A number of weeks ago I was having a discussion about the relevance of customer experience in business strategy and I was struck by my own sense of bewilderment regarding the simplicity and clarity of this discussion. Yet many companies still have massive blind spots with regards to the customer experience that they are manifesting. If you ask most executives what their desired customer experience is, generally you do not get a clear and concise answer. This lack of awareness opens your business to unnecessary risk and vulnerability. The good news is, customer experience principles are not rocket science, in fact they are very logical in nature. The complexity is a result of the human science that is commonly misunderstood or neglected all together. It is what shapes customer experience yet very few are tackling this conundrum head on.
Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People principles are simplistic and highly obvious, yet powerful because they are mindful of human science. I pulled out my old 7 habits chart and then redrew it through the lens of customer experience. My point in doing this is to illustrate that the concepts and principles of customer experience are as simplistic and highly obvious as Covey’s principles.
Covey then introduced the 8th Habit From Effectiveness to Greatness. In essence the 8th habit is about finding your voice and inspiring others to find theirs. This habit reinvented through the lens of customer experience becomes “find the voice of your customer and inspire your employees to integrate and honour it”.
The 8th principle is where the real complexities of human science surface within the practice of customer experience. The recognition of the relevance of customer experience is merely turning the lights on, creating awareness of what might feel quite obvious.
The art and true value of customer experience disciplines happens within the 8th habit moving from effectiveness to greatness. Many companies want and expect the results of the 8th habit right out of the gate, but it is important to first recognize and master the 7 habits. Then expect the real hard work to begin once you start to navigate into the 8th habit. This will be an iterative journey, one of continual improvement that requires mindfulness, endurance, humility and creativity.
Is your customer experience journey mindful of human science?