February 2009 Cultivating perfect team leader By Chris C. Ducker Much has been written about the role of Team Leaders in the Contact Centre world. Say what you may, the bottom line is having good, dependable Team Leaders in place to help you run your company is the difference between growth, expansion and success, and fundamentally losing it all. The Team Leader plays as high of an impact role in the Contact Centre than any other part of the management. Make no mistake. As a role model, the call centre Team Leader (or TL's as they are sometimes referred to by their adoring teams of agents and CSR's) must demonstrate exceptionally good judgment, excellent work habits, thorough knowledge of procedures and processes, as well as strong retention skills when it comes to the different products and services that they will be teaching and coaching their staff on. Above all this, however, the modern-day call centre TL should possess excellent motivational and interpersonal skills for handling their teams of staff and external customers alike. We recently did a survey with our Outbound Telemarketers and Virtual Assistants. The simple question we asked was "What do you want in a Team Leader?". Some of the comments we obviously expected, but there were also a few that we didn't see coming, and we now appreciate doing this little exercise more than ever. First up, almost all of the staff members surveyed said that they wanted their Team Leader, first and foremost, to be enthusiastic when working with them. To have their support and to be inspired and motivated by their TL. This gives them the energy and enthusiasm they need to be able to get fired up and ready for work every day. They also want to know that their TL can do the job that they, themselves, are doing. "To be able to stand there and say 'do this and do that' is no good unless they can do it themselves ..." points out Marie, one of our more seasoned telemarketers. The one big revelation that came about on this survey was that the biggest fear the agents had, in relation to working with their TL, was that they would not do what they needed to, to help them get better. We asked why they even thought this would be an issue – thinking logically, a TL will basically get commended and receive that all important pat on the back (along with the bonuses and pay increases!), based on the performance of their team. Why wouldn't they help their team get better? Simple – because of the fear of being replaced by one of their own team members. This led us to look a lot more deeply into the mind of the call centre TL. Based on our findings, I now present to you the Top 10 Tips to finding, hiring, training, motivating and cultivating the perfect TL. Tip #1 When looking for a new TL, start with what is already under your nose – your agents. Sometimes TL are chosen solely on the basis of their performance as agents. This also gives the agent pool the ability to see that you are interested in promoting from within, which is always a good thing. Keep the 'best of the best' for the first-level supervisor or management roles though. If you have to advertise outside the company, then look for people with a minimum of one year call centre experience, and preferably someone who has been in a similar role already with another company. Tip #2 When interviewing for potential new TL, look for qualities such as a strong, positive attitude, someone that you feel will always be willing to help out – not just in relation to their potential team, but in regards to the company in general. I've met some TL that work 15 hours a day. They quickly move up the corporate ladder, believe me! Tip #3 Once that special someone has been hired and placed in their new position (after any relevant training, if required), its time to go to work. The first thing you must get across to them is that they must demonstrate an amazingly strong desire to contribute towards the company's goals and overall image. They should also be able to run with tasks on their own, and have the initiative to work in a trustworthy way, with strong business ethics, too. Tip #4 Being able to manage one's time is about as important as anything else. Especially when you're focusing on building up a new team. Team Leaders should have the ability to prioritise certain activities and meet deadlines. Timelines and commitments should be met, always. Your long-term TLs will eventually, hopefully become part of your management team, so get this important point across from the get-go. Tip #5 Flexibility. Lets face it – we work in a very fast moving, hectic and at times, down right stressful industry. More and more agents are quitting nowadays because of stress related illnesses. Your TLs should hone in on their flexibility skills, making sure that they can focus in a positive way to corporate changes and to keep the team in line when it comes to challenging tasks and working towards targets. Tip #6 Having the skill to address the team as well as getting information to them in a clear and concise format (whether is through written or oral communication) is an endearing and essential quality of high impact TLs. This is especially important when discussing negative information. Tip #7 Being able to build and grow relationships is also an important factor. Working with diverse and different individuals is part of the role. Being able to take a special interest in team member's personal lives is just as important. What did they do at the weekend? What is the name of their wife or boyfriend? It is these small details that create strength and loyalty in a team. Tip #8 Welcome to the world of management, and problem solving! Lets face it, as “leaders” – regardless of how high up the food chain we are! – we are problem solvers. All TLs should have this skill in abundance. Tip #9 The ability to build and drive a team of individuals is paramount. Generating enthusiasm and setting challenging, as well as clear, goals is also important, as well as providing the resources that the team members require to get the job done. Tip #10 A TL should also be a great coach. This is more than just clapping hands and saying “good job” when everything is going well. A coach is more active when things are going wrong. Having the ability to effectively identify problems, such as poor handling time or sales production, and being able to act on these things in a positive, friendly style will enable them to be constructive, encouraging and ultimately get the best out of their team. The balance of negative and positive feedback needs to be handled well, for all of the team. So, there you have it – your one-stop-shop to finding, hiring and cultivating as perfect of a Team Leader as you possibly can. Chris C. Ducker is CEO of Live2Sell, which is based in Cebu City, Philippines