Category: Uncategorized

Deepfakes and Synthetic Media: the need to understand how we interpret our new reality

In the famous intro to the 1960s TV show, Twilight Zone, Rod Serling says “You are about to enter another dimension. A dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination. Next stop—The Twilight Zone."   We have entered the twilight zone via the possibilities of AI.  Deepfakes make it next to impossible for our sometimes naïve sense of reality to comprehend.  Will we all become more cynical or disbelieving or will [...]
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Sustainable experience design: linking values & fashion

Sustainability encompasses both institutional responsibilities and personal choices, intertwining to shape a more eco-conscious society. The importance of individual actions in driving broader societal change cannot be overstated. This principle is evident in various aspects of our lives, including the fashion industry, which serves as a powerful lens through which to examine the interplay between personal agency and collective sustainability efforts. Fashion and Personal Agency: A Reflection of Values The clothes we choose to wear are more than mere garments; [...]
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Unveiling the Power of Behavior Science: Why You Should Dive into its Principles

As a freshman at university, one of my favorite classes was microeconomics. To this date, I remember learning about the price elasticity of demand. The basic premise is that if you decrease the price you increase the demand and vice versa. It makes perfect logical sense and it works … sometimes. Then, some 15 years ago, I delved into the fascinating world of Behavior Economics and Behavioral Science principles. Once, I was explaining some of those principles at the company [...]
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Firing Customers? Yes!

The concept of firing a customer for the right reasons is not new.  Fred Reichheld, Bain fellow and  creator of the Net Promoter System, suggested that firing customers would be the big CX idea of 2015.   Companies have little trouble firing customers who engage in criminal activity against the company.  However, the waters become murky when the offending behaviour is the mistreatment of employees.  The concept is no longer foreign but not yet a common part of strategic thinking at [...]
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Moving to Net Zero: Lessons from digital transformation

Digital Transformation has taught me an important lesson for approaching the new challenge at the intersection of digital and net-zero. A critical aspect of navigating any transformation involves making strategic decisions about your organization's direction. What's your move? Do you stick with your core business, branch out into new territories, or go big and transform your entire business ecosystem? This isn't just about making a choice; it's about understanding your risk and shaping your future. The path you choose is [...]
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The Importance of Influence for CX Leaders

CX Leaders often have a leadership challenge.   They are asked to make widespread impact on an organisation noticeable by its customers in a way that drives increased short term ROI and lifetime value.  However,  most often they do not given the authority to match the accountability.  As a result, influence is the main mechanism for CX leaders to get thigs done across the organisation. Without influence, CX leaders are left to work in their silo or create tools (and collateral [...]
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AI can help innovation in financial services

There's an elephant in the bank's vault, and it's not asking for a loan! It's our rather 'quaint' approach to innovation - or lack thereof. In the Financial Services Industry (FSI), genuine foresight and creativity are exceedingly rare. Misusing Generative AI can exacerbate this. As it is becoming increasingly clear, the abuse of AI without the proper skills is turning a powerful tool into a catalyst for groupthink and echo chambers, rather than an engine for innovative thinking. Developing an [...]
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Business Mic Podcast w/ Qaalfa Dibeehi: CX, sustainability and technology

As part of the Business Mic podcast, Daudi Mugabi spoke with Qaalfa Dibeehi, former Dean of the Majid Al Futtaim Leadership Institute and member of the Board of Directors the  Customer Institute and current Partner at Human2outcome, which was recently recognized as the "Educational Services Company of the Year" by Entrepreneur Middle East. Qaalfa emphasized the significance of technology in enhancing customer experiences while cautioning against its potential misinterpretation within an organization as a substitute for the role of customer experience rather than [...]
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Leader as coach

"Leadership is about being lonely". This is what a CEO once told me. Unlike less individualistic cultures like Asia, this Wagnerian ideology of the leader alone at the helm of an organization is so entrenched in the Western command-and-control corporate culture. A leader should reflect this in their mindset showing endurance and self determination in tough circumstances. Leaders often practice individual sports, and this is usually standing out in their resumes. Head hunters and HR recruiters take duly note of [...]
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Customer Institute: a CX organisation that gives back

The Customer Institute is a not-for-profit, global organization whose mission is to be the go-to source for B2B, B2C, and public-sector organizations to excel through customer centricity. The Customer Institute searches, develops, and promotes best practices to prove the value of customer centricity to help organizations expedite corporate growth. Its leadership includes some of the best thought leaders, consultants, practitioners, innovators, and scholars in the global CX space today. Through its certification and assessment programs, the Customer Institute enables and recognizes excellence in customer centricity. [...]
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