A Team That Gleamed
Computer and Technology - A lot of techies get a nasty rap for lacking teamwork and communications skills. The stereotype is while techies are excellent at what they‘re trained to carry out, they can‘t parlay their knowledge onto others. Due to the stereotype that techies cannot communicate, additionally, they could be stigmatized they lack adequate teamwork skills. So, do you know the probabilities of two Helpdesk teams communicating with one another to successfully form one team while not compromising customer service?
Does that plan initially sound like a huge task? Will it sound impossible? Not if you had been lucky enough to possess been on this type of dynamite team like mine.
In 1997, I started working in the Ameritech Advertising Helpdesk, that was supporting Yellow Pages Salespeople, Artists, and Data Entry from Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin. When Southwestern Bell Corporation acquired Ameritech in 1998, procedures started to alter. Ultimately, The Ameritech Advertising Helpdesk became the SBC Yellow Pages Helpdesk, and We‘re to aid clients with the five-state Great Lakes region, but clients in other regions during which SBC resided. SBC had Yellow Page's clients inside the east in Connecticut, in the center of the nation in Missouri and Kansas, inside the southwest in Oklahoma and Texas and inside the west in Arizona, Nevada, and California.
There have been two Helpdesks: the Helpdesk who supported clients inside the Great Lake region and also the Helpdesk that supported clients inside the eastern, middle, southwestern and western regions. The Helpdesk supported clients 24 / seven throughout the weekdays, part of Saturday and was on involve Sunday. The Great Lakes Helpdesk had about seven to eight day shift personnel, two-afternoon people you mid-nighter. The eastern, middle, southwestern and western region Helpdesk had about eight to ten personnel that worked different hours from 7 a. m. until 10p. m. Eastern time.
The grand plan ended up being to combine both Helpdesks and also have all the analysts versatile in all the applications to support clients from all the 13 states. For instance, a lot of the analysts who supported clients inside the Great Lakes region had never caused VMS systems but were very acquainted with systems such as the Remedy Helpdesk software. Conversely, a lot of the analysts who supported clients inside the eastern, middle, southwestern and western U. S. was trained upon the VMS systems but had never caused Remedy.
Being in Information Technology, one could get designed to systems and applications going wrong. It would appear that in a lot of instances, techies are troubleshooting and fixing systems.
So, how did combining operations go without having to sacrifice customer service?
1. It was eventually a few six-month plan, which started around February 2002 to gradually adjust analysts from both Helpdesks. One analyst from each Helpdesk was trained for a few months before supporting clients altogether 13 states.
2. Both Helpdesks were in several parts from the Call Center. A few analysts from both Helpdesks switched desks to familiarize one another with systems.
3. Management was very supportive of the transition and realized that there would be a learning curve throughout the transition.
4. There have been two analysts from both Helpdesks called Helpdesk Advocates, who were the liaison involving the analysts and management. Both Advocates communicated the analysts’ concerns to management.
5. Clients were informed that both Helpdesks were in the entire process of being combined and also to please be as understanding as you can throughout the transition.
6. Every analyst was receptive to any question from other analysts. Every analyst was inside the same boat – to speak. Every analyst knew that she or he would have questions on systems during which she or he wasn‘t as familiar. How every analyst handled any question given by a coworker would reflect the way in which during which she or he could be treated when she or he had an issue. It was eventually the human nature aspect.
7. Every analyst experienced a desire to find out.
8. Every analyst experienced a willingness to train
9. If an analyst could learn one system, she or he could learn others.
10. Every analyst would be a team player. Although there have been folks who had years as well as decades of experience on some systems, nobody was too good to assist out any analyst who had never caused a specific system. The undeniable fact that every analyst was cooperative throughout the transition caused it to be a huge success.
This is what I learned coming from the experience :
1. Teamwork Isn‘t about individuals. Each time a client’s problem was solved, it was eventually the entire Helpdesk that triumphed.
2. When superstars play like a team, the team will ultimately win. Every participant in the team would be a superstar who played like a team, so we ultimately won in transitioning both Helpdesks.
3. Every analyst proved that they might parlay their knowledge and translate that language with other analysts and clients.
4. Perception and reality can be two completely different things. I knew very little in regards to the folks at another Helpdesk. When I got to understand them, they had been as wonderful like the folks whom I already knew at my very own Helpdesk.
5. Teamwork is about handling people. The things you make of your respective relationships is as much as you.
6. It‘s amazing exactly what a team can perform once it is as much as the challenge. My team only had a particular period to transition its operations, so we made it happen!
7. Sometimes only a desire to find out tend to make the difference between success and failure.
8. Investment in relationships with people is invaluable having a rewarding rate of return.
9. Random acts of kindness
10. You can actually attract people’s better nature and not simply their self-interest.
Everyone involved displayed such a lot cooperation and willingness to train regardless of how often they had been asked an issue. Everyone involved throughout the transition ought to be very proud that they are the section of that awesome period and it‘s something that they‘ll take with these elsewhere they go. Most of us were part of a gaggle that needed to implement the greatest effort of teamwork, or We‘re not visiting result in the transition.
Considering that three shifts were involved helps make the event much more a supply of pride for many of these who were involved. Any person upon the team could be approached and that they were greater than willing to assist with any question. We‘re an example to follow so we certainly set an excellent standard for teamwork !!
Teamwork is about people. Those in technical professions are people too. Whatever your profession, people in technology have great skills like other consumers. My team broke the stereotype that techies cannot communicate well and aren‘t team players. It’s not your profession that determines what defines you an excellent team player; it’s who you are as a new you. It’s not just simply the amount interpersonal skills which you possess; it’s what you are doing with individuals interpersonal skills that make a difference.
This post is dedicated towards the among those great team members, Monica Mitchell, who died of a pulmonary embolism on Wednesday, November 5th, 2003. May God’s grace be along with you always, Monica. For all those of people who had the pleasure to possess worked together with her, we‘ll greatly miss you.
I think it's enough all about A Team That Gleamed. Thanks so much :)
A Team That Gleamed
Does that plan initially sound like a huge task? Will it sound impossible? Not if you had been lucky enough to possess been on this type of dynamite team like mine.
In 1997, I started working in the Ameritech Advertising Helpdesk, that was supporting Yellow Pages Salespeople, Artists, and Data Entry from Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin. When Southwestern Bell Corporation acquired Ameritech in 1998, procedures started to alter. Ultimately, The Ameritech Advertising Helpdesk became the SBC Yellow Pages Helpdesk, and We‘re to aid clients with the five-state Great Lakes region, but clients in other regions during which SBC resided. SBC had Yellow Page's clients inside the east in Connecticut, in the center of the nation in Missouri and Kansas, inside the southwest in Oklahoma and Texas and inside the west in Arizona, Nevada, and California.
There have been two Helpdesks: the Helpdesk who supported clients inside the Great Lake region and also the Helpdesk that supported clients inside the eastern, middle, southwestern and western regions. The Helpdesk supported clients 24 / seven throughout the weekdays, part of Saturday and was on involve Sunday. The Great Lakes Helpdesk had about seven to eight day shift personnel, two-afternoon people you mid-nighter. The eastern, middle, southwestern and western region Helpdesk had about eight to ten personnel that worked different hours from 7 a. m. until 10p. m. Eastern time.
The grand plan ended up being to combine both Helpdesks and also have all the analysts versatile in all the applications to support clients from all the 13 states. For instance, a lot of the analysts who supported clients inside the Great Lakes region had never caused VMS systems but were very acquainted with systems such as the Remedy Helpdesk software. Conversely, a lot of the analysts who supported clients inside the eastern, middle, southwestern and western U. S. was trained upon the VMS systems but had never caused Remedy.
Being in Information Technology, one could get designed to systems and applications going wrong. It would appear that in a lot of instances, techies are troubleshooting and fixing systems.
So, how did combining operations go without having to sacrifice customer service?
1. It was eventually a few six-month plan, which started around February 2002 to gradually adjust analysts from both Helpdesks. One analyst from each Helpdesk was trained for a few months before supporting clients altogether 13 states.
2. Both Helpdesks were in several parts from the Call Center. A few analysts from both Helpdesks switched desks to familiarize one another with systems.
3. Management was very supportive of the transition and realized that there would be a learning curve throughout the transition.
4. There have been two analysts from both Helpdesks called Helpdesk Advocates, who were the liaison involving the analysts and management. Both Advocates communicated the analysts’ concerns to management.
5. Clients were informed that both Helpdesks were in the entire process of being combined and also to please be as understanding as you can throughout the transition.
6. Every analyst was receptive to any question from other analysts. Every analyst was inside the same boat – to speak. Every analyst knew that she or he would have questions on systems during which she or he wasn‘t as familiar. How every analyst handled any question given by a coworker would reflect the way in which during which she or he could be treated when she or he had an issue. It was eventually the human nature aspect.
7. Every analyst experienced a desire to find out.
8. Every analyst experienced a willingness to train
9. If an analyst could learn one system, she or he could learn others.
10. Every analyst would be a team player. Although there have been folks who had years as well as decades of experience on some systems, nobody was too good to assist out any analyst who had never caused a specific system. The undeniable fact that every analyst was cooperative throughout the transition caused it to be a huge success.
This is what I learned coming from the experience :
1. Teamwork Isn‘t about individuals. Each time a client’s problem was solved, it was eventually the entire Helpdesk that triumphed.
2. When superstars play like a team, the team will ultimately win. Every participant in the team would be a superstar who played like a team, so we ultimately won in transitioning both Helpdesks.
3. Every analyst proved that they might parlay their knowledge and translate that language with other analysts and clients.
4. Perception and reality can be two completely different things. I knew very little in regards to the folks at another Helpdesk. When I got to understand them, they had been as wonderful like the folks whom I already knew at my very own Helpdesk.
5. Teamwork is about handling people. The things you make of your respective relationships is as much as you.
6. It‘s amazing exactly what a team can perform once it is as much as the challenge. My team only had a particular period to transition its operations, so we made it happen!
7. Sometimes only a desire to find out tend to make the difference between success and failure.
8. Investment in relationships with people is invaluable having a rewarding rate of return.
9. Random acts of kindness
10. You can actually attract people’s better nature and not simply their self-interest.
Everyone involved displayed such a lot cooperation and willingness to train regardless of how often they had been asked an issue. Everyone involved throughout the transition ought to be very proud that they are the section of that awesome period and it‘s something that they‘ll take with these elsewhere they go. Most of us were part of a gaggle that needed to implement the greatest effort of teamwork, or We‘re not visiting result in the transition.
Considering that three shifts were involved helps make the event much more a supply of pride for many of these who were involved. Any person upon the team could be approached and that they were greater than willing to assist with any question. We‘re an example to follow so we certainly set an excellent standard for teamwork !!
Teamwork is about people. Those in technical professions are people too. Whatever your profession, people in technology have great skills like other consumers. My team broke the stereotype that techies cannot communicate well and aren‘t team players. It’s not your profession that determines what defines you an excellent team player; it’s who you are as a new you. It’s not just simply the amount interpersonal skills which you possess; it’s what you are doing with individuals interpersonal skills that make a difference.
This post is dedicated towards the among those great team members, Monica Mitchell, who died of a pulmonary embolism on Wednesday, November 5th, 2003. May God’s grace be along with you always, Monica. For all those of people who had the pleasure to possess worked together with her, we‘ll greatly miss you.
I think it's enough all about A Team That Gleamed. Thanks so much :)
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