By Kathleen M. Peterson

CONVICTIONS TO DISCARD Perceptions of solid ground can be deceiving. So many managers declare a solid foundation and embrace a feeling of certainty. Those that do are often complacent managers who don't want to challenge the status quo. We must give the cold shoulder to that feeling of indisputable truth! Uncertainty must be your constant management companion.

Every management guru from Tom Peters to John Kotter has written about organizational foundation. The elements thereof - vision, mission, brand, purpose, principles and values are the same spouted by personal self-help coaches from Oprah to Tony Robbins.

Do you know your call center's vision? Forward-thinking people identify and measure desired behaviors and performance; they don't count the number of plaques posted in hallways. They're also not cynical. If you are skeptical of talk about vision, the likelihood is that: (I) your center doesn't have one; (2) you’ve seen one too many programs unaccompanied by appropriate action; (3) you will not be able to lead an initiative success fully; (4) your organization is unstable; or (5) you are sure that "vision" wouldn't help your call center.

Vision and other guiding principles are key to leading the call center from cost center to valued organizational asset. Call centers that have adopted these drivers distinguish themselves from competitors by their professionalism, high expectations and constant questioning. These centers have a near-obsessive intolerance for poor performance. And their managers are able to make effective cases for budget dollars.

Call centers that fail to construct a solid foundation linking them to the enterprise lose the visibility needed to win budget dollars and collaboration. Sadder still is that many managers continue to be sure that it wouldn't matter if colleagues in other departments better understood them. I recently spoke to a group of call center leaders who had many years of experience managing call centers. When I asked about collaboration, the collective groan over marketing not "giving us the information we need" illustrated to me the ineptitude of the center's leadership - not the marketing department's! Curiously, so many managers don't see collaboration as an issue. They have adopted victim mentalities that perpetuate poor relationships.

How big a roll: does your call center play in branding? The call center must have a clearly defined and supported branded experience: one that managers manage to; coaches coach to; and analysts report upon. Branding powerfully links your foundation to the organization and facilitates a collective and collaborative spirit. Branding does not change from one department to another. Only the roles, and the contributions of each to the organization, change.

CHECKLIST ETCHED IN STONE Assessing your call center's state is your job. You must do this by measuring: vision (where is the company headed?); mission (what does the call center live for?); business goals (what are the tangible measurements of success?); and brand (how do we want to be perceived?).

Don't get hung up on the terms; many people describe the same drivers using different terminology. Get to the essence: Is your call center on stable ground? Are you sure... you are looking honestly? Are you sure... you have identified the gaps? Are you sure... you know how much value the call center offers to the rest of the enterprise? Then take what you have learned. Take the truth to your reporting people and to those to whom you report. Ask for help in firming up your foundation. This is not a “just add boiling water" recipe; this takes more time than money and more passion than polish. The rewards are the things legacies and leaders are made of.

Are you sure you have what it takes?