In this episode, we'll uncover the secret to creating a thriving organisation – building on what's already working in your company. 

We'll explore how the flight and fight response gets in the way of human connection and thwarts your attempts to lead change (and what to do about it).

We'll look at how leadership is changing and the significance of your company's heartbeat. 

And we'll discuss aligning values with behaviours and creating a robust framework for training. 

In this episode:

• Starting with what's already working in your organisation
• Getting executives on board with your vision for culture
• Using storytelling to align your team and customers
• Making sure your brand is more than just marketing
• Communicating your values in a way that avoids clichés.
• Getting a framework in place to help your organisation adapt and change.

Join me as we continue to explore the human side of business. And don't forget to let me know your thoughts at ben@benafia.com.

This time, I dive deep into the world of brand and its intimate connection with culture.

I'll explain what brand actually is – and what most people don't understand about it.

And I discuss how branding creates value and how marketing communicates that value to customers. 

I'll get into how to understand your audience and what people tend to ignore. Plus purpose and staying true to your values.

In this episode:

• the essence of brand and how it creates value
  
• the relationship between culture and brand
  
• brand personality and identity
  
• the power of language and tone of voice to shape perceptions
  
• using brand to stand out and resonate with your customers

Join me as we continue to explore the human side of business. And don't forget to let me know your thoughts at ben@benafia.com.

In this episode, we explore customer experience and how company culture and strengths contribute to that experience.

When you make a promise to customers in your marketing, how do you make sure you fulfil that promise through exceptional customer service? Consistency is the key, as every moment of communication shapes your customer’s perception of you.

These touchpoints are the only evidence customers have of your company's inner workings. And they’re the only evidence customers have that you’ll deliver for them.

So it’s vital you make sure every interaction conveys, not just the right message, but the right feeling.

We talk about mapping your customer journey as a way to get that consistency. Journeys are complex webs rather than linear paths. But once you can see the whole picture you’ll see where you can improve.

Once you’ve defined your culture and brand, you can train your customer service teams in the empathy skills necessary for customers to feel you care. And if you also train your team managers in coaching skills, they can guide their teams toward finding solutions independently, freeing up the manager's time for other tasks.

Key points:

• Mapping your customer’s journey
• Understanding the customer's experience
• Identifying areas that need improvement
• Consistency across all touchpoints is essential
• They’re all an opportunity to convey the right emotions
• Customer experience isn’t just about marketing
• It’s about the entire organisation and its culture
• Empathy training is essential in moments of strife
• A coaching culture helps sustain the skills after training
• The financial value of empathy in business is increasing, especially during the geopolitical upheaval and financial strain.

In this podcast we’ll cover:

Creating your culture

I’ve been inside organisations learning what works – and what doesn’t – since 1995. My greatest frustration is seeing a disconnect between the promise and delivery, between brand and culture. But if you make that connection it’ll help you keep your promises to your customers. And that’s what makes them happy.

• creating your culture
• starting from strengths
• creating an emotionally engaging vision
• aligning your exec team
• meaningful and actionable values
• empowering behaviour frameworks
• building teams of champions
• consulting and engaging your whole organisation.

Building a better brand

Many brand strategies are based on insight, but not on the culture’s ability to deliver. So start by understanding the strengths of your culture – the qualities that have made you successful so far. Building on those strengths, you can develop a brand strategy that isn’t just a fanciful concept. Your brand will be deeply rooted in your culture’s ability to deliver. Which means you can be confident you’re giving the service you promised.

• identifying your audience
• understanding their needs
• developing purpose
• expressing it so it inspires your employees
• positioning – standing out from competitors
• personality – how you look and feel
• tone of voice
• how it connects you with your people, stakeholders and customers
• how language is a surprisingly powerful tool for change.

Transforming employee and customer experience

Having aligned your culture and brand strategy you can make these real in every interaction with your people and customers. When you map their journey, discover how they’re feeling and when, you can transform each moment of contact. And with this new, clear direction, you can train your teams to build their empathy and coach them to sustain it.

• mapping peoples’  journeys
• understanding what you put people through
• improving how they feel at each touchpoint
• training your teams to apply your brand
• coaching to sustain the change
• embedding values and behaviours.

Subscribe here for future episodes. And learn more about my approach, insights and clients at https://benafia.com.