Savoir-Agir@Work

Any change causes stress, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Your stress response is designed to help you meet demands you face by increasing your focus. It’s your perception of the stress that is either negative or positive, and that will make you be either emotional or rational about it. To harness the rational aspect of change, acknowledge that the change you are facing is tough. This will change where you experience the stress in your brain, moving it from the reactive amygdala (emotional) to the prefrontal cortex (rational).  It will allow you to put in place solutions and strategies instead of resisting and reacting.

"Nonversation’’ is … when instead of giving your caller your full attention, you pretend to listen while doing something else. When you do this, you’re too distracted to really understand, you offer insignificant "uh huh" in response, and are liable to miss subtle but important clues.

Set aside a predetermined time during the day to return all your calls, concentrate solely on the person on the other end and have a proper "conversation".

Stage fright is not always a disability, it can be used to your advantage. Fear triggers your defense mechanisms for channeling all the attention and energy toward a single goal. Secretion of adrenaline increases the speed with which you think, which puts you in a good position to structure your ideas, finding the right word or an ingenious answer. Too many jitters can undermine a presentation, but a bit of stage fright can put all your senses in alert and enhance your performance.

We are our primary working tool and one that leaves the deepest impression on our customers.   It is important to master the art of customer communication.

To optimize stages of customer communication is to demonstrate our professionalism.

Oftentimes, customer service professionals narrow their methods to a simple concept:
« Treat people as you would like to be treated.»

The “Golden Rule” is a very good intention and an excellent starting point in service, as it helps you put yourself in the customer’s shoes and see the world from their perspective. However, it is important not to stop there as it only tells part of the story.

In the end, customers want to be treated the way THEY want to be treated.
It’s as simple – and difficult – as that.

When in doubt, ask the person to explain his situation. This is probably the most effective way, the simplest and most straightforward to understand the other person. A simple "Help me understand why you see the situation this way / why you want this." is sufficient. Yet it is probably the least used method, we try to guess like if we are going to earn "bonus points" for discovering it on our own.

Proactive people decide what's going to happen next. They set the pace, outline the strategy, and initiate action instead of just reacting.
Finding the courage to be proactive is hard, but when you do you’ll choose your own actions and you’ll take control over your time, your effort and your results.

Master the art of public speaking by acquiring more self-confidence. There is no miracle,  it is important to prepare yourself in advance. The  more you master the content, the more you can invest your energy in the form.

Because we want to be efficient, we sometimes submerge others with "urgent" e-mails and we follow up excessively. Be aware that you can generate tension and stress for others. Accept that everyone has their own rhythm. Try to find a balance between the delay in response you expect to have and the rhythm of the people you work with.

Building rapport is key to successful negotiating. When people are alike, they tend to like each other, so put yourself in their shoes, empathize with them and adapt to their style to mirror them.

Check emails only at predetermined specific times, so that your workflow is not continually interrupted by new email notifications.

If the customer suggests you use his first name, it is then acceptable to address yourself to the customer in this way. To use the first name can also be (but not always) acceptable when: - You established a good rapport with time. - You know the customer and know that he is at ease with the use of his first name

Look people in the eye and remember their name. These subtle details act as token of respect towards other people and trigger the necessary elements to establish trusting relationships. 

Interpersonal conflict in the workplace often arises when one doesn’t feel valued, appreciated, or respected. If that’s your situation, it’s your responsibility to teach the other person to treat you better. But remember that assertiveness always has to be done respectfully!

Efficiency is not always something we DO, but something we ARE. Efficiency is a state of mind. 

To improve your message, avoid clichéd words like "unique", "literally", and "personally" or categorical statements like "always", "never" and "all".

While your technical skills may get your foot in the door, your people skills are what open most of the doors to come.
It's just not enough to be highly trained in technical skills, without developing the softer, interpersonal and relationship-building skills that help people to communicate and collaborate effectively.

Want to be more determined when problem solving? Fold your arms! We tend to spend more time trying to solve problems, and come up with more solutions, if we have our arms crossed. Folding your arms helps because it’s a pose we associate with determination, so adopting the stance makes us more likely to feel we have the tenacity and strength of mind to succeed.

In a time where we are all in a rush and everything moves quickly, the clientele demands that service be rendered quicker and quicker. The keyword is PROMPTLY.

As a service provider, do I make clients wait for hours or weeks for a simple answer to a letter / email, phone call, an update on a file?

We must constantly aim to diligently answer clients’ needs.

Give importance to the « real » professional relationship. Pay attention to the individual (client, colleague, etc.) who’s in front of you, by concentrating on the exchange. Ignore your phone, your emails, or any other distraction. Show professionalism, and that you’re serious and involved in your conversations.

There will always be obstacles (Challenges, deadlines, limited resources, and people working against you), and there will always be opportunities (New people, situations and ideas just waiting…Occasions to share, give, contribute). The ones we rehearse and focus on are the ones that shape our attitude and our actions.

Focusing on our opportunities doesn't mean the problems don't exist, it means that we are far more likely to do something that matters.

Serving clientele implies accepting others as they are and not how you would like them to be.

In our work environment we are constantly submerged by information, solicitations, requests (pop-ups, interruptions, ringers, bips...) much of it is unnecessary "noise".  Relying on mental shortcuts is important, but a methodological approach is also essential and we have to learn to unhook from autopilot and filter information. Taking the time to think and reflect is crucial. Solutions and ideas need space and time to incubate.

Do not bombard your collaborators with useless email. If your exchanges go over three emails, think about changing your communication channel. A phone call or a meeting could be more efficient.

Start measuring success in terms of time management – not your daily level of « busy-ness » but by determining important tasks accomplished and your personal satisfaction.

The art of collaborative negotiation is based on self-affirmation (I express my needs) and empathy (I understand and welcome those of others). It represents two conditions of negotiation for a win-win result!

The first contact with our clients start from within our organization. We cannot neglect internal clients. 

There is a direct link between the way we dispense a service to an external client and the way to dispense it to an internal one. The way people treat themselves internally most likely reflect how they treat external clientele.

There is a major difference between empathy and sympathy. Empathy is objective and positive; it favors solutions to problems. Sympathy and antipathy trump objectivity and can be extremely counterproductive.

Achievement is not success. Achievement is a succession of failures and successes. Both teach us essential lessons and have their value. Succeeding is learning to avoid the arrogance of success and the dejection of failure.

There are usually three versions of a story or of a contentious situation: yours, the others’ and reality. By readying yourself to see all sides of a situation, you allow yourself to explore a multitude of possibilities and solutions. You’ll also reveal yourself as fair, well-thought and respectful, and you’ll also deserve everyone’s trust and respect.