Well as it is so often said, it isn’t rocket science. In fact it has to be one of the simplest concepts available in business today – and yet so often missed. It is often so simple it is elegant, so let’s review what Disneys SCO might just be…
Most of us have been there. A car full of screaming kids eager to start their Disney vacation, however trouble is you’ve driven six hours (or flown ten) and frankly the last thing you want to do is fight the car lot. Much better find that quiet hotel room and bar and chill until tomorrow? Not so. This is the kids vacation and they’re going to squeeze every minute out of the long awaited trip to the Magic Kingdom. So what say Disney in this situation? Do they leave you to fight the crowds, get incredibly irritated and leave you with a pile of now prickly family? Well no – they have been there too after all and it is real easy to see it from the customers point of view.
Perhaps the SCO is ‘simply magic’? Not some weird business jargon Mission/Vision but something that talks and causes everyone in the Disney business to ensure they are aligned and delivering to that promise. So how would the SCO ‘simply magic’ work? Let’s review where we are – on the way to the busiest car lot this side of the LA freeway. It is the hottest day this summer the question ¨are we there yet?¨ echoes around yourself, partner and three kids in the car (that’s the average party size to arrive at Disney – five). And yes you are! So you find a spot disembark the kids, look around to size your location and… shut the car doors.
In the ‘rush to the fun’ process Disney discovered that many people lock their keys in the car so right at the start they have on-hand a team of professional locksmiths. They drive through the lot looking for distressed families and unlock their cars – free of charge. Simply Magic. Then there’s the walk to the gates – but wait. Driving through the crowds are golf carts and helpers to steer you towards the nearest ‘magic bus’ with color coded location tags! You probably get the picture and that’s one of the things that makes the Disney performance truly outstanding. The belief that if everything gets itself aligned to the SCO we reduce cost (how much effort do you currently apply to fixing stuff that goes wrong that results in queries and non value added activity?), drive up revenue (how many people would you tell?) and improves customer satisfaction (would you be pleased?).
To coin a phrase, the SCO is a gift that just keeps on giving.
“I would hope people would say that Amazon is earth’s most customer-centric company, and that we work backwards from customers. Many companies sort of look at what their skills are and they work forward from their skills. They say this is what we’re good at, and this is what we’ll do. It’s a very different approach from saying here is what our customers need, and we will learn whatever skills we need.”
That really describes the difference between inside-out thinking (examine your capabilities and figure out how to optimize them) to Outside-In – (figure out the Customer needs and align everything to deliver the Successful Customer Outcome) http://bit.ly/AmazonOutsideIn
If you are into or responsible for Customer Satisfaction or Customer Experience you must access this rebuttal of (NPS) Net Promoter Score. What do we think at the BP Group? Whatever we do know we have to get more scientific about the Customer Experience.
Sounds provocative however what is it really all about?
The chaotic nature of business today with promiscuous customers, extended customer experiences, multi-channel, always on digital world means control of process is a fundamental pre requisite of the successful business. Leaving the processes to fate is an act of gross irresponsibility and should be treated as such. If you don’t care about your processes you don’t care about your people and your customers.
There that said there is sage guidance from Frederick Winslow Taylor back in 1911: “The first step in gaining control of an organization is to understand the basic processes” From our 21st century perspective we add to that ” Once we understand the basic processes we need to proactively manage them to achieve Successful Customer Outcomes” QED Business Process Management.
We are also faced with a number of different flavors of BPM. What’s yours? We will discuss that tomorrow.
After all process is just another name for the work we all do.
We also have a FREE online course called the Process Miracle. It is a 4 week program with daily thoughts and actions. Sign-up for free: http://www.processmiracle.com
Here is a terrific example from one of my professional associations (NLP Comprehensive) of creating the right language in and around Outside-In thinking and practice.
This extract comes courtesy of NLP thought leaders in Colorado and I would strongly encourage deeper investigation, and if you can spending some time with these extremely fine souls.
Steve Andreas – A Guide and Mentor to many (self included)
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Happy Tuesday!
Can you believe we’re already half way through August? It’s amazing how quickly the years fly by, isn’t it?
This week I thought I would share an article that is near and dear to my heart. The “But” rule. It is a fascinating rule, and one that if followed will serve you well. Let me know what you think of it!
And if you’d like even more education and practice with language and how it can affect your communications and relationships I would recommend you pick up the Portable Practitioner. Packed with useful and applicable information you can use to improve the choices you have it is one of our most powerful tools available. So grab your copy today and start making changes in your life by visiting http://www.nlpco.com/nlp-training/nlp-practioner-home-study/ and picking up the Portable Practitioner program today.
Use Your Buts Well by Steve Andreas 1181 words, 4.7 minutes reading time One powerful aspect of NLP is to discover what kind of internal experience is elicited by the use of specific language. This enables us to use language in a very directed way in order to get the results that we want. Often the careful examination of a single word yields great dividends, and the word “but” is certainly one of them. “But” is a negator (Fritz Perls used to call it a “killer”) of whatever experience immediately precedes the word. For me, the image preceding the word “but” quickly slides to my left, disappearing out of my field of internal vision. So “but” is very useful any time you want to (or have to) mention something to someone, but then you want it to diminish in importance or even disappear from their awareness altogether.
Notice what happens in your internal experience when you take any two contents, connect them with “but,” and then repeat this, but reversing the two contents. A tired old joke illustrates this nicely. The mother says to the daughter: “I know he’s ugly, but he’s rich.” and the daughter replies, “Mother, you are so right. I know he’s rich, but he’s ugly.”
So the other side of the coin is to be able to use “but” to defend yourself against a communication that asks you to ignore something that is important to you.
When people are cautious or wary, they often tend to respond defensively, and may oppose whatever someone else says, and find problems with it, no matter how sensible the suggestion might be. In such a situation, often the other person will reply, “Yes, but . . .” (negating the “Yes” agreement) and then respond with an opposite opinion. “Yes, I can see that, but there is a problem with it.” Once someone is focused on a problem, it is easy to get “tunnel vision” and forget that the reason for studying a problem is to find a way to make the suggestion work. Many people then become frustrated because they are stuck with discussing a problem, and don’t know how to get the conversation back to the suggestion that they want the other person to consider.
One alternative is to repeat what the person just said, but replacing the word “but” with “and.” “OK, you can see that, and there is a problem with it.” This keeps both of the representations (the suggestion and the problem) connected together in the person’s awareness, and the problem can be considered in the context of the possible advantages of the suggestion.
If you expect that your suggestion is likely to be met with a “Yes, but” response, you can make the first move and state the reverse of what you want the person to consider. Someone who “Yes, buts” consistently will usually feel compelled to reverse it. In the example above, if the daughter (knowing that her mother is a “Yes-butter),” says, “I don’t know . . . he’s ugly, but he’s rich,” the mother is likely to respond, “Yes, he’s rich, but he’s ugly.” If the mother doesn’t reverse it, the daughter can always follow up with the reversal-and now her position is one of considering both sides of the matter, so she can’t be accused of being stuck in one narrow point of view!
Another very effective use of “but” is as a preemptive move with someone who tends to respond frequently with a “Yes, but,” or someone you expect to respond in this way because of the content, context, etc. Since they unconsciously process with the “Yes, but” pattern, they will also process unconsciously when you use the same pattern with them.
For example, let’s say you want to make a proposal to your boss, who you know from experience tends to find objections, or respond negatively and reject the entire proposal. “You will probably think what I have to say is really crazy, . . . but I’d like to offer you my proposal and see what you think.” If the boss tends to respond in opposition, he will first have to disagree with what precedes the “but” (especially if you pause for a half-second before the “but”), and this will put him into an attitude of agreement with what you will say next. At this point, the boss has already had the opportunity to respond negatively, and then the “but” will tend to push this aside, so he is more likely to simply consider the proposal on its merits. If you’re pretty sure that someone is going to oppose what you say, giving him something else to object to, allows him to approach the proposal itself with an open mind.
You can also invite him to find flaws in your proposal (which is something that you know he will likely do anyway). “You will probably think what I have to say is really crazy, . . . but I’d like to offer you my proposal and have you point out the problems with it.” If he is likely to respond in opposition to whatever you propose, he will also be likely to oppose your suggestion to find flaws in your proposal, and be at least a little less vigorous in doing this. By inviting him to find flaws, you have allied yourself with what he will do anyway, so there is no opposition. He may still find objections to it, but likely without the defensive and critical attitude that otherwise would have been there.
Then when he finds something to object to in the proposal and says, “Yes, but this (X) is a problem,” you can say, “Yes, I see that (X) could be a problem, but if we can find a way to deal with that, I think that the proposal as a whole could still be worth exploring in more detail, because. . . (of the profit potential, etc.).” This is using the “Yes, but” in response to a “Yes, butter” in a way that can keep the discussion going usefully. Again, you are allied with the boss, and together you can consider both the proposal and the problems with it.
When someone says, “Yes (X), but (Y),” you can also include their entire “Yes, but” response as the “Yes” part of your “Yes, but” reply. “Yes, what you just said is clearly important to consider, but I think that (Z) (whatever you want him/her to consider next) is also worth thinking about.” You can continue this kind of move as many times as you want in order to keep the discussion going in a useful direction. Since most people have great difficulty consciously tracking even one such move, this can be particularly effective in getting people to continue paying attention to what you think is important, and to continue considering and discussing it.
These are all very useful ways to keep a discussion on track and not get caught up in struggling with peoples’ habitual and defensive responses. But all these moves, no matter how skillfully done, will not salvage a lousy proposal, no matter how clever you are.
Steve Andreas, with his wife Connirae, has been learning, teaching, and developing patterns in NLP since 1977. Steve is the author of a number of NLP articles and books, including Heart of the Mind, and has produced many videotapes and audiotaped demonstrations of specific NLP patterns for personal change.
Coming Events:
Resolving PTSD: The Many Aspects With Steve Andreas ***FINAL CHANCE*** August 15-18 2013 Boulder, Colorado PTSD often comes with a cluster of “companion issues.” Learn how to recognize the different aspects of PTSD, and how to resolve each of them. Tuition: $650 CEU’s available http://andreasnlptrainings.com/resolving-ptsd/
Coming to Wholeness with Connirae Andreas Sept. 14-15, Boulder, CO If you are interested in spirituality, personal growth, NLP, or you just want a way to deal with stress that actually works, this training is for you. More Info & Register! http://andreasnlptrainings.com/wholeness/
Core Transformation With Tamara Andreas No Will-Power, No Discipline, No Positive Thinking, Just You! Oct. 11-13, 2013 Boulder, Colorado Earlybird Rate! $395 – Save $80 by registering by Sept 20. Regular Tuition: $475 Read more: http://www.nlpco.com/training/core-transformation-1/
My annual visit to present, judge and deliver the PEX CPP Program at this splendid event on Darling Harbour did not disappoint. See below for my presentation on the theme of raising the bar to win customer gold.
This year an eclectic mix of speakers and subjects kept us enthralled throughout. Chair this year was evergreen Morgan Jones (BOC) who lifted energy levels, provided great entertainment (I noted a few of his cheesy jokes) and most of connected everyone with a mix of insight, professionalism and skill.
Morgan can be rightfully pleased with himself as this year he was the recipient of the Best Improvement Manager of the year Award, and recipient of a very well deserved Most Valuable Contribution to BI in Australasia Award.
Morgan Jones, BOC received not one but two Awards!
It isn’t often we see Morgan speechless however that evening was one of those occasions!
A feature of the event is the cocktail evening which provides opportunities to network and exchange those new war stories. Lisa Ao and Ross Clayton of IQPC did a splendid job as hosts to keep proceedings moving and ensure we all had a great time.
The winner of the Best BI Award was Sven Verbreek Wolthuys – D.E Coffee and Tea. His work across Sara Lee is an inspiration to all.
The presentation I was asked to deliver addressed the theme of new customer expectations. How can we get in front of the song and make sure we control our processes to deliver Successful Customer Outcomes? Enjoy!
Steve Towers is a business process and customer satisfaction expert and the author of “Outside In – The Secret of the 21st Century Leading Companies”.
In India, he advises the Tata group, Wipro and other BPOs on ways to organise their processes and people better to deliver customer outcomes successfully. Towers, a speaker at the Nasscom India Leadership Forum , took time off for a conversation with Goutam Das. Edited excerpts: Q. Have organisations started to worry more about customer centricity these days? A. It is top of the pile in terms of themes. Customer centricity, however, is not always understood. We tend to talk about it from a technology-centric point of view – we tend to think of information technology and front-end systems. We talk about CRM (customer relationship management) systems and things like that. Organisations need to move beyond what we refer to as ‘inside out’ thinking. One of the reasons to move forward is that customers themselves has changed. They have become promiscuous – they are not as loyal as they used to be. They have also become very rebellious – highly choosy in terms of who they want a product from. This causes them to move very quickly versus the longer-term relationships of the past. All our organisations are collections of customers and their expectations have risen with the availability of technology, which gives them access to a lot more information. Those organisations that understand that have been able to look at customer centricity in a different way. We refer to that way as “outside in”.
Q. Explain your philosophy of ‘outside in’ and how companies have benefited from this. A. It means identifying what customer needs are and then working backwards to organise the company accordingly. Those organisations that are struggling – the Kodaks, the Nokias, RIM – they are still looking at the world inside out. Those who have been successful have seen the world outside in. They are aligning their business to deliver against customer needs, which can be created. Emirates Airlines creates that need by talking about the experience that they are going to give you once you arrive at the destination. Disney tells a very good story on the difference between wants and needs. They often say the customer does not know what they want. When you arrive at a Disney park, the first question a customer may ask is: “Where’s the toilet?”
The second most asked question is “What time is the Three O’clock Parade?” Customers are articulating a need within that question and the answer is in the context of that question. A woman with two small kids is not asking what time the parade is – she already knows the time – what she really needs to know is a place where she can go and stand with the kids, where there is a water fountain, an ice-cream vendor. She wants to be away from the hot sun. She hasn’t articulated that but the organization understands that need. Disney works on the basis of needs, not wants. Similarly, Nokia was very successful 10 years back and went on building devices that customers wanted. Other organizations thought differently. Apple made an observation on how many interactions one needs to pull up a telephone number. In an inside out phone, that will be seven-eight key presses. Everyone of those key presses is a moment of truth. And you have to build functionality to support that moment of truth. More functionality means a more complex system. Apple redesigned the interface and there are three moments of truth instead of seven-eight. It is less expensive to do that and offers a better customer experience. That is a principle Nokia has missed. Q. Do Indian companies have an outside in perspective? A. There are two kinds of organisations. One: those who are carrying on building efficiencies and effectiveness and use things like Lean (a methodology of eliminating waste in a company) and Six Sigma to remove waste. Eventually, you get to a point where you optimise processes and can’t go any further. Other organisations say Lean and Six Sigma are fine but we want to challenge if a process actually deserves to exist. In India, there is a clear distinction between those organisations that are getting it and those that don’t.
Q. How do you measure who is getting it right? A. It is winning the triple crown, which is simultaneously growing revenues, reducing costs and enhancing service. The triple crown can be directly linked to customer success. Instead of starting with resources a company has, then going to market strategy and then finding customers, you start with customers and their needs and then align everything in the organisation to deliver that. In India, IndiGo (Airlines) is a prime example of looking at the world in a different way. Contrast IndiGo with Kingfisher – they talk about the customer being the king but the customer can’t be king at the expense of your business. The reason customer is king is that we can grow shareholder value, can create profits and deliver service. Other examples of companies looking outside in are Tata Motors and the transformation of Jaguar.
The BPM community are chatting about the upcoming San Francisco Summit: http://bit.ly/SanFranBPM
Here’s a snapshot of the discussion:
Don’t let your existing capabilities and processes hold your business back.
Market volatility. Globalization. Data proliferation. All of this coupled with unprecedented operational, regulatory and economic pressures in a heightened risk management environment. The most effective way of dealing with these global threats? Remaining focused on what matters: your customers. And that means enhancing enterprise performance to improve customer responsiveness and the delivery of business value.
PEX Network’s Business Process Management Summit offers you the opportunity to drive real customer-centric business transformation while ensuring you are prepared for the challenges – and the opportunities – ahead.
Taking place September 17th – 20th in San Francisco, the conference includes over 20 international experts that will help you visualize, integrate and optimize your business operations landscape.
