Mastering Self-Care: A Guide for WFM Leaders in Enhancing Productivity and Well-being

Call Design on August 2, 2023

In the previous blog, I talked about the importance of self-care and why WFM leaders should care about it, but I didn’t give you any tips on how to execute self-care. Well in this article, we will explore practical ways to enhance your self-care practices, from confidently saying “no” and setting boundaries, to caring for your physical, mental, and emotional needs. By incorporating these strategies into your work routine, you can cultivate assertiveness, focus, and emotional resilience, enabling you to excel in your professional journey. So what are some ways you can practice self-care?

Start by getting comfortable with saying no at work.

You can always start with “yes, if” instead of “no”. When someone comes to you with a request that you can’t accomplish tell them “Yes, I can do this if you…”. So instead of saying “No, we don’t have the resources to complete this project” you can say “Yes, we can take this on if you can get me more resources for my team.” It’s a step in the right direction and might be easier for people that feel “no” is too confrontational.

Being able to say “no” at work helps you build your assertiveness. This ability is necessary for you to be able to stand up for yourself and negotiate, which will be critical for your ability to grab that next promotion or pay increase.

Being able to say “no” is also going to require you to get closer to your boss. If you’re going to start pushing back on people and saying that something can’t be done, then you need to make sure you’re aligned with your boss. The last thing your boss wants is people coming to them saying that you’re telling them “no” for something your boss wants done. Your ability to say “no” and be right about it is dependent upon how well you understand your boss’s direction and priorities.

Get comfortable setting boundaries at work.

Setting boundaries at work helps you build your self-advocating muscle. When you don’t value your time, ability, or effort, then no one will. Setting boundaries helps you speak to the value of your time and ability. This skill is imperative to any professional growth and development.

Setting boundaries allows you to focus on the most important project. Without boundaries we’re often lost in the latest craze or trying to put out the most recent fire. Contact centers will always have chaos and fires, so you’ve got to rein in your focus on what’s the most important thing. Without boundaries, you’re likely to try and fix everything and quickly burn yourself out.

Self-care looks like taking care of your physical needs

Stretch and walk during breaks. This means that you actually have to take breaks from work. This could easily look like only scheduling meetings for 45-55 minutes, making sure you always have a few minutes to move between meetings.

Multi-task work and your physical activity. Take some meetings on your phone while you walk around your neighborhood. Sign up for a webinar and listen to it while you go on a run. Find a way to care for your body even as you continue to work hard.

You can care for your body at work by getting a comfortable working environment. This means finding the right chair, getting a desk that works for you, and making sure you have sunlight available. One of the worst things you can do to your body is sit in an uncomfortable chair, staring at a poorly positioned monitor, in a dark room, for hours on end. Self-care can be as simple as a standing desk and an open window.

Drink water! Make it a goal to finish a cup or two of water every hour. Not only is your body going to thank you for keeping it hydrated, but it will also give you a reason to get up from your desk more often for bio breaks.

Self-care looks like taking care of your mental needs

An important part of your mental needs is understanding where you get energy from, especially around people. If people can drain you of energy then make sure that you have time in your day to decompress and process the events. If people lift you up then make sure you have moments between projects to connect and build relationships.

Completing tasks can give you a hit of dopamine, so create to-do lists and make them simple. Instead of saying “Complete Project X” put it on your list to do 30 or 60 minutes of work. Instead of saying “Finish the blog” just put “Start writing the outline for the blog”. These smaller tasks, while not necessarily changing the work you have to get done, will mentally provide you with hits to keep going. A pro tip is to make a list of things that you’ve already done today. This is an easy way to remind yourself of how productive you’ve been. Get out of bed. Check! Brush teeth. Check! Put on clean clothes. Check! See how productive you’ve been?!

An important part of mentally caring for yourself at work is not working. Your brain needs breaks and often works better when given breaks. So, when you’re feeling exhausted or that you don’t have any more to give to a project, step away (ideally before exhaustion). Do anything other than work. Go on a walk. Eat some food. Mindless scroll on the internet. Self-care can sometimes look like just not working while you’re at work.

Self-care looks like caring care of your emotional needs

Practicing gratitude and tracking what we’re grateful for will position us emotionally better in the workplace. It’s easy to find the negative things in our environment, especially with the amount of chaos we have in the contact center. But practicing gratefulness will reorient our mindset and emotional state and allow us to be even more productive while at work.

Practicing kind self-talk is an easy one to roll our eyes at, but it also positions us to be more effective at work. When we are kind to ourselves we are more confident, assertive, and productive. Our emotional state improves and that allows us to lead and impact our workplace in more effective ways.

Prioritizing self-care as a WFM leader is not only essential for your personal well-being, but it also has a profound impact on your professional success and the overall culture of your organization. By implementing the practical self-care strategies we’ve explored, you can cultivate assertiveness, focus, and emotional resilience, positioning yourself as a confident and effective leader. Remember, self-care is an ongoing journey, and it requires continuous attention and commitment. If you’re seeking further guidance, tips, and ideas on self-care, WFM best practices, or fostering a human-centric company culture, don’t hesitate to reach out to Call Design. Our team of experts is here to support you in your quest for personal and professional growth. Together, let’s create a workplace where self-care and employee well-being are at the heart of success.

—Dan Smitley

Fostering Well-being: The Crucial Role of Self-Care for WFM Leaders

Call Design on July 26, 2023

As workforce management leaders we often live in a world of chaos and exhaustion. I know, such a cheerful way to start a blog. But the reality is that many of us are constantly staring burnout in the eyes. Whether it’s ourselves, our teams, or the agents we support, our environment is full of people pushing themselves to the limits and hoping they’ve got more gas in the tank. This is why the topic of self-care is incredibly important for WFM leaders, but all too often it’s something that we leave for the HR team to take care of. We assume that it has nothing to do with us or our ability to impact our contact centers. When in reality self-care is critical to our ability to grow personally, and professionally, and create an environment we want to work in. So, what is self-care?

Defining Self-Care:

Self-care is both comprehensive and intentional care for our well-being. It involves us paying attention to our physical, mental, and emotional needs and then taking planned steps to meet them. Whether it’s going for a run, practicing mindfulness, or creating space for our feelings, self-care is a conscious investment in ourselves.

Debunking Misconceptions:

It’s selfish: Unfortunately, many of us have a misunderstanding of self-care and so we typically avoid it. We see self-care as selfishness. We think that it’s focusing on our own needs at the exclusion of others and it inherently feels wrong. We see ourselves as servant leaders and believe we’re benefiting our teams and our families when we constantly give of ourselves. But what we’re missing is that we cannot pour into others if we are empty.

Self-care is not selfishness, and in fact, it’s likely the best thing we can do to help those around us. We are more effective in our support and help to others when our tank is full or nearly full. Prioritizing self-care enables us to replenish our energy, compassion, and empathy, allowing us to better serve those around us.

It’s a one-time act: We also have to remember that self-care is not a one-time event. We get little to no credit for taking a vacation 2 years ago or getting a massage 6 months ago. Think about self-care like a garden. If you do some heavy weeding and planting on a day and then let it go for 6 months all of your work will have been for nothing. Instead, we need to continually water, weed, and care for the plants. In the same way, we need to be paying attention to our physical, mental, and emotional needs and addressing them today, not in 6 months.

Why WFM Should Care: 

The impact: I have a sense that at this point I may be losing some of you. “That’s all great Dan, but how does this impact my WFM or contact center team?”. I’m so glad you asked!

The stats are in and our contact center industry is in a full-on forest fire of burnout. 75% of call center agents are at risk of burnout (source). The average agent turnover is at a 25-year high (source). Burned-out employees are 63% more likely to take a sick day (source). Employees who frequently experience burnout are 2.6 times as likely to be actively seeking a new job (source). If anyone is going to care about employees taking sick days and high attrition rates it’s going to be the WFM team.

When burnout is left unchecked we see productivity decrease, shrinkage increase, and attrition rates increase. This in turn creates an incredibly challenging environment to forecast, schedule, and real-time manage. Simply put WFM should care about burnout because ignoring it makes our jobs harder!

Our environment: Plus, many of us are ripe for burnout. The WFM team sits at the crossroads of IT, HR, Finance, Marketing, Operations, etc. This gives us a great opportunity to know what’s going on in the organization and possibly help lead conversations. But it also easily leads to a sense of overwhelming burnout. When each of these teams brings its own “top priority” we are left holding the bag trying to figure out which one is the “most top of all tops”.

On top of this, we have likely created a career by being right. “Why did we miss service level yesterday?” “How many calls are going to come in on October 25th?” “When should we start hiring to make sure we have enough people for the busy season?” We are used to being the person that people come to for all sorts of questions. We have added value by always being connected, available, and quick with the right answer. I mean, can you think of a better environment for a burned-out leader?

It spreads: In the same way that burnout spreads, so does self-care. WFM leaders should care about self-care because when we do we lead by example. We help create the environment we want to work and live in. Those that are watching us, whether at home or at work, can see the value and benefits of intentionally and comprehensively taking care of our well-being.

Self-care is not a luxury or an afterthought for WFM leaders—it is an essential ingredient for personal well-being, professional success, and cultivating a positive work environment. By understanding the comprehensive and intentional nature of self-care, debunking misconceptions, and recognizing its impact on our industry and teams, we can embrace self-care as a strategic investment. Let us lead by example, prioritizing our own well-being while inspiring others to do the same. By integrating self-care practices into our lives and organizations, we can foster a happy, engaged, fulfilled, and aligned workforce while driving positive business outcomes.

This was part 1 of a 2-part series on self-care so make sure to check out our other blog (coming next week) that will give tips on how to practice self-care. Also, feel free to reach out to us anytime with questions about workforce management best practices, and how to build team cultures that encourage self-care. WFM is often full of chaos and exhaustion, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. We’re here and we’ve got your back.

—Dan Smitley

From Collaboration to Confidence: Building Leadership Buy-in For WFM Strategies

Laura Horton on July 12, 2023

In the quest for operational efficiency, back offices can harness the power of WFM through forecasting accuracy. Forecasting accuracy is one key factor that contributes to leadership buy-in. 

Gaining the Back Office management buy-in is crucial for the success of the WFM strategy. As WFM experts, our goal is to engage with and provide insights/guidance to our business leaders and all influencing departments, including HR. 

All team managers have a requirement to understand workload demand, impacts, drivers, and the resources required to service the work. They are challenged with understanding and justifying their staff requirements to ensure they can meet their objectives and service the demand. In my many years of working with leaders, there is a common theme. Managers know their business; they know their staff and they’ve acquired that knowledge without the use of WFM tools, but by working it out the hard way! Understandably, this can create a sense of protection over their information and their staff. 

So, the challenge is how do you get them to share that knowledge?  It’s important to set expectations as to our intentions, responsibility, objective, and purpose. We intend to work collaboratively, to complement and support them, to achieve common goals. For them, our supporting will free up some of their time to allow focus on other activities such as coaching, developing and support their staff, working on process improvements, completing administration tasks, and so on…

A robust workforce management plan is an art and a science. While we excel in the scientific aspects and have strong knowledge of the practicalities of forecasting – the artistic side lies in acquiring insights through collaboration with leaders, accumulating collective knowledge on the driving influencers of demand over time, and applying this knowledge and lessons learned to the forecast. 

By leveraging our Back Office leaders’ knowledge and supporting open and consistent communication, we can build leadership confidence and trust in the WFM process. Two of the best ways to build that confidence are being able to clearly articulate the benefits of forecasting to leadership and establishing an effective operating rhythm. Here are some ways to do just that!

Benefits of Forecasting Accuracy:

  1. Business Performance Evaluation: Accurate forecasting allows businesses to evaluate their performance by comparing results with forecast predictions. This evaluation helps identify areas for improvement and assess the customer impact. 
  2. Decision-Making with Confidence: Reliable forecasts provide leaders with the necessary information to make informed decisions across various business functions. Having confidence in the accuracy of forecasts helps drive strategic decisions, resource allocation, and operational planning.
  3. Resource Optimization: Accurate forecasts enable organizations to allocate resources effectively. Right people, right skill, right place, right time. Optimization of resources improves operational efficiency and productivity.
  4. Risk Mitigation: With reliable forecasts, businesses can proactively identify risks and develop contingency plans to mitigate them effectively. This proactive approach minimizes the impact of unforeseen events and changes in demand.
  5. Stakeholder Confidence: By providing reliable forecasts, leaders can demonstrate their competency and transparency, strengthening their relationship with their stakeholders and staff.
  6. Continuous Improvement: By analyzing forecast deviations and identifying problem areas, organizations can refine their forecasting models, data sources, and methodologies. This iterative process leads to better employee engagement, enhanced customer experience, and operational efficiency.
  7. Performance Benchmarks: Forecast accuracy allows businesses to benchmark their performance against industry standards and internal targets. It provides insights into areas of improvement, drives innovation, and encourages the adoption of internal best practices across the organization. 

A well-designed operating rhythm sets the stage for decision-making, collaboration, and accountability.  

Effective Operating Rhythm:

  1. Clear Communication: Encourage alignment and effective collaboration by establishing clear communication channels. This includes regular meetings, status updates, and feedback sessions. Being a trusted advisor means providing accurate and timely information, addressing concerns, and facilitating resolution of issues. Building strong communication channels fosters transparency and trust.   
  2. Structured Workflow: Define roles, responsibilities, and accountability. Clearly outlining each role’s responsibilities helps avoid confusion, duplication of effort, and gaps. Collaboration is the key to ensuring a smooth transition of handoffs and seamless coordination. 
  3. Prioritization and Time Management: Optimize results by prioritizing and managing time effectively. Prioritize the jobs to be done and ensure the timely delivery of useful information. Keep a record of any deviations and document the outcomes and lessons learned. You will be held somewhat accountable for the outcomes, so collaborate with your leaders to define priority tasks and manage your time effectively.
  4. Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of improvement through evaluation and feedback. Regularly assess processes and identify areas requiring improvement and potential opportunities for innovation. 
  5. Training and Skill Development: Investing in employee development and leadership training is crucial for building a capable and high-performing workforce. Providing training to the leadership team and staff, on the principles of workforce management, can equip them with the necessary knowledge and tools to excel in their role. 
  6. Performance Monitoring and Metrics: Document the established KPIs between Leadership and WFM. Regularly monitor and measure progress against these metrics to gauge performance and identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. 

As WFM experts, our primary objective is to provide valuable insights and business guidance. We recognize that the transition can be challenging to overcome. By fostering a collaborative environment and valuing the leaders’ experience, we can bridge the gap between science and knowledge, enhancing the effectiveness of the WFM strategy. 

This partnership approach not only facilitates the successful implementation of WFM initiatives but also fosters confidence and trust between WFM experts and business leaders. At Call Design, we are committed to enabling our clients to overcome challenges that drive positive change within their organizations.  Contact us today to learn how we can partner with you in achieving your business outcomes and empowering your back office workforce. Together, let’s unlock the full potential of your operations and create a happy, engaged, fulfilled, and aligned work environment.

From Chaos to Clarity: Building a Robust Workload Forecast for Back-Office Operations

Laura Horton on June 27, 2023

In the world of back-office operations, designing an effective workload forecast is crucial for efficient staff planning and decision-making. A well-designed forecast provides valuable insights into the volume of work coming in, the time required to complete it, and the deadlines these tasks need to be completed by. It serves as a foundation to making various staffing decisions. Additionally, it helps to guide employee development, fill skills gaps, and allows leaders to meet their objective. 

In this blog, we will explore the process of designing a back-office workload forecast.

  1. Vision and Mission: To begin, it’s important to understand the company’s vision, mission and strategy. These statements provide valuable insights into the organization’s current state and company direction. Gathering information about the company’s goals and objectives is a good way to sanity check work priorities and align those with the broader business objectives.
  2. Gathering Documentation and Insight: Next, gather as much relevant documentation as possible. Prepare in advance and make the most of leader’s and subject matter expert’s expertise. During discussions, be sure to capture the following information:
    • Operating practices
    • Work priorities (from highest to lowest)
    • Work that is not captured in the existing system
    • Tasks that require special handling or segregation
    • Service level expectations for each type of work (consider the end-to-end process)
    • Interdependencies with other teams or departments
person writing on white paper

  1. Drafting the Task List: Based on the insights gathered, create a draft task list. The task list should be designed logically and tailored to meet the business needs, but don’t overcomplicate it. Remember that you are building a workload forecast, not a list of reporting requirements.
  2. Analyzing Task List Data:  Ideally, you should have at least six weeks of intraday or daily data to identify intraday patterns and day-of-week trends. To identify seasonal and growth trends, a minimum of 13 months of daily historical data is required. Running trial forecasts using the new task list data will help demonstrate its value to each team. Be on the lookout for volatility or large fluctuations in the volume and then dig into why the fluctuations are happening.
  3. Turn around time:  How do you measure how long it takes to complete tasks in the task list? There are numerous ways in which the data can be collected. Source systems, time and motion studies, 80/20 rule. If using time and motion studies, be sure to utilize middle of the pack workers. The ones who are not your superstars and not your poor performers. Setting a standard for what is expected gives you a good baseline to grow and improve on.
  4. Service level expectations: Most of the work in the back office will come with a goal to complete. Each task type will have different expectations depending on the priority, and importance of the work to be completed.  Be sure that when you present your staffing requirements to leaders that the service level is included.

  1. Validation Workshops: Schedule a workshop where the task list and forecast workload demand are presented for validation. You should present your numbers in terms of volume, workload, and resource requirements. An open forum discussion allows for clarification regarding the task list, task mapping, and forecast details. Be mindful that not has a deep understanding of forecasting and its metrics, so explain the information in a way that can be understood by everyone. Encourage participants to challenge the insights and provide their input. This calibration process draws out missed information and outliers which improve the forecast process and to build trust. Make sure to allow sufficient time for participants to digest and reflect on the presented information.
  2. It’s time to get sign-off: Implement the pilot team with the finalized forecast. Take the time to get everything right, as gaps or omissions will quickly become apparent and could generate a lot of rework.
  3. Replicate the process from Step 2 for each team, considering the complexity of their specific operations. Following these steps diligently will result in a valid and usable forecasting task list, building confidence in achieving forecasting goals.

In conclusion, designing a robust workload forecast for back-office operations is a critical step in optimizing staff planning and resource utilization. At Call Design, we are committed to helping contact centers and back-office operations overcome challenges and drive positive change within their organizations. Stay tuned for the next instalment in our three-part blog series, where we will continue to explore WFM back-office tips and best practices. Contact us today to learn how we can partner with you in achieving your business outcomes and empowering your workforce. Together, let’s unlock the full potential of your operations and create a happy, engaged, and aligned work environment.

Unleashing the Potential of Back-Office WFM: Mastering the Forecasting Challenge

Laura Horton on June 16, 2023

Workforce Management (WFM) is the art and science of scheduling the right number of people with the right skills, at the right time, to handle work within service level and budget.

Forecasting is the key to solving the puzzle of scheduling the right number of people. It lays the foundation for efficient staffing levels and optimal resource utilization. Drawing from my 15 years of experience in consulting and training Workforce Optimization (WFO) teams, I’ve discovered that crafting a forecast that yields effective outcomes is a fundamental challenge when implementing Workforce Management (WFM) into the back office.

Amidst the dynamic landscape of back office, it’s common to feel overwhelmed by the various systems and processes involved. It’s crucial not to overlook the importance of getting your forecast process right. By investing extra effort and time, you can unlock significant benefits for your organization and enhance resource effectiveness, utilization, and budget. Trust me, the rewards are well worth the investment.

Now, let’s delve into some practical tips to help you conquer the forecasting challenge and elevate your WFM strategies to new heights. Here are three key areas to focus on:

1. Forecasting Expertise

  • Partner with a forecasting expert who understands the unique practices of back-office work. Back-office work is handled differently than contact center work, so be sure these differences are factored in.
  • Never assume – always ask. Collaborate closely with leaders, second-in-command individuals, and subject matter experts to gain their insight. They know the work better than anyone else so be sure to ask lots of questions.
  • Validate that your workflow solutions can handle the varying factors that impact processing time, as not all systems are designed to seamlessly integrate with forecasting needs.
  • Pick 1 team and master their forecast! Once you have the first forecast right, you can quickly move to the rest.
  • There will still be some differing factors between teams so be sure to conduct interviews and find out those differences. Making assumption is the best way to tank your forecast.
  • Promote the value of forecasting as a tool that helps leaders make better decisions and achieve their objectives. Make it the path of least resistance and empower team leaders to use it to their advantage.

2. Forecasting Task Structure Consideration

  • One of the biggest challenges for back-office forecasting is the lack of data. But you still have to account for work that is conducted and not captured in any system or documentation.
  • Remember that the structure of your task list can be influenced by service levels and expected handle times. Service levels will be a factor if you are looking to merge some of your tasks together for forecasting purposes. Group similar work together when possible.
  • Blend where it makes sense. But be aware! Inaccurate blending of work leads to inefficiencies, delays, and compromises service. Your customers rely on your business to address their needs promptly, and any delays or errors can result in frustration and dissatisfaction.
  • While reports provide valuable insights, remember that WFM is more than just a reporting tool. Use reports as a starting point to identify critical business factors but continue to refine and validate your forecast beyond the reports.
  • Be flexible and adapt as new information emerges. Omitting important details can hinder your forecasting success, so revise, review, and revalidate regularly.

3. Team Collaboration

  • Involving the right staff is a critical step to getting the task list right. Team Leaders, subject matter experts, and workflow coordinators all play a part at getting to the right data.
  • Document conversations and monitor for inconsistencies. As a key player, you have a special vantage point to spot potential triggers that could harm operation of the business. By offering recommendations based on your observations, you can enhance overall performance and minimize adverse effects.
  • Capture lessons learned from past forecasting experiences to continually improve future forecasts.

Building a robust workload forecast takes time and effort, but it’s a valuable tool that can transform your WFM operations. Remember, forecasting is both an art (understanding demand influencers) and a science (analyzing the numbers). So, let’s embrace the challenge, fine-tune our forecasting skills, and elevate our WFM teams to become strategic assets that drive positive change in our organizations. WFM isn’t just for the contact center anymore.

If you’re eager to dive deeper into the world of back-office WFM and gain valuable insights, I invite you to join our upcoming webinar series. This blog is just the beginning of a three-part back-office series where we’ll explore more tips, strategies, and industry best practices.

Beyond the Headset: Discovering Personal Growth in the Call Center

Rosy Barerra on June 7, 2023

When I entered this world, I didn’t scream out of joy, exclaiming, “I am on Earth! I cannot wait to grow  up and get hired in a call center, wearing my headset, and listening to customers complaining!” No, that  was not the grand vision I had for my future. After all, who dreams of working in a call center when they  are born? It seemed more like a practical choice, a means to earn a living while pursuing my university  education. Little did I know that this seemingly temporary job would lead me down the path of self discovery and personal growth. 

To be honest, I never loved calling people and collecting debts. I thought to myself, “I cannot do this for  longer than a year.” Yet, fate had other plans for me, and I ended up working in that role for one and a  half years. However, an unexpected opportunity emerged—a chance to become a dialer supervisor in a  bank. 

With no prior background in technology, all I knew was how to adjust parameters in the dialer software. However, I possessed a wealth of knowledge about translating collection operation requirements into  dialer system configurations, and that’s what landed me the job. It was my first formal experience in a  leadership role, overseeing a small team consisting of a morning analyst and an afternoon analyst. The  only foundation I had in leadership was the theory I had learned in school.

At that point, I never had the luxury of pondering whether this was what I truly wanted or if it brought  me happiness. I simply knew that I had to work to support my studies. Looking back, I can’t even recall  how I managed to convince my boss to give me a part-time job that would accommodate my evening  classes. However, I had clear goals in life, and somehow things fell into place. 

As time passed, I found myself needing to acquire more technical skills. I delved into areas like servers,  Linux, and telephony. Suddenly, just four semesters before completing my International Affairs degree, I  made a drastic career shift and embarked on a journey in Computer Systems Administration. 

I continued to climb the professional ladder in the call center industry and eventually became a  Collections Manager. Throughout this journey, I learned an abundance of skills, ranging from MIS and  database management to leadership and business acumen. With 300 representatives under my wing,  along with 10 team leaders and two supervisors, I can confidently say that I learned more during that  time than in my entire academic experience. 

However, a restructuring in the bank led to my departure, and I found myself starting anew in a Business  Process Outsourcing (BPO) firm. After a year in that position, stress began to consume me, and without a  clear plan, I made the bold decision to quit. 

It was during this uncertain phase that an unexpected conversation on MS Messenger (yes, I am old fashioned) with an engineer-turned-friend from the bank opened up a contracting opportunity for me at  Aspect Software. As a business application consultant specializing in dialer systems, I embarked on a  journey that exposed me to diverse cultures, countries, and invaluable perspectives on call center 

operations. From Canada to Argentina, the UK to the Philippines, I traveled the world, soaking up  knowledge and embracing different ways of doing things. 

After a while, another bank offered me a role to establish their Capacity and Contact Management  department for LATAM and Spain. I spent a year and a half there before succumbing to stress once again.  It was at this point that everything clicked. I realized that I didn’t need to confine myself to the  traditional corporate world to find fulfillment. It was the first time I sat down, had a conversation with  myself, and truly listened to my body, my intuition, and my heart. 

I discovered that I am a people person, someone who thrives on interactions and sharing knowledge.  The happiness I derived from seeing others flourish based on the wisdom I could impart was  immeasurable. People I had worked with, coached, or mentored would reach out on social media to  express how their experiences with me had propelled them toward their desired paths. Simply put, I realized I love helping people succeed. 

This realization, and my career journey, is now why I am with Call Design. It’s been a year since I joined  them, and it has felt like home since Day 1. It’s such a joy to not only work with amazing call center  experts, but to find people that also love helping people succeed. It’s refreshing to hear them put the  goals of the customer above our own and to make sure we are different than any other company our  customers work with. When your passion to help other people matches the passion of your company…  well let’s just say it’s pretty special.

It took nearly 30 years for me to reach this point, and now I am on a personal mission to spread the word  about the importance of finding your true calling and finding people to do it with. It’s so important to do something that makes your heartbeat and waking up every morning with a sense of purpose is  invaluable. Trust me when I say that you can find your calling in a contact center or anywhere else. Your  journey may seem odd, or disconnected, but it can pay off to take the time to have a conversation with  yourself, listen to your intuition, and flow with it. Your mind, spirit, body, and loved ones will be eternally  grateful when you find your calling and your people.

– Rosy Barrera

Why Call Design Isn’t the Right Company for Everyone

Call Design on June 2, 2023

Whether it’s personal partnerships or business partnerships, it’s essential to find the right match for your needs and goals. Call Design understands that we may not be the perfect fit for every organization, and that’s ok! We realize our model, approach, and philosophy isn’t for everyone. To help you out we’ve created a short list of reasons why you shouldn’t work with us.

Just Looking for a Platform

You shouldn’t work with us if you’re looking for a vendor that drops off software and leaves. We know some vendors are super successful with a high-touch sales process and low support at or after implementation. That can work for them, but it doesn’t work for us. We believe in building strong relationships with our clients, becoming their trusted partners, and actively collaborating to solve complex business challenges. Our business model revolves around high-touch interactions from sales, to implementation, to account support. We want to invest in your organization’s success. So, if you’re looking for a company to simply provide a platform and not a partnership, you should look elsewhere.

Maintaining Status Quo

Change can be daunting, and not everyone is eager to embrace it. If your organization prefers to maintain the status quo and resists change, we may not be the ideal match. We believe that WFM teams and contact centers can be, and probably should be, the culture champions in their environments. Leading efforts to help transform the organization from the inside out. We love working with companies that want to turn their contact center into a strategic asset, and if you want to maintain a passive, order-taking, tactically focused customer service team. Well, we wish you the best. 

Comfortable with High Attrition Rates

“Contact center jobs are hard” – Captain Obvious

High agent attrition rates have become part of an accepted norm in many contact centers. It’s not ideal but it’s a known variable and something that many leaders have gotten comfortable planning for. If you’d prefer to maintain your comfortably high attrition rates, you probably shouldn’t work with us. We believe that WFM solutions can not only enhance operational efficiency but can also boost agent engagement. When done well WFM can provide work/life balance that helps increase engagement and lower attrition rates. We realize the agent engagement play isn’t for everyone, but it’s definitely in our DNA.

One-Size-Fits-All Approach

Lastly, some organizations are looking for a cookie-cutter approach. They want someone to simply come in, plug-in the software, and step away. They don’t want personalization or customizing when it comes to the platform, the training, or the support. Sadly, our approach is all about understanding the customer’s needs and creating a unique plan with them. We check in at least monthly to see if we’re still meeting their needs and we meet in person annually to reassess and align with our customer’s goals. That’s of course on top of our weekly Ask the Expert and bi-weekly Tip of the Fortnight sessions we host. If you’re looking for a one-size-fits-all approach to implementation and support, we can’t help you.

We get it, we aren’t for everyone. Some companies love just getting a platform, maintaining the status quo, continuing high attrition rates, and a cookie-cutter approach to support. To those companies, we probably shouldn’t work together. 
However, if you are looking for passionate a partnership instead just a platform, for transformation to shake up the status quo, for ways to knock down that attrition rate, or possibly for customized support that puts you at the center; well, we should probably talk. You can reach out to us today and let us know why you think we would be a good fit for your organization.

– Dan Smitley

Revolutionizing WFM with HEFA: Call Designs Highlights from SWPP 2023 Conference

Call Design on May 26, 2023

The Call Design team just got back from the SWPP annual conference, and as usual, it was one for the books! Our beloved hometown of Nashville once again played host to an event that left us both exhausted and excited. So, grab your Call Design branded popcorn and let’s dive into a quick recap:

Justin Robbins: Keynote Extraordinaire and Pizza Party Myth Buster!

Justin Robbins, the man with the golden insights, delivered another fantastic keynote helping us get unstuck, and owning our unwillingness to lead ourselves plays a big factor! He also shared his knowledge in a few breakout sessions, and guess what? Apparently, pizza parties aren’t always the answer to employee engagement! Who knew!? Justin’s ability to make us rethink our approaches left us hungry for more (and not just for pizza).

Tiffney Spicer and the DEI Panel: Owning Our Unconscious Bias

Our dear friend Tiffney Spicer took part in an amazing panel discussion on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the world of WFM. They fearlessly tackled tough topics head-on and challenged all of us to confront our unconscious biases. We’re grateful for WFM leaders who push us to think differently and create a more inclusive environment. Kudos to Tiffney and the panel for sparking these vital conversations!

Dan Smitley’s Session: Self-Care in the WFM Jungle

Our very own Dan Smitley led a breakout session and shed light on the often-neglected topic of self-care in WFM. Let’s face it, WFM professionals wear many hats and juggle multiple responsibilities. It’s no wonder burnout lurks around the corner! Dan shared the importance of saying no, caring about our own burnout, and even shared some tips on investing in ourselves. 

Connecting, Laughing, and Sharing the Passion

The SWPP conference is always a blast! We cherished the opportunity to reunite with old friends, make new connections, and soak up the contagious energy of the WFM community. We share your passion for WFM and believe that it can go beyond simply maximizing staff and productivity. When done right, WFM can empower businesses, create exceptional customer experiences, and ensure the well-being of frontline agents. You don’t have to pick just one of those outcomes, you really can have all three!

At Call Design, we’re on a mission to help transform WFM teams into strategic partners who are improving lives, delivering outstanding customer experiences, and driving solid results for businesses. We firmly believe that employees have the right to be Happy, Engaged, Fulfilled, and Aligned (HEFA) at work. If you agree, or want to learn more, please reach out to us and let us know. WFM might be a hard career at times, but with a community like SWPP and partners like Call Design it can be transformational, and even fun sometimes!

– Dan Smitley

SWPP Tip of the Week for May 8 is from Call Design!

Call Design on May 12, 2023

The Society of Workforce Planning Professionals (SWPP) is a membership association designed specifically to facilitate education and networking among workforce planners and managers in the contact center. They are an amazing group whose can’t-miss annual event is coming up May 15-17 2023 in Nashville! Be sure to catch Call Design there, and don’t miss our own Dan Smitley’s speaking session “Managing More Than Just Your Workforce: You’re Taking Care of Everyone Else, But Who’s Taking Care of You?” on the 15th at 11:00! 

One of the benefits of signing up with SWPP is the timely views and advice in their Tip of the Week. It just so happens that May 8’s Tip of the Week is from Dan. Check it out and follow Call Design (as well as Dan’s own LinkedIn) for more insights on leadership and employee experience!

Is your forecast accuracy above goal? Yep! Are service levels being met consistently? Yep! Are you absolutely killing your role and yet it doesn’t feel like anyone is paying attention? Also, yep.

In WFM we are used to being at the crossroads of so many teams: Finance, HR, Operations, IT, Marketing, on and on and on. We are excellent at consuming these different voices and producing a plan that meets our goals. The problem is that we’re used to receiving this information and then forget we also need to push the information back out. Or worse yet, we push out information and no one is paying attention! Here are two things to help you make sure you are receiving and sending information well.

1. Don’t assume. Just because you know what the marketing team is doing doesn’t mean the operations team does. Just because HR has put a focus on X doesn’t mean that finance is aware. Work to be the middle person that shares the knowledge across teams. Position yourself not just as a receiver of information but as a giver as well. Don’t assume everyone knows what you know.

2. Listen and help. Sure, you need to know the information to adjust your forecast and staffing plans. Along with listening to the information to inform your plans, make sure you’re also listening and adding value to their environment. Marketing says they need to improve Product X and so they are going to take Action Y. Don’t just add Action Y into your plans, help them refine it to make sure it’s the best action possible.

You can have the best plans and the best information to share, but if no one is listening then it doesn’t matter. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of simply executing our job descriptions. Making sure our roles and responsibilities are covered. When we position ourselves as someone that receives and gives good information, people will start to listen. When we start investing in other departments’ environments, helping them improve ideas and actions, then people will care what you have to say.

– Dan Smitley