Customer Experience University - Winning Loyalty & Engagement One Customer at a Time

Merry Christmas

Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas. I told my family that the only “gift” I wanted this year is a safe way for us to be physically together in the days ahead. I want that gift for you as well. Until those days come, Merry Christmas from The Michelli Experience team.

Stronger Through Adversity Spotlight on Johnny Yokoyama

My new book, Stronger Through Adversity features 140 plus leaders like the CEOs and Presidents of Target, Verizon, Microsoft, Marriott, and Mercedes-Benz, who shared their insights and wisdom. Today I'm sharing a section from the foreword of Stronger Through Adversity, which was written by my mentor Johnny Yokoyama. Irrespective of Johnny's recommendation to pick-up my book, I encourage you to take time this month to think about the lessons you have learned this year and how you will be stronger as a result of the pandemic. If you'd like to learn more information about the book Stronger Through Adversity and get your special signed 40% off pre-order offer, head to strongerthroughadversity.com.

Stronger Through Adversity | Bring Yourself to Work

Thank you for joining me for this series titled Stronger Through Adversity. The book by the same name is based on conversations I've had with more than 140 global leaders as they navigate through COVID-19.
In Stronger Through Adversity, I play off the theme of "Bring your Son or Daughter to Work" day to emphasize the importance of bringing our authentic self to work every day. The leaders I spoke with for the book, whether that was Stephanie Linnartz, President of Marriott, Steven Preston, CEO of Goodwill Industries, or Dave Pace, Chairman of the Board for Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, talked a lot about authenticity and leadership vulnerability - especially in a crisis.
If you would like to learn more about Stronger Through Adversity and get your special signed 40% off pre-order offer, head to strongerthroughadversity.com.

Happy Thanksgiving

I wanted to interrupt my series Stronger through Adversity to simply say Happy Thanksgiving.
For those of you across the US, I suspect, if you are like me, the Thanksgiving table will be quite different this year. While I wish I could be with my children and grandchildren, I am still filled with gratitude.
If anything, this year has been a tremendous opportunity to gain perspective on what really matters. It’s easy to get wrapped up in pain, fear, anger, and divisiveness brought on by the cataclysmic disruptions in 2020, but I am far too blessed to go there.
 

Stronger Through Adversity | Choose Words Wisely

Thank you for joining me for this series titled Stronger Through Adversity. The book by the same name is based on conversations I've had with more than 140 global leaders as they navigate through COVID-19.
In conversations with leaders like Hans Vestberg, CEO of Verizon, Brian Cornell, CEO of Target, Matt Renner, President of Microsoft, and Barbara Humpton, CEO of Siemens USA, there were several consistent themes about thoughtful communication. Here is a cliff notes version of some of them:
1) The most common mistake when it comes to messaging is to under-communicate especially during a crisis.
2) Frequent communication doesn't mean haphazard messaging, and it's possible to over communicate.
3) Words can inspire resilience or worsen the crisis.
If you would like to learn more about Stronger Through Adversity and get your special signed 40% off pre-order offer, head to strongerthroughadversity.com.

Stronger Through Adversity | Speak Truthfully

Thank you for joining me for this series titled Stronger Through Adversity. The book by the same name is based on conversations I've had with more than 140 global leaders as they navigate through COVID-19.
How would you rate your communication transparency during the pandemic? More importantly, how would your team members rate you on communication openness?
If you would like to learn more about Stronger Through Adversity and get your special signed 40% off pre-order offer, head to strongerthroughadversity.com. 

Stronger Through Adversity | Seek Carefully

Thank you for joining me for this series titled Stronger Through Adversity. The book by the same name is based on conversations I've had with more than 140 global leaders as they navigate through COVID-19.
John Gerzema, the CEO of Harris Insights and Analytics, once observed, "Transparency, honesty, kindness, good stewardship, even humor, work in businesses at all times." I believe those qualities have had heightened importance during this crisis. In my conversations with leaders throughout the pandemic, I heard a recurrent theme. It's hard to be an effective steward of people and resources when actionable intelligence is a moving target. Specifically, in Stronger Through Adversity, I addressed the types of uncertainties that plague leaders.
If you would like to learn more about Stronger Through Adversity and get your special signed 40% off pre-order offer, head to strongerthroughadversity.com.

Stronger Through Adversity | Formally Listen Beyond the Words

Thank you for joining me for this series titled Stronger Through Adversity. The book by the same name is based on conversations I've had with more than 140 global leaders as they navigate through COVID-19.
Let's talk this week about formal listening, which includes inviting customers to attend virtual feedback sessions (focus groups) or sending surveys to employees. Formal approaches like surveys generate large quantities of real-time and actionable information.

Stronger Through Adversity | Informally Listen Beyond the Words

Thank you for joining me for this series titled Stronger Through Adversity. The book by the same name is based on conversations I've had with more than 140 global leaders as they navigate through COVID-19.
In Stronger Through Adversity, I borrow wisdom from Greek philosopher Epictetus who said, "We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak." Throughout my conversations with leaders, it was clear that they were listening more and with increased intensity than they had before the pandemic. For example, these leaders regularly assessed their people and customers' emotional status, fears, and morale. Leaders increased stakeholder listening through surveys (which I will discuss in next week's post) and unstructured conversations.
These leaders practiced active, continuous listening, and they closed the loop by taking action on what they heard. From Epictetus' perspective, during this time of extreme disruption, the most successful leaders listened twice as much as they spoke.
If you would like to learn more about Stronger Through Adversity and get your special signed 40% off pre-order offer, head to strongerthroughadversity.com.

Stronger Through Adversity | Set Safety Supreme

Thank you for joining me for this series titled Stronger Through Adversity. The book by the same name is based on conversations I've had with more than 140 global leaders as they navigate through COVID-19.
In Stronger Through Adversity, I wrote, "The more things change, the more they stay the same or so it would seem from reading Marcus Tullius Cicero's writings.”
In conversations with leaders throughout the pandemic, it became clear that customer and employee safety (something that typically operates in the background of a business) jumped to supreme importance. Leaders shared with me many specific decisions they made to protect customers and team members - even when those decisions resulted in substantial short and mid-range costs and losses.
Stronger Through Adversity is full of examples of how leaders acted on behalf of team members and customers, consistent with Cicero's maxim that safety should be the highest law, but let's bring this discussion back to you.
How has your behavior aligned with Cicero's maxim? What are the short and mid-range costs to your business of setting safety supreme? What are some of your most challenging tradeoffs?
If you would like to learn more about Stronger Through Adversity and get your special signed 40% off pre-order offer, head to strongerthroughadversity.com.