Major League Baseball recently announced that it's expanding instant replay to other parts of the game besides home runs. In addition, big league managers will now be allowed one challenge per game (or two if their first one is successful.) There is still no arguing balls and strikes, but managers can contest things like reaching a base safely or a batter hit by a pitch. While it may slow down the game, it will certainly give fans a more critical look at the key plays that produce a winning game.
Many small-business owners yearn to take a closer look at parts of their businesses that happen too rapidly or out of their view. What areas of business would you want to zoom in on?
1. Product development: The rollout of a new product. There's a lot that leads up to a product rollout, and once the wheels are set in motion, it's like a freight train barreling down the tracks. After it's over, many business owners find themselves wondering: Does the new product really solve a pain that prospective customers have, or was it a pet management project based on assumptions? Was the quality of the product high-quality when it was released to customers? Was the sales team trained well enough to make it a success?
What to watch the instant replay for: Did the product actually deliver on its promise? Was the team excited about showing it to customers? Did it really sell to more people than just the early adopters?
2. Sales: Each sale made in a day. Sure you know the final numbers at the end of every day, but what's behind those numbers? Did the company sell the customer what he or she really wanted and needed? Alternately, did they oversell them on products that will ultimately be returned?
What to watch the instant replay for: Do the customers come back and buy additional products? Do they actively refer others to the company?
3. Customer service: A customer service complaint. Whether it's by phone, email or social media, business owners need to take complaints very seriously. Why did it happen and what was the company's reply? Can it be prevented in the future?
What to watch the instant replay for: Did the employee that fielded the call stick with the customer until it was resolved? Was there empathy and interest in the customer's concern? Was a solution proposed that the customer was satisfied with?
4. Hiring: The newest employee. Your latest employee has been sitting at her desk for a few weeks now, not making much of an impression either way. Was she hired based on skill or attitude? Is she making progress in contributing to the company and teaming up with others to produce results?
What to watch the instant replay for: During the interview, who did most of the talking? Did they answer very specific questions with proven examples? Do they really have a track record of verifiable success, or was the company just hiring someone to fill a position?
5. Leadership: Finding the team players and company leaders. Are the executive managers true leaders in your company?
What to watch the instant replay for: Look to see which employees go along with others and which ones show they can lead by not being afraid to offer suggestions and take action to back it up. Remember, the most vocal employees are not always the leaders.
Few of these scenarios are actually ever recorded by video. But these same results can be accomplished by observing these critical questions more closely when the actual events are happening. Afterward, take a critical review of what actually transpired in order to improve the process the next time.
If you could, which business situations would you like to have instant replay video on? Let us know in the comments below.
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