in virtual communication, trust-building, and emotional presence to ensure their teams remain inspired, supported, and empowered, even when working miles apart.

    3. The Cost of Constant Turnover

    Every new hire whether in a contact centre or elsewhere typically needs months of training and coaching before reaching full productivity. When attrition is high, managers are caught in a constant cycle of recruiting, onboarding, and retraining—leaving less time for strategy, coaching, and customer experience improvement.

    High staff turnover is not only financially costly, but it also drains team morale and consistency. Customers notice when they’re dealing with inexperienced agents, and loyal employees feel frustrated when they must constantly compensate and fill gaps.

    4. Beyond “It’s Typical for This Role”: Tackling Attrition at the Source

    Attrition in support centres is often accepted as “part of the job.” But if we dig deeper, it can reveal more serious root causes and concerns:

    • A toxic work culture where stress and burnout go unchecked
    • Poor management practices or lack of employee recognition
    • Weak recruiting that places the wrong people in the wrong roles.

    While some turnover is healthy and brings fresh perspectives, excessive churn creates chaos, inconsistency, and frustration for both employees and customers. The key to reducing attrition isn’t just about better pay or benefits—it’s about developing great managers. Managers who communicate clearly, coach effectively, and build trust and motivation create environments where people want to stay, do a great job and grow.

    5. Investing in Manager Development Is No Longer Optional

    The success of any support centre ultimately depends on the capability of its managers. By equipping them with the right skills—emotional intelligence, feedback delivery, coaching, and remote leadership, organisations can:

    • Strengthen employee engagement
    • Reduce costly turnover
    • Improve customer satisfaction
    • And create a culture of accountability and empowerment.

    In the end, great customer service starts with great leadership. Developing your managers isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s the foundation for a healthy, high-performing contact centre.

    The key lies in developing managers who can:

    •           Lead with empathy and accountability

    •           Coach effectively to build competence and confidence

    •           Maintain engagement in hybrid settings

    •           Model the culture you want your customers to experience

    Strong leadership remains the cornerstone of every high-performing team, department, and organisation.

    Looking for learning solutions to support development of your managers, here's a recent case study:

    https://www.greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com/pages/improving-support-centre-effectiveness

    More reading:

    https://www.greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com/pages/blog?p=thriving-call-centre-culture-wellbeing-success

     One of our solutions:

    https://www.greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com/bundles/management-skills-in-the-tech-sector

     

  • The Importance Of Recognition When Leading Others

    A MESSAGE FROM THE NA’VI PEOPLE OF PANDORA

    In my personal experience it is common to both use and hear the term “recognition” in the work environment, especially when referring to motivation of others. What does it mean to give recognition, and how does that differ from giving appreciation, or appreciating someone or something?

    An explanation of the word “recognition” – to recognise someone in the work environment means, ”the act of publicly acknowledging your employees for what they do.” In other words, recognising someone for what they do in their job role and the value they bring in that role. On the other hand, employee appreciation is about who you are and how colleagues, irrelevant of role, naturally recognize each other and make the workplace feel more inclusive and human. This might also be extended into knowing you as being a valuable part of the team. Since the advent of hybrid working, It is not always remembered that humans need other humans, and that being part of a group or team is one of the main reasons why we like to go to work. In other words, the appreciation that we receive from others that feeds into our feelings of belonging.

    The Oxford dictionary defines recognition as “The act of recognising; acknowledging especially” and defines appreciation as “The pleasure that you have when you enjoy the good qualities of somebody or something.”

    In the film Avatar – the greeting that the Na’vi people, living on Pandora on meeting each other was “I see you.” This greeting was not just about literally seeing someone, but really seeing them in a holistic manner – the physical presence, mental and emotional aspects as well as the person inside, the very soul of a person. What a beautiful phrase of appreciation and recognition to truly “see” someone.

    Employee recognition combined with appreciation is one of the most important factors in driving workplace engagement, productivity, performance and employee retention. At its core, employee recognition is another word for feedback, usually associated with feedback focused on an employee’s strengths and what they’re doing well, a technique that encourages more of the same. It is also an expression of appreciation and gratitude.  Living and working in an environment of gratitude when inclusive within the entire organisation makes the operation more fun, meaningful, a place where people want to “belong” and be associated, as well as an environment that is productive and employees enjoy performing at their best.

    In the work environment we mostly link recognition as being positive and connected to what an individual is doing right and has done well, however recognition can also be negative. The power of giving recognition for good performance publicly enhances the positive impact on the individual to do more of the same. Negative recognition, sadly all too often is given inappropriately and perhaps even publicly, lacking a constructive and positive approach, especially when the manager and leader has limited emotional intelligence and fails to understand that negative recognition whether given publicly or not amplifies the negative impact on that person and rather than enhancing performance actually leads to the opposite – a de-motivated, deflated and often highly embarrassed individual who has now lost face amongst his or her colleagues, thus threatening the secure and important ties of “belonging”. An individual having been berated openly and unconstructively is unlikely to be your best performing employee certainly in the short term and likely for much longer, if indeed they stay in your employ.

    What can we learn from Avatar, the film and the Na’vi people of Pandora? How does “I see you” translate into performance, to build excellence, increase productivity as well as employee retention. The latter being one of the biggest challenges organisations face today. Perhaps, truly “seeing” someone, a colleague or team member, you not only recognise them for what they do, but also appreciate and value them for who they are?