CHALLENGES TO LEADING WFM TEAMS
Too often in contact centers , people aren ’ t promoted because of their leadership skills but because of their tactical ability to execute . We see that they are great at pushing the right buttons , saying the right things , or hitting the necessary metrics . However , …
• We wrongly assume that someone ’ s ability to control their own AHT means they have an ability to communicate and coach others to do the same .
• We incorrectly think that someone ’ s ability to create an accurate forecast in a spreadsheet means they ’ ll be able to lead a WFM platform towards an omnichannel solution .
It ' s a great thing that so many contact centers promote within , I myself have benefited from this . But unfortunately , the practice of identifying tactical ability before leadership ability often leads to having individuals promoted to lead WFM teams who have no leadership knowledge or experience .
Worse yet is when the WFM team or the leadership role is new to the organization and the leaders are left to fend for themselves , without any clear direction or guidance on how to lead a WFM team .
THE CORE VALUES OF SUCCESS- FUL WFM PROFESSIONALS
For me , the keys to success for WFM professionals remain true regardless of position or title . They are Curiosity , Kindness , Collaboration , and Chaos . Here are a few quick examples of how they show up in WFM .
• Curiosity in forecasting helps you dig into the historical data , moving past simply taking the numbers at face value . With curiosity you ’ re able to better understand which values should be included / excluded in your forecast , thereby helping you increase your forecast accuracy .
... THE KEYS TO SUCCESS FOR WFM PROFESSION- ALS REMAIN TRUE REGARDLESS OF POSITION OR TITLE . THEY ARE CURIOSITY , KINDNESS , COLLABO- RATION , AND CHAOS .
• Kindness in real-time monitoring helps you move past simply telling people what to do . Instead of “ get out of Aux !,” kindness helps you shift towards “ how can I help ?” When paired with curiosity , real-time adherence can shift from an accusatory team to a team focused on helping both the customer and the agents have the best experience possible .
• Collaboration with Operations , HR , Finance , Marketing , etc . allows us to have a greater understanding of our environment and how we might need to change our plans . Collaboration also helps us get a seat at the strategic table .
When others see us not just consuming information for our forecasts , but also participating in discussions to improve other teams , they ’ ll be quicker to include us in discussions .
• Chaos is just a natural part of the WFM environment . In chaos some people might shift to blaming others , isolating themselves , or frantically moving without direction . How we respond in those chaotic times will determine how impactful we are .
It takes practice , but responding with the same desire to be curious , embrace kindness , and lean into collaboration will help you navigate the chaos of WFM .
These values aren ' t just necessary for the WFM team but are also critical to successful leadership of WFM teams . As leaders , we need to normalize and provide an example of how to live out these values at work . Let ' s pivot to how these values are seen specifically in leadership .
MANAGING WFM
CURIOSITY IN LEADERSHIP
It ' s crucial not to assume you know why someone has been frequently absent or what motivates your direct reports . Asking for clarity and showing genuine curiosity can help you better support your team and yourself . I ' ve made it a practice to cultivate a culture of curiosity within my team by normalizing learning .
If you want your team to have a learner ’ s mindset then you need to model that for them . Make sure you ' re sharing articles and books you ' re reading , suggest helpful courses or conventions you ' ve stumbled across , and most importantly , schedule time for you to enter the learning zone yourself . Don ' t expect something from your team , like prioritizing learning , unless you ' re willing to do the same .
One way that I ' ve tried to encourage curiosity as a leader is by ensuring when people mess up , or doesn ’ t know something , those around them don ' t look down on them or use it against them .
A practical example of this is when I ' ve done " Failure Fridays " with my team . We schedule an hour to go around the room and share what we ' ve failed on recently and what we learned from it . It helped the team to hear that everyone is messing up , even leadership . It also helped as some team members were making missteps where others could help and allowed them to collaborate more closely .
I realize Failure Fridays isn ’ t for everyone , but it is an example of how we can gain value out of encouraging curiosity in our teams by creating a safe space to learn from failures .
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