In order to truly understand what I am experiencing, you need to walk in my shoes. We’ve all heard this line dozens if not hundreds of times in one form or another. It conjures up images of empathy, understanding and appreciation of someone else’s situation.
In a business context, why not actually apply the quote? Instead of walking in someone else’s shoes in a figurative sense, make it experiential and literal. Walk in the other parties’ shoes, whether they are a customer, co-worker, supplier, or any other stakeholder closely involved with the business.
Think about customers. Salespeople are always trying to better understand the customer’s situation; if you know the customer’s business, then you can propose better solutions. Customer service representatives are trying to better appreciate the customer’s issue when he calls for help. The customer wants that understanding.
Make it happen. Set up arrangements with your customers where your salespeople or your customer service people work at your customer’s location for a day. What they do is up to the customer, but ideally they would work in an area where your product or service is used.
Real Experience
If your people experience your products and services in the customer’s environment, several things happen. They learn first-hand what works and what doesn’t work. They can identify areas where improvements would help the customer. They also learn applications for your products and services, and whether the intent for the product or service (the features and benefits you espouse) is reality when the customer uses them.
Start with the top 20 percent of your customers. Work out an agreement with them, and make sure your people understand the responsibility involved with them working at your customer’s location. They’re not visiting; they are working.
Think about your employees. Most people do the same thing each day. It might be production, or finance, or administration, or sales, or customer service. They get good at what they do. But, they can also get bored and separated from the rest of the organization.
Consider job rotation. Set up a schedule where everyone works someone else’s job on a regular basis. This will not only improve the skill set of the workforce, but also increase teamwork and camaraderie.
Overcome The Blahs
Employees can overcome possibilities of boredom, and gain appreciation of others’ work and their impact on others’ work. The organization has the possibility to gain efficiencies because new sets of eyes are applied to how things are done. Cross training will also provide much more flexibility to address fluctuations in work load and staffing needs.
Communication increases among employees, teams and departments. The normal departmental walls even start to disintegrate because empathy and appreciation become experience and reality.
Consider your supply chain. There are suppliers to you, and organization to whom you supply products and services. Much as you set up arrangements for employees to work at your customers, consider similar arrangements with your supply chain partners. Doing so will help in understanding the impact of scheduling demands, changes in schedule, and coordination of efforts.
Walking a mile in someone else’s shoes is more than just a nice sentiment. It can be a best business practice that increases bonds and commitments with customers, employees, and partners. Actually walking in someone else’s shoes turns empathetic feelings into real experiences.
Ken Cook is Managing Director of Peer to Peer Advisors, an organization that facilitates business leaders helping each other. You can reach him at kcook@peertopeeradvisors.com.
