Category: Articles We Like | Page 5

September 29, 2014 / Articles We Like

On "Why Most Company Strategic Plans Fail"

Leaders have a tough job when it comes to strategy. From honing strategic thinking skills to stay ahead of the competition to successfully integrating strategy into daily operations, it seems as if the best strategic plans are likely to fail. And that’s why we share this Forbes article.

Why Most Company Strategic Plans Fail, by Greg Bustin, a strategic planning consultant, highlights the top four common flaws he’s encountered, which get in the way of strategic success for most companies. We’d have to agree. Read the article to see if any sound familiar.

What’s getting in the way of your company’s strategic success?

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September 29th, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|

September 1, 2014 / Articles We Like

Article Review | "CEM Toolbox: Employee Experience"

“CEM Toolbox: Employee Experience”

By Annette Franz

Head: (4 out of 5)
Heart: (4 out of 5)
Leadership Applicability: (3 out of 5)

Hear the term “customer experience,” and customers are usually the first to come to mind. However, employees are the other part of the equation, and their experience as employees can make or break the success of your customer experience strategy.

In this article, Annette Franz, a recognized customer experience management expert, thought leader and influencer, outlines why the employee experience should be in every customer experience professional’s toolkit. The answer is simple: the spillover effect. The employee experience drives the customer experience. In other words, a happy employee is more likely to go the extra mile to delight your customers!

The article outlines different ways companies can ensure a great employee experience, as well as tools to use for each:

Hire the right people
Provide a clear line of sight to the customer
Plot the employee lifecycle and map the employee journey
Gather feedback from your employees, both solicited and unsolicited
Empower employees by unleashing ownership and accountability
Show appreciation, recognize greatness

Leaders looking for tips to improve the employee experience should read this article. Read it now.

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September 1st, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|

August 29, 2014 / Articles We Like

On "Curiosity Is as Important as Intelligence"

In our work, we notice complexity either challenges leaders or presents an opportunity to thrive. So what sets apart those who can manage it well from those who can’t? As this author explains, it’s more than intellect. It’s curiosity. At Mariposa, we are big believers in the power of curiosity as a leadership quality, and that’s why we share this article.

In the Harvard Business Review blog article written by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, “Curiosity Is as Important as Intelligence,” three key psychological qualities enhance our ability to manage complexity:

Intellect Quotient: mental ability
Emotional Quotient: this concerns our ability to perceive, control, and express emotions
Curiosity Quotient: having a hungry mind

Read the article to learn more about how and why these three qualities help leaders manage complexity.

Do you agree that these three qualities help leaders manage complexity? Why or why not?

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August 29th, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|Tags: curiousity, emotional intelligence, executive leadership, Harvard Business Review, Mariposa Leadership|

July 31, 2014 / Articles We Like

On "Brainstorming Doesn't Work; Try This Technique Instead"

Are your brainstorming sessions lacking enough original ideas? Most likely your idea generation process could use a small tweak for better results. We suggest reading Brainstorming Doesn’t Work; Try This Technique Instead because this process has been shown to increase the amount of original ideas by 42%!

In the Fast Company article written by Rebecca Greenfield, “Brainstorming Doesn’t Work; Try This Technique Instead,” you’ll learn about brainwriting, a “write first, discuss later” technique for idea generation. This technique avoids the typical problems of groupthink, conformity pressure and encourages creativity. Try it!

Read it now.

What other techniques are you using to encourage original thinking in brainstorming?

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July 31st, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|Tags: ask mariposa, brainstorming, brainwriting, Fast Company, ideation, rebecca greenfield|

June 27, 2014 / Articles We Like

On: "Charles Eames on Design"

In this blog post, Charles Eames on Design, Maria Popova shares one of Eames’ little known interviews. Forty-two years later, the master’s words resonate now more than ever. He was the forefather of customer-centric innovation and design thinking.

I often say to my team and the leaders I work with, “an idea is only as good as its usefulness.” In this interview, Eames brings home the centrality of customer “need” in design over and over again, and he offers leaders a different way of seeing the world.

Charles & Ray Eames are design heroes of mine, and I favorite Maria Popova (@brainpicker) more than anyone else on Twitter. I hope you get something out of the interview like I have, and please share your thoughts!

Comment below! Or pose a question via Ask Mariposa.

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June 27th, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|Tags: charles eames, customer experience, customer-centric, design, design thinking, innovation, maria popova, Mariposa Leadership, ray eames|

May 29, 2014 / Articles We Like

On: "Use 'Design Thinking' to Reach Customers"

Would you rather: chase market share to grab revenue – at any cost – or offer value to your customers which returns respectable margins? If profit margins are important, this article by Andrew King and Jeanne Liedtka will resonate with you. Many businesses today get stuck in a rut because they can’t think outside the box about reaching their customers and adding value to their lives. This article shares an example of how design thinking can infuse fresh thinking into ongoing business challenges.

The Washington Post article “Use ‘Design Thinking’ to Reach Customers” highlights how Intuit used design thinking to turn ideas into innovation.

Read it now.

What business successes have you had with design thinking?

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May 29th, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|Tags: customer experience, design thinking, innovation, Jeanne Liedtka|

April 29, 2014 / Articles We Like

How to Know When It's Time to Quit Your Job

Have you been craving a change in your professional life?

If so, sometimes the best way is to take a drastic step…and resign from your job.

But how do you know when it’s time?

The answer is different for everyone, certainly, and it depends on your personal situation. For financial or other reasons, you may need to secure a new position before tendering your resignation.

And, there are some common themes that can indicate that it is time to dust off that résumé, pack up, and move on.

A clue as to where to start: look at your top three to five values—are they being honored? Click here to read more.

About the author:

Merideth Mehlberg is a Strategic Partner with Mariposa Leadership, Inc. and the Principal at Merideth Mehlberg International LLC. For more posts by Merideth, visit her blog.

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April 29th, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|

April 25, 2014 / Articles We Like

On: Beyond Customer Loyalty Programs – 7 Ways to Build Lasting Relationships

Are companies approaching customer loyalty in the wrong way? Article author, Mikkel Svane, founder and CEO of Zendesk, seems to think so. Programs – like buy ten, get one free – make it difficult to discern if a customer is drawn to the free item, or is truly loyal to your product. So what does it really take to drive loyalty?

In the Fast Company article, “Beyond Customer Loyalty Programs – 7 Ways to Build Lasting Relationships”, Mikkel contends establishing a human connection and developing empathy lies at the heart of customer loyalty. He outlines seven fundamental principles companies should adopt, which are based on how relationships work and are built.

Read it now.

How does your company build lasting relationships with customers?

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April 25th, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|Tags: business, customer experience, customer loyalty, customer relationships, Fast Company, loyalty programs, Mariposa Leadership, zendesk|

March 31, 2014 / Articles We Like

On: ‘Customer Experience’ is Today’s Business Benchmark

The latest business trend is a focus on the ‘customer experience’, and with good reason. Evidence exists that companies with the highest customer experience typically grow at more than double the rate of their competitors. We share the Forbes article, ‘Customer Experience’ is Today’s Business Benchmark, by Martin Zwilling because it offers a clear definition of and tips for improving and measuring your company’s customer experience. Measurement is key because without it, companies can focus on the wrong things which detract from growth.

Read it now.

How do you measure customer loyalty?

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March 31st, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|Tags: customer experience, customer loyalty, Forbes|

February 27, 2014 / Articles We Like

On: "Eight Essentials for Scaling Up Without Screwing Up"

From product development to HR, do you know of a leader that isn’t trying to identify and spread excellence within their organizations? We don’t (everyone is!), and that’s why this article by Robert I. Sutton resonates with us.

Meeting – and exceeding – customer needs is a top priority for most executives interested in building a customer-focused organization. Yet success requires scaling up the key beliefs, skills and actions that demonstrate excellence. This is no easy feat and if not managed well, can be a barrier to any corporate initiative, not just those that are customer-focused. The Harvard Business Review article, Eight Essentials for Scaling Up Without Screwing Up, is based on extensive research and outlines the key principles and actions for effective scaling.

Read it now.

What barriers do you encounter when trying to scale up?

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February 27th, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|Tags: customer focus, HBR, product development, robert sutton, scaling|