Putting the Team in Charge (And It Wasn’t a Disaster!): Session 505 Alan J. Block, Service Desk/Security Manager Univers

1. Putting the Team in Charge (And It Wasn’t a Disaster!): Session 505 Alan J. Block, Service Desk/Security Manager University Hospitals of Cleveland

2. Basis • It is beneficial for Service Desk leadership to include staff in operational decision-making and to transition selected operational tasks to staff

3. Presentation Goals • To establish core principles for increasing team engagement • To provide real world examples of moving Service Desk operational tasks from leadership to staff • To provide effective implementation techniques • To invigorate your interest in team engagement

4. Presentation Sequence • Principles • Outcomes • Prerequisites • Cautions • Background • Examples • Opportunities • Dialogue

5. Four Core principles

6. Four Core Principles • Your ego is your team’s enemy • Think framework, not formula • Guide, trust and follow • Input feeds buy-in

7. Overall outcomes

8. Overall Outcomes • Engaged employees • Improved relationships • Unexpected solutions • Shorter resolution times • Strategic management • No disasters; no perfection

9. Prerequisites and cautions

10. Prerequisites • You must know your team well • As individuals • As groups • Your team must trust you • You must be confident as a leader • You must have your leadership’s support • You must see the proper order of benefits: Team > Customers > You

11. Cautions • Team engagement activities can distract from incident management • Set clear priorities • Start small • Once the input door is open, don’t forget it is open • It is a meritocracy not a democracy • Not all ideas are good ideas • You are the leader • Praise in public; question in private

12. Background

13. Background—University Hospitals • Located in Northeast Ohio • Founded in 1866 • Eleven medical centers • Over 150 physician offices • 16,000 employees and affiliated physicians

14. Background—UH Service Desk Services • 24/7/365 service • 95% internal customers • Intake • Phone • Email • Web form • Voicemail • Walkup • 20,000 incidents per month • 70% first contact resolution in 2011

15. Background—UH Service Desk Staff • Twenty-six staff members • Ages 20 something to 60 something • 16/10 Female/Male • 12 A.B./A.S., 9 B.A., 3 M.A., 75% HDI SCA • Insourced in December 2009 • Four promotions within IT&S at UH

16. Background—My Experience • PC Tech > Network Tech > College Instructor > Trainer > Service Desk Manager • Adult education • Relevance • Goals • Ownership • Collaboration

17. Examples from University Hospitals

18. Examples from the UH Service Desk • Meeting Delegation • Resolver Team Liaison • New Team Member Onboarding Process • Manager for a Day • Sunshine Club

19. Meeting delegation

20. Meeting Delegation • Spark: Chris Farver—Cleveland HDI chapter • Send deserving team members to meetings on your behalf • Delegate is prepped for meeting • Delegate knows expected outcomes • Delegate delivers outcomes

21. Implementing • Select • A non-HR, non-budget meeting • A realistic meeting • A deserving team member and tell them why • Build the framework • Inform organizer (state, don’t ask) • Set expectations for delegate going in • Set expectations for delegate coming out • Schedule a time to debrief

22. Local HDI Chapter Meeting Delegation • One team member attends each local HDI chapter meeting • Attendee sends an overview to the team • Attendee selects next attendee and informs the team the reasons for his/her selection

23. Meeting Delegation Outcomes • Selected members are excited and honored • They have phone fatigue; you have meeting fatigue • Connections are made/Face time is increased • You attend fewer meetings • You have more time for strategic work • Team ability is experienced • Trust in team is experienced • Lack of awareness of key players

24. Four Core Principles • Your ego is your team’s enemy • Think framework, not formula • Guide, trust and follow • Input feeds buy-in

25. Resolver team liaison

26. Resolver Team Liaison • Progression from Meeting Delegation • Regular meetings with resolver team (Level III) • Established contact for resolver team • Point of contact for Service Desk analysts • Voice for Service Desk analysts • Voice for customers

27. Implementing Resolver Team Liaison • Think like a dating service • Mutual interest • Compatibility • Long term prospects • Act like a chaperone • Facilitate concept • Facilitate initial meetings • Prompt direct communication • Slowly step back • Make yourself unavailable

28. Resolver Team Liaison Outcomes • Benefits similar to Meeting Delegation but amplified • Fewer meetings for you • More time for strategic work time for you • Resolver team will gravitate to liaison • Liaison owns (happily) operational tasks • Service Desk team has a go-to person (not you) • Career pathway for upward mobility • Others want to be liaisons • Envy can creep in

29. Four Core Principles • Your ego is your team’s enemy • Think framework, not formula • Guide, trust and follow • Input feeds buy-in

30. Team-led onboarding

31. Onboarding New Team Members • New team members are assigned a physically adjacent mentor • New team members are trained by the team • New team members are given a checklist/learning plan • Call shadowing is used early and often • Initial ticketing > voice mail • Transition to inbound calls > password resets

32. Implementing Team-Led Onboarding • Identify superb performers • Inform them what they will be training and why • Invite a team member to mentor • Explain why you have selected them • Provide a checklist/learning plan for the new employee • Skills to gain from superb performers • Leadership to meet with • Training to complete • Deadlines • Initial customer contact > Low impact

33. Team-Led Onboarding Outcomes • New team members make connections • New team members understand leadership/organization’s vision • New team members guide their own learning • Superb performers rewarded with recognition • Leadership freed from training time • Some details are missed in training

34. Four Core Principles • Your ego is your team’s enemy • Think framework, not formula • Guide, trust and follow • Input feeds buy-in

35. Manager for a day

36. Manager for a Day • Nominated team member spends the day with the Service Desk manager as co-manager • Co-manager attends all calls and meetings with manager • Co-manager is introduced in each meeting • Co-manager is expected to bring at least one team innovation/new process • Co-manager debriefs team on experience

37. Implementing Manager for a Day • Decide on logistics • Frequency • Nomination vs. Selection • Explain to team members the logistics and intent • Publicly share nomination or selection reasons • Mutually select the day with the nominee • Treat as collaboration not shadowing • Co-manager delivers innovation idea to team • Co-manager debriefs team on the experience

38. Manager for a Day Outcomes • Innovative ideas • Insight into team dynamics for manager • Increased face time for co-manager • Trust and ability experienced • Improved communication between manager and team • Increased awareness for co-manager • Some innovations will be unrealistic

39. Four Core Principles • Your ego is your team’s enemy • Think framework, not formula • Guide, trust and follow • Input feeds buy-in

40. Sunshine club

41. Sunshine Club • Acknowledgment of birthdays, service anniversaries and significant life events • Voluntary membership • Small donation annually • Cards, flowers, etc. sent • Centrally coordinated by a volunteer team member • Moves team closer to family unit

42. Implementing Sunshine Club • Identify a coordinator • Invite the coordinator • Explain your selection • Set parameters for cards, gifts, etc. • Emailed birthday note for members/non-members • Card signed by club members for members • Flowers, donations for members • Consider funding membership for team

43. Sunshine Club Outcomes • Individual acknowledgement > Increased engagement • Manager nor team does not overlook key events • Coordinator has increased engagement • Family unit increases > Improved team connections • Family unit increases > Drama increases

44. Four Core Principles • Your ego is your team’s enemy • Think framework, not formula • Guide, trust and follow • Input feeds buy-in

45. Observe for opportunities

46. Observe for Opportunities • Who is working for free? • Who is agitated or annoyed? • Who has an interest that can benefit the team? • Who has a weakness that you can turn into an advantage?

47. Four Core Principles • Your ego is your team’s enemy • Think framework, not formula • Guide, trust and follow • Input feeds buy-in

48. Dialogue • Let’s talk, now or later • Alan J. Block • Alan.Block@uhhospitals.org • 216.767.8308

49. Thank you for attending this session. Don’t forget to complete the evaluation!