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for information.
 ©2010 Creative Learning Solutions, Inc.
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Case Histories
Team Building for
Productivity | Customer Service
TEAM BUILDING FOR PRODUCTIVITY
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SITUATION:
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A legal department in a large, multinational corporation was experiencing internal strife that interfered with productivity.
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SOLUTION:
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Interviews with all members of the department revealed a picture of both the main difficulties and the members’ visions for working together. With the help of the department head, we planned 2˝ days of off-site team training. The training was designed to build trust; teach skills for clear communication, for giving feedback, and for handling conflict; and begin building the department into a well-functioning team. To accommodate the company’s work demands, the training occurred in five half-day sessions, one each day for a week. During the training the group reached some common agreements about how they would function together, and they set up mechanisms to help them put those agreements into effect. Individual coaching sessions were available on request for any member after the training, and several did avail themselves of the opportunity. One- and three-month follow-up meetings took place between the department (including the department head) and the trainer/consultant.
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| RESULTS: |
During the days of the team training, group members reported that during their half-days in the office the tone was noticeably lighter than it had been. The group was able to continue building on the momentum they developed in the training. At both the one- and three-month follow-up meetings with the consultant, the group reflected on its progress and identified next steps. Members reported increased problem-solving abilities among themselves, greater collegiality and fun together, and talking with each other directly as issues arose rather than complaining behind people’s backs as they had a tendency to do before the training. Many reported using the skills they learned – listening, problem-solving, handling conflict – at home with family members, indicating to us that they had really internalized the skills. The group’s workload was high before our involvement and if anything increased one year later, but better interpersonal trust, communication and team skills allow the group to function at high productivity despite the stresses from heavy workload.
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| CUSTOMER
SERVICE |
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| SITUATION: |
A small service company (about 30 employees) experienced customer service problems. Misunderstandings, poor communication skills, and difficulty in dealing with conflict interfered with good relations among the employees and also affected customer satisfaction. Employee turnover was high.
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| SOLUTION: |
SOLUTION: We (CLS) designed customer service training for the entire company, based on interviews with representative employees from various job categories and levels in the company. The training was 20 hours long, and included lots of skill practice in listening, problem-solving, handling conflict, negotiation, and being effective on the telephone, as well as introducing tools to handle stress and to work as a team. To accommodate the company’s work demands, the training occurred in eight 2˝-hour sessions over a 3 week period; everyone took part, including the manager and the two owners of the company. Towards the end of the training, the CLS consultant spent time observing and coaching each of the employees who worked on the telephone.
Within two weeks of completing the training, and again after a couple of months, the consultant met with the employees who train the crew chiefs and new assistants out on the trucks. The purpose of these sessions was to help the in-house trainers revamp what they were doing using what they learned in the customer service training, and to reinforce and build on the new skills of the other employees.
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| RESULTS: |
Follow-up interviews with representative employees showed dramatic changes for many of them in how they relate to customers and to each other. What they said about themselves and what other employees reported about them were congruent. The results include listening to irate customers rather than fighting with them, listening to crew members and problem solving together rather than arguing, increased sales as customers talk more to the employee, and less stress and more productivity for the manager. Many reported listening more and arguing less at home with family members, indicating to us that they really internalized the skills.
The sessions with the in-house trainers resulted in the use of hands-on skill practice, rather than primarily lecture and reading a manual. The trainers added more of the people side of customer service to their training, in addition to the technical physical aspects of the job. The trainers learned to use frequent praise (new for them), and even to include role plays for dealing with typical customer situations. The outcomes were (1) improved results on the job as employees went through the in-house training, (2) less turnover among employees, one of the goals at the outset, and (3) greater team work among the in-house trainers. There was much more communication and cooperation among them and hence more strategic thinking about the in-house training.
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