Downloadable books are convenient to distribute when working with groups of people. HDI,the world's largest membership association for the service and support industry, has a series of downloadable mini-books. Having recently completed a project which encompassed a customer support organization and the need for good phone hygiene ahem ... world-class telephone communication skills, a few of the HDI books look to be very useful for trench-level work, skills development, team building, and coaching.

Here's a cool snip from the customer support mini-book intro (emphasis added by me):

Many of us will never forget the 1996 Summer Olympics. After vaulting the American women's gymnastics team to a gold medal, despite an injured ankle, Kerri Strug was carried out of the arena by her coach. This event dramatically illustrated the role of a coach as both a respected expert and supportive friend.

While coaching help desk professionals is not an Olympic event, it is still a world-class endeavor. Like sports training, coaching produces incremental improvements that can add up to big changes. Good coaching can improve professionalism and morale, and many support organizations now use coaching as their primary method of ensuring quality customer care.

Empathy, authority, and leadership captured nicely. Plays a key role in keeping customer support organizations at the top of their game.

More information on the mini-books is located here. Also, general HDI membership information can be obtained here (note there are ranges of levels of membership). Another opportunity for professionals to become masters.

Steve Shu