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Just imagine what it would be like to drive into your workplace and see engaged employees and happy customers – consistently.
It’s totally possible. And it starts with you… hear me out!
I have countless examples and evidence to support the theory that, if you want a service transformation, or even an uplift from where you are to where you want to take the team, it has to come from the top. The first requirement for the success of any service transformation is advocacy, belief and commitment from the leaders – from the top-dog CEO, GM or whoever runs the show through to the front-line leaders.
This is not about being interested in a company-wide service program, or doing the obligatory ‘show face’ at the important meetings, but rather a true sense of ‘I’m all in on this journey with you, and conversations about the way we serve and develop skills for better behaviours in service are not beneath any of us’.
Last week I witnessed a CEO serving his broader business community in an incredibly humbling and committed way.
The moment he spoke, everyone knew they were in solid hands, and they knew that they were all expected to be part of the journey. Not because of what he said in the opening remarks of a launch program, but rather through him choosing to be there and stay and participate till the end.
Having leaders take part in a service transformation journey – whether it’s a specific leadership pathway designed just for them or a journey for the broader team that they’re a part of has a 10X return on investment.
You can expect to see:
- improved retention of employees
- happier customers, and
- healthier sales and profits.
The bottom line is, leaving a legacy in a service-orientated business is not about what you do personally but rather how you help others achieve what they need to do. And the first step in helping others achieve what they need to do is to be part of the journey, training, and conversations. Full stop. Just show up and be in the room. It’s powerful when you are there. A little poem just for you, to finish:
Leaders influence service
We watch you when you arrive, you set the tone the moment you speak.
We seek your input and advice, you make decisions each hour, day and week.
We make it tricky for you, occasionally, because of our different personalities.
We serve the customers the way you serve us. We feel the value we bring when you praise us.
It’s a job that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and yet so many of you are thrown into it with no leadership maturity.
The best of you leaves the biggest imprint, by making our jobs in service much easier to win at
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