6 ways to drive CX addiction at your organisation

Way back in 2010 Steve Jobs said that his kids had never used an iPad. He understood (as do many other tech leaders) the insidious addictive nature of today's tech and the cardinal rule of drug dealing....

Never get high on your own supply.

Not that I am advocating addictive behaviours at work, but wouldn't it be great if we could drive the same irresistibility in our business analytics and CX data?

• Wouldn't it be great if we could replicate the high we get from an Instagram "like" when reviewing our performance stats.
• Compel people to complete improvement initiatives as single mindedly as they complete a Fortnite mission.
• Binge watch customer feedback alongside their Netflix addiction.

The tech masters say its all in the design and since that quote from Steve back in 2010 our tech has become so addictive that we can't even tolerate a 30 second elevator trip without reaching for our phones. So CX and business change pros - it is in our hands! 

Need a helping hand? Adam Alter in his book Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology gives us a bit of a recipe - six ingredients that drive behavioural addiction. 

1. Compelling goals that are just beyond reach.
2. Irresistible and unpredictable positive feedback.
3. Sense of incremental progress & improvement.
4. Tasks that become slowly more difficult over time.
5. Unresolved tensions that demand resolution.
6. Strong social connections.

So post CX Day, lets focus on getting our organisation addicted to CX. But more importantly taking action and driving change (not just sitting in a darkened room looking at a screen). We need to consider each of Adam's ingredients when designing our dashboards and communications.

1. Compelling goals - Don't set unrealistic targets - they have got to be just out of reach, but do'able otherwise we get discouraged and don't even try.
2. Irresistible and unpredictable positive feedback - Focus on the positive not the negative. Don't ignore the negative, but ensure you lead with a positive that will motivate - and of course use the customer's own words or video.
3. Sense of incremental improvement - Research has shown that we don't like looking at negative trends, we are more likely to return to view dashboards or data if there is a positive or upward trend. Now I know this can be hard, if there is a negative trend and I am not saying ignore it, but be aware if it is all negative, people will not be keen to revisit.
4. Tasks becoming slowly more difficult - Again don't be unrealistic, focus on something you know can be achieved within a short timeframe without a huge amount of effort... then up the anti!
5. Unresolved tensions - Think about the cliff hanger, why should someone come back and view the next "episode" - what is going to change in the next month. How will their action impact the results.
6. Strong social connections  - Last but my no means least - the most important of all. Behavioural Economics and Nudge tell us how important social norms are - if others are doing it, maybe I should too! But also enable people to make connections cross functionally and work together. Not only will you get higher engagement, but you will get a better results.