Driving business impacting results is one of the key responsibilities we all have as customer experience professionals. While it is arguably one of the most important things we do, it is also one of the most difficult. There are a lot of “hazards” along the way that prohibit or delay progress in creating positive results that make a strong impact on the company.
Here are some common hazards that you might encounter on the road to driving results:
- Negative Team Dynamics – This can include unclear roles, lack of leadership, or personality conflicts. Make sure these dynamics are addressed early in the process of implementing change and don’t be afraid to replace disruptive team members!
- Differing Agendas – It is very common for cross-functional team members to have different agendas that compete with achieving one overall objective. The team leader has to be diligent about continually reminding teams of the desired outcomes, and may need to seek additional resources to help keep the team on track.
- Daily Activities Get in the Way – We all get busy. Sometimes driving results just can’t get done with all of the other responsibilities that we have. It is critical that the time and resources needed are clear at the onset of a project. Otherwise, it will be a struggle to keep momentum.
- Lack of Executive or Needed Support– Without the support of key executives to monitor progress and keep people accountable, big company initiatives are doomed. Assign an executive sponsor to champion key programs.
- Lack of Funding or Investment Needed for Change – Customer driven change needs to be part of strategic planning and budgeting processes. The biggest challenge will be determining how the budget gets allocated across customer-focused programs.
What kinds of hazards do you face in your organization?
