Radclyffe University, LLC

Celebrity Apprentice: Ivanka Thinks Sabotage is Okay?

Here's an interesting leadership issue! So, we have a project leader who wants to spend his energy sabotaging the other team, while also sabotaging one of his own team members whom he dislikes intensely and doesn't respect.  And then we hear Ivanka tell them that she agrees with sabotage.  Huh?

Call Quality - Once And For All

All this talk about call quality and how to achieve real performance improvement gains is all very interesting and...ongoing.  I believe that at Radclyffe, we have found the key to realizing call quality improvements by implementing an holistic approach to training, coaching and mentoring.  How do I know we've found the answer?  Because we measure CSR performance before and then after the intervention quantitatively and the data proves us right!  We've found just the right combination of activities to get significant results - it's not easy, but it's not hard either.  This is my favorite golden nugget and has real value in this industry.

It's Lonely in the Middle! Transitioning from CSR to Team Leader By Colleen O'Brien

What’s the loneliest job in the contact center?  From my experience, I’d say it’s either team leader or manager.  You’re not a representative, so you’re not “on the front lines” – and you don’t get to take part in the camaraderie that comes from being in the trenches.  But, you’re not “in charge,” either.  The team leader and the manager, although the roles differ a bit depending on the contact center, are stuck in the middle.  They have to try to maintain peace, order and efficiency within their teams AND keep senior leadership satisfied.  In addition, if they have any career goals beyond their current positions, they have to somehow find a way to distinguish themselves - to prove themselves capable of leadership in positions that traditionally focus on quantitative and often administrative tasks.  To make things tougher, team leaders and managers are often promoted from the ranks of CSRs who make up the contact center.  While this gives them important insight into the workings of the contact center, it is certainly true that the critical competencies that make a CSR great are not the same as those that make a team leader or manager successful.  As a result, many contact centers suffer from a “weak link” at the team leader/manager level.  Senior leadership may be visionary and strategic, representatives may be hard working and efficient – but often, managers and team leaders have not been given – and do not necessarily inherently possess – the know-how to be strong members of the management team.  How can you help your team leaders and managers become tomorrow’s contact center leaders?

The Golden Egg: Concealing Internal Processes

Every person who has the ability to learn has what are called "golden nuggets," those little pieces of information or advice that is learned only through experience - or what some might call - wisdom.

When I was little, my grandfather, just before telling me something he felt was a profound life learning, would warn, "this is a golden nugget," meaning listen up, I am giving you a gift.  And gifts they were.  They weren't as obvious as "don't spit into the wind."  They were definitely more meaningful and so to this day, when I learn a really important life lesson I call that lesson "a golden nugget."  And so, I have decided to start a series of articles called, "The Golden Egg."  And when I call it that, it means, "listen up! This is a good one."

Three Leaders Graduate from Radclyffe University

Three contact center leaders just graduated from Radclyffe University and now enjoy the designation, CCOM (Contact Center Operations Manager).  Arietta Stewart, AARP, CaSandra LeGrier, AARP and Kit Lozier, Centocor, Inc. (A subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) all completed an eight month curriculum that included on-line learning and tests, course assignments, 3-day on-site coursework at Radclyffe University campus and an independent study relevant to their organization's specific needs.

Contact Center Certification: What's the point?

We have been hearing so much more about contact center leadership certification over the past few years. But what's the point?  There are many reasons for the push to get certified as an operations leader, strategic leader, consultant or as a trainer:

• To decrease the learning curve involved in being new to the contact center space
• To fulfill a company requirement,
• To achieve a designation on your business card,
• To learn more about what other company's are doing, and
• To learn about how to overcome those issues that are typical in the call center

are among some of the reasons that professionals get certified.

Radclyffe University Launches Its First CCOM Certification

Radclyffe University launched its first certification program on March 27, 2006.  The 8 month comprehensive certification program will provide candidates with contact center leadership education using Radclyffe's unique Learn. Apply. Lead. Approach.  The candidates learn through a number of forums:

• Distance learning via elearning and professor facilitated webinars
• Peer group projects
• Facilitated classroom instruction by practitioners - executives in the field
• Hands-on learning in Radclyffe's Best Practices Contact Center
• Design and implementation of a major initiative in their own contact center

"We wanted to design an educational experience that would actually change leadership behavior and not just focus on theory, but on results.  We developed a unique approach that ensures candidates learn key concepts and principles, apply them back in their environment and lead their organization to oerationalize the change - make it a way of doing business," explained Colleen O'Brien, Executive Director of the university.  For certification, the candidate, her manager and Radclyffe Advisor select an initiative that is "mission critical," identify the success measures and outcomes of the project and then design, implement and cultivate the program with a Radclyffe consultant.

Any type of initative for certification is possible, it is selected based on what the organizational objectives are for the year.  It can include:

• Implementing a coaching program that will increase customer satisfaction scores by a certain percentage
• Designing a new-hire training program that will reduce "lead to productivity time"
• Implementing a skill based pay program to increase performance
• Applying Six Sigma principles to the contact center to increase quality
• Developing a Team Leader Development Program to increase team performance

"We have really put enormous time and resources into this certification program to make sure that the designation candidates will receive will be truly meaningful.  Again, our focus is on changing behavior, not just ensuring the candidates have knowledge," according to Liz Ahearn, President & CEO of The Radclyffe Family of Companies.

Is e-learning Really A Cheaper, Faster, Better Way To Get Knowledge?

Over the past eight years, e-learning has become the new way of gaining knowledge or a college degree.  I was with my extended family during Thanksgiving last year and I almost had a stroke when my sister-in-law said that she predicted all college learning will be done online when her then six month old son is ready for college.  Everyone at the table agreed, and since I am almost always the dissenting voice on issues during family get-togethers, I decided to let that prediction go.

While e-learning is definitely coming into its own as an important component of adult learning methods, my experience and knowledge is ringing the warning bells about e-learning and distance learning becoming the educational vehicle of choice.