As Government, Our Biggest Competitor is People Giving Up
As Government, Our Biggest Competitor is People Giving Up
Implementing CX practices into government can't afford to fail
I came to government work from the nonprofit CX (Customer Experience) world where I had to have customer data to tell the story of the impact our initiatives, campaigns, or even bugs that needed fixing were having on our audiences. I built reporting structures and feedback loops for my teams because my anecdotal information was never enough to get change moving. I needed to say it with numbers.
In that world, you have many competitors for your audience's time and donations. So you have to stay ahead of the curve by understanding what your audiences want and need, and using that to inform your strategy—to meet them where they are. In government, it can be easy to forget about the importance of listening to your audience, because it can seem like we don't have competitors for the services we provide or programs we administer.
But, as I was first getting my bearings at the Data Center, leading the redesign of Franklin County's public-facing websites, I came to realize one important thing: our biggest competitor is people giving up because the processes are too complex, too hard to find, and too time consuming to finish or follow-up on. And those stakes are too high not to use every tool at our disposal to meet people where they are.
I can't stress enough the importance of asking your audiences what they want, what they need, and if you're delivering on those needs. Not just once, but asking all of this on a regular basis, and adjusting strategies and tactics based on what you learn. Otherwise are we really hearing them?
In any relationship, listening is necessary to build trust. So if you're also trying to help rebuild public trust in government, below are a few resources to get you started talking, and listening, to your audiences:
While we’re on the topic of listening, I have a question for you about how (or if) you give feedback in your own lives. And feel free to share any thoughts or questions of your own in the comments! I’m always happy to listen.
I'm a big fan of government doing a better job of listening, and a big fan of GXFoundry -- so I'm not surprised you guys are focused on doing a better job in that area! Sarah, you're spot on when it comes to making listening a habit. Don't do just one survey -- *keep* doing them so you can track trends. Finding multiple ways to listen is another key. Our customers will tell us so much, if we are but willing to listen. Shameless plug: I wrote a three-part series on listening for my Good Government Files newsletter. Here's a link to the last one, which includes links to the other two. https://willhampton.substack.com/p/listen-up-but-only-if-you-want-to
Keep up the great work, GXFoundry! Gov IT leaders across the country would do well to listen to you.