Here is an infographic with some supporting source material and an industry overview for context if you want it. Here too is where my interest and expertise in this space lie. This post is intended to dig a little deeper on the subject. Check out the diagram which captures a little more detail than I’ve gone into before and then the notes to elaborate – because its time to level up 💯
This diagram goes a little further than I have with others before but is still purposely simple. I’ve seen some which throw the kitchen sink at the subjects. I mean these are two separate and distinct subjects (plus one in the middle that merits its own breakdown) that can go very deep but less is more in my view.
Employee Experience
This is kind of the supply side – provisioning I call it. An assumption in this part of the loop is that there are steps that precede it. For instance, the whole talent acquisition and recruitment phase.
In principle, it starts with learning at the point a new recruit is onboarded. But you should see all elements of this loop as dynamic and the cycles are constantly iterating at ever increasing levels for those employees (indeed customers) that stay. So employees are constantly learning, engaging and performing at ever higher levels, if managed well.
Customer Experience
This is kind of the demand side – all about managing needs. Here too there will be steps that precede the supposed start point which is the purchase decision a customer makes the very first time.
Once the loop starts it is use and the outcomes that are achieved as a result of use, in relation to those needs that count. This is what will determine whether a customer remains loyal and does so over a long period of time and at ever increasing levels of purchase and use.
Experience Optimisation
A lot of this third area in the middle has to do with data and analytics. Also process flows. Understanding the processes that go into both parts of the loop with all of the data points on the journey and how you collect and analyse them and ultimately optimise them.
The first aspect is about outcomes management. How do you track activities employees carry out that impact on the satisfaction of the customer. That is, in terms of how customers are enabled to achieve the outcomes they expect by having their needs met through using the product and/or a company’s services. The second aspect is about feedback and listening – to signals from customers – and conveying and translating them so employees understand the impact they are having and can optimise their activities.
As mentioned, I am simplifying things. There is of course much more to these areas than I have described but those or for other posts and more work. This is a good starting point for now.
I’ve mentioned this before that there are not many doing this work of bringing these two fields together. One such company I discovered in my travels is InMoment. Check them out, I think they are doing some very interesting things in this space. I’ll have to dig in further with them at some point.
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