By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Last month’s column, entitled “Answering the Call,” discussed the decreased call volume that most inbound call centers experienced in past years; many are still in the throes of this downturn. At this same time, a groundswell against outbound calling and its associated practices occurred, ultimately led to the enactment of […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, Ph.D. It was a lazy summer afternoon, a Friday. Things were a bit slow at the office and upper management had left to get an early jump on their weekend. I, being a front-line manager, did not have that luxury. Besides, I had work that I wanted to complete before the […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD A few weeks ago, I did something outrageous. I stopped answering my phone. Although that is a bold, foolhardy step for anyone in business, it is heretical for someone whose entire professional career has revolved around the telephone. However, before you plan an intervention on my behalf, let me assure […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD I had been thinking about it for quite some time. However, something inside seemed to say that, “today is the day.” What was that something? It was seemingly simple and of no real consequence. I was going to reposition my computer monitor on my desk; it would be moved a […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, Ph.D. I first heard about the ‘net in the early 80s from one of my college buddies. He landed a job with a computer mainframe manufacturer and was assigned to work at a university. He regaled me with tales of instantaneously sending text messages across the country and doing so at […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD It seems that lessons can be found all around us – life lessons, business lessons, lessons of what to do, and lessons of what not to do. I wonder how many of these learning opportunities are missed because I am too busy, too caught up in myself, or too preoccupied […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Perhaps you’ve heard this story. Imagine you’re sitting in a college class. It’s one of those big classrooms, with tiered seating, able to accommodate hundreds of students. The class is assembled in eager expectation; what will the professor do today? At exactly 8 o’clock, he strides in and without acknowledging […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, Ph.D. Growing up, I heard a radio commercial with the tag line, “Service sold it.” Even as a young child I was able to grasp the concept that providing quality service was a great way to close more sales and gain new business. Over the years, I have heard this mantra […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD A few days ago, I casually entered the conversation with some friends; they were talking about chess. One gave me a sideways glance, “You play?” It was stated as a question, but an underlying astonishment was imbedded. I nodded affirmatively. “Any good?” came the follow-up query. Good is a relative […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD In my office is an evocative black and white aerial photo of my grandfather’s chicken farm, circa 1960. Grandpa and Dad ran the farm, along with a revolving assortment of hired help. The farm consisted of five barns, in two interconnected groups. Together they accommodated 15,000 hens. Four buildings housed […]