steelcase blog

Drive vs. Driven …

… there is a big difference between these two words, especially as it relates to motivation.  This is described in detail in Daniel Pink’s new book by that same title, Drive.  Pink presents anecdotal evidence that in the past motivation was created through ‘carrots and sticks’,… rewarding activities you want to see more of and punishing those you want less of (managers drive the behaviors they want).  So what motivates workers today…?  It’s inherent in the satisfaction one has with the activity itself says Pink; the challenge the activity presents and the purpose behind its intent (employees are driven to do more).  True for all workers…?  I would say ‘yes’ to a greater or lesser extent based on the type of worker.  As is true of ‘carrots and sticks’, depending on the worker in question.

One size clearly does not fit all,… when it comes to motivation.  It just so happens that while I was reviewing Drive, I was reading a second and equally good book titled Clever by Rob Goffee & Gareth Jones.  It does an excellent job of defining the type of person (a clever) which responds to the intrinsic rewards which Daniel Pink describes.  And how to lead these types,… which I plan to talk more about at a later time.  Goffee & Jones describe clever workers as “highly talented individuals with the potential to create disproportionate amounts of value from the resources that the organization makes available to them.”  Note the catalyst in this definition – the resources the organization makes available.

All three authors talk to the importance of creating the proper ‘environment’ for great work to flourish.  Whether it be the freedom to do what interests them,… the challenge of working on larger than life problems,… the physical setting (spatial considerations) and technological tools (informational considerations) to support their process of design thinking/ideation,… or the opportunity  to work with other clevers (social considerations) inside the company, or more importantly outside the company.  These all matter,… and will determine just how much one leverages the potential of your best employees.  More or Less…?

Fee or Free …

 … a critical decision when creating a new or improved ‘experience’.  As an experience designer, the primary goal is to raise the overall satisfaction level of those that take part in whatever experience is being developed.  This is done by engaging each participant in a personally meaningful, and memorable, way.  While most every activity one is involved in can be called an experience,… the vast majority are not ‘designed’, thus one’s visceral reaction is somewhat the result of chance or nature (e.g., a flat tire or a beautiful sunset).

But assuming it is an experience that a company designs/develops in hopes of influencing their customers/guests/users,… their reaction, in theory, is intentional based on the design.  “The Ritz Carlton has created the expectation that its business will be the standard-bearer for memorable customer experiences”, as stated in The New Gold Standard by Michelli.  Whether the intended reaction is comfort, performance, excitement, pleasure, informed, or simple satisfaction,… each can contribute to a positive experience if done well.
 
The ‘fee or free’ question is really a matter of degree.  Just how good can an experience be…?  Is it unique enough, and powerful enough, that the individual or group involved in an experience sees ‘added’ value,… value above that which they can get for free.  Is the experience you’re developing merely a ‘cost’ of doing business, in that it is expected because all your competitors are doing.  Is the experience good enough that the participating party decides to pay more for that which you do charge for (e.g., get a premium for a stereo with free installation). 

Or, is it SO GOOD, that others are willing to pay just for the great experience (e.g., Disney theme parks).  It’s a choice, an economic decision,… will it be an expense of the business,… will it be an opportunity to hold or even raise revenues of billable items,… or will it be the source of new revenue.  It’s what LaSalle & Britton call ‘Value Experience’ in the book Priceless).  Cash or Cost…?

Customer or Guest …

… maybe the two most common terms for whom a company sells to.  But what’s the difference…?  This question seemed to continually surface as I read through the 51 truths of a book by Brian Till and Donna Heckler (The Truth About Creating Brands People Love).  I concluded there is a huge difference between these two common references.  And which you choose as an organization says a lot about how you define your value as well as your relationship to the end user.  A farmer cuts and bundles wheat and sells it to a ‘buyer’.  The farmer has no clue what their wheat will be made into, and who will enjoy it in the end,… the buyer is a middleman, and the relationship with the ultimate user is nonexistent.  Most manufacturers refer to those who buy their goods as a ‘customer’, even though the end user may not be the one who actually made the purchase,… as in the case of a retailer.  Either way both represent a very limited relationship.

A deeper relationship exists when a service is provided, as when getting your hair cut or eating at a restaurant.  A better term in this case would be ‘patron’,… especially if they are a regular.  Such services take some time to complete, and during that time the patron or user is the focus of attention.  Even greater attention and more time are extended when an experience is staged for the benefit of an individual or group of individuals.  As such, the term ‘guest’ is appropriate,… as a higher level of service is provided over a longer period of time.  A destination resort or theme parks are good examples of guests partaking of an experience.

There might even be a level higher than this, where an experience is customized to such an extent that the result is a permanent change in the user.  Maybe the term ‘client’ would be right,… as it generally defines a more personal relationship over a much longer period of time.  From buyer, to customer, patron, guest or client,... each stage providing greater value through a more directed interaction between seller and end user.  Which defines you…?
 

Product as Marketing…

… I read a couple short books these past few weeks, each highlighting the importance of ‘what you do’ vs. ‘what you say’.  The first is the story of Zingerman’s, a deli with a funny name in Ann Arbor, MI,… a business that Inc. Magazine called “the coolest small company in America.”  The second, by Alec Bogusky & John Winsor, is titled Baked In.  In different ways both express the need to bring marketing participation/thinking into the idea development process early on,… preferably right from the start.

Zingerman’s doesn’t spend a lot of time promoting itself through traditional media.  It’s too busy just doing what it does best ‘selling food that makes you happy and giving service that makes you smile’.  Their product/service offering is their marketing in action,… customers become Zingerman zealots because of the experience that has been carefully staged on their behalf.  And the customers are part of the innovation itself, commenting first hand on that new batch of cheese or marinated meat.  Bogusky & Winsor would say this is exactly what qualifies you as a ‘baked in’ company,… a company that encourages its customers to have a say in what you offer, and what you offer is tailored to satisfy their specific needs.

Another term that somewhat relates to this same concept of product as marketing is ‘the participation economy’.  Not sure who claims it,… but it has been referenced by Kevin Roberts (author of Lovemarks), and Tm Brown (IDEO CEO) in a series he did for Fast Company and shares further details in his blog Design Thinking.  They talk about pulling the user in, making it possible for them to share in the generative process,… designing products/systems that encourage ongoing participation.  A great Tim quote, “manufacturers must see themselves as experience curators not product makers”,… shifting from an emphasis on what you make to what you make possible.  Engaging your customers…?

Mass AND Customization…

… why is that ‘AND’ stuck in the middle of a fairly common business term ‘mass customization’ (coined by Stan Davis in his book Future Perfect)…?  Because it is the key to the concept, and often overlooked.  But that’s not usually the case.  A firm tends to be more ‘mass’ (greater efficiency) or more ‘customization’ (greater individuality),… but a few have optimized for both.  Take for example GNC, the vitamin company.  They package and ship a Vitapak just for you.  More green vegetables, they can do it,… help for allergies, no problem.  And a combination of Vitapaks or specific other pills can be built into a personal profile called ‘my regimen’,… and remind you when it is time to reorder.  What makes it work is that they have developed and produced a number of different vitamin modules,… that can be combined in many different ways to match the demands of any one consumer.  Any company that has componentized the various elements of their offering in a way that reduces cost and waste (mass), and then tailors the final packaging and/or assembly based on a particular customer order only after the order is placed (customization),… earns the ‘mass customization’ badge of honor.

The above has huge implications for experience design.  Customizing a good creates a service opportunity,… customizing a service makes for a compelling experience.  If you get exactly the same good or the same service the previous customer got, where’s the positive impression, where’s the memorable encounter…?!  There is none.  Companies that don’t take the time to engage  each customer to identify what they value, and instead focus on making a good or providing a service at the lowest possible cost,… have actually sown the seeds of the own demise.  Due to their lack of tailoring, what they offer will be based on price alone.  And the next time they buy, the customer will expect to pay less.  It’s a never ending downward spiral to commoditization,… and the opportunity for profits spirals down as well.  Commoditization or customization...?