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

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.

Stronger Through Adversity | Practice Employee Obsession

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 suggest that practicing employee obsession is an ominous concept since, in its most negative connotation, obsession means a disturbing preoccupation. I go on to write that the leaders I interviewed weren't advocating disturbing preoccupations with team members. I am, however, using the broader definition of obsession to reflect a compelling motivation.
In Stronger Through Adversity, I talk about how I've had a front-row seat as a leadership and customer experience consultant to a raging debate about whether companies should aspire to put the customer or the employee first. As you might guess from Amazon's guiding principles, Jeff Bezos consistently says, "Put the customer first," while the founder of Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson, believes, "Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients."
What do you think of the debate between prioritizing team members versus customers? More importantly, how have you enhanced your team member experience, given the challenges of the pandemic?
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 | Leave the Island

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.
I wrote the following in Stronger Through Adversity, "Unfortunately, many leaders lose perspective on their limitations and carry an inordinate responsibility for the success of their organization, team, family, and community. They fail to heed the wisdom of poet John Donne when he wrote, 'No man is an island, Entire of itself.'" The concept of leaving the island captures how world-class leaders eagerly asked for help, sought guidance, and adopted a growth mindset.
In the book, I said, "Ironically, many of the leaders I spoke with credited the pandemic for fueling substantial personal and organizational growth. I heard statements like, 'COVID-19 gave me a harsh wake-up call,' or 'The pandemic forced my team and me to dive into learning. As soon as we figured out operating in a lockdown, 'Bam,' we had to knit together a re-opening plan.'"
In many ways, COVID-19 has been the great equalizer. It's rendered leaders so vulnerable that they couldn't fake their way through solutions alone. It has humbled leaders to understand that asking for help is a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness.
To whom have you reached out for help during this pandemic? How regularly are you asking others for guidance? Who has turned to you? I would love to learn what will assist you? Let's explore what will be needed to help you elevate your leadership and human experience delivery.
If you would like to learn more about Stronger Through Adversity and get your special 40% off pre-order offer head to strongerthroughadversity.com.

Stronger Through Adversity | Follow the Terrain

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.
During my conversations with leaders, many referenced having no roadmap for leading in the pandemic or suggested their previously crafted maps didn't apply. That prompted me to recall a lesson I learned when I started hiking 14,000-foot mountains in Colorado. A veteran climber told me, when the map doesn't match the terrain - follow the terrain.
They shared how they sought and continued to seek reliable, real-time information on all stakeholder perceptions as well as the financial health of the business. They candidly shared the challenges of garnering accurate data given widespread misinformation and conflicting expert and political guidance. They also spoke about the constant cadence of meetings and the rapid tactical shifts they make. Most importantly, they talked about the constant recalibration required to maintain a steady course in unsteadying times.
I won't get into the stories shared by these leaders, you can find those in the book; however, I will ask how readily you give up preconceived notions or existing plans? Where do you turn for reasonably accurate information amid a sea of distortions? How nimbly are you able to act and course-correct as conditions warrant?
If you would like to learn more about Stronger Through Adversity and get your special 40% off pre-order offer head to strongerthroughadversity.com. Until next time, may you be Stronger Through Adversity by following the terrain.

Stronger Through Adversity | Put Your Mask On First

Thank you for joining me for this series titled "Stronger Through Adversity." This series highlights key takeaways from my upcoming book of the same name. That book is based on conversations and work with more than 140 global leaders. This installment is titled "Put Your Mask On First."
Leading through the pandemic has been an adventure. According to the CEOs and board members with whom I interacted, that adventure often meant self-sacrifice. Many leaders were working 16, 18, and 20 hours a day. I will be honest I was in that 20 hours a day camp myself.
In Stronger Through Adversity, leaders share how they maintain balance, self-talk, exercise, deep breathing, and movement. Leaders link improved performance to self-care rituals, where (as in the instructions of flight attendants) they put their self-care masks on first so they could assist others.
What are your self-care rituals? How diligently have you been putting your self-care mask on first? How do you remind yourself to pause, breathe, and move?
If you would like to learn more about Stronger Through Adversity and get your special pre-order offer head to strongerthroughadversity.com.

Stronger Through Adversity | Born from Conversation

I pitched and had the concept for Stronger Through Adversity accepted by the publication board at McGraw-Hill. In the next two months, I engaged in over 140 conversations with remarkable business, nonprofit, and public safety leaders. CEOs and Presidents of companies like Target, Verizon, Kohl's, Microsoft, Farmers Insurance, Dairy Queen, Mercedes-Benz, Zappos, United Way, Salvation Army, and so many more kindly took time to talk about the lessons they were learning or affirming during the pandemic. I captured these conversations in Stronger Through Adversity and you can step into these resilience conversations in the pages of the book. I will tell you about the five main areas covered in the book throughout this series. Right now, I wonder, what book or conversation of yours needs to be captured? If you would like to learn more about Stronger Through Adversity and get your special pre-order offer head to strongerthroughadversity.com.

Make it Technology-Aided and Human-Powered: Deliver a Flourish of Humanity

Thank you for joining me for this series titled "Make it Technology-Aided and Human-Powered." This series provides tools to help you position your customer and employee experience for relevance in a COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 world. This is the final installment in this series.
 
Like all retail and restaurant brands, Starbucks took a massive hit throughout the pandemic, but as of today, 90% of its stores remain open. That is a stark contrast to most global restaurant chains. I am convinced that Starbucks' pre-pandemic investments in technology and people contributed to the company's resilience.