I am working with a company that has decided to become involved in telecommuting. In fact, its executives wrote their entire annual strategic plan around it. Their research says they will save a lot of money and increase productivity exponentially. They read, learned, benchmarked, and interviewed people from companies who were already successful in telecommuting. Becoming involved with telecommuting is a “no-brainer” for them. However, to date, my clients have not stepped one little toe into the huge telecommuting ocean. They’re having trouble making a commitment.
An unknown author described the difference between being “involved” and “committed.” He or she says that, regarding an eggs-and-ham breakfast, the chicken is “involved,” and the pig is “committed.” Many times, it is more comfortable to stay in the role of the chicken, but capitalizing on trends requires commitment.
The ability to perceive trends quickly, or even to make sense of them, will not automatically guarantee success. Understanding and implementing a trend responsibly is altogether different. Determining how (or whether) you will turn that trend into something good takes creativity and persistence. Your success depends on a disciplined approach to envisioning the changes, defining required change actions, and implementing the plan.
Think back on your history with contact center trends. For the ones you deemed relevant, did your actions more resemble the involvement of the chicken or the commitment of the pig?
