{"id":7304,"date":"2020-08-27T01:05:27","date_gmt":"2020-08-27T06:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/?p=7304"},"modified":"2022-09-30T17:26:22","modified_gmt":"2022-09-30T22:26:22","slug":"how-do-we-create-a-customer-centric-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/how-do-we-create-a-customer-centric-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do We Create a Customer-centric Culture?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

It’s the Age of the Customer. In this day and age, becoming a Customer-centric Organization<\/a> is no longer just a differentiator–it is a necessity.<\/p>\n

Customers are now more demanding. Their expectations are higher. In fact, they expect companies to anticipate their needs.<\/p>\n

To truly become a Customer-centric Organization, we must adopt a Customer-centric Culture<\/a>. Research has shown that a Customer-centric Culture can drive superior financial results.<\/p>\n

So, what characterizes a Customer-centric Culture? Let’s begin by taking a look at the Corporate Culture Framework.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We see this Culture framework defines 4 core indices and 4 differentiating indices:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Collective Focus<\/strong> \u2013 emphasis on collaboration, teaming, and cooperation in operations.<\/li>\n
  2. Risk & Governance<\/strong> \u2013 focus on compliance, quality, and structure in operations.<\/li>\n
  3. External Orientation<\/strong> \u2013 oriented towards customers and external environment.<\/li>\n
  4. Change & Innovation<\/strong> \u2013 open to ambiguity, change, and risk to drive expansion and innovation.<\/li>\n
  5. Courage<\/strong> \u2013 employees exhibit courage and resilience when confronting adversity, ethical dilemmas, failures, or opposition.<\/li>\n
  6. Commitments<\/strong> \u2013 employees feel a sense of pride and ownership in the organization.<\/li>\n
  7. Inclusion<\/strong> \u2013 accepts and promotes diversity, uniqueness, and authenticity.<\/li>\n
  8. Shared beliefs<\/strong> \u2013 employees demonstrate commitment to organization-specific core values\/beliefs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"\"Core indices are foundational to Organizational Culture, whereas differentiating indices drive differentiated performance. Developing a more Customer-centric Culture requires full understanding and integration of core and differentiating indices. However, there is an emphasis on just 4 of these dimensions:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Collective Focus<\/li>\n
    2. External Orientation<\/li>\n
    3. Change & Innovation<\/li>\n
    4. Shared Beliefs<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Let’s dig a little deeper.<\/p>\n

      1. Collective Focus<\/h2>\n

      Understandably, organizations that provide exceptional Customer Experience<\/a> have strong collective focus. Collective focus means everyone in the organization is united in their understanding of their roles in delivering our Customer Value Proposition. Employees must internalize and appreciate this shared vision on what it means to deliver a great Customer Service.<\/p>\n

      To achieve this, significant resources must be devoted to communicating the Customer Value Proposition. Specifically, we must also conduct extensive employee training and coaching to ensure that company’s vision and value proposition are systematically represented in our service offerings and products.<\/p>\n

      Here are a several best practices related to enhancing our collective focus:<\/p>\n