Advice and Counsel

Series 42 - Episode 1

So…you want to talk to someone about something…something you’d like to hear from him/her that you haven’t heard. As I see it, you have two ways to go. The first one starts with something unpleasant you’ve noticed and how it could be fixed. Here’s how you would frame it:

What you saw; The impact it had; A suggestion.

It would go something like this:

This morning I saw you away from your desk and on your cellphone for over 30 minutes.

The impression it made, that I know was unintended, was that you weren’t putting a lot of effort into getting back to our customers.

What I’d like to see is a full morning spent returning their calls.

The second approach starts with a more positive line and is framed like so: The opportunity; The benefit; The commitment.

Here’s an example on the same topic:

You have a real opportunity, right now, to let management know how committed you are to customer service.

If you can pull it off, you’ll be seen as a model and a leader in our pledge to great service.

But you have to be “all in” and ready to throw all your energy into it.

Be sure to let me know how well either succeeded.