When the Work Gets in the Way of the Purpose

We usually try to design work with the best intentions. You truly want your employees to deliver excellent results and help your customer’s journey. Especially, when the company is in the early stages and rapidly growing, we often solve the smaller problems with simple solutions. It works. Until it doesn’t.

There is often a point when the workload grows beyond the capabilities and that is when the employees get locked into firefighting mode. ‘Keep up with the workload’ becomes the only goal. It is easy for the employees to become so immersed in their tasks that they lose sight of the most critical element of the business: the customer. Whether it's meeting internal deadlines, executing projects, or managing operational demands, the pressure to deliver can inadvertently lead to neglecting the customer’s needs.

Get an assigned ticket. Process the ticket. Complete the ticket.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

I personally have seen this in multiple environments. I found it is easily noticed in contact centers and while a bit harder to see in other service environments, it is there. This "tunnel vision" not only hurts customer satisfaction but can also impact long-term business success. Leaders play a crucial role in preventing this from happening and need to refocus their teams on the customer.

The Problem of Task-Focused Impairment

Employees, especially in roles that are heavily operational or technical, often face immense pressure to complete tasks and meet internal metrics. While this is important, the danger arises when employees focus so intently on their work that they forget who the work is ultimately for. This happens when processes, systems, or even departmental silos cause employees to concentrate on immediate outputs instead of the broader goal of customer satisfaction.

Signs That the Customer Is Being Forgotten

There are several signs that customer focus is slipping:

• Increased customer complaints:?When customers feel their needs are being overlooked, they are more likely to voice their frustrations. Rising complaints or negative feedback should be a red flag.
• Decline in customer happiness scores:?Surveys and feedback tools can indicate if the customer experience is suffering. A drop in satisfaction scores could mean employees are not putting the customer first.
• Internal focus on metrics:?When discussions, reports, and priorities center more around internal KPIs rather than customer outcomes, it’s a sign that the organization has shifted its focus away from the customer.
• Low employee engagement with customers:?If employees are more focused on tasks and less engaged in proactive communication with customers, they are likely losing sight of the customer’s importance.

How Leaders Can Refocus the Team on the Customer

Reinforce a customer-centered culture by regularly communicating the importance of the customer in everything the company does. Leaders also should align company values with customer focus, reminding employees that every task, no matter how small, ultimately impacts the customer experience. Celebrating customer success stories or wins during good news segments in meetings can keep the team engaged with the end customer as well.

• Realign goals and metrics by reevaluating KPIs to ensure they are customer focused. For instance, instead of measuring how quickly a task is completed, focus on whether it leads to higher customer satisfaction or retention. Leaders should make it clear that customer outcomes are the ultimate measure of success, even if it means adjusting internal timelines or priorities.

• Encourage open communication with customers by encouraging and facilitating regular interactions between employees and customers through customer surveys, feedback sessions, and direct conversations. Hearing from the customer firsthand can be a powerful reminder of why the work matters. For example, organizing regular VOC (Voice of Customer) sessions where employees can listen to customer feedback can help bridge the gap.
• Invest in training and development to build the skills and mindset your employees need to prioritize the customer in their work. Leaders should invest in regular training sessions that emphasize empathy, communication, and customer service excellence. This can be particularly beneficial for teams that don’t traditionally interact with customers, such as IT, operations, or Finance.
• Create feedback loops to maintain a customer-first approach. Leaders should establish continuous feedback loops between customers, employees, and leadership. This could involve regular customer satisfaction surveys, employee performance reviews with customer feedback components, and opportunities for employees to share customer insights with leadership.

By creating a customer-centered environment, leaders ensure that customer needs are always top of mind and that employees are regularly reminded of the impact their work has on the end user. Watch for signs that the work is hiding the customer.