One of the best tools I’ve used over my career to drive the right behaviors and results is a “balanced scorecard”. A balanced scorecard can be a great tool to consistently communicate clear and consistent expectations for agents, managers and site leaders. When designed correctly they will help increase accountability, drive results, improve employee satisfaction and ultimately drive customer satisfaction. That said, scorecards developed poorly could have the inverse effect and can actually drive attrition, hurt results and ultimately damage your business.
So for the sake of this discussion we will assume that you have put in the proper due diligence, research and time as well as having gained the necessary input and subsequent buy in from all parties that will be using this scorecard. Gaining buy in from agents is critical otherwise this tool could be perceived as yet another demand from “management.”
10 years ago, I took over a center of approximately 2,000 seats. One of my immediate observations was how every departmental head and their subsequent managers were glued to their scorecard day after day. I even recall one of my peers at another site asking me what my scorecard numbers were mid month and his shock to my reply when I said, “I have no clue.” His response was typical of what I had heard for years as he replied, “You don’t know?? Don’t you care?”
Well obviously I care about my sites performance however staring at my scorecard day after day provides little to no value to me. Instead I focus on consistent execution and on the necessary steps needed to yield positive results. Whether you’re an agent or site leader, positive and consistent results are achieved through working with a consistent level of excellence and executing on the basics every single hour of every single day. If you’re lacking in a particular area, focus on “the why” and then develop a plan for improving with that specific metric.
At the end of the month, your scorecard results will come and they will always be a direct reflection of your level of execution and not by focusing on your scorecard numbers day in and day out.
Success doesn’t necessarily come from breakthrough innovation but from flawless execution. A great strategy alone won’t win a game or a battle; the win comes from basic blocking and tackling.
Naveen Jain