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Insights, hints, tips, and resources for service and support professionals, given in the spirit of sharing information in a quick-read, content-rich newsletter.

In this Issue:

-- Sharing - Create a positive work environment and have a sense of humor with it

-- Resources - MOF - ITIL, and Why Top Performers Use Coaches

-- Subscription Information

 

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Save the Date:  The 6th Annual Government Customer Support Conference and Expo will be held in Alexandria, Virginia, May 7-10, 2007.

SHARING (top)

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

In the previous issue of eSharings I listed a variety of links to fun things including video clips, cartoons, calls to the tech line and other entertaining things characteristic to our industry. 

It became immediately obvious that  our industry is hungry for - HUMOR.  Over 47% of the sites visited from our recent issue were to the entertainment and fun links listed.  Some people were visiting the links over and over.  The message: people want more fun in the workplace.

We know how to count calls, we understand we are supposed to capture data from our customer conversations, we know that quality is crucial, and we know we must be motivated to be as productive possible. The day is almost over, and you've just hung up from that one last irritable caller.  After a tough day, the ability to walk out the door feeling high on life with a big smile on your face can sometimes be a challenge.

Here are some more fun things you can do at work so you can go out the door with a smile on your face and be fully present in your personal life.

If you missed last week's issue visit our website and go to the newsletters page.

Top 4 things you can do today to have fun at work and create a positive atmosphere.

1. Remote control cars.  Drive a remote control car around the office and put small bags of candy or gum in it to be delivered to each person.  Use candies and gums that deliver a special message.  Sunny Kobe-Cook, a motivational speaker, taught us this one; "You did an 'EXTRA' good job with that last caller."  Guess what sort of gum came bouncing along to this person in the car?  Or the person that was "AMAZING" got the candy of the same name.  You get the idea.

 It gets extra funny if you have a low end remote control car because they don't exactly go where you want every time.  Oops, my bag of chocolates fell off the car - oh no, that's the Senior Director coming.  Quick look away and act casual. Ooooh, it's stuck to the bottom of his shoe. Oh my, that was the Milkway bar.

2. Add Cubicle Doormats. This one might cross the line of strange humor. There are really cool doormats for outside your house with fun sayings.  You have your traditional "welcome" mats.  But me, the non-traditionalist, well mine says "leave".  I love it. It makes me laugh every time I see it.  Be honest don't you sometimes wish someone would "leave".  So why not have a doormat at the entry to your cubicle that puts a smile on your face when you get to work and when you leave.  Maybe "leave" isn't quite appropriate, but there are other great options.

3. Make Mobiles and Mirrors with CDs. You can use the CDs you get from AOL, EarthLink, and others when you are finished with them to make hanging mobiles.  They are excellent for late night target practice too.  There are patterns on how to design and decorate CDs now.  Put a little life into your old CDs. 

You can also make neat wall designs and mirrors using the backside of the CDs.  They brighten up a dull cubicle.

• http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/fishcrafts/l/blcdfish.htm - Make Fish from CDs

• http://cgi.ebay.com/Red-Cardinal-hanging-mobile-indoor-or-outdoor-use_W0QQitemZ110015096680QQcmdZViewItem - Make a bird and sell it on eBay.

• This website lists loads of ideas to play with your old CDs - http://www.make-stuff.com/recycling/cd.html

4. Be Creative in the Design of your Cubicle. In one job, I had a big office with a window.  It was cold feeling because it was so large.  Also the glare from outside made it hard to see the computer monitor.  Don't get me wrong, I loved having this space but I'm into a warm and cozy room. The solution was to put a thin, colorful cloth across part of the top of my cubicle to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.  I pulled all the shelves off the wall and hung my own  fabric (if you know me and my passions, there was an obvious African theme).  Then we put back the book shelf and only the other bare necessities, including my own soft ambience lamps.  Things were moved around to manage the glare. I made it homey. People loved to have meetings in my cubicle.

If your company won't let you do this, just put lots of pictures up.  I call mine my "happy wall".  Posted are cartoons, pictures of tigers and polar bears, letters of thanks, birthday cards, etc..  They are things that make me feel inspired or generate a smile.

Whatever you do - make it comfortable and yours. You will be spending 1/3 or more time in your office. How about making it a place you would love to be or at least be comfortable there?

Until the next issue of eSharings, may you find ways you can find humor in your day. Try to  create a place that improves your productivity and also has a calming affect.

Sincerely,

Ivy Meadors
High Tech High Touch Solutions

www.ivymeadors.com / www.hthts.com

425-398-9292

RESOURCES  (top)

Why Top Performers Use Mentors and Coaches

Most athletes in the majority of sports use coaches, personal trainers and sports psychologists.  Without those people in their lives they may not reach the goals they aspire to attain.  Coaching and mentoring can be done in person as well as by phone, known as tele-coaching. 

I have had mentors and coaches since I was very young.  I am a titled body builder.  Those of you who know me, acknowledge that I am small.  People told me I couldn't do it, let alone walk off the stage with a trophy.  When you believe in yourself and have others that believe in you, you can attain those goals.

"Coach told me: it's okay to want to quit. To feel like quitting. As long as you don't.."

- Fran Tarkenton, NFL champion quarterback

Top 10 Reasons to have a coach

1. Have someone help clarify goals and develop steps to reach those goals.

2. Be motivated and encouraged.

3. Be held accountable for your actions and commitments made.

4. Have someone who accepts you for who you are and understands what it takes to move you.

5. They push you outside of your comfort zone.

6. Provides structure needed to help realize your dreams.

7. Have someone to listen to you and put things into perspective.

8. Get your ideas and decisions questioned and challenged when you might start to stray.

9. Have behavioral traits identified that impede your success.

10. Be recognized for your achievements and appreciate the effort it took to succeed.

"According to Therese Kienast, a personal and professional coach based in Chicago, "Anyone can hire a coach, but the people who are most committed to success get the most out of coaching."

Weblinks that might get you started on the path to hiring a coach or becoming one.

• www.bankrate.com/brm/news/advice/20050107d1.asp

• www.hffo.cuna.org/story.html?doc_id=733&sub_id=12433

• www.findyourcoach.com/discover-coaching-lvl1.htm

• www.compstrategies.com/staffdevelopment/coach.htm#tips

Specifically for our Help Desk  and Service Desk Readers:

MOF: An actionable and Prescriptive Approach to ITIL

Source: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/cits/mo/mof/mofitil.mspx

"Microsoft has been actively involved with the ITIL community since 1999, both by using ITIL content and by contributing to new, updated, and expanded documentation. ITIL provides a broad spectrum of guidance documents that cover IT service delivery, management, and support, as well as elements of IT infrastructure, security, and application management. ITIL promotes the practice of applying descriptive guidance to achieve focused improvement in various areas of service management on a continuing basis."

"In contrast to the descriptive ITIL approach, the MOF approach is prescriptive, promoting continuous improvement of IT service management capabilities throughout the IT life cycle. IT organizations are ideally in a constant state of improvement. To assist in achieving this ongoing development, MOF provides prescriptive, process-driven tools and best practices through a growing number of specific service management functions. By combining MOF with Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF), organizations can implement an end-to-end framework to manage their infrastructures—from planning and building through operations and support. "

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION (top)

We hope you enjoyed this edition of eSharings. Feel free to reprint this newsletter in its entirety with our copyright information intact.

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