In his presentation at the Call Center Conference and Expo 2006, Teletech operations vice president Mel Vance said coaching is the bridge that would turn young recruits into a seasoned workforce. He added that coaching would also address the need to define and cascade the organization's mission and values.
'There is a gap between the current contact center setup and how the setup should be for a more stable organization,' he said. 'There is a need to develop competencies and mindsets of the workforce, along with the need to develop a culture of learning and leadership.'
The Teletech executive defined coaching as a systematic activity that turns actual work situations into learning experiences with the goal of improving performance. 'The real difference in coaching is about believing in someone and then taking action to help that person be his or her very best,' he pointed out.
Five steps
Vance enumerated five steps in designing and implementing a coaching program in call centers: define the skill gaps, identify key initiatives, draw up a coaching model, implement, and, then, evaluate the results. In the first component, call center managers should determine if the agents are meeting their target metrics and if they are in danger of falling victim to the industry's high attrition rate.
Once the skill gaps are defined, the managers should identify key corporate initiatives that can be supported through coaching. After laying the groundwork for the key initiatives, call center managers can start developing a coaching model that is aligned with the corporate goals.
Vance said there are 'four Ps' in developing a coaching model: probing questions, perspective listening, power of non-verbals, and positive reinforcement. He elaborated: 'The first P will help in identifying agents' skills. The second will help in keeping an open mind. The third P will help facilitate communication through the use of body language. And the last is for boosting the morale and loyalty of the agents.'
In implementing the formulated coaching model, call center managers should standardize the training process via enterprise-wide training. After implementing the coaching model, they should evaluate whether or not the agent target metrics have improved.
Vance said that by using a well designed and implemented coaching program in call centers, a champion team of agents will emerge, and the gap between the current contact center setup and the ideal setup will be bridged.