The Communicator
Volume III, Issue 8
August, 2001

Editor: Debra Thompson - debra@tgassociates.com
Contributing Editors:
Bill Greif - billg@tgassociates.com
Shari Moore - info@tgassociates.com

TG & ASSOCIATES, LLC
P.O. Box 32601 * Tucson, AZ 85751-2601
Web Site: www.tgassociates.com
Phone: toll free 1-877-TGASSOC (877-842-7762) or 520-751-8922
Fax: 1-520-751-7515

In This Issue:

• 12 Questions That Matter
• 10 words Never to be used in Customer Service
• Update! TG & Associates Launches The Communicator Archive!
• Take Cues from Your Team
• Do you Sabotage Teamwork?
• Recommended Reading – The Nordstrom Way – The Inside story of America’s #1 Customer Service Company
• Debra’s Schedule

 12 Questions That Matter 

Marcus Buckingham, who is a business consultant and author, has a philosophy that, “Everyone has the right to meaningful work and people who do meaningful work create the most value in the marketplace”. In a recent article by Polly LaBarre in Fast Company, August 2001, he says his mission is “to create a better marriage between the dreams of workers and the drive of companies to win.” His thoughts parallel my own in the pursuit of bringing people and systems together for profit. Based on his research, he has developed a set of 12 core issues that have been translated into a set of questions. The answers to these questions provide a barometer of the strength of any work unit. These are the questions that he uses to determine if the workforce is engaged, not engaged or actively disengaged at work. 

12 Questions That Matter

ã1992-1999, The GALLUP Organization, Princeton, NJ, All rights reserved. 

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the materials and equipment that I need in order to do my work right?
3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
4. In the past seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?
8. Does the mission or purpose of my company make me feel that my job is important?
9. Are my coworkers committed to doing quality work?
10. Do I have a best friend at work?
11. In the past six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?
12. This past year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grown?

Now, Marcus Buckingham may be the only person who can tell you how the results of these questions place your company in comparison to others, but it seems that the periodic re-asking of these questions can give you an indication if you are cretaining a meaningful workplace for your employees and promoting their growth, and in turn having them promote your business success.

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10 words Never to be used in Customer Service

Policy No Can’t Impossible Wrong

Why? What? Listen Wait Should've

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 Update! TG & Associates Launches The Communicator Archives! 

Changed your e-mail address, deleted an issue, want to go back and find that article you just loved? 

You’re in luck because TG & Associates now has all of our issues from 2000 and 2001 archived on our website www.tgassociates.com!  All issues are listed by issue date and topic, a simple click of the mouse over the appropriate link and you will be taken to the specific article. 

We are also currently working on posting many of Debra’s published articles for your reference as well, so look for that in the coming months! 

As always, we welcome your suggestions on anything else you would like to see us put on our web site that you feel would be beneficial. Feel free to e-mail us at info@tgassociates.com with any suggestions or comments you might have.

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Take Cues from Your Team 

Want to know what your team members think of you? Circulate the following list. Ask them to circle the three things they'd most like you to do.

Give me a pat on the back once in a while. Stop trying to prove to me how smart you are. Stop yelling. Stop talking down to me. Stop being so aloof. Let me know what’s going on with management. Smile once in a while. Ask me how I feel.

Train me Take interest in my work. Listen to me more often. Stop hounding me. Let me make suggestions. Leave me on my own. Give me a challenge.

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Do you Sabotage Teamwork? 

Many team leaders support and enjoy the teamwork experience. But for some, giving up authority and control is a tough transition. 

Check to make sure you aren’t clinging to old behaviors that can hurt your team. Following are some subtle ways a leader can sabotage teamwork: 

• Saving the day. Some managers are so accustomed to putting out fires that they miss the adrenaline rush of saving a project at the last minute. So they allow a situation to deteriorate to near failure, only to jump in and save the day.

Suggestion: If you find yourself rescuing your team again and again, find out why. Are you withholding information that would help members do their jobs? Do people need training to perform their duties more efficiently? 

• Hanging on to a cherished duty.  Team leaders often hold on to “fun” tasks, even though their time might be better spent elsewhere.

Suggestion: Examine your favorite duties. Would you be more productive if you delegated some of them? If so, start today. Team members will appreciate your sacrifice. And you can move on to more important matters. 

• Maintaining rigid policies. Nothing kills teamwork faster than a fat policy manual.

Suggestion: Create team policies. Ask team members for input, and explain the reasons behind every rule. If you can’t explain it, throw it out. 

 - Adapted from Keeping Teams On Track, Linda Moran, Ed Musselwhite, and John H. Zenger.

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 Recommended Reading: The Nordstrom Way – The Inside story of America’s #1 Customer Service Company  

What makes Nordstrom so special? How does the Nordstrom customer service culture work? And most important, what lessons can other businesses learn from the Nordstrom’s example? 

The book, The Nordstrom Way: The inside Story of America’s #1 Customer Service Company, by Robert Spector and Patrick D. McCarthy, provides the answers to these questions and many more. 

This informative book relates the history of Nordstrom, from its beginnings in 1901 to the present day and emphasizes how the company culture of customer service has made it successful. I was reminded again of the lessons in this book last week in San Diego when I visited two Nordstroms during their 100-Year Anniversary Sale and I once again personally experienced the service that has made them successful. What a great experience. 

The keys to the success of this retail giant are summarized at the end of each chapter and they provide a keen insight into what sets it apart from its competitors. In my seminars I often refer to the 5 by 8 inch card that is the Nordstrom Employee Handbook, which is written below. 

WELCOME TO NORDSTROM

 We’re glad to have you with
our company.
Our number one goal is to provide
outstanding customer service.
Set both your personal and
professional goals high.
We have great confidence in your
ability to achieve them.
Nordstrom Rules:
Rule #1: Use your good
judgment in all situations.
There will be no additional rules.
Please feel free to ask
your department manager,
store manager, or division general
manager any question
at any time. 

Nordstrom, a retail leader that built its reputation on providing superior customer service at good value, proves on a daily basis that price isn’t the only thing that customers want. This book is full of examples that demonstrate how important customer service is and how it is achieved. It provides an easy read of the Nordstrom story and is 238 pages long.    

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Debra’s Schedule Through October 2001 

August 2001

1-2       Shreveport, LA
            Consulting           

15-20   Madison, WI
           Our son, Cameron, is getting married August 18^th to Lisa. Bill and 
           Debra will be in Madison for the big celebration. 

31-       Columbus, GA
Sept 2  Bill and Debra will be spending Labor Day weekend with their son,
            Jason.   

September 2001

8          Los Angeles, CA
            DIMA Conference
            Speaking: Hire Smart! 

18-19   Alexandria, VA
            Consulting 

20        Tucson, AZ
            Arizona Small Business Association (ASBA)
            Speaking: How To Hire The Right Person The First Time       

29        Mashantucket, CT
           Sir Speedy, Inc.
            Speaking: Hiring & Retaining Top Performers is the Key to Your Success

 October 2001

6          Location: To Be Determined
             Sir Speedy, Inc.
            Speaking: Hiring & Retaining Top Performers is the Key to Your Success

 10-12   Tampa, FL
            The Big Picture Conference
            Speaking: Finding, Hiring, and Keeping Top Performers        

20        Location: To Be Determined
            Sir Speedy, Inc.
            Speaking: Hiring & Retaining Top Performers is the Key to Your 
             Success 

Check out our website www.tgassociates.com to see Debra’s entire calendar for this year and even check out where she was in 2000.  

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If you have anything you would like discussed in The Communicator or with Debra Thompson directly, feel free to contact her via e-mail at debra@tgassociates.com or call 520-751-8922.

The Communicator is intended to provide accurate information in regard to the subject matter covered. Advice received from here should be with the understanding that TG & Associates, LLC, is not engaged in rendering legal or other equivalent professional services. If legal advice or other professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. TG & Associates, LLC, is not responsible for misrepresentation, misinterpretation, or misuse of the data contained in or derived from this system.

1999 Copyright - TG & Associates, LLC.
Bringing Systems & People Together for Profit
All rights reserved


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