Two Leadership Responsibilities That Separate the Best from the Rest

In working with organizations of many types and across many industries, I've noticed something unmistakable and interesting about contact center leadership. While there are dozens of leadership principles that matter, two responsibilities consistently separate the best from the rest. These aren't the flashiest or most talked-about aspects of leadership, but they're game-changers. Let me share what I've observed and why these two areas make such a difference.

Building an Understanding of What a Contact Center Is and Does

One of your most important responsibilities as a leader is to ensure your contact center teams and the broader organization understand what a contact center is and does. Here's what I mean by that.

I recall working with a healthcare organization that had established a contact center patients could access 24/7 without the need to go to a physical facility. They incorporated the latest tools in communications and medicine and staffed the center with doctors, nurses, and physician's assistants. It was all very impressive — but their customers were complaining of long waits, lack of follow-up and other service problems.

What they really got their arms around that day is the role of a contact center.

I was asked to lead workshops on the importance of good schedules and workflow. I remember the first morning I met with their employees. It was a large meeting room, and I looked out across a sea of faces, many with their arms folded. After some introductions, I asked them, "So, what's going on?"

"You've seen our schedules, right?" one person responded. "They [referring to company leadership] seem to think we're some kind of assembly line. 'Start here, stop there. Take a break at 10:15.' We're professionals, not robots."

I understood why he felt that way. Let's discuss that for a bit, I suggested. "What are our options? What approach would make the most sense?" We begin writing comments and ideas on flip charts. And a central theme began to emerge — the importance of being available when customers (patients) need us.

As the conversation progressed, a nurse near the back of the room stood up. "How many have worked in the ER?" she asked, referring to the emergency room. Every hand went up. "How many feel you know how to triage?" Laughter with every hand up; triage is part of everyone's training (you have to stop bleeding before fixing a broken bone). "Look," she said, "Every day, we're all making time-driven decisions in operating rooms and on hospital floors. Not for our own convenience, but because that's when our patients and colleagues need us."

That was a turning point. I saw heads nodding in agreement. They have since become one of the most customer-focused contact centers I know, with more collaboration in planning, and a strong respect for schedules and timing.

What they really got their arms around that day is the role of a contact center. Yes, contact centers handle many channels — phone, chat, text, video or others. There are forecasts, plans, and technologies. There are queues and schedules, training and coaching, and lots of metrics. All important, but all just part of the supporting cast.

Keep your eyes on this prize. It’s NOT to reach a certain NPS, harness AI to handle routine processes or create an engaging environment for employees. Don’t misunderstand, each of those things are probably an important part of your approach. But they come second to developing a deep cultural understanding of the contact center’s primary mission: to enable customers to reach the resources and help they need, when they need them. That's the end game. That’s what the healthcare team discovered that day, and what became the foundation on which their life-giving expertise is delivered today.

Maximizing Your Contact Center’s Value

The other leadership focus that is so essential is fully leveraging the contact center’s opportunity and responsibility to create value. I’m referring to value for customers and your organization.

There are three levels on which contact centers can create value:

First up is efficiency. Think about it — what comes to mind when you picture truly efficient customer service? Maybe it's having the right information at your fingertips. Or solid self-service options that actually work. Or better yet, stopping problems before they happen. These are all pieces of the puzzle.

Next is the impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty. You know you're on the right track when you hear customers say, "Thank you for the help!"

A third level of value is strategic. By strategic, I mean cross-functional. Every day, your contact center has visibility on the organization's products, services and processes. When you capture and use that insight, you enable the entire organization to innovate.

I love discovering new and inspiring examples. I recently worked with a company that is part of the global supply chain. They are finding ways to enable managers with diverse responsibilities — sales, finance directors, warehouse managers, lawyers and others — to spend time in their contact centers and hear from customers directly. In another example, a manufacturer of sporting equipment is harnessing their contact centers to capture information on competitors, consumer trends, and other R&D insight.

As a leader, you'll need an approach for capturing, sharing and acting on this insight across your organization. It earns you a seat at the strategy table. Candidly, a minority of organizations really leverage the strategic value of their contact centers. As you develop this area, you'll be among the best.

Other Responsibilities

Wait, what about other leadership responsibilities — empowering employees, establishing the right metrics, leveraging new technologies, everything else that lands on your plate? Here's what I've found: when you get these two fundamentals right — really understanding what a contact center is and maximizing its value — so much else begins to fall into place.