How can you effectively communicate your BPO problem-solving process to stakeholders?

Email is a great boon for those who want to keep in touch with their peers, colleagues, family and friends at all times. It is also a great tool for managing the operations of a business. It helps to reduce the usage of paper without disrupting the communication between the various stakeholders associated with an organization. For example, it is easier for people to complete organizational activities by sharing their daily calendars with each other. It is an eco-friendly method of getting things done. Discussions on different subjects can also be held by email. Compliments can be conveyed to people who work efficiently and feedback can be given to people whose performance is not up to the mark.

A great tool that has been helpful in communicating with stakeholders that I use to solve problems is the use of empathy. A good leader has the ability to put themselves in the shoes of other in order to understand their perspective. This earns trust and give you the ability to lead people in the right direction. Connection with your customers with good communication "soft" skills is the first step in understanding your audience and being able to get to the root of the true problem.

One thing which is also very important to solve any problem is listening skills as this will help in understanding the client prospective.

When presenting my problem-solving approach to stakeholders, I concisely explain each step: 1) Pinpointing the root cause by gathering data from multiple sources. 2) Brainstorming creative solutions, encouraging out-of-box thinking. 3) Analyzing pros and cons of each proposed solution. 4) Setting clear criteria to identify the optimal solution. 5) Developing an implementation plan with timeline, resources needed, and measures for success.

True, it’s important you understand the problem from their (stakeholders) perspective. Client approaches with a problem which may not be a pressing matter but your manager might consider it a serious one. Like wise your team members may have a neutral take on the same problem and they will go with your perception most of the time. When a concern is raised the client it’s important you respond to them on priority, go back and check where else this might have occurred in past-client appreciates being proactive. And how can you avoid it in future. Then comes your manager, when you convey that you have provided a solution to the client, your manager is settled by 50% already. Else it’s tough to manage both client and mgr at the same time.

I find it's important, while being empathetic to stakeholder's requirements, to strip the problem back from all emotions. This can be difficult, as people's emotions can be attached to the problem (e.g. "I don't want to do it this way, because we've done something similar in the past and it didn't work"). By removing all the emotions in the problem, you can approach it with less bias. However, when introducing the solution, engaging emotionally with and giving a sense of ownership to your stakeholders will be key to them accepting the concept (e.g. "I know this was a difficult process in the past, we've made some changes and I'd really appreciate your feedback on this way of doing things").

While we love identifying a problem and arriving at the best solution, I strongly recommend we “Push Pause” when identifying a problem and have it validated by the client /customer. Identifying the problem, as small as it could be , defines your entire course of action and the following results. It’s imperative to also include agile principles and create multiple check points in design of the solution to keep validating the net result and do any course correction as necessary.

Six Sigma is a great tool, in my opinion. However, it is wise to consider the downfall of using what I call a business friendly version of Total Quality Management. I was fortunate to learn about internal auditing from one of the Panel of Judges on the Malcolm Baldridge Award. A key to understanding a problem in the process, first needs to have evidence of using a well defined set of processes. If you have already outsourced the processes a Supplier Scorecard or a Process Benchmarking path would be my approach.

Avoiding, Evading, and Solving Problems 1. Can the problem be avoided? This might sound like the "easy way out" but hey easy is cheaper in a lot of ways. 2. Is your current or planned solution simply Evading the problem and not solving it? Just like taxes, if you evade some issue then they will simply come back much worse later. 3. Problem solving is a great skill, but tough, complicated, and usually very expensive problems are solved through continuous and redundant follow ups of a detailed solution. Things may seem fixed but taking a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th look might show that the problem is re-occurring. The best leaders do not let problems reoccur and continuously checking solutions is one of the reasons why.

Let us remember that every action always involves risk. Identifying risks and implementing appropriate procedures to mitigate these risks is as important as describing the entire process and its results. Additionally, remember that numbers speak to recipients better than words, so let's present our planned results in measurable values.

Show the progression of the solution and how it is affected the BPO’s. Indicate you will continue to monitor the progress and reassess as needed. I would also add any solutions attempted that were unsuccessful, and why it was unsuccessful. It shows the solutions were considered, but wasn’t the root cause of the issue at hand.

A Business Process Framework (APQC) is a great tool to use for many reason's. International Standards Organization for example, has one of the key principles "A business process approach to quality". There are many ways to approach a problem with the business process outsourcing. A supplier scorecard is another valuable tool for communicating a problem. Six Sigma has proven to be a great tool for communicating with different stakeholders as follows; -Define the problem in a measurable way. -Measure the problem including the various parts contributing to the problem -Analyze the problem -Improve the problem - this is ideal for gaining confidence from stakeholders -Control the problem, measuring and monitoring

Effectively communicating your BPO problem-solving process to stakeholders involves tailoring your message to their needs and interests, using clear and concise language, employing visual aids, and organizing your communication in a structured manner. It includes defining the problem, explaining the solution approach, detailing the steps taken, providing progress updates and results, discussing future actions, and encouraging stakeholder engagement. Supporting documents and a feedback mechanism enhance transparency. Regular updates and documentation ensure accountability, and adaptability to feedback and ongoing updates maintain alignment and transparency throughout the process.

When talking to perspective BPO clients sometimes I have to start the conversation with what BPO stands for. This reminds me to avoid using acronyms or industry jargon when discussing our services to future clients. A great way to introduce an industry term or benchmark is to simply ask if the prospect "have you ever heard of A.H.T.? If their answer is "yes" then go on and tell them how you can help them lower their Average Hold Time (A.H.T.). If their answer is "no" then first explain what Average Hold Time (A.H.T.) is and go on from there. I have found a lot of trust is gained through enlightening others, especially with those who are new to the idea of Business Process Outsourcing.

It is very important to make customers partners in the problem-solving process from the very beginning and be transparent during the course of solution. This involves listening to them empathetically, calibrating about the problem, informing about the approach/people involved and finally showing how the solution will solve their problem. Availability is an important step. We should develop a dedicated team which is completely focused on the resolution and ensure lightning-fast response to the customer’s queries. This should involve usage of a variety of communication channels. Once the process is over, sending follow-up emails is the most effective technique to keep in touch with customers about the solution’s progress.

Just about every problem solving process in the BPO industry is more more than one person's ideas on what is the best way to solve the problem. I would not feel comfortable only using my ideas for a client's plan of action. You must get the perspective of the consumer, the client, and most importantly the front line worker. The plan must also be performed in harmony of the goal.

Use visual aids: Utilize visual aids, such as charts, graphs, or diagrams, to make your problem-solving process more accessible and engaging to stakeholders. Visuals can help simplify complex information and enhance understanding. Example: "To illustrate the problem-solving process, I have created a flowchart outlining the steps involved, along with key milestones and responsible team members. This visual representation will help everyone involved have a clear understanding of our approach.

Relying on my own experience in BPO's, one thing I have found helpful is having a free, frank but assertive discussion with the key members of the stakeholders. List out your experiences vis-a-vis the SLA's they have provided, and engage with them on a positive note. Let not the meeting be treated as a mere problem-solving session but a more constructive sharing of what I could term as constructive critisim and improvement in the process. Use every tool possible along with aids such as facts, figures, charts, graphs to make your presentation powerful and convincing. I have put this in short to cover all the sections given above.

Create a concise and clear presentation or report outlining the following: Problem Definition Root Cause Analysis Solution Options Chosen Solution Implementation Plan Expected Outcomes Risk Mitigation Use visuals, real-world examples, and straightforward language to ensure understanding and buy-in from stakeholders. Provide opportunities for questions and discussions to address any concerns.