Our Strength is in the Power of Our Collective.

Last year we published our CX Insights Report and we predicted where Experience (X) was heading. We got some right, we got some wrong, but we are still putting all of our chips on People. The area that most often has the most student interaction is the dining program – and with that brings the chance to bring people together and foster relationships that last a lifetime.

One of the phrases employees hear most often during a major change is, “We’re still working through the details.” Usually that is true, and often it is the only honest answer available.

Before we design the workplace, we need to understand the work.

From a distance, some of that behavior can look like reluctance to move on. Up close, it is often employees trying to keep commitments, protect customers, and make sure important work does not stall while the organization is still figuring itself out.

"We apologize for the inconvenience." Possibly the four most overused words in customer service. They're usually delivered with a sympathetic smile, a rehearsed script, and just enough sincerity to make you wonder whether anyone actually believes them.

The companies people became most loyal to were often the ones that reduced effort. Ordering became easier. Navigation became easier. Support became easier. The experience felt intuitive and responsive instead of complicated and time-consuming.

As AI becomes better at predicting human behavior, are we becoming better at understanding people, or simply better at predicting their next action?

One of the biggest changes in workplace experience over the last several years is how much personalization people now expect in their daily lives.

The expectations organisations have of workplace have changed significantly. Workplace is now increasingly expected to contribute to culture, collaboration, employee experience, talent attraction and retention, organisational performance and business change.

Nobody wants to read instructions before making coffee, ordering a product, booking a flight, or using a new app. The best consumer experiences feel intuitive almost immediately. People can usually figure them out without much explanation.

Higher Education is in flux in most areas – and that includes the auxiliary services that serve as the more retail or student (guest) facing aspects of campus. This could be the dining services, parking, bookstores, retail shops, and merchandise. The area that most often has the most student interaction is the dining program – and with that brings the chance to bring people together and foster relationships that last a lifetime.

Long response times, or unclear ownership, create the feeling that the workplace isn’t being actively managed.

It starts when someone pulls into the parking garage already thinking about their first meeting. It starts when they’re trying to badge into the building while answering a Teams message on their phone.

The Sea Is Flat The US quit rate has fallen to 1.9%, the lowest in a decade outside the pandemic. The UK shows the same pattern. The Great Resignation is over.

Once friction is clearly identified, there is often a long list of potential improvements. Some are small and easy to address. Others are more complex and require coordination across teams. All of them can feel important.

Most organizations don’t struggle to collect feedback. They struggle to interpret it

At a basic level, employees are looking for four things: 1. What is changing 2. Why it is changing 3. When it will happen 4. Why it matters

This post starts a new series on reducing friction at work - focusing on how organizations move from feedback to action.

The final element is enablement systems - the tools, technology, and operational structures that make work possible at scale.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is a balancing act between efficiency and empathy - but is a must have to compete in business and customer experience.