Every fortnightly issue takes a founder communication situation — submitted by a reader — and breaks it down through three lenses: the social script, the inner script, and what to actually say. Plus a pop culture parallel you probably didn't see coming.
😤🤨🤦♀️: Is it me? Or is it you?
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Hello Friends, Taking pride in what you do is a wonderful feeling. When it becomes the thing you identify with, there may be ego-related complications. Today's issue is about a business owner who has the best systems and processes but can't seem to get her employee to follow them to a T. Thank you to Reader K for suggesting I include photos in the newsletter. :) If you want your issue to be considered for an upcoming Newsletter, just fill out this form. The Situation:Lin is an organized business owner. She thrives in ambiguity and takes the approach of try first and figure out later. Once figured out, she takes it upon herself to systematize the steps so that there is knowledge capture and transfer should she forget one day. When it came to hiring her first customer service employee, Mark, Lin had an onboarding plan that covered all bases. Lin thought that it would be all smooth sailing but... Mark seems to have a mind of his own. Even though he was briefed to follow the standard procedure and systematic steps for certain processes, he simply didn't comply. Despite many reminders to do so, Mark would just verbally acknowledge but not follow through. Mark's work performance is average. Basic tasks would get done but because he didn't follow Lin's steps, Lin's expectations for ideal customer service were not met. Lin is left peeved and annoyed. THE HOLLYWOOD TAKE Anchorman is a ridiculously funny show about ridiculous people who have grandiose ideas about their self-importance and capabilities. It's a hit because there are truly such people in the world and we have to figure out a way to work with them. "I'm kind of a big deal. People know me. I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany."
- Ron Burgundy
SOCIAL SCRIPT: Lin recognizes that as a boss and leader she needs to be encouraging, nurturing, objective and empathetic. Going through her onboarding process, she feels that she has been clear in her instructions and standards. She has given Mark at least 2 reminders to improve his ways. During those reminder sessions, Mark would verbally acknowledge. Post the sessions, the outcome and output remained the same. Lin is aware that she doesn't want to come across as a micro-manager and a nag. However, she feels strongly that as a customer service representation of her company, Mark needs to adhere to standards and perform them as such. INNER SCRIPT: Lin is tempted to just fire Mark and retrain someone new. She wonders if Mark is intentionally obtuse or just being plain stubborn in not following the exact plan. She has explained her rationale and the reasoning behind the systematic steps and process, to ensure that Mark knows the intention behind each step. She suspects it's related to Mark's lack of respect for Lin's authority and expertise. Mark has adopted his past customer service experience and blended it with pieces from Lin's system. ACTUAL SCRIPT: Lin approaches Mark for a conversation on customer service performance and feedback. Lin brings up the factual information. Using the same customer service procedure and steps, Lin compares her performance with Mark's in terms of the volume of 5 star Google Reviews, the ability to establish rapport and increased communication frequency with customers. Lin's performance is far superior to Mark for the same time period. To ensure fairness, she compared the time period during which Mark has had sufficient time to become more familiar. She points out the following:
She then acknowledges the reason for hiring Mark and why his background and experience could be a good fit for the company. She then went on to state that his behavior:
With that said, she invites Mark to share his thoughts on the observations. She keeps an open mind to hear his reasons on why he was unable to follow her steps. Lin hears him out and decides that his reasons are not rooted in the process outcome. Mark seems reluctant to change his ways and doesn't see how he can improve the outcome through his actions. She explains to him that it is important for her employees to represent her company in the best light. She explains how it is unacceptable for her to accept his current working style and suggests he look for opportunities elsewhere. “Argue like you’re right and listen like you’re wrong.” ― Adam M. Grant |
Script your Life
Every fortnightly issue takes a founder communication situation — submitted by a reader — and breaks it down through three lenses: the social script, the inner script, and what to actually say. Plus a pop culture parallel you probably didn't see coming.
Hello Friends, Have you ever tried to explain your expertise to someone with little to no background in your field? How did you find it? In today's issue, we talk about how communications between technical and non-technical co-founders can be tricky and hard to navigate. If you want your issue to be considered for an upcoming Newsletter, just fill out this form. The Situation: Igor is a computer programmer and co-founder of a startup fitness app. His co-founder, Melissa is non-technical and...
Hello Friends, Welcome to March. February was a Lunar focused month. The Lunar New Year celebrations and the start of Ramadan fasting. It was a blend of higher social interaction and solitary introspection. There are people who look forward to gatherings and thrive in them. There are also those that dread and avoid them. As a Founder, it's easy to remain in build / focus mode and make it the default. It may be hard to see value in mingling, socializing and dare I say the word - networking,...
Hello Friends, Do you identify as a diplomat or a nonchalant person? If so, when an annoying behavior presents itself, you may not care enough to take issue with it and so you leave happily unaffected. And if you do care, you may be able to call it out and neutralize it. What if the behavior happens in an environment that requires your attention and care - for example in a workplace setting? It might not be as easy to turn a blind eye and even the best of diplomats might not be able to deal...