Anticipating Change: How WFM Professionals Hear What Others Miss
"I'm here for one reason and one reason alone. I'm here to guess what the music might do a week, a month, a year from now. That's it. Nothing more. And standing here tonight, I'm afraid that I don't hear - a - thing. Just... silence."
This is my favorite quote in a movie called Margin Call that summarizes one of the critical roles of a Workforce Management professional. Just as John Tuld, the embodiment of calculated foresight in the film, keenly listens for the subtle cues in the bull market before it falls into chaos, a WFM professional must remain ever vigilant—even during times of celebration.
When a customer success department is riding a wave of consecutive wins, the environment is charged with excitement and optimism. The contact center is consistently hitting its KPIs and often coming in under its operational budget. These achievements are then celebrated with high fives and widespread accolades across the organization. By the way I also believe such success should be celebrated and recognized throughout the organization.
Yet, in the midst of these celebrations, the real test for a WFM professional lies in the ability to detect the first faint signal of change. Just as Tuld listens for the silent signals of a shift, the WFM professional must monitor performance closely. There comes a point where the success will start to waver, and yet, the natural human reluctance to confront bad news—especially after a long run of successes—can create a dangerous inertia. Operators might attribute slip in performance to external factors or consider it a temporary anomaly or create other justifications to delay necessary change.
Ignoring these early warning signs only allows poor habits to cement themselves, making later interventions more difficult. It is in these moments that decisive action of a vigilant WFM professional can prevent operational slippage. The role is not to dampen the spirit of success but to ensure that the organization is not lulled into complacency by its achievements. WFM professionals must call the operations to action when subtle changes indicate that the tide has turned.
By staying attuned to the early signs of a downturn and anticipating the next phase of performance you uphold your duty as a WFM professional. Celebrate the wins, acknowledge the successes, but also be prepared to make the tough calls when the silence starts to creep in, ensuring the long-term resilience of the business.