Do you remember Blockbuster, Circuit City, or Kodak? I ask because these brands are not around anymore. They were once the leaders in their field, the only game in town in some cases, but now they are gone. They disappeared because they didn’t respond to changes in the marketplace with new ideas.

It isn’t unusual for an organization to be set in its ways. Human beings are also reluctant to change their ways or even opinions. Psychologically, we tend to cling to what we believe and look for resources that support our views. It is only with effort that we see a different perspective. 

In this episode, we explore why it is that we tend to stick to our opinions rather than seeing the other side of an issue. We also talk about how diversity in opinions can help create a culture at an organization that is collaborative without being combative. Finally, we discuss ways that an organization can use diversity in opinion and viewpoints as the basis for creating new ideas that ensure their brand won’t disappear like a national brick-and-mortar video store in the 2000s. 

Key Ideas to Improve your Customer Experience

The inspiration for this episode was book by Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. Harari does an excellent job showing different viewpoints for long held and widespread beliefs that cause the reader to stop and reconsider their views on the topic. This open and balanced view of opposing opinions is what we advocate when trying to come up with new ideas that foster customer-driven growth in your organization. 

Here are a few key moments in the discussion: 

• 03:15  We talk about Sapiens and how the author asserts that becoming farmers probably didn’t make humans any happier than they would have been by remaining hunter gatherers.   
• 06:06  Ryan explains the psychological reasons that people have a hard time seeing multiple viewpoints on an issue or alternative solutions to the one they favor.    
• 09:49  We share one of the reasons we don’t want to accept other viewpoints, which involves conserving cognitive resources and other emotional reasons.  
• 13:22 Ryan shares how scientific progress leads to shifting paradigms, and these changes are good for everyone in the community.
• 16:35  We explain how a complex world needs complex solutions to resolve it, and anything less will not serve you to make the changes you need.  
• 19:37 We take turns sharing the four actionable ways you can incorporate this style of problem-solving and creative thinking in your organization, starting with gathering a diverse group of people together to collaborate.

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Customer Experience Information & Resources

LinkedIn recognizes Colin Shaw as one of the 'World's Top 150 Business Influencers.' As a result, he has 289,000 followers of his work. Shaw is Founder and CEO of Beyond Philosophy LLC, which helps organizations unlock growth by discovering customers' hidden, unmet needs that drive value ($). The Financial Times selected Beyond Philosophy LLC as one of the best management consultancies for the last two years. Follow Colin on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Click here to learn more about Professor Ryan Hamilton of Emory University. 

Why Customers Buy: As an official "Influencer" on LinkedIn, Colin writes a regular newsletter on all things Customer Experience. Click here to join the other 22,000 subscribers. 

Experience Health Check: You already have an experience, even if you weren't deliberate about it. Our Experience Health Check can help you understand what you have today. Colin or one of our team can assess your digital or physical Customer Experience, interacting with your organization as a customer to define what is good and what needs improving. Then, they will provide a list of recommendations for critical next steps for your organization. Click here to learn more. 

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