Kenya at 19 years , Gen Z ’ s will walk away from a brand after a single bad experience , so every interaction matters . I am keen to explore how AI can create more satisfied customers . Picking from Blake Morgan I commit to learning the basics on AI and leveraging it to deliver first class customer experience .
Unlearning and Relearning
Colin Bates , guides that as we learn new things , we have to be ready to unlearn what is holding us back and relearn what will help us move forward towards success . He goes further to explain that there are 4 types of unlearning as explained hereunder :
Knowledge and assumptions
In business we usually say , what got you here will not necessarily get you there . Many businesses face a strategic inflection point where they must change or become extinct . We have enough examples to learn from .
• Kodak : Too slow in responding to digital camera technology .
• Block buster : Failed to adjust its model to respond to online competitors .
• Western Union : Originally a telegram company ( it sent 200 million telegrams in 1929 ) it successfully navigated the decline in this industry and transformed into a money transfer business .
• Shell : One of the oldest businesses in the world ( over 100 years ), has transformed several times . Originally an antiques and collectibles shop , the business has moved into import / export , then shipping and oil exploration .
Unlearning and relearning skills
All kinds of skills have a limited shelf life . If we assume we have life-long skills , then we are in serious danger of becoming irrelevant . In the last 10 years , companies advertised products and services mainly in newspapers , TV , radio and billboards . This has significantly changed with the increase in smartphone penetration , the rise of social media , advancement in using data points to deliver hyper-personalized messages curated to meet customer needs .
It is said that Meta has over 90 data points on its huge customer base . Google has sufficient personal data for its users
All kinds of skills have a limited shelf life . If we assume we have life-long skills , then we are in serious danger of becoming irrelevant .
between the top 7 products each with over 1bn customers . This has revolutionized , digital marketing , sharpening the capability for connecting and engaging customers . Previously advertising was focused on mass audience appeal ( now popularly referred to as spray and pray ); however , this has shifted to a focused approach to niche audiences with very targeted communication ( now popularly referred to as hyper-personalization ).
Unlearning habits , biases and behaviors
Common biases of our times - ‘ women cannot be considered effective leaders ’ or ‘ young people have limited knowledge ’ or ‘ pay must be differentiated for women vs men ’, ‘ persons living with disabilities are limited ’ etc . In today ’ s world , having an open mind and challenging these biases is important . Young people are critical in reverse mentoring roles . We have in our time seen women taking up great leadership roles - CEOs , Presidents , Prime Ministers , Ambassadors . Equal opportunity for employment is a wellaccepted mantra across organizations that value diversity , equity and inclusion .
Colin Bates quips that we can choose to either have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset . If we choose the latter , we embrace the opportunity for creating new and more productive habits and behaviours . We can take on new lifestyles that boost health , knowledge , self-awareness , any aspect of our life that creates value for us .
Unlearning our self-identity
As a young leader , I was lucky to lead teams aligned to my functional capability . Due to my experience , I believed I was the most knowledgeable person in the team . My leadership style was more directive , and my listening skills were wanting . We had regular 360 feedback sessions . The results were humbling , and I had to reevaluate that skewed perception of myself .
Over 10 years ago I engaged a coach to help me through the process of unlearning and relearning new approaches to leadership and being more self-aware of
how I impact my team . I have embraced a coaching leadership style . I constantly try to ensure that I am present , on a journey to enhancing active listening and being open to receiving feedback .
It has been a liberating process . My team is highly skilled taking off the pressure to be a master of all . The collective capabilities and expertise put me in a very privileged position of leading such a diverse and amazing team . It is a humbling experience to stop , reflect and re-evaluate ourselves and be willing to be vulnerable to speak of our weaknesses and to courageously seek help to work through these .
In conclusion , I welcome you all to be courageous in being open minded to learn , unlearn and relearn . Be open to getting feedback that will provide you with strengths and areas of opportunity ( read : growth ).
Keep up to date with the external radar and trends of the world . Who will the customer of the future be , how will the world macros shift , what energy sources will shift in the future , how will climate change shift how we live , how will consumers consume content in the future , etc . With this knowledge , review the skills of the future and the gaps you have and be intentional in working to close these gaps .
Finally find a mentor , a coach to help you navigate the journey to being a leader who is aware of the changing times that is willing to courageously unlearn and relearn new skills to remain relevant . Remember only the paranoid survive ( recommended read by famous author Andrew S Grove ).
Fawzia Ali-Kimanthi is the Chief Consumer Business Officer , Safaricom PLC . You can commune with her on this or related matters on email at : Fawziakimanthi @ gmail . com .