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“So
much of our credibility as an organization comes
from how our managers interact with our clients.
Our “word” and follow through actions
must truly be “as good as gold.” The
conscious practice of Honoring Commitments provides
the foundation for us to be the best at being a
company “of our word.” Our mangers have
learned that the practice involves both the giver
and the receiver being equally responsible for seeing
that the commitment is met. When someone is told,
“Oh, don’t worry; I’ll take care
of that issue,” it is now the norm, where
it was once the exception, for someone in our organization
to say, for instance, “Can I have a definite
time, date, format, etc. when that will be accomplished
and I will check in with you next Wed. to see the
progress; is this OK with you?” The beauty
of this process is that it carries over to the marketplace
and a level of credible trust is built with clients
that provides for long lasting relationships.”
- Brian S. Blair (President, Brandywine
Building Services, American Seaboard Exteriors and
American Seaboard National) |
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Implementing The Collaborative Way®
For more than a decade, Lloyd Fickett
& Associates has been supporting
companies in implementing The Collaborative
Way®. These already successful companies
had reached a point where the owner or
company leaders recognized that to realize
their vision for the company and/or meet
perceived threats from an increasingly
competitive marketplace they needed a
more powerful way of working together.
Through practicing The Collaborative Way®,
our clients have gained the competitive
edge they were looking for.
You
are invited to contact
us to explore how we can work with
you to produce this result for your company.
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| Mishandled
Commitments
We limit our ability to provide the highest level of
customer satisfaction when we mishandle our commitments
to each other. Our mishandling contributes to an environment
of blame and finger pointing that distracts us from
our customers: We often get defensive and/or demean
each other when a commitment breaks down instead of
looking to its source, which could be as simple as a
miscommunication about the commitment’s details.
Mishandled commitments also contribute to a loss of
morale and an increase in cynicism: We start to lose
our passion for participating in the success of the
company and resignation often sets in when company-wide
commitments are made, not followed through on, and then
ignored. The practice of Honoring Commitments eliminates
these unproductive effects and provides a framework
for working together towards the realization of a company’s
vision. |
Honoring
Commitments
The practice of Honoring Commitments provides a powerful
tool for accomplishing our goals. But it’s a tool
that requires a high level of rigor, extending from
a commitment’s conception to its realization,
including dealing with any of its breakdowns. This rigor
is required from both sides of the commitment; both
the maker and receiver are active participants in its
success or failure. Once we have made the practice of
Honoring Commitments a way of relating, we are: |
- Ensuring
that only clearly defined commitments are made
- Immediately
communicating when a commitment is at risk of not
being kept
- Quickly
and effectively addressing commitments that are not
kept
- Effectively
supporting each other in fulfilling our commitments
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“The
important thing we've learned about Honoring Commitments
is that it's not a "sometime" thing. Success
lies in people truly believing that every commitment
has value -- little ones, big ones, those you extend,
those you receive. And we've gotten very disciplined
about the idea that the responsibility for a commitment
lies with both parties.”
- Mike
Diccicco (President, Diccicco Battista Communications)
Company-wide benefits of Honoring
Commitments |
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Greater effectiveness at implementing change efforts
- A winning
environment that people want to work in
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Higher productivity due to greater cooperation among
employees and among business units
- Increased
customer satisfaction due to effective handling of
commitments
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Greater ability to attract and retain the best talent
“During
stressful times, such as those caused by limited production
capacity, Honoring Commitments is essential to building
internal relationships, trust and staying connected.
It is especially powerful in the manufacturing sector
with this drive for speed and on time delivery. In Honoring
Commitments, we are bringing more success to our transactions
with our customers, with our vendors and with each other.
In Honoring Commitments, we're also strengthening the
organization, strengthening the trust among each other
and then being able to attain our goals and visions
together.”
- Bill Stockwell (President, Stockwell Rubber Company) |
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