The core responsibility of managers: Transform "employee problems" into "training topics"
Don't let "blaming employees" become a lazy excuse for management
When many managers encounter problems, their first reaction is to label employees: "He has a bad attitude", "He is incompetent", "He is slow-witted". The essence of this kind of thinking is to shift the "management responsibility" to employees - as if the employees' problems are "innate" and have nothing to do with themselves. However, the words of Chen Dalei in *My Brother Is Shunliu* hit the essence of management: "All the problems of soldiers are the problems of cadres."
The same goes for enterprises: The behavioral deviations of employees are never due to "poor quality," but rather because managers fail to provide methods, conduct training, and clearly explain "why things should be done this way." For example, if an employee answers the phone impatiently, it's not because he "has a bad temper by nature"; it's because you haven't told him that "your voice is the business card of the team." If an employee likes to "let others guess" during communication, it's not because he "has low emotional intelligence"; it's because you haven't clearly explained that "initiating self - introduction can reduce communication costs." The core of management is not "managing the results" but "managing the process - helping employees learn how to do things well."
Training in answering and making phone calls: From "vague requirements" to "actionable moves"
I led a team to conduct a "standardized training for answering and making phone calls". Instead of simply saying "You should speak nicely" off the top of my head, we first dissected the logic behind the problems and then taught specific methods.
Step 1: Emotional management – You are the voice representative of the team
The emotional fluctuations of employees when answering calls are essentially due to "unclear role recognition". I'll first ask everyone, "If you call a partner and hear a lazy voice on the other end, do you think 'this person is unprofessional' or 'this team is unprofessional'?" The answer is quite unanimous: "Definitely the team." Then I'll guide them in reverse: Your voice is not an 'outlet for personal emotions', but a 'voice business card of the team' - customers judge the professionalism of the entire department through your tone.
Once you understand this, here comes the adjustment method: Take a deep breath for 3 seconds before answering the phone, put your "personal emotions" on hold, and speak in a "smiling tone" (even if the other person can't see you, the warmth in your tone can be conveyed). For example, an employee said, "Now I smile before answering the phone, and the other person's reaction is obviously warmer. They even praised that 'your department provides good service'."
Step 2: Identity Demonstration — The Dual Value of Communication Efficiency and Self-Promotion
Many employees like to play the "let others guess" game when making phone calls. They start by asking, "How's that thing going?" Then the other party has to first figure out, "Who are you? Which department are you from?" I used my own experience to clarify the pain point: "I often receive blessing text messages without the sender's name, so I have to reply with a message asking, 'Who are you?' The process of guessing the sender's identity is extremely troublesome." Then I extended it to the workplace logic: Proactively stating your identity can, firstly, reduce communication costs (so the other party doesn't have to guess), and secondly, serve as a form of "self - promotion" — being "remembered" in the workplace is a prerequisite for opportunities, and phone calls are the most common scenario for "staying visible".
For example, whenever I make a call myself, it's always like this: "Hello, is this XXX? I'm Zhang San from the Marketing Department." After making many such calls, colleagues from other departments will voluntarily say, "Oh, it's Zhang San. I'm just looking for you to work on a project." After everyone understands "why we do this", we start the training. First, we ask the employees to memorize the script for "announcing one's identity". Then, we conduct simulated scenario exercises (such as making coordination calls to other departments). Finally, I give individual feedback like "Your voice could be a bit clearer" and "You should mention both 'department + name'". Gradually, the employees have changed from "passively carrying out tasks" to "actively being aware". Some people say, "Now when I announce my identity on the phone, the other party responds much more warmly." Others say, "Colleagues from other departments actually remember my name and actively approach me to work on projects."
Abilities are not gained through "self-awakening" but developed through "training" —— Insights from TTT
Some time ago, I participated in the TTT (Corporate Internal Trainer) training. The greatest thing I gained is that people's abilities are not innate but developed through "deliberate practice". For example, public - speaking ability is not about being "naturally eloquent", but about practicing "how to start a speech, how to use examples, and how to control the situation". Another example is data - organizing ability. It is not about having "high aptitude", but about practicing "how to classify data, how to use functions, and how to mark key points".
In management, this means: Don't expect employees to "figure it out on their own." What managers should do is "turn vague requirements into specific actions, and then turn these actions into habits through training." For example, instead of simply asking "employees should be able to communicate," it's better to break it down into "announce your identity when answering the phone," "control your speaking speed at 120 words per minute," and "ask 'Is there anything else I can help you with?' at the end." If you require "employees to be able to file documents," it's better to stipulate that "the file name format should be 'date + project + responsible person'" and "summarize them to the shared drive on the 25th of each month." The more specific the requirements are, the easier it is for employees to execute; the more repeated the training is, the easier it is for actions to turn into habits.
Why is China Mobile's service so good? ——The power of standardized training
I've talked with my colleagues about China Mobile's customer service, and we all agree that China Mobile's service is not a result of "innate enthusiasm" but of "standardized training." For example, when you call 10086, the other party will always say, "Hello, this is China Mobile 10086. I'm customer service representative Xiaofang. May I help you?" —— The voice is kind, the identity is clear, and the process is standardized. This is not because the employees "have good personalities by nature." China Mobile has broken down "service" into trainable actions:
- Sound requirements: Maintain a smiling tone (even if the customer can't see, convey it through intonation);
- Identity requirement: The full information of "company + position + name" must be stated.
- Response to requirements: When a customer complains, first say "I understand how you feel" and then solve the problem.
Comparing with the customer service of many enterprises: they start with "Hello, what's the matter?" and get impatient when customers ask questions. It's not that the employees are inherently bad, but that the enterprises haven't taught them "how to do it correctly". The employees' awareness is not "innate", but "cultivated" by the enterprises.
Training should be "specific to actions" and avoid formalism
The training for many managers has become a mere formality. For example, they may pound on the table and say, "You must be professional," but fail to explain "what the standards of professionalism are." Another example is that they demand "good communication" without elaborating on "how to communicate specifically." After listening to such instructions, employees are still completely confused and have no idea how to make improvements.
For truly effective training, abstract requirements need to be translated into actionable movements.
- For example, when recording data: It is stipulated that "use an Excel spreadsheet with column names including 'Date, Customer Name, Communication Content, Follow - up Node', and use Microsoft YaHei font size 11".
- For example, when speaking at a meeting: it is required to "present the conclusion first, then the reasons, and finally the solutions".
- For example, in case of customer complaints, the requirement is to "respond with 'I'll check for you right away' within 30 seconds and give a reply within 10 minutes".
Only in this way can employees know "what specific things I need to do next". For example, when I lead the team to train on "data archiving", I first show everyone the comparison between a "chaotic folder" (it takes half an hour to find a file) and a "standardized folder" (a file can be found within 10 seconds), then teach them the "file name format", and finally let the employees practice on the spot. Gradually, everyone has changed from "randomly storing files" to "actively following the standards", and the efficiency of finding information has doubled.
Good management means "helping employees become capable"
Finally, managers' dissatisfaction often stems from "not teaching employees how to do their jobs well". If you spend 10 minutes every day helping employees break down a small skill (such as the way to answer the phone or the method of filing) and train them using the process of "explain the significance → teach the method → practice the actions → give feedback", you'll find that:
- Employees change from passive execution to active awareness.
- The communication cost of the team decreases, and the efficiency increases.
- Your dissatisfaction with employees will gradually decrease.
After all, good management is never about "blaming employees for being incompetent" but "helping employees become competent". Transforming "employee problems" into "training topics" is the core responsibility of managers.