3 Pillars that Empower Executives to Thrive During Tough Times
Release Date: 03/31/2020
The Modern Customer Podcast
Imagine having an expert makeup artist available whenever you have a question. That's the reality for customers of some of the world's leading beauty brands, thanks to an innovative digital strategy that combines technology and the human touch. Salima Popatia is the Chief Digital Officer at Orveon Global, the company behind some of the world’s most recognizable beauty brands: Laura Mercier, Bare Minerals, and Buxom. Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future.
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Customers frequently read reviews from other customers, but how often do companies get involved? Customer reviews abound online but are often overlooked by brands. Liz Carter, CMO of experience management company Reputation, says customer reviews have incredible power. This episode is sponsored by . Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future.
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Most customer experience data strategies include two types of insights: qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative data tells the stories behind the customers, and quantitative data shares trackable metrics of customers’ actions and a brand’s performance. But according to Jim Kalbach, author of The Jobs To Be Done Playbook, modern CX teams have an over-reliance on quantitative data, which can distract from building strong customer relationships. Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The...
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Between stress from the pandemic and the economy, rude customers, and changing technology, many customer-facing employees are burnt out. Mental health is crucial to everyone’s well-being, especially frontline workers and contact center agents who face challenges and difficult conversations every day. Amy Smith, Chief Impact Officer at TOMS, says we need to talk about our mental health like we would talk about a broken arm, cold, or sprained ankle. This episode is sponsored by . Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling...
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How does a company founded in 1911 stay relevant and a leader in the tech space today? Continual evolution and a willingness to disrupt. IBM has long been a leader in the technology industry because of its willingness to experiment and challenge the status quo. Chief Communications and Chief Marketing Officer attributes that to staying on top of advancements and being willing to adapt and find creative solutions. This episode is sponsored by . Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future.
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The biggest challenge for customer experience teams often isn’t learning new technology, staying on top of trends, or connecting with customers--it’s getting buy-in from executives and proving the ROI of their efforts. Bryan Sanders, Head of CX, Market Research, Digital at AAA, recommends that customer experience practitioners take a unique approach: do CX on the leaders they’re trying to engage with. Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future.
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Internal insights and customer feedback are essential to building an effective customer-focused leadership strategy. But it requires continually listening to customers, measuring what matters, and ensuring data is passed to the right teams to make changes and improvements. Diana Brown, SVP of Sales Operations and Customer Experience at XPO, involves leaders with the data through feedback loops. Leaders know the importance of data and see it first-hand by talking to employees about what is and isn’t working and the tools they need to deliver a great customer...
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The abundance of data available to companies today presents incredible opportunities to personalize their experiences and serve customers like never before. Today’s customer experience teams have the power to know so much more about customers, their preferences, and their history than ever. But with technology advancements, privacy challenges, and cookie changes, it’s also never been harder to be in marketing and advertising than it is today, according to Bill Bruno, CEO of customer data company Celebrus. This episode is sponsored by . Blake Morgan is a customer...
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It takes a lot to stand out in the competitive DTC food delivery market. But ButcherBox built a competitive advantage by staying true to one of its core values: being customer obsessed. Chief Product & Experience Officer Lesley Mottla says the value isn’t just words on the wall—it’s something leaders and employees are constantly talking about and living. Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future.
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Morgan Stanley CMO Alice Milligan is tasked with balancing legacy and innovation for a company founded nearly 90 years ago that has become one of the biggest names in finance. It’s a common dilemma for companies: how do you balance holding on to the brand legacy while embracing the future? This episode is sponsored by . Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future.
info_outlineIt’s no secret that we are experiencing a moment in history that is uncertain and distressing. The coronavirus pandemic has affected millions of businesses around the country, leaving employees and leaders in a state of panic. Executives at these businesses hold a heavy responsibility on their shoulders to remain calm, adaptable, and resilient. As the world changes drastically around us, we are looking to these c-suite leaders to step up and set an example.
Damon D’Amore, C-Suite Advisor and Elite Performance Mentor, works with executives every day to help them build their legacy, meaning the clear and consistent message the stakeholders in his clients’ lives and businesses will share when they are gone. While he believes we all have to focus on tactical and immediate business needs, the only way to secure a legacy, the narrative of which you control, is to make tradeoffs with time and dedicate resources to focusing on what matters most. This is done by focusing on these three pillars:
Psychological: Mindset
Create filters to determine what time and resource demands are worthy of focusing on. You are the one who prioritizes your time, not your employees, customers, or board. The result is establishing confidence that you are focused on what matters most.
Emotional: Resilience as a Lifestyle
Resilience is not about surviving one challenge or trauma. It is being an optimist in the sense of waking up everyday knowing things will go wrong but you have the tools to survive and thrive. Knowing you will be ‘OK’ combined with the confidence that you are focused on the right priorities, you will be equipped to lead effectively.
Narrative: Share Your Story
Use the data points of your life and career to tell a unique and compelling story. Your story will gain advocacy for your goals from all of your stakeholders like your company’s board, customers, investors, family and friends. You need to know your story, believe it, and learn how to communicate it.
For executives out there that are still at a loss for how to cope with the changes that coronavirus has brought, and will continue to bring, Damon says to compose yourself and take stock of what you have and what you need. If you’re safe and have food, shelter and whatever medical supplies you need for a couple of weeks, you’re likely in a good place. You should also find a way to be present and focus. That can mean learning to meditate, breath work, or practicing gratitude. You don’t need to travel to a mountaintop in a faraway land to learn to do any of these. You can watch a video online, listen to a podcast, or download an app.
Another helpful tool is to find an accountability partner or group. Even if it’s just 1 hour per day, get on a video chat with coworkers or peers. Set an intention or goal for the next hour, mute your video, put on headphones and do the work. Just seeing others being productive will alleviate some stress and help you to focus. The reassuring news is that many of us are in the same boat and there’s no need to be embarrassed about sharing your feelings with your peers.
As we all navigate this new reality, let’s not forget that this is an opportunity to build a legacy that we are proud of. Getting your mindset right, being resilient, and having the confidence to share your story in a vulnerable way sets you apart from the masses. As an executive, your responsibility is just as large as the impact you are capable of creating.