The “out-of-touch” CEO (Could it be YOU?)

As MarketWatch reports, “The chief executive of the high-end office-furniture company MillerKnoll has gone viral. And probably not in a manner she would prefer. In a leaked Zoom call of a MillerKnoll staff town hall last month, CEO Andi Owen addressed concerns from employees about the company’s decision to withhold bonuses. It quickly descended into her lambasting staff for complaining about the move.”

The company’s response to the furor created on social media has been that, “Andi fiercely believes in this team and all we can accomplish together, and will not be dissuaded by a 90-second clip taken out of context and posted on social media,” a spokesman said in a statement.

• (I'd suggest this might be the worst response imaginable -- it screams, "I'm so out-of touch, I cannot understand why anyone beneath me has the audacity to object!")

After watching the video, I’d suggest that any top executive making $5m a year who goes on a Zoom call to berate employees who asked about their bonuses might need to ask themselves if they might be a bit out-of-touch with their front line team. (And the previously noted response from the spokesperson implies the answer for the CEO in this case is "yes!")

What is an Out-of-Touch CEO?

An Out-of-Touch CEO is a leader who is both disconnected from their customers and employees and ignorant about the disassociation. They may not be aware of what's happening in the world around their team members and how it affects their business, which can lead to poor decisions that impact the customer experience.

An example of an Out-of-Touch CEO would be one who doesn't know how to use social media or email, so they don't understand how important it is for businesses today. Another example might be someone who doesn't understand why employees need access to healthcare or education as part of their job.

Additional characteristics could include:

• Ignorance about current events/trends (e.g., the debate about climate change, the blurring of gender roles, etc.)
• Inconsistent communication style (e.g., one day they're friendly but another day they're cold)

The Impact of Out-of-Touch CEOs on Employees

The impact of an out-of-touch CEO on employees is significant. Your team wants to feel like their work has meaning, and they want to be treated with respect. When a CEO fails to do these things, it can have disastrous effects on morale, job satisfaction, and productivity.

The Impact of Out-of-Touch CEOs on Customers

If you’re out-of-touch with your internal customers (employees), you are likely also in the same shape with your external customers. Sadly, the impact of out-of-touch CEOs on customers is significant. It can lead to a lack of engagement, unmet expectations and poor customer service.

• A lack of engagement: When a CEO doesn't understand what customers want or need, it's harder for them to connect with their audience. This can lead to low levels of participation in social media campaigns or other forms of communication that could help build relationships with customers.
• Unmet expectations: If you're not listening closely enough, you may miss important signals about what your audience wants from your brand--and then fail to deliver on those needs when they arise later on down the road.
• Poor customer service: When CEOs are out-of-touch with their customers' needs and preferences--or simply don't care about them at all--it sends a message down through every level within an organization that says "customers aren't important." This leads directly into inferior CX because no customer wants to feel like they're being ignored by those who should be helping them solve problems instead!

How to Avoid Becoming an Out-of-Touch CEO

To avoid becoming an out-of-touch CEO, you should:

• Establish clear goals and expectations. It's important to set a direction for your company that aligns with your values and priorities. This will help you stay focused on what matters most as you grow.
• Maintain open communication with your employees so they feel supported in their roles at work, which can help create a positive working environment where everyone feels valued and appreciated for their contributions.

How to Become an In-Touch CEO

As a CEO, you're obviously the leader of your company. You set the tone for how employees feel about their jobs and their work environment. If you're not making time for them, then it's likely that they won't feel connected to what's happening at their company--and that will have a negative impact on customer experience.

Start by making sure that employees know how important they are to the success of your organization. This isn't something you send to them in a memo or a video recorded in your office. Make time for them by attending meetings or having lunch with them regularly; this will show them that their opinions matter and help build trust between management and staff members.

In addition to showing up physically (or virtually), make sure that managers listen carefully when employees share feedback about their experiences at work--and then act on those suggestions!?

When people know they have been heard by senior leadership within an organization, they're more likely to share positive stories with customers through word-of-mouth advertising or social media posts than if they felt ignored by management.

The Benefits of Having an In-Touch CEO

The benefits of having an in-touch CEO are significant. Here are three:

1. Higher Employee Retention: Employees are more likely to stay with the company if they feel their leader is listening to them and taking their concerns seriously. This leads to higher retention rates, which means lower costs for hiring and training new employees.
2. Improved Customer Experience: When CEOs are able to connect with customers on a personal level, they're better equipped to understand what they want from their product or service offerings--and how those offerings can be improved over time so that customers continue coming back for more. This leads directly back into profitability because happy customers mean more sales!
3. Increased Profitability: When CEOs take the time (or make it part of their job description) to get out there among the people who use their products/services regularly--whether through social media channels like Twitter or Instagram; face-to-face interactions at events hosted by third parties; or even just by walking around inside office buildings where employees work--they're able to spot trends earlier than anyone else could possibly do so themselves.

In-touch CEOs can better understand what customers want, which leads to more profitability because it allows companies to adjust their products and services accordingly.?

If you as a leader fail to deliver an Ultimate Employee Experience, you’ve set your team up to fail with it comes to the Ultimate Customer Experience? that means the enhanced customer loyalty, endless referrals, and enhanced profitability that EVERY business desires.