The Value of Observation in CS Leadership
If you’re not observing real customer interactions (calls, meetings, QBRs) you’re coaching from memory, opinions, and assumptions. That’s not leadership. That’s guesswork.
Stop trying to change employees without recorded calls. (Think of a little league coach who never watched the team play, just told everyone what to do…)
Even if you don’t have formal call standards yet, start recording anyway. Standards don’t come first. You create them from what is actually happening (or isn’t happening).
Once you have recordings, do this in every 1:1. Ask your employee to pick one recording either from the week or in the past and they need to define
- Two things they did well
- One thing they’d change
- Tell me how they’re going to remember to change it (this one is critical)
That third question is where behavior actually changes. But it takes time. Don’t rush it by asking for multiple things or giving your opinion. (Only clarify that they understand the process)
Leadership isn’t about telling people what to do. It’s about creating a system where improvement is unavoidable.
If this feels hard or overwhelming, get help from someone who has a process and has implemented it before. DO NOT fall for pre-recorded training videos!
Most companies do have professional development budgets. And if they don’t, they’ll find one if you ask.
See my post on the TOP 10 REASONS LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IS MISSING IN CUSTOMER SUCCESS.
About the Author:
Daniel Hoesing is the creator of the Predictive Customer Behavior Index™ a comprehensive set of 175 standards, indexed to the size and growth trajectory of the company, used to create and implement Customer Success capabilities, data management, reporting, and best practices for SaaS B2B Customer Success.
Daniel also specializes in leadership development using the 90 day Customer Success Accelerator™ – a leadership training, mentoring and development program that drives results. .
Predictive Customer Success website
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