How the P.R.I.D.E. Team Changed my Call Center

Several years ago I took an assignment as a Manager in an outsourcing Call Center. Shortly after I started it became clear that several areas within the department needed improvement; absenteeism was high (19%), call takers lacked the enthusiasm about the programs to deliver quality customer service and seemed unconnected to the goals and metrics.

With the overall morale of the center in a less than pleasant state the management team weighed our options. We determined that any new rules rolled out by management may be perceived as "us vs. them" by the call taking teams. Rather than try to manage down with force we decided to get the people who were doing the work involved in the improvements.

It was clear, in order to make positive changes the call takers had to embrace the existing goals and embrace any changes we tried to make. What better way to do that then to include them in the process of making the changes. From this idea the P.R.I.D.E. team was formed
.
People Really Involved in Developing Excellence

The first step was to roll out the concept of the P.R.I.D.E. team to the supervisors. I explained how the team would work and what we hoped to accomplish with it. The supervisors then rolled out the concept in their team meetings.

Basic Roll out:

Each team on the floor votes for a representative from their team to attend the P.R.I.D.E. meetings. P.R.I.D.E representatives gather issues, concerns and ideas from their teams and present them at the P.R.I.D.E meetings. The P.R.ID.E. Team will take action for improvement based on the ideas and discussions from each meeting. Meeting minutes will be distributed to the floor.

Once the roll out was complete and the teams elected representatives, the first meeting was called to order. We congratulated the new P.R.I.D.E. team representatives for being voted in by their teams and broke the ice by getting to know each other.

The group agreed on some ground rules and established time limits for discussion. I reiterated that the meetings will not be a gripe session; we will focus on improvement. We began discussing the issues challenging the center.

The high rate of Absenteeism (19%) was the issue we chose to bring to the table first. We asked the group why absenteeism was so high and asked what we as the management team could do to help. The representative's answers provided insight and ideas to improve attendance. Suggestions ranged from things as simple as being welcomed to work in the morning, to more challenging tasks such as supervisors building better relationships with their team members.

The ideas and thoughts we tapped into gave us direction to improve this metric. Instead of pushing an elephant up the stairs, we were following the lead to reach our destination.

After listening to and acting on the P.R.I.D.E. Team's suggestions we started to see some very impressive changes. Over a three month period Absenteeism dropped to 3%! People were more excited about doing their jobs and finding ways to improve. There was a general buzz around the center.

Communication was one of the keys to our success. In addition to the P.R.I.D.E. Team members discussing the meetings with their team members and other co-workers, we documented the conversations from the meeting then distributed them to the floor to ensure no "behind closed door" perceptions. If time allowed supervisors would bring the P.R.I.D.E meeting notes to team meetings for discussions as well.

The meetings evolved. The more meetings we ran the more root causes we discovered. We listened to every issue big and small. We created subgroups to focus on large issues. Sometimes there were issues we could not do anything about, but we always provided an explanation on why action could not be taken. Listening to the representatives' ideas and making changes based on them created buy in for change. The call takers were more apt to make the ideas work because they came from them.

After the P.R.I.D.E. program was well in place, I turned it over to the senior supervisors to run. It was a great development opportunity and helped build relationships throughout the group.

Overall the P.R.I.D.E Team created a paradigm shift in the center. The existence and actions of the team sent a message that everyone in the center was part of the same team. The representatives realized their importance. There was only "us" instead of "us and them". The program created involvement, strengthened commitment to the company and opened communication gateways.

Greg Meares is the author of P.R.I.D.E. Teams and the President of Interactive Quality Solutions, Inc. If you are interested in reading more about PRIDE Teams then I recommend you visit: http://www.prideteams.com If you are a call center professional you will enjoy http://www.callcentercafe.com

---

The 3 Secrets of Team Motivation

Are workers telling the truth when they say they are... Read More

Teamwork in the Workplace: A Definition

A tight knit team is a group of competent individuals... Read More

People Are The Heart Of Your Organization

Do you let your people express their thoughts about the... Read More

Effective Brainstorming

Most managers simply herd some people in a room with... Read More

What Every Manager, Parent, and Teacher Should Know About How to Unify Employees, Families, & Youth

Project Head Start has been successful not only for the... Read More

Building Teams -You see it everywhere

A college football team has it. A corporation has it.... Read More

Brainstorm

Ever lost for ideas while working in a group? One... Read More

Why Is Teamwork Training Important?

"When teamwork kicks in, nobody can beat you." Don Shula,... Read More

Effective Team Building for Stronger Teams

TEAM LEADERS WORKSHOPAlice asked Cheshire cat "which road should I... Read More

Team Development in the Little Leagues

A grassy field, two nets, a soccer ball and some... Read More

Boost Your Success With An R&D Team

One of the best ways to ensure that your planning... Read More

Aligning Corporate Teams

Picture yourself entering a corporate meeting, team meeting, or business... Read More

Franchisor Award Programs; Ideas and Innovation

Franchisors should also be heavy on the award side of... Read More

Whats the Secret Ingredient That Turns Groups into Teams?

What's the Secret Ingredient That Turns Groups into Teams? Working... Read More

Constructive Group Dynamics: How to Go from the S.N.I.P.P.Y. Syndrome to a C.L.E.A.R. V.I.E.W.

If asked to look at your work calendar for the... Read More

Business Innovation ? Effective Team Structures

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

The Top Ten Methods to Create a Successful Work Team

Teams are often useful in situations where the task cannot... Read More

Creating Unity In Your Company

The other day I got a call from a friend... Read More

Having Trouble Motivating Others? Try WIIFM

Recently my fourteen-year old son Matt dressed up as Santa... Read More

Presenteeism - present in body absent in productivity

Presenteeism is alive and 'not well' in many businesses today.... Read More

The Top 7 Things Entrepreneurs Need to Know About Employees

As I work with clients to strengthen their teams and... Read More

How to Align Your Team through Change

Eight Principles for Purposeful AlignmentEffective teamwork requires individual members of... Read More

If You Can?t See It, They Won?t Do It

Recently, while developing a customer service program, I asked my... Read More

How Does Personal Development Help in Business?

Teams run most businesses and teams work best if each... Read More

How To Encourage Ideas From Your Team At Meetings

You're at a meeting with key staff. You want some... Read More

Leading the Witness: How Asking Questions as a Trainer Can Limit Learning and Reduce Trust

"Asking questions can be a means of establishing authority, fulfilling... Read More

Building Successful Work Relationships--Playing In The Same Sandbox

Remember playing in your childhood sandbox? If you enjoyed being... Read More

Go On, Be A Tiger

From the moment he putted with Bob Hope on the... Read More

Building a Successful Team

Once you've set a goal for yourself as a leader... Read More

Effective Team Building Part 1 - Another Brick in the Wall!

The first in a series of articles giving a slightly... Read More

A Team That Gleamed

Too many techies get a bad rap for lacking teamwork... Read More

How the P.R.I.D.E. Team Changed my Call Center

Several years ago I took an assignment as a Manager... Read More

Leadership Quality Through Kindness

In days past, loyalty was a given. The worker in... Read More