Applying CX methodologies to optimise our own careers
In 2020, Customer Experience was so key to the strategy of the major retailer I worked at, that there were five teams with CX in their title. Now, I'm not sure if any of those teams still exist.
I'm hearing of company after company that are either reducing the size of their CX teams, or dissolving them all together. This could be seen as a lack of interest in our discipline, or it could be a signal of our success.
The changing landscape of Customer Experience
We are living in a very interesting time. A time where we cannot be complacent around our jobs and our careers. Customer Experience was at the forefront of digital transformation. Our craft was in demand, and inhouse CX teams grew. I, for one, transitioned to CX at this time. Now we’re seeing a maturity in some of those companies, and the need for specialised CX teams seems to be fading. Customer Experience tools are being adopted wider and embedded into the very culture of some companies.
We’re in a time where all roles are under scrutiny. Companies are looking to AI to improve their productivity and ROI. Customer Experience, as a practice, must come under that same scrutiny. As individuals, this can be incredibly scary - adaptation and change are not easy.
And yet, as practitioners, we may well be the best equipped to handle this change. We have, by the very nature of our craft, the tools in our toolkits to unpack the most wicked problems. We do this in our work, every day. We start by forming a How Might We statement, then we ideate around it, we create prototypes of our ideas, and then we test them. We use this process to optimise existing processes and products and test into new opportunities.
Optimising our current role
If we are optimising an existing product, we first collect data on it, seek feedback, and build out a journey map to identify the opportunities. Then we ideate around those opportunities, and test their success. If we were to apply this process to ourselves, it would be to strengthen the value of what we can offer as individuals, in order to be better prepared for the next opportunity or role. We could seek feedback from those around us - peers, managers, those that are able to observe us at work.
One technique I’ve found useful is to take a senior manager out for coffee and ask them for feedback. One gotcha to watch out for though - they may ask for feedback in return, so that’s worth thinking about beforehand. If we’re taking this process seriously, we might construct a list of questions ahead of time, just like we were conducting a customer interview. And, we’d try to stay as neutral as possible throughout, just like a customer interview. It would be like we were collecting feedback on someone else, not ourselves. It’s tough to do, but really valuable if we’re completely open to it.
The next step would be to synthesise and theme the results. Again, trying to stay very objective. If you aren’t using a GPT at work, this could be a fantastic way to practice getting AI help to synthesise for you. I use Claude by Anthropic - the results for this kind of work are great, plus the UI and font are nice. Be honest with yourself about the results - if you’re seeing a theme that you know you need to address, then pushing into that could well make you more employable.
I have had feedback across the years that I needed to learn how to influence others. It’s one thing to have a strong opinion, but it’s another to be persuasive in your speech. This is something that I’ve leaned into - reading books on the subject (eg. Never Split the Difference, by Chris Voss), listening to podcasts (I highly recommend Matt Abrahams ‘Think Fast Talk Smart’ book and podcast series), and observing those around me who seem to have this one nailed. Then I’ve tested what I’ve learnt, always on my family first, then in the teams I’m working in. I’ve put myself intentionally into situations that will stretch me in this. That’s the prototype and test of this activity.
Then finally, gather feedback again. Is it working? Am I improving? Are people seeing a difference?
That whole process works wonders for growing your skill base. But what about when you need to make a full change - you’re wanting (or needing) to take on a whole new role or industry.
Prototyping your future
Going back to our toolkit, we have tools in there for testing a product or opportunity for a whole new market. We start with desk research, then we interview potential customers, we create a market test to collect feedback, and then if that’s successful, we scale. If we apply this process to ourselves, we might first brainstorm (Claude could help with this one too) roles that we could grow into. We could rank them on a quadrant of known to unknown and impact. Or given this is our career we’re talking about, it could be really obvious what you need to push into.
Let’s say for example, that you had strong UX and UI skills, but you’ve never had the chance to do any design research, and you see that more jobs are asking for it. Not suggesting they are, this is entirely hypothetical and an easy example to work with. To look into design research, you might start with desk research - what can you find out just by searching? Can you use Claude again to help find everything you need to know about design research? Can you watch a few online videos (Start by looking into local expert Nick Bowmast and grab a copy of his book, Userpalooza). Find out what you can from those you know who work in this area - maybe they could let you observe or note-take on a session. You could have a go at writing a test script on one of your own designs, and testing the process on a friend or family member.
Measuring success
Looking for tools in our CX toolkit to apply on ourselves has two fantastic benefits. The first is solving your own problems in a creative way. You can find new opportunities, push yourself further, and become more than you are now. You can design yourself to be highly employable in this market. Secondly, you’re actually strengthening your craft. You are developing your ability to use your tools in different ways. Especially if you’re sharpening your AI skills as you go.
Key takeaways
🔍 When optimising our current roles:
• Collect feedback (I've found coffee chats with senior managers invaluable)
• Map our professional journeys to identify growth opportunities
• Ideate solutions to strengthen our value
• Test and iterate our approaches
🌱 When prototyping our futures:
• Research emerging skills and roles
• Interview those already in target positions
• Create small tests to build new capabilities
• Scale what works
Customer experience still has plenty to offer the world. Let’s make sure we adapt ourselves to the needs of businesses so we remain current and relevant. Let’s be designers of our futures rather than victims of the circumstance. Let’s make sure we remain in the thick of tackling the wicked problems ahead.
