What Else Can You Do?
Article | Accountability Insights
The credit card division of a large bank held an (The Oz Principle Accountability Training) workshop in an effort to create greater accountability and ownership in its call center where turnover was high, “handle time” was long, and software solutions were inadequate. Bold targets for improvement were established during the workshop and, to management’s surprise, everyone got on board.
After the workshop, however, when it came to bringing about real change, the going got tough as numerous unexpected issues and problems arose. Undaunted, everyone in the organization began looking for ways to improve performance by constantly asking “What Else Can I Do?“. Ideas poured in from everywhere as everyone from senior management to telephone operators took accountability for reducing the time needed to handle a call. 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 on high priority skills and behavior. A Solve It mentality flourished, leading to a new set of Solve It skills. The result was a whopping increase of $143 million a year to the company’s bottom line.
Over the years, we have helped clients translate their understanding and ownership into problem-solving action with the following 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 the 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!
For more information on developing crucial Solve It skills, please join the Accountability Community by visiting www.partnersinleadership.com
The Oz Principle, Accountability Training, See It, Own It, Solve It, Do It, are all registered trademarks of Partners In Leadership Inc.