How to Create a High Performance Customer Service Leadership Team
Map out the organization’s goals., Assess your need for skills., Consider the advantages and disadvantages of team leadership.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Map out the organization’s goals.
A company has to align employees with its goals, initiatives, and service delivery requirements.
A leadership team will need to be able to measure progress toward these goals.
It will also have to communicate them up front, so that employees can work to meet or exceed them.
Start by defining what your organization needs from its leaders.
These could be skills, competencies, or levels of business acumen.
They might be the ability to problem-solve, carry out technical tasks, or relate to others.For customer service, your general goals will most likely be to provide efficient and professional help to clients.
More than that will depend on the nature of the business.
A shipping company, for example, might need customer service employees who can expedite and track packages and make sure goods arrive on time.
A computer company may have more direct interaction with customers, in trouble shooting, doing repairs, or giving order support.Decide if your organization has what it needs.
Do you have people working in the right areas? Are they well suited to the work? -
Step 2: Assess your need for skills.
You’ll need to consider the skills, traits, and competencies you need to meet your organizational goals.
A leadership team should be like a living thing.
Each member will bring different qualities and the group should act together as a whole.You’ll need to judge the skills and limitations that each potential leader brings, including your own.
Be brutally honest.
Your team members should complement each other, with each person having a specific role to play or talent to use.Some people may have good person-to-person skills.
You’ll need this in customer service.
Don’t overlook less personable skills, however.
You will need a range of talents.
You’ll also want team members with technical knowhow, for example, like the logistics of shipping.
Problem-solving or the ability to think under stress might be another good quality in a team member.
All together, you’ll need people with technical knowledge to get tasks done.
You’ll need problem-solvers to ensure the tasks are done efficiently.
And you’ll want at least one good people person to keep the team running or to smooth over interpersonal conflict., Don’t assume out of hand that you need a leadership team.
You may find that you have all the skills in one person who can oversee your customer service.
Or, you may decide that team leadership is too cumbersome.
In any case, it is good to make sure a team best aligns with the company’s goals.
Size matters.
A small chain of retail stores will have less need for a leadership team than, say, a regional cable company that needs to deliver its product to the customer, trouble shoot, and operate a telephone service line.
Team leadership can give you different perspectives and viewpoints or a greater range of skills than just one person.
It can offer a shared vision.
Teams can also build good leaders and provide support during hard times.Keep in mind that team leadership is not always ideal.
Decisions may take longer to implement.
Working on tasks with a team can sometimes be less efficient than with one person in control.
Teams can also create interpersonal problems.
Members might not get along or they may become resentful, demotivated, or disengaged if they don’t feel enough recognition. -
Step 3: Consider the advantages and disadvantages of team leadership.
Detailed Guide
A company has to align employees with its goals, initiatives, and service delivery requirements.
A leadership team will need to be able to measure progress toward these goals.
It will also have to communicate them up front, so that employees can work to meet or exceed them.
Start by defining what your organization needs from its leaders.
These could be skills, competencies, or levels of business acumen.
They might be the ability to problem-solve, carry out technical tasks, or relate to others.For customer service, your general goals will most likely be to provide efficient and professional help to clients.
More than that will depend on the nature of the business.
A shipping company, for example, might need customer service employees who can expedite and track packages and make sure goods arrive on time.
A computer company may have more direct interaction with customers, in trouble shooting, doing repairs, or giving order support.Decide if your organization has what it needs.
Do you have people working in the right areas? Are they well suited to the work?
You’ll need to consider the skills, traits, and competencies you need to meet your organizational goals.
A leadership team should be like a living thing.
Each member will bring different qualities and the group should act together as a whole.You’ll need to judge the skills and limitations that each potential leader brings, including your own.
Be brutally honest.
Your team members should complement each other, with each person having a specific role to play or talent to use.Some people may have good person-to-person skills.
You’ll need this in customer service.
Don’t overlook less personable skills, however.
You will need a range of talents.
You’ll also want team members with technical knowhow, for example, like the logistics of shipping.
Problem-solving or the ability to think under stress might be another good quality in a team member.
All together, you’ll need people with technical knowledge to get tasks done.
You’ll need problem-solvers to ensure the tasks are done efficiently.
And you’ll want at least one good people person to keep the team running or to smooth over interpersonal conflict., Don’t assume out of hand that you need a leadership team.
You may find that you have all the skills in one person who can oversee your customer service.
Or, you may decide that team leadership is too cumbersome.
In any case, it is good to make sure a team best aligns with the company’s goals.
Size matters.
A small chain of retail stores will have less need for a leadership team than, say, a regional cable company that needs to deliver its product to the customer, trouble shoot, and operate a telephone service line.
Team leadership can give you different perspectives and viewpoints or a greater range of skills than just one person.
It can offer a shared vision.
Teams can also build good leaders and provide support during hard times.Keep in mind that team leadership is not always ideal.
Decisions may take longer to implement.
Working on tasks with a team can sometimes be less efficient than with one person in control.
Teams can also create interpersonal problems.
Members might not get along or they may become resentful, demotivated, or disengaged if they don’t feel enough recognition.
About the Author
Mark Mendoza
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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