We’ve all seen it on countless competitor websites: “We strive to exceed our clients’ expectations!” It’s a seemingly innocuous statement, a badge of honor in many industries. But what if there’s a better approach? What if exceeding expectations, while well-intentioned, actually undermines your value proposition? This article challenges the traditional “exceeding expectations” mantra used throughout […]

In the world of customer feedback surveys, there exists a prevalent misconception that merely soliciting input from customers is enough to drive business growth, enhance customer experience, and align with expectations. While customer feedback is undeniably valuable, this belief oversimplifies the process and ignores the nuanced strategies required to effectively gather and utilize feedback. To […]

I heard a speaker say recently, “There is no reason for any firm to apologize for its need to make a profit.  ”He was right. Profitability is essential to the health of any business. Furthermore, it’s necessary to enable a business to continue to grow and provide jobs for its employees as well as service […]

“What do you mean it can create a negative outcome? If I at least try to improve my employees’ experience, will it not at least benefit them and the firm a little bit?” This was the comment from a COO of a 400-person firm I shared in last month’s blog, CX & EX: Vicious or […]

You want (and need) your highly successful project managers to generate sales opportunities for your firm. Your clients love them and the work they do, but there’s one problem. Your strongest DOERS aren’t seller-doers. Nothing against them, they work hard. Nevertheless, many of these PM’s are uncomfortable engaging with clients about upcoming pursuits. When asked […]

It doesn’t have to. I recently had dinner with a client while at an industry event. He’s the young leader of a regional office for a larger firm. He shared his story: “Six hundred percent growth in just a couple years. Most of my peers would envy what we’ve done. I’m not sure my staff […]

“The growth of our firm has created more challenges than it has benefits.” This is a quote from the principal of a 660-person construction firm that has been growing quickly. They went from 300 to 660 employees in just 4 years and have felt the growing pains. Several additional comments from their executive team: “My […]

Anyone who has worked in an office has had the experience of walking into a meeting to discover that management is launching yet another initiative, program, or system to address a need or problem in the organization. Many of us have become accustomed to watching these programs come and go without ever getting immersed in them. We […]