While working in professional setup, we often come across this phrase that cites the need for business leaders to “move as per the speed and wavelength of business requirement.” This quote reveals an important point that stands true for all sectors and industries (including call center industry). While it is perfectly feasible to manage our operations on a day-to-day basis, controlling the dynamic trends that decide the pace of our business and the environment in which we operate is often beyond our control. Hence, adaptability becomes a key ingredient for us to function in an effective and efficient manner.

What exactly is it?

Now the question arises, what do we mean by adaptability? In layman’s language, the simple answer that might come across is that it is the willingness to change. Yet, in reality, it goes far beyond the dictionary meaning. In majority of the cases, business entities that do not opt for reputed outsourcing customer service, in-house call center executives wait for circumstances to change in a favorable direction. This forces the business entities to update policies and shuffle the existing set of call center executives across different verticals and sometimes, even fire them. On the other hand, adaptability allows a manger in a call center to shift focus or direction of his/her current set of resources to accommodate for the current circumstances.

To quote an example, a manager that keeps a track of the performance metrics on a monthly basis, notices a significant drop in productivity amongst a group of employees from a specific department. He/she will look to address that specific group about their declining performance levels and demand improvements in the coming months. This leads to sudden upsurge in performance, in the very next month. This might make the manager to ponder if the team is not functioning in a disciplined manner.

Adopting such an approach can only be considered as a reactionary, as the manager acted only after the results started declining. On the other hand, a leader in a call center setup understands that optimal levels of performance requires quick responses to obstacles and opportunities. When a business entity opts for outsourcing customer service, an understanding prompts a leader to develop productivity measures on real-time basis. Such measures showcase that the group of executives under scanner only begin to decline during those specific working hours. With that information available at our service, a manager can think of allocating his/her leadership resources to assist in the transition process.

Is it worth the investment we make?

The scenarios mentioned above clearly showcase that the basic element that is needed to be considered capable of being adaptable: information. While this activity includes industry insight and a basic understanding of seasonal trends, it also requires real-time data that exhibit how the members of an outsourcing customer service are performing from an individual’s standpoint and as a cohesive unit. An added investment of both efforts and resources for securing such information is required.

Yet, a culture of adaptability can only be created only when we follow a to-down approach. A leadership team demonstrates an ability to effectively anticipate and deal with the changes happening around him/her as they tend to inspire the following characteristics in their call center executives:

• Patience in waiting for positive results of all the recent updates to arrive
• Acceptance of new procedures and policies
• Showcase a fair degree of confidence that such changes are done for accomplishing our objectives

There is some degree of authority that needs to be showcased by holding steadfast to proven leadership principles. It also needs to be understood that there is an innate need to be flexible and considerate when we are trying to change the current industry benchmarks. It can be done by embracing the theory related to adaptability and constantly be on the lookout for areas in which our existing workforce can look to improve. Hence, adaptability to change plays a significant role when it comes to improving performance in a call center unit.