Infusing Meaning into Customer-Centricity
Recently, my partner assumed the position of Vice President at a medium-sized global company. Throughout the two-day induction, the company's CEO was consistently present, even during social events. His constant presence had a significant impact on my partner’s understanding of his new company culture. Furthermore, the message conveyed to the new leaders during the onboarding process was crystal clear: as long as they lead in accordance with the company's core beliefs, they are fulfilling their role precisely as expected. This unwavering clarity regarding the company’s values and its central role in decision-making was established from his first day on the job. More importantly, it was exemplified by the CEO's actions. Creating a culture where people live and behave according to the stated values can be a challenging task. However, as my partner’s experience reflects, when the leadership is conscious of how their behaviors communicate the organization’s culture, the task becomes less strenuous.
After leading the implementation of many organization-wide strategies for cultural transformation, I've confirmed that the process is more complex and multi-dimensional than leaders anticipate. It has become evident that isolated initiatives may not be the most effective approach to reshaping an organizational culture.
Culture reflects the organization's true identity. It encapsulates how people think, behave, and adhere to unspoken norms. While many organizations have a clear sense of their identity, adding customer-centricity as a core value requires intentional efforts to make it an integral part of that identity.
Customer-centricity, in simple terms, involves creating an environment where customers are heard and respected, and where products and services are tailored to their needs. But it should be more than a revenue-boosting tactic—it should be a core belief, one that starts with respect and openness to the people inside the organization.
We are now witnessing a heightened focus on person-centered organizations. I couldn’t help but ask myself: How is it that we are currently giving precedence to individuals at the core? Why were organizations primarily product-centered for such a prolonged period, then shifted to customer-centered, only to recently acknowledge that the individual should be at the center? After all, weren’t the organization, its products, and services created by individuals – the persons – within the organization?
Customer-centricity has consistently revolved around the individual; all employees have been an integral part of the equation. We serve one another, we need one another, and we should all recognize that everything we do impacts someone else. The collective efforts of individuals, in turn, influence the people who place their trust (and money) in us by purchasing our product or service. So, my perspective on this is that a customer-centric process should start with these two questions: How can we instill a fundamental meaning into our customer-centricity value so that it becomes an intrinsic part of our identity? How can we authentically embody the belief that every person in the organization is a customer, and, consequently, at the core of our decision-making?
One thing is certain: instilling this level of meaning to the customer-centricity effort is unattainable in an unhealthy organization. These are organizations where individuals are not valued or heard, and their unique qualities go unrecognized. Decisions are made without considering their broader impact on people, customers, the environment, or the community. Leaders create workplaces where expression is suppressed, participation in decision-making is limited, and alignment with organizational or brand values is not enforced at their team level. Within unhealthy organizations, leaders tend to neglect the development of their teams. They fail to provide support for people, including themselves, to learn from failures, and they often fall short of fostering a sense of security. Furthermore, it all becomes evident when leaders just lack the shared vision to drive the company toward success.
While strategies addressing psychological safety, diversity and inclusion, emotional intelligence, leadership development, strategic planning, design thinking, team building, and change management, among many others, all contribute to helping leaders foster healthy work environments, the risk lies in the separability of these initiatives. If the leaders create a sound foundation of what they want the organization’s identity to be, and how to instill meaning into customer-centricity as a value, they increase the chances of creating a sustainable transformation.
To put it simply, while customer-centricity focuses on prioritizing customers' needs, wants, and desires in decision-making, it should also acknowledge that the primary customer is the person already in the company and those who will be part of it in the future. If leaders forget to infuse meaning into customer-centricity efforts, by neglecting to prioritize the people within, they could find themselves stuck in a cycle of transformation’s highs and lows. Establishing a culture where every voice matters, every person is valued, and every action is purposeful is crucial to embodying customer-centricity in your company. This, I believe, is a journey worth undertaking.
Let’s meet to discuss your customer-centricity transformation initiatives.
Revised November 2023
Written by Annie-Mariel Arroyo, PH.D
Dr. Annie-Mariel Arroyo-Calixto is a practiced organizational psychologist with more than 28 years of professional experience in organizational change and leadership development. Dr. Arroyo is the founder of Culture To Fit, where for the past 22 years, she has helped leaders build or reshape their organizational culture and lead transformation. She is a seasoned leadership educator and a renowned executive coach known for her ability to guide leaders in gaining deeper insights and self-growth.
