Looking at Your Organization From the Inside Out

Looking at Your Organization From the Inside Out

from September 15, 2009

Organizations spend a lot of time evaluating how they are treating their external customers.  While external customer relations are important, treating internal relationships is equally important.  Many businesses fail to take the time to evaluate how employees are treating each other within the organization. . If employees are not satisfied and working well with other team members it shows outwardly.

The concept of internal customer service often gets passed over in favor of its flashier cousin external customer service.  Internal customer service looks at how people treat each other within the organization.  How managers treat employees, employees treat each other, even how vendors are treated.  To truly evaluate the quality of this aspect of service we have to look at the level of responsiveness, the quality of communication, and organizational morale.

The importance of a well functioning team environment cannot be overstated.  Having this foundation in place is similar to the human body having a strong core.  It prevents a multitude of problems down the road and enhances performance. The healthier your employees (internal customers) are, the healthier your business will be. That may seem simple yet the concept is often overlooked.  One question we can ask ourselves is this:  Is providing outstanding customer service both internally and externally part of our organizational culture or do we treat “customer service” as a buzz phrase?  When it is a part of our organizational culture it is reflected in our leadership, policies, procedures and the overall atmosphere of our work environment.

We have all had the experience of walking into a business and feeling tension among the staff.  Some of us have even had the experience of walking into some sort of full-blown employee drama.  What do we want to do when this happens?  As external customers, we leave.  We can’t get out of there fast enough because dealing with conflict is not comfortable nor does it create an atmosphere conducive to return visits.  When faced with conflict from internal customers, external customers don’t take the time to look around, learn what the business has to offer, or appreciate the carefully crafted merchandising. Instead we choose to go somewhere else. We spend our money in establishments that treat us well and have a welcoming feel in ALL aspects.  It is highly likely that our negative experience does not end there—we will probably share this not-so flattering story with friends and family. In fact, consumers are much more apt to share a negative experience than a positive experience.

Organizational morale has a tremendous ripple effect.  That is why it’s so important to ensure our internal customers are working in a symbiotic manner. Happy employees don’t just improve morale.  You can count on higher productivity, retaining those happy employees longer, and the employees better serving the external customer.  As business owners and managers, we want to recognize this value and make it a top training priority.  After all, happy employees equal happy external customers and happy customers (internal and external) equal a healthy bottom line.

There are four concepts to consider when evaluating the overall morale of your business.

Healthy Environment Checklist:

1) Attitude—Is it positive? Do employees show up with a smile on their face and leave their personal problems at home? A bad attitude seems like a major stumbling block but the beauty of attitude is that it is completely controllable.  Be sure to hire employees that recognize that they can control it and are willing to do so or learn how to. Truth be told, if an employee attitude is consistently negative, they are probably unhappy and not a good fit for your work environment. Most of us in the workforce spend 40, 50, 60 hours a week working (many more hours than we are able to spend with friends and family).  Why would anyone want to spend that much time in an environment that they don’t enjoy?  It is everyone’s responsibility, leadership and staff, to make a positive contribution to a positive work environment.

2) Rapport —Do employees actively attempt to connect with their co-workers? Do managers make it a point to show appreciation for a job well done?  Are they quick with a compliment when it is well deserved?  Are people within the company really listening to each other and not just going through the motions?  It is important to have those strong connections in order to build trust and a sense of security. When internal customers feel valued they perform better and in turn make external customers more welcome by providing genuine, enthusiastic customer care.

3) Communication—Are members of the organization aware that of their own communication style and do they take note of others’ style? Communication styles differ greatly and miscommunications are usually at the root of any conflict. Understanding one’s own communication style and being observant and tolerant of other’s styles can cut conflict down to a minimum.  This includes non-verbal communication. What is the body language and tone communicating?  Is it reinforcing the message or fighting with it?  A culture of quality, open communication is vital to a well-functioning team and an empowered workforce.

4) The Fun Factor—Are your internal customers encouraged to enjoy their roles? It was a long held belief in the American workplace that fun had no place there.  Obviously everything has a time and place.  Playing a prank on the lead neurosurgeon mid-procedure is probably not a great idea.  But there are lessons we can learn from places like Seattle’s Pike Place Fish market and their famous “flying fish”.  It is definitely possible to have fun and be productive.  That energy is contagious.  Our external customers love coming to a place where the positive atmosphere is palatable. It is another way to ensure they keep coming back for more.

There is much to be gained from spending some time cultivating and ensuring this highly functioning team environment.  All four of these items on the checklist should be evaluated regularly and can be improved with proper training.  Whether it is conducted by an outside expert or done internally, activities that target teambuilding and improved communication can greatly enhance the work environment. By investing time in these activities, we are demonstrating to our employees that we value them.  Employees that feel valued have a much greater success rate with our external customers, ultimately creating a very worthwhile return on this investment.