You’re managing a team for customer retention. How can you use assertiveness to keep them motivated?

Even the question feels wrong to me as a standalone statement. Before we can expect any of our teams or people to deliver results we first must ensure we hold ourselves accountable as Leaders for giving them the environment to succeed. So first we must ensure our teams have the tools, information and empowerment to succeed, as well as the motivation and rewards for doing well, and support them when they need help. Only then we can expect certain minimum aspects of performance from our teams in Retention or anywhere. It’s absolutely a two-way deal and any Leader that thinks assertiveness alone will succeed will likely not last long.

It's vital to define what's defined as "retention" in the organization, distinguishing between controllable and uncontrollable aspects. Educating the team on these aspects and emphasizing on the controllable aspects is key. Implementing a Voice of Process (VOP) program fosters collaboration across teams, aligning efforts for customer retention through shared responsibility. Continuous feedback loops in the VOP ensure insights are shared promptly, enabling constant small wins. Consistent progress, no matter how small, boosts team motivation more than sporadic successes.

Assertive leadership involves fostering open and transparent communication within a team. Encouraging team members to share their ideas, concerns, and feedback creates a supportive environment where everyone feels heard and valued, enhancing motivation and engagement. For one to be labeled an assertive and effective leader one must provide the necessary tools as well as growth opportunities to empower their teams to succeed. It is vital to ensure you set clear goals and expectations, provide constructive criticism, and feedback, address concerns proactively, and most importantly celebrate individual and team success as well as milestones.

FACT: Pay your employees above the average because money motivates them the most. Everything else comes second. This simple method applies not just to customer retention teams but to any team.

If people believe in a mission they deliver, no assertiveness is needed at all. Over all kindness is above everything. Wise ones understand.

To master assertive management, cultivate a culture of constructive feedback. Celebrate achievements, acknowledge efforts, and guide improvement areas with honesty. Address concerns promptly, showcasing genuine care for your team's growth and emphasizing the value of their contributions. This approach not only creates a positive environment but also motivates your team to strive for excellence under your leadership.

Constructive and honest feedback will go a long way in raising team productivity. when they are so certain to get a feedback of whatever different actions/attempt on the job, they are obliged to do more.

Assertiveness is key in keeping the team motivated for customer retention. Set clear goals, offer constructive feedback, and advocate for necessary resources assertively. Encourage autonomy, lead by example, and celebrate successes openly. Address challenges head-on, fostering a culture of resilience and accountability. Assertive communication instills confidence, ensuring each team member understands their role and impact. By demonstrating assertive leadership, you empower the team to take ownership of their responsibilities, driving them to excel in retaining customers and contributing to the organization's success.

Encourage feedback: Schedule regular team meetings where you ask questions like "What are your biggest challenges right now?" or "What could we be doing better to support your success?" Delegate tasks and responsibilities: Assign ownership of specific projects based on individual strengths. Focus on solutions, not blame: Instead of saying "You handled that poorly," offer guidance like "I noticed the customer seemed frustrated. In such situations, using active listening skills and exploring their concerns further can be very effective."

To be able to guide assertively, you must first seek to understand. I've seen leaders come into an organization and start making decisions without asking enough - or the right - questions and/or not asking the appropriate team members. Ensure transparent reporting at your team's level (as opposed to just at the level of upper management), as well as tools and training that will get them there. Your assertiveness is vitally tied to hearing all relevant voices and getting buy-in to common goals and methodologies, followed by positive reinforcement and acknowledgment of small wins. Big wins will come naturally with focus on changing one small thing at a time.

Brainstorming is always a good idea, this helps you know how people percieves the idea & also what new perspectives they can bring to it that might have missed.

One of the most important things is you make a person feel heard. Too many people just fake listen and wait for their turn to talk. Those people are very transparent and easy to spot. Actively listening to someone is extremely important.

Active listening isn't just a management skill; it's a motivational tool. Here's how it impacts your customer retention team: 1. Building Trust and Respect: Creating a safe space: Actively listen and foster an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, concerns, and feedback without fear of judgment. 2. Acknowledging inputs: Show them their voices matter by paying close attention, asking clarifying questions, and demonstrating genuine interest in their perspectives.

To use assertiveness and active listening to motivate your customer retention team, follow these steps: 1. Clear and Direct: Explain what you expect from your team in terms of goals and their roles. 2. Open Dialogue: Create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feedback. 3. Be Supportive: Provide feedback that helps your team understand what they are doing well and where they can improve. 4. Team Empowerment: Trust your team members by giving them the freedom to make decisions in their work. 5. Be an Example: Show assertiveness and active listening in your own behavior. Be clear, listen, and supportive and empower your team- you can keep them motivated and improve customer retention.

Hearing what the struggles are is the first step to helping everyone get through what is probably a common issue. Everyone benefits from other people’s experiences and advice. If the employee feels empowered and backed up by their management to make the right decisions, it will trickle down to customer experience.

As a manager, assertiveness involves effective delegation. Assign tasks based on team skills and interests. Provide clear instructions and resources, empowering them to make decisions. Effective delegation demonstrates confidence in their abilities, fosters autonomy, and encourages creativity and ownership.

As a leader, effective delegation is important for being asssertive. Choosing the right person for the right task by identifying skills and empowering the team in decision making will go a long way in achieving desired results.

1. Matching tasks to skills: Delegate responsibilities that align with individual strengths and interests, fostering a sense of ownership and encouraging professional development. 2. Empowering decision-making: Encourage team members to propose solutions and make informed decisions within their assigned tasks, promoting their sense of agency and responsibility.

As a leader, you only look as good as your subordinates. So delegate properly. Don’t ask somebody to do something that is above their knowledge or capabilities.

This is a tougher one because there are so many different personalities involved it can become easy to give just one person most of the assignments so keep a strict list of what assignments you gave to who so you give everybody a chance to learn their strength and it will be a lot easy to delegate authority.

1. Be a proactive mediator: Don't shy away from addressing conflict. Initiate constructive dialogue as soon as you sense tension brewing. 2. Facilitate open communication: Encourage team members to express their concerns and listen to each other's perspectives without judgment.

The most valuable lesson from one of my mentors was: “Clear is kind. Kind is clear” If you’re someone who struggles with the dichotomy of being an effective leader and someone who cares deeply for their people, it’s important to remember that being clear and addressing conflicts is the greatest kindness we can offer to both the teammate and yourself. This will foster trust, offer all points of view to all parties involved and create a space where collaboration on a solution is welcomed.

Always understand that your team is your responsibility. Feel them fearless to work with best possible of their expertise. Trust them the best you can. Arrange team engagements and workshops within the team. Dont show your perfection everytime show gratitude and deal with patience accordingly

Resolve any conflicts within your team as soon as possible. Ignored, personal conflicts fester and destroy a collaborative environment, which is not conducive to a positive focus on the customer.

In a team, there will be members with different perspectives/opinions & might differ in their core competencies. It is critical to be cognisant of the same in order to be respectful & empathetic at solving any conflicts within the team. In my opinion, as long as the resolution is proposed based on merits or objective parameters, the chances of the conflict escalating further are quite less. When arguments are backed by numbers and logic, assertiveness naturally follows.

Always ensure that you deliver impeccable Customer Service and define your strategy to the team, allowing them to learn and develop themselves from your actions.

Leading by example is crucial in the workplace as actions speak louder than words. Demonstrating integrity, work ethic, and professionalism inspires and motivates employees to follow suit, fostering a positive culture of accountability, dedication, and excellence.

I would recover tying a monetary bonus metric or other incentive to the retention of customers. This can be monthly , quarterly or semi-annually. It is a fact that it is more cost effective to retain a customer than it is to attract and find a new one. With this mindset, if every employee that engages with said customer has a performance metric that is seen and celebrated/elevated based on retention, the collective effort of all involved to ensure that retention is a priority is also elevated.

Leading by example means setting a standard through your own actions that others can follow. It involves demonstrating the behaviors, values, and principles you want others to adopt.

You're people are a reflection on you and whilst you are their leader you are also there to inspire, let people be accountable and give them the tools to be the best they can.

Listen to your teams input. Formulate a plan together. Meet to discuss progress, and go over specific situations. Set measurable goals! Ultimately listen to your customers' concerns and address them right away. Make a positive impact on every customer’s day whether the issue can be fixed or not. It is hard to get mad or leave when the other person helping them is being genuine. Last but not least, make sure you smile. Positivity is contagious.

Appreciation and acknowledgment is key factor in a successful leadership, it is always important to have transparency and open communication with your team.

You need to be authentic not assertive. You are not really going to get people onside by asserting authority what you need is to build a team around trust, providing a level of customer service that can be maintained. Assertive behaviour in the context just makes me think that you will be imposing a process on them regardless of what they say or feedback. You will brush over conflict and abdicate responsibility rather than properly delegate. So be authentic not assertive.

When leading a team with customer retention in mind, another key practice is to celebrate wins as they come. If you previously defined goals that you're tracking, then don't forget to recognize and celebrate when those milestones are achieved. Recognize others for their achievements; it helps keep up motivation. Lastly (and perhaps most especially), try to recognize when good effort has been put in, but the desired outcome wasn't (yet) achieved. Often, team members will work hard to retain a customer, but despite best efforts, they may not be successful due to circumstances beyond their control. Be sure to recognize that and express appreciation for those efforts in order to maintain morale.

Naturally People have complex behaviors. Some are supportive, high level of commitment and dedication to deliver more than the expected with little supervision and guidance. Some have adaptive and quick learners. And some are slow learners to be aligned with the changing situations. The best team leader is the one who has the knowledge and capabilities to lead those diverse people behaviors towards the best interest of the organizations' mission, vision and values. Pulling the slow learners on the right track as well as motivating the best Performers to unleash their ever best potential. That leader is me!