Fig leaf or true transformation – Digitisation and Leadership

Lectures are always a bit of self-therapy for the lecturer. Also for me at CCW2019 in my lecture on “Digitisation and leadership”.

Let’s not kid ourselves. The term “digitisation” is used in many companies – either to mark another box in bullshit bingo or to prepare the workforce for the need for change. Changes that demand a lot from each individual: maximum flexibility, high commitment, lifelong learning, personal sacrifices, and new responsibility. And at the latest, when we talk about the “future assumption of more valuable activities”, the circle of attentive listeners becomes clear.

Because the future breeding ground for successful leadership needs something else: a healthy corporate culture and the right attitude of each individual on the job!

How does the digitisation of customer service work?

Why many people are afraid of "digitization" and what has gone wrong in the contact center so far

Unfortunately – particularly in the area of customer care – a lot has been done in recent years to minimise the willingness of the workforce to actively help shape such changes.

A confusing jungle of key figures as far as the eye can see

Established control folklore that binds executives to reviews, telephone conferences, or mail servers instead of taking care of the people in their teams

Top-down communication without meeting the recipients

Control mechanisms that overemphasise a manager’s action rather than his/her sustainable success – “I informed my team” instead of “My team understood”

And every day minor manipulations that serve the personal success of each individual and which are tolerated as long as they provide a green traffic light

Rigid process landscapes that leave little room for the individuality of each customer

[here may be your example of what you’re thinking of]

Digitisation and leadership: Mindfullness vs. key figures

And suddenly “those out there” are talking about people like Bodo Janssen, operator of the hotel chain Upstalsboom, who took the results of an employee survey to heart and not like just another key figure. They talk about mindfulness and about changing attitudes and cultures.

These topics are not immediately measurable and cannot be pressed into the framework of key figures – let alone signify rapid economic success. At the same time, they come upon pyramidal companies and managers who are suddenly supposed to relinquish some of their responsibility. Managers who have drawn their own raison d’être from being decision-makers. What remains for the role of “manager” when the “decision-maker” epaulette is removed? How do attitudes or cultural change match productivity, efficiency, or buzzwords such as chat bots and artificial intelligence? As a manager, how do I find my personal compass between the much-loved KPI-driven day-to-day management and breaking out of my personal comfort zone?

Why is an agent’s answer to the question “What is really important to me?” perhaps more relevant to the success of customer service than the 0.578 seconds saved per customer contact? And how can I get them to even ask themselves that question? And are those who do not ask themselves this question suddenly no longer good employees?

Questions upon questions – I would like to invite you to think about your personal answers.

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