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| Welcome to Coaches' Corner! |
It's hard to believ e we're halfway through 2010! This issue of Coaches' Corner focuses on the expanded use of the IDEA model and coaching to employees at all levels of performance. We’ve also included a bit of humor to brighten your day. Enjoy! |
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| Why Coaching Only to Low Performers Yields Poor Results |
Many leaders are spending 80 percent of their time on the 5 percent of employees who are not meeting expectations. In many organizations, the belief is that if you have limited time to coach, you will get the most bang for your buck by focusing on the lower performers. However, several things tend to happen in this scenario. Recent research shows that lower performers tend to have lower potential and thus coaching may only make them improve slightly.However, middle and high performers have the greatest opportunity for more significant improvement. The trouble is, many organizations don’t spend enough time with the middle or high performers, assuming that they already know what they need to know to get the job done.
The expected outcome of coaching in an organization is to retain and recognize high performers, develop and bolster middle performers, and hold low performers accountable to the expected standard of performance so that they can move forward in their development.
Tips for Coaching High Performers. Give specific positive feedback about what they do well and the impact it has. Give them adequate recognition and rewards and also keep them challenged to do even better in areas they can improve. On average, an effective coach can help add another 10% or more in performance from their high performers. Professionalsknow why they are good, and they always seek to improve.
Tips for Coaching Middle Performers For middle performers, the key is to identify what their true potential is. Reinforce their strengths, clearly identify areas for improvement and develop an action plan to move them to become a high performer. The key for middle performers is to help them see and hear the difference between their performance and that of a top performer. It is key that they understand the specific expectations and how to reach that next level of performance.
SOLUTION: As luck would have it, 3Points had suggested just a month earlier that Meany install Acronis Backup & Recovery 10, a disaster-recovery product that takes a picture or a "snapshot" of everything on the server -- from the operating system to the data to the server's configuration -- and stores it on a network-attached storage device every evening.
Tips for Coaching Low Performers Low performers pose an interesting challenge. Consider the causes for their low performance. Is there some barrier in play that youare not aware of? Understand that some low performers may not move their performance in the right direction. Be calm, objective, and clear about consequences if performance does not improve by a date you specify. Then follow through and take action. It is also extremely important to not just provide negative “developmental” feedback to low performers. They also need a good balance of positive feedback to encourage them and build their confidence.  |
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| Another Best Practice! |
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| The Call Strategy and IDEA model can be used in many situations. During a recently observed Focused Feedback™ session, the agent challenged one coach on the feedback. The agent felt the call she conducted was a good call and that she shouldn’t receive any constructive feedback. Using The Call Strategy, the coach chilled the agent by acknowledging her point of view. Then, they discussed the situation and came to an understanding. It sounded like this: “Jackie, I understand how you see that the call went well. When listening to the call from the customer’s point of view, their frustrations continued because they felt like you did not hear them early on in the call. Therefore, the call went on longer than necessary. In the future, if you acknowledge the customer’s issue right up front, you’ll be able to more effectively take control of the call, defuse emotion and move the conversation toward a successful close." |
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| Just For Laughs |
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| Coaching Question of the Day
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Dear Master Coach…
How can I use the IDEA model to coach other issues I’m experiencing with my agents?
Master Coach Response…
This is a great question we get from a lot of our clients. The IDEA model is a process designed to be used in any coaching conversation, not just in contact centers and not just on call behaviors. For example, if you have an agent with attendance issues, here’s what the coaching would sound like:
Identify: Hi Deb, I've reviewed your attendance report for the previous month and wanted to talk with you about strategies for improving your attendance record.
Describe: According to the report, there were four scheduled days when you were absent. The schedule is written based on call volume and employee availability. Whenever a scheduled team member is absent, the burden of the calls falls to the remaining team members. There have been times when you have been overwhelmed by call volume and I am certain you don’t want to cause your team members to experience this if it can be avoided.
Example: Review your schedule and ensure that you do not see any conflicts for the coming month. Let the schedule coordinator know right away if you do have any conflicts so that we can make adjustments accordingly.
Agree: I’ll check back in with you at the end of the week to ensure you’ve reviewed your schedule and discussed it with the schedule coordinator. Okay?
The key is to be prescriptive and clear with the issue you are coaching and what can be done to address the issue.
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| Ulysses Learning |
| Ulysses Learning is an industry leader in using online, role-playing simulations to improve service, sales and coaching performance. We’re known for building Judgment@Work ™ skills – decision making and advanced interaction skills – in contact centers and at all points of customer interaction throughout the organization. We use validated content and proven methods to effectively train your front line, engage your leaders and ultimately, boost your customer base. |
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| Do you have a question you would
like to have addressed or a Best
Practice to share? Click Here to
submit |
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