It always has been a little ambiguous to figure out what exactly makes a top-notch Client Services Specialist. Well-Run Concepts has been conducting research to quantify what is needed in the position of Client Services Specialist today by defining these key areas:
· Attributes: personal skills or competencies
· Values: rewards and culture
· Behaviors: how they do the job
We used a comprehensive, validated, step-by-step process called the Trimetrix™ system to determine what is needed for top performance. This article will summarize our findings to date and here is what we found.
Attributes tells us if an individual can do the job by looking at what personal skills or competencies are needed in the job of Client Services Specialist.
The Top Nine Attributes are:
1. Planning And Organization: The ability to establish a process for activities that lead to the implementation of systems, procedures or outcomes.
- Defines plans and organizes activities necessary to reach targeted goals
- Organizes and utilizes resources in ways that maximize their effectiveness
- Implements appropriate plans and adjusts them as necessary
- Consistently demonstrates organization and detail orientation
2. Self Management: The ability to prioritize and compete tasks in order to deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames.
- Independently pursues business objectives in an organized and efficient manner
- Prioritizes activities as necessary to meet job responsibilities
- Maintains required level of activity toward achieving goals without direct supervision
- Minimizes work flow disruptions and time wasters to complete high quality work with a specified time frame
3. Customer Focus: A commitment to customer satisfaction.
- Consistently places a high value on customers and all issues related to customers
- Objectively listens to, understands and represents customer feedback
- Anticipates customer needs and develops appropriate solutions
- Meets all promises and commitments made to customers
4. Personal Accountability: A measure of the capacity to be answerable for personal actions.
- Accepts personal responsibility for the consequences of personal actions
- Avoids placing unnecessary blame on others
- Maintains personal commitment to objectives regardless of the success or failure of personal decisions
- Applies personal lessons learned from past failures to moving forward in achieving future success
5. Results Orientation: The ability to identify actions necessary to complete tasks and obtain results.
- Maintains focus on goals
- Identifies and acts on removing potential obstacles to successful goal attainment
- Implements thorough and effective plans and applies appropriate resources to produce desired results
- Follows through on all commitments to achieve results
6. Goal Achievement: The overall ability to set, pursue and attain achievable goals, regardless of obstacles or circumstances.
- Establishes goals that are relevant, realistic and attainable
- Identifies and implements required plans and milestones to achieve specific business goals
- Initiates activity toward goals without unnecessary delay
- Stays on target to complete goals regardless of obstacles or adverse circumstances
7. Flexibility: The ability to readily modify, respond to and integrate change with minimal personal resistance.
- Adapts effectively to changing plans and priorities
- Demonstrates the capacity to handle multiple tasks at one time
- Deals comfortably with ambiguity
- Adjusts preset plans as necessary with minimal resistance
8. Self Starting: The ability to initiate and sustain momentum without external stimulation.
- Initiates relevant activities toward achieving business goals
- Independently complete projects and produces desired results
- Requires little or no supervision to stay focused on necessary activities
- Readily identifies and pursues business opportunities without outside direction
9. Problem Solving: The ability to identify key components of a problem to formulate a solution or solutions.
- Analyzes all data relative to a problem
- Divides complex issues into simpler components in order to achieve clarity
- Selects the best options available to solve specific problems
- Applies all relevant resources to implement suitable solutions
Values make up the next critical success factor needed, which tells us why an individual will do the job or, in other words, what rewards & cultures are they seeking on the job.
The Top Three Values are:
1. Theoretical
Rewards those who value knowledge for knowledge’s sake, continuing education and intellectual growth.
2. Traditional/Regulatory
Rewards those who value traditions inherent in social structure, rules, regulations and principles.
3. Utilitarian/Economic
Rewards those who value practical accomplishments, results and rewards for their investments of time, resources and energy.
Behaviors tell us how an individual will perform the job. We analyzed which of the behaviors an individual should possess to perform well in the job of Client Services Specialist. This is very important information to know in understanding communication styles.
The Top Three Behaviors are:
1. Organized Workplace
The job’s success depends on systems and procedures. Its successful performance is tied to careful organization of activities, tasks and projects that require accuracy. Record keeping and planning are essential components of the job.
2. Analysis Of Data
The job deals with a large number of details. It requires that details, data and facts are analyzed and challenged prior to making decisions and that important decision-making data is maintained accurately for repeated examination as required.
3. Customer Oriented
The job demands a positive and constructive view of working with others. There will be a high percentage of time spent in listening to, understanding and successfully working with a wide range of people from diverse backgrounds to achieve “win-win” outcomes.
Now that we have a clear picture of what the Client Services Specialist Job looks like, I would like to ask you this…
- If you are a Client Services Specialist, do you have these critical success factors mastered? If not, what’s your plan to develop them?
- If you are a financial services organization, how are you currently measuring the talent in your firm today?
