Hello Team Leads,
Transitioning from planning to action is crucial in the fast-paced environment of contact centers. As part of our VSS Standard Operations And Rigor (vSOAR) model, the “DO” phase is where your plans become reality. This phase is critical for team leads as it involves direct supervision and implementation of daily activities. Let’s explore what team leads should be doing to maximize effectiveness during the DO phase.
Key Responsibilities in the DO Phase
1. Implementing the Plan:
- Kickstart the shift by ensuring that all team members are clear on their tasks and targets for the day.
- Begin execution of the plans discussed during the pre-shift huddle, ensuring that everyone is aligned and motivated.
2. Monitoring in Real-Time:
- Use real-time monitoring tools to track the performance of your team against the planned activities and KPIs.
- Adjust strategies as necessary to meet daily goals, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently.
3. Providing Support and Guidance:
- Be readily available to assist team members with challenges they encounter during their tasks.
- Offer immediate feedback and coaching to guide them through complex situations or when deviations from expected performance occur.
4. Encouraging Communication:
- Maintain open lines of communication throughout the shift.
- Encourage team members to report back on progress and challenges, fostering a collaborative team environment.
5. Addressing Issues Promptly:
- Quickly address any issues that arise to minimize impact on performance and customer satisfaction.
- Implement corrective actions and adapt processes in real-time to overcome operational hurdles.
Enhancing Team Performance
1. Fostering a Positive Work Environment:
- Keep morale high by recognizing hard work and celebrating small wins throughout the shift.
- Create an atmosphere that promotes well-being and positivity, crucial for sustained high performance.
2. Ensuring Quality Assurance:
- Regularly check on the quality of work being done by your team.
- Implement spot checks and provide constructive feedback to ensure all interactions meet company standards.
3. Facilitating Problem-Solving:
- Encourage team members to come up with solutions to problems they encounter.
- Guide them in developing their problem-solving skills, which is essential for their growth and independence.
4. Preparing for Handoffs:
- If applicable, prepare for any shift handoffs by summarizing the day’s accomplishments and unresolved issues.
- Ensure the next team is well-prepared to take over, maintaining continuity and efficiency.
Weekly Leadership Challenge
1. Refine Usage of the Coaching Playbook:
- Review and apply the playbook meticulously. Ensure that it is heavily referenced in every coaching session.
- Accurately identify behaviors according to the playbook’s guidelines, distinguishing clearly between behaviors, strategies, and results.
- Behavior: Specific actions, like summarizing key points at the end of a customer call to ensure clarity and closure. Tells the agent HOW to do something.
- Strategy: General approaches, such as encouraging “proper call closing” without specifying how. Tells the agent WHAT to do.
- Results: Outcome-focused comments, like aiming for a specific customer satisfaction score without detailing the steps to achieve it.
2. Implement and Track Rapid Fire Sessions:
- Deliver a minimum of three Rapid Fire sessions per day for each agent, focusing on immediate reinforcement, redirection, or correction.
- Each Rapid Fire should last between 1 to 3 minutes—concise yet powerful enough to make an impact.
- Maintain a daily log in the coaching playbook, documenting each Rapid Fire session and noting whether it was a Reinforce, Redirect, or Correct interaction.
3. Curate and Correct Coaching Approaches:
- Analyze whether the identified items in your playbook are true behaviors or if they inadvertently fall into the strategy or results categories.
- Adjust your coaching entries to ensure they strictly define behaviors, providing clear, executable actions for your agents.