Your Real Job Isn’t CX. It’s Leading Change.
Technology is not your biggest challenge. It’s change.
Let’s kill the myth that “things will get back to normal.” They won’t. The rate of change for businesses has accelerated to mind-boggling levels. Many face quarterly or even monthly shifts in strategy due to AI adoption and other factors.
You have two choices.
1. Master change. 2. Be steamrolled by it.
This blog post is meant to encourage you on path number one. Having worked or consulted inside of 20+ organizations, I can say there is no perfect change formula. Every organization has a unique culture, language, priorities, and “triggers.” That said, there are several helpful principles that are considerably universal.
Having a common “language” or framework for change shared across the organization provides such a wonderful head start. UL is an excellent case study in this principle. Essentially anyone in the organization who was responsible for cross-functional change was trained in the ways of Lean Sig Sigma. Even Sr. Leaders were required to map their change initiative out using DMAIC and an established process. Not only did this help to foster effective collaboration across the business, but it dramatically cut down on “fire drill” initiatives and change whiplash.
I know I’ve got a few exhausted leaders saying “amen” to that!
Sadly, such a widespread and focused adoption of a change management framework is extremely rare. Most leaders are stuck working in pockets of influence…driving change when and however they can…often in a vacuum.
If this is you, let me offer encouragement. You are not powerless. In fact, you’re exactly what your organization needs. I’ve seen leaders at all levels to become effective agents of change. One thing working in your favor? Odds are high that the Sr. Leaders of your organization know this is a point of weakness. They likely just need a push in the right direction.
So how can you go from where you are today to a place of real momentum?
My most effective “push” has often come in the form of John Kotter and brilliant eight stage framework captured in “Leading Change.” These principles are so compelling and yet so easy to understand.
Employees don’t need a masters degree in organizational psychology to quickly see why they change matters and their role in making it happen.
Let’s look at the eight stages through the lens of a Customer Experience influencer:
1. Create a Sense of Urgency: “Make it clear that change is necessary and that it’s time to act, often highlighting current challenges or opportunities.”
The CX Twist: Lasting change starts with healthy tension. I love the phrase, “we can’t keep living this way!” The default for human beings is to resist change and essentially wait for the new initiative to die out (which happens far more often than not.) We have to be ready to offer a good, healthy push to kick things off and rope people in.
There are several fantastic ways to kick-start efforts for customer-centric change. I’ve used everything from competitive market share pressure, pulling the “mission” heartstring through fulfillment of the brand promise, and clearly demonstrating how enhancing the experience of existing customers is the way to fuel the acquisition engine.
2. Form a Guiding Coalition: “Assemble a team of influential leaders who can support the change initiative and communicate the vision effectively.”
The CX Twist: To quote Justin Robbins,
“CX is NOT a function – it’s an outcome.”
If the organization sees Customer Experience as a group of people, every other member is going to advocate their own responsibility to CX. The fact is it MUST be done together by a group of stakeholders that has true influence over the larger customer journey. It requires a united leadership core committed to a clear, unified CX vision…and who are willing to hold their own teams accountable to this standard.
This is your “CX Change Coalition” as I like to call it. At a minimum, it includes the leader of each department in your company who has a significant direct impact on the customer experience. Ideally, it will include members from functions like finance, HR, and legal who have a significant indirect impact, but can help to remove friction. This group will be the driving force for customer-centric change in the organization.
3. Create a Vision for Change: “Develop a clear, compelling vision for the future, outlining the desired state and how the organization will be different.”
The CX Twist: This quote from Maven Insights is very helpful:
“CX strategy depends on two things: changing the mindset of the organization and collectively adapting to delivering the desired experience.”
A vision for what “the desired experience” looks like is so critical. Vague slogans such as “take care of the customer” don’t drive change. Define what great CX actually looks like.
Crystalize with your CX Change Coalition on the experience you are looking to design together. Be very honest and specific regarding your current state, and the gap that will need to be overcome. How will the organization be different? How will its customers be different? How will present and future employees of the organization be different?
4. Communicate the Vision: “Share the vision with all stakeholders, explaining why change is needed and how it will benefit the organization.”
The CX Twist: Now that the essential framework has been laid for this change transformation, it’s time to invite the general employee population in. What is the best communication vehicle to “light the match” from step one?
If you have hired good people who intrinsically desire to serve customers well, then what they need to hear is how this change initiative is going to allow them to do just that. It will make them better at their jobs. It will remove friction. It will allow them to be the very best they can be for their customers.
Critical note – this is not a one-and-done announcement. Repetition delivered through various communication modes is essential.
5. Empower Others to Act on the Vision: “Remove obstacles, provide resources, and empower employees to take ownership of the change process.”
The CX Twist: As a CX leader, one of your primary superpowers is energizing people around progress. Get folks excited to serve customers! Use the Voice of Customer engine to show the remarkable impact they are (hopefully) having. Make it extremely clear where the “friction” in the experience likes to hide, and the role they play in eliminating it.
Tie it to performance.
Establish an expectation for CX to have a role in the performance management mechanism of the organization. One technique I’ve used happens during the annual goal setting time. Collaborate with leadership peers ensure that each employee has at least one goal that can actively associate back to one of the CX improvement priorities. This makes it clear to all employees that contributing to customer-centric change is a core part of their job.
6. Generate Short-Term Wins: “Focus on achieving quick, visible successes to build momentum and demonstrate progress.”
The CX Twist: Show how you are helping your customers to win! Capture mini video testimonials. Get a customer to present at a company meeting. Allow your people to take real pride in the impact they are making for real people.
Take care not to overlook your internal champions as well. Name your “friction fighters!” These are the folks who sustain momentum and provide a positive example. Some actions could include improving the flow of knowledge, enhancing the digital ecosystem, or just bringing an optimistic energy into the office each day.
7. Consolidate Gains and Produce More Change: “Build on early successes, continue to push the change forward, and address resistance to change.”
The CX Twist: To make the change stick, you need the right allies. I love Jeanne Bliss’s language on this. You must learn to “dance with the power core.” A failure to understand and leverage this center of power will ultimately lead to a failure of the CX initiative.
8. Anchor the Changes in Corporate Culture: Institutionalize the new ways of working and ensure that the changes are sustainable over time.
The CX Twist: My favorite definition of culture is simply “the way we do things.”
If the standard way you do things is to take exceptional care of customers and to defend the brand promise, then so much of the rest takes care of itself. New hires into the organization sense this culture immediately. They either rise to this level, or realize very quickly this is not the place for them. Great CX happens organically and consistently, versus being forced by some external motivator.
When excellent CX becomes “just how we operate,” you know the change is going to last.
In Conclusion
Hopefully seeing Kotter’s framework through a CX lens is helpful. Whatever framework you choose, master it. Your legacy depends on your ability to lead transformation.
You don’t just support the change. You are the change.
