10 Percent Better
One of our 1to1 Customer Champions, Pete Winemiller, has this great thing his does to motivate his staff to improve their performance for each ensuing basketball season. Winemiller is the vice president of guest relations for the NBA’s Seattle SuperSonics and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm. Here’s what Winemiller asks his staff to do:
Like many organizations, the staff is what Winemiller calls a badge community; everyone wears badges at all times so they can access employee-only areas. So Winemiller provides his team (about 30 people who work for the Sonics/Storm and another nearly 500 who are actually employees of the city and the concession vendors, etc.) with one more badge to add to their lanyard. This one is special; it’s designed to be written on in permanent marker—so once you write on it, you’re committed.
He has each person select one thing that they’d like to do just 10 percent better this season than last and write it on the badge. It could be anything, but mostly the aim is to select something that will help ensure a great experience for the fans. It could be ‘smile more’ or ‘make eye contact’ or whatever each person wants to accomplish.
If each person does that one thing just 10 percent better than last season, Winemiller says, collectively it will make a significant impact on the fan experience. And since everyone wears their badges in the arena at all times, they can refer to it anytime and, in a way, are constantly reminded of their commitment.
So my challenge to you as we head into 2008 is this: What is that one thing that you’ll commit to doing 10 percent better this year than last to improve your customers’ experience or your staff’s engagement?
As for me, I plan to be 10 percent more responsive to better serve all my constituents (readers, colleagues, PR folks, vendors, etc.) in the timeliest manner possible.
Dan,
I'm happy to accept your challenge! Thanks.
Nice Theme Ginger ! Pete and I were on a panel that you chaired a while back, where this topic came up. One point, I would like to emphasize that you said about Pete's practice - choose something that will ensure a great fan experience. Latent in this, would be to select from areas that would have the highest impact/return. At Wachovia, we work to identify these opportunities, while not forgetting the areas where we already excel. It is very easy to keep working on what we like, but harder to work on the things we don't do as well ( I believe this is a theorem around people's behavior ... ).
Now in your case, my experiences are that you are already very responsive ( just in looking at our past projects and email dialogue over the last year ), so my belief is that this is something you like to do, and further emphasizing it easy. My challenge to you then, would be to choose an area that would have higher impact and perhaps less comfortable ..... how about dedicated time to brainstorming, where you could catalog new ideas ? Attend different conferences and, explore an industry you are not familiar, where 1to1 could have a significant impact .... etc. Note, all these are measurable in some sense, so at the end of the year - you can passionately confirm your reasons to celebrate your new accomplishments.
With that - I wish you a great end of year and look forward to working with you in 2008 !
Dan