The purpose of business is to get and keep customers and to do so we all participate in a large network of customer fulfillment teams, teams we don’t even know or will ever meet. How well do you see your part in the “big picture?” The ‘timer” of the lights may not realize that they are part of a complex team of people and organizations assembled for the purpose of providing safe and timely traffic flow for millions of people. That is a noble purpose and any work worth doing, including cleaning the restroom at the airport is noble because it serves to better mankind.

A team of people had been trained to identify the intersections needing lights, another trained to put in the poles, a third ran the electricity, a fourth manufactured and delivered the lights, yet another team was trained to install them and then, the fatal flaw of this team, someone wasn’t trained on how to properly time them. Any part of any team performing poorly has a direct impact on the customer experience.

As customers give no conscious thought to the importance of teams, team members seldom give thought to the importance of their part in the delivery of the customer experience. In one city with a 30-mile-per-hour speed limit it will take 6 minutes to go three miles and in another, the same distance can take over half an hour. Multiply the extra 24 minutes by the three thousand cars per day using that highway and motorists are being robbed of 1,200 hours per day, all the result of careless timing.

Think about all of the coordinated events that needed to happen for you to enjoy your morning coffee, access the internet or simply enjoy an egg over easy. While we know the Internet is in cyberspace we often forget that the coffee bean and egg may come from even further away. Whether the product or service is available online, in person or on a shelf, satisfaction depends on countless teams performing well.

Have you and your people been trained to understand your role in the delivery process and how all are interconnected and interdependent in order to fulfill your purpose…to satisfy and keep a customer?

Marcia Hughes and James Bradford Terrell, authors of The Emotionally Intelligent Team say individuals trained to know their role and how important it is to the end result feel more satisfied, think more creatively, act more productively and enjoy working as part of a team. They persevere when tackling challenging tasks and complete them when other teams fail. Teams and individuals with these behaviors are healthier mentally and physically, as well as deeply committed to the quality of their work.

Effective training recognizes that communication is a team’s lifeblood and necessary in order to be able to measure their success. Communication is what establishes a worthwhile purpose and lets people know what they need do in order to achieve it. People want to know how their “team” is doing and proper training always provides a timely scorecard. Effective communication gives teams the ability to perform at higher levels.

We have all been trained to do a job but few have been trained to understand how doing that job meets the purpose of any organization…to get and keep a customer. By training your people to see their role in the “big picture,” you will enjoy higher profits and deeper pride as people become more committed to the purpose of their work.

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