It’s Not About the Right Now

It is that time of year, when college graduates say goodbye to campus life and hello to the workplace. These young employees have a lot to offer - passion, enthusiasm and an in-depth knowledge of how to operate in a world always connected through the click of a mouse or touch of a finger. 

I am lucky to have several outstanding young folks on my team and they impress me daily. I do think, however, there is a bit of wisdom that those of us who have been out in the workforce for several years—or twenty—can impart to our younger colleagues. And so, I want to take the opportunity in the next few posts to offer some tips for those just starting out in their careers.

I have been fortunate enough to have a nephew with whom I am close. He is a few years out of college and since graduation, he has looked to me for advice and help navigating the workforce. Something I see with him as well as my younger team members is how difficult it is to handle the lack of instant gratification. I do believe in leaders providing feedback in real time but I see this not being sufficient for many millennials. It is the promotion they desire and typically within a very short time frame. 

I think this may be because my nephew and his friends have grown up in a world where many of their needs or desires can be met instantaneously with the click of an app or download. As a result, it can be hard for them to be patient or to take the long view. They often think something is wrong with their performance if they do not immediately receive a promotion or salary increase with each accomplishment.

I often explain to him when he comes to me frustrated with work, that the feedback and the recognition for a job well done will come. It might not come in the moment but if you stay true to showing great work ethic, it will come at one point or another.

It really is simple, the key to success is hard work and showing initiative. You don’t always need to be the smartest person in the room (many times, I certainly am not), but if you show up early, stay late, focus on what needs to get done and determine how you can contribute, you will succeed. Over time, your employer will notice your consistency and your effort. In fact, I am confident that come review time, you will see receive that reward and recognition for all your hard work.

At the end of the day, it is about the work you are doing and the career you are building. It’s a marathon and you are only in the first mile or two. Don’t get distracted by what you need now but rather stay focused on the journey ahead.

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From the Top Down and the Bottom Up

As I outlined in my previous blog post, Flight Path for Success, the incident that took place on United Flight #3411 and the ensuing response could have been avoided. It would have entailed United putting the customer first, empowering team members to do the right thing and owning its mistakes. This incident also signaled a CEO that was out of touch with his customers.

Regardless of the size of your organization, a connection to one’s customers is critical to the success of any business. When you understand customer behaviors - for instance, what motivates them to engage, what causes them to look for services elsewhere - you will have a greater chance for success and a better handle on how to make a course correction when needed. You also demonstrate to your team that you personally care about the business.

One way to ensure this type of connection is to focus on your organizational structure. You want to keep the management layers between leaders and customers to as few as possible. For example, in most cases at Jupiter Medical Center there are only three-and-half layers between me and the patient. As a leadership team, a (relatively) flat organization allows us to have a real handle on who our patients are as well as what their needs are. We also continually look for opportunities where we can engage directly with them. Whether that is spending time in our clinics or treatment facilities or doing frequent rounds to each floor of the hospital.

Another way to maintain a connection is to provide a space to hear suggestions on new or improved customer service initiatives. Sometimes these are in the form of town halls or small group meetings with my team, but hearing from team members like this on how to continue to provide world-class service to customers is critical. Not only do we discover new and exciting opportunities to engage customers but you empower your team to take ownership of customer relationships.

In addition to listening to your team, you also need to be proactive in listening to the customer first hand. Consistent with this thought, Jupiter Medical Center has a Patient and Family Advisory Council that consists of former patients and their family members who volunteer their time and input to help improve the experience for others. This council ensures the patient’s voice and needs are integrated into hospital committees, task forces and daily decision making. In its second year, the council has grown to 15 members and has made a great impact on the organization.  

For us at Jupiter Medical Center, connection with our customer is simply embedded in our culture. We care for the health and wellness of our community one patient at a time. At the end of the day, this type of culture makes a difference - and our scores don't lie. We continue to rank #1 in overall patient satisfaction in Palm Beach and Martin County for the past 7 years as well as being #1 in likelihood to recommend. This alone outpaces the national and statewide averages but has also allowed us to remain the preferred institution in our community.

But for any organization, the bottom line is that a connection to your customers is critical and it starts from the top down. Think about it: as a leader, understanding the customer is our primary job. If we cannot stay attuned to the needs of the customer, then how can we expect our business to thrive?

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Flight Path to Success

Last week, a video surfaced showing a passenger physically dragged from an oversold United Flight when he refused to give up his seat for a United employee. Not surprisingly, this incident caused outrage and disgust as evident from the backlash on social media, calls for a United boycott and plummet in the airline’s stock price.

As someone leading a customer care driven business, I believe that what happened on United flight #3411 and the ensuing response could have been avoided. While there has been a great deal of Monday morning quarterbacking, it is useful to use the United incident as a vehicle. Specifically, it’s an opportunity to reinforce what can be done to deliver high quality care and service that focuses on the consumer, to build a workplace that empowers employees and to make a positive impact on the community it serves.

With that in mind, let’s review those key ingredients to building a world-class company that provides the best service possible:

• Put the customer first. United failed to put the customer first that afternoon. While the airline might have been thinking about those customers waiting for a flight crew in Louisville, they did so at the expense of the passengers in Chicago. As a provider, your number one priority must be the customer. You must always lead with “what can I do to ensure that the customer gets what they need and has the best experience possible?” Not only is this the right thing to do, it builds your business. In addition, you are likely to retain the customer, and find that they become a passionate advocate for your business - recommending your services to friends, colleagues and family. The “likely to recommend” metric is critical in my field and one we strive to meet and exceed every day.

• Empower employees to do the right thing. I must admit that I found it completely baffling that at no time did an employee - from the gate agent to ground crew to flight crew to the pilots - step in to deescalate the situation and find an alternative solution. Why didn’t anyone do what was right? I can only assume that United employees have not been empowered to feel like they can take control and make on-the-spot decisions when needed.  You must make employees feel empowered. They must believe they are capable and qualified to make a call that is in the best interest of the customer and the business when needed. Not only does it protect your employees but it breeds loyalty and a sense of ownership in the organization.

• Have systems in place that you review regularly. I understand bumping passengers is necessary from time to time. Things like headwinds that cause weight restrictions and broken equipment are unavoidable.  And overselling seats is more likely to ensure maximum profitability. However, if you know an area of your business has the potential to negatively affect customers and that the repercussions are likely to cost more than the perceived profit, you might want to think of alternative solutions. For example, if flights out of Chicago have a significantly higher chance of overselling, consider decreasing the number of seats sold beyond capacity. Or if you consider my field - healthcare, and realize that things get backed up in your urgent care clinic starting at 3 pm, consider reducing the number of late afternoon appointments. My recommendation is that you should reevaluate your business for opportunities to maximize growth and productivity and minimize opportunities for dissatisfaction and disruption on a quarterly basis.

• If you make a mistake, own it. If all else fails and a mistake still occurs, own it. We all make mistakes but it is the way we account for them that speaks volumes. Had the CEO of United immediately and profusely apologized, offering meaningful compensation and recompense, some of the fallout could have been avoided. Instead he doubled down, made excuses and attacked the injured customer. I realize there can be certain barriers (legal) standing in the way of an apology but at the end of the day, there is nothing more powerful than admitting that you made a mistake.

Building a business is challenging and there are times when there are forces beyond your control that prevent you from giving your best to your customers. But a situation like the one that occurred with United is completely avoidable. If you follow some key guiding principles, you, your employees and your organization will find yourselves on the flight path to a successful journey. 

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Minor Adjustments

Annual performance reviews are critical to the success of any organization. As part of this process, here are the top things I recommend leaders consider before heading in to meet with a team member.

• Provide the opportunity for team members to reflect on their accomplishments and overall performance over the past year. Start with the team member and have them give an overall summary of their work. You might hear some surprising things and I often find they are more critical of themselves than you could ever be.

• Dedicate time for an interactive conversation about what is working and what could be improved. Always lead with the positive—the things that are going great—and then explore with the team member those items that, if improved, could take their performance to the next level. Remember to make sure it is a two-way conversation and that you are “hearing” them.  Encourage team members to provide constructive feedback on both their department and organization. It is also important to recognize that the annual performance review is not the only time to have these conversations. Leaders should meet with their direct reports on a quarterly basis to review performance as well as solicit feedback. This will ensure that there are no surprises. Let's be honest - no one likes to operate in the gray. When it comes to communication, people appreciate the black and white. Additionally, team members need consistent and frequent feedback to feel empowered, understand where they stand and that they have the tools they need to be successful.

• Make sure that expectations are set from the top down and that every team member has a clear understanding of the organizational strategy and goals. This is critical to success. Spend real time with your team reviewing the strategy for the organization and how their work plays a key role in what you all are trying to accomplish. Whether this is through one on one meetings or a town hall, your team members should possess a 360-degree view of the organization and where they fit in. By doing so, you provide meaning and purpose to each person’s role. And at the end of the day, it takes a team of people working towards a common goal to accomplish something great.  

• Once goals are set, confirm that your team has what it needs to be successful in executing these in the coming year. One of the most important questions you can ask your team members is “what do you need to do your job the best you can and how can I help?”  I am not talking about a salary increase or a corner office (while those might be appropriate at certain times). I am thinking more of those abstract things—like listening, support or training—that, when put into practice, can make a dramatic difference. This also demonstrates that you understand that their success is tied directly to your success as a manager and your ability to lead.

• Take the time to revisit your organizational structure.  I have found this to be an invaluable exercise. I take time each year to tweak our overall organizational structure to make sure that specific responsibilities and tactics are best accomplished by the team to which they have been assigned.  Over the course of a six-week period, I work with my direct reports and their teams to dig deep and assess the work that they are doing. Are they accomplishing the goals they set out to accomplish? And do these goals still clearly align with our overall organizational strategy? As part of this process, I stretch my employees to look both at the work they personally generate as well as the work of their team so that we can continue to come up with ways to be even more intentional, productive and efficient.  Each year, we come out of this process with several adjustments to our organizational structure and tactics that help drive our organization forward.

• Identify team members that have demonstrated leadership and growth potential and determine ways that you can invest in and nurture their skills. One of the real added benefits of this exercise is that it gives me the opportunity to increase the capacity of team members who demonstrate a real potential for leadership and growth. As in any organization, our future success lies in the talent and skill of our team members. By providing additional opportunities for these people, we not only help develop their talents, but we keep them in the organization and happy. 

The performance review period is not the time to annually reinvent the wheel and recast your mission as an organization. It is a period of reflection and to work with team members to make minor adjustment—small, but important, tweaks that will lead to continued growth and productivity. Often, it is those minor little adjustments—like tightening a screw on a wobbly table leg—that can make all the difference.

Continue following along with me both here and on Linkedin.

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