What’s the most important measurement in customer experience? It’s the last two feet of a transaction—the space between the employee and the customer.

Vineet Nayar, former CEO for HCL Technologies, refers to these 24 inches the “value zone.” Nayar came to realize that HCL’s frontline workers were the true custodians of the brand and drivers of customer loyalty.

Nayar shifted the focus of HCL from the “WHAT” to the “HOW” of delivering value. He decided to turn conventional management upside down by placing frontline employees first. This wasn’t just lip service.

Nayar knew he needed actions, not words.

Vineet engaged in a number of changes that reinforced the new direction. He referred to them as “droplets.” They are beacons along the voyage that I describe as #GreenGoldfish. They help drive employee engagement and reinforce culture.

Nayar drew his inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi and his famous Dandi March. Mahatma walked to the sea to make salt as a protest to the British government about their monopoly on salt production in India. This small action ignited change, becoming a catalyst that led to a large-scale uprising.

TAKEAWAY – Culture trumps strategy and principles beat rules. Employee experience should be a priority for leadership.

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Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.