Friday July 31

Harassment in Schools

As I was reading the case study, Sequestering Sexual Harassment” it brought to mind an incident, actually multiple incidents that my daughters experienced. I don’t remember the exact details, because nothing was ever done. But I remember experiencing the same thoughts as the women mentioned in this case study.  

My teenaged daughter came to me and was just telling me about some mean kids at school and how they were name calling and just being dumb. She mentioned that they had said some inappropriate things but didn’t want to repeat exactly what was said. When I asked her to please tell me so that I would know how appropriate or inappropriate it was she made light of the situation and tried to just let it go. To me this was “trivializing a serious situation.” She claimed it wasn’t important and it really didn’t bother her. If it wasn’t that bothersome, then why tell mom? “Denotative hesitancy” is common place for victims. When it’s your word against theirs it’s easier to just avoid the truth perhaps.

Why are we so afraid to speak up and protect ourselves against those that would oppress us? Another incident where I did take action involved physical aggressiveness. One of my daughters had a rock thrown at her getting off the bus from the Jr. High school bus. There was an obvious welt on her head from the incident. Proof. I immediately confronted the girl and told her that if there were any further incidents that I would go to her mother. A few days later, retaliation for the threats. She pulled all of my rose pedals off and threw them in the yard.

I went to the mother and told her what happened with the flowers and she brought up my discussion with her daughter about the rock. Of course the story she had wasn’t the truth. She protected herself. My daughter and I told her what happened and she said that she did in fact cause the injury. Interesting that those who are the aggressors will say things to protect themselves with those who are in authority. Like the supervisors who abuse their position with those who are in lower level positions.  They will maintain their status by denying any wrongdoing.

In the end, because there was proof and eye witnesses to the situation the girl was reprimanded for injuring my daughter and my flowers, but how do we decrease the incidents or keep them from happening in the first place.

Thursday July 30

Hostile Work Environments and Role Encapsulation

As I was reading this chapter I was reminded of my awesome center that I work in. We are a hugely diverse group of individuals working within pretty close quarters with one another. With the number of backgrounds, genders, and upbringings there is definitely the possibility for clashing and uncomfortable circumstances. However, it is also a great opportunity to gain knowledge and experience in creating relationships with many personalities and beliefs.

With this large group of individuals there is also the possibility for certain situations that could be considered “hostile environment sexual harassment” or “quid pro quo”. I know as a company this is not tolerated and is dealt with swiftly and effectively. There is no room for negotiating the reasons for such behavior. Our company is very aware of these sorts of issues and has strict policies on what we can say while in the work place. We are asked to speak in a professional courteous manner with one another and foster good relationships within the center. Along with this is our policy on what we have on our computers, what we send over the company’s communication systems, and what we pull up while on the internet. They are very thorough in protecting all of our employees from such a negative work environment.

Annually, we are required to watch a video on conduct in the workplace that reminds us of how we should behave and what sorts of things are unacceptable here at work. There are also contact numbers in case someone is experiencing such advances from another individual. There are avenues of contact and a chain of command set up to protect all employees from both sexual advances as well as other types of aggressive abuse.

This goes along with our hiring process as well. Everyone is considered. No matter what their race, gender, style, or background. Everyone is started at the same wage, which can increase based on performance. All are given the opportunity to perform at their level. This means that those who excel can move up in the company if they so choose. If they have the qualifications and show that they are ready, then they can be promoted if they desire. They are not perceived through stereotypes. Role encapsulation is not a means for placing people in certain positions. We all start at the same place and are given the same opportunities as those around us.

Tuesday July 28

Innovation

Innovation is definitely one necessity within CaptionCall. We are in constant need of updating our systems and our procedures so as to keep up with the competition, but also to ease the jobs of the employees.

Knowledge is key to this. We have a great operations group that stays informed about updates to not only our computers but also the software that we use to conduct our business. They are aware of our business needs and are educated in the functions and systems that we require to operate and provide the services that we do.

They will calculate the “relative advantage” of the innovation, update, product, or service that they are investigating. This could include an update to a current system that we use or involve a whole new product or service to implement within the company. For example our scheduling system where employees can check their schedule, pick up additional hours, trade shifts, as well as ask for time off. It is important to have this particular system for ease of organizing huge numbers of schedules for our many employees.

“Compatibility” is also important. The systems and new products that we want to adopt need to be aligned with the needs of our employees as well as our customers. The value of the innovation needs to be of value to the increase productivity of the company as well as increase the service for our customers that we serve. For example, updating our voice recognition software needs to improve our services as well as fill the needs of the communications assistants who are providing that service.

I know as anything new is implemented, it can be difficult for some. The “complexity” of these innovations that are being considered for implementation need to fulfill the needs of the company while at the same time, they need to be simple enough to instigate within the employee body. The ease of the changes and adoption depends on the simplicity of the things being introduced. When there is less stress over difficulty, it makes the transition much easier for all involved.

At CaptionCall, when there is an innovation that is on the table for adoption, we almost always have a trial period. This allows the employees to opportunity to work out bugs and report back to operations any necessary changes that may need to be made to help with the “complexity”. I think that “trialability” is vital to the comfort of the employees in performing their job. Experimentation with updates to our voice software allowed us to see any possible trouble areas, but it mainly just allows employees to see how the new programming will work, so when it is implemented they know exactly what they are doing.

Going back to our scheduling system, we can see how “observability” comes into play. Again, there is always a trial period for this as well before implementation. As employees go in and “play around”, make trades, and adjust schedules, those who are involved in observing the results can see if it is working correctly. If the program runs smoothly, we move forward. If there are glitches, we will hold off, solve the problems, and try again. As soon as the issues are managed or fixed, we then move forward with adoption and implementation of the system in question.

July 23, 2015

 Image Management as a Source of Power

As a TLS it is our job to put forth a positive attitude for our team. This helps them to feel comfortable and welcome within our groups. It also creates an atmosphere of trust and empowerment. We can encourage those around us to choose to do the right thing. Focusing on Image Management is one aspect of my job. On page 252 it talks about how everyone will create an image for themselves, good or bad. The question is, do we create it by chance or do we design it ourselves. Making a conscious effort to be positive, even in the face of adversity, takes conscious effort and lots of practices. There are always situations that come up, on a daily basis, that allow opportunities to learn how to react or behave. Sometimes the same situation will present itself more than once and we can try a way that might work better. There is always room for improvement in this area.

Personally, I think that I am a pretty fun person, but I can be strict at times. I think this is due to being a mom of so many and having to manage the chaos that comes with it. But in general, I feel that I prefer an integrated and relational approach to image building. I am dedicated and loyal and expect the same from those that I work with. These types of behaviors and attitudes help to reduce conflict and build the positive atmosphere in the workplace. Exemplification is another way to keep positive vibes at work. “Going beyond the call of duty” helps to lift the burden of others who may be affected by our behaviors. Being on time, doing our part, helping those who need assistance, and going out of our way to be of service to others are vital in a transactional setting. We are constantly coming up with different motivators to encourage improved performance to increase productivity, positive atmosphere and team unity in our center. In our weekly meeting with the managers one TLS was recognized for her efforts in this very thing. Going above and beyond not only for herself, but for the betterment of her team. 

Image Management is a Source of Power. If we can maintain a positive attitude and create those transactional relationships with those that we have stewardship over, then we will find those around us perform better and are more successful as a whole. When those relationships are in place, then when difficult situation occur, respect for one’s position is still intact, even when discipline might be necessary. If leaders take the time to get to know those that they work with, trust is built and those that need our help will confide in us because they know that we genuinely have their best interest at heart.

July 22, 2015

Knowledge Management Systems

In an effort to manage the flow of information regarding process, procedure and basic company information that is available to all employees, CaptionCall has a specific place designated for use, called Portal. With so many employees and 8 centers located in different states, it is necessary to have a way to facilitate the sharing of information. This increase the knowledge of the employees on helpful tricks they can use to improve their job performance. We have a place that they can go specifically designed to pull up audios for practice. This helps them to hone their dictating skills and improve their customer service. There are audios that range 200-240 words a minute that will give them a gradual increase in speed and a steady improvement in performance.

There is also a long list of files that teach processes for things like schedule changes, call formatting, dress code, and vacation dates and pay.  Having a place for employees to go for this type of information helps to ease the flow of communication between employees and supervisors as well as supervisors to managers. Having this Knowledge Management System in place prevents information overload on the upper management. It also empowers the employees to find the answers to their questions. Of course if they are having trouble finding what they are looking for we are happy to help.

In this same place is where the TLS group inputs information from our daily work. This includes team calls, ECHO scores, monitored calls, and attendance. As the forms are filled out, reports are generated and are then used in accurately assessing the daily tasks that are being done. As time moves forward, we have a place to go where we can locate specific information, or see if something perhaps was missed and needs to be added.

Our schedules are also located in a type of Management System. While CAs can only access their schedule, the managers and supervisors can view anyone in their given center. This is helpful when covering for another TLS and we need to find the schedule of one of their team members. We are able to share scheduling information within the system and add things such as team meetings, one on ones, or technical difficulties. This in turn informs the CAs of the specific things that they are scheduled for on any given day. This reduces the number of emails or IMs that need to be sent out when things are planned or changed. This also coincides with doing attendance through Portal. Punches are generated through Portal and we check actual schedules.

Sunday July 19, 2015

Principles for Team Effectiveness

I am currently a Team Lead Supervisor with CaptionCall and am working with a group of 22 Communications Assistants. In my position it is important for me to find ways to encourage my team to perform their necessary tasks individually but also to build a cohesive team. I am also a part of a team of other TLS who have specific goals as well. On pages 130-131 it discusses the principles for team effectiveness which I try to use in my work experience both as a supervisory team as well as in my own individual team.

First is to have a clear goal. For anyone to be successful they need to understand the goal that is set. It needs to be clear and significant and something that can be measured. The goals also need to be challenging enough to promote growth and improvement. CAs need to know exactly what is expected of them in order to perform at the levels that we expect.

Next is a results driven structure. There are processes and procedures in place that ensure accurate information sharing, complete documentation of performance, and feedback on that performance to help foster enhanced goal achievement within the teams. The TLS group also has their own set of objectives that are outlined by their managers.

Third, competent team members. Each individual team member was chosen because they possess the skills and abilities to perform the tasks necessary to achieve the goals. In testing, we evaluate their skill level and either hire them on or let them go practice and come back at a later date. The TLSs go through interviews to be sure that they have the qualifications to accomplish their job as a supervisor. One other element is to ensure that they have the social competencies and can communicate well.

Unified commitment is another key element to successful teams. This one is a little bit more difficult to achieve in some situations. Our system is individual focused as far as meeting certain standards and expectations for the CAs. It is sometimes difficult for them to see the big picture. This is where we implement team activities and competition to help foster a sense of teamwork and team success. As far as the TLS group, it is similar. We are all self-motivated and have different talents, and we all have a sense of loyalty to the success of the company. We have quarterly awards and other goals that we set for ourselves and our group. The tasks that we have are sometimes difficult to fulfill due to time off or other circumstances, and our group of TLSs will step up and help a team member get those things done that they are not able to do themselves. This is evident when another supervisor is out on vacation and has a team that needs testing. Those of us here at work will divide the work to ensure its completion.

The fifth element is having and fostering a collaborative climate. This definitely falls under social competencies. Creating a sense of trust and honesty is important in building a strong cohesive team. Within the individual teams and among management, team members need to be able to communicate their issues, good and bad, and feel that they are being heard and understood. During our individual meetings with team members we talk about performance and goals. This is a great time to bring up any issues that may need attention that need to be discussed face to face as opposed to over IM. During our TLS meetings we discuss all sorts of things from competition to new policies and procedures. I personally feel that the relationships that we have formed as a team make it a safe venue to share ideas and ask questions when things are not fully understood.

Standards of excellence are set within our company to ensure that all are performing at their top capacity. The standards are moved little by little to extend the performance level as well and rewards are extended for performance and goal accomplishment. As a model of performance we have posted those top scorers from each team for other employees to see. There are top achievers as far as testing goes as well as a TLS of the quarter. We are all encouraged to reach higher and to be more creative in an effort to improve the performance of team members and reach those standards of excellence that are set.

One more key element to team effectiveness is having external support. Our organization consists of many employees and a great team at headquarters. They set the standards of achievement, give us the resources to reach those goals and offer rewards for performance. We have a CA of the year and a TLS of the year based on the performance within the individual centers. The company also offers recognition to one TLS within the entire company for a special award each year as well. This helps encourage us to keep performing well, and working hard to increase the potential and progress our teams. These awards are based on our individual performance as well as our skills within the workplace.

Finally, principled leadership helps the team to see the vision that is set and empowers them to achieve those goals. In our business, change in inevitable from call process, procedures and tasks, to technology and updated programs that we use to facilitate our work. I, along with the other supervisors and managers need to enable the employees to adapt to the changes and do their best. Sometimes we get employees you don’t understand the changes is policies, etc. and it is my job to help them understand what they need to in order to move forward with a positive attitude regarding those changes.

 

July 17, 2015

Rules and Rewards

In my work system what we do is based solely on a Rules and Rewards system. There are protocol to be followed, timelines to meet, and standards to achieve. This goes for me as well as my individual team members. There are rules set out by upper management that organize the affairs of the company and dictate what is to be done, when, and how often. As a supervisor I have a list of things that I am responsible for and I need to organize my time accordingly to accomplish those things that are outlined by my managers and the company. These rules are set up across the board for all supervisors no matter which center we are employed at.

Page 89 of the text says that "rules constrain our actions, but they also simplify our organizational lives." In my case the rules that are set and the procedures that we follow do simplify the situations that occur. Whether they be infractions or simply performance. Having guidelines set in place makes it easy to come to a decision of action based on the performance (or lack of an employee) of an employee. The rules specifically outline what action is suitable for certain behaviors which limits the possible questions that can arise when there is no set guideline. Having these policies also simplifies it across the board. Due to the high number of employees with varying circumstances, there are many possible scenarios that can explain certain behaviors. The implementation of rules and policies helps to control ambiguous circumstances and places all employees on a similar level based on performance. Of course there is a little bit of wiggle room depending on those circumstances, but as a whole it is "do for one. Do for all".

For rules to succeed (pg. 89) they need to clear enough to understand yet general enough to apply to a wide range of situations that can occur. They also need to be specific enough to give specific guidelines for action within the day to day performances. Our rules for infractions provide this wiggle room based on the behaviors, attitudes and circumstances of individual employees, yet outline the guidelines and procedures for those infractions. This way, the employees (as well as the supervisors) know what is to be expected in certain behavioral situations and the supervisor can make adjustments as to the severity of disciplinary action required based on past performance, current situation, and time between incidents.

Alongside with the rules to implement rides the rewards associated with the behaviors and expected performance. The guidelines that are set for performance or the achievement of certain levels needs to be recognized and be fair based on the specific standards. On page 90 it talks about how rewards need to be based on this performance and not friendships or biases on the part of the supervisor or manager. We have objectives to meet and specific ways to qualify scores and performance. For example, with testing, we as supervisors score each individual the same way based on their individual performance on the weekly test. Their score is not based on whether or not we know them personally. The reward for their score and the score itself is dictated by their individual performance and nothing else. If they want the rewards that come from scoring high, they will take advantage of the system and resources that we make available to them to increase their skills and abilities and in turn increase their performance.

 

Saturday July 18, 2015

Use of ICT's in the Work Place

Here at work we are attached to our ICT's continually. This is how we provide the service to our customers. A question is raised in the reading about how far an organization should be able to go in monitoring its employees. (Page 103) There are obviously 2 sides to this issue. The company that provides the equipment has the right to monitor its use. The other side of the coin is that employees are entitled to some degree of privacy and their personal behaviors are their business.

We manage and supervise by walking around. There are specific guidelines to what is acceptable behavior while performing specific job related tasks. For example, we dictate calls for the hard of hearing. When we are engaged in a live call, processing this call, we are to be doing nothing else. As we walk around to help our employees, sometimes we walk by and these rules are being disobeyed and we have to report it. We don't necessarily see exactly what was taking place, but we know that something personal was going on. They may have been emailing, instant messaging, shopping, and banking...really any number of things. Our ability to view the personal nature of this is slim to none. However, we also have other means of ensuring our customer service and that is by remote monitoring.

We as supervisors have a way to see what is being said only. We cannot view the individual’s screen. However, the managers have the ability to monitor if ethical behavior and rule adherence is being followed. The company itself also has policies about what type of behavior is allowed on their equipment. They can monitor "illegal or illicit actives" within the company system. Anything that is considered inappropriate is frowned upon. We are asked to maintain a level of decorum in our dealings, through email and other communications, on the equipment that is provided and maintained by the company.

Our company also values the privacy of our employees as well as our customers. There are safeguards in place to protect the customer's information. This is not limited to the commitment by the employees not to discuss or disclose call content and private information that they may disclose during their conversations that we dictate. We also safeguard the private information of our employees by providing secure logins for desktops as well as other programs within the system. This creates a safe environment and ensures that there is no tampering with their personal information. When passwords are forgotten, the automatic process is just a reset. So the employee can reset anything needed, and doesn't require any other individual to personally know their passwords. This way, no one can get any private information about any employee.

July 16, 2015

In our line of work we are grouped into teams. We are constantly trying to instill a sense of team work and focusing on the whole rather than only individuals. It can be kind of a difficult balancing act at times due to the different personalities and backgrounds of the team members. As noted in the text there are several principles of systems thinking that I feel can be applied to building strong teams and communication between team members.

First, is that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. This particular principle is important for me in a sense that each team member has particular standards and processes that they personally need to reach, but them doing so also affects the team as a whole. Each team member has certain abilities and skills that another member may not be quite so good at. Together they can balance out the others. One individual can compensate for another person's weaknesses. This is reflected in our team scores. I may have 90% of my team doing fantastic and 10% that struggles but our effort as a team balances out and we reach our goals. In an effort to improve group performance we do have processes in place to help each individual reach higher and do better on any number of standards. Helping the individual in turns helps the team.

Another principle that interested me was that systems must constantly learn and renew themselves. We are a business that services customers' needs. We dictate calls for the hard of hearing so that they can communicate with those around them. In order to do this we need to have improving ideas for technology that help with the ease of this. We as a company cannot be competitive without learning new things. This has a ripple effect because of course, those new things necessitate learning within the groups as well. We have to communicate new standards and processes to the individuals in order to press forward with those changes that are being implemented.

Part of this learning and renewal is also the adding of new people into the mix. We are in an ever changing atmosphere. We have employees that come and go. So, there is a constant change in the dynamic of personality, perspective, and ideas. These variances allow for creativity and brings a great balance within the center.

 

Wed July 15, 2015

Today I was asked to join my center manager and one of the section manager along with another TLS (Team Lead Supervisor) to discuss an incentive program we want to implement at the center to encourage increased performance and recognition. One comment that was made as we were discussing, is that I think too fast. I had made a suggestion that a couple of the members in the meetings didn't quite understand. I apologized and they said, "It’s okay. You just think fast." It really got me thinking about how I communicate, my style, and also the speed and wording of what I say.

This situation reminded me of something I had read in chapter one. On page 5, it discusses what happens during conversations. "People create and exchange a complex set of messages with one another and in doing so create meanings for each message and for the interaction."

I found this quite profound since the way I was communicating was not helping to create a shared meaning. I was thinking in terms of my understanding not in terms of how they could understand. I had to slow down and try again to explain my thoughts at a pace and in a way that they could understand. In the end we all created a game plan on how to approach our new competition and found that shared meaning.

As I thought about this situation through the day, I realized that I do this a lot. I speak and communicate at the same rate of speed (it seems) as my brain works. I just need to think in my mind and formulate exactly what it is I need to convey or explain and do so at an adjusted rate that is comfortable for those that I'm sharing with.