This week I received a consultant request for a Co-Worker – To – Co-Worker Customer Service Workshop. The requester asked that it be just a half-day session and would target about 20 workers who have worked together for a number of years… but in multiple business operation areas. Well at first I was pleased and enthused about the request. Why? Mainly because it was for a unique, new audience and in an area (customer service) that I feel solid in offering a good training message.  However as I discussed the goals and challenges with the potential customer… I realized their hopes for topics and impacts were far from “regular”.  So because of the critical learnings to be gained from preparing for the experience, I believe it deserves the opportunity to be this weeks TRIPLE III TIME message.

Part 1 of the session was to focus on “where people stand” in relation to their perspective on product quality and the company overall. They indicated that this form of united discussion never occurs, and they do NOT want workers to feel like “their job is just a job” but rather that they are a partner in what they produce and the role they play in the company.  Is everyone part of the “family” … or just another payroll number.

Next on the agenda would be an analysis of “work approach differences”.  The company leaders felt it was time to discuss that “it is OK and even cool” for workers to display different approaches to getting the job done. But again they let me know that it has never been acceptable or a priority to share work approach difference thoughts in any form… and especially not during a Co-Worker – To – Co-Worker CUSTOMER SERVICE staff development workshop!

Finally… Part 3 would break down the process of idea generation and idea sharing.  Year-to-date they indicated that ideas only came from “the top” … because even if they came from the middle or bottom… the top claimed all the good ones. They were hopeful that I could design and facilitate a way to make idea generation and sharing a workable standard… but even more to create a means of enabling everyone to “add on” to individual ideas and thereby maximize idea ownership by all?

I am building the Co-Worker – To – Co-Worker CUSTOMER SERVICE WORKSHOP as I draft this message. Question: Does your organization or business understand that co-workers are direct customers to one another… everyday… EVERYDAY! Do your leaders developmentally step back and help everyone grow in this area?  Would they/are they ready for a Co-Worker – To – Co-Worker CUSTOMER SERVICE WORKSHOP? Why or why not?