Team Goals Explored

Way too often, Corporate Goals get in the way of making true inroads in your VOC program.  I recently worked with a client team who were stuck on trying to make the Corporate Vision fit into their Customer Experience Model. They asked if I had any recommendations on how.  My answer?  forget about it.. maybe one day, we will see it  but it doesn't help you today.  Many leaders in Customer Experience have horrid Mission Statements. Take a look at Apple for example.  Probably the worst Mission Statement in the world and it doesn't even remotely reflect what they are in the eye of the customer.

Here is what I think you need instead.  You need a team goal.  The CX Team, whether that is a party of 1 or 20, needs to come up with a goal that they can measure at the end of the year.  Ensure that it is a broad stroke type goal but make sure that everything the team does for the year is for the sake of that goal.

What would that look like you ask?  Well, let's think of a couple great Goals for a CX Team for 2014.

• Engagement
• Empowerment
• Churn
• Value
• Accountability

As you can probably guess, these goals are not just about what your customer experiences but also your employees. Think of your retail stores or call centers - the same goals can be set for improvements within these teams as well. 

It's time to start looking forward into 2014 and pick up on what your program needs most. What will your teams Buzzword be for 2014?  What will be the secret password for all decisions? When someone asks you "for the sake of what?"  you can answer with the buzzword.  Think of it as your teams tracking device...

It's a wonderful exercise to engage, empower and create accountability within your team (are you seeing a pattern?).  Go forth and prosper.. or get some t-shirts made with the buzzword on it.  If you start internally the rest follows.  

Call your buzzwords out and share with the rest of us!  We are on your side!