Todd

Naresh Vassudhev

Thanks for your thoughtful comment. I particularly appreciate the distinction you make between tangible and observable change.

I have found that structural change is very, very real. In fact, there is no missing it. When a structural change occurs there is no doubt it is real and lasting. This does not mean that it will be a positive experience. When making structural change great vision and great planning are both needed.

Todd

I appreciate your comment and how great it is to work for a company that aligns its service promise with structure, systems and education that nourish all. If there is one word of advice do you have for anyone who is currently working (and needs to keep their job) in a company that does not provide such clear direction, what would it be?

What you say here is, for me, well aimed and right on. I especially appreciate your illustration of the concierge desk change to a less functional structure, and how it produced the small but significant grimace on the part of the person attempting to be of service.

Another aspect of structural changes that I think strengthens your point even further is that structural changes are usually tangible and observable. Even if there is a shift in reporting structure, rather than a desk or the layout of a room, a person will notice that they are meeting with a different supervisor, or someone else is conducting their weekly meeting. Making these sorts of ‘real’ changes can help people to believe that something is actually happening and counter the cynical, “It’s all just talk anyway,” push-back produced out of the existing culture.

Dan H.

Great Article! You certainly hit the nail on the head. At Enterasys we live by our ethos “There is nothing more important than our customers” and it helps us every day in all parts of the business stay focused on the end goal.

I totally agree with your comments in response to adlan…..and with the points David Lim made…..about tracking performance, establishing KPIs etc.

But again so-called leaders make it difficult for their people by sending wrong messages and setting up ‘behaviour traps’ where what is SAID to be important is different from what is recognised and rewarded.

For example, typically the organisation says: “Let’s serve the customer well”……. but who gives the performance rating? The employee’s supervisor! Employees aren’t stupid, and so if it comes to a choice between their customers or their supervisor, guess who’s going to win!

I think you can have all the empowerment in the world in an organisation and work hard on getting everyone involved. But if the systems don’t support the underlying principles of service, then the organisation won’t see any real benefit from all that activity.

I am one of the beneficiaries of your valuable input and material on Service. No doubt you are ‘the best’ in customers service related matters. I am one of your admirers from the day I attended one of your programs in Lahore Pakistan.

Best wishes and regards.

Shahid Nafees