The Corporate Woman » Communication

Why is simple so hard?

Tabitha — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:34:16 +0000

I was inspired by a conversation with a colleague, to write about this very topic. Why do we tend to add complexity? In other words, why is simple so darn hard? We appreciate it, we recognize it when we see it, we even admire it – but aspire to it as an integral thing, nope, that’s just not natural behavior – or so it seems.

I’d like to say I’m exempt from such bewildering behavior but I’m not. I remind myself daily, like my very own mantra, how could I do this simpler, clearer, easier?

So, not being an expert, I can merely pontificate on the potential causes – Is it human nature? History might well bear out the truth in that. My thought is that it has something to do with being an adult or the process of becoming an adult. Children can be quite direct and simple with veritable effortless glee. So I wonder if it has something to do with the socialization process that forces us to add complexity rather than automatically strive for the simpler the better.

But enough about me and what I think! I’m far more curious to learn what you think about this topic. Leave a comment and let us all know why you think simple is so hard.

Proving the value of NPS

Tabitha — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:26:59 +0000

I was recently asked the question about how do you prove that measuring NPS is worthwhile (or any other loyalty metric). It was an interesting and good question but it is sort of like asking how do I prove that love is better than not having love. I know, I know… an odd example perhaps but also ephemeral to prove or disprove. Here is what I think about that (NPS not love – I’ll save that for another post):

Customer loyalty (or even the power of recommendation) itself is not what needs to be proven, we know it exists and operate on it many times when we make purchasing descisions, whether they are business or personal choices. What needs to be proven is how you can use measuring customer loyalty to actually drive positive change that not only results in growing your business but also in an improved customer experience. This actually comes down to the ability to monetize the value of score because money really does talk in this case. You have to be able to link the lifetime value, likelihood to recommend, frequency of recommendations and repurchase together to build a financial and customer focused picture of how your customers behave and what engages their loyal behavior. It can be done and I have done it, so I know it works. The interesting thing to me is how many times companies don’t take it this extra step, which enables you to make actionable business cases for change that benefits both customers and the business. Food for thought…

Leading Change

Tabitha — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 23:16:49 +0000

The importance of communication in leading a successful change effort cannot be overestimated. I find myself pondering that element while participating in a major change initiative at work. It is difficult, in our busy day-to-day world, to remember that others are not mind-readers - there is not instantaneous knowledge transfer. Therefore, what you know is not necessarily known to others. So how do you, as a leader, remember to communicate to the broader audience? How many of us build a formal communication element into our planning process that enables us to segregate people into communication audience categories and follow up diligently throughout the change? Based on my experience this is a key element of employee dissatisfaction, when done poorly. And what a shame, because so many initiatives might be more successful had effective communication happened in a timely manner.