Psychological and mental well-being are both crucial to success. Psychological strength refers to the customer success manager (CSM’s) capacity to control ones’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in line with a CSM’s job charter. Bringing up the courage to speak at a public setting or building consensus are examples where different aspects of psychological strengths come into play. Mental strength, on the other hand, helps CSMs deal with stresses, pressures, and challenges about their job. It is essential when dealing with people in any situation, but even more so in a customer service position.
Self-Awareness
Every person has some prejudice or bias, whether they will admit to it or not. Most of the time, these biases don’t cause any issues in our interpersonal relationships. Still, in some cases, when a person has grown up with prejudices, preferences, and insecurities through some incident or the other, these issues can become problematic. Also, false beliefs, built through some experience or the other, cause potential blind spots and career-limiting thinking. This belief is analogous with that of “trained” elephants who, when tied with a small rope, don’t try to break it. They can lift tons of weight and pull out trees, but they don’t try to break the rope because there is a false belief in their mind that they can’t break it.
People that consciously recognize, analyze, and mitigate these elements from their thinking come out ahead in the long run. They gradually fine-tune their thinking, get feedback, course correct, gain success slowly, and become confident over time. For physical attributes that cannot be changed, they accept themselves for the way they are. As CSM, it is crucial to be in this state sooner than later.
Others around you can quickly see through these psychological gaps if not corrected. When you know what they are, you can consciously cover them during customer and other professional conversations. CSMs, with the highest degree of self-awareness, are likely to succeed more in this role.
Focus on Strengths, Not Weaknesses
Working with strengths is more manageable than working with weaknesses. While it is essential to round out obvious gaps in thinking and execution, excelling requires building on strengths. Athletes, since time immemorial, have chosen and built on their strengths. No one with a handicapped skill that is key to a particular sport can become a world-famous athlete in that sport. For areas that can be improved, take feedback constructively, analyze, understand, and incorporate.
Positive Attitude
Always have and execute your work responsibilities with a positive attitude. Be clear about your priorities and goals. While no work is small or insignificant, choose the ones that are right for your career path. It is best to stay happy on the job and make sure you like what you do. People want to work with content and enthusiastic people. When your heart is not into it, no matter how much you try, you will not succeed. While you may get by with your supervisors, discerning customers may not appreciate your behavior and negative attitude while interacting with them. In this situation, find a way to get out of the engagement.
Key Takeaways:
Accept yourself the way you are
Focus on your strengths
Address weaknesses that are addressable
The combination of self-awareness and consistent stream of successes, built on personally experienced failures, will help you achieve both psychological and mental strength
