Blogs

Pride of the Southside. That was the motto you heard in my neighborhood & everyone knew what it meant. They were talking about the characteristics of the people on the Southside of South Bend, IN – hardworking, humble, honest, resourceful, persistent, helpful, bright, committed, trustworthy, perceptive, creative, & fun-loving. You saw these traits displayed daily – at the library, the grocery store, the bank, school, church, the soccer field, the community pool, etc. They also became a community yardstick, so if you were not displaying those values during an interaction neighbors/ teachers/etc. would guide you back towards the expectation. Being bathed in these interactions as a child helped inform how I show up in the world & the gold standard we use in raising our three children.
 
Think about your organization, can you succinctly capture your CX culture into clear brand promises? If so, are you sharing them regularly & broadly to make them palpable to employees, customers, & your community?
 
🖥Do you post customer comments that align with your brand values on your intranet?
💌Do you write personal thank you notes to your employees who embody your brand values?
📞Do you follow-up with customers when you learn about a situation where you fell short of your desired customer experience?
🏙Do you find intentional & specific ways to give back to your community, directly aligning with your brand values?
💚Have you branded your CX culture with a specific term or logo, so everyone knows what it stands for?
✍Do you have employee-to-employee recognition programs where colleagues can nominate someone they see exhibiting your CX culture?
🤝Do you partner with your HR team to weave your CX culture into your hiring & performance management practices?
📣Do your quarterly operational meetings start with a Voice of the Customer narrative – tying the metrics back to what really matters?
 
I’m happy to report that on the Southside of South Bend we now have a tangible way to display the attributes our neighborhood possesses. Throughout the summer, David Blodgett, a local muralist has captured the last 100 years of the Riley Wildcats (a high school located in our neighborhood). It has been fun watching it come to life on the side of a dormant building – highlighting legacy & looking to the future. I’m the child of two Wildcat grads, married to a tenured staff member, & Mama to a freshman in the marching band – so the mural means something special to our family. In chatting with neighbors & people around town, with no affiliation to Riley, they all agree it is a great way to showcase the Pride of the Southside!