A GOOW Merry Christmas Newsletter

34 hours

What a year it's been. I was looking at the podcast stats and because of my guests and this community we created 34 hours of free contact centre (mainly) content from the sharpest minds in our industry on a whole range of topics. I smiled when it came up as 34 hours as 34 is a special number for me. I lived and worked in Istanbul for 2.5years and fell in love with the place and the people - as a lover of tattoo's wanted something tattooed representing Istanbul and had the number 34 tattooed on my chest as this number prefixes telephone numbers, addresses and number plates - as my daughter said though - its like having a postcode tattooed over your heart ??. Anyway I hope you've enjoyed at least one of those thirty-four hours and there are plenty more hours planned in 2022.

Christmas Fun

As Call & Contact centre workers a lot of us will be working over Christmas and in that weird bit between Christmas and New Year. When I was on the phones and then a Team Leader whilst working in some pressurised environments (sales mainly) I used to like this period, things calmed down a bit and it felt like the pressure had eased and it was ok to have fun. Fun didn’t come at the expense of the quality of our work and everyone was a bit more relaxed.

The Fun network video of the Piano stairs is one I shared with my teams and on Linkedin a few times and for me highlights a too often forgotten aspect of our working lives - fun.

Fun doesn’t mean you are not productive. ‘All I see your teams doing is having fun’ was said to me by a Senior Leader and it wasn’t meant as a compliment yet it was a lazy comments because a quick glance at our key metrics including employee engagement stats would show we were smashing it. Fun shouldn’t be confined to the festive period, its ok to relax and laugh at work

Job Seeker - support

Can you do your bit by helping your fellow professionals looking for new roles.

Latest Episode

Whilst working at a fairground style stall at Alton Towers giving teddy bears away a bit too freely David Harrison discovered the magic of customer service.

Hear this and the rest of David’s story as a slightly introverted young man was catapulted into positions he thought he wasn’t ready for, yet thrived.

David has led teams to 7 awards and talks passionately about leaving behind the command & control culture prevalent in a lot of contact centres to ones of purpose driven & trusted teams.

I loved talking to David and he shares tips and insight throughout - this is a must listen/watch for;

• anyone who wants their teams bought into a business & brand in profound ways
• people who might be slightly introverted or who have been anxious??
• Leaders who want to engage front line teams in CX & CI?
• People who want to learn what it takes to win some great awards

David also talks about the leaders who have had an impact on his career, fruit pastilles and Stoke.

Helpful website

Finally from me & Hugo to all of you in the GOOW community - thank you for your support this year and a have a lovely Christmas ?? ?? ??