Business Pillars Part 4: Designing the Customer Experience
The leadership choices that quietly drive your best people away.
A few weeks back, I outlined what I call “Business Pillars,” the five critical elements to any kick-ass, top-notch, dominate-the-competition business. Over the coming weeks, we’ll do a deep dive into each of these pillars. You won’t want to miss it.
Our first pillar was Clarifying the Plan and Direction, and our second was Designing the Customer Experience. This week, the topic is Designing the Employee Experience. You know, the people who make all the magic happen? The ones who, without them, you don’t actually have a business at all?
I’ll admit it. This pillar is perhaps the most difficult for me.
It’s not that I don’t care about people. And it’s certainly not that I don’t admire and appreciate those who do great work day in and day out. It’s just that, well, there isn’t a “nurturing” bone in my body. So being intentional about making sure others feel safe, appreciated, and, dare I say, happy, does not come naturally.
Alas, I try. And I have many people in my life who push me to improve in this area. I am a work in progress.
So I’m speaking to you and to myself when I write what follows. Let’s dive in.
Definition of Excellence
Let’s start by defining what an amazing employee experience actually looks like.
At the end of the day, it’s quite simple. It’s 100 percent about how people feel about their leader, their teammates, and the environment they work in.
Excellence means the team likes and trusts each other.
Excellence means the freedom to provide truly honest feedback to leadership.
Excellence means Sunday night is filled with positive anticipation for the coming workweek, not dread.
Excellence means your team knows how they’re doing and has a plan for achieving their professional goals.
Excellence means promotion happens from within whenever possible.
That’s a lot. I know.
And you may be asking, “How do I know if they feel this way?”
It takes consistent communication and regular check-ins. It takes time together. And it takes intentionality in asking the right questions.
But this is the standard we’re shooting for. Here are the key elements for getting there.
Element 1: Excellence Surrounds Us
High-performing individuals do not tolerate low-performing coworkers. This is why keeping a sub-B-level team member can be so dangerous. The A-players look around and wonder, “Why are they still here?”
The reason for this is two-fold.
First, a sub-B-level coworker makes life more difficult for the A-player. They can’t fully trust that the person will hold up their end of an agreement.
Second, it makes the A-player feel like maybe they don’t belong. They look at the sub-B-level coworker and think, “I know I’m not like that. And if that’s what we accept here, then this probably isn’t my place.” So they start looking for an environment with a higher concentration of A-players.
How do you ensure quality stays high? Of course, it starts with hiring well. But after that, pay close attention to what your A-players say about new team members, both in their words and their body language. You’ll usually see the “tell” pretty early if there’s an issue.
Element 2: Empowerment Through Agency
Top performers don’t want to be micromanaged. We all know this.
But you have to take it a step further.
They need to be empowered.
That means giving them responsibility that stretches them. It also means telling them, repeatedly, that you believe in them and in their ability to succeed.
They need to know, deep down, that they have the power to enact change. That their ideas will be heard. That they have agency.
There is nothing more disheartening than seeing a problem clearly and knowing you’re powerless to fix it. People who consistently feel this way leave.
This bleeds into their personal lives as well. A great leader looks for ways to support their team personally, too. Maybe it’s a raise to accommodate a season of life. Maybe it’s flexibility in scheduling to support a passion project or family need.
And this is where I really struggle.
Yes, it’s company-first. But company-first does not mean neglecting the personal.
Element 3: We Are a Community
Let’s get one thing straight. Enough with the “we’re a family” thing.
A business is not a family. Does a healthy work environment have some familial qualities? Sure. But it’s not a family. I actually think that framing can be manipulative. “We’re a family, and people don’t leave a family, do they?” Just stop.
A healthy work culture is a community.
A community is a group of individuals who are connected, who look out for one another, and who share a vision for a common good.
As leaders, we need to invest in that community. We need to look for ways to bring people together, deepen connections, and break down silos as they form. We need to care for one another as humans and show up when someone needs help.
This is not a “next person up” mentality. It’s an “I’ve got you, and I’ll cover for you when you need it” approach.
Right now, we have two businesses operating out of the same campus. They serve very different customers. While a few team members work across both businesses, there is, at times, a subtle “us vs. them” mindset.
Our leadership team is actively looking for ways to eliminate, or at least diminish, that dynamic in the months ahead. We see it as a potential crack in the foundation of our shared success.
Element 4: Radical Candor
Kim Scott’s Radical Candor system is just the best.
The idea that we can communicate openly and honestly, boldly and directly, without causing unnecessary harm, is essential to a healthy employee experience.
Your team deserves the truth. It allows them to grow. And sometimes, it allows leaders to see where they were wrong.
And leaders deserve the truth, too.
This has to be reciprocal. We need our teams to tell us when we’re falling short. History is littered with fallen leaders who surrounded themselves with people unwilling to be honest.
Does this mean uncomfortable conversations? Of course. Can it mean weeks, or even months, of tension at times? Yes.
But the pain is worth it in the end.
Tools and Inspiration
Two authors and thought leaders shine on this topic.
The first is the aforementioned Kim Scott. Start with Radical Candor.
The second is Patrick Lencioni. Read The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, then dive into his other work. He teaches through business fables that are both accessible and profound.
Wrap Up
You pull into the parking lot at your business. A smile crosses your face. You see the vehicles of your team members and think of them one by one. You look forward to seeing them. You look forward to the conversations throughout the day. Their recent wins come to mind immediately, and you feel genuine gratitude.
This is the feeling you’re going for as a leader.
It’s also the feeling you want your team to have.
Designing an amazing employee experience leads to this. Trust me.
The next pillar we’ll cover is Communicating to the Market. This one is all about getting your message out into the world in the right way, at the right time, and on the right platform.
If you’d like to get this upcoming series directly in your inbox, please go ahead and subscribe. And of course, if you know someone who may benefit from this information, please share this email with them.
I appreciate you following along on this journey. As always, let me know if I can help in any way: scott@scottmonday.com.
My sister and I launched a podcast for sub-$20M business owners and operators. Episode 3 is out!
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Things I've Enjoyed Lately: I’m writing this newsletter from a hotel room in Las Vegas, a few hours before presenting to a group from Entrepreneurs’ Organization Accelerator. It’s a subgroup of EO for businesses working to break through the $1M revenue ceiling. I highly recommend it. I’ve met many program graduates who have gone on to build impressive businesses.