What Else Can I do?
Article | Accountability Insights
The call centers of a large financial services company were struggling to improve. Turnover was high, “handle time” was long, and software solutions were inadequate. Targets for improvement were established and everyone began asking: “What else can I do?” However, when it came to bringing about real change, the going got tougher as numerous unexpected issues and problems arose. Undaunted, everyone in the organization continued asking, “what else can I do?” to find new ways to improve performance. Ideas poured in as everyone from senior management to telephone operators took accountability for reducing the time needed to handle a call.
Within a few months, they changed the way they hired people; they implemented new software solutions; they began measuring and reporting performance on a daily basis; they implemented a balanced scorecard; and they focused their training and development on high priority skills. Their Solve It mentality flourished, leading to a new set of Solve It skills. The result was a whopping $143 million per year increase in net operating income.
This call center division translated their understanding and ownership into real problem-solving action by implementing a simple set of key Solve It skills:
| 1. | Stay Engaged. Don’t focus on what can’t be done, continue looking for and thinking about creative alternatives. | |
| 2. | Persist. You can never ever stop asking the Solve It question: “What else can I do?” | |
| 3. | Think Differently. Remember, the same thinking that got you into a problem won’t get you out of it. | |
| 4. | Create New Linkages. New approaches usually involve forging new relationships. | |
| 5. | Take Initiative. Who do you want to be? Someone who makes things happen; someone who watches things happen; someone who wonders what happened; or someone who never knew anything happened? | |
| 6. | Stay Conscious. Challenge current assumptions and beliefs to break through to new levels of thinking that will most likely take you out of your comfort zone. |
Simply acknowledging reality and owning circumstances will accomplish little if you fail to solve problems and remove obstacles on your road to results. Once you See It and Own It, you must Solve It by constantly asking, “What else can I do to achieve the desired results?” Only then can you consistently Do It!
To learn more about developing crucial Solve It skills, join the Accountability Community at www.partnersinleadership.com, where you can review the accounts of individuals that have actually done it.
See It, Own It, Solve It, Do It, and Accountability Community are registered trademarks of Partners In Leadership.