Developing A Service-Oriented Mindset

So, how much did being genuinely nice to our customers earn us this quarter? Now imagine asking this question to your CFO. Today we are well aware and sometimes even obsessed with metrics: NPS, CSAT, churn rates…all perfectly calculated. But translating the warmth of customer happiness into cold, hard financial results? Well, that's not so simple. After all, it is not easy to connect a ‘smiling support rep’ to ‘higher EBIT’. However, the truth bomb here - Top CX performers consistently outperform their competitors. But the magic they create is not just in making customers smile. It is about connecting every delighted customer with revenue, retention, and even willingness to pay a little extra. The question for us to answer is - Are we connecting dots, or just coloring the margins? As business leaders, are we digging deep enough? What would happen if CX was tagged to every financial review, not just a customary part of the annual presentation? You could be walking into your next review, armed with not just satisfaction scores, but a clear graph of what those scores added to the bottom line. If you think ROI from customer experience is not just fairy dust, then here are 4 metrics to add gravitas to your next board meeting: ☘️ C - Customer Retention Track repeat purchase rate/ renewal rate. Know how many customers come back. Even a 5% increase in retention can boost profits considerably. ☘️ T - Ticket Size Happier customers spend more. We all do that. Measure if your CX improvements lead to higher average order value. ☘️ S - Share of Voice Delighted customers talk. Track organic referrals, online reviews and social media mentions. Don't forget - word of mouth reduces marketing costs. ☘️ S - Service Cost Zero-effort experiences reduce complaints and rework. When customers don't need to call back, your cost to serve drops. Measure cost per support ticket and first contact resolution rate. These may not happen in a day, but start somewhere. One step of transition a day leads to transformation over a quarter or a year. Let’s get past the vanity metrics and start making CX pay its own bills. About time no? #cx #customerexperience #serviceexcellence

How GCC Leaders Can Improve Work Execution to Drive Employee Experience, Productivity, and Quality Most GCCs focus on scaling operations and cost efficiencies, but the best leaders go beyond that. They rethink how work gets done—removing inefficiencies, empowering employees, and ensuring quality outcomes. Here’s what truly moves the needle: 1. Fix Process Inefficiencies and Automate the Obvious Too many GCCs still replicate HQ processes instead of optimizing for agility. Identify bottlenecks, eliminate redundant approvals, and automate manual tasks—especially in IT, HR, and finance. Workflow automation can cut task times in half. 2. Align Teams Across Time Zones with Outcome-Based Execution Global teams struggle with coordination, leading to handover gaps and rework. Instead of micromanaging, real-time dashboards, and clear outcome ownership. Focus on customer impacting outcomes not effort. 3. Empower Employees with the Right Tools and Autonomy A poor employee experience leads to low engagement and productivity loss. Give teams self-service analytics, knowledge bases, and low-code/no-code tools to solve problems independently. Cut meeting overload and encourage deep work time. 4. Prioritize Learning, Growth, and Cross-Functional Expertise GCCs shouldn’t just execute work—they should drive innovation. Invest in technical upskilling, global mobility programs, and leadership rotations to create a future-ready workforce. 5. Governance Without Bureaucracy Traditional governance models slow down execution. Instead of rigid top-down approvals, implement agile decision-making frameworks and RACI models that balance control with speed. GCC leaders must shift from process execution to work transformation—optimizing workflows, leveraging AI, and making employee experience a top priority. The results can be significant: • 15-30% productivity gains by automating and streamlining workflows. • 10-25% cost savings through elimination of reduntang processes, process efficiencies and automation. • 20-40% improvement in employee engagement by reducing friction in daily work. • 20-50% faster execution of key projects by reducing delays and dependencies. • 25-50% fewer errors through improved governance and automation.

If I wanted to improve service culture, I'd spend more time looking at distributions than averages. Averages can hide a lot of problems. Both Team A and B have identical customer satisfaction (CSAT) survey averages. They look identical if you stopped there. The distribution of scores by team member tells a different story. Team A provides an uneven experience. Steve and Kate appear to be service wizards, while the other three team members are below average. Leo in particular seems to be struggling. That creates an experience roulette for customers. Get Kate and all might be good. Get Leo and, well, good luck. Team B doesn't have the same superstar scores, but it's much more even. A customer who gets Levi will have an experience that's similar to the customer who gets Katrina. Sure, Katrina's scores are slightly better but it's not a huge gap. Distribution isn't limited to CSAT scores. It can reveal insights in many places. I once found a support agent who was solving a particular issue in five minutes while it took her peers 30. That outlier led to a new solution that eventually helped the whole team do better. Try it out with your team: 1. Pick a KPI 2. Look at the distribution 3. Examine outliers 🛎️ In my next post, I'll share exactly what to do when you encounter an outlier employee like Leo.

Effective client management begins with proactive engagement, anticipating needs and potential hurdles. Mastering the art of listening plays a crucial role in this approach, allowing us to gain deep insights into our clients' operations and strategic objectives. Imagine setting the stage at the beginning of a project by discussing with your client: Dependency Exploration: 'Can we discuss any dependencies your team has on this project’s milestones? Understanding these can help us ensure alignment and timely delivery.' Impact Assessment Question: 'Should unforeseen delays occur, what impacts would be most critical to your operations? This will help us prioritize our project management and contingency strategies.' Preventive Planning Query: 'What preemptive steps can we take together to minimize potential disruptions to critical milestones?' Success Criteria Definition: 'How do you define success for this project? Understanding your criteria for success will guide our efforts and help us focus on achieving the specific outcomes you expect.' These discussions are essential for building a roadmap that not only aligns with the client’s expectations but also prepares both sides for potential challenges, reinforcing trust through transparency and commitment. By adopting a listening approach that seeks comprehensive understanding from the onset, we can better manage projects and enhance client satisfaction. Let’s encourage our teams to integrate these listening strategies into their initial client engagements. How have proactive discussions influenced your project outcomes? Share your experiences and insights. #ClientRelationships #AdvancedListening #BusinessStrategy #ProfessionalGrowth

3 Out of 4 Projects Fail Due to Misdiagnosis... here’s how to change that. The Doctor Framework: In a consulting world crowded with “solutions,” what if the secret to true client impact was a shift to diagnosis first? The Doctor Framework is designed to help senior executives-turned-consultants leverage their expertise in a solutions-based sales approach. Here’s why this method is a game-changer for creating long-term client relationships and real outcomes: 1. Diagnose the Pain 🩺 Much like a doctor would with a patient, this phase is about identifying core issues... not just symptoms. Research shows that 80% of s uccessful client interactions hinge on active listening (HubSpot, 2021). For consultants, that means asking pointed questions and focusing on what the client’s really saying... often between the lines. This phase sets the tone for trust and accurate problem-solving. 2. Verify & Prioritize 📋 Too often, consultants jump to solutions without fully verifying the core problem. In fact, 75% of misaligned projects stem from a misunderstanding in the initial discovery phase (PMI, 2022). Encourage clients to prioritize their biggest hurdles and validate the diagnosis before prescribing. This ensures they’re bought into the process, which paves the way for collaborative solutions. 3. Co-Create the Solution 🤝 People support what they help create. Rather than prescribing a one-size-fits-all answer... work with clients to co-create their roadmap, personalizing it to their needs. This consultative approach builds trust and client ownership, leading to better buy-in and outcomes. According to LinkedIn, solutions tailored with client collaboration improve client retention by 42%. 4. Start with Small Wins 🏆 Quick wins build momentum. In fact, research from McKinsey shows that starting with small but impactful projects leads to a 30% higher likelihood of client re-engagement. The goal is to: - secure initial buy-in - build credibility - set the stage for longer-term partnerships. Propose a quick-hit project to deliver immediate results, reinforcing the client’s confidence in both the process and the partnership. 5. Become the Trusted Advisor 🔗 Once the foundation is laid, follow-up and deepen the relationship. Check-in regularly, provide added value, and actively look for new opportunities to expand your impact. By positioning yourself as a long-term ally, not just a vendor, you’ll move from “consultant” to “advisor.” Statistics reveal that 90% of clients who see consistent value are more likely to refer additional business. Ready to level up your consulting approach? Implement the Doctor Framework and start creating meaningful, lasting relationships. Anything you'd add?

Care delivery companies: don’t repeat my mistake! Don’t design for more efficiency when what you need is more humanity. A few months into building Iron Health, we had a problem: patients weren't attending follow-up appointments at the rate we expected. So we did what any rational product team would do - we built solutions. More personalized appointment reminders, SMS instead of email, simpler rescheduling flows. And it only kind of worked. We saw a small bump in appointment attendance, but not enough to move the business. So we went back to the data. We read every word of feedback, tracked every single patient journey, asked every provider what they were seeing. Here's what we learned: the patients who came back weren't the ones who received the most outreach. They were the ones who had a strong relationship with their provider. Not a good experience with the platform, a genuine connection with a person. They showed up for appointments because they didn't want to let someone down. Because they looked forward to time with someone who cared about them. Because that relationship carried weight, emotional and human weight, that no appointment reminder could replicate. So we changed our strategy. We stopped investing primarily in workflow optimization and started investing in relationship acceleration. We designed ways for patients and providers to connect before the first appointment. We created touchpoints between visits that built trust and continuity. We gave providers tools to be more present, more human, more themselves, at scale. Turns out, helping providers scale their humanity is good business strategy. When you do that, adherence goes up, retention improves, patients stay in care longer and show up more consistently. Not because you reduced friction but because you deepened connection. If your patients aren't engaging, take a step back from workflows and examine how your technology supports relationships. As sexy as your platform might be, it’s meaningful connections with providers that keep patients coming back. Design accordingly.

The Human Side of ITIL: Why People are more Important Than Processes 👤 We often talk about ITIL in terms of processes, tools, and frameworks. We discuss Incident Management workflows, Change Management approvals, and Service Level Agreements. While these are all crucial components, it's easy to lose sight of the most vital element: people. My biggest lesson learned (as I've shared before! 💡) is that ignoring the human side of ITIL is a recipe for failure. No matter how perfectly designed your processes are, they are ultimately executed, managed, and improved by people. Here's why people are the heart of any successful ITIL implementation: 1. Ownership and Engagement Drive Success 🚀 Processes do not implement themselves. It is the people who embrace the processes, take ownership, and make ITIL truly work. Empowerment: When individuals feel empowered, they become advocates rather than resistors. 2. Collaboration is Key to End-to-End Service 🤝 ITIL champions an end-to-end view of service delivery. This requires seamless collaboration across different teams. Breaking Down Silos: Effective Incident and Problem Management often requires cross-functional teamwork. Staff need to feel comfortable reaching out, sharing information regardless of departmental boundaries. Shared Goals: When people understand how their individual contributions fit into the larger service delivery chain, it fosters a shared sense of purpose. 3. Empathy Enhances Service Experience ❤️ At its core, ITIL is about delivering value to customers. Understanding user frustration during an outage, or proactively communicating about a planned change, all come from the human touch. Service Desk: The service desk is often the "face of IT." Agents who are well-trained, empathetic, and can turn a frustrating incident into a positive interaction. User Focus: Always putting the user at the centre ensures that ITIL-driven changes genuinely enhance their experience. 4. Knowledge Sharing and Continual Learning 🧠 ITIL's Knowledge Management relies entirely on people sharing their expertise. The framework encourages a culture of learning and continuous improvement. Feedback Loops: Encouraging people to provide feedback on processes, suggest improvements, and engage in CSI initiatives. 5. Leadership Shapes Culture ✨ The tone is set at the top. Senior leaders play a critical role in fostering a culture where ITIL is seen as an enabler, and people are valued as the primary drivers of success. Lead by Example: Demonstrate the desired behaviours. Invest in People: Provide training, support. Recognise and reward behaviours that align with the ITIL ethos. While ITIL provides an invaluable structure, its true power is unlocked only when we invest in our people and build a culture that embraces change and CI. 🗨️ How do you cultivate the human side of ITIL in your organisation? I'd love to hear your insights! #ITIL #PeoplePower #Culture #Collaboration

When Horst Schulze co-founded the modern Ritz-Carlton in 1983, he asked a dangerous question that terrified traditional hoteliers: What if luxury isn't about marble floors and crystal chandeliers—but about trust? Then he did something corporate America thought was absolute madness. Every single employee—from housekeeper to bellman to dishwasher—was given authority to spend up to $2,000 per guest, per incident, without asking a manager for permission. It wasn't about money—it was about proving a fundamental belief: "We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen." Hotels at the time operated on rigid hierarchy. . Ritz-Carlton chose empowerment instead. A housekeeper noticed a guest's glasses had broken during travel? She didn't file a report or wait for approval. She went to a local optician, had identical glasses made with the guest's prescription, and delivered them to the room—same day. The magic wasn't the money spent. Most employees never used the full $2,000. Many solved problems for under $100. Ritz-Carlton employees learned: "You see a problem? You own it. Fix it. Make this guest's experience extraordinary. We trust your judgment." That shift—from seeking permission to taking ownership—transformed everything. The results were explosive: 1992: Ritz-Carlton became the first hotel company ever to win the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award—America's highest honor for performance excellence. 1999: They won it again. The only hotel company to win twice. Unprecedented. They expanded globally while maintaining quality—itself nearly impossible in hospitality. Their guest satisfaction scores consistently exceeded industry averages by massive margins. Their employee turnover dropped far below industry norms because people didn't just work at Ritz-Carlton—they took pride in working there. All because Ritz-Carlton bet on something rarer than marble and chandeliers: Human dignity. They didn't just serve guests with excellence. They empowered their people to serve with pride, creativity, and genuine care. Schulze understood something most executives miss: employees live up or down to your expectations. The $2,000 wasn't really about money. It was a symbol. A declaration: "We trust you." And that trust created something impossible to buy with any amount of chandelier money: Employees who genuinely cared about guests' experiences because someone finally cared about theirs. Traditional corporate structure says: "Management knows best. Employees execute." Schulze said: "Employees know best. Management supports." Because true empowerment is terrifying to control-oriented management. #TheRitzCarlton #TheLegend #LiveLikeLegends

5 years ago - this question changed my business philosophy forever. In 2019, I reached out to customers who’d been with us for over a year, asking a single question: “What’s the one thing you enjoy most about working with us?” I was expecting them to mention things like - Quality - Pricing - Timely delivery But surprisingly, 90% of them had the same answer: they valued the relationship and the feeling of partnership they had with us. 🤝 That insight shifted everything for me. We decided to make partnership a core KPI—actively nurturing our client relationships daily, not just tracking transactions. It turns out that loyalty doesn’t come from flawless products or low prices. It comes from making customers feel like partners in the journey. This is how you can start measuring true customer success: 1. Client Satisfaction Index: Use surveys to assess how well you’re meeting client expectations on both service and relationship. 2. Retention Rates: Track how long customers stay with you; it’s a strong indicator of relationship value. 3. Engagement KPIs: Measure frequency and quality of interactions with clients to ensure regular, meaningful contact. 4. Net Promoter Score (NPS): Ask clients if they’d recommend you to others—happy partners usually do! How are you measuring your relationships with customers? Is it just transactions, or is it something more? #customersuccess #customerrelationships #cx

How one design post generated 6 client inquiries (and what you can learn from it) Last December, I designed a conceptual social connection app where I experimented with bold colors and Apple's glass morphism UI. I shared it on LinkedIn, not expecting much beyond portfolio documentation. The result? 5 freelance client inquiries and multiple project opportunities with cool payout. Beyond the quality of the design itself, I've reflected on what made this post resonate with potential clients. Here's what I believe made the difference: 1. I led with narrative, not just visuals Instead of posting isolated screens, I walked viewers through my design decisions. I explained the problem I was solving, my approach, and the rationale behind specific choices. Clients don't just want to see what you made, they want to understand how you think. 2. Strategic timing matters While every creator's optimal posting time differs, I've found these windows work well for reaching Nigerian professionals: 6:30 AM – 8:00 AM (morning commute) 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM (lunch breaks) 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM (evening wind-down) 3. I included an interactive prototype Static screens show outcomes. Prototypes demonstrate thinking. Clients consistently respond more positively when they can interact with the design and experience the flow themselves. 4. I'd invested in audience building This wasn't an overnight success. I'd been consistently sharing insights, engaging authentically, and providing value long before this post. Your network compounds over time, don't underestimate the power of showing up regularly. 5. I created momentum through updates I didn't just post once and disappear. I shared design iterations, behind-the-scenes decisions, and progress updates. Each new post brought renewed attention to the previous ones, creating a compounding visibility effect. Great work is essential, but how you present it, when you share it, and the context you build around it significantly impacts who sees it and how they respond. Your next portfolio piece could be your next business opportunity, treat it that way. What's worked for you when sharing design work? I'd love to hear your experiences in the comments.