S.Swaminathan - Customer World Blog , Uncategorized

Enemy Within the Company Syndrome. Look for ones around you.

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 22:11:16 +0530

I am not sure if you have faced this syndrome. I have faced this myself wherever I have worked and even when I started my own firm. What I found was people like these - whom I call 'Enemy within the Company' - who pass-on their insecurity or doubts to people who are working around them. There may be little truth or half-truths or even full truths about what they have been seeing or hearing - be it restructuring or M&A, be it a new manager who is struggling to do their job, some rumours about a client and doubts about the client taking away the business from company or a product/service that is not being built right or about to be released or about a colleague who is probably being encouraged or about indecisive management etc. They imagine things the way they would like to interpret them, keep talking about them without checking for the veracity of the information they may have picked-up and soon this turns into a toxic environment in the company.

I also believe people are people at the end of the day. How social media algorithms are built to help you see more of what you have seen, the 'Enemy Within' algorithm starts to gain momentum. Ultimately, what these people end-up doing is chasing the good ones who are believers away from the company and soon enough these people too leave the company. What was interesting for me was to watch them or when I tracked them closely after they have moved, the story of 'Enemy within the company' syndrome in them continued in the new company with a new set of people and for a new set of issues!!

How do we kill this 'Enemy within the Company' syndrome:

1. If you are the one who's got the doubt, be specific and clarify it with somebody who you trust within the company. Just don't jump to conclusions.

2. Know whom and when to speak up rather than just chatter about it in the corridors and cafeteria. If you are a mid-senior profile,

you have to be more careful about this than others.

3. Think how you can help solve this issue, if there is an iota of truth, after all you are being paid by the company.

4. Give it time and be patient which is the most difficult. It happens in every company - not all acquisitions or restructuring of

departments have worked, not all products are built right or successful, not all clients are fair, not all new hires make a difference,

not all business models are right. So, respect the intent and do not deride the process or outcome.

5. Finally, if you don't believe what's happening in the company is right, don't talk around, just walk out. I have seen companies continuing to be successful

in their own way and most often you don't know the whole story.

6. If you are somebody listening to the 'Enemy Within', don't get influenced and be sure to make your own judgements.

7. Don't join the chatter without verifying the details and do what it takes to arrest it or break the chain rather than join the chatter.

8. Don't allow the 'Enemy Within' to spread their wings. There is nothing called a perfect company and you will find these people complaining about the

next company too!

9. Always give the benefit of doubt to the company and don't assume leaders or the company knows it all. They too are in a continuous learning mode.

10. The 'Enemy Within' dies a natural death when they cannot spread their wings. Do your bit for it everyday till you are employed with the firm.

So, remember companies are not perfect ecosystems. It is a living being that learns and improves from every mistake or success. You are a part of that ecosystem and you carry every responsibility to help it improve in spite of bottlenecks and challenges. Don't be an 'Enemy Within' but be a 'Positive Advocate'.

[This post was also published in www.contraminds.com. ContraMinds is a podcast where divergent and radical thinkers are interviewed across various streams.]

Why India needs to take data privacy seriously

Tue, 07 Aug 2018 07:58:50 +0530

Data confidentiality and privacy is a primary right which Indian consumer needs to demand, as the economy becomes more and more digitally driven.

Data privacy and protection is a fundamental foundation for an emerging data-driven economy like India. Permission marketing will be the next battleground brands or marketers will have to take cognizance of, as India transforms from a data-poor economy to a data-rich economy. Permission marketing, a word coined by marketing expert Seth Godin in a book by the same name, is a non-traditional marketing technique that advertises goods and services when advance consent is given.

Let’s look at some trends on how the Indian economy is moving towards being more and more data driven. At the last count, India has claimed first place across the world with 270 million Facebook users followed by the US which has 240 million Facebook users. Indians are leaving behind so much private data and information on this social media platform which is accessible to the world. The number of mobile wallet users in India is already over 250 million with Paytm having more than 100 million users and growing at a rapid pace. India, not China, is the world’s fastest growing mobile payment market. The number of mobile wallet transactions is expected to surge to Rs 1 trillion in 2018. By 2025, digital transactions are expected to reach $1 trillion with four out of five transactions done digitally. There is little wonder then that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the country's central bank, has promulgated Know Your Customer (KYC) norms for wallet companies. The amount of privacy data that is being left behind with wallet companies is also enormous.

Jackie Huba - Customer Evangelists Keynote

Sun, 08 Oct 2006 23:15:55 +0530

http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=6438419252427373736&hl=en

Jackie Huba is one of my favourite thought leaders in the area of customer-engaged marketing. Listening to her can give us great inspiration and a lot of ideas on how to get our customers involved with our brands.

Jackie Huba is a co-author of "Creating Customer Evangelists."This is a 2003 American Bankers Association Marketing Conference keynote.

Enjoy!

'What goes in their head' series - Richard Fairbank, CEO, Capital One

Sat, 02 Sep 2006 18:49:07 +0530

In a new series of posts from this month, I will start writing about what makes people behind successful companies do it the way they have gone out and done things. Things that have changed the company, the culture and of course their customers' lives too.

Here's first in the series, an interview with Richard Fairbank, chairman and chief executive of the credit card giant Capital One. Here's are some lovely quotes from this interview:

"What my dad ... taught me was, success is not about how much money you make or about promotions and rewards and things like that," Fairbank, 55, said in an interview last month "Success is about having a quest and pouring yourself into that quest ... and the magical things that are happening on your journey to you and to those that you're sharing the journey with."

In the business world, Richard Fairbank's own quest, as he calls it, began in the late 1980s with a revolutionary idea. He decided that instead of rejecting many credit applicants and offering the rest of them a single product -- a card with a 19.8 percent interest rate and $20 annual fee -- card issuers should analyze credit records and other data to offer consumers a variety of terms tailored to their risk and needs.

"Every single person in the U.S. had the same credit card," Fairbank said. "It absolutely no sense ... that you would have this product of empowerment be a one-size-fits-all."

Only for women Bank

Sun, 16 Jul 2006 21:08:46 +0530

Springwise has this post on Women only Bank:

Austria's first bank for women was recently opened by Raiffeisen in the ski resort town of Gastein. The concept was developed in association with Emotion Banking, which conducted extensive studies about women and finances, and how they interact with banks. Emotion Banking came to the conclusion that women approach finances differently than men do, and that a dedicated bank for women would better serve Raiffeisen's female customers. The current set-up includes an inviting lounge-like interior, that includes a play area to keep children occupied. Female employees assist customers, taking extra time to explain products thoroughly, and to build a strong relationship with their customers.

Unilever helps consumers choose healthy products

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 22:42:26 +0530

Unilever has launched Choices, a front of pack logo programme designed to help consumers identify packaged foods and beverages that offer a healthier choice.

The front of pack logo is designed to help consumers choose foods that have limited amounts of trans fats, saturated fats, sodium and sugars.

"Our research shows that consumers are keen to make the healthy choices," said Banga.

"As part of our commitment to Vitality, we see it as our responsibility to help the consumer in making the healthy choices. We are constantly improving our products by making them healthier.

"Now we are also stepping up our efforts to improve consumer information on pack by means of a front of pack logo designed to work regardless of geography or product category."

I think it's a lovely initiative! Helping customers choose brands based on transparency, right information and knowledge will only drive affinity towards Unilever and their brands.

Now, commercial free radio - Brought to you by Snapple

Tue, 30 May 2006 07:43:01 +0530

WFNX/Boston, flagship station for the WFNX Radio Network and Snapple have announced a landmark partnership that will see the heritage Modern Rocker broadcast commercial-free for 40 days as part of a unique "brandcasting" initiative.

Short messages and event announcements will be seamlessly woven into WFNX's music programming in the form of hundreds of recorded audio "collages," live DJ reads, bumpers and sweepers.

Additionally, Snapple and WFNX will be producing numerous unique concerts and promotions over the six-week period.Listeners will also be able to gain access to "Snapple Cap Shows" by presenting three Snapple bottle caps upon arrival. The venue will feature new Snapple products and custom Snapple cocktails.

Tomorrow's customer-centric companies cannot be run by Manager 1.0

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 20:29:20 +0530

If you are manager 1.0, get ready to change or be sure to be left behind.

thro' Kathy Sierra

Steve Jobs way of romancing the customer

Sat, 04 Feb 2006 20:49:33 +0530

Business Week has this story on Steve Jobs. Here are some excerpts:

So what is Jobs' secret? There are many, but it starts with focus and a near-religious faith in his strategy. For years, Jobs plugged away at Apple with his more proprietary approach, not worrying much about Wall Street's complaints.

"The great thing about Steve is that he knows that great business comes from great product," says Peter Schneider, the former chairman of Disney's studio. "First you have to get the product right, whether it's the iPod or an animated movie."

Jobs has applied his old strategy to the new digital world. With absolute control, breakout innovation, and stellar marketing, he has created products that consumers lust after.

thro' emergic

Engagement marketing is the future

Thu, 22 Dec 2005 09:10:58 +0530

Robing Good writes:

Traditional marketing methods are losing their grip
Consumers themselves have changed beyond recognition
The term Mass-Media threatens to become an oxymoron.
In a survey conducted by the Financial Times Creative Business the findings were that:

            Mass TV audiences were declining rapidly
            Viewers find TV commercials more intrusive and less satisfying
            TV Ad clutter was increasing
         Despite the above TV revenues were down

Further, Ed Woller, Business Director of media buying agency Mindshare, highlighted the fact that younger generations viewing habits were in marked contrast to their parents and that they also watched less TV than previous generations.
C.K. Prahalad and Venkatram Ramaswamy cite BMW's offering of a custom car, delivered in 12 days, where a choice of 26 wheel designs and 123 console options are available on the Z3 Roadster.
Fundamental principle that marketing should be conversational rather than a top-down, one-way interruptive message