TRANSFORMATION THROUGH COLLABORATION
2nd April 2025
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The world we live in
We now have seven consumer generations in society, five of whom we have as customers, and four of whom we have as employees. Within three short years we will have a six-generation customer suite.
There is a challenge in serving seven different sets of needs, values and expectations. The world the Generali executives dealt with in the past no longer exists and so we need to change our collective ways of working.
These changes bear down on society, and thus all industries, from mobility to hospitality, education to healthcare, and the world of insurance is no different. The business models of old are no longer fit for purpose with the modern consumer. We find ourselves in a Race for Relevance, one that we must win.
How we live, work and move are all about to change, fueled by AI, quantum computing and humanoid robotics. The future is uncertain, full of opportunity, possibility and change but is also tremendously exciting.
The values of the customer continue to change and are now related to convenience, instant, authenticity and connection. Technology is only useful when it makes us feel more connected to a brand or offers a strong solution. Recall the Octopus Energy personalised music initiative using simple if/then data routing to make their customer ‘feel’
Generali needs to connect with our customers beyond product if we are to enjoy the benefits of customer lifetime value.
Three questions for your team to consider
- As the consumer of tomorrow emerges, we would be foolish to assume that the ways we have worked in the past would be as relevant to them. Regarding your digital transformation, are you ‘future consumer’ ready? Where are the gaps?
- Where can we best utilize AI in our customer journey that does what was discussed, that makes a customer ‘feel’ something? Where can we utilize AI to make a difference in terms of customer partnership, loyalty, belonging and not just communication efficiency?
- How would product offering or communication differ across the consumer generations?
The Psychology of Partnership
We looked at 6 aspects to successful partnership
01. Commitment
What maximum effort looks like with our customers and as leaders, the importance of staying the course when times are hard. How to use effective communication and the importance of moving internal inter-department communication to Active/Constructive. We also discussed the importance of personal commitment to the transformation journey from you as a leader.
02. Intimacy
How shared purpose keeps everyone aligned to a common north star and how intimacy and fostering a sense of closeness builds customer loyalty and team motivation. We also outlined the importance of Emotional Intelligence in any successful partnership.
03. Support
How we make our customers feel supported. How internally, mutual support is key to our balanced partnerships and the importance of moving away from departmental or transactional toward a strong relationship model. In terms of leadership, the onus is on leaders to support.
04. Trust
Why security in partnerships comes from earned trust and the importance of transparency with customers, agents and teams. The trust that we are all working to a shared objective i.e. customer optimization.
05. Conflict Resolution
How conflict is resolved by focusing on ensuring the relationship is stronger post-conflict as opposed to ‘winning’. Focusing on shared objectives as opposed to departmental silos.
06. Growth (together)
The last partnership pillar, successful relationships last because we grow together, not separately. Every brand and business changes and grows and to succeed, everyone has to change with it. Successful partnerships make room for change.
Three relevant questions from this segment
- Of the 6 partnership pillars discussed, which do you think you need to focus on mostly in order to strengthen your partnership philosophy in your team or market?
- ‘Successful partnerships make room for change’. This perfectly sums up where Generali is. As the world around you grows and changes, you cannot afford to be left behind. You need to put partnership at the heart of the business as a philosophy - with customers and agents as well as internally. Where do you think the focus should be in order to embed this partnership philosophy?
- What do you think the biggest barrier to successful inter-department and inter-market partnership is and how could you address it?
The Psychology of Collaboration
We discussed the difference between cooperating, coordinating and collaboration.
Coordinating is the ‘process of organizing people so that they work well together’ and cooperating is ‘to act or work jointly, in compliance with another, to a common end’. This is like a relay race, each person/department doing their best and handing over to the next.
But ‘working together towards a shared goal‘ is far too simple a definition for what Generali requires.
Collaborating involves substantial organizational commitment and a demonstrated public enthusiasm alongside a commitment to the value of learning from each other to become better at what we do collectively
This is more synchronized swimming than relay, everyone in perfect unison to succeed. We move from a ME to a WE mindset. Lions hunt effectively in a pack, collaborating. The logo should be a guiding force in this regard, everyone knowing their role and playing it for mutual success.
Similarly, you need to move from an US to THEM mindset – a collective focus on our common aim, the customer, focuses inter-departmental collaboration.
Setting up and preparing the transformation is key (starting the sailing race) but the race is won in the running.
Three Relevant questions from this segment
- What do you need to do in Generali to move from the cooperative stage to genuine collaboration (thinking back to collaboration coming from a place of substantial organizational commitment)?
- The right here, right now theme was reflected in that expression, that’ the race is won in the running’. What do you as a leader need to do in order to make the transformation work?
- How can you foster and curate a sense of ‘learning from one another’ across departmental and market divides?
Personal Responsibility & Leadership
Recall that 9 dots exercise, demonstrating that success and innovation comes from the edges, from pushing boundaries and asking how things could be, beyond what we know and do today.
The role of leadership is in challenging the possible. True leadership in the Inspire, Motivate, and Momentum space. Ernest Shackleton had the respect of his men, as all good leaders command.
WE talked about the need to own and earn your ‘leadership’ title, stepping into your power, and the importance of empowering the self and others, of truly bringing that ‘ALL IN’ value to life at a personal level
Three EX Questions/Reflections for your Brand from the ‘The Wizard of EX’
- How is EQ part of your everyday? How is it used in talent attraction and how do you develop levels of EQ, everyday empathy and emotive engagement in your organisation? If you expect your employees to lead from the heart, what are you practically doing to embed this philosophy at the organisational level?
- As you invest in AI, new systems and data, are you sure that collectively it is making your customer feel good? Is it being implemented in a way that engages emotively with customers and employees, and not just for short-term productivity and efficiency gains?
- What have you done to hero employees who have had the courage to ‘do what was right’ in CX, as opposed to sticking with the process? How can you foster this sense of courage/vulnerability across the customer interface, and at scale?
More content from Ken
To get a more detailed feel for Ken Hughes content, check out his Blog – The Blue Dot Consumer. Widely read by those in the marketing, customer experience and retail worlds, it is full of in-depth discussion and content relating to all things consumer.
COURAGE, TRUST & BELIEF IN CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
A SIMPLE HACK TO POWER BETTER PROBLEM SOLVING
THE POWER OF RISK: CULTIVATING A FAILURE-FRIENDLY CULTURE FOR SUCCESS
For those too lazy to read blogs, and to view further visual content and past performances from Ken Hughes, check out the YouTube channel where he discusses all things consumer and customer experience related.
