Enlightening Words from a Visionary Leader

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Royal Speech Before the Annual Session of the Council of Oman  12 November, 2012. 

In the name of the God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Praise be to the Almighty God Who guided us to the path of righteousness and prayers and peace be upon His Messenger who called for the application of Shura as an authentic system of governance, as well his honorable family and his virtuous companions, day and night

Honorable Members of the Council of Oman .. 

Dear Citizens ..

It is one of the bounties of the Almighty God that we are meeting you on this occasion and thanks to Him for the riches He has bestowed on us. We pray to the Almighty to bestow more bounties on Oman and to guide its people to the fulfillment of their aspirations and their progress. Thank the Almighty for His endless riches and He shall reward you with more bounties and blessings and protect you with His divine care. 

Honorable Members of the Council of Oman .. 
Dear Citizens ..

The experience of Shura in Oman, as we have always stressed, is a successful one and it has been closely in harmony with the stages of the Renaissance and compatible with the values of society and its principles, besides being in line with the concept of grooming enlightened individuals who are well aware of their rights and duties and are capable of expressing their opinions and their ideas in acceptable language, sensible logic and a prudent vision based on proper assessment of matters.

Omanis have, throughout the past stage, proved that they command a good sense of awareness, culture, insight and understanding when dealing with various opinions, types of dialogue and discussions which target the supreme interests of this country and its loyal citizens. We are confident that this awareness will increase and this culture will grow and take strong roots through the role assigned to you, Members of the Council of Oman, through the exchange of views and ideas, stemming from a wise tradition that became evident and shall continue to crystallize as you tackle different issues in a deep, elaborate manner of analysis and investigation.

We hope that this great edifice, which we have opened in the name of God, will witness a constructive discussion of matters and a wise tackling of issues; a discussion through which it becomes clear to anyone who observes this experience, locally and abroad, that Omanis are highly capable of participating with their enlightened opinion and mature thought in making decisions to serve their country and promote it to a prominent place and a noble status.

This is no challenge to the people of Oman, a country whose glorious past stands as witness and whose brilliant present serves as an incentive to look forward to wider horizons of progress and prosperity.

Honorable Members of the Council of Oman .. 

Dear Citizens ..

You definitely know that Oman was once in great need of development in all fields and you understand that, in order to achieve the goal of human and social development in all areas of the Sultanate, it has been necessary to establish solid infrastructure on which the development plans and programmes will be based. This is particularly true in the fields of education, health, training and employment. Without infrastructure, human and social development would not have reached the population in cities, towns, villages, plains and mountains, and in the deep valleys and the vast deserts.

The past plans of development, despite the widespread area of Oman and its harsh geographical terrain, have gone a long way, and this has led to the transformation of life in this country and facilitated the implementation of development programmes - both social and human. It has helped extend services of all types to citizens wherever they are. You know that the need for infrastructure will never cease to be a necessity because it is an ongoing process necessitated by urban expansion and social and economic development and reaffirmed by the people's need for communication and aspirations for a better, happier life.

Therefore, infrastructure development always gains attention in all stages of growth and nation building, and without exception. Infrastructure gains extreme importance and is accorded top priority in some of these stages due to special circumstances and specific considerations that call for such action. Therefore, what some people often deem as more emphasis on infrastructure than human or social development in the past stages of development is not accurate, as such a view ignores the truth, the conditions that prevailed at that time and the priorities made necessary by the situation there and then. That view also ignores the tremendous attention which was similarly accorded to the areas of education, health, commerce, industry, agriculture, finance and the economy at large.

So the attention accorded to these areas aim at the provision of a dignified life for the citizen, who, as we have always affirmed, is both the target of the comprehensive development and its effective tool.

As we mentioned in our speech last year and, as the necessary basic infrastructure is about to be completed, we have instructed our government to focus, in its future plans, on social development, particularly its aspects related to the daily lives of citizens. This should be achieved by the creation of renewable employment opportunities and training programmes for citizens and promoting production capacity, as well as scientific, cultural and intellectual development. We will closely follow the steps taken in this field. This matter shall also be the focus of attention of the Supreme Council for Planning which seeks to draft well-studied development plans that take into account the priorities of each stage and the balance between various aspects of development towards attaining the overall goal.

It is pleasing and rewarding to see that Oman is progressing in balanced steps in the direction which we regard as the right direction. We pray to the Almighty to bless us with more success for the sake of Oman and its loyal citizens.

Honorable Members of the Council of Oman .. 

Dear Citizens ..
The private sector is one of the basic pillars of development, both in the economic concept which represents commerce, industry, agriculture, tourism, finance and the economy in general, as well as the social concept which denotes human resources development, training, the upgrading of scientific and practical skills, the offering of new employment opportunities and incentives to take up jobs in the private sector.

It is not acceptable that some citizens adopt the impression that the private sector relies on what the state offers to it, and that this sector does not contribute efficiently to the service of the society and support of its social institutions and programmes, or that the private sector seeks only to achieve profit or does not try to work more seriously in serving its society, environment and its country.

Such an impression would harm, not only the future of the private sector, but would also have a negative impact which will extend to the development plans in the country, particularly to the diversification of income. Therefore, the private sector is required to work harder to eliminate this impression and to take well-studied and efficient practical steps, through increasing its contribution to social development and to work in closer partnership with the government in implementing its policies, hand-in-hand with civil society institutions, which offer social and humanitarian services.

Such a positive attitude is capable of enhancing the confidence of citizens and their appreciation of the private sector's role. It will encourage Omani youth to work in this sector and to continue to keep their jobs and instil a spirit of belonging to the sector's institutions. This will in turn reflect positively on the performance of youth, their commitment to the ethics of work and will contribute to productivity. Therefore, the private sector will be an authentic partner in employment and development plans that are prepared by government departments and from which the private sector itself benefits and which will be a strong impetus for the development of the private sector's potential and release its great energy in the fields of local, regional and international competition.

A word which we wish to address to Omani youth on this occasion: Remember that work, as much as it is a right, it is a duty as well. Everyone who has completed their education or training has to take up any useful profession which fulfils their sense of being and through which they can strive to achieve their ambitions, rather than wait to get a government job. The state, with all its civil, security and military institutions, cannot continue to be the main source of employment, as this calls for a capacity beyond its reach and a mission that the state cannot sustain forever. The citizens have to understand that the private sector is the real source of employment in the long run. Hence they should not hesitate to join the private sector and must not desert their jobs therein. This, in turn, calls for a revision of the salary system of the private sector, particularly in low and medium-paid jobs.

This has to be considered a national mission which has to be accomplished in allegiance to this country; it should also be considered a service to citizens who place their confidence, their efforts and their mental ability in serving the sector.

Honorable Members of the Council of Oman .. 

Dear Citizens ..

It is well understood that education is the basis of development. In the various stages of education and through its diverse curricula, national manpower, which is necessary for domestic development and for the implementation of its programmes, is prepared. Therefore, it has been necessary, for the success of development plans and the execution of its programmes, to work to secure the quality of output of all types of educational establishments in accordance with the general policies of the state, to help attain the goals that we all aspire to achieve.

During the past period, various systems of education and curricula were implemented and different training programmes were executed, but the matter calls for greater attention to be accorded to linking the educational output to the requirements of the labour market.

Hence one of the priorities of the current stage of development and the next stage which we prepare for is to revise the educational policies, its plans and its programmes, which need to be developed to keep pace with the changes that the country is going through. More attention should be accorded to the requirements imposed by scientific and cultural development towards the evolution of a generation armed with awareness, knowledge and the abilities required for worthwhile work. The establishment of the Education Council seeks to promote this sector. Therefore, all departments in charge of education at all levels have to cooperate with this Council in total dedication and perseverance. We would also like to call upon the Council of Oman to present its opinion in this respect to the Education Council, and we are confident that joint efforts will lead to the desired results.

Honorable Members of the Council of Oman .. 

Dear Citizens ..

Our domestic policy, as you have always known it, is based on constructive work in serving the public interest, keeping pace with the developments of the age while at the same time maintaining our identity, our principles and our values in which we take pride. As for our foreign policy, its essence is the call for peace, harmony and close co-operation with all nations, as well as commitment to the principles of righteousness, justice, fairness and non-interference in the internal affairs of others and the rejection of dispute through peaceful means to help safeguard for all mankind its security, stability, prosperity and progress.

At the conclusion of this speech, we would like to address a word of appreciation and pride to all workers for the sake of Oman, for its growth in all civil, military and security sectors.

May the Almighty grant us mercy and guide us to the right path.

Personal Development Plan: Beginning with an End in Mind

Interviewed by: Saleh Abdullah Alkhamyasi

PDP is an acronym we normally hear in the corporate world, academia and conferences. What is it? What benefits can it bring about and many other questions we took to an authority in the field of learning and development.

A man, who has touched many lives and empowered many aspiring and talented individuals during his extensive years of Professional experience.  



Lawrence Alva
CEO, National Training Institute



 

Our Guest is Lawrence Alva, the CEO of National Training Institute. He enjoys over 30 years of experience in learning and Development.  He is a professional facilitator of learning whose entire career span has been built in and around human development organizations right from vocational training to management training with special emphasis on individual development and grooming.

He is a Chartered Manager with full membership of the Chartered Management Institute UK, Membership of the Indian Society for Training and Development, certified alumni of the Leadership Academy of the New Horizons University, USA and holds a MBA in Educational Management from University of Leicester, UK.

HR fragrance approached him to share his thoughts on this important aspect of individual development and he wholeheartedly welcomed our initiative with an open heart and willingness. Our conversation with this HRD expert proceeded in the following direction:  

PDP: A Personal Development Plan is one of the tools in L&D?  It is about goal setting can you elaborate on the concept?

Personal development plan (PDP) is a tool to achieve the goal.  In other words, the process of chalking out a PDP begins with the end in mind.  One should know towards what end he or she is planning to develop.  Let me elaborate by asking a series of questions.  What is the need for an individual to develop or why does an individual aspire to develop?  The obvious answer would be that the individual aspires to be successful. The question is  successful in what?  A very generic answer would be to be successful in life.  If we dig deeper the answer would be clearer; to be successful at one’s career (at work), to be successful socially, to be successful in family life or personal life (from a spiritual point of view).  Therefore, an individual could aspire to be successful in different spheres of his or her life.  This is the starting point of drafting a personal development plan; deciding on which sphere of life one would like to focus.  One could choose multiple spheres.  For the purpose of this discussion let us consider the most popular sphere of an individual’s life i.e. one’s career.  All individuals, for a major part of their lives, focus on building a successful career.  Therefore, I would like to dwell on the process of preparing a personal development plan towards a successful career

How do we go about identifying learning needs for an Individual?

The first step is to obtain clarity on where we are and where we plan to go.  All of us are very clear about our Job titles but many of us are not at all clear about our job roles!  Try it; take a blank sheet of paper and write your job role.  After a little bit of struggle you do manage to express your understanding of your job role.  Do please show it to your line manager or you look at it from your employer’s point of view.  Why has my organization employed me?  Is this what my employer expects of my job role? When you review the job role from the employer’s point of view there will be better clarity and the description of the job role will be accurate.

It is important that in this part of the exercise you keep yourself out and purely look at the job title and the job role as required and specified by the organization.  You must keep the subjective elements out and be very objective in defining the job role.  It is critical to be objective even in the next step as well, which is listing out the competencies required to fulfill the described job role.

What should be considered in the process of designing a practical PDP?

As discussed earlier, our end in mind is a “successful career”.  We have already defined our job role and have full clarity on what the job needs to deliver.  The next step in the process is identifying the competencies required to deliver the goods. Let us first understand what competence is; competence is the ability of an individual to perform a task to a given standard.  The ability here is demonstrated through performance (skill) and the underpinning knowledge required to performthe task.

Now, you must honestly make a list of competencies required of any individual to perform effectively to the defined job role.  Again I am reminding you to be objective in this exercise. 

When you have completed identifying all the competencies required to perform the job role, you will discover that all competencies neatly fall within three distinct categories. One category would be the area of specialization of your job role. A number of competencies would fall under this category which I would name as the area of “TechnicalCompetence”. 

The category headed by Technical Competence would have a list of all the hard skills required to carry out a job role in a particular field i.e. selling skills for a salesman, preparing a profit and loss statement for an accountant, carrying out an incident investigation for a safety officer, designing & erecting a steel structure for a fabrication engineer, preparation and implementation of an effective staff induction program for a HR manager and so on.

A second category would be in the area of “Personal Competence”.  This category would include a list of all personal soft skills i.e. ability to work in a team, effective communication skills, the ability to dress and present oneself professionally, demonstrate good etiquette at the workplace, at meetings and other business events, the ability to manage time and resolve conflictseffectively, make decisions etc..

The third and a very important category is in the area of “Business Competence”.  When you are actually doing this exercise you will notice that you have not identified many points under this category. This has been my observation with a number of people that I have carried out this exercise with.  We fail to list the competencies required under this category to be successful in our job role.  If any individual in any organization aspires to succeed then he or she must demonstrate competence in business skills.  Every individual in any organization should possess sufficient competence in the process of generating revenue, managing costs and delivering profits.  These three areas of a business organization (which span from understanding the market, customer, products, costs and contribution to profitability) are critical to its success and every job role within the organization should demonstrate competence in this area.

Therefore, as individuals, if we focus on developing competence in all these three areas we are sure to be on the path to success.

 At this stage let me do a quick review.  The first step in developing a personal development plan is to write your job role as clearly and as objectively as possible,keeping in mind the organizational requirement.

The second step is to identify all the competencies required to deliver to the written job role and categorise them into the three categories discussed i.e Technical Competence, Personal Competence and Business Competence.It is critical that all the competencies required for a particular job role are identified and written with utmost clarity and that there is no room for ambiguity.  Each statement of competence should be written in such a way that it is specific, measureable, achievable and relevant.  Ideally, each statement should start with the words: the candidate should be able to….(use action verbs) .

The third, important and difficult, step is to assess your personal competence against the required competence for the job role and identify gaps. This is where you need a professionally designed instrument to help you assess your personal competence against the standards defined in step two.  You could design a questionnaire and obtain a 360 degree feedback i.e. from your line manager, colleagues, subordinates and yourself on each of the competency statements.   Alternatively, you can take the help of your HR department to carry out this assessment.

The fourth and final stepis then to create an action plan to develop your competence in areas identified to be weak.  The actions identified and entered into the plan should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound).  There is a general tendency to conclude that external training is the only solution to developing competence.  It is not the case; a number of competencies are developed through on the job learning.  You as an individual must look out for all opportunities which are open to you for learning and make use of them.Your own line managers are very often the best source of learning and you must endeavour to get into a coaching and mentoring arrangement with them.  Whatever route you take for learning, you must find a way of documenting the achievement as a credible evidence of your competence.

What could be some barriers that a person is likely to encounter in the implementation stage?

They are likely to encounter the following barriers:

·        Lack of your own conviction and commitment to your development.

·        Lack of support from your line manager and your colleagues.

·        Poor management of work pressure and opportunities.

·        Organizational culture not being very conducive for individual learning and development.

Evaluation or measuring the achievements while putting PDP into action, how do we go about it?

Clearly there are two areas of focus in the pdp.  One is a learning plan to obtain competence and the other is an assessment plan to confirm competence.  As your action plan is SMART, achievement should get measured in a timely manner.  If you slip, make your action plan SMARTER (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time bound, evaluated and revised).  If you are convinced on the need for developing yourself and are committed to it you will find ways and means to make it a success.

Apart from your work life, you can apply these very same steps and be successful in all the roles you play in your social life, personal and family life. Make sure to clearly understand your role, objectively identify the competencies required to succeed in that particular role and sincerely work towards achieving those competencies and success will be yours.

As the colleges and schools are being reopened I advise all the aspiring to have their own PDP. Parents should be keen to assist their children to have a personal Development plan this way they will grow with a mission in life and use their time effectively. In turn we will have talents who are able to serve their families, communities, countries in an informed manner.

HRD EXPO 2012: Developing the Treasures of the Nation

Interviewed by: Saleh Abdullah Alkhamyasi

The pleasant surprise is in on the way. It’s time for the second “HRD EXPO” 2012 to bring about a new touch to abridge the trends that are emerging in the market place. This Mega event focuses on the real asset of the nation that is the people. Yes the human capital and initiatives to shed light on various ways to develop the human resources which is at the top priority of the development in the country.

To elaborate on the upcoming  “ HRD EXPO “ HR Breeze”  met with Muhammad  Adil  Osman, a  Project Manager at  Al Nimr International Exhibition Organizers who welcomed our invitation and spare some time to touch base on the following aspects.

Muhammad Adil Osman
Project Manager, Al Nimr International Exhibition Organizers 

 

Our conversation flow smoothly to share the following lines:

When &where will the 2^nd HRD EXPO 2012 will take place?

The crowd are invited to enjoy this mega Human Resource Development  event between 23 - 25th September 2012. It will take place at Oman International Exhibition Centre, a land mark that has become a center of attraction where people from all walks of life interact and reap the fruits of what is being exhibited.

 What is the significance of this HRD EXPO?

·         The Second HRD Expo and its associated events ensure that all the local and international participants such as governmental units, training institutions and private establishments assemble and interface less than one common platform to seek ways of cooperation to improve the quality of HR development. This is a platform that can lead to the following advantages:

·         Distribution of annual training plans for all exhibitors.

·         Implementation of  best HR practices with the challenges of cultural diversity in the modern day work environment.

·         Providing a prospect for training institutions, human resources consultants, relevant associations, universities, related media and publications, IT solutions etc. to identify the requirements of the prevailing HR market and showcase their knowledge, plans and training methods to increase HR productivity and growth. 

·         Encourage participation of HR consultancies of both local and international repute to present the latest trends and solutions in the field of training and development of human resources. 

·         The event is an opportunity to bring leaders and trend setting companies to showcase current HR practices and inspiring case studies to promote human asset management. 

·         To enabling networking between HRD service providers and their end users.

This is  indeed a real learning experience. I would say an actual win/win situation where no one go back empty handed. 

Who are the organizers?

Al Nimr International Exhibition Organizers LLC , a  specialize event management hub which gets an immense pleasure uniting people and living up to the expectations of its customers. The company pride itself being winners of; Oman Web Awards 2011, CMO Event Award [Singapore] & Al Roya Business Award

Why it is being organized?

·      Empowering all the efforts to improve human resources & creating chances to enhance training industry.

·  Developing human resources and the capabilities of the citizens to generate and manage technological changes efficiently.

·   Meeting the demand of the industries by the supply of qualified manpower.

·    Overcome the common challenges in recruiting, retaining and nurturing the national talent to ensure they continue to work and become the future of the organization.

Who is sponsoring this event?

There are many companies who stepped forward to sponsor this people driven exhibition. Their initiatives reflect their firm belief that human resources is the most valuable assets to any nation. As you know the issue of human resources development is given high priority and sheltered under the far sighted and wise leadership of HM Sultan Qaboos. The sponsorship of this mega event is categorized into the following categories. We have Diamond, Platinum, and gold sponsors. As Diamond sponsors we have Oman Oil CO SAOC and Omantel.  The list of platinum sponsors includes Experience Education, Inma Technologies,Oman Arab Bank, Alalawi Trading Center,Saslo Legal Training Center,AlManarah Alelmeya Training Services.

On the other hand, the gold sponsor for this eagerly awaited  mega event that Muscat will be embracing are Exceed IT & Training Services, Mercer, Aon Hewitt, Institute of Cost & Management Accountants, Morison Muscat Corporate Services, Amideast, ESI International,Talent Institute, Integrated Management Training & Consultancy, Meirc SA, and British Council.

Who would be among the participants in the event?

It is natural that the audience are keen to know who will among the participants. Here the list includes strategic partners, supporters, knowledge partners as well as the ultimate exhibitors. As strategic partners we have

Oman International Exhibition Centre and World CSR Day and bayt.com. Whereas the list of supporters includes National Center for Faculty and Leadership Development (NCFLD), International Quality Solutions IQS, Investor in People, Tawasul, AIESEC, SMR Gulf WLL, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), As a knowledge partner we have Knowledge Oman.

At this point let me share with you the list of our exhibitors Knowledge Oman, Ajyal HR Solutions & Services LLC, Al Osool Al Arabia LLC, Modern Gulf Institute, Al Ahlam Higher Education Services, Future Techniques for Training Services, International Institute for Travel & Tourism Sciences, Injaz Development, Oasis Human Resource Development, Oman National Training Institute, United Global Training, Glory Makers, National Training Institute, Rikaz Global, Mawj Training & Consulting (Exceeds your Expectations), The Center for Excellence, Al Ebdaa Centre for Training & Consulting, Projacs, SMR Global WLL.

Guess what this HRD extravaganza will witness the participation of so many media partners to cover the events that will take place during the…..days of this mega event. These professional media partners include Muscat International Media, Nadia, Business Vibes, Osgard Media, The HR Review, Primedia International,Tele-Gulf Services LLC, HR Matters, Planman Consulting, Gradberry, First Select UAE, Personnel Zone.com, Asia Today, EUagenda.eu, Management Next, Centre for Global Talent Strategy, Management Today Magazine SA, Neo Promo, Capital Business & Islamica and HRNetwerk.nl.

 In addition to above list, all ministries will be part of this exhibition. They will present their HR & Training departments.

Who is the targeted audience?

Of course the exhibition will be wide open to all its visitors. However like any professional project it must begin with the end in mind. No doubt that there are specific targeted group that this exhibition beat its drum to. I would say such group include

Career Counsellors, Career Development and Guidance Centres,  Company Heads – Chairmen ,CEO, Directors, General Managers,  Corporate Executive Management,  Deans, Principals and Teachers, Diploma Holders and Graduates,  Entrepreneurs & Investors, Government Officials and  Staff, Head Of Research and Development,  High Ranking Government Officials and Representatives,   HR  Directors and Corporate Training Managers,  HR Related Media, Individuals Interested in Training,  Mid-Career Executives, Omanization Representatives, NGO – Non Governmental Organizations

A last word you want to conclude with?

This is no doubt going to be the event that no one want to miss at all. The opportunity to interact with wide spectrum of intellectual people, professional expertise, market leading organizations that are at the helm of best practices is an experience that each one remember for years together.

I advise everyone to jot down the date in his or her calendar and do visit the  HRD EXP. 2012 it is going to enhance  your own personal development. So I wish all the visitors an enjoyable interaction and fruitful results.

Serve Them to Retain Them

Interviewed By: Saleh Abdullah Alkhamyasi

Gurubinder S Punn

With the diverse options available for the consumers in the market, each organization is striving to gain as much market share as possible. Customer Service remains a popular tool  for organizations to serve the needs of the customers,  enhance their experiences and create a favourable image  and positive word of mouth about the products and services being offered.  In this conversation we touch base with Gurbinder S Punn, General Manager – CRM at Suhail Bahwan Automobiles LLC.  His rich insight on theories and practices of management makes the discussion with him sprinkled with wisdom.  His cheerful personality and humorous nature enables him to easily connect with people. He is an excellent public speaker and consultant on sales, CRM, training, strategy and behavior development. He has worked with Asian Paints, Motorola, Institute of Directors, Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Landmark Education Corporation, NIS Sparta & Reliance.

We invited him to share his experience on the concept of customer Service and our conversation sprouted out to cover the following aspects:

Can you shed light on the historical perspective of Customer Service as a concept?

He stared at me while walking his memory lane then he flashed a broad smile and said. For simplicity purpose let us divide the evolution of this concept  to the following three stages:

·         Early Days

o       The International Organization for Standards formed in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1946. The organization set standards for customer service. The first meeting in London that same year boasted a total of 65 attendees from 25 countries.

1980s

o       The 1980s brought electronics into the mix. Agencies such as the Service Quality Institute, which has provided customer service training since 1971, developed further training seminars, books and videos. Tracking devices and online surveys on websites gained popularity as well.

1990s and After

o       During the 1990s, companies focused more on giving back to consumers as they provided gifts for customer loyalty. Bonus points on credit cards, cash offers from banks for opening accounts and frequent-flier miles were just a few of the offers businesses used to increase sales. The Internet provides even more tracking options and greater opportunities for companies to improve customer service.

 It is obvious that all these efforts are genuine attempts to raise the bar and set standards that shall bring about continued improvements for the benefits of the  customers at large.

  

What are the competencies that you normally look for when you want to select a Customer Service Executive?

Customer service is an attitude not just a department. Each employee in an organization has customers. The customer may be an external one such as the buyer of a product or an internal one such as a fellow employee in a different department within the company. In either circumstance, the following two customer service skills are necessary.

Listening

• Active listening is vital to customer service. This type of listening involves restating the issue back to the customer which ensures the customer was heard and understood.

Empathy

• Empathy shows the customer that the representative understands the problems caused and the hardships it created for the customer.

So a candidate who’s bestowed with such traits will certainly be an added value and all recruiters will put an eye on.

What are the factors that contribute to the success of a customer Service department?

A customer Service Department is like any other department, only more humane and emotional. Customers shout, abuse and at times threaten the customer service representative. The poor guy or girl has no idea about why something went wrong, but he is standing firm for resolving the issue and bring the missing smile back on the customers face.

Thus I would summarize the factors that make a Customer Service Department successful in the following elements:

People :

Not ordinary people, but extra ordinary people with almost zero ego and super compassion. People who can stand in the shoes of a stranger, feel his pain and work with him as if he or she is a family member.

Training :

Not just class room training on concepts but rather training in smiles, listening skills, and choice of right words. Besides, the needs for understanding the governing rules and processes.  In fact the trainees need to know how to break them to satisfy a customer.  

Team work:

Customer Service Department is a dump yard of negative emotions. You need a constant cleaning out of toxins. This happens by team work and constant cheering by peers and team Leaders. 

What are some barriers that customer service staff normally or likely to face?

He injected his sense of humor and asked are you kidding!. Do you actually think there are barriers?  Of course it goes without doubt that every business unit faces certain challenges.  Bearing this in mind the barriers that affect Customer Service staff are the following:

Bureaucracy

One important reason why customer service can suffer in organizations is due to bureaucracy. The more layers and red tape an employee has to go through to service a client, the more difficult it can be.
Since certain requests will require supervisor approval, while others are taken care of in another department, one single person never sees a case through to completion.
When a case is transferred to another employee, calls can be dropped, or the customer can be transferred to an employee who doesn’t care at all about them.
The end result reflects poorly on the entire organization, not just the employees who handled the case.
I could see a question flying out of your head that is what is the solution then? Flatten your organization or at least make the organization appear flatter. You can do this by assigning greater authority and responsibility to customer service representatives when handling a case.
You can also assign one dedicated case worker to each specific case, so they can oversee the entire customer service interaction through to its completion.

 Having a Non-Caring Culture

Mr. Saleh I tell you , the workplace culture can have a substantial effect on how customer service cases are handled. If the workplace climate is one where customers are not cared for, where staff doesn’t care about their work, or if the environment is not empowering, your staff will under-deliver whenever presented with a customer service case.
This culture prevents your staff from caring enough about your customers to make them happy. Customers are not a priority, and the repercussion of an unhappy client is not apparent to them.
To fix this, you need to turn around the table. Your culture needs to be more positive, challenging and empowering. Make the atmosphere more optimistic and start assigning greater responsibility and accountability. You should also take this opportunity to coach or implement training. In a nut shell open the doors and the windows and let the breeze blow to rejuvenate the atmosphere and bring an environment of trust. Inculcate an attitude of the customer being first, first and first.

 Poor Accountability

If your staff is not held accountable for customer service, there is no reason for your staff to try harder to make sure customers are happy.
Your staff can always place the blame elsewhere and know they can never get in trouble for letting a customer leave unhappy.
You must ensure your systems incorporate some kind of tracking mechanism that records which employees handle each customer, so you know whether or not an employee kept a customer happy, and why.
But that is only half the battle. Now you must address those employees who aren’t treating customers correctly and coach and train if necessary. You should also address customer service performers, and ensure their good work is recognized.

 Insufficient Systems

If the systems your staff use when working with clients perform poorly, are slow, contain insufficient data or doesn’t track your client data appropriately, you are going to run into a problem.
Customers are going to get frustrated very quickly if it takes too long to service them, or information they have provided to you is not accounted for. They will be upset that you don’t know their history and will feel under-appreciated.
The fix is quite simple: incorporate better systems and tracking mechanisms to make sure sufficient consumer data is recorded and stored. This ensures your staff has ALL the tools necessary to communicate with and service your clients.

An advice you want to whisper in the ear of those who want to specialize in the area of customer service?

Customer service representatives act as a link between a company and its customers, assuring that any difficulties a customer experiences with the company's product or service is resolved. Those in the profession must also have a way with people.

Although many inquiries may be as simple as checking the status of an order, others may require extra research or help from an expert. Problem-solving is also a key skill; customer service representatives often have to handle complaints within the boundaries of company policy, and they must be prepared to absorb the brunt of a customer's frustration.

While these tasks apply to almost all customer service positions, representatives are needed in almost every industry and the responsibilities will vary depending on the company, which means there is a lot of flexibility within this field.

Simply speaking if you like to put smile on people’s face this is a good department to work in.

Job Satisfaction:  Above Average and Stress Level: Above Average.

Do you think the role of customer Service department is clear or sort of diluted within that of the sales or marketing department?

I feel, the job is clear today and it is becoming clearer by the day.

Customer Service Department is a specialized unit that interacts with customers and records various measures like Customer Satisfaction, Key Weak Areas, Changing Expectations and needs of customers.

It provides the organization with clear areas to focus on that will impact the retention or defection of its customers.

We often hear that “a customer is always right” can you elaborate on this?

This question is my favourite and so allow me to share a detailed answer:

The origin of the phrase comes from a London Haberdashery and according to what I've read - right doesn't mean correct nor does it mean that the customer gets to dictate your business.

Yes, the customers pay the bill and have a choice to go where they want - right means they made the correct choice in coming to you in the first place, not that they are always correct in how you should be dealing with them.

For example, if a customer wants you to steal or cheat - is it right for you to do so or to assist them in doing so?

The customer is wrong, a lot. Don’t kid yourself and say otherwise. Customers don’t read instructions, they don’t read Web site service or product descriptions, they follow instructions incorrectly, they break things. They’re often confused. In essence, the customer it NOT always right.

But! The customer is ALWAYS the customer. Wrong customers buy things. Wrong customers spend money. As business owners and business leaders, we want our companies to succeed. Business success involves selling goods and services to ALL CUSTOMERS, the right ones and the wrong ones. Because all customers spend money, we want them to keep coming back, right or wrong.

Last word you want to say?

Service is a beautiful concept. And even higher level is Selfless Service.

And Selfless Service brightens up your life and illuminates those around you.  Your gestures can save life of a human being, or give him a purpose to cheer up.

Volunteer at a school, old age or children’s home, community organizations. Clean up a mess you did not make at the park, at the beach, by the road. Donate items of value to a charity.

Bake cookies and give them to the guy who cleans your car, or brooms the road. Give compliments to those you meet, serve and work with. Tell others how they look or how pleased you are to see them. Pay the charge for another person. Buy someone a movie ticket or a dinner for two.

Call a customer on his birthday or check about the health of his child. Let their surprise be your reward. And then you will be a Service Professional for life.

On a departing note I enjoyed this conversation and hope to connect with you again and again. I wish your blog initiative continued success.