TIPS NewsletterTIPS Newsletter
Common Sense Managing TIPS Newsletter
July 24, 2000
Bill Werst, Editor
Common Sense Managing TIPS Vision: To establish Growth Associates as your primary source of practical proven information on how to build and maintain a solid organization capable of supporting outstanding customer service, customer satisfaction, and continuous quality improvement.
Part of our vision implementation is to use the Common Sense Managing book, TIPS newsletter, and www. growthassociates.org web site information to build rapport and trust with you so that you consider GA first when you need training and consulting services.
Enjoy,
Bill Werst, Editor
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Table of contents:
Finding The Solution Rather Than The Fault -- Tip of the Week directly from Common Sense Managing
Talk About Finding A Solution! - a reader's story
10 Dirty Words - IF & FAIR
Common Sense Managing - A plug from our sponsor
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Finding The Solution Rather Than The Fault [282 words]
Common Sense Managers manage problems by immediately seeking a solution. They save valuable time and resources by skipping what's wrong, why it happened, and who caused it. They direct their resources toward determining what needs to be done to fix the situation.
Customers don't care:
* Whose fault it was that their machine malfunctioned.
* Why their order was shipped late.
* What's wrong with their supplier's organization.
Customers simply want to know that their product will arrive on time and in accordance with their quality and price specifications. Concentrating on what needs to be done to fix the situation and get back on track as quickly as possible is the most efficient way to resolve a problem.
What do you do to overcome the natural tendency to identify whose fault it is rather than immediately seek a solution?
What are you doing to insure that your people immediately focus on finding a solution [rather than the blame]?
NOTE: Some individuals have great difficulty giving up fixing the blame rather than the problem. They want to explain to their customers WHY their expectation will not be fulfilled and WHOSE fault it is. Consider role playing with these people. Make them the customer who is under great pressure to get their order fulfilled. No matter what they request explain:
Whose fault it is that their order hasn't arrived on time,
Why your organization is not to blame, and
What's wrong with materials handling today [their shipping department, US postal, UPS, etc.]
Continue until the individual feels what useless responses these are. Then let them be the company representative who is seeking a solution for the customer.
This Common Sense Managing Tip is from the Problem Solving section of Common Sense Managing: Simple Ideas That Produce Results. The book is immediately available at http://www.growthassociates.org or amazon.com.
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Talk About Finding A Solution!
The following story was emailed to me by TIPS reader Craig Lester:
I just wanted to pass on my customer service experience at the Ocean Kites store in Long Beach, Washington.
I was with a friend and Saturday evening we decided to fly my kite. We hied ourselves down to the beach, slogged out in the soft sand, and started putting together our kite. Got it all together and noticed that I was missing one of the carbon-fiber stand-offs that shapes the wing. @#%&#!!! No fly.
By this time it's almost 7:00 and we are miles from the store. But, it's the second latest sunset of the year so we took a chance and zoomed down to Long Beach. The kite store was still open (there was kite competition going on that weekend so I'm sure that keeps them open).
I asked if they had a Prism standoff, but they didn't have what I needed. So they found a piece of scrap graphite rod and fabricated one for me. I expected to pay full price (maybe $10-$15 and was happy to do so) but when I asked "how much?" he only charged me 50 cents for the fitting. I am the Ocean Kites biggest fan now.
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10 Dirty Words - Part 2
The dirtiest words we use in our daily vocabulary and thought processes aren't necessarily four letter words.
The words themselves are not 'dirty'. We make them dirty when we misuse them to negate ourselves or others, avoid commitments, or create win-lose situations.
The following ten dirty words interfere with successful communication, motivation, and personal success.
1. TRY [July 9, 2000 TIPS archive]
2. CAN'T [July 9, 2000 TIPS archive]
3. IF
4. FAIR
5. THEY
6. WHY
7. SHOULD [OUGHT]
8. BUT [HOWEVER]
9. UNDERSTAND
10. RIGHT
Misuse of these words has been observed in communications in hundreds of business organizations from shop floors to executive offices, as well as in daily conversations with friends and family. There is not one that I have not used, and without caution, will use daily. Habits die slowly. Growth takes time and practice.
Eliminating or replacing these words in our daily communications and thought processes will have a powerful impact on improving our verbal and written effectiveness, self image, and effectiveness. Eliminating them in your organization will have the same positive effects.
#3. IF
If becomes a dirty word when we use it to excuse our personal responsibility for a situation.
Examples of excusing IFs include:
"I would have had it done it on time IF it weren't for:
my kid borrowed my car and used all the gas."
my [pick any family member] getting ill."
the computer going down."
Bob's department . . ."
"I'd have been glad to help you, IF:
Bob's department had gotten there work to me on time."
the Lefkey project wasn't due tomorrow."
you had called me sooner."
my back wasn't so bad."
"I'd have been a success IF:
I had the opportunity to go to college."
I had been born into a wealthy family."
I just had another day."
Offering IF excuses can be replaced with a simple polite no or offering a helpful alternative. State the reason [excuse] for not doing the task and then immediately follow it with SO I WILL. This converts the excuse into a commitment to corrective action.
"I was late because my kid borrowed my car and used all the gas, so I will work on this during lunch".
"I got behind when the computer went down, so we'll type this instead."
"Bob's department has gotten behind, so we will allocate two temporary people to assist you."
"I wasn't born into a wealthy family, so I will . . ."
Breaking out of the IFs enables us to change from focusing on why we can't help, be on time, or keep our commitments to focusing on how we can contribute as a team player at home and at work. When we contribute, physically or mentally, we are more valued by others and especially by ourselves.
When another offers you IFs, it's time to move on. Wasting time listening to another's IF excuses is nonproductive and boring. An action alternative is to listen, then mentally add: "So I'm going to . .. ."
Be a doer, not an excuser.
#4. FAIR
Fair becomes a dirty word when it is used by people who feel they are losing, as in "This isn't fair!"
When the score is 19-0, you can bet the team with 19 is not complaining about the game being unfair. I've never hear anyone who was winning complain that it isn't fair. Only losers think life isn't fair.
The word fair is over used by people who are 'counting', or keeping score, to be sure they are getting their 'fair share'. They seem to believe that somewhere there exists a universal determination of fairness. We have never found this place. However, we have found countless local, national, and international places that are UNfair.
"It isn't fair that we always get the old equipment and sales gets the new stuff."
"Women receive favoritism in promotions. It isn't fair."
"Overall men receive higher pay for the same work. Now that just isn't fair!"
"It's just not fair, the Japanese restrict our auto imports."
While the Bible speaks of the meek inheriting the earth, it doesn't say anything about the whiners inheriting anything. Instead of complaining, observe what the people who are winning are doing and then taking action to duplicate their behaviors.
All the above examples may have been accurate observations at the time they we stated. So what! Complaining about them not being fair is relatively useless until we add the word SO. . . Adding the word SO initiates our thinking about what we intend to do about the alleged unfair situation, converting us into potential winners rather than whiners.
When others complain that their situation is not fair, cautiously listen . Do not immediately attempt to change the situation unless you want to take away the opportunity for growth that occurs when people are afforded the challenge of resolving their own problems. An appropriate response to "It isn't fair that women get better opportunities for promotion." is to ask "SO what do you intend to do about it."
The world was never designed to be fair. We have found that most people who are winning think it is UNfair. So instead of wasting our time complaining about losing, we are far better off planning and implementing what we can do to fix our immediate specific situation.
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Common Sense Managing
This newsletter is provided by and sponsored by one of the best desktop guides any manager could have at their fingertips. Order your copy at http://www.growthassociates.org or amazon.com.
Bill Werst
Editor
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