This week I’d like to revisit the idea that real power in the workplace is power ‘with’ people, not ‘over’ them. When I say ‘real power’ I mean the power to correct mistakes, solve problems, generate ideas – and get things done – so we can deliver the results expected of us as leaders. Here’s an example:
The scene: I was asked to conduct a customer service training program with a major bank – and was given three branches to work with as a pilot project. One branch was located in a massive strip mall that was undergoing a total renovation. Business was down roughly 50% among all the businesses – including my test branch. The mall was like a war zone. The word ‘dangerous’ came to mind as I navigated to the branch for the first time.
Once there, the usual meet and greet…with the branch manager and senior people. Our goal: To return the branch to 100% of sales levels achieved prior to the renovation. We all shared a chuckle about the goal; it was audacious to say the least – it was hard to imagine boosting sales (of deposits, loans, investments, credit cards, mortgages etc.) to that level, under these conditions, but everyone was game to try.
Later, meeting privately with the manager, I asked if we could put together a one-off, after-work ‘pizza and brainstorming’ session with the entire team. When I emphasized that we would want to invite everyone to participate, I will never forget his response…
“You don’t want the girls involved do you?”
The ‘girls’ he referred to were the customer service representatives (average age about 40 or so) who worked with clients on the front line. His response stunned me. After a few moments I replied that because they interact with customers face-to-face I’m sure they would have lots of ideas on how we could rebuild business – based on the wishes and complaints they hear from clients. After another few moments he shrugged and agreed, “Well,” he said, “It can’t do any harm.”
The front line staff were delighted with the idea. We had a huge (voluntary) turnout. The bank’s regional manager sat in so if a brilliant idea required a bit of budget or a change in procedure we could get a yay or nay in real time. And away we went.
Ideas flowed like rushing water
In a one-hour outpouring of suggestions, the team came up with a host of things we could do – immediately – particularly around shortening the chronic lineup of customers waiting for service. Clients complained that lineups were longer than ever – thanks to staff cuts brought on by the renovation. (I had watched earlier as customers literally voted with their feet – leaving the branch in anger and disgust. Ideas for dealing with the lineup included:
- Get all CSR positions ready to open for the 10 o’clock morning rush. Delay non-essential background work until after the rush – try to eliminate a backup before it forms.
- Divert attention with a television set. Divert customers’ attention by placing a large television set above the lineup (this turn-around project took place in the 1980’s and this initiative was a first among most banks at the time).
- Show customers how to use “those new-fangled ATM’s.” Customers complained that they didn’t know how to use the Automatic Teller Machines that appeared in the branch, and they were reluctant to try. Solution: have an ATM ‘Ambassador’ go out into the lineup and offer hands-on demonstrations to customers who only want to make a simple deposit or withdrawal. (This triage approach worked immediately – mainly because it showed that staff cared about reducing the waiting time.)
- Start a ‘Code Red’ program to deal with the lineup. When the lineup reached a certain point, the assistant manager would call ‘Code Red’ – and anyone available would go to a CSR station and serve customers. (They said that even if a lending officer fumbled, it would show our good intention.) The bank manager caught the spirit of this idea and said that he wanted to be called on as well.
- Set up a children’s play area, so kids were occupied – giving parents and staff time to do their business relatively uninterrupted. (In the 1980’s entertaining children in this way was virtually unheard of. IKEA and its children’s playrooms showed us the way).
There were literally hundreds of suggestions on a wide range of topics – so many that it took hours for a team we assembled to short-list the most promising, and plan implementation of the winning ideas. This was exciting.
One Idea changed it all…
One idea, offered by a soft-spoken CSR toward the end of the session, would have the greatest impact of all. She said there were at least 20 languages spoken at the branch, and suggested that we create posters listing them, and offering customers appointments with team members who spoke their language. Everyone roared their approval.
The posters were produced immediately. Word of the program spread rapidly – in the neighbourhood, and beyond. And the response was immediate. Not only did the branch see a rise in sales, this ‘spark of genius’ (as the manager called it), not only increased sales among existing customers, it also attracted new customers – the key to achieving that ‘impossible goal’ of a 100% rebound in sales. That target was swiftly achieved, and surpassed, in the weeks that followed.
Thank goodness we involved ‘the girls’
In my follow-up meeting with the manager, his first words were: “Well, it was a good thing we involved the girls.” With a cheerful smile he said the event was an ‘Aha’ moment for him. He was amazed by the volume and quality of ideas generated – and noted that most of them came from the CSR’s. Until then, he said, his way of trying to solve the problem was simply to tell his assistant manager – again and again – that she had to get the CSR’s to speed up their work (a virtually meaningless non-solution) or the regional office would cut more staff. He said this threat had become his mantra and he added, candidly, that he now realized that it was both self-defeating and demoralizing. He said he never would have thought to consult staff, or involve them in actual solution-making, as we were doing.
Power ‘With’ vs. Power ‘Over’
I wanted to share this story with you because it illustrates the simple but powerful concept I mentioned at the beginning of this article: the idea that real power is power ‘with’ others, not ‘over’ others. Our bank manager’s impotent warnings of more staff cuts – and orders to speed up service – without consulting and solution-making – was an example of unempowered management – which enabled serious problems to go unsolved. (At that time the buzzword in leadership training was the concept of empowering employees. It seemed to me that empowering leaders was at least as important.)
Your call to action
This week I encourage you to look for opportunities to consult when you would normally dictate. It isn’t necessary to hold an event like we did; consulting and brainstorming with individuals and small groups is highly effective as well – and can give you an endless flow of opportunities to practice.
Bonus: No particular skill or prep is needed – just open by asking for help in coming up with possible solutions. This approach works particularly well when we provide corrective feedback, BTW, as it tends to pre-empt defensiveness. As I say repeatedly: It’s hard to be defensive or combative when we’re asked for help.
Special note 1: Yes, of course, you consult team members now, but if you’re like most leaders, you may do so haphazardly, missing lots of opportunities to come up with better solutions. The idea here is to consult consciously, intentionally, and frequently. I think of this approach as ‘ultra-collaboration.’
Special note 2: Participants in my leadership training classes often wondered if sharing problem-solving power with team members could make them look weak and undermine their authority. I offered the thought that because collaborating almost always produces better results, the reverse is true. With a collaborative approach we enhance our reputation as effective leaders – people who get problems solved and get things done. We gain respect, not diminish it.
Special note 3: The collaborative approach helps to address the power imbalance in effect when one person holds a position of authority over another. It also addresses the rarely recognized power that unhappy employees hold over their boss and employer: They can withhold their labour by staying home when they’re not sick. They can ‘forget’ instructions. They can fail to notice when equipment shows signs of failing. They can do substandard work or do their work unsafely. And of course, they can quit and take their knowledge and experience with them.
A leader who respects, engages and collaborates with team members has the ‘real’ power it takes to reduce these harms – and replace them with willing cooperation; greater enthusiasm; greater ownership and pride in quality of work; reduced absenteeism; greater respect for you as their leader – and, of course, lower turnover and better talent retention.
I repeat, of course you consult your team members now, I’m simply encouraging you to do so more frequently and to expand the process. The key to success is making hyper-collaboration the new normal with your team. As you do so, more power to you.
See you next week,
Neil
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