Leading Change
"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
— Theodore Roosevelt, "Citizenship in a Republic," Paris, April 23, 1910
A truly authentic leader is going to stir things up by waving a flag in the face of mediocrity. She is not going to protect the status quo - that's the definition of a manager. He is going to be a catalyst that spurs people to action around a central vision - not just maintenance of a dusty concept. He will help his people proudly answer "why" they work and "why" their work matters. She will continuously plant the flag a little further along the trail than the day before...
"The power of unconditional love. I mean, there is no power on earth like unconditional love. And I think that if you offered that to your child, I mean, you’re 90 percent of the way home. There may be days when you don’t feel like it — it’s not uncritical love; that’s a different animal — but to know you can always come back, that is huge in life. That takes you a long, long way. And I would say that every parent out there that can extend that to their child at an early age, it’s going to make for a better human being."
I had an interesting conversation with a good friend yesterday. Jim’s organization has a well-deserved reputation as one of the leading design firms in the Southeast.
Businesses that rely on construction were especially hard hit during the recession. His firm was no exception, yet they managed to maintain most of their clients as a result of superior quality work. During our chat he remarked on a disturbing trend I had heard from other business leaders.
Some prospective clients informed him they should be able to purchase his services at rock-bottom prices (below cost). His firm provides a custom service, not a product or commodity. His prospects’ reasoning went something like this: “Since you need this work, and probably don’t have enough business right now, you should be happy with what I am willing to pay.”
He conceded that, barring any other work his firm might consider that kind of offer before declining it outright. But he and his team know from experience that as the economy picks up, those low-bid clients will require just as much attention (or more), absorb their workers in work that affords little or no profit margin, distract them from better-paying clients and create “low-quality service experiences”.
Like Jim, I would place my confidence in his ability to stabilize and grow his business by creating better ‘experience’ opportunities, rather than better pricing strategies. Why?
Psychological research suggests that, in the long run, “experiences” make people happier than possessions. Think of “possession” as the end product, service or deliverable, in Jim’s case, an architectural design. Even more significantly, these customer experiences have the ability to make other people (future clients) happy, as well.
A client will remember his team and the experience, long after they have moved in, lived in and/or sold the property Jim’s team designed. Jim’s team will remember working with a great client and take pride in their work.
Likewise, you will remember how the manager treated you with respect long after the fresh plastic smell has faded inside your new car. You will remember the exceptional flight attendant and the way he or she treated you long after that (hopefully) unremarkable flight.
Our lives have the potential to change when we deliver or receive one of these great experiences… Wow! That’s an amazing concept and scientific fact. Given the choice, I’d prefer to work for an organization that strives to create those experiences. Wouldn’t you?
Jim was smart. He and his team sat down and clearly defined their challenge – ways to express their passion for design and how to deliver it affordably– with customer feedback and input driving most agreement.
Based on his client feedback, Jim began a program to connect clients with suppliers in real-time virtual meetings, with team members acting as facilitators. They also began to explore innovative ways to collaborate with clients, such as design contests that include local students and virtual tours of buildings around the globe. Finally, they are making sure that each one of their employees submits ideas for regional competitions, with opportunities to champion their ideas.
Essentially, everyone serves a customer. The trick lies with understanding your customers and their needs, respecting their values, and delivering memorable experiences as part of every transaction.
We Can’t Fake It Anymore
In business, staging or controlling an experience requires a storefront or website with a team of employees as the performers and leadership directing it all. The audience sits in breathless anticipation, waiting to be dazzled.
Cue: action! And…what happened? Where did everybody go?
Today, social media platforms are the latest stage. Fans, customers and audiences are no longer limited to your storefront or website as the source of their primary experience. Even more significant, the audience does not need a director or your cast of performers.
Consumers can write their own scripts, direct the action and complete sales and provide their own services - without your permission. They can also switch hats, assuming the role of critic, to judge the quality of their fellow users and performers. Armed with online rating tools, they can champion the best experiences and denigrate average or bad experiences.
Factoid: 70% of online consumers report taking advice from strangers. That means a fourteen year-old girl and her satirical video can have just as much influence as your million dollar ad campaign. Controlling information (the script) is a dead-end strategy, so why even bother?
Your audience wants an authentic experience–greater transparency, believable resources, and honest leaders, meaningful interactions with real people like themselves.
The opportunity now is not to simply stage another experience. An emerging, more dynamic choice is for organizations to let their audiences (employees too!) define, create and deliver the user experience, while you help draw attention and facilitate it.
