‘Tell me what you want, what you really, really want’

 

 

The Spice Girls message tells us how we should be dealing with others  dealings with others.

  

Does your mission statement talk about  excellent customer service and nurturing strong relationships?

 

Its all about nurturing relationships

 

Providing outstanding service is hardly rocket science. How hard can it be to return calls, respond to emails and keep the customer informed of what is going on!

 

The relationship we have with our internal colleagues is, more often than not, fundamental to our own success; Without their support, knowledge and skills the chances of us accommodating our external clients diminishes dramatically.

 

Unless you have fostered constructive internal relationships with those that you are dependant upon, it is quite probable that the demands you make could well fall on deaf ears. 

 

 Few people would consciously set out to sabotage the project – but the request for ‘that little bit extra’ certainly won’t be top of their priority list. It could also be argued that those individuals most stressed in the work-place and most in need of assistance from others are those with the weakest internal relationships.

 

When questioned about what they expected from their colleagues, employees at a major financial institution cited the following

 

• When they had problems or queries, they were looking for answers and/or solutions. If this information was not available they wanted to know where they could find the answers or solutions they required. They didn’t expect an individual to have all the answers but they did expect individuals to know where to find the answers.

 

• ‘I want to be listened to, understood and empathised with’. This quote sums up the next three issues. How often are we truly listened to by a colleague who takes an active role in trying to understand what we’re saying. How often do we long to be understood in both our personal and professional lives and how much conflict occurs because of a lack of this understanding. We want to be empathised with – ‘put yourself in my shoes for a moment’, ‘try to understand the limitations and restrictions that I’m working under and I’ll try my hardest to accommodate you’. The greater understanding we have of others the less confusion is likely to arise and the more likely this understanding is to be reciprocated.

 

• Respect was the final attribute expected from others. “treat people like you want to be treated and you are more likely to obtain the outcome you are after.

 

• Gratitude - Appreciate the role each individual plays in ensuring the success of your organisation, show this appreciation in your actions and words and enjoy greater success from the demands you place on others.

 

So, if you want to be successful with your external customers ensure you have worked on your relationships with all your stakeholders  – ensure you have ‘made deposits before you start making any withdrawals’.

 

Make the time to invest in building relationships first and the results will come.