Jeannie Walters: 0:00

We have another fantastic question from a listener just like you. Let's listen in.

Listener Question: 0:06

Hello, Jeannie. This is Shawn from the Experience Investigators Mailroom. I have a question for you that was sent in. It reads, We're working on our customer journey maps, but I've noticed that some teams feel left out, like the map doesn't reflect their role in the customer experience. How can we make journey mapping more inclusive and representative of the whole organization?

Jeannie Walters: 0:28

Fantastic question. So when we talk about journey mapping, you may have heard me say that I believe it's a verb, not a noun, meaning that it's all about the action of journey mapping that really leads to the insights that create better experiences long term. So when we are in that mode of journey mapping, I really encourage you to think about it as an act of engagement, engagement with other cross-functional groups, engagement with customers, engagement with your data. There is so much that goes around journey mapping. So if somebody is coming to you saying they felt left out, that's probably because they weren't asked to engage. But this can get tricky, right? Because we don't want customer journey maps to be org chart discussions. We want them to be about the customer's real experience. So I have two ideas for you. One is that it's a great idea to share what you've come up with in the journey map, whatever it's form, with those different groups to see if they have different feedback with you. Just sit down with them and say, I would love to validate with this with you and get your experience and your perspective. People love to be asked to engage that way. Another next step here might be considering doing what is called service blueprinting. Now, a customer journey map is all about the customer's perspective. The service blueprint is figuring out what is happening within the organization in order to deliver that experience. That's when we get into front stage and backstage actions. That's when we figure out what people, processes, technology, and tools are included in delivering that experience. So if you have something you're working on, for instance, as part of the journey or an improvement you're trying to make, you start with that ideal customer journey map, what you want to happen for the customer. And then you figure out how to execute that with a service blueprint. Now, the service blueprint is a great opportunity to include those people, those teams, those leaders who maybe said, I didn't feel included in the journey map. You can simply say to them, you know what? Let's figure this out together by including you in the service blueprinting. Now it's tricky because people will forget the difference. But it's your role as the CX leader to really define customer journey mapping as uniquely from the customer's perspective. That means you're not worrying about org charts, you're not worrying about teams, you're really in the customer's shoes. The service blueprinting flips that just a little bit and makes sure that you consider that as the outcome you're looking for. But then what happens to make that happen? Do employees have to do things what we call backstage where customers aren't seeing it? Are you hitting up different systems? Are you using certain tools? Are there certain processes or regulations if you're in certain types of industries that you have to comply with? So make sure that when you're working on the service blueprint, your goal is still the customer's true experience. But the service blueprint lets you dig in and figure out what are the people, processes, technology, and tools that we need on the inside of the organization in order to deliver that. So those people, processes, technology, and tools, usually they're connected to different teams or different leaders. It's a great opportunity to bring them in and say, you know what? We know to do this well, we want to include you. It's a great active engagement. If you are just starting off with either journey mapping or service blueprinting, I'm happy to say that we have a couple of courses on LinkedIn Learning if you have availability for that. Or we also have several opportunities to learn about this in our CXI membership hub. If you're curious about that, go check out cximembership.com. All right, if you are thinking about approaching another team, another leader, anything like that, I want you to think of your role as coalition building. That's when you go in with an aligned goal that works for everybody. So when you're inviting folks to your customer journey mapping or your service blueprinting, make sure that you are focused on that goal. Alignment is so important whenever we talk about customer experience. So, really, this is about being more inclusive. It's about acts of engagement, it's about inviting more people to the party. And so much good can come from that. So here's the bottom line: the journey map is a shared understanding of the customer's experience. The service blueprint builds on that to look at the shared ownership of that experience across the organization. They're both great tools that you can use to really lead the customer experience as part of a winning business strategy. Good luck and keep us posted. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much for listening, and thank you for your fantastic questions. Don't forget, you can always leave me a question at askjeannie.vip. Or like this listener, if you're a little shy, you can always email us and let us know you'd like to ask this question on the podcast. In the meantime, I hope you will check out cximembership.com. And don't forget, my new book is coming out in April. Please go ahead and pre-order now. You can find it wherever you order books or check out the pre-order offers at experienceiseverythingbook.com. Thanks for being here. I'll see you next time. Thanks for listening to Experience Action, brought to you by Experience Investigators. If you're ready to turn insights into action, join our CXI membership. That's our community for customer experience investigators just like you. It's where CX leaders get the tools, support, and inspiration to move from ideas to true impact. And don't miss my new book, Experience is Everything: Making Every Moment Count in the Age of Customer Expectations. It's available now for pre-order. Learn more and reserve your copy at experienceinvestigators.com. Until next time, keep asking questions, keep improving, and keep leading with experience.