Inside The Edge
About
The DeVenney Code
Enjoy the unraveling of the business world's deepest darkest secrets from the comfort of your desk with “The DeVenney Code”. Michael’s opinions on both major and less covered business topics can be enlightening, refreshing, and humorous. Gain some perspective on topics that you may have never considered before, and challenge yourself to consistently “think outside the box”.
“The DeVenney Code” is your way to the inside scoop.
| When You Don't Know - Ask! |
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Your purchase on VISA for $10.39 gets rejected. It is fully paid - what's the problem (other than embarrassment)? You get a notice that your mortgage payment has been returned NSF. WHAT?! Your payroll would more than cover it - what happened? In both cases, welcome to the wonderful world of banking. But this is not just a financial services problem, it shows up everywhere. When some people are faced with a question or missing information, they put the item aside rather than asking questions. I guess the thought is sooner or later they will hear about it and find the answer. Yes, when an irate customer or supervisor bangs on the door wondering why the person didn't ask the question as opposed to just not completing the job. I believe in action and accountability - my parents raised me to get things done and be responsible for making sure something is finished when promised. It absolutely amazes me - and infuriates me - when people just let something sit rather than picking up a telephone or sending an email to find out what is needed to finish the job. In 2012 we have complete ease of communication so finding out is not troublesome. It is incredible and bogs down most organizations while killing customer service and eroding confidence. In the VISA situation, someone's fully paid credit card was put on "hold" because someone in head office wondered about a specific transaction and rather than contacting the client for information shut the card down so all further transactions would be rejected. In the mortgage example, a payroll clerk was unclear about an employee's address so, again, rather than touching base with the employee to get the information just didn't bother to make the payroll deposit "knowing that they would touch base later". What is wrong with people? When there is a gap in information that is needed to complete a task or project - ask! Find out - don't just put it aside and wait for the uproar. But all the time, people put things aside because it is "too much effort" to find out. Last time I checked - emails and telephone calls are fairly convenient. Yet projects grind to a halt and actions are not taken and someone else pays for the delay - usually a client, colleague, or supervisors. Then, when they bang down the door wondering what happened and why effort wasn't made to find out what was needed, the answer is "I just needed to know "x". Honestly! If you are not sure about something - find out. Ask the needed question and clarify what is missing so that the job can be completed and expectations are met. Being someone who takes time to ask instills confidence while putting something aside raises issues of ineptitude. Where do you want to be? Ask the question. |