Our very own Mike Jackson.
If there is one Conversational Marketing Expert (CME) at Incept that puts his performance where his mouth is – and quite literally, as he is part of a rap group – Michael Jackson (MJ) is the guy that comes to mind. When you meet Mike you can already tell by his mannerisms that he is as animated as a Looney Tunes’ charater and full of positivity. A great asset amongst our employees, Mike is the type of employee that really brings our company culture full circle. He is someone you can talk to about anything, and you instantly feel this type of friendliness in each conversation.
I remember recently I was having a pretty rough start to my morning. My heat wasn’t turned on yet in my apartment, so I woke up to find myself in an extremely cold daze. To make matters worse, I had overslept my alarm, and my brain had kicked itself into that “fight or flight” mode in an effort to make it to work on time. To top it off, my Z28 was thirsty for some 93 octane, but I just couldn’t afford to waste time stopping for gas. After slamming gears down I-77, crossing my fingers and coasting on fumes, I pulled into Incept’s parking lot and flew up the flight of stairs to the time clock to punch in. I found a slight glimmer of victory as I had managed to make it on time and could feel a relieved smirk grow across my face.
I found a seat right near the big screen so that I could watch the Cleveland Browns get destroyed that Sunday, and, sure enough, across the rows I caught a glimpse of my man, Mike Jackson. The thing is, he didn’t seem like himself. He seemed quieter than usual, but without a doubt was still on top of his call performance. I had to ask, “Mike, whats going on, man?” He then proceeded to tell me about how the night before he learned that one of his close cousins who he had grown up with had tragically died in an automobile accident. And I thought my day was going bad!
That put things into perspective for me really quickly. At Incept we have a bereavement policy that states you are allowed to take up to thirty days off work to grieve the death of a loved one, yet Mike was still sitting in the office making calls. I even tried to tell him he could go home, but he gently smiled and told me, “that would be the easy way out.”
Mike told me he’d rather try to come in and work than grieve for his cousin (who went by the name Sully) initially, because it was a more constructive way to deal with the situation rather than sit around. He knew he could have called off, as he had a very legitimate excuse to do so, but just the way he explained things to me really struck me hard. I was dealing with just another run-of-the-mill bad day while Mike was going through a life-changing ordeal in losing Sully. On top of it all, his call quality was excellent (as usual), and he was seemingly well above goal.
It isn’t until you put yourself in someone’s shoes that you get a real idea of how dismal and minuscule your problems are when compared to something like that. Mike received Incept’s R.A.V.E. award (Recognizing and Acknowledging Values in Employees) for being tenacious in the way he dealt with such a negative event and used it to fuel his drive. That is something I wanted to recognize and still can’t get over.
It really makes me question if Mike, a really happy-go-lucky kind of guy, can have life throw him a curve ball like that and still hit a home run, then what makes your bad day so bad that you can’t give it your all at work?
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to hear Joe Gibbs (three Super Bowl titles, NASCAR Championship team owner, and two-time NHRA Pro Stock team owner) speak for an American Teleservices Association (ATA) conference where he talked about leadership. Coach Gibbs explained that three things were expected of leaders: communicate expectations, provide training, and hold people accountable. He took exception to the Peter Principle, saying that people don’t typically fail because they rise to a level that’s above them; it’s usually because leaders fail to provide adequate training.
Coincidentally, Incept undertook a branding initiative about a year ago with the objective of becoming a world-class organization. In setting that compass, Incept committed to a “listen before we lead” approach with both our clients and our employees. So, as part of this initiative, we asked our employees a series of questions aimed and defining our roadmap to become world-class in our service. Can you guess what they told us? Their feedback indicated a thirst for training, knowledge, and growth. No big surprise there, right?
In turning that feedback into something actionable, Incept’s Live The Brand oversight committee developed a service standard: “With education, constant improvement and growth are expected.” With every service standard, there should be a definition, so the committee went on to create the definition: “As we pursue our goal of becoming a world-class organization, we recognize that the continuous training and development of all employees is key.” And in order for us to truly live our brand, the committee created these actions:
- Employee – Every day I will seek opportunities to better myself and my career.
- Organization – We will provide tools and resources that help our employees accomplish their personal and professional goals.
Providing the tools and resources is a significant undertaking. Consequently, we formed a subcommittee entitled: Learning Never Stops. Current Learning Never Stops subcommittee members include Incept’s CEO Sam Falletta, Conversational Marketing Expert Zev Rosenburg, Program Results Supervisor Allison Legg, Shift Supervisor Amber Nelson, and VP of New Client Results Jim Beuoy.
Again, we deployed our “listen before we lead” approach and asked the employees to provide specific subject matter for the courses. The interest was beyond our expectations. Employees quickly realized that by Incept investing in them, they would become better employees, become more engaged with the brand, and provide better service to our clients.
The Learning Never Stops subcommittee outlined a plan for ongoing education, determining which trainings are mandatory, which are optional and at what intervals they should be held. Topics vary, ranging from leadership to communication to personal well-being. Plans include training curriculum, performance management (formal and informal) and an advancement path for success both personally and professionally. The outcome is Incept University. It’s run like many universities in that there are requirements for acceptance, credits for successfully passing course assessments, and majors – which are career paths through various disciplines within the organization.
The concept of a corporate learning and development center, regardless of the title, isn’t something new. Even the concept of a corporate university has been around for awhile. So far, Incept’s appears to be a rousing success as employees frequently ask about timing of courses, how they can take corrective action on attendance and performance to become eligible, and other expressions of interest. Still, there could be challenges along the way. We’re interested in hearing from others about keys to success and potential pitfalls of corporate development.
What’s your experience been in launching and sustaining a “Learning Never Stops” initiative?
I wanted to take a couple minutes to talk about my start and growth here at Incept.
I started on the phones mainly making calls to current and potential blood donors for various blood centers across the nation. I was inspired by the work I did, and I took it very seriously. I am competitive by nature, so I was always looking for ways I could do better and produce at the rate that many of the veterans were at that time. Everyone from fellow Conversational Marketing Experts (CMEs) up to the CEO was very helpful in encouraging my development.
Within two months of my first day of employment, I was asked to become a Coach and assist on the floor with developing and improving other CMEs. This brought on more of a challenge, as I now had to continue making calls myself in addition to coaching people on how to make their phone calls better. This was an interesting transition – mainly because I was low on the totem pole – being that I was to work with CMEs who had been doing this job for much longer than me. Again, I was shown how great of a place Incept is to work for as these veterans accepted and welcomed my help graciously.
Shorty after this, I was given smaller blood center campaigns to run operationally. After learning the complexities of operations and reaching and exceeding goals for our blood centers, I was eventually moved to the position I am in today: Program Results Manager. Through the hard work of everyone on my team, and my constant dedication, I am managing our largest client at Incept. I set up operational strategies for reaching our units goal along with our Client Results Team and our Technology Results Team. These strategies include but are not limited to scripting, time-of-day calling, specific CMEs used for specific campaigns, testing new ideas, managing Supervisors and Coaches that work directly with CMEs, and developing new strategies with the actual client through meetings and various other forms of contact. Every day brings a new challenge, but the success of my responsibilities is worth all the hard work.
It seems like every day I work I see a new face, so I wanted to take the time to explain how it pays to be a lifesaver.
You learn in training about blood types and how many lives you can save by scheduling just a single blood donation. We feel that what you do each and every day to saves lives deserves to be rewarded.
We have a program called the Lifesaver Program, in which you earn points for every donation you schedule. Your points determine which level you are and what reward you will receive. You get rewarded at levels, 3, 5, 7, 9 , 12, 15 and 20.
Prizes include pens, coffee mugs, t-shirts, dress shirts, binders, carry-on bags and even a mini vacation! Once you reach a new level, you also get a sticker indicating which level you are, so everyone can see just how dedicated you are to saving lives.
Be proud of what you do, and always challenge yourself to get to that next level.
Image Credit: Byron Katie
My adrenaline was still rushing from the Steelers’ Super Bowl XL victory when I showed up to our blood drive on that Monday afternoon.
Ever since high school, I had volunteered to help serve snacks, but I’d never actually donated blood before. However, as a relatively new college student and a thrilled football fan, I decided that it was time for me to make my first donation. Little did I know that by donating that January day, I would get to meet Big Ben, the Steelers’ championship quarterback…
The donation process got off to a great start. My phlebotomist was a Seahawks fan, so we exchanged a few friendly. Everything was going smoothly, but just as I finished filling the donation bag, my feet started to get cold and my vision became just a little fuzzy. I could slowly feel myself passing out.
Sure enough, about seven seconds later, I was out cold in the donation bed.
According to a friend, I was only out for a few seconds, but during that time, I had a full-length dream that Big Ben and I were at a coffee shop talking about the season, the big game, and other random topics that best friends normally talk about. It felt like our conversation lasted for hours, and, needless to say, when I woke up, I was a little heartbroken that it wasn’t real.
Maybe I didn’t technically meet Ben, but it sure felt like it at the time. The good news is that although my first blood donation experience wasn’t perfect, it didn’t deter me from coming back and trying again. Nowadays I make sure to eat a good, iron-rich meal and drink plenty of fluids prior to my appointments. During the donation process, I recline my chair and keep a drink nearby.
Today, several years later, I still have a great first-donation story to share. I’m happy to report that I’ve made several more successful donations since that day, and I’ve yet to rendezvous with Big Ben again!
Share It NET!
We’re finally Sharing It! A few weeks ago, the “Share it. Know it. Own it. Repeat.” subcommittee rolled out Incept’s very first internal electronic message board, appropriately named “Share It NET.” If you haven’t already begun incorporating Share It NET into your daily routine, now is the time to start! The intranet displays all sorts of new and relevant information, from program-related changes and “tips of the day” to internal news and updates about Incept-specific events.
Now, if you miss a day or two of work, you no longer have to worry about relying on paper memos to catch up on what you missed. You no longer have to worry about accidentally throwing a memo away. Share It NET stores all important company information, and it is accessible with just a click of your mouse! A link to the Share It NET can be found at the top of your livestats page, and there are separate pages for Incept Saves, Incept Results and Incept Internal updates.
If there is anything specific that you would like to see posted on the intranet, please let us know! If you have any special tips, tricks or FYIs related to a particular program, Share It with a supervisor or coach so that they can submit it to be posted. And, of course, if you have any questions or suggestions for improvement, Share It with anyone on the “Share It. Know It. Own It. Repeat.” subcommittee.
We listened when you told us that communication needed improved, and we’re still listening for ways to get even better!
Image Credit: http://5goldenrings.wordpress.com
Recruiting blood donors can be a very challenging job, but the rewards save hundreds of lives every day.
I often think of what I could be doing with my education, experience and skills as a manager, if I was not working at Incept. I imagine that I could be working for a company that produces some sort of consumable product or provides a specific service. The main driver behind these types of companies would most likely be based on making money. I imagine that I would feel successful through creating more revenue for that company. Essentially, making more widgets than yesterday would impact the company’s worth.
However, my work at Incept has been completely different. Success is defined by reaching blood unit goals with community blood centers across the nation. Without the work we do at Incept, community blood centers that we work with would fall short in their efforts to supply blood to their area hospitals. Yes, it is true that many blood donors go in to donate on their own, but we encourage many more to schedule appointments and commit to saving the lives of patients in their local area.
When I leave work every day, I know I made a difference.
Everyone at Incept needs to think about that when leaving work for the day and when you come in for your next shift. Having an ultimate purpose is one of the most rewarding qualities you can gain in life.
Photo Credit: TopNews
I consider myself a loudmouth.
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve been told I’m too loud or to quiet down or that I have a voice that resonates, I might not be typing this blog. But it is in my genetic code to be a people person. I genuinely enjoy interacting with new people, and do not mind striking up a conversation with strangers. If you remember, it is all about finding common grounds to break the ice when it comes to embrace being conversational. On the other side of the wide social spectrum, there are people who – while they might know how to be conversational – prefer to live out a “speak softly, but carry a big stick” kind of mantra and can remain quite reserved in their social interactions.
Recently at Incept, one of the committees that I am involved in helps promote core company values, put on a company-wide ice cream social to raise money for Akron Children’s Hospital. A rather sweet idea came into play in an effort to support one of our core values – compassion – while having fun and boosting company morale on a hot, summer day.
We turned the break room into a makeshift ice cream parlor. The Reese’s peanut butter, Hershey’s and Magic Shell syrup all flowed like a flash flood while Butterfinger, Oreo bits and sprinkles hailed down to find their final resting place upon miniature hilltops and hummocks of ice cream. It was an enjoyable and very sweet experience, to say the least. However, it was a moment somewhere between restocking the whipped cream and vanilla that I remember the most out of that day.
A fellow Incept CME (Conversational Marketing Expert) approached me with his wallet out. After no hesitation and little plunder, he presented a crisp, neat five-dollar bill to me and said, “I don’t want any ice cream, but keep this.” Needless to say, I was a little taken aback. We were only charging one dollar a scoop (free toppings, as well), so he could have gotten a huge sundae! Obviously, though, this wasn’t about ice cream. This was a simple, random act of kindness that really did influence me.
The CME (Conversational Marketing Expert) who gave me the money is the type of guy that comes to work every day. He does his job and always looks for any way he can improve. And when it comes down to it, he is a quiet and generally very meek and reserved kind of guy.
I just wanted to type about this today, because I felt touched. It wasn’t a huge, earth-shattering good deed, but the thing about a good deed is that it doesn’t have to be grand to be good! This was an action that clearly was from this guy’s better graces. Not only that, but he clearly was living Incept’s value of compassion. That’s something I won’t forget for a long, long time.
What is a good deed you have witnessed someone else do?
Photo Credit: http://hankandwillie.files.wordpress.com
When you think about the armed services, the men and women who protect our country likely come to mind. But did you know that they have their own blood program?
The Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP) was founded in 1952, and since then has collected nearly 5 million units of blood to date. It is the only blood center dedicated to providing blood exclusively to the men and women of our military.
Before the ASBP was founded, the military relied on blood donations given by members of the armed services. When they weren’t able to collect enough blood, the military had to purchase blood from other blood centers, which had their own blood shortages to worry about. In 1944, we began airlifting supplies to the front lines, and blood was one of the most sought after items to be brought in, with more than 825,000 units collected for the duration of the war.
When the Korean War kicked off in 1950, the plans for what would become the ASBP were in their infancy. Blood was being collected from civilians and shipped to the front lines where it was needed. The need for O- blood types was enormous, since anyone can receive O- blood safely. Even though their blood type was printed on a soldier’s dog tag, there was an 8% chance that it was incorrect, making the risk of transfusion reaction a very real problem. By using O- blood, doctors were able to do transfusions much faster since they didn’t have to wait for cross-matching results to come back.
The Korean War was also the first time plastic bags were used for storing blood – glass bottles had always been used. This change reduced the risk of septic and embolic complications, not to mention that more blood made it safely to the front lines because there were no bottles to break! Out of the 50,000 transfusions given in 1952, only four had any major complications.
The Armed Services Blood Program had been born.
Since then, the ASBP has been there to support our soldiers during both war and peace times. An amazing 1.8 million units of blood were collected for our soldiers during the Vietnam Conflict, and the ASBP sent more than 100,000 units during Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield.
Today the ASBP has 22 blood donor centers, 81 transfusion centers and two whole blood processing laboratories ready to maintain a safe blood supply for the Army, Navy and Air Force anywhere in the world. Most often, they receive blood donations from soldiers on active duty, government employees, military retirees and civilians who have family members in the armed services.
But we can help too.
Regardless whether or not someone has family in the service, or if they themselves serve, anyone can donate blood to the ASBP. Head to the ASBP donor center nearest to you or check out one of their mobile drives in your area. I can’t think of a better way to say thank you to the men and women of our armed services than to give a little back.
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Donating blood is something that is very important to everyone here at Incept. Every day we
talk to blood donors from across the country, many of whom donate several times a year. However, there are a lot of other great ways to save a life out there too. One of my favorites is the National Marrow Donor Program.
Created in 1991 by Admiral E. R. Zumwalt Jr., the National Marrow Donor Program strives to further research on bone marrow transplants, provides financial aid for patients in need and helps patients find a matching marrow donor. Just as with blood transfusions, bone marrow can only come from marrow donors whose type matches the recipient. In most cases, family members are able to donate the needed marrow, but if the patient doesn’t have a family member who would be a good match, the National Marrow Donor Program is there to find a compatible donor.
Bone Marrow
What exactly is bone marrow, though, and why is it so important? Bone marrow is the spongy stem cell tissue that produces red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Bone marrow can be found in the sternum, pelvis, skull, ribs and femur bones of your body. The marrow also stores extra iron in the body.
If something is wrong with the bone marrow, it might not be able to produce enough blood cells to keep us healthy. After all, red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body, and our white blood cells are what helps us fight off diseases and infection.
Why are bone marrow transplants needed in the first place, you ask?
Bone marrow transplants may be needed to replace bone marrow that isn’t working correctly or has been damaged by chemotherapy or radiation. There are also several diseases that attack bone marrow that might make a transplant necessary. Diseases such as aplastic anemia, sickle cell anemia, and certain cancers (such as leukemia and lymphoma) all cause damage to the bone marrow.
Being a bone marrow donor is a great way to help someone in your community who really needs it. It’s easy to get registered as a bone marrow donor – most blood centers can help get you set up and answer any questions you might have.
How many blood donors out there are also marrow donors?
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June 14th is World Blood Donor Day, which is a particularly important day for us here at Incept.
It’s the day we celebrate and honor blood donors
from around the world who give up a little of their time (and blood) to help someone in need. Most blood donors will never know who their blood eventually helps, but they donate anyway – sometimes several times a year – for no other reason than because they want to do something altruistic to benefit someone else. World Blood Donor Day is for them.
World Blood Donor Day was started on June 14th, 2004, in Johannesburg, South Africa by the World Health Organization (also known as WHO), as a way to encourage voluntary blood donation throughout the world. This holiday really demonstrates the need for donors to regularly give blood to prevent shortages in hospitals and clinics within their community. The need for donors is especially dire in developing countries where the amount of blood donated is scarce. According to the WHO, out of the 80 countries with low blood donation rates (ie: countries where fewer than 10 people out of every thousand donate), 79 are developing nations. By celebrating World Blood Donor Day, we’re able to raise the awareness of just how important being a volunteer blood donor really is.
Some might ask why hospitals and blood centers don’t simply offer to pay individuals for their blood if the need is so great. Admittedly, this is an idea that makes sense, but it’s not without risks. By offering to pay for blood, it raises the likelihood that the blood you received wouldn’t be safe to give to someone else. Studies have shown that blood donated for profit is more likely to come from individuals who have medical conditions that could make it dangerous for another person to receive their blood, or that the “donors” themselves might donate too frequently, putting themselves in harm’s way. By only taking volunteers, blood centers are more likely to have donors who are healthy, making the blood in our hospitals that much safer.
This year, the theme for World Blood Donor Day is “More blood. More life.” This theme really drives home the need for more people to become regular donors. Even here in the U.S., we sometimes have blood shortages. Out of the 38% of people eligible to donate blood, fewer than 10% actually donate on a regular basis. When you consider that about 4.5 million Americans alone will a need blood transfusion every year, the need for blood donations becomes staggeringly obvious.
Donating blood is very important. By spending just one hour to donate a pint of blood, you could be helping up to three people who desperately need it.
From all of us here at Incept, we want to wish you a happy World Blood Donor Day this June 14th!
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