Stop Hand-Holding Your Agents – Just Like This!

When leaders hand-hold their agents too much, it creates a culture of dependency, compounding into what some refer to as “Baby Bird Syndrome”, where lack of confidence combines with a habit to always ask for the answers rather than to be self-reliant – ultimately draining time and creating a lose–lose situation for all involved.

So, if you’ve got yourself into this muddle and it’s costing you precious time, how do you break the cycle of your agents asking you for reassurance on EVERYTHING, so they ultimately become more confident and self-sufficient? We asked the experts to find out!

Take Away the Fear of Making a Mistake 

One way to break this cycle of dependency is to empower agents to make smart decisions within clear boundaries, so they feel confident to act independently – without fear of punishment.

After all, sometimes dependency isn’t always about not knowing – it’s about playing it safe. Often the agent does know the answer, but they want to cover their back – so they’ll put the customer on hold before giving that refund just to shift any accountability away from themselves.

The “one to say yes, two to say no” technique can really help here.

“When agents are encouraged to find solutions themselves – saying “yes” when it makes sense for the customer and company, and only going to a manager when truly unsure, it can really boost their confidence.

However, this empowerment needs both freedom and feedback. If an agent makes the right call, celebrate it! If a manager helps resolve a new situation, that answer should be documented so the same question never needs to be asked twice.

Not forgetting that if agents do make a wrong judgement call, they are still praised for taking the initiative but coached on what to do differently next time. In the long run, this approach builds confidence and reduces the “manager dependency” cycle.” – Shep Hyken, Chief Amazement Officer (CAO) at Shepard Presentations LLC

If you are looking for advice on how to create an environment where agents can thrive, read our article: Are You Doing Enough to Empower Your Agents?

Use Clear Frameworks to Guide Decision-Making – Without Needing to Involve a Supervisor

Another approach to try is to introduce clear frameworks that guide confident decision-making without needing to involve a supervisor.

Just like this great example we spotted at Ocado, where they created a goodwill matrix for agents to reference when customers are unhappy – a visual guide that maps out what to give unhappy customers depending on the severity of the issue and the loyalty of the customer, empowering agents to make fair and consistent decisions – without needing to escalate or put a customer on hold.

After all, empowerment starts with clarity!

“If people know where the limits are, what the rules are, and what’s possible, then they can just go ahead and do it.

It’s like driving – you don’t ask if you can go at a green light because you already know the rules of the road.” – Dan Pratt, Founder & Director of DAP Consultancy

Treat Agents as Individuals and Let Their Confidence Build at Their Own Pace

Not everyone gains confidence at the same pace, though. Some agents are natural risk-takers, and they’ll grab the hardest case first, but others need to build up gradually.

When someone is less confident, don’t just push them off in the deep end and expect them to get on with it.

Instead, give them easier cases first, let them get some small wins under their belt, and build from there. Over time, that confidence compounds and they’ll be just as self-reliant as their teammates.  

For other practical methods contact centre leaders can use to build advisor confidence, read our article: How to Build Advisor Confidence

Map Out a Structured Escalation Process So Everyone Knows What’s Expected of Them

Another way to hit the reset button is to map out a structured escalation process, where it’s clearly explained that all agents should first consult the knowledge base, intranet, or training system for answers.

Then, if they can’t find what they need, they should next ask a subject-matter expert (SME) or senior colleague. And only when all options have been exhausted, should the issue go to a team leader.

When it’s written down for everyone, consistency follows. (You could even put it on a fun poster and pin it up around the floor as a reminder!)

The added benefit of this approach is that if a question repeatedly reaches the team leader stage, it’s a signal that something is genuinely missing.

Perhaps the knowledge base isn’t up to date, or there’s a system fault causing confusion. So use escalations to trigger some investigation and a fix.

Leaders need to reinforce the behaviour they want to see too!

“Ultimately, managers need to reinforce these habits every time a query lands on their desk. If someone comes to you with a question, the first thing you should ask is: ‘Have you checked the knowledge base?’

If the answer’s no – send them back to check it. It’s about building a culture where agents learn to trust their own judgement and use the tools available to them before seeking help.” – Alex McConville, Contact Centre Consultant and author of ‘Diary of a Call Centre Manager’

And if you’re not sure where confidence is lacking, why not try asking your agents to complete a confidence matrix and ask them how THEY feel?

Just like we heard at Costa Coffee’s contact centre, where they have a confidence matrix they share with their agents, which asks questions such as “Are you confident on this machine?”

This helps to ensure every agent is confident in the training they’ve received and feels they can speak up if and when they need any extra support.

For advice on creating an escalation matrix for use in your contact centre, read our article: How to Design an Escalation Matrix for Call Centre Agents

Empowerment Isn’t a Leap – It’s a Process

In the end, breaking the cycle of hand-holding starts with leadership.

It’s about creating boundaries that empower decision-making, backed by coaching and documentation so lessons stick and everyone’s time is used in the best possible way.

What Have You Tried to Nip “Baby Bird Syndrome” in the Bud?

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With thanks to the following people for sharing their thoughts for this article:

• Alex McConville, Contact Centre Consultant and author of ‘Diary of a Call Centre Manager’
• Dan Pratt, Founder & Director of DAP Consultancy
• Shep Hyken, Chief Amazement Officer (CAO) at Shepard Presentations LLC

For more information to help you develop your agents, read these articles next:

• New Ways to Empower Agents
• Arm Your Agents in the Battle Against Stress
• Want to Foster Knowledge Sharing Between Your Agents?

Author: Megan Jones
Reviewed by: Jo Robinson