On Your Mark, Get Set, CX!

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The sight of the oversized school bus seems comical compared to our small middle school track and field team of eight kids. Yet my husband and I are grateful for it, sparing us the daunting three-hour drive from Fairplay, Colorado, almost to New Mexico for our meet. Slim, our hipster bus driver sporting a long white beard and a gold tooth, maneuvers the snowy mountain roads with confidence, his eyes scanning for any sign of elk that might dart across the highway. As the clock strikes 5:30 a.m., we're en route to coach our fourth meet of the season.

As I stare out the dirty bus window into the foothills of the Rockies, my thoughts drift to the young athletes sitting behind me and the lessons we hope they’ve gleaned. We began the season by having them sign a contract committing to three values: tenacity, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

We recognized many years ago, both as athletes and coaching our two sons, that sports are about much more than a game. The lessons learned on the field translate to life, shaping character and resilience.

This season, we’ve been intentional about mindset coaching. Each week, we’ve dedicated time to practices such as visualization, mantras, breathing exercises, mood regulation, and building resilience.

Just a few days ago, we gathered around the whiteboard and sketched out a simple illustration of a plateau. We wanted to convey a crucial message: as athletes, there will inevitably be moments when you hit a wall. Where it doesn’t seem like you’ll ever break through or progress any further. You may even fall backward. We encouraged our athletes to see these moments as challenges to overcome, to dig deeper, and to push past their perceived limits. We wrote two simple words above the plateau: hard work.

We also had them write goals, recognizing the goals they had set back at the beginning of the season had shifted. Some – because they already achieved the first goal. Others, pivoting due to injuries. They wrote new goals for the two weeks remaining – most focusing on setting a new PR (personal record).

To correspond with their goals, I wrote the following on our whiteboard:

“You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy.” - Arthur Ashe

The kids set 13 PRs at this week’s meet. On the way back home, we ate pizza on the back of the bus and each shared the best part of our day. Most shared moments of triumph of others – watching their friends get PRs. I think they got the lesson.

The lessons are broader than throwing a shotput or running a 5-minute mile. They apply to our work in Customer Experience just as much as they do on the track.

• Tenacity: Persevere through challenges and consistently strive to meet customer needs, even in the face of obstacles.

• Teamwork: Collaborate with colleagues to deliver something greater than the sum of the parts. Trust each other to support and contribute effectively, fostering a culture of mutual respect.

• Sportsmanship: Treat customers and employees with respect, integrity, and fairness. Prioritize ethical conduct and genuine care for their well-being.

• Visualization: Utilize mental imagery to envision success and overcome challenges. Ask yourself, and each other: What does success look like? How can we make it so?

• Mantras: Harness the power of positive affirmations such as "I am strong," "We can do hard things," and "Zombies!!" to stay focused and motivated in delivering exceptional experiences.
• Breathing: Acknowledge the difficulty of the work and the setbacks that may arise, and remind oneself to pause. Take a big inhale, allowing for a moment of reflection and composure before addressing challenges in Customer Experience work.
• Plateaus: Recognize that progress may stall or plateau at times. Embrace these moments as opportunities for reflection, growth, and renewed effort to break through barriers and reach new heights of performance.

• Resilience: Build the capacity to bounce back from setbacks, adapt to change, and maintain composure in the face of adversity, ensuring consistent delivery of exceptional service in Customer Experience.

LoyaltyCraft was built out of a passion for helping companies create meaningful customer experiences. Founded in 2016 by Lauren Feehrer CCXP, we focus on strategy, qualitative research, customer design, and employee engagement to help mid-market companies open the door to new customers and keep existing ones from leaving out the backdoor.