My Customers’ Customers

Whenever I get an assignment…as an action-oriented person, my inclination is to understand what I am being asked to do and solve for…quickly get the lay of the land and then get to work. This is where my instincts work against me. What I really need to do is to think about what my customer is asking me…come back with reflections and engage in a dialogue, leading to a more thoughtful plan of attack. 

This slow / but fast approach is ALWAYS the way to go. When I have overzealously short-shifted or skipped through this step, I have paid for it - wasting time, solving for the wrong things, creating confusion. 

One of my go-to tools to increase the odds of success: the stakeholder map. Engaging with the most influential (or potentially influential) individuals in the system, and gaining a deeper understanding of THEIR customers and constituents…allows for the creation of an action plan that has teeth. We often presume what our customers’ customers want, what they value and what levers we can pull to influence. And we often get it wrong. 

So reframing what it means to be action-oriented…always trumps the seduction of pleasing my customer by creating quick wins. The measured, strategic approach wins every time.