upskilling in #customersuccess

The three most important skills in Customer Success are being good at communicating, understanding and caring about others, and being smart at solving problems and thinking carefully - that's my foundation for it.

In today's competitive world, many individuals want to be considered thought leaders or align themselves with prestigious brands in #customersuccess. This trend creates a bubble of "exaggerated experience", giving the newer generation either the strive to make career changes, just to follow the "influencer", or the false impression that simply being near these influential figures will rapidly improve their #CX skills and provide a shortcut to success in the industry.

When I meet these young #customersuccess professionals, I feel a mix of emotions. I can't blame them because they've grown up in this digital world where it's tough to navigate through all the "online truths" and discern between the power of personal brand effort and actual industry experience. And also, a good shot of disappointment in regards to their fragility, when it comes to the discomfort of actual hard work.

I believe, and the books I usually read agree, that we humans actually do well when things are a bit chaotic. Change often happens when we feel a bit of pressure or discomfort. If we don't always follow the same routines and instead accept that life can be unpredictable, and even try to prepare for it, that's when we find new things about ourselves. Also, if we consistently put effort into something and keep trying different ways to get better at it, that's how I think we gain experience in our professional lives.

When we follow someone seen as a leader in their field? It can make us believe we've found a reliable plan for success in the market (and seldomly, this might be true). But just because they offer a recipe for success. this is not a guarantee that they have the actual skills to communicate, care, and solve problems effectively.

Keep an eagle eye for these abilities in the individuals or things that surround you now; this could include a family member, a colleague, an acquaintance, or even a book or a movie.

"Customer Success Skill Marathon" - October/ November Checklist ??:

Zorba the Greek

The book "Zorba the Greek" by Nikos Kazantzakis offers several lessons that can be applied in the field of customer success. Embracing passion and enthusiasm, embracing life's complexity, and prioritizing learning and growth can be mentioned, but the one that resonated with me the most is "Living in the Now".

Zorba represents the idea of being fully present in the moment. Likewise, in #customersuccess, focusing on customers' immediate needs and concerns is crucial. Sometimes, you might find yourself constantly solving urgent problems just to address those current needs. So, applying the idea of living in the present moment, in my translation, will be the extent of achieving a balance between work and personal life, which is essential for overall well-being in today's world.

Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder

“Difficulty is what wakes up the genius”― Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder

While "Antifragile" might not directly address customer success strategies, turning back to the importance of the principles of embracing uncertainty, learning from disorder, and improving from unexpected events can certainly be applied to various aspects of business, including customer success. Reading this book, helped me personally find inspiration related to innovative and resilient approaches to customer success management.