Knock, Knock! Who’s There?

• This blog entry is from the Phone Smart self-storage diary of Angela Perry, Trainer. Even in a small, tightly knit call center we sometimes miss wonderful opportunities to know people. Becky? Becky who? This is the typical question that lingers in our heads as we pass one another in the work place. We recognize the person by face but the other details are a blur. Look around your work place and see how many co-workers you know? It is one thing to know them but it is another thing to know about them. While not all of our co-workers will become our best friends I do recommend that we try to know more than the person’s face. Isn’t it more comfortable to have a name for that familiar face in the next cubicle? Of course it is. This occurred to me as I watched my son participate in an activity during his 4H meeting. The leader broke the members into 2 groups. Next she and another parent held a sheet between the two groups at eye level (which was above their children’s heads). Since the children were in a single file line the one at the beginning of the line would step up to the center of the sheet. On the count of three the sheet was removed and the children tried to say the other one’s name before the other one said theirs. This continued until each child had a turn at the sheet. I also recall a time that I helped my son with a homework assignment in the middle of the school year. He had been given a list of the names of all of the children in his classroom and he had to write one thing about each person. This not only familiarized him with the name of the person and to help see a mental picture of the child’s face, but also demonstrates how observant the children are in regard to their classmates. During this exercise about 80% of the class observed that my son wore glasses. I though that it was a pretty creative way to help the children get to know each other. I took these simple exercises and applied them to my life. In my capacity as a trainer in the Phone Smart self-storage call center, I learn something about each person in my environment. Sometimes, however, I look around and wonder how many of my co-workers do not know at least one thing about the person working beside them. I have also noticed that we often know the person but do not speak because we are absorbed in the work we are doing. We do not intend to snub someone but due the fluid schedule people come and go sometimes and we have not noticed. Sometimes my supervisor and the director do not speak as the day begins. I have learned that this is not personal but that they are preoccupied. Usually when I initiate the greeting I get a cheerful response. Perhaps it would benefit us as well to pass around a list of employees and have everyone try to list one thing about their co-workers. In a busy call center sometimes new people can feel overlooked or rejected as they come in to clock on and find the crew busy on the phones. They often feel unnoticed or perhaps unwelcome. We are fortunate here to be a smaller workforce and soon new people find that they are in the company of caring, patient, friendly people. They rapidly become comfortable asking for assistance and soon feel very much part of the group. PhoneSmartYour Offsite Sales Solution Secret Shopping BlogYour inside peek Self Storage BlogA diary of the self storage industry

Related Posts:

Knock, Knock Who’s There…?- Don’t Take Advantage of the People Closest To You- If You Have Time to Lean…Clean- Setting the tone- Managers, You Need A Call Center- Put On A Smiling Face :)- monetssori workplace- BUSY MANAGERS?- Face lifts- Stepping Up

Tweet This Post

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

View admin’s Profile Subscribe via RSS