1. Strive to build customer loyalty. Customer loyalty is the most important secret to achieve good customer service. It will be nice if you know your customers” full names, contact numbers and other personal information. If you show concern for what matters to your customers, you are just building their loyalty and you are acquiring customers for life.

2. Provide authentic customer service. Nowadays, service has been a cliche and just a traditional way of dealing with customers. If everyone’s doing it, it’s a high time that you personalize your service. Be creative; personally know your customers and identify their individual needs. Make certain that your offerings are valuable to your customers.

3. The old adage “customer is always right” is still applicable. If one customer approach you and complains, be serious about handling his concern. If the customer is angry and upset, calm him with soothing words first and show him how serious you are in correcting any problems.

Once the customer is satisfied by how you addressed his complain, thank him for conveying the problem to you. Keep in mind that advertisements will not be enough to repair a damage done by failing to address customer complaints. Silent complainers can also do great damages to your business. These are those who just walk out your shop without any complains but you”ll never see them again. They are openly criticizing your services to other people thus establishing a bad reputation for your business.

4. Be honest with the customers. Once your customer suspects that you are lying on them, he is an instant lost buyer. If a customer seeks for your advice about a product, openly tell them what they need to know. In the end, they will thank you for being so genuine with what you offer.

5. Go the extra mile. If you want superb customer service, you should exert extra effort. You can send a birthday card or insert a thank you note on a customer’s package. You can send a congratulatory note when a client gets promoted or you can clip the article if you see their photo or names in print. There are various ways to bring your clients closer to you.

6. Pass it on to your staff. If you are handling other personnel, educate and train them about good customer service as well. There will be times when you can’t directly deal with your customers and your staff must be able to show them the excellent customer service they want.

Competitors are looking to cater to those unsatisfied customers of yours so it’s better take care of your clients through good customer service. It should not only be a lip service; authentic customer service is one which comes from the heart and achieved through visible actions.

This situation can be caused by many things and it can affect both individuals and teams. Regardless of the reasons for the situation, there are specific, predictable ways to get past the funk. When you apply these suggestions (and some of them you can apply within one minute of finishing this article) you will lift both your spirits and your productivity, and begin to give you your rhythm back.

Since there’s no reason to wait any longer, let’s get started!

Get started. Action is the most important force we have. Taking action, whatever it is, will make a big difference. Often our energy is drained by procrastination. Lou Holtz, the longtime football coach said, “When all is said and done, there is a lot more said than done.” Stop talking about it or thinking about it and get started. Do something. Do anything. Get started!

Fake it. Dale Carnegie taught us that if we “act enthusiastic, we’ll be enthusiastic.” This is a fundamental truth. If you don’t immediately take action, you can begin by getting yourself excited about the task. If you are having trouble getting excited about the task, get excited about getting over your slump. That will motivate you and help you get going.

Start small. The first actions we take don’t have to be large. We may even feel a bit daunted by what is in front of us. In fact, the size of the project or obstacle in front of us may have been what caused the slump to start with. The size of your actions doesn’t matter. Take a small step right now.

Think big. While you may start small, you can still think big. Having a big vision can help motivate you and get you excited. It can be incredibly helpful to have a big vision.

Set a goal. Of course the “think big” suggestion is related to goal setting. But you can have a big vision without truly having a goal. Again, at this point the size of the goal is less important than having a clear endpoint that is something you really want. I didn’t make this the first suggestion, though you could argue it should be. Why didn’t I? Because sometimes people procrastinate in setting a goal! You need this step, and if you can get that clear focus at the start, all the better.

Get some help. Sometimes a task is easier if you have someone to work with. Get a co-worker to share the load on your project, and offer to help them in return. Ask a neighbor for a hand. Their helping hand or their camaraderie may be what stimulates you, or maybe it is the accountability that comes from another person saying, “I’m ready, where do we start?”

Get some advice. Talk to someone who knows about your project or task. Ask for the benefit of their experience. Get their ideas about how to proceed. Their advice will be helpful, and you will likely feel some support for your actions.

Have a daily plan. Do a little bit more each day. A big effort today is great, but if it isn’t followed up tomorrow you might find yourself right back where you started emotionally and psychologically. Have a daily plan and work that plan. Consistently work on the task or project and you will find your energy and enthusiasm growing. Soon your slump will be a distant memory.

Set a reward. Maybe you will reward yourself with your favorite dinner, or a night out, or a new CD. Pick something commiserate with your task and something that is motivating to you (or your team). It won’t be long until you will be enjoying the rewards you set for yourself.

All of these suggestions come back to the idea that we need to get into a rhythm. When we get into a rhythm, we get out of our lull and into greater joy… and productivity.

Go ahead, get rhythm today!

Here’s how to bring your meeting back on track when a side conversation starts.

Approach 1: Ask for cooperation

Start by asking everyone to cooperate. Look at the middle of the group (instead of at the people talking) and say:

“Excuse me (pause to gain everyone’s attention). I know all of your ideas are important. So, please let’s have one speaker at a time.”

“Excuse me. I’m having difficulty hearing what [contributing participant] is saying.”

“There seems to be a great deal of interest for this issue. Could we have just one speaker at a time?”

These statements diplomatically acknowledge that a side conversation is occurring without naming the participants or putting them on the spot. Hostile statements, such as: “Hey you! Stop that!” will create hard feelings that undermine your effectiveness as a leader.

Approach 2: Change the process

If side conversations continue, change the rules to make cooperation more convenient. For example, you could use a speaking prop.

A speaking prop is an object that entitles the holder to speak. When the person finishes speaking, the prop is passed on to the next person who wants to speak. Possible props include a gavel, paper cup, or toy. If you are working on a controversial issue, select a soft object, such as a teddy bear or foam ball. It reduces stress and potential injury (if thrown).

Introduce the new process by saying:

“We seem to have a lot of enthusiasm for this issue. So, let’s decide that only the person holding the gavel (cup, teddy bear, foam ball) may speak. Is that okay?”

Notice this statement begins with a complimentary acknowledgment of the situation (multiple conversations) followed by a suggestion and ends with a request for cooperation.

Use these techniques to regain control of your meeting.

This is the second of a seven part article on Monsters in Meetings.

In order to choose tasks you must be aware of as many chores and projects as possible. In order to do this, every planning session must have a list.

You Must Have a List!

List all your tasks, then rate them, and list them again in order. Then you can schedule them.

When all tasks and projects are rated, use these additional filters to prioritize:

• Imagine the consequences of eliminating the task. – This exercise will often remove some unneeded tasks altogether.
• Decide if each task should be performed in prime time or secondary time.
• Determine who will be affected by the task.

Now Reduce Your List
Until we can effectively clone ourselves to be in more than one place at a time, most of us need to reduce our workload.
Before you start prioritizing, consider these task elimination criteria:

Does This Task or Project Make Sense?
Every task you do should first have to pass this benchmark. You have goals, priorities, and objectives. Does every task contribute to your big picture? Estimate how much time each task will take, and then imagine what you would do with the time if the task were cancelled. While not always possible, everything you do should contribute to your objectives.

Why is the Task Urgent?
While urgency should be a mindset of business, urgency should also be questioned – ruthlessly.

Is the urgency only appeasing someone else? What has caused the urgency? Many urgent situations have been caused by mistakes. Determining the cause of urgency can eliminate or postpone a task and lead to prevention measures of interruptions and mistakes.

Some seemingly imperative tasks are not urgent at all. Customers might be making demands that are unnecessary.
Check with all parties involved.

The Delegation Qualifier
Are you the only person that can handle the task? Sometimes you might be, but many times someone else can perform for you. Delegate everything possible to free up your schedule.

How Else Could the Task Be Done?
Could an in person appointment be a phone call? Conference calling can rule out travel and save an enormous amount of time.

Could you email instead of calling? Email can be done on your terms when you want. You will have time to articulate better compared to the live telephone conversation. Time can be wasted and sales lost by leaving phone messages for people. Email eliminates phone tag.

What is the Cost of Excluding a Task?
There are many jobs throughout the day that are actually not worth the time to do. Applying the dollar figure when considering cancelling a task is another measure of the task value.

Work on a deadline
One great trick for prioritizing is to give every task a deadline.

While many define a start time for projects and tasks when planning, they do not establish a deadline. Having a clear deadline makes tasks easier to prioritize.

With a little time planning, you will save yourself lots of time as you more quickly work through your list.  I think you’ll find it time well spent!

We can enjoy a busy schedule while finding time to relax. Leading causes of stress include changes in an environment, family, business, et cetera. Dealing with everyday struggles, can cause stress if we are buying a new home, preparing for marriage, or changing careers. Some of us have to deal with multiple stressors at the same time, and it makes our life more difficult to handle.

Many of us are overwhelmed by the constant changes in technology, which includes computers, phones, fax, E-mails, cell phones, and other devices. Stress is the leading cause of heart attacks, high-blood pressure, stomach tension, tightened muscles, and other health related pains and aches.

Managing time is essential for dealing with stress. If you work, attend classes, and go home to a family every night, you understand that time is vital to maintain. Work is part of an everyday life, and most of us get up early in the morning and head out the door.

Some of us skip breakfast, exercise and other healthful tasks, not realizing that this is part of managing time. If you are taking care of your body, your body will take care of you.

Life does not have to be hard; rather it can be a trial and error in soothing lights.

Time management starts with a plan. If you have plans you know that goals often following the plan. Once we set a plan in motion, we must act on it accordingly and sufficiently to make the plan work and reduce our stress level.

After we have a plan in motion focusing on our goals, we must find an organizing scheme that works best for our person. Some of us make lists, which are very helpful for putting a plan in motion. Lists are common tasks that we are required to obtain. Getting the most important tasks completed first is part of a time management plan that works most effectively. Once we move the bigger tasks out of the way, we find more time after the little tasks are finished.

Changes are going to happen, and the world is constantly moving, so managing our time is the solution for reducing stress and obtaining goals.

There’s so much you don’t know. Somehow managing looked so easy from the outside, but now you actually have to do it, you realize it’s more complicated than you thought. Before, you had certain tasks to accomplish and you knew you had the skills to do them. You still have responsibility for those tasks, but now you have to see that the work is done effectively by other people. That’s a whole new task in itself, and you’re not sure you’re up to the job.

You also find that it’s hard to concentrate on the planning that is such an important part of managing, because emergencies large and small seem to arise all the time and people keep running to you to resolve them. The expression “When you’re up to your neck in alligators, it’s hard to remember you were trying to drain the swamp” might have been written for new managers!

In these early days, you must learn not to be too hard on yourself. Management skills are not built into our human DNA—we have to learn them as we go. Promise yourself you’ll learn at least one management lesson every day. Set aside a few moments at the end of each day to think about that day’s lesson and how you’ll use it to improve your management skills. Sometimes these lessons will be hard, but each one will give you something to build on if you are willing to learn.

Each day will bring you new challenges, new experiences—and new successes. It’s easy to forget the successes and focus on all the things that didn’t go so well, so I recommend you keep a diary of all your new experiences. Then, on those days when you think becoming a manager was all a horrible mistake, you can read over your diary and remind yourself just how far you’ve come.

Becoming a manager is a journey. Like any journey, it offers both good and bad experiences, enjoyable and not-so-enjoyable aspects, positive and negative events. Just take it one stage at a time, learn from each experience—good or bad—and you’ll gradually find yourself becoming more and more comfortable in your management role.

People management, also known as human resource management (HRM), encompasses the tasks of recruitment, management, and providing ongoing support and direction for the employees of an organization. These tasks can include the following: compensation, hiring, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and training.

When managing the people within an organization, a manager must focus on both hiring the right people and then getting the most out of these people. New personnel must provide the organization with the best talent available that meets the needs of the business. The organization must look ahead to how a new employee can be used to their fullest potential. Getting the most out of an employee means a business has consistent policies and practices in place to provide its people with appropriate training and development. Employees are involved as “partners” in the business.

Probably the most important task a manager will face when dealing with the people under his or her direction is that of bringing out the best in them. Unlocking potential is often seen as the key to any business’s success. When an employee’s talents are not channeled correctly, their behavior can seriously compromise the success of an organization. Some of the roles that an employee who is not being used to his potential can take on are as follows: procrastinator, martyr, gossip, manipulator, backstabber, bully, and predator.

Instead of dealing with employees that develop defense mechanisms to mask their dissatisfaction with their work situation, let’s look as some ways to encourage effective behavior at work. After a problem behavior has been identified, address the employee immediately. Discuss taking responsibility for the ineffective behavior, how the behavior manifests itself, and the effect the behavior is having on the organization. Next, give the employee alternatives to his current behavior. In other words, teach him or her how the principles of achievement:

• cooperation
• respect
• self-motivation
• trust
• self-discipline

Now that the employee has alternatives to their current behavior, draw up a performance improvement contract in which he or she agrees to specific actions to change his or her ineffective behavior. After the contract is signed, a manager needs to stay involved and committed to the process of change. He or she cannot assume that the problem will be automatically fixed now that it has been brought to light. The employee will require praise and reinforcement of any progress that they are able to make. If positive change is to occur, it will be evident soon after the initial confrontation. If this does not occur, a termination meeting must be scheduled quickly. One employee’s toxic behavior can quickly spread throughout an organization if it is not dealt with quickly and efficiently.

When evaluating an organization’s workforce, there are several areas that must be addressed. First, the staff must have the tools and resources that they need to do their jobs effectively. Employees cannot be blamed for an organization’s inefficiency if they are not provided with the equipment necessary to perform adequately. Next, get to know each employee as an individual and make sure that they are aware of their specific role within the organization. Clarify their responsibilities and goals. Also, involve each employee in making decisions which affect their area of expertise. This will result in the employee feeling that they “have a say” in what goes on in the organization and he or she will feel a sense of ownership. Finally, make sure that employees have an opportunity to have fun with their coworkers at appropriate times.

People Empowerment can be a very effective tool within the field of people management. This technique can be used to involve employees in any improvement program within an organization. Authority, accountability, and responsibility are delegated to the employees for improving the processes which are under their control without first having to obtain permission from management before making changes. This can be successful only when employees are recognized, congratulated, and rewarded for their commitment to problem solving.

It is quite a gut-wrenching experience to see an employee you have worked with over a period of time leaving your business. Even if the parting of ways is on good terms with a period of handover, you just know that there is so much information walking out the door with your former employee and there is nothing you can do about it.

And this is only just the beginning…

While laboring through a period of being understaffed and overworked, you are then faced with the task of recruiting a new employee to fill the vacant position. This is followed by the inevitable probation and training period where, hopefully the new employee comes up to speed and is able to pick up where the former employee left off.

The problem is: What exactly was it that the former employee really did? They always seemed to be busy and on the rare occasion that they were absent due to illness, there were those problems that arose that were only truly resolved when they returned and took control and “cleaned things up”.

There has to be a better way…

Fortunately quite a bit can be done to minimize the impact of situations like this on our business. And like most truly worthwhile solutions the steps required to complete this part of your business development does take some effort on your part.

There is an established path that you can follow to get your business in order and the benefits to you and your employees are much farther reaching than just minimizing the impact of key employees leaving you.

The following is by no means a definitive list of what is required. But it does give you some idea of the steps required.

1) Create a flexible forward thinking Organization Chart defining the positions you require in your business.

2) Determine what the responsibilities are for the positions in your business.

3) Assign Employees to relevent positions in the Business.

4) Document key information that is critical to your business and make it available to your employees.

5) Work with your employees to define what it is they do, how they do it and most importantly how it could be done better.

6) Record, optimize then implement the business systems you have identified.

7) Assign the business systems to the relevant positions and monitor their use.

By consistently following these steps for all positions in your business you will insulate yourself from some of the problems that occur when key employees leave your business.

How do we increase productivity?

How do we improve customer service?

How do we keep people actively engaged in their work and with others on their team?

How do we reduce turnover?

How do we improve safety?

Even if you aren’t thinking about or concerned about every one of those questions, I’m sure at least one of them has kept your attention in the past.

As leaders we think about these things because they impact the success of the organization. As coaches we think about how to impact these things day-to-day, person-by-person.

As a coach, someone helping people improve their performance for the benefit of both the individual and the organization, there are typically two types of feedback that you could provide on their performance at any time. Constructive feedback (sometimes called criticism) and positive feedback (which I will call praise).

Forgetting the words for a minute, these two types of information are important to anyone trying to do anything better. We need to know what we aren’t doing quite right, so we can adjust, and we need to know what we are doing well, so we can replicate that. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

If you are like many I’ve discussed this with, you have received more negative, “constructive” feedback than positive, encouraging feedback at work. And you believe that with more encouragement or praise you might have been more successful quicker.

The point in two words?

Praise matters.

And it is vastly underused as a coaching tool by most people most of the time.

As you finish reading this and walk away from your desk and begin interacting with people (whether you coach them or not), keep these things in mind:

· Praise gives us pride in our jobs. Given a choice, would you rather have people who take pride in their work, or not?

· Praise generates enthusiasm and commitment. Committed people can work miracles, so it pays to build commitment.

· Praise builds loyalty. What are the real and hidden costs of employee turnover?

· Praise prevents people from feeling taken for granted. When people feel taken for granted they are less committed and loyal, aren’t they?

· Praise motivates us to “go the extra mile.” The extra mile is often where we find satisfied customers, higher returns and more.

· Praise improves our relationships. Would you like to have better relationships with those you lead, coach and work with?

· Praise takes hardly any time and costs nothing. There are few things in life that can produce such great returns for such a small investment.

Get that praise tool out of your toolbox. It is an easy tool to use. It is a fun tool to use.

If the questions at the beginning of this article were familiar, start with praise, because praise matters.

The policies must fit in with the organization and the place where it is located. If the policies are incompatible with the existing organization and place, they are likely to remain just book policies that will not be implemented in their true spirit.

Let’s look at some standard workforce management policies that can create an environment that makes people want to remain with you.

Induction Training: Help new employees to quickly become a productive member of your team through an effective induction process. Introduce them to other team members and help them absorb your organizational culture, and to become familiar with the ways of working in your organization.

Clear Goals and Roles: Develop job descriptions that indicate clearly what team role each employee should seek to play, and what goals the person should seek to achieve.

Goals Aligned to Higher Level Goals: Carefully align employee goals with the team goals, which are aligned with successively higher level goals culminating in overall company goals. That way, the employee would find it easy to contribute in a meaningful manner, and be rewarded accordingly.

Work Environment: Arrange workstations, facilities and tools that help employees perform without undue stress. Uncomfortable workstations, high noise levels, having to find needed tools yourself, and so on are stressful and make employees look for better places to work in.

Credible Performance Measurement and Reward Structure: One of the best motivating factors is being recognized and rewarded for good performance. The performance must be measured in a way that the employee can understand clearly. Good performance, which can also be measured in terms of contribution to team effectiveness, should be rewarded consistently and without discrimination.

Skills and Career Development Options: Each employee should be able to develop his or her skill, and a career development path should be open for his or her progress in the organization. A certification program can add to the attractiveness.

An Effective Mentoring Program: A mentoring program that helps each employee achieve personal and company objectives should supplement the above. The mentor would try to help the employee meet company expectations in a way that also meets personal expectations.

Carefully developed workforce management policies that fit in with the organization and the place where it is located could pay high dividends. Your organization will find it easier to attract the right kind of people, with the right skill set that you need. More importantly, you will find it possible to retain these skilled employees in your organization.