Do you have "boil the ocean syndrome"?

Boil the ocean. Solve world hunger. I’m sure you’ve heard these terms in your organization at some point in time. Too often in speaking with my CX colleagues, I hear this phrase as well, feeling as if they must boil the ocean to implement their CX strategy. Yes, there can be a lot of moving parts with any CX strategy but that doesn’t mean you have to address every one of them at the same time!

I’ve been involved with a few organizations that have implemented a grass roots effort to improve their company’s customer experience. Using a combination of quick wins and long-term strategic initiatives, CX leaders in these organizations have found success while seeing their efforts gain a stronghold among the ‘C Suite’. The proof is in the pudding! They didn’t try to have multiple initiatives underway at the same time but rather focused on 1 or 2 that could provide an example to the organization of what a small group of focused individuals can do to improve the organization’s standing with their clients and customers.

I’m not suggesting that this approach is any easier than many others – and some of my colleagues might disagree with me and this approach. We’ve read endless commentary on needing to convince the ‘C suite’ to buy-in or else CX initiatives will fail. While it’s important, I don’t see it as an absolute necessity – as long as you’re not trying to ‘boil the ocean’.

So, lesson learned is – while you may feel as if implementing your CX strategy is tantamount to boiling the ocean, don’t despair. My advice – is start! Start small! Start something! But just start! Can’t resist leaving you with one last analogy…. how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!