Tag: blog

As AI Unlocks the Promise of IoT, It’s Time to Double Down on Service Innovation

From IoT to GenAI and Beyond: Advice for Building Intelligent Connected Solutions

What Does It Take to Thrive Vs. Merely Survive in the Experience Economy?

April 11, 2022 | 3 Mins Read

The Remote Service Wave is Coming – Are You Ready?

April 11, 2022 | 3 Mins Read

The Remote Service Wave is Coming – Are You Ready?

By Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

We’ll release a podcast this week with my summary and highlights from last week’s very first Future of Field Service Live Tour stop in Paris, so I am going to keep this specific to just one topic. The event was great – it was really exciting to see this platform come to life in in-person form. One of the topics that came up more than I was expecting it to was remote service.

The audience either already had a remote service strategy in place or were in agreement that it is a “must” in the near term. Roel Rentmeesters of Munters spoke with me and shared the story of how the company first deployed Remote Assistance to aid with Covid restrictions but is now expanding the technology’s use into a standard remote-first service approach. He did comment that feelings about the use of remote service changed after restrictions were lifted, with technicians questioning more its use than when travel wasn’t permitted. However, he and other attendees agreed that – emotions or not – it is an inevitable part of the future of field service.

Why? A few key reasons came up. First, customer expectations will demand it. Response time is critically important, across industries and businesses. But while customers demand faster and faster response, organizations face the impossibility of scaling up in labor to meet those demands. Thus, remote service helps to bridge that gap. It provides the ability to respond quickly, and sometimes resolve issues remotely as well. This improves customer satisfaction, but it has the added benefit of helping companies eliminate costly, unnecessary onsite visits.

Remote Service Alleviates Frontline Burden

One of the benefits of remote service is that it helps organizations to make better use of their resources – which we know are scarce. This is the second reason that its expanded use seems imminent. Companies can use remote service to remotely assess and diagnose issues, so that trips on-site are lessened, either by remote resolution or by more accurate preparation to maximize first-time fix. This improves efficiency whilst helping reduce the burden on the frontline worker which is a problem almost every company in attendance is looking to solve.

The other way remote service helps address the talent gap is as an internal tool. One of the scenarios that was discussed at the event is that a technician who is no longer interested in traveling, but has valuable experience, can use Remote Assistance from the back office, or even home, to aid a number of less experienced technicians working in the field. This gives companies the advantage of extending the lifespan of their most knowledgeable and experienced talent while getting “greener” technicians in the field faster for hands-on experience with expert support.

Like with anything, it isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. Some employees have resistance toward the technology, either because they feel it is burdensome or because they feel it puts their jobs at risk. It was shared that some customers can also have reservations, perhaps because they feel the technology will be cumbersome to use or for security reasons. Finally, the evolution puts organizations in the position of having to sort out just how service delivery changes in a remote-first approach. What does that look like? How do processes change? Resources? What investment is required?

While not without some questions to answer and change to manage, remote service was spoken about at the event as a given – and I believe that is with good reason. Are you ready for the wave?

Stay tuned for Wednesday’s podcast to hear more about the event!

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Relational Intelligence on the Frontlines: How to Develop Great Partnerships with Your Customers

April 4, 2022 | 5 Mins Read

Relational Intelligence on the Frontlines: How to Develop Great Partnerships with Your Customers

By Dr. Adam C. Bandelli, Founder & Managing Director of Bandelli & Associates and author of RELATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: THE FIVE ESSENTIAL SKILLS YOU NEED TO BUILD LIFE-CHANGING RELATIONSHIPS

Sir Richard Branson, the legendary entrepreneur and business leader once said, “look after your staff and they will take care of your customers.” In a year when we are coming out of a global pandemic and reuniting with our people and teams face-to-face, in many instances for the first time, Branson’s quote resonates now more than ever before. Frontline employees are often the face of our businesses and organizations. They are the ones that have the greatest impact on our customers. They represent a company’s brand and the products and services that are sold.

If frontline employees are to be successful in driving your business forward, they need to learn many different skills. It is important for them to understand the mission and vision of your organization. They need to know the values and principles that your company is built upon. They must have a deep understanding of your products and customer service offerings. They need to be bold and ambitious to drive the business forward and help the company achieve its financial profitability. Most importantly, they need to build great relationships with your customers. The types of partnerships that generate repeat business and create the word-of-mouth buzz around the benefits of working with your organization. To do this, frontline line leaders and their employees need to learn and practice what I call relational intelligence.

Relational intelligence is the ability to successfully connect with people and build strong, long-lasting relationships. Our research at Bandelli & Associates has found that when frontline employees are intentional about building great relationships with their customers it leads to many productive outcomes. Employees who consistently practice relational intelligence have more satisfied customers and repeat business. Not only that, when frontline employees develop trust with their customers word-of-mouth referrals spreads quickly. The bottom line grows when your customers know that they matter, and that you not only value their business, but you value the relationships you form with them as well.

So, what are the five essential skills of relational intelligence and how can you put them into practice with your customers?

Establishing Rapport: This skill focuses on the initial stages of communication between your employees and their customers. It’s the ability to create an initial positive connection with people. There are many factors that come into play when establishing rapport. Making a good first impression matters. The words you use and “how” you use them can draw customers in or push them away. Finding common ground becomes critical. You can do this not only by asking questions and listening, but by using eye contact and nonverbal behaviors to show a genuine interest in what customers are saying. You cannot progress to further stages of developing lasting relationships with people if you don’t take time to establish rapport.
Understanding Others: This skill is about being intentional in putting in the time and effort needed to get to know your customers on a deep level. It is about using EQ to understand your own feelings and the emotions of others. It’s about being a good active listener. It’s about being curious and inquisitive. Relationally intelligent employees ask probing questions to learn about the background, history, and experiences of the customers they serve. They are empathetic and can put themselves in other peoples’ shoes. Understanding others does not happen overnight. It is an ever-evolving process that must take place over time. The investment you make during the early stages of a relationship sets the foundation for retaining lifelong customers.
Embracing Individual Differences: This skill is about acknowledging and accepting that everyone comes from different backgrounds and experiences. It’s having a favorable reception towards customers who think, act, and behave differently than you do. It’s about appreciating racial and ethnic diversity. It’s acknowledging the differences of how men and women think and what their buying needs might be. It’s choosing to embrace peoples’ sexual orientation. It’s understanding that cross-cultural differences and spirituality/religion impact how you interact with the world. It’s about showing people common decency and treating others the way you want to be treated. Relationally intelligent frontline employees know how to tap into this to create stronger partnerships with their customers.
Developing Trust: This is the most important relational intelligence skill in any employee-customer relationship. You must earn your customer’s trust. You demonstrate trustworthiness by showing competence, honoring commitments, and consistently exceeding customer expectations. Once trust is developed, customers let their guards down and they open up more. To sustain trust over time, employees must continually nurture the customer relationship. Deposits into the bank account of trust must be made on a regular basis. Withdrawals can have a negative effect on the relationship. If you break trust with a customer, you will lose their business.
Cultivating Influence: This is the most powerful skill of relational intelligence. It is the ability to have a positive impact on the lives of others. It’s about always putting your customers first. It’s not about trying to get the sale or win the business. Do you genuinely care about improving the quality of your customer’s life regardless of the product or service that you sell? Do you value the relationship enough to do what’s in their best interest and not your own? Can you think beyond this sale to the one that could take place a year from now if you invest further in developing the relationship? Great relationally intelligent frontline employees are strategic in their customer relationships. They do not sacrifice tomorrow, or the quality of the customer relationship, to get a quick sale for their monthly quota. The funny thing is though, if you can think strategically while investing in strengthening the relationship today, you will hit your monthly quotas. In fact, you’ll cultivate customer relationships that can span a lifetime.

Great frontline employees don’t just sell products and deliver services, they create an experience for their customers by using relational intelligence. This is the defining factor that makes great employee-customer relationships work. If your people are intentional in how they build relationships with your customers, your business with thrive and grow.

Adam C. Bandelli, PhD, is the Managing Director of Bandelli & Associates, a boutique consulting firm focusing on leadership advisory services and organizational effectiveness. He is the author of the book Relational Intelligence: The Five Essential Skills You Need to Build Life-Changing Relationships, which will be available everywhere books are sold in May. Follow Dr. Bandelli on Instagram at @official_bandelliassociates to learn more. You can also visit the firm’s website at www.bandelliandassociates.com for information on other leadership topics and to learn about their consulting services.

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3 Assumptions That Can Hinder Service Success

March 28, 2022 | 5 Mins Read

3 Assumptions That Can Hinder Service Success

By Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

When I was younger, a “teaching moment” had me ruminating for days because my insecurity told me I shouldn’t need to be taught – I should already know. Thankfully, I’ve grown into someone who today values a teaching moment because I now know no one knows it all and I appreciate the opportunity to grow as a person.

If you listened to last week’s podcast with Amy Herman, a New York Times Best-Selling attorney, former Frick Collection Head of Education and art historian who published a new book in December of 2021 titled, “Fixed: How to Perfect the Fine Art of Problem Solving,” you witnessed a teaching moment in real time. (If you haven’t listened, go bookmark it now – it’s a great episode!)

Here’s how it went:

Sarah Nicastro: Yeah. Yeah. All right. So obviously one choice.

Amy Herman: That’s a word that’s not allowed in my program. Sarah. We’re never allowed to say obviously.

And at first, I just said – OK. But then I promptly said it again, so I asked:

Sarah Nicastro: Why the use of the word obviously is prohibited?

Amy Herman: I didn’t mean to catch you in a moment, snagged you. At the beginning of all my sessions, I lay out three rules. The hardest to follow is that for the time that I’m together with my clients, I ask them to refrain from two words, obviously, and clearly.

Amy Herman: The reason is, we live in work in a complex world. Nothing is obvious and even less is clear. So, you say, well obviously we have a case of X. What if I don’t know why it’s obvious? Am I going to stop you and say, Sarah, can you please explain to me why that’s obvious? Instead of assuming a certain level of knowledge and introducing a potentially antagonistic situation, say “It appears to me to be a case of X because of Y and Z.” Not only does that deescalate a situation but think about in companies where there are hierarchies or in the operating room. The doctor says, well, obviously it’s this. What if the intern sees something else? And because of the hierarchy, isn’t going to say, well, Dr. Jones, why can’t it be this? So, if the doctor were wise and thinking about pedagogy and say, well, it appears to me to be this tumor because of all the evidence of X, Y, and Z around it. It’s a better way to observe. It’s a better way to communicate. It’s more inclusive and it deescalates without having to say I’m deescalating. When my sessions are in person, if anyone says obviously or clearly, I make the whole room applaud. So, they’re reminded, oh, maybe I shouldn’t do that. And I want you to know you’re not alone. When I tell people that they broke the rule they use obviously again and again and again. It calls attention to a word that we’re using, and we’re not really sure what the implications are.

What Assumptions Are Hurting Us in Service?

And this conversation got me thinking. Of course, about how I can do a better job of communicating my observations in a way that is conscious that they are mine and no one else’s, and that gives me the opportunity to welcome discussion or differences of opinion. But also, about how often we make assumptions – as humans, at work, and with customers.

While it’s a natural tendency and not one to be ashamed of, it is a learning opportunity and something to work on. Maybe if we were to examine more what we think we know in service, we’d realize how much more we have to understand. Here are three areas where I’d guess many of our readers and listeners are using “Obviously…” statements that could be hindering their progress:

Obviously, we know how to provide great service to our customers. Making assumptions about what your customers want and need is risky business. Yes, hopefully it is true that you know how to meet your current customer expectations (and, hint: you only know if you’ve asked). But one thing to consider is that there’s a difference between knowing and doing – so while leadership may “know” how to provide great service, the frontline needs to “do” it, and this requires a breadth of understanding, commitment, and ability on their behalf that “obviously” statements will quickly preclude. Another point to consider is that the definition of “great service” is changing very rapidly. So being too comfortable at any point with what you think you know can be detrimental to your ability to evolve. Rather than taking the stance of knowing, invest in the process of asking – continually – what your customers need. And think outside of the box – not what incremental improvement in your service would make them two percent happier, but what unmet need or significant challenge do they have that you can solve? Ensuring you approach your customer relationships in an inquisitive, open-minded manner is key to relevance.
Obviously, we should invest in X technology. I’ve seen this go awry more times than I can count. I think the most common scenario is that the leader at the head of the project is so confident in the needs of the business and the workforce that they plow head-in to a technology investment that falls far short when met with the realities of needs that were never really all that understood. Do not assume you know what your workers need to do their jobs well – ask. And listen. The other flavor of this is that leaders see a cool new tech that they automatically feel is a “must.” But is it? Maybe, but maybe not. Don’t assume that because it’s making headlines or looked cool at the last tradeshow you attended or was recommended by a friend that it fits. Investments should be purposeful and meaningful, and in no way does this mean they can’t also be cool but do your due diligence.
Obviously, we care about our employees. In the face of the Great Resignation, every company understands the need to speak to company culture and employee experience. But there is a big – and I mean, big – difference between throwing around some statements and maybe a gift card here and there to check boxes versus genuinely caring. If you do care about your employees, you’re asking them how they feel and what they need and you’re taking active steps to meet those needs. You are having one-on-ones and understanding the experiences of your frontline worker’s daily lives. You are investing in their mental health. You are recognizing and rewarding them and making sure they know they are valued. You are offering career paths and advancement opportunities to those who are inclined to grow.

What other assumptions are risky in service? I’d love to hear! I really enjoyed the learning opportunity Amy presented to me, and I hope it’s something that makes you think a bit, too.

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Have You Unlocked the Potential of Upskilling?

March 21, 2022 | 5 Mins Read

Have You Unlocked the Potential of Upskilling?

By Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

Much of the conversation around the skills gap centers around how to reinvent recruiting practices to yield better results. While this is important, so is a focus on retention. In fact, I’d argue that retention needs to be getting more spotlight because we know it is usually easier to keep talent than it is to bring it in to the business. Last fall, I discussed how to navigate the skills gap we need to focus on controlling the controllables. In this article, I want to talk about a particular area of focus related to retention – upskilling.

Upskilling is important to better understand, because it can be a source of value for both your employees and your business. It can play a very important role in filling gaps you have due to the challenges of hiring as well as the evolving needs of your customers. And, when done well, it can be a tool that helps immensely with retention.

Upskilling can be driven by different objectives: customer needs that you aren’t currently adept at providing, gaps that exist in the business due to challenges hiring or due to innovation efforts, and what areas your employees are interested in furthering their development in. It’s important to consider each of these areas so that you can maximize the opportunities that exist around upskilling. Depending on the industry, business, role, and individual the employee’s interest in or willingness to upskill can vary greatly. As you create an upskilling strategy, you need to ensure you are prepared to meet the needs of employees who are resistant to change but need to upskill in some way to maintain relevance as well as those who desire a career path where a continual progression of their own skills and capabilities will help them achieve growth.

Upskilling Field Technicians

When we think about service specifically, we must consider how the role of the field technician is changing. We’re evolving from a job that is very transactional and mechanical to one that is far more focused on being a catalyst for customer trust, relationship, and loyalty. As such, the conversation tends to focus significantly on upskilling around soft skills. If you missed last week’s podcast, I interviewed Neil Thompson, creator of Teach the Geek and host of the Teach the Geek podcast, to discuss his personal journey as a product development engineer that found he needed to improve his communication skills when he was put into a position where presenting and public speaking was necessary. As a result, he’s created the Teach the Geek program to help others in similar position and weighs in on how companies can best upskill and reskill an engineering-centric workforce to have more soft skills.

One of the points Neil made very well is that for employees who you are asking to upskill (any who aren’t initiating the process because of their own desire to progress), you must remember to communicate the need in a way that connects the benefit to them. “It’s really difficult to be forced to learn something. So, if you’re a field engineer and you want to continue you to just do your job, fix whatever instrument there is, and then go about your day and rinse and repeat, then yes, those people would be difficult to upskill,” he says. “But if you’re a field engineer who wants the promotion and pay raises that you think you deserve, well, becoming better at communicating with others is a must. And, so, if you see it that way, then it’d be very easy to then convince you that this is something to get better at.”

Communication is King

Another thing to consider is that while we often think of upskilling as it relates to our older, more change resistant talent, we may have areas for which even new talent needs upskilled. For instance, you may successfully recruit a young technician with a lot of potential and strong skills in certain areas but who needs some work on customer communication. Two weeks ago, we had a furnace issue, and I called our HVAC guy – as he was looking things over, we started chatting about how busy he’s been, how the supply chain issues have impacted their ability to get parts, and how he feels about the young apprentices he’s recently hired.

He simply stated that, “my job leading this business is first and foremost as a communicator. Being personable, friendly, remembering customer details, providing prompt response, all those things are incredibly important. They are also very lacking in the younger workers who shy away from face-to-face communication and are more comfortable with their face buried in their phone looking at a diagram than they are returning a customer call.”

While soft skills are a very important focus for upskilling, they aren’t the sole area of opportunity. As companies progress further into their digital journeys, more skills are required there. As automation increases and menial tasks are eliminated, the need for employees to manage that automation takes the place of that work.

We must also keep top of mind the reality that employees learn differently. So not only does ample attention need to be paid to communicating the upskilling opportunities available and their benefits to employees, but we also need to ensure we have a varied plan for how we deliver the training and education to achieve the upskilling.

Critical Factors to Keep in Mind

As you consider whether you are leaving upskilling opportunities on the table, it would be helpful to look at upskilling not as a short-term solution to get a certain group of employees up to speed on one skill, but rather an important aspect of your continual improvement and retention strategies. Upskilling as a rule versus an exception allows you to regularly reevaluate what skills your business needs more of, for any of the reasons discussed above, and invest in “farming” those skills from your employee base. This gives you more leverage from the employees you already have, and it keeps those who want to progress and grown engaged and satisfied.

When determining what role upskilling plays in your long-term talent strategy, here are a few important things to keep in mind:

As you map what upskilling your company could benefit from, don’t forget to ask your employees what areas they are interested in or desire. Not all will be, but those who are will be very thankful you asked
Be sure to communicate the why behind every ask you make of your employees to upskill – as well as any incentives you are willing to offer for doing so
Leverage those who do have the most interest in their growth and skill progression to act as advocates for your upskilling programs – often the firsthand feedback of a peer is what’s most impactful
Consider co-creating an upskilling program on a specific area with an employee for whom it is being created – again, this gives the program far more credibility among its intended audience and ensures you’re hitting the mark with what’s needed
Be sure you accommodate different learning styles and preferences

Is upskilling a focus in your organization? If so, I’d love to hear from you and discuss! Always feel free to email me at sarah@futureoffieldservice.com.

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REMA TIP TOP Takes Aim at Outcomes-Based Service

March 14, 2022 | 6 Mins Read

REMA TIP TOP Takes Aim at Outcomes-Based Service

By Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

REMA TIP TOP AG, headquartered in Poing, Germany, is a world leading company in Tire Repair Products, Surface Protection (Corrosion Protection and Wear Protection), and Material Processing (Conveying Solutions and Conveyor Belts). The company has a hundred-year history and 8,000 employees with locations in more than 170 countries across the world.

Like any company with 100 years of history, customer needs have changed and REMA TIP TOP must channel its legacy to propel the company forward rather than hold it back from the success modernization will bring. This means being open to evolving thinking, approach, and technology use.

Thomas Moser, Head of Product Management for Digital Solutions at REMA TIP TOP is in the midst of a companywide transformation to address the needs today’s customers have that differ from those of the past. He has a vision for how he wants the company to be operating in 2025 but knows that bringing that vision to life starts today.

Customer Considerations Expand

Traditionally, REMA TIP TOP’s industrial customers – companies in mining, for instance – have been focused entirely on output. This has changed as issues related to environmental concerns and safety have surfaced. Customers aren’t any less concerned about output, but they are balancing their productivity goals with the realities of having to consider the environment and the safety of their workers.

“Customers want to avoid the negative attention that comes with environmental impact and safety issues. They’ve experienced some calamities, or have competitors who have, and need to avoid the repercussions of such issues,” explains Thomas. “As a result, they are putting more effort and budget into properly maintaining systems to prevent issues as well as to protect output. Huge mines, for instance, have a key performance of about 10,000 tons per hour. So, if you calculate that maybe one ton of iron ore is about $150 USD, then you can imagine how much money they are losing if this line is down for a week. This is creating more attention around putting effort into predictive maintenance.”

This means that REMA TIP TOP is well positioned to evolve its relationship with customers, because they want to put more focus on predictive maintenance, but they don’t necessarily want – or have the capacity – to manage that maintenance themselves. “This gives us the ability to showcase our capabilities in doing the maintenance and inspection for our customers. We may agree on a service level contract with defined availability figures, so that customers protect output as well as safety without extra effort,” says Thomas.

While the opportunity for REMA TIP TOP to transform from traditional service to an outcomes-based approach is clear, it isn’t a simple undertaking. Not only does the company have to align on the path, but the ability to deliver outcomes is dependent upon a strong technological foundation.

Delivering Outcomes Requires Knowledge

Thomas has been working on creating both the company-wide awareness that an outcomes-based service model holds immense potential for REMA TIP TOP, as well as the operational realities of bringing the vision to life. “Not long ago, our subsidiaries all operated fairly independently. For the company to move to delivering outcomes, we first needed to ensure our customer and systems data was stored in one place,” explains Thomas. “Centralizing all operations on IFS structures our data and allows us to standardize processes and ensure consistent customer quality.”

CCUBE is what REMA TIP TOP has coined its outcomes-based service offering, and IFS technology underpins this offering. “CCUBE is based on IFS technology. It's a cloud-based management system which gives us the capabilities we need for asset management, planning and executions of inspections, and for keeping all of our data and reporting in a single platform,” says Thomas. “The functionality of the IFS platform is what allows us to execute on our claim to keep our customers’ systems up and running. Further, it allows us to maximize the efficiency of our service delivery through the intelligence and automation build into the system.

REMA TIP TOP’s customer shift to an OPEX expenditure in return for the elimination of all headaches related to keeping performance and safety optimized.The company then relies on its ability to leverage technology and data to meet their target in a cost-effective manner. “We can’t accomplish this evolution by selling service packages and offering manpower, because with manpower alone it’s far too expensive to meet outcomes,” notes Thomas. “By monitoring the condition of our customers systems and then using the intelligence and optimization within IFS when manpower is needed, the value proposition of outcomes becomes achievable.”

As the company grows more familiar with the outcomes-based model, its use of technology can expand to continue to improve profitability of the new delivery model. “In the future, automation is a key factor for success – rather than a visual inspection, for instance, we can implement technology to automate inspections,” explains Thomas. “We can also rely more on artificial intelligence to analyze data and create reports that are today done with human intervention. The more data we gather, the greater our ability to mine it to see how parameters are influencing each other and when and where to take actions.”

The Roles of Enthusiasm and Patience in Managing Change

“We have to change – times have changed, our customers’ needs have changed, our products have changed, and technology has changed,” says Thomas. “Gaining the support of the entire company depends on telling the story, explaining the story, showing the vision, and showing the vision really far away, even if at the moment it looks like science fiction. And repetition – telling this story over and over until everyone buys in to it and believes in it.”

There are three characteristics that have proven particularly beneficial for Thomas in leading change: enthusiasm, diligence and patience. “I think the most important part is enthusiasm.,” Thomas says. “Enthusiasm is how we transport our ideas to other people. I’m not invested in this because I have to be, but because I’m really convinced it’s what is right for REMA TIP TOP. Showing enthusiasm connects people to your story, your ideas, and your vision – and diligence in execution is what makes our systems deliver what we promise.”

Patience is also important. Thomas admits that change doesn’t always move as fast as he’d like. “It’s a slow process,” he shares. “There are no wrong ideas, but timing is everything. Sometimes you have to wait until the time is right to change. In 1992, I got my first cell phone. Reactions included, ‘You are stupid. Nobody will need this kind of technology.’ Ten years later, everyone had a cell phone.”

Take Inspiration from Outside Your Industry

On REMA TIP TOP’s quest to modernize, it’s been beneficial to seek inspiration and ideas from outside its own industry. “We’ve learned a lot from other fields,” says Thomas. “If you consider the air traffic control sector, for example, and their use of situational awareness – they know what’s going on and react accordingly. The same applies to what we’re working to do.”

REMA TIP TOP has also found inspiration in its relationship with IFS and the use of IFS’ Tailored Success program. “When we began our partnership with IFS, it was to purchase pure licenses – but we came to the point where we wanted a more all-inclusive package,” says Thomas. “Of course, we do have an IT department, but I want them focused on customer data not service management. I want to concentrate our efforts on customer-facing projects, not maintaining servers. With worldwide, 24/7 operations, I need a professional partner who takes care that my system is up and running all the time and my staff around the world is able to access data and use the platform.”

Does this sound familiar? “It's the same as we offer to our customer. IFS Tailored Success eliminates the headaches of self-management for REMA TIP TOP so that we can focus on the transformation we have underway,” says Thomas. “We depend on IFS for the outcomes of the platform so that we can make progress in offering outcomes to our own customers.”

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Wise Words from Women in Service on IWD 2022

March 7, 2022 | 13 Mins Read

Wise Words from Women in Service on IWD 2022

By Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

This week, March 8th, we celebrate International Women’s Day. This year’s theme is #BreaktheBias. As stated on the International Women’s Day website, this theme is meant to inspire us to:

Imagine a gender equal world.

A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.

A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

A world where difference is valued and celebrated.

Together we can forge women's equality.

Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.

When I began my career in this industry in 2008, I was often the only woman in the room. I lost count pretty quicky of the stereotypical comments and was put in more than one very uncomfortable situation because a man felt it was perfectly acceptable to treat me in a manner he’d never consider treating another man. When I had children, I was forced to face the realities of just how difficult the traditional corporate structure makes it for a woman to succeed as both a mother and a career woman. I combatted gender discrimination with grit and tenacity, knowing many wouldn’t have the confidence to speak up in that way – or didn’t have the privilege to risk doing so.

I’ve learned a lot from my own experiences with bias, stereotypes, and discrimination and one thing I’m certain of is that while we have most certainly made progress since I entered the professional world, we must acknowledge we have a long way to go. I still encounter comments fueled by bias on a very regular basis, and I am acutely aware that there are women who grapple with the added complexities of being women of color or differently abled or any number of other compounding factors.

One way I feel I can play a role in the need to #BreaktheBias is by speaking out about my own experiences. But another is using the Future of Field Service platform to share the stories, journeys, and experiences of other women to share different perspectives and points of view that we can all learn from. I’m grateful to have that opportunity and thought, to celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day, I’d share some wise words from some of the women who I’ve interviewed this year.

On What Inspires Us

While we may sometimes become frustrated by our individual or collective circumstances, or feel angry about the inequity that persists, we – women – are an imperative piece of achieving equality. We must forge ahead, and a good tool for those frustrating days is turning to what you find inspiration from.

For Jennifer Deutsch, CMO of Park Place Technologies, that inspiration comes from her team. “I get inspiration from my team. For the size of our business, I have a fairly small team, I’ve got 11 people on my team, and I am the oldest,” she says. “We have people that range in age from 23 to 58, and from the young talent and the diversity, I’ve learned an awful lot. A 25-year-old looks at social very differently than I look at social. I’ve got a 25-year-old who runs our social program, and I’ve got a content guy who used to write for Rolling Stone. I also have a guy on my team who was an agency veteran for 20 years, who was never in the tech space. He writes copy for us beautifully. The team inspires me.”

Maybe your inspiration comes from seeking camaraderie, maybe it comes from finding some solitude. Perhaps there’s a power song you can listen to that will get you back into a positive headspace, or maybe journaling is a good outlet for you. It doesn’t matter what your inspiration is, just that you find a source of it – because on the hard days that are inevitable in the face of massive change, we have to seek what we need to fuel up and keep going.

On Knowing You Have the Power to Pivot

Sometimes our circumstances can make us feel stuck. It’s important to remember that you have the power to pivot. Catherine Wood, Service Owner for Engineered Deployment at Compugen, went to school for fine arts and was a teacher before she entered the world of IT. “It's been a strange road. I went to school for fine art. I loved art, always have, but I've also been interested in computers since I was a kid,” she shares. “When I finished school and started having a family, I wanted to go back to work after my kids were in school. So, I took a computer course at a local college, but just to be able to use a computer again as it had been a while. I got a job as a teacher, teaching arts. At one point I was teaching at a private school and their computer teacher left and they asked me to fill in. So, all of a sudden, I became a computer teacher and it turned into me only being a computer teacher after a few years. And from there I went to IBM and there began my career in IT.”

Catherine’s story brings about another important point, which is that not only do you have the power to initiate a pivot – but you can also benefit from staying open to the opportunities that are presented to you. We hear all of the time about how women won’t apply for a role or accept a position unless they meet every single criteria, but sometimes things work out when you are willing to take a bit of a risk on a growth opportunity.

On Our Individual Power to Effect Change

While the overall objective of equality can seem incredibly daunting, we need to ensure we don’t see our power as too small and as a result pass the buck on our individual responsibility. If you’re a leader in a company, yes that company should have a strategy in place for addressing biases and creating better diversity, including and equity, but that corporate strategy doesn’t absolve you from your personal responsibility. Lauren Winans, CEO of Next-Level Benefits, says, “You can even make small tangible changes for your own teams. Any leader can make small changes to some of the things that they’re doing to increase inclusivity or help someone get promoted by getting more development opportunities or making sure that everyone on your team is making a fair and equitable wage for the work that they’re putting in. You have the power; we all have power when it comes to this. It’s just a matter of figuring out where you fit in the equation.”

The acknowledgement of our individual power goes for women too – just because this is an issue we are at times on the receiving end of, we are still responsible for being a part of the change. Looking for ways to lift other women up, to help, to create connections or suggest opportunities, whatever that looks like in a certain scenario – we need to be playing an active role in being a part of the solution.

On Having Hard Conversations and Exploring Unconscious Bias

Our individual power – and responsibility – also bleeds over into our willingness to speak up and speak out when we see an action, behavior, or belief that doesn’t align with #BreaktheBias. This includes being sure we examine our own unconscious biases. Latasha Reindl, Director of Service Operations Excellence at Schneider Electric Digital Buildings suggests a book on how to take advantage of opportunities to have conversations that will prompt reflection and hopefully change. “I read a book a while back called Crucial Conversations,” she says. “I thought that book was fantastic. It talks about how important effective communication is as well as making sure you take advantage of opportunities that you’re in and have that courage to speak up in that moment, because they’ll be more impactful.”

During our podcast conversation, we talked about some of the work Schneider Electric has done around improving diversity, equity, and inclusion and Latasha has been particularly impresses by their commitment to addressing unconscious bias. “I think it’s important to understand that we all have some kind of unconscious bias. Schneider Electric does a great job at sprinkling the concept of unconscious bias throughout their organization, whether it be initiatives, business processes, communications. And when they sprinkle those little topics and things throughout the year, it makes you think not only at work, but outside of work as well,” she says. “For example, I was interviewing candidates for a global position and working with the recruiter. They send you the overall package that includes the candidate’s resume and with it there’s interview tips and tricks and a specific reminder and checklist to leave your unconscious bias behind. This was the first time that I’ve experienced that before in the 20 years that I have been managing people and I’m so proud to be a part of an organization where I can see that they’re really taking tangible steps toward progress.”

On Being the Minority in a Male-Dominated Field

I often ask women how they’ve handled being in a male-dominated industry, and I’m always interested in the variety of responses. I find the answers to be incredibly telling of their personality types and while there’s absolutely no one right way to handle these situations, it is important to think about how best to be your own advocate.

Catherine Wood of Compugen first transitioned into the IT industry 20 years ago and found she was often the only woman in the room. I asked her how much that has changed, and while she doesn’t deny that there are now more women working alongside her, what is surprising is that the treatment by the men in the room isn’t all that different. “I'm not as often the only woman in the room. Men are more comfortable seeing women in IT. And we're seeing more women in leadership roles in IT, which gives other women the confidence to see themselves in these roles,” she shares. “But what’s unfortunate is some of the conversations that still occur. Just a few weeks ago, I was in a meeting, and someone tried to explain to me where the start menu is. He knew we both work in IT; he knows my role. And he's explaining to me how to find the start menu. I don't keep quiet in those situations. I used to when I was younger, but I don't anymore. I asked him as politely as possible, ‘What makes you think that you need to explain to me where the start menu is?’ My goal wasn't to make him uncomfortable; my goal was to gently educate him. Because he wasn't doing it on purpose. He was trying to help. He really thought he was trying to help, but he just was going about it in a way that he needed to be more aware of.”

This example reminds me of a lot of the comments I receive every time I travel for work, related to how much my kids must miss me, how hard my husband has it, and so on. It isn’t necessary ill intent, but they are microaggressions that – conscious or not – become frustrating. As Catherine says, this is one area where we still have a lot of work to do. “I'm asked questions that nobody would think of asking a man, because if he's in that room, he's already qualified to be there where they see a woman walk in and they think, oh, she can't possibly be technical, or she can't possibly know anything about this. Women still get spoken or talked over in meetings or dismissed or someone will say something and will get ignored. The conversation will just keep going. Those are still challenges that we deal with today. We can’t use the ‘boys will be boys’ kind of excuse. Just move on, get over it. If it happened once in my lifetime, I'd get over it. When it happens multiple times a day, it starts to have an impact on me. And maybe it's multiple people during the day and they all didn't mean it. But the challenge is changing everyone's understanding of what those comments mean and not dismissing the fact that it has an impact on the people it's happening to.”

On Diversifying the Workforce

When you consider the industries that Future of Field Service covers, they are ones who are largely in need of fostering greater diversity. Karin Hamel is the Vice President of Services for US Digital Buildings at Schneider Electric, and she’s very focused on how to create greater diversity among the company’s frontline workforce. “I’m very proud of the programs that Schneider has been driving over the past few years regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. I think we do a really good job internally with our core values driving the right types of behavior that we want to see with our people and making sure it’s a safe, inclusive environment for everyone. When I think about the work that remains to be done, it will be all about enticing that talent, that diverse talent to come into Schneider Electric,” she says. “If we think about the look and feel of that Maytag repairman persona, and the workforce that we’ve had historically, think about the why. Why has it traditionally been white males of a certain age? We have more awareness now around STEM and we need to embrace and leverage that. So, what we’re doing is trying to find opportunities to create more entry level roles to get that talent in as soon as possible. Having programs like university recruit programs, apprenticeship programs, great onboarding and training to attract and retain that talent is a big focus right for us.”

Creating greater awareness of career opportunities that haven’t traditionally welcomed women – or that young women don’t grow up considering – is certainly important. And efforts like Schneider Electric is making to offer more entry-level positions so that experience isn’t a barrier to recruiting more diverse talent is spot on. But as you’ll read next, to dig deeper we need to explore how we begin changing the early childhood narrative.

On Changing Early Influences to Overcome Systemic Stereotypes

For our 150th podcast, we featured Shannon Tymosko whose story is just fantastic. In her late 20s, she grew tired of making low wages in childcare and other entry level positions and wanted to seek more opportunity for herself. After working on home remodel with a friend, she began exploring the trades and is now an apprentice electrician. Her story is both interesting and inspiring, and she’s begun advocating for how we make the potential of the trades more accessible to others.

“If you can see it, you can be it. Right? How often do we see celebrities more than we see anything else as children? We see Disney princesses, but do we see skilled trades workers? Do we see ladies as skilled trades workers? And so how do we believe we can do something that unless we even know it exists? And, so, the problem I think with the skilled trades is we don’t educate soon enough. There’s so much, I don’t want to say brainwashing, conditioning. There’s so much conditioning. We see us as women, we see princesses. The boys see trucks and construction workers. Well, where’s our equal balance of women construction workers to say that you can do that too?” she emphasizes.

But it isn’t just about showing it, letting young girls visualize the breadth of their options. It’s also about giving children the opportunities to try different things. “We can put the representation there all we want, but unless we present the opportunity to try, they’ll never know if they like it. Get some tools into the hands of young people. If you have a project at home, drag your kids out to experience it, get your kids involved, get their hands on the tool. You don’t know if they’ll like it until they’ve tried it, and it’s so important to give them that opportunity to try,” she adds.

Leading by Example

Shannon understands the value in leading by example. On a construction site, she is often the only woman – and while it can be intimidating, she realizes her role in not only doing work she’s proud of but in shifting these outdated perceptions of what a woman can do. “Some of the men don’t think you belong there. They don’t say it to you, but I know. And so there most certainly is this pressure to perform. With so few women in the skilled trades, I am a representation of every woman on another construction site who’s going to follow me, because men are judging me and they’re judging women as a whole at the same time. That’s not the same pressure that my fellow male apprenticeship peers feel,” she says. “Actions often speak louder than words. And being a woman in the skilled trades today means I am still a minority, underestimated and a trailblazer for other women to follow. It means I must be strong, self-aware and realistic that I’m still in a man’s world. I must be patient and not push change but be an ambassador and advocate for change. I must be persistent, work hard and show the young women of tomorrow that they too can do whatever they desire.”

I hope during this year’s International Women’s Day you will spend some time considering what you can do to help #BreaktheBias. Join us for Wednesday’s podcast, where I’ll have a conversation with Octavia Goredema around this topic. Octavia is the founder of Twenty Ten Agency, has coached leaders at renowned companies including Google, American Airlines, Tinder, General Motors, Nike, and Dow Jones, and is also the author of the new book PREP, PUSH, PIVOT: Essential Career Strategies for Underrepresented Women.

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What Makes a Great Leader Great?

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What Makes a Great Leader Great?

By Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

It takes only a glimpse at news headlines to be prompted to reflect on the impact leadership has on our world, our lives, and our future. You see incredible leaders doing deeds that will have a ripple effect for generations – along with the stark contrast of leaders abusing power. And whether you consider the world stage, tech, banking, or any other industry, you can find examples of how the power leaders hold can be channeled in such different ways.

This makes me think about what it is that makes a great leader great – what is it about their character or their personality or their experiences or their drive that enables those positive examples that we’d all like to see more of? Before you read further, let me just provide the disclaimer that I don’t have all of the answers. But it is a topic I’ve been thinking quite a bit about, and I thought I’d share some of those thoughts with you all.

In my role, I have the opportunity to speak with many leaders and it does give you a real flavor for the differences that exist – as well as an evolution that has taken place. It’s clear that over the last few years, many leaders have begun to adopt more progressive viewpoints that are a departure from the older, lead from the top, results at all costs style of leadership. Modern leaders tend to recognize the importance of company culture and value the contribution of employees at all ranks, and they tend to be less concerned with being the smartest or best or strongest in the room and more concerned with curating an ecosystem of talent that can innovate and drive results.

If you missed my recent two-part podcast interview with James Mylett, SVP, U.S. Digital Buildings at Schneider Electric, I’d urge you to go back and have a listen. Much of what I’m going to share below are thoughts formed from that conversation – and while I do believe James is a great leader, I don’t mean to put him in the hot seat of being the one to aspire to, but rather to use some of the points he made during our conversation to reflect on some of the traits I think are helping today’s strongest leaders excel.

Acceptance of the Journey of Continuous Development

James, who is Brooklyn born, went straight to work after high school. He tells how his very first boss instilled in him the criticality of continuous development and self-growth and made it a condition of his employment for James to get his Associates Degree. A bit further along in his journey, James had another leader who reinforced this mindset. “While at Carrier, I had a leader who said, ‘Your parents grew up in an era where if they showed up for work every day, worked really hard, were loyal to the company, they could count on lifelong employment. That deal doesn’t exist anymore. Nobody talks about it out loud, but if you are working for a great organization, you can count on lifelong employability if you take advantage of the learning opportunities that they put in front of you.”

This mindset stuck with James, and he has always made it a priority to learn, evolve his thinking and practices, and develop new skills. I think this trait is very important and one that great leaders share – they don’t achieve a level of success or “rank” and allow themselves to feel they’ve crossed some sort of finish line; rather, they recognize the need to continually evolve and improve.

Authenticity

This is the hardest trait on this list for me to describe somehow in words, because in my personal experience someone just is or isn’t. James is certainly authentic, and this has been clear to me since I met him over a decade ago – and my impression has been corroborated by every direct report of James’ I’ve ever spoken to, who all speak his praises.

Perhaps this comes down to some concoction of humbleness, no pretense, kindness, self-confidence but never cockiness, honesty, and a little vulnerability? That’s the best I can do to describe what authenticity feels like to me, and I’m certain it is a lacking description. But I do believe great leaders are authentic, and that their authenticity is part of what inspires teams and individuals to want to follow them and learn from them.

From James’ perspective, two important aspects are the leader’s agenda and the environment in which they are operating. “I think agenda makes a difference. My agenda is to help teams win and to help people who want to get better, get better,” he says. “But the key is, are you a part of an organization that is willing to create an environment to where you can be authentic? As we all talk about the war for talent, as people get experiences with organizations that allow them to be the best version of themselves there, and to be their genuine selves there, the tolerance level for any environment that doesn’t goes way down.”

The Ability to Balance the Now and the Next

James and I talked a number of times during our interview about the leaders’ need to balance the present and a view of the future – to keep an eye on the mid and long term in every decision and action. This challenge is one that many of the leaders I speak with lament – how do you think ahead or drive innovation when you are constantly struggling to keep up with the daily demands?

“I always try to do is stay focused on the long game. When trying to make big change in an organization, it never happens in a big step. It’s small incremental steps over a long period of time that make the biggest lasting sustainable change,” says James. “Larry Levin wrote a book called Top Teaming. And in it he talks about how leaders have to find the right balance between the now, the new, and the next. And this has always been the case, but what has changed is speed. When you think about cars, it took 62 years for cars to get to 50 million users. It took credit cards 28 years to get to 50 million, debit cards 12 years, PayPal five years, and then Pokemon GO got to 50 million users in 19 days. Think about that! Think about all that change and just how fast it’s moving today. It’s dramatically different. And so, we have to adjust our leadership style. We have to adjust the environments that we’re creating, otherwise we’re not going to attract and retain the talent that’s going to be needed to win in these new markets.”

Cultivation of Resilience

Certainly, over the last couple of years, we’ve seen the importance of resilience amplified more than it has been in most of our lifetimes. In my mind, resilience is a mix of patience and perspective. But when we think about the role of resilience in leadership, it is both personal as well as the acceptance of your role in nurturing resilience among your teams. This can be a tall task, particularly in a landscape where burnout is at an all-time high.

“In today’s environment, it’s hard to survive if you don’t have resilience,” says James. “As a leader, you have to remember that you’re the person that you used to look up to. And what is it about that person when you looked up that drew you to them and if you had to inject some improvement in that, what would it have been? Because that’s your opportunity today. So, personally, we have to check ourselves and make sure that we’re filling our own buckets up to where our resilience levels are high. Because our organization’s going to get our cue from us.”

According to James, a big part of this is mindset and also setting boundaries for yourself to step away and rest and recharge so that you don’t burn out. “When I think about leadership attributes, mindset is one of the biggest things that’s going to make a difference on whether or not you win or lose,” he says. “There’s a movie called Facing the Giants. If you go to You Tube, type of Facing the Giants and Death Crawl. It’s all about a coach seeing something in a player that he didn’t recognize in himself. And it goes back to this notion about the influence that you have as a leader. If you don’t think we’re going to win, they won’t think we’re going to win. And so, what comes out of our mouth is so critical in terms of setting the tone for the organization.”

Integrity and Accountability

You may assume that every great leader has high integrity (although we have to be careful with assumptions), but the point James made that I loved is that a leader’s responsibility when it comes to integrity isn’t only a personal. In addition to personal integrity, great leaders also take on the role of ensuring their teams are accountable for integrity as well.

“We know failure shouldn’t be fatal, but the area where it has a potential to be fatal is an integrity. And it comes in a lot of different flavors, but at the core of it, it’s how you carry yourself. Are you authentic? Are you trustworthy? Are you someone that people can count on? Are you transparent?” says James. “When I think about integrity as an organization, the antidote for that malice is the culture that you build. And the purposeful intent on culture. One of our pillars at Schneider Electric is to embrace different. And that we call out bias where we see it. So, you think about that, you’re on a job site and you see something, what do you do? Do you step up, do you speak up or do you just look the other way and keep going? Our core value says you’re calling it out. And, so, it’s that type of culture build that creates the antibodies against the wrong behavior on the integrity front.”

Embracing Curiosity

I’m a big believer in the power of curiosity – I think inquisitiveness and a hunger to learn and understand combats so much closed mindedness. I also think great leaders who have a strong sense of curiosity are not only more likely to look for the non-obvious answers or ideas, but also to accept the reality that they aren’t the only intelligent and valuable person in the picture – because their curiosity helps them see the intelligence and value of the teams around them.

“There was an article that was written on my father that referred to him as a searcher and I think that I inherited that trait,” says James. “When I bump into situations, I have tendency to want to unpack them. Today’s environment is probably the richest environment for somebody that’s wired like me, because there are so many opportunities for transformation. And so, what I try to do as a leader is immerse myself in situations that allow that opportunity for me to get engaged.”

James points to his adoption of the Oz Principle as a leadership evolution born of his curiosity that has also helped him see the value in promoting more curiosity among his teams by introducing them to new experiences. “One of the models I subscribe to is Oz Principle, which basically says that your beliefs are driven from the experiences that you have. So, this curiosity mode gets me in a position where I’m getting different experiences today than before and learning as I go,” he says.

Prioritizing Problem Analysis

James brought up an excellent point about the need to focus more on the root cause analysis of problems than to jump to problem solving. This is a point that I truly feel so many could benefit from really pondering, because many of the struggles I see companies facing today are a result of racing to a soliton before truly understanding the problem (or opportunity).

“I want to make sure that our team is focused on root cause analysis for problem solving,” James says. “When you think about a problem, everybody wants to go to ideation, to solve. We don’t spend enough time defining what the problem is and then doing the root cause analysis. Every organization I’ve worked with, brilliant people get in a room and God help us if there’s a whiteboard, the next thing you know you’ve got all these great ideas up there and then there’s a program that gets deployed. My preference is to start at the problem and work backwards from that and put a solution in place that’s supported with data. That’ll really move the needle because you know that that’s the root cause for the problem.”

Why the default to problem solving over root cause analysis? It’s more work, and many aren’t patient enough to do that extra work or perhaps their ego dissuades them from considering that they may need to better understand the problem to be solved. “It takes hard work to really dig in and to get the root cause. And it takes courage to face into the data when it doesn’t support what you thought the root cause was, and that happens a lot. You don’t want to get paralyzed by the data, but it has to have role in the conversation,” says James.

Treating People Well

Again, you may be thinking – um, duh, Sarah. But sadly, we see far too many examples of leaders who want to lead by demand and use their power as force rather than recognize how power can actually be amplified when you share it with your teams. Treating people well means having empathy, it means considering – not catering to – their feelings and needs, and recognizing their efforts and contributions.

“Part of what’s changing is people buy in for their reasons, not ours. So, what is our workforce’s reasons for buying in and does the culture that you’re purposefully building match up to what they’re wanting to buy into? And so, we talk about having an organization that’s focused, that’s purposeful, that’s driven, that’s going to achieve great things while is also being benevolent and kind, and gracious. That’s a great combination to have, and it’s a value proposition that absolutely resonates with the emerging workforce,” says James. “I think for us, it’s important that when we put our front line out in front of the customers that they’re in the right state of mind, and they feel genuinely appreciated in what they’re doing. And they understand how, what they’re doing is helping us. I get a report at the end of every month on our net satisfaction scores for the whole organization and I see everybody that got a nine and a 10 and I recognize each of them. If nothing else, just to let them know that I see what they’re doing, and I appreciate it. Back when I was a frontline technician if I was getting a note from the president of the division or senior vice president, it made a difference. I think we underestimate that sometimes when we get to these positions, just the impact that we have on lifting people up.”

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If You’re Striving for Digital Transformation Perfection, You’re Doing it Wrong

February 21, 2022 | 5 Mins Read

If You’re Striving for Digital Transformation Perfection, You’re Doing it Wrong

By Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

I read a Harvard Business Review article last week written by Harmit Singh, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Levi Strauss & Co., sharing four lessons from the company’s digital transformation. It’s an excellent article, ripe with self-awareness and nuggets of hard-earned wisdom any business leader can benefit from. What stood out to me, though, was the point Singh made around perfection – to not let “perfection be the enemy of good.”

For the retailer, the focus on perfection is innate and Singh shares that overcoming the instinct to apply that same principle to the company’s digital transformation was one of its biggest challenges. We’ve talked before about how digital “transformation” is really more of a journey, and if you liken the digital journey to any journey of self-improvement the way in which striving for perfection can be detrimental becomes clear. IDC expects global spending on digital transformation to reach $6.8 trillion by next year, and for those investments to make their intended impact, companies are well-served to recognize the need to release visions of perfection.

In his article, Singh shares how the 168-year legacy of Levi means that the company was going into this journey with a lot of deeply rooted beliefs, practices, processes, and habits. This is the case for so many organizations who start out thinking that the digital journey means layering on more modern, sophisticated technology only to find that it is far more a journey of reshaping not only the company’s identity but its culture, mindsets, structure, and processes. This, my friends, is why we began using the term digital transformation over ten years ago and are still discussing it today – it is far more complex in practice than any headline can properly convey.

Singh shares his top four lessons learned, which again are well worth reading. What I want to share, though, are my thoughts on the five areas where visions of perfection prohibit attainable progress with digital transformation.

#1: Legacy Lingers

Any company who has embarked on their digital journey can tell you that the hardest parts have far more to do with people than they do with technology. And so much of that is related to legacy thinking, beliefs, feelings, and patterns. And it’s important to recognize that is okay – it is to be expected. We can’t charge ahead into a new way of work and simply expect to snap our fingers and erase the legacy that has made the company what it is; nor should we want to. Rather, we need to acknowledge up front that overcoming legacy thinking and behaviors that don’t fit into the digital journey will be a challenge and we need to plan accordingly. Focus on progress rather than perfection. Be respectful of the ways in which change can be hard for your teams and put ample effort into change management to help their transition into the new company ethos be smoother.

#2: Agility Muscles Must be Built

Singh talks about how the concept of becoming more agile was particularly challenging for Levi, as it is for many others. But it is absolutely imperative as the pace of change is never going back to a former speed. Technology today simply doesn’t fit into anything but an iterative process, and companies who are unfamiliar with the approach can really struggle to make progress because of this fact. And I’m not only talking about agile as a methodology, but also as a mindset. Before we can flex our agile muscles, though, we must build them over some time. A big part of this that Singh discusses in his article is normalizing failure. The agile mindset – and process – is one of continual improvement, in which trial and error is normal. This is often at odds, though, with the legacy culture of the company – and leadership needs to understand the importance of empowering employees to work differently without fear.

#3: Look Ahead, Not Beside

Yes, it is important to pay attention to what your competition is doing when it comes to all aspects of differentiation, including digital. However, your digital journey can veer far off course by measuring your progress against someone else’s journey rather than your own improvement. Singh talks about how it can be difficult not to panic when you feel “behind” the competition – but this sort of sideways attention only detracts from the forward progress you must make to keep pace. There will be a time to study competitors but being distracted by their journeys when it comes to what is a very company-specific transformation is a waste of effort and energy.

#4: Data Mastery Takes Effort

One of the key objectives of digital transformation is to create and leverage far more data than you’ve ever had before. This is powerful, but it can also be overwhelming – and sometimes company let this overwhelm paralyze them from making forward progress. You don’t have to perfect data use from the start, in fact I’d argue it is impossible – you will always be finding new ways to use data to glean insights that help the business and your customers. But you should know, from the start, that becoming adept at converting data to intelligence takes an investment and must be a part of your digital transformation strategy. Singh shares that, “To realize the full potential of the data, employees must embrace new tools and develop data savviness. We don’t expect that to happen overnight, given employees are comfortable using systems that have worked for them for years. We realize with training and a clear picture of how the systems simplify and supercharge their work flows we’re creating an innovative and responsive culture around data savviness.”

#5: Stay Open to the Journey

Part of a more agile mindset is realizing that while you may start your digital transformation journey with an “end goal” in mind, the reality is that the end goal is always evolving. For people, like me, who really relish the satisfaction of crossing a project off the list, this can be a tough pill to swallow. However, the companies who have the most successful digital transformation stories have recognized that being too fixed on your initial vision of success can prohibit you from seeing and incorporating valuable learnings along the way. As Singh says, “Success doesn’t always look like what you initially thought. I’ve seen this throughout my life both professionally and personally, and this is especially true in business. The place we end up is different from what we set out to be, and often, the journey becomes even more valuable than the actual outcome.”

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Future of Field Service Launches Its First Live Tour – Globally!

February 14, 2022 | 3 Mins Read

Future of Field Service Launches Its First Live Tour – Globally!

By Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

I couldn’t be more thrilled to share that this Spring, Future of Field Service is hosting its first-ever collection of in-person events. That’s right, yours truly will be going “Around the World in 80 Days” to bring the objective, peer-driven, tactical content you’ve grown to expect from our content to a city near you. After a long stretch of sessions held through Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and webinars it brings me great joy to finally be able to bring this next evolution of Future of Field Service to life.

Those of you that follow along regularly know that I am passionate about building a sense of community – of creating a space where we expand our collective knowledge and share our stories. Anyone who isn’t a “regular” here, don’t be fooled by our name – Future of Field Service content reaches far beyond the field. Our aim is to provide leaders across industries, and spanning geographies, a home for both information and inspiration on how to differentiate their businesses through service and lead through change. We prioritize conversations over clickbait, always. By keeping our content focused on sharing the voice of the industry, we provide a place you can come to learn how your peers are tackling today’s trends, challenges, and opportunities.

Nothing Like Face-to-Face Communication

And while we’re confident that we accomplish this mission well through our written content and weekly podcasts, we fully recognize that there’s no experience that can replace the value of sharing a day with a room full of people who are showing up to learn, engage, and connect. In-person events have been a vision of mine since Future of Field Service launched – that vision was simply delayed a bit in being realized. But this Spring, I will be visiting five wonderful cities across the globe to bring to you an opportunity to step away from the daily chaos, to connect with like-minded individuals, to hear the real-world perspectives of local leaders on a variety of timely topics, and – last, but not least – to have some fun!

Here is a list of the cities and dates of our very first Future of Field Service Global Roadshow:

April 7th, Paris
May 5th, London
May 19th, Frankfurt
May 24th, Stockholm
June 14th, Austin TX

We will be sharing a detailed agenda for each location soon, but you can expect a high-quality lineup of speakers who “walk the talk” discussing a variety of topics including digital transformation and technology trends; service strategy, evolution, and revenue growth; customer experience and satisfaction; recruiting, hiring, and retention; employee enablement and engagement; leadership styles and tips; and change management and company culture.

Each event will be a day of content and discussion, followed by a little fun and networking to conclude. You have my word that you won’t experience a day of yawn-inducing PowerPoints and there will be NO sales pitches! The events will be educational, conversational, and hopefully inspirational.

Detailed agendas for each location will be coming soon, but you can register now to join us at the city closest you! I look forward to seeing many of your faces on my trip around the world this Spring.

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