The Human Experience
There is an ancient Zulu greeting that the tribes in Southern Africa have used for centuries: ‘Sawubona’.
It translates to "I see you".
I’ve thought about that little phrase a lot lately.
Why? Because this tragic pandemic is a type of global event most of us have never experienced before in our lifetime: It does not stop at borders. It does not distinguish between race, social status, religion or any other label that society has historically used to highlight our differences. This pandemic and the way it takes hold of humanity is – in a strange way – egalitarian. And, rarely have so many people around the world felt the same way, shared the same fears, hung on the same kind of hope, at the same time.
“I see you” is more than a greeting to the Zulu people. It means more; to acknowledge each other, to recognize each other, to understand each other, and to give each other importance.
Maybe, the fact that others have called me an impatient optimist many times explains why I see the present crisis as an opportunity for humanity to learn how to be a little more human, again. To truly relate to and “see” each other – and I mean that in the way the Zulu people intended for it.
The question that keeps me up, though, is: How can we make sure we emerge on the other end with a strengthened and enduring sense of our shared humanity?
As a long-time advisor to organizations and C-Suite leaders, I strongly believe that businesses have a crucial part to play here. The brands people love and collectively interact with on a daily basis have a sphere of influence that is second to none. It isn’t new news that people place their trust in them more than they do in governments. They increasingly expect them to lean into a higher purpose. They want them to play a critical role in society and make life better for all of us.
Of course, there is a very immediate need for brands to live up to this expectation during COVID-19: by using their resources and expertise to help. Many brands are doing an admirable job: Google committed $800M to support small businesses; Salesforce is making some of its products free to help its partners navigate the crisis; IBM uses it’s supercomputer to analyze data for the World Health Organization; Airbnb provides housing for 100,000 healthcare workers; Disney donated 270 tons of food to local food banks – to name just a few.
At the same time, there is an opportunity to fundamentally re-wire how business and brand leaders should act once they’ve solved for the here and now. Seismic shifts lie ahead: whether we grant brands the permission to remain (or become) an essential part of our lives will increasingly depend on the humanity they demonstrate.
These are the three things I encourage business and brand leaders to think about:
1) Embrace a new Philosophy: from CX to HX
When companies talk about how they serve people, they tend to immediately break their thinking into different buckets: the CX (Customer Experience), the EX (Employee Experience), the UX (User Experience) – and probably a bunch of other Xs.
Instead, take a step back and shift the conversation to HX (Human Experience). First. Why? Because truly “seeing” people means looking beyond the preconceived labels we attach to them.
Train your teams to become students of human behavior – practicing empathy and compassion. How? By asking simple questions: How are people vulnerable? What are their fears, hopes, dreams? What do they really need emotionally and functionally? You’ll be surprised by how rich and profound the insights are, and how commonly shared they are – across all your audiences.
2) Anticipate Experiences that matter: today and tomorrow
Right now, people all over the world are starting to adopt new behaviors and routines. Those are fundamentally re-defining how they prefer and expect to interact with brands in the future.
Map out where it matters most. At what point in the experience journey do people form new expectations during the pandemic (e.g. more digital and better self-service interactions)? Where do they discover a need for entirely new experiences never used before (e.g. remote telemedicine, virtual concert visits)? Where do other categories raise the bar for yours (e.g. flexible cancellation and refund policies by airlines)?
Understand exactly how these changes in attitudes and behaviors challenge the way your brand must show up; then define how to build relationships in a post COVID-19 world – and how it’ll set you up for success in the long-term.
3) Bring the new HX to life: Excite the Organization
The pressure to transform and future-proof your brand and marketing operations is (already) undeniable. Yet in the past, 80-90% of all transformation initiatives have failed spectacularly. No wonder: they’re hard, they’re uncomfortable – and they require people to change and do things differently.
That’s why it’s critical to get your teams excited about the change that lies ahead. To help them understand why it’s needed. To paint a clear picture of the future state. Break down how the business will be stronger, how there will be more opportunities. In short: proactively answer the “What’s in it for me?” question. It will give you the buy-in and commitment you’ll unquestionably need.
Then go into execution mode. Train and upskill your people where necessary. Design the Bold Moves that are required across the experience journey. Implement the operational and technological capabilities it takes to win.
Building towards a more Human Experience gives us and the brands that will lead tomorrow the chance to see that we’re more alike than different. That we all long to connect. That we share the same desire to belong. That we feel a similar sense of community. Basically, that we are all human.
Let’s take the first step toward that Human Experience and embrace the ancient Zulu greeting: Tell the next person you meet something simple, yet incredibly profound:
I see you.