To connect with your customers, it’s important to get out of your comfort zone. Now, I’m not advising you to do anything foolhardy. I’m talking about using communications tactics that might feel a bit risky and experimental.
Data visualization software can help data analysts more efficiently distill and communicate pertinent information to their customers. Likewise, the customization available in many data visualization packages enables consumers of data to more easily obtain and sort through the information they need. In a previous blog post, I explored how the U.S. General Services Administration isRead… Read more »
Organizations innovate for customers, but customers don’t think about innovation. In a digital world, customers think about ease and convenience, speed, security. Citizens care about receiving what they were promised. And in government, that means many things to many people. So if innovation means doing something different to add value for customers, what does itRead… Read more »
Remember the Empath on Star Trek? It was the name of an episode and a character on the original series. It aired in 1968. Empathy was central to the identity of a mind-reading alien. (She was a sort of super-empath who used her powers to absorb the injuries of others by taking them on herself.Read… Read more »
Your stare was holdin’, Ripped jeans, skin was showin’ Hot night, wind was blowin’ Where do you think you’re going, baby? Hey, I just met you, And this is crazy, But here’s my number, So call me, maybe! (chorus) Carly Rae Jepson – Call Me Maybe Although this song is almost two years old (anRead… Read more »
We truly appreciate the organizations and departments – our “customers” – that depend on us for their materials, goods, and services. Each agency, each division, each department has others relying on us for resources they need to complete their tasks – in the truest sense of the word, they are our customers. Customers can provideRead… Read more »
I just read this excellent article by Lean thinker Michael Balle called “Waste-Free Capitalism.” Most Americans accept that capitalism is the best economic model for allocating scarce resources and maximizing wealth. Most Americans also know that it isn’t perfect. Waste — until recently — has been seen as a “cost of doing business” or usingRead… Read more »
As the D.C. business community is dealing with many challenges these days, it is always good to keep all of your customer service capabilities as sharp as possible. With fewer dollars to chase, the competition is getting very stiff and contractors need to embrace new ideas for keeping government customers happy. I recently had theRead… Read more »
So you may have heard about that new Hunger Games movie or know a little something a boy named Harry, but honestly, why should you be reading young adult literature (YA Lit)? Isn’t it just for kids? Actually, no, YA Lit is awesome because it can teach some great lessons that you will actually enjoyRead… Read more »
Adam Grant writes in the June 2011 issue of Harvard Business Review that research shows that customers themselves are “surprisingly effective in motivating people to work harder, smarter, and more productively.” I’ve seen this phenomenon at work in government, as well as in private industry. I remember the story of a Virginia state trooper whoRead… Read more »