Page 20 - Delivering Authentic Customer Experiences

Principle 1 Delivering Authentic Customer Experiences

Know thyself

Socrates, the classical Greek philosopher, is reputed to have said
that the two most important words with regard to personal
intelligence were know thyself. In any business, particularly those
with a small number of employees, the values, beliefs, attitudes
and aspirations come directly from the business owner. If you
want to be successful, you have to take a good look in the
metaphorical mirror and embark on a continual journey of self-
discovery. Identify and play to your strengths and be mindful of
your vulnerabilities and areas for improvement.

To be a success, you’ll need a blend of technical and behavioural
skills, with the latter arguably being the more important in your
role as leader, negotiator and influencer. In any business, the first
customer is YOU, closely followed by the people you employ and
then by your end users.

A few years ago, my friend Mel told me a story about her son, now
a tall, handsome, smart young man. However, the tale she tells
relates to his very early years. Apparently, when he was
introduced to anyone, one of his first questions was, what are you
for? I’m guessing he didn’t realise the power in those four words
when he said them as a child. After all, on the surface it’s such a
simple question, but it has hidden depths. When I first heard it, I
was surprised by its philosophical impact and for some time
afterwards I asked myself the same question - what am I for? Why
do I do what I do? What do I want to achieve and what am I
prepared to do to get there? It’s a powerful business question too.
It’s worth asking whether you’re a start-up, or a well-established
business because it seeks to uncover your values, those things
that drive your behaviour and keep you real.

In an instantly connected world, the lines between home and
work have become blurred and difficult to separate. Ever done a

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