A few months back, I got offered an opportunity to create a new suite of training courses for an organization I like a lot. I would have owned the entire process, from planning to evaluation, and I would have had content producers to help me realise my ideas. These courses would have been my baby, and I would have had complete creative control over them.
Five years ago, a project like this would have been a dream.
But I turned that opportunity down. Why?
Continue reading →I am extremely happy to have attended my official graduation ceremony from UCL for my MA Professional Education and Training.
Thanks to UCL Institute of Education for putting on a wonderful virtual graduation ceremony to round off a fantastic Masters degree experience!
Attending at 3am over Zoom in my pajamas with a DIY mortar board made out of duct tape by my wonderful partner isn’t quite the way I imagined it would go when I started this degree, but it was a very heartfelt and memorable ceremony that I will remember fondly for always.
Continue reading →I have been on a long hiatus from social media and business-related blogging. 2020 has been like no other year, and I’ve been thinking a lot about what all this change in the world means for me personally and professionally. Now, I’m digging in again, and I wanted to share where I’m at.
I’ve been trying to articulate my stance on all of this and I think maybe a story helps.
Continue reading →I’ve had a awesome crazy amazing 2019, and I wanted to share a few highlights, personal and professional, that have made my year!
This degree saw me become a part-time hermit, read so many research papers that I thought my brain would explode, and cry on more than one occasion.
More than anything though it gave me an appreciation for how much of a journey professional learning is. How much learning is irrevocably linked to our egos, identities, and preconceptions. How much we box up and pigeonhole learning into professions and tight areas when really it’s learning along the boundaries between them that’s full of the most tenacious issues. How much learning is vulnerable, and messy, and if you’re doing it properly, it can sometimes make you feel really crappy.
Continue reading →Any article that myself and the brilliant Bob Furniss are both in is very good in my book!
Click through to read this great writeup of our respective ICMI Connections sessions.
Here’s my section…
Continue reading →I’m really happy to be featured as CX Accelerator‘s Community Member Spotlight for November!
Click here to go through to the Community Spotlight page or just read my interview below 😊
Continue reading →In late October I had the privilege to present at ICMI Connections 2019 in Chicago. My session was called Fantastic Bots and How to Build Them – an hour-long trip through chatbot goals, planning and implementation.
Continue reading →Holiday shopping season isn’t easy. Even for the most well-organized customer service functions, seeing query volumes and queues rise into the red can be a hair-raising and difficult experience to handle.
When it comes to holidays some things don’t change, like presents under the tree, turkey at Thanksgiving, and even customers’ expectations of service. A difficult shopping experience during the holidays can deter them from coming back and leave businesses with less than favorable reviews, and the resulting impact can be felt all year round.
64% of retailers are preparing internally to meet customer expectations this holiday season by transforming processes to become more agile and customer-focused. Prioritizing the customer experience when getting your customer service team ready for the season can help mitigate this and remove friction from customer interactions.
Continue reading →We’ve all been there. It’s your first day on a new job and you’re trying to figure out how things work. There’s lots to be done – relationships to be built, goals to be set and plans to be drafted. You’re learning how to work in a new environment, and trying to battle the exhaustion that comes with that while remembering everyone’s names and figuring out what your priorities should be.
Nearly every type of job contains a similar pathway through your first days and weeks, while you try to get to grips with the new reality of your working world. But Customer Experience (CX) specifically holds some challenges that many new leaders can take weeks or months to grasp.
Here are a few tips to try and demystify those challenges upfront, to make your initial transition easier:
Continue reading →My phone rings. It’s a mobile number, and I’m expecting a call.
I pick up the phone. An automated voice responds:
“We are calling to inform you that the IRS has filed a lawsuit against you…”
I hang up, frustrated, and block the number. I’ve heard this same message all month long.
Continue reading →
