Title:

A Team That Gleamed

Word Count:

1199

Summary:

Too many techies get a bad rap for lacking teamwork and communications skills. The stereotype is that while techies are great at what they are trained to do, they cannot parlay their knowledge onto others. Because of the stereotype that techies cannot communicate, they also can be stigmatized that they lack adequate teamwork skills. So, what are the chances of two Helpdesk teams communicating with each other to successfully form one team while not compromising customer service?

Keywords:

Communication, Teamwork, Teambuilding, Techies, Information Technology, Call Center, Team, Motivation, Inspiration

Article Body:

Too many techies get a bad rap for lacking teamwork and communications skills. The stereotype is that while techies are great at what they are trained to do, they cannot parlay their knowledge onto others. Because of the stereotype that techies cannot communicate, they also can be stigmatized that they lack adequate teamwork skills. So, what are the chances of two Helpdesk teams communicating with each other to successfully form one team while not compromising customer service?

Does this plan initially sound like an enormous task? Does it sound impossible? Not if you were lucky enough to have been on such a dynamite team like mine.

In 1997, I started working at the Ameritech Advertising Helpdesk, which was supporting Yellow Pages Salespeople, Artists and Data Entry from Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin. When Southwestern Bell Corporation acquired Ameritech in 1998, procedures started to change. Ultimately, The Ameritech Advertising Helpdesk became the SBC Yellow Pages Helpdesk and we were to support clients not only in the five-state Great Lakes region, but clients in other regions in which SBC resided. SBC had Yellow Pages clients in the east in Connecticut, in the middle of the country in Missouri and Kansas, in the southwest in Oklahoma and Texas and in the west in Arizona, Nevada and California.

There were two Helpdesks: the Helpdesk who supported clients in the Great Lake region and the Helpdesk that supported clients in the eastern, middle, southwestern and western regions. The Helpdesk supported clients 24/7 during the weekdays, a part of Saturday and was on call for Sunday. The Great Lakes Helpdesk had about seven to eight dayshift personnel, two afternoon people and one mid-nighter. The eastern, middle, southwestern and western region Helpdesk had about eight to ten personnel that worked different hours from 7 a.m. until 10p.m. eastern time.

The grand plan was to combine both Helpdesks and have all of the analysts versatile in all of the applications in order to support clients from all of the 13 states. For example, most of the analysts who supported clients in the Great Lakes region had never worked with VMS systems, but were very familiar with systems like the Remedy Helpdesk software. Conversely, most of the analysts who supported clients in the eastern, middle, southwester and western U.S. had been trained on the VMS systems, but had never worked with Remedy.

Being in Information Technology, one may get used to systems and applications going wrong. It seems that in too many instances, techies are troubleshooting and fixing systems.

So, how did combining operations go without sacrificing customer service?

1. It was about a six-month plan, which started around February 2002 to gradually adjust analysts from both Helpdesks. One analyst from each Helpdesk was trained for several months before supporting clients in all 13 states.

2. Both Helpdesks were in different parts of the Call Center. A couple of analysts from both Helpdesks switched desks in order to familiarize each other with systems.

3. Management was very supportive of the transition and realized that there was a learning curve during the transition.

4. There were two analysts from both Helpdesks called Helpdesk Advocates, who were the liaison between the analysts and management. Both Advocates communicated the analysts’ concerns to management.

5. Clients were informed that both Helpdesks were in the process of being combined and to please be as understanding as possible during the transition.

6. Every analyst was receptive to any question from other analysts. Every analyst was in the same boat – so to speak. Every analyst knew that he or she would have questions about systems in which he or she was not as familiar. How every analyst handled any question from a coworker would reflect the way in which he or she would be treated when he or she had a question. It was the human nature aspect.

7. Every analyst had a desire to learn.

8. Every analyst had a willingness to train

9. If an analyst could learn one system, he or she could learn other systems.

10. Every analyst was a team player. Although there were folks who had years and even decades of experience on some systems, no one was too good to help out any analyst who had never worked with a particular system. The fact that every analyst was cooperative during the transition made it an enormous success.

This is what I personally learned from the experience:

1. Teamwork is not about individuals. When a client’s problem was solved, it was the whole Helpdesk that triumphed.

2. When superstars play as a team, the team will ultimately win. Every member of the team was a superstar who played as a team and we ultimately won in transitioning both Helpdesks.

3. Every analyst proved that they could parlay their knowledge and translate that language to other analysts and clients.

4. Perception and reality may be two completely different things. I knew very little about the folks at the other Helpdesk. When I got to know them, they were as wonderful as the folks whom I already knew at my own Helpdesk.

5. Teamwork is all about dealing with people. What you make of your relationships is up to you.

6. It is amazing what a team can do when it is up to the challenge. My team only had a certain amount of time to transition its operations and we did it!

7. Sometimes just a desire to learn can make the difference between success and failure.

8. Investment in relationships with people is invaluable with a rewarding rate of return.

9. Random acts of kindness

10. You can actually appeal to people’s better nature and not just their self-interest.

Everyone involved displayed so much cooperation and willingness to train no matter how many times they were asked a question. Everyone involved during the transition should be very proud that they were part of that awesome period and it is something that they can take with them anywhere else they go. All of us were a part of a group that needed to implement the greatest effort of teamwork or we were not going to make the transition.

Considering that three shifts were involved makes the event even more a source of pride for all of those who were involved. Any person on the team could be approached and they were more than willing to help with any question. We were an example to follow and we certainly set a great standard for teamwork!!

Teamwork is all about people. Those in technical professions are people too. No matter what your profession, people in technology have great skills like everyone else. My team broke the stereotype that techies cannot communicate well and are not team players. It’s not your profession that determines what makes you a great team player, it’s who you are. It’s not how much people skills that you possess, it’s what you do with those people skills that matter.

This article is dedicated to the one of those great team members, Monica Mitchell, who died of pulmonary embolism on Wednesday, November 5th, 2003. May God’s grace be with you always, Monica. For those of us who had the pleasure to have worked with her, we will greatly miss you.

Published November 2003 : zdnet.com.com/2100-1107_2-5107498.html

Title:

Learn French The Easy Way

Word Count:

547

Summary:

It is easier than ever to learn basic French. There are so many options available that you might find it difficult to know where to start. Don't worry, I have got four great tips that will help get you started. Ready? Then lets go...

Keywords:

french tuition, french online, learn basic french

Article Body:

It is easier than ever to learn basic French. There are so many options available that you might find it difficult to know where to start. Don't worry, I have got four great tips that will help get you started. Ready? Then lets go...

You're going to have to start by looking at your life. How much spare time to have each day and how much of that time are you willing to dedicate to French learning? It's a great idea to start by working out a learning routine. If you've got half a hour free each evening, then use that time each and every night and stick to it. The sooner learning French becomes part of you everyday routine the easier it will be to learn. There are many courses available on the market that only require 15-20 minutes learning time each day, so be sure to check these out.

Don't underestimate the amount of French you already know. You be amazed by just how much French you have picked over the years, just by watching films and TV. Why not try and build upon this existing knowledge in the simplest way possible. Watch some more French films and TV. Check out the TV guide, there is bound to be a French film or documentary on. If not you could always head to your local library. Libraries don't just carry books, they now offer excellent audio and video sections. I bet you'll find some DVDs that will entertain you whilst you learn.

You don't have to spend hundreds of buck on expensive French tuition. You could start buy buying a simple phrase book. They only cost a couple of dollars but they include everything you'll will ever need to get you started. Not only do they contain everyday words and phrases that will have you speaking and understand French in no time at all, but they will also teach you basic grammar, pronunciation and numbers. You'll literally be amazed just how much information there is in these tiny books. They're usually pocket sized so, you can take them with you everywhere. If you get bored, check out your book and learn another useful phrase.

Starting to learn French is easy – but staying motivated to learn isn't. Make sure you set yourself realistic goals. No one ever learned to speak French in a week! It takes time – so don't worry if you don't pick it up straight away. I know its hard, but you must try and stick to your learning routine. Don't give up – it'll all be worth it in the end. If you do start to loose motivation then don't just stop. You could always approach learning in a different way – join a class, get some one 2 one tuition or purchase a course. If you really feel like you want to give up then maybe you should take a trip to France. Nothing will rejuvenate you more than a holiday. Not only will your French instantly improve , but your motivation to learn will be doubled when you get back.

I hope my learn basic French ideas have helped you realise just how easy it is to learn a new language. If you stick to this simple advice, you'll be speaking French in no time at all.

Title:

Calling Cards - their so much cheaper that land lines

Word Count:

334

Summary:

Calling cards are those cards you get handed to you on the street sometimes, or see advertised in corner shops

Keywords:

telephone, calling-card, communication

Article Body:

Calling cards are those cards you get handed to you on the street sometimes, or see advertised in corner shops. They’re a cheap way to call internationally – much cheaper than a normal landline phone – and they’re getting more and more popular as more people choose to live and work in foreign countries and make friends internationally.

So how do calling cards work? There are two main kinds of cards: free and paid-for. Free cards have a premium rate phone number on that you then call and enter your card number and PIN number. The premium rate phone call pays for a certain number of minutes for you to the country of your choice. Paid-for cards work similarly with the card number and the PIN, except that you buy them in a shop instead of paying with a premium rate call.

The reason your calls can be so much cheaper than usual when you use a calling card is that they are no longer being routed through the normal phone network. Instead, calling card companies are free to construct their own international telephone networks, often using advances in technology to their advantage.

Most modern calling cards actually route calls over the Internet, which means that an international call in fact becomes only a local call at each end, with the Internet acting as a ‘bridge’ between the two phone networks. This means that the calling card companies can make a lot of money for very little work, while also providing a much cheaper service than usual to the customer.

If you want to cut out the middleman, though, you might consider using a voice-over-IP service on your computer, such as Skype. This allows you to make calls for free over the Internet, and at local rate to landline phones all over the world. While you have to have a computer and Internet access and use a headset instead of a phone, the calls are a lot cheaper than even the cheapest calling card.

Title:

How to Run a Successful Conference Call

Word Count:

1194

Summary:

These days with more and more of us working from home, working on the road, and generally dealing with multiple suppliers, contractors and business partners in locations all over the world, the conference call is supplanting the face-to-face meeting. Here are some tips on getting the most out of your conference call...

Keywords:

conference calls meetings business agenda notes effective

Article Body:

These days with more and more of us working from home, working on the road, and generally dealing with multiple suppliers, contractors and business partners in locations all over the world, the conference call is supplanting the face-to-face meeting. Here are some tips on getting the most out of your conference call...

Tip One: Send Out an Agenda

The key to an effective meeting is an agenda - this applies to any kind of meeting, not just a conference call. With a conference call, always make sure you have the instructions on how to access the conference call at the top of the agenda, preferably in a box or with some other text decoration to make it stand out.

Another option is to send a meeting request from within your calendar application, whether it be Microsoft Outlook or Apple's iCal, or some other scheduling tool. The meeting request is sent as a specially formatted email, so you can add attachments just like with a regular email. Attach the agenda, and repeat the instructions on how to connect to the conference call in the body of the email.

Most conference service providers require participants to dial a special number (which may be different depending on where the user is, or it may be a national number), then enter a conference "room" number, followed by a security code or PIN. Make sure all the necessary details are included on the agenda and the meeting request.

If the conference call is a regular status update, ensure you also send out the meeting notes from the previous call, since the first item on the agenda should be chasing people up for the actions they've agreed to be responsible for.

Tip Two: Take Care of Housekeeping

At the beginning of the call, call off the roll and ensure everyone is on the call. Introduce any newcomers to the rest of the group and invite them to spend a couple of minutes describing themselves and their role on the call. If anyone is missing from the participants list, immediately call them (preferably on their mobile) to get them onto the call as soon as possible. If they can't get on the call within a couple of minutes, proceed without them. Nothing detracts from a good conference call more than making everyone wait at the beginning.

Next, ensure everyone has a copy of the agenda, and that they can all hear one another OK. If you are not going to be the one taking notes, make sure everyone is clear who is. This serves two benefits: firstly, the person taking notes is going to be careful and accountable, and secondly, a single set of meeting notes will be distributed after the call. If this is not made clear, you may end up with several versions, which is both redundant and confusing.

Finally, lay out the rules for interaction on the call. Because it's audio-only, the usual cues we use to indicate that we wish to take a turn at speaking are not present. Therefore it's worth stating at the outset what the rules will be. These can be as simple as "Please make a note of any questions and we'll deal with them in turn after each agenda point", or as sophisticated as listing the order of speaking of the participants, and asking each participant only to speak at their particular time. This last is called "round table" conferencing, and is particularly effective once people are used to it. It has the dual effect of keeping all participants engaged, and speeding up the time it takes to get through each point.

Clearly it's unrealistic to expect people to stick to the interaction rules for the duration of the call, but laying them out at the outset will help ensure things run quickly and smoothly.

Tip Three: Turn Off Speakerphone

Unless you have a majority of participants all in one room together, you should turn off speakerphone. Speakerphone and conference calls are a bad combination, unless you have a high-quality dedicated speakerphone. In order to prevent audio feedback, speakerphones automatically mute the speaker when a sufficiently loud sound is heard at the microphone. Unfortunately, few speakerphones do this particularly well, and often the speaker will mute because of its own output feeding back into the microphone. This means annoying dropouts and missed words and sentences.

Because it's a conference call, often these dropouts can go on for some minutes before someone has the opportunity to pipe up with "We missed all that!" Needless to say, having to constantly repeat yourself can be very time consuming and irritating for all the non-speakerphone participants.

Even if you're in the same room as someone else, it can sometimes be an improvement to use two handsets rather than use speakerphone.

Tip Four: Send Out Meeting Notes

You should ensure everyone on the conference call gets a copy of the meeting notes no later than the following morning, while the call is still fresh in everyone's minds.

There are many helpful guides on the web for effective note-taking, but in essence:

• Don't try to write down absolutely everything; just the items where an action needs to be taken
• Keep track of who has agreed to be responsible for each action
• Keep track of the deadlines for each action item
• Don't forget to note the time and date of the meeting and who was present

If the conference call is a regular status update, ensure you note in the meeting notes the time and date of the next meeting. If possible, deadlines for action items should correspond to the dates of status meetings so that the notes can be quickly scanned (or even sorted) for items that need to be chased up in a given meeting.

Tip Five: Keep it Brief

Studies have shown that people start to suffer a number of unpleasant side-effects after holding a telephone receiver to their ear for longer than about an hour. In any event, forty minutes is about the limit of most people's concentration span.

If you find the call is starting to drag on beyond an hour, it's a good idea to wrap things up and continue either later that day, or preferably the following day. If you find this is a regular occurrence, it may be an indicator that you need to revisit the agenda, or possibly split the group up into separate, more focussed groups. A particular time-waster is having engineers and businesspeople on the same conference call. A better way to handle this is to have three shorter meetings - one with just the engineers, one with the businesspeople, and one with single representatives from each group to present the results and take any feedback to the next department meeting. With practice, you can keep the length of each meeting down to around twenty minutes.