Chapter 11. MEETINGS: On-the-Spot Rehearsals

“I never felt settled or calm. You can’t really commit to life when you feel that.”

—ANGELINA JOLIE

Bob schedules a meeting and explains that Ann has recovered from her broken leg and will be rejoining the production. Although Liz has been performing beautifully in her absence, Ann will be resuming the role. Bob wants input from everyone about how to handle her return, so he opens the meeting by saying, “I’m happy to announce that Ann will be returning next week. I’m also sad to announce that Liz will not be playing the customer service role after Ann’s return. I want to solicit ideas from each of you on how we can make the transition seamless. Who wants to go first?” Isabelle speaks up. “Can’t you keep Liz in the role? Ann’s been out so long she may not be able to fit in.” You counter, “That isn’t fair to Ann. She was cast for that role, and it wasn’t her fault she had an accident.” Bob quickly steps in. “Look, Ann is coming back, and she is going to resume her role. There’s no question about that. What I want are ideas on how to make this change go smoothly.” Once Bob redirects the discussion, the cast members know exactly what he wants, as well as what he does not want to hear, and they begin offering suggestions. As they speak, Bob writes all the suggestions on an easel. “We’ll need to rehearse with Ann before she goes on.” “Maybe Liz can stay in the role while we bring Ann up to speed.” “Yeah, and then maybe for a while Liz and Ann can alternate nights until Ann feels comfortable.” “What about keeping Liz in the role permanently a couple nights a week?” Bob notices that Mitch hasn’t said anything. “Mitch, what are your thoughts on this?” “Well, I can’t tell you how much I appreciated the help I got when I needed it. I think we owe Ann the same. Liz was hired as an understudy, and I think we’re going to send mixed messages if we ask Ann to share the role with Liz. I don’t think that would be fair to either one.” Bob adds Mitch’s comments to the easel. “OK, now let’s discuss each suggestion and see if we can agree on how to best handle this.”

Bob did a lot of things right before and during his meeting. He called a meeting to discuss a potential problem so the group could come up with a plan. He led the meeting effectively and kept everyone on track.

Customer service stars also use meetings to motivate coworkers, to train individuals, to resolve conflict, to solve problems, and to make team decisions. Running meetings effectively includes planning, leading, maintaining control, encouraging group discussion, and ending in a way that energizes everyone attending. Learn how to run effective meetings and you will shine.

Meetings keep people informed and informed people are better able to do their jobs well. As a customer service star, you should keep yourself and your coworkers informed. Everyone will benefit, especially your customers. You will stay a step ahead of any problems, thereby continually providing great customer service.

“But these things, you stick with them, work with them, and they bubble up again, eventually.”

—JODIE FOSTER