More than a name change, CX is where we must focus

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(1)??? Express our work in terms of customer challenges

It is very easy to follow your own ideas and be enamored by the next ‘hot topic’. However, what I have sought to ensure is that we must always ground ourselves in identifying the problem we are seeking to solve. What is preventing our customers from meeting the needs of our patients? How can we collaborate with them? Yes, I am in corporate now, but my customer is still on the front line and through collaboration between my brilliant teams in HQ and our countries, we have no excuse not be always aligned to the needs of our customers. In Corporate HQ, our customers are also internal. The value I gain from still doing field visits and seeing how our teams use the platforms, processes and capabilities we create for them, is incredibly valuable and highly recommended. The job doesn't end when we roll out a platform, we need to validate it is addressing the customers need.

(2)??? Get the basics right...and don't be afraid to check!

We deliver the most value to the business when we understand what the business is trying to achieve, and directly support business steering. It sounds obvious, but have you checked who is actually using the dashboards that we generate? Are all our brand teams assessing the impact of our messages and channel dynamics? Are the millions we invest in CRM systems ensuring our field force see this is a business enabler, or do they see it as a reporting tool for HQ? Getting the basics right means having the courage to follow through on execution. We don’t build platforms for the sake of it. We build them to meet needs and deliver customer impact. For example, if you are investing heavily into AI, do you have the data foundation to leverage this technology or are we just following the crowd, when we should be following the customer and leading for our patients? The quickest way to address performance is to check on the basics. No matter where you are, how senior a leader you become, the truth is embedded in the basics so don't be afraid to check, indeed it should be the first thing we do.

(3)??? The most important voice in the room…may not be yours

As an ardent and passionate champion of DEI, I have always ensured I speak up. I apply the same approach to my role. I honestly believe that one of the most important voices at the table at our meetings is the person who is capturing and interpreting customer insights. When I started in the industry, I remember having to wait months post-launch for market research studies to report and tell me how we were doing. Today, I can get that insight in real-time. Furthermore, I don’t need an agency to tell me, as if I have tagged content, executed via tracked channels, with smart questions applied, I have most of what I need. These are the ‘basics’ of today. In most of our organizations we have super smart people who are looking at customer insights all day. As leaders, it is up to us to bring them in and ensure their voices are heard. As leaders, if we keep asking the same questions of our teams, we will get the same answers. We should mix it up, ask questions that force us to think and act differently.

Where this has brought me is to identify that the ‘red thread’ through all my learnings is ‘customer experience’. When we align with customers, and patients, and ensure everything we are doing is geared towards delivering the best possible customer experience, we are on the right path. Recognizing this fundamental truth, and seeing it reflected in our daily work, has resulted in a new name for our department. I am proud to lead our Global Customer Experience Excellence and Business Steering team and I can tell you, I don’t need to spend as much time explaining what I do as I did before ??