COVID-19 has changed and challenged everything. What you knew about your customers pre- pandemic has either lost its relevance in 2021 or even worse, is wrong and could be a major hindrance.
Today’s business ecosystem has become ambiguous, complex and complicated. One thing we’ve noticed is that the concept of “team” has become increasingly broad to mean all stakeholders, including those outside the organisation It’s no longer just about the people who sit in the office with you. Contractors, partners, eco-system co-dwellers, gig workers, and suppliers - as well as your colleagues who may or may not be physically at work with you - all make up your team.
Business leaders can use that ‘team’ to help their business adapt and succeed in an environment where change is the constant.
We’re seeing some smart Kiwi organisations thrive in this year of contradictions and change. They’re doing it by embracing the new, broader concept of team, making conscious efforts to get closer to that diverse group of people and understanding their needs, to help make better business decisions and drive productivity.
As a leader, you need the most in-depth and current understanding of your customers hearing from them directly and the people servicing them, both in the now and ongoing.
Your priorities have probably shifted over the last 12 months, as well as your understanding of what’s really important to your business. And at the same time, your wider team is out there seeing how the world has changed, thinking about how it impacts their work, and mulling over better ways of doing things. But are these two viewpoints aligned? Not bothering to find out what all your people are thinking after the first year of COVID is tantamount to asking for issues to arise down the track.
The same can be said for your connection to your customers. Until now it has been normal to look at ‘employee experience and ‘customer experience’ as disparate concepts that work in parallel but never meet. But what we now know about the modern-day team suggests we should be learning from teams and customers simultaneously, unleashing the power of the ‘AND’ in most importantly, taking a holistic view by doing it in a single system.
As a leader, you need the most in-depth and current understanding of your customers hearing from them directly and the people servicing them, both in the now and ongoing.
It’s your responsibility to have everyone who matters to your business provide ideas, insights and evidence to help you meet the demands of an increasingly dynamic and challenging operating environment. Comparing, integrating and - most critically - acting on the views of your internal and external stakeholders has never been more urgent or more powerful.
At AskYourTeam we know from our own client feedback that taking the pulse of your community will help you figure out blindspots, understand areas of commonality, and map out the paths forward. Continuous insights from your entire team will help you act quicker and more effectively than before and face the challenges of the post-COVID world head-on, rather than living in fear of the next big disaster.
By unleashing the power of the AND you’ll be making more informed decisions, paving the way for better results and building an organisation where your team feels that they belong, and that all stakeholders can believe in.
