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By Chip Bell
Necessity is the mother of invention. And few things are more necessary to the success of an organization than customers. Leave that thought on the page and we will return to it very shortly. Napoleon knew that a military force was only as successful as the food it was provided. He offered a large prize ($75K in today’s dollars) to any person who could figure out a way to get better, healthier food to his Army. In 1809, a candy maker named Nicholas Appert stepped up to the challenge and discovered a process to heretically seal food in glass jars. Appert’s technique led to an 1810 patent and spread to the U.S. where the first foods sealed and shipped were salmon and lobster! Why not start with the best! We are in a fast-paced, rapidly changing business world. “As globalization gives everyone the same information, resources, technology, and markets,” wrote bestselling author and New York Times columnist Tom Friedman, “a society’s particular ability to put those pieces together in the fastest and most innovative manner increasingly separates winners from losers in the global economy.” But the demand for innovation is exceeding our capacity. Notice, Napoleon did not go down to the mess hall and summon his Army cooks. There was no, “I need your help!” (Actually, he would have said, “J’ai besoin de ton aide.”) We need “candy makers” to help solve our “Army on its belly” type challenges. And that brings us to one of an organization’s greatest innovation resources: its customers. Getting customers to provide input is one thing; getting them to provide hands-on help is quite another. DHL is the FedEx and UPS of Europe. With over a half-million employees, they are the largest private carrier in the world. Their commitment to co-creation partnerships takes many forms including their annual DHL Innovation Days. Customers and business partners connect in an inspirational atmosphere to think outside the box and honor creative minds with the DHL Innovation Awards. When customers wanted help rethink supply chains and logistics to improve future business performance, DHL created a series of intensive hands-on workshops that brought together DHL experts with customers to do scenario planning for future applications. It yielded breakthroughs like Parcelcopter, a drone delivery project; smart glasses, an augmented reality that improved warehouse picking efficiency by 25%; and “Maintenance on Demand,” co-created with DHL customer Volvo Trucks that uses sensors to automatically send back vehicle performance data to identify when and where truck maintenance will be needed. What can you do to find and involve customers who can be the “candy makers” to help solve your product and service creation challenges? What would your co-creation partnerships look like? The road ahead is going to be increasingly complex. You will need all the half-baked, slightly wild ideas you can get. Just like Napoleon who casts an idea net beyond the ranks of his Army, employees can be too close to the issue to see what a customer might see. Next time you need some R&D help, invite your customers to come help sweeten the solutions. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success!
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By Chip Bell
The word “veteran” means someone who served in the military. But it also means someone who has had long experience. Service in the military does not begin as an experienced soldier but rather as an anxious, naive, and lowly recruit. A recruit has no rank, no ribbons, and no power; just a lot of KP and guard duty all night long in the cold. Boot camp starts for most with a sergeant screaming in your face, making nasty remarks about your mother, and demanding you do fifty push-ups on command. When I arrived at Fort Dix, NJ, as an Army recruit, I spent the first couple of days in the reception area completing forms, taking tests, getting uniforms, learning to march, and getting my hair cut really short. One evening, a kind sergeant took a group of us aside to prepare us for the beginning of eight weeks of basic training. “When you get off the bus on the other side of Fort Dix,” he told us, “a very angry drill sergeant will begin his job of mercilessly harassing you. Remember, he does not know your mother; he does not know you, he is not even speaking to you personally, although it will feel like he is. He is speaking to your rank. And you are a private E-nothing, the lowest possible rank in the Army. Stand tall, be proud, and remember who you really are.” Customer service has its veterans, those highly experienced service pros who know the tricks of the trade and have seen it all. But there are also newbies who are prone to take personally the tirade of an unhappy customer. They are likely to blame themselves for a hiccup in the service system. They might be overly nervous about asking a question for fear of looking inept. They need to be given the space to learn from their errors, the wisdom of someone who can turn honest mistakes into helpful competence, and publicly celebrate their participation in the nobility of service to others. Give them your support, encouragement, and help them never lose sight of the great person someone selected for their role. Happy Veterans Day! Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Chip Bell
It was raining hard. I was in the edge of a small town near where I live in a long line of “stop and go” traffic all slowed by the single traffic light in the center of town. A car from a side street was waiting to get in the line. I left a space between my car and the one in front of me to enable him to pull out in front. I have done it a hundred times. But something special happened. As he righted his car in the line in front of me, he rolled his window down and vigorously waved his gratitude. Did I mention it was pouring rain? It made me want to be generous to the next car. It made me grateful for my random act of kindness. It caused me to feel like a part of a “neighbor helping neighbor” community. Your customers are waving you in front of them every day. They enter your enterprise when they could go elsewhere. They peruse your offerings, tolerate your less-than-perfect systems, give you their hard-earned cash and “in short supply” time. Like giving up a preferred place in line, they defer to you. So, your organization is like the car that got a privileged spot in a long line. How do you respond? Do you take it for granted and respond with indifference? Do you express your gratitude even though doing so has “pouring down rain” inconvenience? Show your customers they are valued. Treat them like a valued neighbor and they will bring their friends and family to your doorsteps. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! |
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