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Dec 01
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Transformative Traits Learned Through the Music Industry

By Business, Jered

With Valerie Rodriguez and Jon Blum in Nashville last week – a city pulsating with musical energy – it has us thinking about the connection between music and leadership. We’ve had intriguing conversations around the office lately about how many high-performing leaders have a background in music study. So, inspired by the vibrant music scene all around us, we thought it was the perfect time to share some of those thoughts with our network.

The benefits of music study have long been written about in the academic world, and many pages have been dedicated to why we need to fund music education as part of our national education curriculum in the US. I’m not here to argue any of that, but I do see several traits consistent among various leaders that can be and are often developed through music study. I also see things that I learned as a musician that have helped me become more successful in business.

Prolonged Perseverance

Music study requires an exceptional level of discipline and focus. To achieve any level of proficiency at playing an instrument, one must adhere to a strict practice routine that includes daily repetition and sometimes long hours without seeing many results. I have, at times, spent weeks working on a specific technique on the guitar and made no measurable progress, and then suddenly I can just do it. You may have to play a passage dozens, maybe even hundreds of times, to not only play it with the proper technique, but to craft the nuance of the phrasing to evoke the emotion you want to convey. The musician must be able to visualize the payoff of all of this work to keep them motivated to continue the endeavor. These are the same qualities that leaders need to navigate complex challenges and maintain a strategic focus.

Emotional Intelligence

Strong leaders often have a high degree of emotional intelligence and empathy. They understand the dynamics of their team, how to motivate them, and how to lead them to success. Music, at its core, is a vehicle for emotional expression, and it teaches individuals to convey the range of human emotion through the nuance of a musical line. To do it well takes great attention to detail and the ability to translate a feeling into a sound. This heightened emotional intelligence translates directly into more empathetic and effective communication in leadership roles. Playing in an ensemble, no matter the genre requires listening, understanding, and responding to fellow musicians. Ensemble playing also sharpens collaborative abilities. These skills directly apply to leading diverse teams.

Creative Problem Solving

Creativity and innovative problem-solving are vital in today’s business landscape. Through improvisation and composition, music encourages creative thinking and often brings a new solution to an old problem. Miles Davis and John Coltrane played in the same band for several years, and while you could easily tell them apart when they soloed because one was a trumpet player and the other played saxophone, you could still hear stark differences in their note choices, phrasing, and how they generally approached a solo over the same set of chords.

Confidence Under Pressure

I have personally found that performing music live has helped me develop the ability to adapt, manage nerves, and creatively solve problems in the moment. There is nothing quite like going to hit your first chord on the electric guitar in front of a packed house and having no noise coming out of the instrument because something went wrong with the equipment! It’s not fun, but it will certainly teach you how to manage your fear and problem-solve under pressure! Live performance can also help develop poise and confidence, translating into public speaking engagements and even Zoom meetings.

Examples

In researching and preparing to write this post, I encountered several prominent leaders in various fields who had a strong musical background. A few of them surprised me.

  • Condoleezza Rice: Former U.S. Secretary of State, an accomplished concert pianist who almost pursued a music career.
  • Harry Truman: 33rd U.S. President, a concert pianist who also considered a career in music.
  • Alan Greenspan: Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, played saxophone and clarinet professionally in the 1940s. Greenspan once acknowledged the link between music and his career, stating:
“I was a pretty good clarinet player… I can tell you that the training of a musician is quite different from the training of an academic. Much of it has to do with the capacity to take a very large body of information and, almost instantaneously, make a judgment about the relevance of that information to what you’re doing
  • Paul Allen: Co-Founder of Microsoft, played electric guitar and for years played in a rock band.
  • Larry Page: Co-Founder and former CEO of Google, studied saxophone, flute and composition in his teenage years and credited that study to his success in computing.
  • Neil Armstrong: U.S. Astronaut, played baritone horn in high school and continued to play throughout his life.
  • Albert Einstein: German Physicist, was said to have been extremely talented on both piano and violin.
  • Bill Clinton: 42nd U.S. President, skilled saxophonist who famously played on The Arsenio Hall Show.
  • Steven Spielberg: Acclaimed film director who plays clarinet and deeply appreciates classical music.
  • Bruce Dickinson: Lead singer of Iron Maiden, commercial airline pilot, entrepreneur, and fencer.
I encourage you to consider leaders that you admire who may also have music study in their background. You may find more of them than you expect. If you have ever considered learning a musical instrument yourself, I strongly encourage you to pursue it. Engaging with it does not necessarily require public performance, but I believe that studying an instrument for your own enjoyment enriches the soul and can even teach valuable lessons that can be applied to your personal and professional life.
Nov 05
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Enhancing Customer Experience with AI-Powered Agent Augmentation

By Business, Valerie

Customer expectations are higher than ever—they expect quick, accurate resolutions and personalized service, whether interacting with a human or a bot.  AI is revolutionizing customer support and call centers, moving from traditional reactive models to proactive, customer-centric service centers. Instead of replacing agents, AI can elevate customer experience by augmenting agents’ abilities, improving efficiency, and cutting costs, while still boosting satisfaction.

AI’s Key Roles in Call Centers
AI should enhance—not replace—agents, enabling a seamless blend of digital efficiency and human touch:

  • Automating Repetitive Tasks
    AI-powered bots handle routine tasks like account balance checks or order tracking, letting agents focus on complex, high-value interactions. This reduces wait times and provides a quick self-service option for customers.
  • Agent Assistance
    AI tools provide agents with real-time information and suggest responses based on customer intents and sentiment, streamlining their work, and ensuring consistent, high-quality experiences.
  • Task Prioritization
    AI analyzes context and urgency to prioritize tasks, ensuring critical issues or high-value customers receive prompt attention.
  • Quality Assurance
    AI can review large volumes of interactions for compliance and performance insights, far beyond the manual sampling that used to be industry standard.
  • Personalization through Insights
    AI gathers customer data to recognize patterns and tailor interactions, creating a journey that feels personalized and insightful.

The AI Optimization Lifestyle
The real value of AI in call centers lies in its design and alignment with operational goals. Implementation is only the beginning—ongoing optimization lets teams refine experiences using data-driven insights for sustained impact. By embracing an AI-augmented environment, companies can drive operational efficiency and create a better experience for customers and employees alike.

Sep 24
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Cross-Industry Connections: The Key to Personal Growth and Professional Power

By Business, Valerie

If you’ve ever experienced the Infinite Green or Ready. Set. Pivot (RSP) team in action, you’ll know that the power of collaboration is deeply ingrained in our approach. The connections we make as individuals and companies are some of the most valuable assets we can cultivate. These are the relationships that expand our views, enhance our happiness, and enrich our personal and professional lives.

Moving beyond the legacy networking of exchanging business cards at industry-isolating events has been an intentional effort that has proved successful through unexpected opportunities, personal and professional growth, and continued value. At the forefront is the relationship between Infinite Green and Ready. Set. Pivot. (RSP), where we’ve collectively enjoyed success through merging our networks and watching the outcomes when 2 passionately led and inspired groups of individuals serve each other in ways that we couldn’t alone.

Here’s a few reasons to engage beyond your Industry/Vertical:

 

  • Building a More Inclusive and Balanced Professional World: First and foremost, we must acknowledge the gender gap, especially in the Tech industry. With 64% of tech workers being men, and only 20% of tech executives being female, engaging with professionals from different industries and demographics is paramount. When you actively seek out connections with people who don’t look like you or share your background, you contribute to a more diverse and balanced professional ecosystem.
  • Expanding Opportunities: Opportunities often arise from the most unexpected places and you’ve likely already saturated your direct contacts with your sales pitch and referral incentives. When your network spans across industries, you’re more likely to be in the right place at the right time to seize these opportunities.
  • Personal Growth and Fulfillment : The more you engage with different people, the more you grow as a leader, thinker, and individual. These interactions can lead to new friendships, mentorships, and partnerships that enrich your life in ways that extend far beyond the workplace.

Infinite Green and Ready. Set. Pivot are committed to attending and creating opportunities to put this into practice. A few examples are:

  • Cross-Industry Social Events like the Rise & Shine Summer Breakfast Series coordinated by RSP or a book club that gets you to pick up a new hobby while meeting awesome new friends and other business leaders
  • Interest-Based Groups like an alumni gathering or walking group, which gathers people based on shared interests and hobbies rather than professional affiliations. Incorporating movement into activities has additional professional benefits including higher energy levels and improved focus. ·
  • Mentorship – Offer to mentor someone from a different industry or seek out a mentor with expertise outside your own; this is a core component of the RSP community. Infinite Green has also put this into practice with recent interns who have provided significant value in adding perspective and skills to the team.
  • Volunteer with community organizations that support important causes like Infinite Green’s recent activity at @ThreeSquareFoodBank in Las Vegas. Doing good is always good – and often brings together diverse groups with a passion for making a difference in the community
  • Bring a Friend/Spouse, etc. – it’s not uncommon to find a friend, spouse, or partner of our teams at any of our events. This is just another way to facilitate the expansion of our personal and professional networks while having a great time doing so!

The Time to Connect is Now
There is no better time to start building these valuable connections than now. Waiting for the “right moment” can result in missed opportunities, while those who actively seek out new networks and collaborations are the ones who ultimately lead the way in innovation and growth.

May 30
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Infinite Green Partners with Artificial Solutions

By Business, Latest News, Press Releases, Technology

Infinite Green Partners with Artificial Solutions to Enhance Customer Experience Strategies with Differentiated Artificial Intelligence Powered Self-Service Solutions

Infinite Green a global consulting firm specializing in customer experience design, development, and operations announced today that it has signed a partnership agreement with Artificial Solutions www.artificial-solutions.com, the natural language interaction (NLI) specialist that enables users to have meaningful, humanlike interactions with technology across channels of service.

This partnership will allow Infinite Green to add conversational solutions to their portfolio of services and amplifies Artificial Solutions’ presence in the U.S. market.

“Every customer should expect and receive excellent service, regardless of the technology they are using or the channel they choose to interact with companies. We help companies understand that an interaction with a customer is an opportunity to reinforce brand messages, drive revenue and loyalty, and prove the importance of creating great, consistent customer experiences for their clients,” says Jon Blum, Chief Illuminator and co-founder of Infinite Green.

This vision fits perfectly with Artificial Solutions proposition for the market, Teneo®, a platform that allows companies to develop conversational solutions that can be used to provide omnichannel and highly personalize customer experiences.

“Solutions built with Teneo® deliver the intelligent, personalized user experiences their clients want today, and the natural language capabilities to grow the Artificial Intelligence enabled experiences that will be demanded in the future,” Andy Peart, Chief Strategy Officer of Artificial Solutions. “Together with Infinite Green we look forward to helping companies wow their customers with humanlike intelligent conversations while getting instant actionable data that can help shape future products and services”.

AI is quickly becoming part of our everyday lives, hence it makes sense that companies use it to deliver great customer experience too. But the practical applications and where they fit within great experience design can be challenging for companies to deliver. Implementing AI powered self-service solutions can be the first step of the journey towards digital transformation for companies that want to remain competitive yet are not ready to completely change their structure. Teneo®, allows enterprises to rapidly build a range of artificially intelligent natural language applications in 35 languages, running over any OS, on any device, in record time and without the need for specialist linguistic skills.

The Teneo® platform clearly focuses on the conversational language as the key starting point, rather than how well each use-case process can answer singular questions. The interface and ease of building from there is where this truly gets exciting. This is the difference that Infinite Green sees as a game changer.

“We all know what the robotic voices of a phone menu sound like, but functionally where they typically fail is at the basic levels. Artificial Solutions has given us new energy around existing client projects and also those who needed to wait until their foundations were more established before introducing these types of applications,” says Blum “In a sense, we can help companies do business faster, and at a steeper trajectory towards customer experience excellence too.”

About Artificial Solutions:

Artificial Solutions® is the leading specialist in Natural Language Interaction (NLI), a form of Artificial Intelligence that allows people to converse with applications, websites and devices in free-format, natural language, using speech, text, touch or gesture.

Its enterprise-strength, conversational AI platform, Teneo®, allows business users and developers to collaborate on creating humanlike NLI applications that run across 35 languages, multiple platforms and channels, all in record time without the need for specialist linguistic skills.

Artificial Solutions’ NLI technology makes it easy for enterprises to benefit from a wide range of natural language applications such as virtual assistants, conversational UIs and data insights. Its technology is deployed by hundreds of public and private sector organizations and used by millions of people. For more information visit www.artificial-solutions.com

About Infinite Green:

Infinite Green Consulting Inc. is an experience design and development firm headquartered in Minneapolis Minnesota, with additional offices in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Denver, and London England. Infinite Green specializes in customer-facing experience optimization, technologies that support better employee and customer experiences, Omni-channel acceleration, and the skilled resources to drive operational sustainability.

Infinite Green has driven successful engagements to over 125 clients since 2009 and has returned over $5B US in value via increased revenue, measurable loyalty improvement and cost containment solutions during that time period. For more information go to www.goinfinitegreen.com

May 24
Love0

Partnership Is Essential

By Business, Jon

Why don’t more contact centers/departments employ or directly partner with marketing talent in their quest for greater customer connections? In over 100 projects in 9 years with Infinite Green, and prior to that in my corporate career, I rarely witnessed this. Yet, I had my most successful “customer movements” when we (operations and marketing) both sat down and just talked. 

Any chance that one way to insights and innovation at speed is embedding a marketing resource into contact centers, and maybe a contact center agent into marketing design sessions?

I had the opportunity to share this perspective with wicked smart people in my Geek Squad days and during our “customer centricity” growth times at Best Buy. The results were magical. Insights were desired, brand focus and a look ahead was valuable currency, and much-needed linkage to a “higher purpose.” 

At Infinite Green, we advise our clients to bring these two groups together, and then just let the value of the collaboration spring to life. Some of the best co-designed experiences happen when CX, Brand, and Operations come together. So why don’t more companies do it? 

-Jon Blum

Jul 20
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Culture as a Platform

By Business, Scott

For anyone that knows me, I am not a big fan of industry buzz terms.

The “Internet of Things,” “Big Data,” and “Omni-Channel” are the latest examples that drive me bananas. Not because they don’t have foundational meaning and value, because they all do. It’s because they get bastardized into products and services that sell the promise of more revenue, improved customer experience, or reduced expense without the slightest understanding of how a particular company operates its’ business or how skilled and diverse the level of talent is.

The true value of these products or services is derived from how adept the company is to operationalize the insights, tools, processes, data, scorecards, visualizations etc. into meaningful change. This ability to consume, take advantage of, and operationalize change is where the true value of these investments occurs. Unfortunately most times, if you build it, they will NOT come.

So, why don’t more leaders understand the level of change / talent management required when making a significant platform investment? Because it’s expensive to take the time and do the right level of assessment of the companies’ ability to change, adapt, or have the right skills to operate in the new construct.

The true cost of the investment should include the time it takes to train or find new talent to be able to operationalize change across the organization. Most of companies’ existing leaders were hired to perform against existing metrics, tools, and processes. They will resist change until you give them a compelling reason why it will benefit them and even then it won’t get adopted if there is any stumbling block that impacts their performance. Delays in dates, changes in scope, and incomplete metrics will shut down change in a hurry. This often leads to projects that get cut far short of their potential, resulting in companies saying “we tried that, and it didn’t work” even though only 10% of the original vision was put into everyday practice. Even worse, a company deploys a partial solution that adds more complexity, another system, and more steps to a process taking it even longer to service customers. This leads to a degrading of service and an increase in cost.

What is a leader to do? How does one even start on this type of journey without avoiding these pitfalls? In my experience, companies that continue to innovate, change, perform, and adapt all share one quality: they leverage their strong culture as a platform. What do I mean by “platform?” Webster’s dictionary defines it as “a declaration of the principles on which a group of persons stands.” It’s not enough to declare what your culture is. I have seen plenty of companies that state that innovation, change, risk taking, etc. is part of their culture, but when you get under the covers, nobody is holding anyone accountable to these attributes, they are not written in to the hiring guidelines, and it’s obvious it’s just not in their DNA. This culture platform should be informing leadership on their readiness to change or adopt new operating tools, processes, and constructs. When a specific group starts to fall off the platform, it is easily recognizable and others help to course correct. They don’t simply say, “That’s their problem.” Culture at high performing companies is everyone’s responsibility and should not be used to get a leg up, compare one department to another, or as an excuse when things don’t go well.

Culture as a platform isn’t easy to obtain, it takes time, focus, and the right talent management approach. High performing companies like Intuit, USAA, and Amazon all take advantage of this approach and they have consistent, high performance year over year. Intuit’s culture platform is focused on creating “awesome” customer experiences. It’s the culture platform that drives product development, customer support, and web site design. When some process, employee, or tool isn’t in alignment, the platform identifies it and makes quick course corrections keeping that culture platform very stable and focused. Having a strong culture platform allows these companies to quickly adjust to changing market conditions and take advantage of the latest tools on the market. They don’t have to invest time in the change management assessment mentioned above giving them a significant cost and time advantage.

So next time you are involved in a large company initiative, ask yourself “Is our companies’ culture ready of this?” Not asking this question is why most of these investments don’t live up to the promise that leaders want to invest in. Most likely, the scope of the project will need to be adjusted to fill in the culture void that exists across the company. It will cost more over time, but it will also avoid some of the typical project pitfalls. I would recommend leaders focus on developing a culture platform as an accelerator to get to their business outcomes faster rather than focusing on large investments. Having the right talent all engaged and focused with the right set of guiding principles can outperform products and services buzz terms hands down.

Now, go change something!

Scott McIntyre
Chief Instigator – Infinite Green

May 01
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How obvious are you?

By Business, Jon

How would you describe your approach or attitude at what you do? Are you an optimist? An achiever? An enabler? What word best describes your skills, your passion, and your work product, all in one? I wake up on most days feeling empowered to go “slay the dragon,” and am excited about the challenges put in front of me, but is that a successful perspective on the days where I may not be so optimistic?

I want to share something that changed my way of thinking and I hope it gives you perspective as well.

Infinite Green is in the process of hosting networking events over the next few weeks. As part of our brand, we bring people together and focus on what it takes to create great customer experiences. We help companies elevate their environments to obtain recognition in their verticals resulting in improved customer satisfaction, brand awareness and financial success. Well, in 6 years of “selling” our services, I just got schooled around how to be more on purpose about customer experience and what we claim to be “experts” in at Infinite Green, and personally was taught a lesson on how critical this is to being more successful every day. Let me tell you a story about something cool that happened at our office a few days ago. Here is the truth…

Around noon the other day, Dave, who owns a small local printing shop and was hired by one of our technology partners to make a few signs, knocked on our door and walked in. He came right up to where I was sitting and held out the signs he was asked to make for us. Not being one to shy away from a quick connection and possible add to my LinkedIn database, I commented on how it was a great day to be outside and he replied that it was a nice walk over from about 4 blocks away. I was immediately impressed that he took the time to hand deliver our signs when I fully assumed we would pick them up in the next day or so for our event more than a week away. The signs were done very well, he delivered them with care, and took the time to personalize his visit by shaking my hand, asking my name and thanking me for our business. Obvious, right? Simple yet value-added and effective service. Seemed legit.

I asked him for his card (which he had left back at the shop), gave him mine, and asked him to email me when he got back so I could follow up with another printing request just presented to me not more than 10 minutes before and greatly needed for the next day’s event. He made a funny comment about having no problem printing “a million color copies for me” and of course followed through over the next hour by contacting me and pricing out my rush order, giving me an ultra-competitive bid and then agreed on a 24 hour turn. I thanked him for his service, and he responded with an amazing reply. “Not ashamed at being obvious – we want to earn your business.” He had me. He earned my business and everyone else whom I could tell. But it didn’t stop there.

About 2 hours later Dave showed up with my rush order signs in hand. Obviously, this is a guy who exceeds expectations. What’s the catch? The story? You see, Dave is not just a printer. He is a connector. I had to know what his motivation is and where his drive comes from.

Dave’s message, like his work product was obvious. Dave is an architect by trade who has designed places all over the world. He got into printing because of his love of design, active pursuit of seeing his designs come to life, and through an introduction to rapid prototyping and fabrication at one of the first “Fab Lab” locations at Century College – http://www.century.edu/currentstudents/fablab . After seeing this lab, he immediately wanted to design them in schools across the country to connect in a way that the next generation learns, and at a greater level.  Dave is obvious about his passion, he is deliberate about doing something about it, and fortunately doesn’t back down from a few roadblocks. Other schools would surely want this for their students, right? Well his concept and design landed in a few places, but mostly got hung up in political, budgetary, and less than progressive decision-making in many school districts. So how does Dave take these challenges and manage to stay focused through the noise? He remains obvious about his passion, and is relentless about the end game.

Dave sees 3-D printing and 2-D printing as a way for people to realize their ideas faster, test and try a concept, and then see it in practice again, and so on. He is obvious about wanting to lead the charge and institute this vision as far and wide as he can, but he also sees the bigger picture. He saw PostNet http://www.postnet.com  as a way to share his idea for printing solutions in schools, to connect people to their ideas and dreams, and as a means to foster this test and try attitude with businesses. He bought a franchise and is living his dream. When I looked up PostNet’s core focus, here is what I found:

“Helping Others Succeed is Our Passion. Building Relationships that Make Business Easier is What We Do Best.

As Dave finished his story and left our office, I was brought back to my waking moment that morning and the fact that no matter what gets in my way, I am going to be obvious about my service to our clients, obvious with my relationships and passions, and obvious about removing barriers for any and every one I can help. I don’t need optimism every day to do my best, but I have found a different word to describe how I will start my day.  Obvious and intentional about whatever I am doing, or whom I am doing it for, is how I focus or refocus during the day. It’s a better frame than sharing how boring my lunch was, or how someone wronged me, or how bad my favorite sports team performed last night.

What are you going to be obvious about today?

Jon

Chief Illuminator

Apr 21
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2 min check in – Do you have an inner circle?

By Business, Jon

Chances are you have had an influential leader or mentor over your career who has provided good advice, thoughts on changing jobs, how to work on being promoted, or ways to approach a difficult situation. These people tend to be relevant in the moment and serve a singular purpose, but do you have an inner circle “team” or a few individuals who can inspire, give critical feedback, can open up their network to you, or challenge you to grow beyond your own comfort zone?

Jordan Spieth is a very famous 22-year old professional golfer and has grown to great heights in a short period of time. He is a perfect example of having a professional “inner circle” or team of supporters that balance inspiration with personal fitness, wellness with management consulting and leadership, and wealth management with philanthropy advice. Needless to say, Jordan’s golf coach Cameron McCormick works on different areas of Jordan’s game than his clothing and outfitting provider, Under Armor. His equipment sponsor Titleist is going to ensure his clubs and balls for tournaments are tuned and available, and yet they also watch him to ensure he is performing up to the Titleist brand and continues to win so they can sell more products.

Last Sunday, I attended a dedication service for my niece Harper and the pastor of the church talked a little about this topic. His point was that on our best day, we are outcome oriented people who sometimes need affirmation and sometimes need direction. If we are left up to our own thoughts, we are typically our own worst critics and may not be able to see beyond our own inadequacies. I equate it to my professional life and in short, a few things I have learned over time can be summed up in my list of “I need,” and “I don’t need” items:

Slide1

So my challenge to you is this. Who do you have in your inner circle? If you don’t have one, find one or two people who are invested in you and willing to work with you. If you have one already, then make sure you have your list of “I needs” and “I don’t needs” figured out so you can ensure you have the right outcomes defined for you.  And if your current situation isn’t working for you, change it out.

Try something new!

Jon is a co-founder of Infinite Green which has served over 70 clients in 7 years, with a return value of over $800M in sales growth and cost reductions during that period. www.goinfinitegreen.com

Mar 30
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The Bigger Picture

By Business, Scott

As a consultant, I get the opportunity to provide an outside-in perspective to clients. Some of them request this perspective asking questions such as “What is the rest of my industry doing?” or “How do other contact centers approach this problem?” They are genuinely curious about how to leverage the learnings of others and apply it to their own business problem. Others are not so open to this type of outside-in perspective. Often times, clients take a defensive stance trying to justify that their operation is so unique, benchmarks or best practices just don’t apply to them. Usually, this feedback comes from leaders that have grown up in the operation for many years. These leaders get so attached to their own operational construct, that any process or operational suggestion meets with a closed minded and defensive response. The resulting business outcomes are predictable, little change in customer satisfaction scores, operational metrics, and employee engagement scores. Worse yet, your company gets outpaced by your competition.

The challenge comes in how you get your leaders into a position to see things with a different lens. Many companies send their teams through some kind of packaged leadership training program. Others, send them to conferences where they see presentations / best practices from others who have faced the same business challenges in the hopes that they will come back and try to apply some of these to their companies’ operation. In either case, there isn’t enough emotional investment to make real change happen. Some minor changes may occur, but nothing of real business value.

From my experience, the most material changes in operational results occur when leaders have an emotional and vested connection with overall company outcomes. Instead of holding them accountable for handle time, utilization, productivity, and other standard contact center metrics, try holding them accountable for company level metrics. Sales / revenue growth, customer acquisition, shareholder value, and other top level score carded metrics for the company’s executive team. This will force contact center leaders up and out of the operation and talk to other leaders about how the contact center contributes to the company bottom line. So, instead of looking at handle time as a measure of success, they will start looking at company value per contact. This will result in your contact center connecting the dots to other business processes throughout the company, which will in turn drive real business value.

I often ask “C” level leaders what value their contact center provides to the company. More often than not, they can’t answer the question. I have a standard response for these situations. “Close down your contact center for a week, and your customers will certainly tell you where the real value is.”

Now, go change something!