By Debbie Nicholson, Think-to-INK!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-nicholson-24a53627/
When management asks / suggests / prompts employees to lie to customers, you circumvent the real problem – documented Processes & Procedures that are inefficient or nonexistent!
Many PSPs I’ve talked with over the last several months (large and small) DO NOT have documented, up-to-date, formal Processes & Procedures for their employees! Oh, right…they have a few sticky notes posted at points of interest throughout their facility; my apologies.
Why the Lie Matters:
When we ask employees to lie to our customers, we are, in effect, introduced to an unwritten ‘policy’ that lying is okay, albeit only when it fits our needs. All the while, disciplining that same employee for lying to another employee or upper management would be justification for writing them up! Sorry, I am a little confused! Are you?
In a nutshell…a process is a series of tasks and activities that produce an outcome. A procedure is a set of instructions for completing a single task or activity within a process.
Truth be told, the Secrets of Processes & Procedures (a few, not in order)
- Highlights efficiencies and unnecessary costs
- Improves communication among employees and management
- Uncovers hidden bottlenecks
- Assures manufacturing consistency
- Supports knowledge retention
- Enhances company compliance
- Simplifies employee onboarding
- Initiates teamwork and collaboration
- Promotes quality assurance
- Confirms and unites accountability
- Encourages employee retention
- Strengthens safety protocol
Driving the Process for Procedures:
If you can’t spend thousands of dollars to implement a Process & Procedures protocol…ask employees to write up processes and procedures for their respective departments collaboratively. When employees work together for a unified purpose, they will be engaged and committed to providing you with the most detailed account of their duties – they want you to know what their duties consist of daily. Then, you can take it from there.
Between the lines:
More times than not, we lie to our customers because we do not follow or consult with our Processes and Procedures documents (analog or digital).
Truthfully, just get it done!
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