Tag Archives: salesforce

Aligning Leadership Goals with Customer Service Excellence

Aligning Leadership Goals with Customer Service Excellence

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

My friend Sterling Hawkins just wrote a great article about the tension between the leadership of a company and the salesforce. Hawkins reports the president of a Fortune 500 company told him, “Tension between the salesforce and leadership is normal. One is always bargaining with the other for more. The sales team wants more time and budget, and the leadership wants more sales.”

That made me think of the tension that is sometimes created between leadership and the customer service team. In the end, it’s mostly because of unrealistic expectations.

Customer Service Goals Cartoon

It reminds me of an episode of Amazing Business Radio when I interviewed Bill Price, Amazon’s first VP of global customer service, who shared founder and CEO Jeff Bezos’s philosophy about customer service, which was that the experience should be so frictionless that customers wouldn’t need support.

Obviously, a retailer the size of Amazon not needing customer support is unrealistic, but the goal is lofty. Bezos recognized the need for a customer support department and needed someone to run it. In the job interview, Bezos asked Price, “What’s your definition of customer service?” Price answered, “The best service is no service,” and it was apparently the right answer. Price got the job.

In customer service and CX, it’s impossible to be perfect, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Still, you must have reasonable expectations. You can’t expect there to never be a problem. You can’t expect a perfect NPS or customer satisfaction rating. But what you can do is create goals, expectations and KPIs that positively impact forward progress.

Here’s another – more generic – example. There are 32 teams in the National Hockey League, and only one will win the Stanley Cup. At the beginning of the season, it’s reasonable for a team’s leadership to say to the players, “Let’s try to win the Stanley Cup!” That’s probably what most teams strive for. What the teams’ leadership doesn’t say is, “You must win every game.”

Creating unrealistic goals and objectives is demotivating. In CX (and just about every other part of a company), leaders should meet with their teams to define success, create realistic goals, include some “stretch goals,” and push their people to continuously improve and be more successful. The right conversations lead to a unified organization headed toward the same goal.

So, what’s a reasonable goal for your customer service teams? Is it higher customer satisfaction scores, higher percentages of first-call resolution, shorter hold times, or something else? Whatever it is, everyone must get in sync and agree on a plan. Then, as a unified team, execute it with a commitment to always doing their best and improving.

Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons, Shep Hyken

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Designing Workplaces for Optimal Employee Experience

Designing Workplaces for Optimal Employee Experience

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

In today’s fast-evolving corporate landscape, designing workplaces that foster an optimal employee experience is more important than ever. At the core of this challenge is creating environments that not only inspire creativity and productivity but also promote the well-being of employees. This article explores how organizations can design such workplaces and presents case studies to illustrate these principles in action.

The Importance of Employee Experience

Employee experience is the sum of everything an employee perceives, feels, and encounters during their time within an organization. A positive experience leads to higher engagement, better performance, and increased retention rates. Yet, creating a conducive environment is not just about aesthetics—it’s about understanding employee needs and integrating them into the workplace design.

For a deeper dive into optimizing employee experience, read my articles Creating Cultures of Innovation and Successful Change Management Strategies.

Design Principles for Optimal Workplaces

Organizations aiming to create an optimal employee experience often focus on the following principles:

  • Flexibility: Offering a mix of spaces for collaboration and focus to support different work styles.
  • Technology Integration: Utilizing the latest technology to streamline tasks and foster communication.
  • Health and Well-being: Incorporating elements like natural lighting, ergonomic furniture, and wellness programs.
  • Inclusivity and Diversity: Considering diverse needs in workplace design to create an environment where everyone feels they belong.

Case Study: Google’s Innovative Workspaces

Google is renowned for its avant-garde offices designed to cultivate creativity and innovation. By applying user-centered design principles, the company has crafted environments that cater to a wide spectrum of employee needs. Google’s offices feature an array of themed meeting rooms, informal lounge areas, and quiet zones. Technology is embedded seamlessly throughout, enabling collaborative tools and virtual reality equipment to be accessible at all times.

In response to feedback from its employees, Google implemented ‘biophilic design’ elements—using plants and other natural features—to enhance mental health and creativity. Furthermore, their on-site wellness programs and fitness centers reflect Google’s commitment to employee well-being, proving the value of integrating health considerations into office design.

Case Study: Salesforce’s Ohana Floor Concept

Salesforce has taken the concept of flexibility even further with its “Ohana Floors,” open-plan spaces that encourage community building and cross-departmental collaboration. These floors are flexible and can be reconfigured quickly to accommodate various events, from large meetings to private work sessions.

The design also emphasizes sustainability, with energy-saving technologies and environmentally friendly materials. Art installations and cultural symbols throughout Ohana Floors highlight Salesforce’s values and mission, effectively intertwining corporate culture with physical space. Employees report higher satisfaction and engagement, linking directly back to the company’s tailored approach to workspace design.

Conclusion

As shown by Google and Salesforce, creating an optimal employee experience is both a strategic and thoughtful endeavor. By considering diverse work styles, incorporating advanced technology, and attending to employee well-being, companies can design transformative workspaces that inspire and retain top talent. The integration of culture within the physical workspace further ensures alignment with organizational objectives and core values.

As organizations face the future, the ability to adapt and innovate in workspace design will be crucial. Success lies in continually seeking employee feedback, experimenting with new concepts, and embracing a holistic approach to create the ideal environment for human-centered work.

For more insights into successful organizational change and employee engagement strategies, please visit our articles on Creating a Culture of Innovation and All Leadership is Change Leadership.

Extra Extra: Futurology is not fortune telling. Futurists use a scientific approach to create their deliverables, but a methodology and tools like those in FutureHacking™ can empower anyone to engage in futurology themselves.

Image credit: Pixabay

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