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What It’s About: I am continuing the series of digging deeper into my IcE10 Culture System. Check out the last two blogs on purpose and values.

Those that follow my system can recall that People First and Customer Obsessed kicks off IcE10. Why? My experience is that if people come to work and give others (whoever is receiving the output from that person) a great experience everyday, they go home very fulfilled most of the time. In most cases, they achieve much of the following: They help others succeed, solve pain points, act and respond in timely ways, are helpful, anticipate by giving more, act with enthusiasm and care, provide the unexpected in a wow kind of way, and ultimately build gratified followers.

So What?: When people feel the work they do is valued and helpful, it’s literally energy building. When they have to deliver and follow processes that are painful, bureaucratic, slow, and essentially the opposite of the above, it sucks the life out of them. They end up spending much of their work time apologizing and/or being frustrated by the negative energy created for all. It’s the genesis of the cynical retort, “I only only work here. Don’t blame me.” I was reminded of how miserable this is when recently watching the Netflix hit The Crown. In an episode, they showed a poor bloke, who eventually broke into Buckingham Palace (twice), lining up in the endless unemployment que, where a understandably crabby public service worker, behind a caged counter, asked the same obligatory, useless, question to countless unemployed, eight hours a day, before rubber stamping a voucher form. Could you imagine the wasteful indignity for all involved?

This same situation, although perhaps somewhat more subtle than The Crown example, happens in current organizations every day. We somehow think it’s ok to ask people to enthusiastically carry out non-valued added, even pain producing, work. It may be an internal process like procurement, benefit administration, expense reports, hiring forms and/or a customer process like on-boarding or product returns. This situation is the number one cause of poor employee engagement and morale. Pay and perks will not compensate on processes that are not designed with people being first, both in delivering and receiving.

Now What?: Be aware that every process is a design opportunity. Even if it’s a digital process, like signing on to a website, remember to make it smart, simple and helpful for the giver and receiver. Organizations are imperfect, and hence so are the processes they implement. However, when leaders understand that they are experience architects, and put a people first lens on, the outcome and output for all improves dramatically. What is soul sucking can become inspiring, energizing and even fun. If not, machines ought to be on both ends of the process. Humans are thankfully not machines.

Think Big, Start Small, Act Now.

- Lorne

One Millennial View: I liken this to a task like yardwork or household chores. Many people probably dislike mowing their lawns, raking leaves, or pulling weeds. However, if you put yourself (and anyone else participating) first, all of a sudden you have music blasting from a “yardwork playlist,” or your favorite podcasts involved. And maybe when you’re finished (or heck, in the process), you have a frosty beverage waiting for you to toast the accomplishment. Now that you’ve architected the experience, chores become an enjoyable activity. Just takes a little creativity.

- Garrett

Edited and published by Garrett Rubis.

Are You an Experience Architect?

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