Part of my role as an executive coach is to create space for clients to voice their frustrations.
For frustrated business owners, identifying and naming what isn’t working is the first step to creating change.
When my clients are frustrated, I ask them to describe their business from the Crow’s Nest.
In football, the Crow’s Nest is a place high up in a stadium where a group of coaches gets a different perspective of the playing field. When my clients pause and consider their business from a different point of view, they often discover options they didn’t see before.
From the Crow’s Nest, one frustrated business owner described the playing field as chaotic. No one seemed to know what they were supposed to be doing. Everyone was holding back. They were hesitant about doing their jobs.
As we dug in deeper, the frustrated business owner shared that the business had temporarily closed at the beginning of the pandemic and things had never fully gotten back on track.
When the initial lockdowns were over, the business was deemed essential and reopened with lots of mandates and restrictions in place. Several new employees were hired during this transition period.
Because of the mandates around social distancing, employees were taught to maintain distance and sanitize everything a customer touched.
Only customers with appointments were allowed in the store. There was no “regular foot traffic.”
The team did a great job of helping customers navigate this new way of interacting from a distance.
But when the mandates lifted and people could be in closer contact, the owner was frustrated that his team wasn’t making more of an effort to be helpful.
Sales always increase when clients have more personal attention. It was frustrating that the team didn’t seem to get it. They just let people wander around the store until they specifically asked for help.
Have you spotted what was happening? The frustrated business owner began to see what and why problems were arising when he was able to view the situation from a fresh perspective.
Being in the Crow’s Nest provided the insight that the team needed to be retrained in customer service.
The new employees hired during the pandemic only knew “socially-distanced” customer service. They had no concept of pre-pandemic interactions that were based in closer proximity and focused on getting to know the customer.
They were holding back because they had been taught to hold back. They had never been shown any other way of doing things.
The team needed to understand the new expectations and be retrained in customer service without restrictions.
When change happens, expectations need to be reset and communicated to prevent becoming a frustrated business owner.
One of the biggest mistakes we all make is to assume people know what we want. We forget that the past experiences of others are different than our own. This frustrated business owner had known pre-pandemic customer service in the company but had forgotten that many on the team had never experienced it.
After a few months of “back to the basics” in customer service training, the team felt confident interacting with customers in closer proximity. Foot traffic resumed. Sales soared.
When change happens, it’s a good time to go into the Crow’s Nest. It’s a chance to get clear on what’s shifted and how to move forward. Seeing things from this fresh perspective allows you to adjust your expectations accordingly.
Clear communication is essential for others to understand your expectations and to prevent becoming a frustrated business owner.
- What is shifting in your life?
- How have your needs changed?
- How can you communicate with your co-workers and employees in a way that helps them better understand their roles?
Looking for more ways to stop being a frustrated business owner? Check out my video below to learn how to stop negative thoughts so you can pave the way to success!
