Getting Senior Management Onboard – Part 1

“Senior management just doesn’t get it.” That’s a comment I’ve heard time and again from call center managers who are struggling with issues such as staffing, getting support for new technology or obtaining respect for their department. My reply is always the same: It’s our job as call center leaders to get them to understand, and we can’t stop until everyone appreciates the value and dynamics of our real-time inbound environment.

Now, you might be thinking (and I’ve heard it time and again) that it’s easy to say if you don’t have to live it every day. Fair enough, but as a consultant involved in transforming senior management’s opinions on the call center on several occasions, I know it can be done. The key is making it happen in targeted, digestible chunks. I’ve worked with many very smart people who, for one reason or another, have adopted a “keeping your head above water” approach to call center management approach.

The truth is that many senior executives with call center responsibilities have never run a call center. In many cases, they’re focused other organizational issues that pull them away from gaining a true understanding of our challenges. But that’s not a bad thing – it actually makes it a lot easier to transform their opinions.

OK, so where should you start and what should you be doing? First and foremost, you need to be on top of your game. Make sure that you have a solid understanding of how to intelligently describe the tactical stuff, and make the connection between the call center and the value it brings to the company. Yes, to get buy-in from others, you have to become a student of call centers and continually look for ways to sharpen your own skills.

My advice for staying on top of your game is don’t try to reinvent the wheel – chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re looking for new ideas, which is a great first step. Make sure that your knowledge of call centers is not only accurate, but the way things are still being done. Attend conferences, seminars and training courses that focus on the basics of call center management or more advanced courses on strategy and technology. (There are several organizations that offer these types of programs. You can find more information on the Industry Links page at the Service Level Group’s Web site.  Another way to keep abreast of the latest trends is to subscribe to – and READ – as many industry publication as you can. There are lots of free call center-focused publications available and most provide weekly email updates.

While you’re getting yourself up to speed, try to get a feel for what your senior management is reading. Many times, their ideas and strategies are derived from popular business books and non-call center periodicals. The next time you’re in a senior manager’s office, take a look around to see what newspapers, magazines and books are laying around – and then get a copy for yourself. You’d be surprised at how many ideas and theories from mainstream articles and books can be applied to the call center environment. The best part is, you can use it as point of reference the next time you have an opportunity to “talk call centers” with the boss.

Get more, including Free web seminars and articles at http://www.servicelevelgroup.com/