Kaylee Lynn
Business Process Consultant - Tyler Office
Sales is such a daily mental grind. Having positivity and unity within the sales team here in East Texas helps me be more successful. On the outside we’re fighting competitors and having people tell us no literally every day. If we had negativity internally as well, it would make our daily duties that much more difficult.
Chris Williams
Service Supervisor - Little Rock
I think it’s important to remain positive as much as you can because negativity can leech productive energy. Because I’m in a position between technicians and management I believe it’s important for me to keep positive in my communications and attitude in both directions. Negativity could easily cause misunderstandings that don’t really represent one group to the other while positivity assumes and presents the best intentions of co-workers and the company in general.
Disagreements are inevitable and the discussions surrounding them are necessary and can be productive as well. Approaching them in a positive manner “greases the wheels” of discussion and can keep those focused on the issue at hand and cut down on defensive postures and stalemates……which help no one.
Rachel Rhodes
Platform Solutions Manager - Dallas/Fort Worth Office
It is important to be positive and united in our efforts because it helps foster an environment of collaboration, trust, and respect. A unified front also allows us to work together towards a common goal with a greater sense of purpose.
In my role, I work with almost every department. I do my best to foster a unified front by actively listening to the perspectives and ideas of others, being open to change and new ideas, and encouraging collaboration and cooperation. I respect and appreciate everyone’s contributions.
Brad S. Russell
Technology Services Delivery Manager - Little Rock Office
I have a few things that I try to keep in mind as I go about my day.
- Be grateful
- Be kind
- ALWAYS believe in yourself
- Don’t waste energy or time on feeling sorry.
- Don’t waste energy or time on doubts or fears.
- Don’t hold grudges.
- It’s okay to keep score for your favorite sports team, but service delivery isn’t a competition. It’s WE not ME.
Terri Hackmeyer
Human Resources - Saint Louis Office
It’s important to be positive and united because it provides several benefits for customers, employees and employers. It improves moral, increases productivity, promotes collaboration and fosters growth.
Being in HR I encourage managers and my team to outline responsibilities and boundaries, make the goal clear, encourage trust and over communicate.
Andrew Watson
Account Representative - Little Rock Office
At the end of the day, some of the strongest marketing a company can do is simply stand behind what you say you are going to do, at the very least. It’s not that big of an ask, from a customer’s position.
But sometimes people are unintentionally misleading by not being clear about managing the expectations of others. I think the unified approach we’re looking for at Datamax is one that focuses on knowing how the process will go and how it will impact the customer, and being prepared to speak to that if asked.
Sales people are constantly put in a position to side with customers over their gripes and frustrations, or side with the company by coming to its defense in some shape/form. Some sales people find it easier to give the customer all of the yes’s and head nods, the “absolutely” and “definitely” kind of language, when in reality, they’re about to unintentionally under-deliver b/c they are not aware entirely of what goes into the process. Providing a better experience for the customer requires providing them a clear picture to the process. If you can manage to do this without over explaining everything, you’ve got the invaluable tool of Managing Expectations nailed. And that is what provides the mortar to a unified approach to how we deal externally with others, as well as ourselves internally.
Effectively being the publicist for our brand with my customers, I’m in many of their cases the primary source of information for all of their dealings with us. But in many cases where I am not, I do my best to be well-informed about how different things work, even when they’re not in my purview, b/c I want to be able to share with my customer the same information they got from another department. I believe that solidarity makes us look professional and aware of how it all works, as well as helps to further support the nature of the policy/rule/etc. in question, almost always steeped in what is fair for our customer but also fair to Datamax. And I can get behind that, so I am very eager constantly to go sit down in the service dept with Mark and have him educate me on why something is the way it is, or visit with Kristen about how we have to treat a specific billing issue and policy a certain way. I want to support their efforts, and provide that unified approach to how we are going to ultimately help. I was a big fan of the Key Contact interviews as part of the onboarding process here, and still am, b/c of how valuable it is early on to form those personal bonds with the different team members and department heads throughout the company. Those bonds have provided me with an education to how this company operates and with that big picture in mind, I can more thoughtfully prepare my customers for what to expect and they appreciate the experience that attention to detail brings. It’s also created ways for me to better understand how to help other departments in any given situation, and we have a stronger working relationship b/c they appreciate my willingness to work with them and learn their side of the process.
Jacqueline Campos
Administration Manager - Dallas/Fort Worth Office
As a manager, even though a situation may be upsetting, you have to show the opposite to the team. You have to make everyone be on the same page as you to be able to execute what you are trying to achieve. At the end of the day, our goal is to try to get positive results. When we are positive and united we work better and you feel good about the organization you work for.
Penny Spalding
Leasing Manager - Saint Louis Office
We all have a choice to be happy or grumpy. Even during hard days, there are many positive things occurring. Sometimes, we just need to breathe and see the wonderful things in life. If we can see the brighter side, it’s easier to get through the harder part. Positivity produces positivity. This doesn’t mean everything will work out the way we thought but hopefully, a better way.
Everyone employed at Datamax is on the same team. We all work towards the same goals. We have to work together to make things happen. We have to be open-minded to possibilities. We need to communicate and brainstorm on how/what needs to happen to turn a situation into a success. Talking to someone not in the mud can provide answers/solutions not thought of since all we see is mud.
Kristina Prichard
Account Representative - Little Rock
I feel like our Team E is unified and positive all the time. It is very important that everyone and all departments are unified and on the same page. We should all feel confident that no matter what department our clients are interacting with they get a positive experience.
I think in large we accomplish this but there does seem to always at least one person who is unhappy or may be having a bad day. I’m not sure there is way to get rid of this fully but it would sure be nice if we could! I think it goes back to if you’re not happy with your job then maybe its time to move on... this sounds harsh but it’s true.
Life is way too short to be unhappy or miserable. People owe it to themselves to be happy unfortunately, some have not learned this or know how to move on to happiness. It is a daily choice, none us wake up and feeling like Mary Poppins every day but if you focus on the fact that you do have a choice to be happy or unhappy daily and to not let outside factors ruin your day you can be happy. Ken has taught us to worry about the factors in life you can control and let the ones go that you can not control.
