Over the past ten months, more than 1,000 CX professionals were directly involved in research to prepare CXPA to build on its recent successes (such as the publication of the CXPA CX Book of Knowledge) and ensure the future of the customer experience field. At every step, members and staff have worked collaboratively to select the research consultancy, guide the research study, interpret the results, and set future directions for CXPA. Last month, the Board of Directors adopted three new strategies based on this work and convened a Global Strategy Summit on April 30 which included more than two dozen CXPA members to help inform operational planning considerations for the next several years.
“Many organizations claim to know the problems, and just move to action. I'm really proud to be part of an organization that said, ‘Let's talk to 1000 people to make sure we really understand what we need to do’ – and then, ‘Let's engage another set of people to decide what we need to do it right.’” remarked CXPA Board member and Summit participant Jim Tincher, CCXP.
Association Laboratory, a twenty-five-year-old company specializing in helping association leaders make better decisions through research and strategy consulting services, supported the project. Association Laboratory founder Dean West, FASAE was on site to help the group navigate the meaning of the 240 pages of research reports. He distilled the findings into one ultimate focus for CXPA:
CX Research and Validation – determining what works and what does not work in CX.
For CEOs, Boards, and C-Suite leaders, CXPA’s focus should be to Build Acceptance for CX, through CEO Awareness, Understanding and Support.
For CX Practitioners, Consultants, and Service Providers, CXPA's focus should be to Educate on the successful application of CX and emerging trends as well as to be advocates for CX as a business discipline and career.
Global Steering Committee Chair Barbie Fink, CCXP and CXPA CEO Greg Melia, CAE presented desired outcomes and associated Board-adopted strategies:
· Outcome: Buy-In from C-Suite, CEO and Board
· Strategy: Focus our advocacy on influencing the C-Suite that CX is a trusted and preferred business discipline that drives sustainable organizational growth
· Outcome: Organizations benefit from consistent CX professional practice
· Strategy: Promote the professional practice of customer experience as a business discipline with specialized knowledge and activities
· Outcome: CXPA is valued for the mechanisms it provides to achieve CX success
· Strategy: Ensure that CXPA provides mechanisms that enable CX success by being a well-understood, high-performing customer-centric organization
To help CXPA proactively manage global growth, specific plans of work will be developed for the four regions that the research indicated that CXPA should prioritize: the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East.
Supporting sub-strategies include:
- Gather credible evidence-based data to make the case
- Influence the C-Suite in their adoption of CX as a trusted and preferred business discipline that drives sustainable organizational growth
- Provide CX professionals with advice and resources that help elevate their performance
- Promote consensus-based definitions, guidance, and Standards for quality customer experience
- Make CCXP a central driver for success
- Improve CXPA’s digital presence
- Rethink CXPA’s Engagement Model
- Ensure Effective Global Planning and Execution
Summit participants then worked in small groups to develop and document tactical advice for accomplishing these strategies. Board members worked alongside representative Regional leaders, Steering Committee members, Recognized Training Providers, Sponsors, and members at large from across the globe, and staff. This variety of perspectives helped to push the conversation to what might be done, while also allowing time to develop shared understanding.
CXPA member from Calgary, Canada Jhumur Choudhury MSc., CCXP remarked, “As a CX professional, I use three words a lot: transparency, partnership, and alignment. Today in this room, I did see partnership transparency and alignment." 2024 Vice Chair Roxie Strohmenger, CCXP reflected on the day: “Typically when you look at the horizon it's usually cloudy, it's not super clear. It is very rare to have clear horizon, and I think we have it.” Ian Golding, CCXP, shared, “We’ll always be stronger as a community collaborating together, reminding ourselves that we are doing what we do because it is the right thing for our profession and for organizations that aspire to become truly customer-led.”
Erin Wallace, CCXP shared her key takeaways from the Summit on LinkedIn: “As a board and strategy committee, we spent a day charting out our 10-year ambition and aligning on priority tactics. It was incredible to be a part of a team dedicated to this independent, non-profit agency committed to advancing customer experience management globally. We all agreed that effective ecosystem partnerships are crucial for CX Leaders and the association's success. Strengthening the professional practice of CX as a business discipline requires a tight partnership with Finance and IT, and we believe that CX can only thrive by being well-understood and a partner to the C-suite.” Other topics include strengthening CXPA’s use of strategic partnerships to achieve its mission, improving CXPA’s digital experience, and creating resources to help consultants use the CXPA CX framework. Staff and the Board will use All of the ideas to develop multi-year operational plans.
Immediate past chair Tabitha Dunn, CCXP, who launched the research underlying these discussions, closed the meeting with a thoughtful reflection: “What I have heard throughout this process and most especially today is your voices of optimism and of confidence of what we can achieve and I am deeply, deeply honored to be a part of it.”
In the coming months, look for informational programs presenting more insights from the research findings and more about CXPA’s plans for the future.
Interested in getting involved? Send an email to CXPA’s CEO Greg Melia, CAE (greg@cxpaglobal.org)
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