8 Responses

1. not quite but nearly
   Sally
   There is an old Video Arts video called “If looks could kill”…the material on the video isn’t itself appropriate because it has an element of the visual, but you could easily use the concepts about choosing your “behaviour” (behaviour being that which shows your attitude)to create an audio tape for them to work on
   Rus

2. Good Timing!
   Hi

   I’ve just this minute finished writing two articles on Motivation (based around surrounding yourself with the correct enviroment) E-mail me if you want a copy

   Best wishes

   Rich
   http://www.supremacytraining.com

3. FISH!!!!!!!!!!!
   I have used sessions built upon the FISH philosophy for call centre agents very succesfully. If you can get funds (expect to pay around £600 for the video and book kit) it will last you a lifetime and can be used to build sessions for a range of different concepts.

   I can also try to find (in my boxes of info!!!) if i have the session on soft copy that I can mail you.

   let me have your mail account and a couple of hours tomorrow to look and see, if i have you can galdly use/adapt for your needs.

   best wishes, Lynnette

4. Have to/Want to
   I like the whole “have to/want to” thing for motivation in general. Get them to split a piece of flipchart paper down the middle, and write “Have to”s on the left, and “Want to”s on the right. They will write things like “breathe” and “eat” in the “Have to” column. But, when you debrief, you can basically move everything in the “Want to” column. The upshot is that you actually don’t HAVE to do anything. Everything is a choice, but you just have to be prepared to accept the consequences of your actions. For example, if you choose to break the law, you accept the fact that you might get caught and go to jail. Or, if you choose not to sell the products, or answer calls, etc (you tailor this to your particular situation), your teammates might have to take up the slack (and be annoyed with you), and your boss might not be impressed. On the positive side, if you choose to bust a gut to meet your targets and care for your customers, then you will get real job satisfaction and may be able to identify ways to improve the process.
   This attitude, while a little controversial, can be very liberating. It would not just work in your situation, but any training situation.
   Just be aware that they might decide to leave the job, and accept the fact that they will not have any income for a while!!
   If you decide this is not much help for you, keep it anyway because it is a great training exercise regardless.

5. Big picture
   In my 14 years experience of call centres the issue of unmotivated staff and attrition is never ending. You are looking to alter their behaviours in a simply buzz session. It wont happen, you need to address how this lack motivation may be generated and reinforced by external factors including ; lack of support by managers, constant changing of targets (goalpost moving), lack of reward, lack of variety of work, poor environment, fill in job when actually employee yearns to do something else etc.
   Motivational theories strongly suggest there are many interconnected factors at play and all must be tackled for any training intervention to have a long term effect.
   How will your current intervention be supported by managers/team leaders?

   The attitude they chose is considerably informed by the culture that they are presented with.

6. FISH
   Sally

   I love the FISH thing too. I thoroughly recommend it. If those lads in the fish market can make it fun and remain motivated why shouldn’t anyone else be able to?

7. Motivation
   I am currently writing a motivation day for line managers to be used in conjuction with one that I have for the team members. I must agree that motivation is a huge issue and dont beleive can be resolved in a simple buzz session.

8. Fix your own problems
   I think the most interesting thing about the Fish philosophy is not the actual action points (e.g. choose your attitude) but the fact that the solution was generated by the workers themselves. “What do you want?” asked the trainer. “We want to be World Famous” was one person’s answer – so they came up with the Fish Philosophy to make themselves World Famous. Which seems to have worked! (they still looked pretty happy when I saw the stall in Seattle a couple of months ago).

   What I’m trying to say is that no amount of pre-prepared buzz sessions can make people WANT to be motivated – but you could try asking them what they want and getting them to come up with their own Philosophy. Maybe. Hope it goes well!