Manager- “I would like you to use the script.”
Negative Nora- “I don’t have time.”

Manager- “It will help all of us eliminate some of the mistakes we have been making.”
Negative Nora- “I don’t want to sound like a robot.”
Manager-“It will help you to remember to ask for the customer’s e-mail address.”
Negative Nora- “I haven’t asked that for the past 10 years. It wasn’t a problem before.”

Are you open to correction and can you be changed?
It is sad to say, but I run into people like “Negative Nora” all the time. I would bet that you can think of someone you work with who displays her same attitude! Not being open to personal growth, not considering other options, “sticking to your guns” and living in the past will hurt you and the effectiveness of your team.

I am like many of you in that as the seasons change, so do I! I am coming out of the summer fun, flip flop, put it in a pony tail kind of style and need to transform into something sophisticated for fall. As the President of Tooty Inc., would I have a bigger impact on my customers if I cut my hair short and colored it black? To pull off this change I need to do more than just think about it. I need a game plan and I need to go to my stylist Dawn for professional help. I need to tell her what I want to accomplish and I need to ask her for her feedback and suggestions. She will probably tell me that short and black will not work for me. It may even hurt my feelings. But, she will guide me to some other options more suitable for me. In the end, I will come out a new improved version of Lori Miller.

Correction is defined as: a bringing into conformity; something substituted in place of what is wrong. The Tooty Secret Shopper Program is designed to help all company representatives send the same consistent message to the customers. Use the calls and evaluations to flush out areas that need improvement for you personally and for your team as a whole. Change is about becoming different and undergoing a transformation. The changes we make should be positive and forward moving. The Tooty program helps everyone remember where we were when we began and how far we have come. The scripts help us to change and overcome past habits. Celebrate the ongoing progress of each person that answers the phone.

Take the initiative to:
1) Give yourself a check up and find some things that need to be improved. In today’s work world you need to stay relevant. That may mean learning a new technology or process, changing your attitude or what you wear.
2) Ask for feedback from someone you respect and someone who will tell you the truth.
3) Seek knowledge and training so that you increase your value and effectiveness.

As for me, I know that it would be a huge change if I never cut my hair again or stopped adding fun color to it, but the transformation would be scary and not a positive move for my career! I will stick to working with a professional. “Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.” Pv19:20