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In This Issue

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Speaker Highlight

Ivy's Quick Reads

Job Openings

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Event Information

The 9th Annual Signature Customer Service and Support Professionals Conference
(a.k.a. Help Desk Professionals Conference and Expo)

Sign up now.
Only 150 seats left.


Mark Your Calendar for 2008 GCSC

The 7th Annual Government Customer Support Conference and Expo

April 28-30, 2008
Alexandria, VA

Call 425-398-9292 and sign up now to
SAVE $400

Taking speaker and partner submissions now.

2007 CSSPC
EVENT SPONSORS

Association of Support Professionals

Call Center School

Centerserve

ContactCenterWorld

CRMAdvocate

CRMXchange

Customer Service Group

DEMA Education

Driva Solutions

Government Customer Support Community of Practice

ICMI

Neighborhood and Worldwide Contact Center Professionals

NTRglobal

Pathworks Software

Help Desk Northwest

SCInc

Telework Coalition

Third Sky, Inc.

TMC

Unicor

VoIP Institute

 

HTHTS Home Page  |  Our Services  Conferences and Events  |  The Free Stuff

Do you have HI-PO employees on your team? With the first Baby Boomers retiring in 2010 it has become imperative that HI-PO employees are identified and put into programs to develop them further and sooner.  HI-PO employees are individuals with high potential.

Many of our readers have met my niece, Corissa Meadors, at our conferences or seminars I've delivered.  She is an example of a HI-PO employee.  She just graduated from High School and is leaving August 26th, 2007 to live in Costa Rica for the next year.  She is going to college at Long Island University's Global College.

The Global College embodies the vision of Dr. Morris Mitchell, its first president, who believed that students who were given the opportunity to learn firsthand about the problems and possibilities of humanity, and were encouraged to develop problem-solving skills, would become a unique resource for global peace and development.

Global College's mission is the development of well-educated world citizens, men and women from a broad spectrum of nationalities and social classes who participate in a program that; enables them to combine first-hand experience of diverse cultural realities with the critical study of academic disciplines and human and ecological problems; to test intellectual theories and skills against the demands of practice and service; to carry out specialized field study under expert guidance that synthesizes cross-cultural understanding; and to develop a broad world view and a level of achievement in a chosen field sufficient to prepare for a life of committed action in the interest of the world community.

This is a place for people to make practical use of learned theories and concepts and, as a result, to gain a profound understanding of global issues. During excursions to Nicaragua in the fall and Ecuador in the spring, students explore the tension between environmental and economic issues and begin to understand how individuals at the local level are affected by decisions made at the global level.

In previous semesters students have explored comparative political systems; tropical and/or organic agriculture, aquaculture and reforestation; rural development, underdevelopment and the role of cooperatives; nutrition and public health; journalism in social change; workers and trade unions; street children; dance, theatre and ethnomusicology; women’s issues such as violence and self-esteem; and human rights and peace studies.

HI-PO employees are the greatest assets to an organization's future success. Imagine the results if we could immerse our HI-PO employees in such in-depth programs in corporations. Top talent people hold the greatest potential for organizational development, innovation and growth.

High potentials are made of two top talent groups:

  • The young high-potentials are promising individuals, young in work or career experience that stand out in their abilities, talents and commitment. (Blue Belt)

  • The senior high-potentials are managers with broad experience and reference and are in line to join the senior leadership team. (Silver Belt)

    Source: http://www.ambercoaching.com/high_potentials.html

Think about the prodigious outcomes to corporations and the people - globally and locally if you take the top 5% high performing people and develop them in a program like Corissa's. I'm proud to have a HI-PO employee and an extraordinary family member that is going to make a difference in this world.

Resources:

I hope you found this issue of eSharings enjoyable and useful. May you discover your own HI-PO employees and take the opportunity to assist them in their quest for knowledge.

Warmly,

Ivy Meadors
High Tech High Touch Solutions, Inc.

www.ivymeadors.com or www.hthts.com

Office: 425-398-9292

To email Corissa and learn more about the Global Program she is getting involved in or share your words of encouragment, you can send a note to corissa@hthts.com.  Her next stint after Costa Rica is China.


The 9th Annual Signature Customer Service and Support Professionals Conference a.k.a. Help Desk Professionals Conference and Expo

  • When: October 22-24, 2007

  • Where:  Phoenix Arizona at the incredible Pointe South Mountain Resort

    ==>> Only 70 rooms left at the resort - reserve yours now. <<==

CSSPC Speaker Highlight: Randy Celaya Delivers Two Incredible Sessions (top)

Pre-conference Coaching Workshop: It’s not about you! : Coaching for Results

Randy Celaya, Results Focused Training

Coaching is more than a set of management actions for improving performance. It is an involved supportive approach for allowing others to realize their full potential.  Coaching is a partnership for achieving results.  Coaching focuses more on motivation or interpersonal influence rather than on getting others to comply through a chain of command or hierarchy.  You will learn that Coaching isn’t a mechanical process between the coach and individual or team; it requires good chemistry, communication, observation and caring.  Coaching is the heart of peak performance in every successful organization.  Whenever you want to get buy-in, inspire or motivate, coaching is the answer. 

Benefits of attending:

  • Understand the role of a coach
  • Learn 12 steps for effective coaching interactions
  • Top 10 coaching cautions
  • Techniques for motivation and inspiration
  • Communication skills for coaches

Take Away: Coaching Script (Model)

ONLY 8 SEATS LEFT FOR THIS PRE-CONFERENCE SESSION


Creating Value: The Financial Role of Support
Randy Celaya, Results Focused Training

It’s important to understand the financial role that we play in support. Understanding terminology and communicating the value of the services you provide is the key to success in business. You will learn what financial terminology the industry is using and the role ROI plays in the support center. You will learn how to position your support center as an asset and a value to upper management.

Benefits of Attending:

  • Learn how to communicate the value of the support center

  • Understand the financial terminology

  • Learn how to calculate ROI

  • Understand how to maximize your ROI

  • Review activities involved in financial management

Take away: Cost Itemization Worksheet

Meet the Speaker:

Mr. Celaya is a keynote event speaker, Certified Executive/Life Coach and Instructor with 17 years of support center industry experience. Randy has been recognized as a strong motivator, results focused coach and effective communicator working with groups or individuals to achieve success.

Mr. Celaya has worked extensively with Help Desks and Call Centers around the world to develop, coach and train Professional to Director level positions in Customer Support, Critical Thinking, Team Building, and Problem Solving skills. Randy was critical in the conception of one of the Help Desk/Call Center industries most recognized certifications in the support services industry. Randy has served as the Keynote speaker at Help Desk and Call Center events around the world.

  ==>> Click to View the Detailed Conference Program <<==


Ivy's Quick Reads  (top)

  1. Why Help Desks / Service Desks Fail

    The primary reason for failure is due to lack of senior management support and insufficient leadership training for those running the support group.  The Help Desk / Service Desk (HD/SD) is the backbone of the company, a necessary asset worth investing in.  They should not be thought of as overhead but instead as one of the most crucial components of the business.  The leaders of these groups need more training and support from senior management.

  2. Why Help Desks / Service Desks Succeed

    The most successful support groups have passionate leaders and the technology to do the job. It takes a unique skill set to manage a technical support group. Having a strategic vision, insights into the service and support industry, and a deep understanding of the corporate business needs will contribute to a successful organization. Successful leaders of HD/SDs know how others run their groups (successfully and poorly) by visiting similar sites, actively participating in local networking groups and attending industry events.

  3. Use Technology More Effectively

    Less than 20% of HD/SDs use technology to be truly proactive, self-service organizations using auto-correction, auto-alerts, and auto-ticketing.  Many groups are on the right path but are not given the time or training to understand how to perform effective root cause analysis, perform advanced application of tool sets or know how to best market the resources of the HD/SD to the customers.

  4. Control Your Costs

    What is the most common statement made by leaders of HD/SDs? "We need to reduce resources and perform support at a lower cost," is the primary point made when asked why there are adverse situations for the group.  The key is to understand the financial role that is played in support and how to communicate the results to senior management.  Randy Celaya, from Results Focused Training, will be teaching this topic at the 9th Annual Customer Service and Support Professionals Conference October 22-24 in Phoenix. Being proactive, using effective Workforce Management, and better use of your technology will contribute to controlling costs down.

  5. Focus on the People

    It is said time and again how important it is to focus on the people. Most organizations walk this talk to a great extent but with heavy workloads on everyone, the lack of time and resources, and too many meetings. it is a challenge to give the people the focus they need and deserve.

Actions:

  1. Designate 8 hours per week to the people (20% of your time).

  2. Attend one local networking meeting per month.

  3. Eliminate two to three meetings from your schedule per week. This can free up 5-10% of your time.

  4. Attend one industry conference per year, hopefully the 9th Annual Customer Service and Support Professionals Conference though there are many other good ones to select from.

  5. Delegate someone to pull the appropriate reports to perform root cause analysis each week.  Allocate four to six hours for this task.

  6. Read one book per month on a topic for personal and professional development. See our recommended book list for some ideas.

  7. Spend two hours per week evaluating ways to get more from the technology you own, select new approaches, and delegate implementation to a technician(s).


Pathworks Unveils F REE Call Management System at the 9th Annual Customer Service and Support Conference in October

Pathworks is the first f  ree, on-demand help desk solution when used for internal support, and it is available now.

The only chance in 2008 to meet with the minds behind this incredible tool, the only one of its kind in our industry, will be at our October conference in Phoenix.

High Tech High Touch Solutions, Inc. recommends this product for organizations without the funds to purchase a Help Desk Solution.

We implemented the product in our own business to see if it works as stated and we found it does. If cost is an issue at your company, this is a solution worth assessing.

Read more


Job Opening  (top)

Help Desk Supervisor for Lynden Incorporated in Seattle, Washington

Lynden Incorporated is looking for a customer service oriented individual to supervise 8-10 level two technical support experts for a well established, highly respected, ITIL compliant internal Help Desk. Work is varied and challenging and requires at least level one expertise on a wide range of technical areas. Exceptional customer service and verbal and written communications skills are a must for this position. Experience in Help Desk supervision is essential. This is a remarkable opportunity for the right individual.

The primary duties of this position are as follows: · Monitors helpdesk operations to ensure compliance with client service level agreements · Recognizes trends in reported incidents and groups related calls · Works closely with other department contacts on issues to improve customer relations and technical support · Keeps abreast of new technologies and arranges for training of Help Desk personnel · Follows up on support issues with dissatisfied customers to ensure that problems are resolved and customer service is improved · Assists in answering phones and diagnosing problems during crunch times · Works closely with Help Desk Manager to create, improve, and publish help desk procedures · Other duties as assigned

Contact: Pat Forman Help Desk Manager Lynden Inc. Seatac, WA Patf@lynden.com

==>> Be sure to tell them you read about the position in eSharings.


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