How do you balance stability and routine with excitement and surprise?
As human beings we have a desire for stability and routine while at the same time we want excitement and surprise. We need both. Sometimes one more than the other, but some kind of a balance, for sure.
We watch movies and sports for entertainment. If they were entirely predictable, we would be bored. And yet sporting events operate with certain rules. If the rules shifted and changed at random, I think we’d find it unsettling. The rules of the game create enough stability to be comfortable while still allowing for the unpredictability that makes things interesting.
Our customers want dependability from us. But at the same time, they like being delighted with something new and different. It’s why “new” and “improved” are hot selling words. If we can consistently deliver what our customers want in an entertaining, fun and sometimes surprising way, the customer is happy.
Southwest Airlines pulls this off very well, in my opinion. Their values of “cheap, safe and fun” deliver a rewarding customer experience.
What about your service or product? How can you strike the balance of dependability and consistency with a new a different twist from time to time? How can you fulfill the human need of routine that’s not too boring and offer excitement that’s not too scary or unnerving?
If we’re always looking to improve our products and services, these are good questions to ask.
In our business, we’re committed to teaching and reminding our readers of age-old principles and fundamentals. The challenge is to present ancient information in new and different ways. It’s a matter of making things fresh by couching what we teach in ways that you can relate to.
The truth is, there’s nothing really new. There are no new atoms out there. But they can be assembled, constructed and presented in new and different ways.
That’s our challenge. And it’s also yours in serving your customers and stakeholders.
How can we (and you) repackage, re-invent, reposition, freshen or re-organize your wares in ways that add value to those you serve?
That’s what we’re up to and I challenge you to do the same. Not necessarily in a dramatic way—although that might sometimes be appropriate. But in a way that balances the human need for both newness and stability.
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This article was originally published on SuccessNet.org in 2014.
