Timeout for Leadership-your one-minute leadership idea

Tip Sheet #64

Who are your ambassadors?

This sounds like such an easy question to answer.  However, it is a trick question.  I would bet that after you read this question you started to think of the people that are close to you.  Those folks that are really part of your team.  Your colleagues that are positive and with you 100% of the time.  But that was not the answer that I was looking for.  The best answer to that question is, “everyone that works here.”  That’s right.  Every person that is an employee must be positive and consistently and clearly trumpet the message of all of the great things that are happening in your school or organization.  It is just that simple.  But we all know that if it was that simple, I would not be asking that question.

Your school secretaries must be your key ambassadors.  These people serve as your receptionist and greeters.  They are the first person that visitors encounter. They are your gatekeepers.  He or she controls who gets to see you and many times the information that you receive.  As times have changed, the visitor may first be made by a security person.  He or she must now also be that positive ambassador.

School secretaries are important people.  And I recognize that are truly very busy.  They are over worked and underappreciated.  I get it. We all are. However, no matter how busy that they may be, this is no excuse for not being that positive and caring ambassador.  As a consultant, I have the wonderful opportunity to travel to many schools.  Regrettably, I would estimate that 80% of my first encounters are negative.  Secretaries usually work behind counters seated at a desk.  Although, I think when a visitor comes in, someone should greet them at that counter, the minimum I would expect is that they stop what they’re doing and even from their seated desk, pick their head up and ask me how they can help me.  Most times I am greeted with a snarl.  I feel that I am an imposition to them.  I disturbed their day.  Hey, I know who is in charge here and it is not me.  Nevertheless, there is no excuse to be rude, unprofessional and unpleasant.  What did I do to deserve this type of treatment?  Did I disrespect them in some way?  Of course, I didn’t.  I really do not know why they are so mad.

There were times in my career that I lived that.  The quality of my life many times depended upon my secretary’s mood.  If it was a good mood, I was in for a great day.  However, if the opposite was true, I should have just turned around and went home.  The leadership mistake that I made frequently was to let this negative behavior go unaddressed.  I consciously did this because I was worried about the torture that I would be subject to if I addressed it the way it should have been addressed.   My life would have been miserable.

This blog is all about lessons.  And today’s lesson is simple.  Do everything possible to make sure that your secretaries understand that they are in a “people” business and that person standing on the other side of the counter is a client who deserves to be treated with respect and dignity.  And if they are not able to do this, they need to be replaced.  It is critical that you draw that line in the sand.  I wish that I did.  The culture and the climate of your school starts here.  It is up to you to make sure that it happens!