Sports, Leadership, and the Contact Center
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Sports are used as analogies all the time. There is so much overlap with our day-to-day lives that it is hard not to compare. When we participate in, watch, and discuss sports, it opens our eyes to other parts of our lives and sheds light on the problems we face.
Certainly, solo sports are compelling, and the accomplishments of those champions are no less impressive. But it is team sports that seem to draw us in with greater force.
It is incredible that both teams in the Super Bowl recently took huge, calculated risks. Neither team was satisfied with the status quo at head coach, and both answered the question of whether head coaching really matters.
I have heard that consumers tend to make decisions to minimize regret, while businesses tend to make decisions for maximal defensibility. Both teams could have easily defended the status quo. One team had the same historically successful head coach, and the other had just switched to a promising up-and-comer. It wasn’t working for either, and both made significant changes that led them to the highest stage in sports shortly afterward.
As an avid football fan, here are a few areas where the contact center world and football overlap.
Quality Assurance, Coaching, and Empowerment
Mike McDonald, the Seahawks’ head coach, understands that micromanaging disempowers a team rather than empowering it. His players praise his attitude toward mistakes. They talk about them openly and understand that mistakes are going to happen.
He would rather see players make mistakes because they are giving their all than hold back in pursuit of perfection.
Josh McDaniels, the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, learned the hard way during his time coaching the Raiders that micromanaging led to resentment and reduced success.
Contact center agents operate in much the same way. We would rather see agents do too much because they care about the outcome and use their judgment, than spend so much time trying to avoid a mistake that the interaction suffers.
How often have you heard a call that was technically perfect according to a grading rubric but left you scratching your head or cringing?
Preparation and Practice
The Super Bowl is played at the end of the season. Before any player steps onto the field, there are months of preparation and practice, on top of decades spent playing beforehand.
Training in the contact center space is just as important. For an agent to take care of customers at a high level, they need support, practice, and ongoing training. They also need to feel safe making mistakes and know the organization believes in them.
Our new agents are routinely delighted to find that, unlike other places they have worked, they are supported and encouraged rather than belittled while learning.
Data
Football and data go hand in hand. Statistics influence decisions made during games and shape how teams evaluate players. NFL organizations employ entire divisions of analysts devoted to analytics and using data to make optimal decisions that lead to wins.
Contact centers rely on data as well. Workforce management teams use data to forecast call volume and align staffing levels. Quality teams identify pain points and trends to inform coaching and training. Supervisors use data to focus their coaching efforts.
But just like in sports, data does not tell the whole story. It takes an experienced human mind working in tandem with data to make truly smart decisions.
Teamwork
Much of football’s drama centers on player interactions and team dynamics. When a team works well together, great things happen. Players feed off each other’s energy and hold one another accountable.
When you start hearing statements like “that isn’t my job” or “I just stay in my lane,” you know things are not going well.
Every business depends on teamwork, and contact centers are no exception. To meet service levels, stay within budget, and achieve satisfaction goals, agents, supervisors, workforce management, training, and back-office teams must communicate effectively and work together.
Everyone needs to be aligned and working toward the same goal.
Every Interaction Matters
Plenty of games are won or lost based on a single play. Sometimes players ease up due to fatigue, lack of focus, or miscommunication.
The best teams operate with the mindset that every play matters. Players do not want to let their teammates or fans down by being the reason for a loss.
The same is true in the contact center. Finding and developing agents who believe every customer issue matters is key to long-term success. Agents need to feel valued and understand that their efforts make a difference.
Contact centers must build a culture that focuses on making every interaction count, rather than simply watching the clock.
Championship Stories and Next Steps
The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks both reached the Super Bowl after making important leadership changes. They did not settle for the status quo and instead trusted new coaches and experts who made a measurable difference.
A.W. Companies specializes in helping businesses make those same kinds of changes within their contact centers. Our clients consistently tell us how easy we are to work with and how quickly they see meaningful improvements.
If you are ready to move beyond the status quo, we are ready to help you reach the success you are looking for.
