You won GOLD in this years regional contest for Top Performers, what made you enter the competition in the first place?
Our company recommended our site and myself and requested we go through the nomination process.

How did you and your colleagues celebrate your win and what recognition did you receive internally and externally for this fantastic achievement?
From an ACCENT perspective we received a lot of internal press. From a North Kansas City site perspective we had a celebration week later in the summer. The final day of celebration we had a center-wide champagne toast (the champagne was fake since we were working).

How did the win change things for you personally?
It boosted my confidence and made me feel good about what I do. It encourged me to become a better leader.

What impact did the win have on the morale of the center overall?
It brought additional pride to our workplace.

Looking back at your win at the regional awards, can you share some insights into how you felt when we announced you had won GOLD and what this amazing award meant to you personally?
I felt my hard work had been recognized. It was nice being recognized in front of so many outstanding leaders.

What would you say to others who have thought about entering these awards but are hesitant because they don't know how they will do?
I would tell them that I had no idea how I was going to do or how our call site might match up against others, but sometimes you just need to take a shot and see what happens.

What ideas, tips etc did you take away from the regional conference that you are, or will be, implementing?
My favorite tip was the company that asked new hire candidates whether or not they think of themselves as lucky. This helps them determine if the candidate is more apt to take responsibility. I ask a similar quesiton now when interviewing internal management candidates.

How did the conference compare against other events or against your expectations?
It exceeded my expectations as I did not realize the number of outstanding leaders and interesting people I would meet.

How valuable has the entire awards process been in benchmarking your performance and looking for areas that you can improve in?
The process has encouraged me to look closer at my own leadership style and approach. This insight helps me improve. It makes me try harder to be a better leader.

In summary, how has winning the GOLD affected you and those around you?
It has help motivate us to continue to improve and be the best we can be. Last round we were proud to be selected by ACCENT to compete in Orlando. Now, we want to win!

You are competing against the best in the world later this year, please give us an insight into what you will be sharing with delegates during your presentation.
In both presentations I hope to spend considerable time coverng the importance accountability, investing in yourself and your people and the value of creative communincation.

Interested in hearing best practices?
Go to http://www.ContactCenterWorld.com/conferences

Interested in entering awards and benchmarking your company and/or your people?
Go to http://www.ContactCenterWorld.com/worldawards