3 Basic Steps to Managing a Team: Step 2

In my last post I talked about Mark and his frustrations with “becoming boss”. Using transparent communication as the first step leads nicely into the next step for managing a team.

2. Define Roles and Responsibilities

Yes, if you hire a customer service rep their responsibility is to do customer service. If you hire a barista, their job is to make drinks. And if you hire a plumber their job is to fix the clog.

However, there is a difference between simply doing a job and doing it to quality standards. If you employ other people they need to understand what those standard and expectations are or you are setting them (and therefore yourself) up for failure.

There are also different levels of quality dependent upon someone’s experience.

I’m going to give a few examples using two measurements for ease of explanation; good vs great and entry level vs advanced. These qualities are independent of each other.

The customer service representative:
Good: Answering the customer’s question completely.
Great: Answering the customer’s question completely, with a smile, and ensuring the customer doesn’t have any other concerns.
Entry level: Referring to the company FAQ to answer the customer’s questions.
Advanced: Leveraging their experience to answer the customer’s questions and adding additional feedback to the company FAQ to create a broader database.

The barista:
Good: Working with an upbeat attitude and smile.
Great: Smiling and having genuine conversation so the customer feels welcomed.
Entry level: Making the customer’s drink as they ordered it.
Advanced: Double checking that they really wanted the hot version instead of the iced one when it is sweltering one-hundred degrees outside.

The plumber:
Good: Works with a positive attitude.
Great: Is sensitive and receptive to the customer’s needs. Asks clarifying questions to ensure they understand the problem and possible causes.
Entry level: Shows up when expected and completes the work as quoted.
Advanced: Explains to the customer the reason for their issue and how they could avoid it in the future.

These examples are basic and elementary however it shows that you could have a great customer service rep who is entry level. The definition of roles and responsibilities depends on your quality standard that you set– and communicate– to your team.

Do you need help creating roles, responsibilities, and quality standards for your team? Send me an email at erica@ericaq.com for a free consultation.
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