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What is the BridgeCon hackathon?

Posted on by Dale Smith

Over the past weeks I have been individually highlighting the amazing line up of speakers at this year’s BridgeCon. Hence, in the Scoop this week I wanted to take a different direction and put the spotlight on the Day Two: Hackathon, which I am really excited to be a part of. For those that are asking ‘what is a Hackathon?’ I want to share with you both the concept and the desired output. Let’s first start with the ‘what’.

A Hackathon (also known as a hack day, or hackfest) is an event in which a group of creative minds and others involved in idea development and innovation collaborate intensively on a given project. A Hackathon can typically last between a day, and in some cases even run for a week if the puzzle is complex enough. Some Hackathons are intended simply for educational or social purposes, although in many cases, the goal is to create new ways of working.

Traditionally, this method was seen as being used in software development in which computer programmers and designers could focus on hacking away until they created something that had not yet been developed. One of the Bridge values is Innovation, so we thought, ‘How amazing would it be to get a group of leaders from various organisations together and apply this creative power to developing the next best strategy in creating happiness in the workplace?’

On the day we will form four working groups and participants will share ideas and put in place their desired strategy. Throughout the day, each team will have the opportunity to spend some time with our carefully chosen panel of experts on Creativity and Behaviour, Strategy and Campaign, Cost and Budget, and Purpose and Reason. With each visit, the team will gain insight that they will need to carefully hack through, and apply this thinking to their strategy. The day will end with each group presenting their ideas to all hackers, and as one team we will close the Hackathon with the best of the best.

This is a day not to be missed and I am pleased to say that with the number of participants growing fast, the diversity of thinking is proving to be exciting.

Talent management and mindfulness

Posted on by Dale Smith

Momentum is building as BridgeCon 2015 comes one week closer to realisation. Last night Bridge hosted another BridgeTalks event, and the topic of ‘Mindfulness’ gave me some interesting perspective on the Talent Management stream during the afternoon of October 14th. I found myself delving deeper into the true importance of the role of mindful leaders in the development and motivation of talent within organisations.

Talent is something that often needs to be nurtured, and the placement of the right people in the correct roles requires careful consideration. Whether it be a new starter or an existing member of the senior leadership team, people need to feel supported and connected to their environment. As a more mindful leader, it is within our power to focus more on the detail required to ignite the true potential that exists within our employees.

The learning and growth environment that we create forms the building blocks to true innovation, empowerment, empathy and all the required values that ensure internal and external customers are experiencing service excellence at every turn. Nurture or nature – talent needs focus if it is to be fully realised and utilised as a key function of the employer brand. It needs to be marketed to and given a clear personality and direction.

What I love about all three case studies in this stream is just how they communicate the true vision of the business and the importance that they (the employees) play in its success. Talent must be held in the highest regard as from this pool we should develop our next leaders. It may take many forms and come in the most unlikely of places, and hence the role of a mindful leader needs to be creative in their approach to discover it.

As I mentioned in the last Scoop, the real challenge of the day will be just choosing which of the two streams you attend. As far as challenges go it is a good one to have. I look forward to meeting you there.

Bridge Talks: Michael Chaskalson on Mindfulness

Posted on by Sharn

On September 15, BridgeTalks was joined by Mindfulness expert, Michael Chaskalson as he presented “Mindful Leadership” at the Courthouse Hotel.

Michael is one of the UK’s leading mindfulness trainers, author of The Mindful Workplace, and the founder and director of Mindfulness Works Ltd., a major European provider of mindfulness-based interventions.

Delegates enjoyed complimentary seated massages from Therapy Solutions during registration and were ‘blissed out’ and ready to be mindful when the talk began at 7pm.

The talk was opened by Dale Smith, Director of Creation at Bridge Training & Events. Dale introduced Michael by speaking to the delegates on his experience of mindfulness by using a conscious mind; being aware of the task at hand, finding calm in any environment and setting a daily alarm to remind himself to be mindful.

Michael opened his talk by introducing the concept of mindfulness and what it actually means. He then took delegates back to his beginnings in the subject – as a practising Buddhist, Michael went on to study mindfulness as a formalised subject at University of Bangor. He was the first graduate of his course – at a time where were just 44 peer-reviewed articles on the subject (there are now 50 publications per month). While doing so, Michael realised his future career was to be found in increasing people’s mindfulness, leading to a better work environment for themselves as well as for others.

Michael then continued with examples of the successful results of mindfulness training, particularly in US Marines. Michael explained the necessity of mindfulness and clear thinking, as an act by a marine can lead to great personal and political effects. Therefore, decisions have to be made consciously.

Delegates then experienced mindfulness first-hand with a guided meditation. Each guest was handed a raisin, and Michael guided delegates consider the raisin mindfully, by consciously touching, feeling, looking, smelling and tasting the raisin.

Delegates gave their feedback as Michael asked how they experienced the raisin and how mindful they were when the raisin was consumed so consciously. Some delegates considered the raisin’s journey, some realised they actually liked raisins and others were sad when the experience was over.

Michael illustrated that by training the mind in mindfulness for just 12 minutes a day, decision-making becomes better.

Delegates enjoyed drinks and canapés at the networking reception following the talk, in the Courthouse Hotel bar.

Customer experience = engagement + employee

Posted on by Dale Smith

As BridgeCon2015 fast approaches, my attention has been turned once again to our fantastic line up of speakers. This is also where delegates will have the opportunity to make some interesting decisions, as on offer are two outstanding streams of speakers and presentations. I know that some days I wish I could clone myself, and the afternoon of October 14th I am sure this will be the feeling for most delegates.

This week employee engagement is on the top of my mind as I am sure it is on most of yours. The connection that we as Living Brand leaders have with our own organisations often reflects the drive that we have to put in place an environment which allows not only our employees to grow but the culture to reflect the personality of our customer promise.

These are two of the most powerful words in driving an amazing customer experience: ‘engagement’ and ’employee’. When flipped and combined they can create magic both for the individual and the business. However this does not happen without careful consideration and best practice on what is required to ignite and engage people in the workplace.

This stream is one not to be missed (hence having to make interesting decisions on the day – with both Employee Engagement and Talent Management equally as strong in terms of speaker expertise from big name companies). Tiffany, Jamie and Niall all bring with them a wealth of experience and practical insight into what works and also the challenges to ensure that your focus stays on track. Any successful engagement programme needs to truly bring to life the company promise and culture and be the foundation of your employer brand in the future.

Two powerful words create one more powerful combination and seriously one of the most rewarding journeys that I believe a leader can take in their career. I have had the pleasure to see truly empowering transformation projects with some amazing and inspiring people at the helm. That is why I am so excited by this conference as within this stream and throughout the day we all have the chance to learn and grow by sharing ideas with others.

It may all start with an idea but it is truly about how we take that idea and turn it into a successful solution.

Customers challenge the ordinary in search for authentic service

Posted on by Dale Smith

As published in CX Magazine, 1 September 2015

“Boutique Hotel” is a term that was initially used in North America and the UK to describe small hotels in unique settings with upscale and stylish accommodation. These hotels began appearing in the 1980s in cities like London, New York and San Francisco and remained secret escapes for a very exclusive traveller. In recent years we have seen an explosion in this market as many customers move away from the big chains – the ones that offer a consistent service, the kind that is the same no matter where you are in the world. The label “Boutique Hotel” is no longer a term used just for the small, as many large hotels have since entered this market, revolutionising what it means to offer 5-star service.

I had the privilege of being part of the Bridge Team that saw one such hotel transform from what was a leading, long-standing 5-star global chain into an amazing five-star, new-fashioned luxury hotel. This took 92% of the staff population that moved over to the new brand from thinking with a traditional service mindset to offering a bespoke and authentic experience-based approach. With Bridge joining as part of the existing transformation team, I was brought into a creative world that has changed the way I look at service forever.

The new hotel, Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa is a magical place that offers its very own unique way of connecting to the guest experience.

Without question, the stylish aesthetics and breath-taking landscape of the property sets it apart, but there is more to its boutique offering that warrants further exploration.

As I entered into this new world of service I had to ask myself, ‘why are boutique hotels so fashionable at the moment?’ and ‘how does their service differ from the traditional 5-star style that the market has become accustomed to?’ I also needed to better understand what it was that guests were seeking in this alternative and evolving market. Being at the cutting edge of the Eau transformation, I had the opportunity to work directly with all the employees in the hotel, sit at the table with the concept and brand creators, and also be a resident and live amongst the guests. When I say privilege I do not use the word lightly, as these three influences were merging in real-time all around me and giving me insight into why all customer service needs a little more “boutique” in today’s world.

When I first heard the term “new-fashioned luxury” at Eau, I thought that this, in itself, spoke volumes for the service that many of today’s customers are looking for.

As luxury was still a constant, it stood for maintaining high standards of great service, yet also alludes to a promise with a twist. Traditional 5-star service focuses its ‘attention to detail’ on ensuring that a clear set of processes is followed and gains guest confidence with the consistent manner in which it is delivered. It is never to question the process, as this would not reflect well on the agreed set of customary standards set forth.To maintain this standard, the contract and expectation of service is pre-set prior to engagement with the guest, and hence no real personal interaction is required.

Previously, I was under the impression that in the boutique hotel market the ‘attention to detail’ was firmly placed on the uniqueness of its design and furnishings. This is clearly a great opportunity for a hotel to showcase its own unique personality and style, but what I have learned about the magic that sits within true stars such as Eau and other boutique hotels is hidden deep within the twist. It extends beyond the traditional and gives the power to its employees to build relationships with guests – and herein lays the detail.

Never in question is the high standard, but the attention that is applied to learning the detail by seeing guests as individuals allows the service to be both appropriate and authentic.

In true hotelier fashion, this more relaxed and autonomous approach allows them to go beyond the expected and create experiences intuitively.

As customers across all markets are evolving, I think that we can learn more from what I see happening in the hospitality industry. Service is embedded in its fabric, albeit some can argue that service standards can vary based on the stars beside the name. Customers want more involvement in the experiences and engagement on offer by those they choose to engage with. Over the years I have seen more and more services move to online application or to offshore as a direct result of cost saving and convenience, and that is fine for many transactional services. In hotel terms, some nights you just want to lay your head on a pillow, and a roadside motel will suit you fine on that night.

At Eau they call those unexpected engagement moments of customer delight “Goosebumps”, and as it so happens, this is one of their five values.

It is creating a true connection with a guest based on building a relationship that allows the individual Hotelier to create, in real time, something that is meaningful to that person. It is the foundation of the boutique hotel, and interestingly in this market, is at odds with what is perceived as the traditional 5-star service. It is removing the standardisation and cookie-cutter approach to service, and using this interaction time to make an emotive memorable mark.

In general customer service I like to think that it is coming back to the traditional in some ways, and seeing customers as real people. Having providers demonstrate that they care about their customers by giving their front of house staff the time to really listen to what is important to guests and the autonomy to act on it. It is giving employees the freedom to make real-time decisions that can truly impact on the emotive connections that customers so desire with the interactions that they choose to engage with.

To be a true Hotelier is to be a true master of the trade, and to be a true service professional should follow the same degree of credibility. Hence a higher degree of trust needs to be built into organisational cultures in order that they can begin to behave more like a boutique hotel and less like a roadside motel. Service should be a privilege and an art form but it also needs the twist to make it stand out and be a truly memorable experience. To me, this is why Culture, Employee Engagement and Customer Experience needs to be truly and authentically aligned to the boutique projected personality of each service offering and brand promise.

Happiness and work?

Posted on by Dale Smith

Happiness: One word with so much meaning, possibility and emotion all held together with warm memories of great times. Work: Thought by many as the root of all evil; ‘the things I have to do’ or ‘the place I have to go’ because ‘that is life’. Surely these two concepts cannot coexist to create a sentence like: Happy and Engaged Modern Workplace. Or can they?

For those who attended (or viewed online) our February 2015 BridgeTalk with Nic Marks, you will recall that he gave relevance to this topic with his talk ‘Happiness is a Serious Business’. I personally found inspiration in this talk as Nic brought to life the power that this emotion can have on individuals and the benefits that it brings to organisational culture. It also made me positively reflect on the Bridge strapline ‘connecting your people to your brand’, as within this connectivity sits many powerful emotions; one of which is happiness.

It is now my extreme pleasure to bring more happiness to the Bridge stage and focus today’s spotlight on Paul Dolan who will facilitate an informative and challenging debate with our four panellists on what drives happiness in their businesses. Sharing the stage with Paul will be senior representatives from Google, TGI Friday’s, Home Group and Lush who will collectively give us behind-the-scenes access into their cultures.

The many different ways in which we define happiness affect what we can do to improve it. To create a happy and engaged modern workplace we must first define the experiences of pleasure and purpose that we want our people to have at work. Then as leaders we can begin to develop an environment that embraces the happiness and engagement that leaves a lasting impression on those that share our employee journey.

Paul is a leading authority on the subject, and off the back of his best selling book he will bring life to a topic that many take for granted. Many books and happiness experts make prescriptions about what to do in order to be happier, without defining what happiness is in the first place. Paul will take the panel beyond this by giving practicality to what is being pursued and the impact that this has on daily activities. Happiness can have many meanings and the exciting thing about this panel is where the topic may take them.

Getting your people right

Posted on by Dale Smith

It is hard to believe that a week as past since the last BridgeCon Scoop and this week I have been asked to direct the spot light onto the wonderful Karen Walker, Customer Services Director at First Direct. I was positively delighted when Karen agreed to come and share some of the First Direct story with delegates at BridgeCon as its award-winning service experience is second to none.

In a sector with some of the lowest levels of consumer trust, First Direct’s refreshing approach to banking demonstrates an unwavering commitment to serving their customers. Regularly cited as case study-worthy in customer experience strategy, employee engagement and just spreading a little magic, First Direct never fails to surprise me in how it has created true fans that are happy to act as advocates. Whenever they get the opportunity to sing the company’s praises they seem to do it openly.

Long before I became a First Direct customer, delegates in my training rooms would regale me with tales of amazing customer service when asked, ‘who has a great customer service example’? It was, and still is, this consistent positive feedback that begs me to question just how can you create such an outstanding culture. One that ‘just gets it’, and better yet, delivers on it daily. I asked one of my team to do a little investigating and give me their thoughts on just how they might do it. I wanted to have someone that was totally unbiased and open to go beyond what I have been told by others.

It was not long before they came back with one of the most uncomplicated answers to my questions -‘they clearly get the right people from the start’. They then presented me with these First Direct words: As much as we’re looking for the right kind of people to deliver the award winning service that our customers expect, it’s equally important we fit your criteria as well. Are you original and always on? Do you have a passion for life and take pride in your work? Here at first direct, our values are passion, pride, playful, always on, family and original. We live and breathe them everyday; they’re what make our people tick. Although we have a diverse workforce where individuality is embraced, each member of our family share our values and have certain traits that make them, well, first direct.

First Direct make a point of recruiting staff based on character and values rather than technical ability. This is combined with a culture of looking after each other and reward and recognition at every opportunity. The management ethos is such that if they didn’t look after their people, how could they expect them to look after their customers? It is with this and much more that I will end as I began – I am so delighted that we will have the opportunity to hear first hand more about the amazing First Direct brand story and the fantastic team that supports it.

Turning data into actions

Posted on by Dale Smith

With BridgeCon2015 only two months away, I have to say that I am personally excited by this event. I am so looking forward to hearing from all the amazing speakers that are supporting this conference with their experience.

This first edition of The BridgeCon Scoop has shone a spotlight on Chloe Strauss, and what better place to start than by getting to the heart of what drives people to engage with the brands they represent and the people that they share this journey with. The importance of better understanding our internal and external customers is key to the future success of businesses, and Gallup has proven to give access to insights into this area. Chloe will share some of this data and bring it to life in a way that just makes sense.

Building a happy and productive culture is demanding and takes considerable concentration across key trigger points within the organisation. However, without a question in my mind, it is also one of the most exciting and rewarding adventures leaders will ever be on.

Having worked across most industries and in countless organisations, the one thing that often surprises me is just how many ‘sames’ we share when it comes to what truly motivates us at work. I look to an organisation like Gallup as a gift; their research team and consultants gain access and answers to questions that puzzle me daily. The work that they do allows me to see trends in behaviour, desires and many work-related people opportunities that I otherwise would not be able to access.

I encourage you to come prepared with questions for Chloe as I know she will take your thinking into new and exciting places. The BridgeCon strapline says “everything begins with an idea”, and this exciting start to the event will set the pace for the rest of the day.

Dale Smith

Chairman

Inside our brand DNA

Posted on by Dale Smith

Last week Bridge celebrated 10 years in business, and in that time I have seen an industry come alive across the UK and globally. We are often so struck by the latest gadget launch or advancement in technology that we forget the advancements in how we view people and brand.

From my early days when call centres became contact centres, all the way through to today’s explosion of social media, new terminology and new ideas – it has been quite a journey. Bridge’s timeline is only 10 years in length and in that time the Bridge brand has acquired so many wonderful experiences to tell as part of its brand story. What stories sit inside the timelines of some of our more established institutions? If the walls could talk…. or can they?

Over the past few days I have be researching storytelling and how this can be better used in emotionally connecting our people to our brand story. I am looking for great examples of companies that instil pride, passion and purpose as part of their employee engagement strategy. This comes at a great time as Scott Northcutt, Senior VP of HR for Bacardi speaks at our June 2nd BridgeTalks. Here is an amazing example of a brand that uses its proud history wisely, as both part of its active customer marketing and as part of building its internal culture.

Bacardi is the world’s largest privately held spirits company and the word ‘passion’ is very much part of the Bacardi brand story and culture, as well as being one of their brand values. This started me thinking about the word and its true meaning. Bacardi’s global campaign ‘untameable’ is an amazing example of how passion has been a driving force behind the brand since its beginning. One ad says: ‘Earthquakes, fires, exile, prohibition – sorry fate – you picked the wrong family.’ It takes viewers on a roller coaster ride through history, showing tipping points that would have ended its journey if not for the true grit and passion of its owners to survive.

We often think of words like ‘innovation’ as looking to the future. This is an amazing word to run along your brand’s timeline, pulling out those moments in its journey that exemplify that value. Values are not just words for today – they should be part of your brand’s DNA. It is not the job of management or marketing to make up values so they are fit for purpose. It should be viewed through both the eyes of an historian and futurologist as these values make up your brand personality and are the greatest driver of your employee culture.

Looking back to Bacardi and the word passion, as one of its values it can openly share its story on how this strong emotion had driven success and its people throughout its proud history. At Bridge we use the phrase ‘turning wordings into actions’ and talk about this in either our present and future states, however a wonderful exercise in building a brand story is to run this over the brand time line. Pulling out great stories of when the brand has overcome challenges and diversity. We all come with a few scars, but the things that make us human are the stories we can tell. If brands are alive, then the stories that they tell surely make up part of their brand DNA and act as learning points for its future.

Donning a detective cap on banks and brand promise

Posted on by Dale Smith

I have always been fascinated by the intrinsic link between brand promise, employee engagement and how employees’ belief in and connection to their organisation’s vision comes to life. Years ago, in the height of the banking sector’s heyday, I ran a series of sales courses designed for relationship managers from one of the UK’s leading high street banks. The series was a huge success, with attendees charged and hungry to win new business. Their belief in the organisation’s growth and the vision of its future prospects was unequivocal and left a lasting impression. In fact, I was so taken by this enthusiasm that when setting up my own company, I decided that this was the bank for my business. I wholeheartedly bought into their brand promise and felt that if my business could be supported by employees with that much belief in their organisation’s offering, I could not lose.

Then, years later, the banking crisis hit and the promises once valued seemed a distant memory. What happened to the engaged employees hungry to sell the virtues of their bank to new customers? Suddenly it felt, even as a customer, that the message ‘You are lucky to have a job in such uncertain times…’ had stripped the banking employees’ drive and commitment. Perhaps it felt safer to do exactly what was expected rather than try to stand out from the competition?

Donning my undercover detective hat, I hit the high street looking for a new business bank that would once again share my values and commitment to employee engagement and meeting the brand promise. The first point I noted was that of the four branches that I walked into, not one had a dedicated business representative.  After waiting in line at the first bank for over 15 minutes, I was given a brochure on business banking but told that the phone number listed was incorrect – yet the representative could not provide the correct one. A representative at the second bank wrote the business banking phone number on a scrap of paper. At the remaining branches, I was directed to take a brochure from the display. No one offered to take my details and pass them on to a relevant person.

‘We care about you and your business’; ‘we grow with you’. Brand promise matters to customers, and words seemed to restore my faith in finding a bank that could deliver. This was further supported by analysis from the Institute of Customer Service’s UKCSI (UK Customer Satisfaction Index) research that the banking sector scores relatively well on people-related measures and received above-average scores in areas such as friendliness of staff, attitude of staff and staff doing what they say they will do. I figured, perhaps over time, some branches had just become transactional shop fronts, unequipped to deal with walk-in business. I took this on the chin and entered into round two: a phone-a-thon, attempting to access the service I had been promised by the fresh and polished websites I saw online.

On the phone, I was met by indifference. At bank one, the phone rang out twice without an answer. I went onto their outsource call centre, who instructed me to call back in an attempt to get the department that I needed. I tried four more times over two days and finally requested for my call to be returned. No call ever came.  At another bank, the representative told me that they were still being sold and rebranded; I should wait until the process was completed to become a customer. The third bank simply directed me back to their website. I never spoke to the fourth after three calls spent on hold for upwards of 10 minutes each.

Barriers and broken processes prevented me from reaching anyone remotely akin to the engaged employees that I met on the sales course all those years ago. Though their marketing teams made strong and enticing propositions, their frontline teams failed to deliver their brands’ promises. With employee satisfaction falling in the UKCSI from 77.9% in July 2013 to 76.3% in July 2014, I firmly believe that businesses must better focus their employees on the future prospects of their businesses, allow them to be participants in its future growth and ensure that internal communication reflects the external brand promise. It is time to put the drive back in the service industry.

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