The CX Live! Episode 11: Benchmarking w/ Candie Hurley

In this episode, Candie Hurley discusses the importance of benchmarking within customer experience and briefing programs to ensure that teams are planning, executing, and refining program initiatives that match with current industry standards and business trends. 

Episode Highlights: 

• Assessing whether your program is behind the curve, playing table stakes, or an industry leader
• Benefits of outside consultation
• Including ‘world-class characteristics’ in your assessment of strengths or gaps in that criteria.
• How to prioritize operational and capital investments.
• Get an example of an industry use case and getting to your ‘aha’ moment.
• Learn what the heck is a '“well-baby” check and why it matters!

Guest Thought Leader:

Candie Hurley
Trainer/Coach/Consultant, Benett Communications

Helping briefing professionals become world class facilitators. Deliver training and coaching to help briefing programs create more impactful customer experiences that strengthen customer relationships, uncover new business opportunities, and accelerate the sales cycle.

Transcript

spk_0:   0:07
Hello and welcome to the Sea Ex Apple. I've an interview style podcast addressing topics, trends and tips for creating real time digital experiences in a customer. First customer. Last World This show for briefing and meeting professionals brings you authentic and unfiltered conversations with industry experts who know howto elevate customer experience across people, teams and programs. Let's listen in welcome everyone to our C except live podcast Siri's dedicated to today's briefing professionals. I'm Darby Mason Warner senior director, client and partner strategy with the CX app. I'm excited to be interviewing thought leaders across the industry who can share their experiences and ideas to help all of us improve our programs. Today. Our discussion focus is on benchmarking with constant pressure to share our with our management the value of our briefing programs and show how we can add to the bottom line for her cos it's important to know that our program is operationally efficient and provides the level of customer experience that we all strive for. One of the best ways to know how we're doing is to benchmark our program, so let's learn more about how we can go about benchmarking our programs today. and I'm really excited to be joined once again by Candy Hurley, trainer coach, consultant with Bennett Communications and Mandel Communications. Candy supports briefing professionals in benchmarking their programs across the briefing industry industry. She also delivers training and coaching to help briefing programs, create more impactful customer experiences that strengthen customer relationships, uncover new business opportunities and accelerate the sale cycle. Can't bring so much experience to our briefing community. Haven't been a member of a B P M since 1999. She's been a company member, leading global briefing programs for A T and T, Lucent Via and Trizetto. And she's been a supplier partner as a coach and trainer with Bennett Communications and Mendell Communication. She's also been a recipient of the A B. P M's President Service Award and has served on the A B p M advisory board. If you've been to a Navy P M conference, you've probably been in one of her workshops. Hi, Candy. I'm so glad we could get together. Hey. Hey, How are you doing?

spk_1:   2:38
I'm looking forward to our conversation. I'm doing great.

spk_0:   2:41
Me too. And you know I am curious. I'd love to know. How did you get interested in benchmarking briefing programs.

spk_1:   2:52
Well, I suspect most of our listeners know that the A V P M. Which is the professional association for briefing professionals like ourselves, gives World class award every year to programs that meet certain world class criteria. And since the inception of that program, which is probably over 15 years now, I have had the privilege every year of being a judge and jurors for those work

spk_0:   3:16
westward ho. Have

spk_1:   3:17
you served with the George Er

spk_0:   3:19
I did, I did. It is it is quite an endeavor. I mean, it is really in depth, and there's a lot that goes into it. So yeah,

spk_1:   3:29
so you may know that you've been a juror as well that the program that submit against these criteria are absolutely amazing. There's some phenomenal things going on out in the field. That, and the bar for world class really raises every year. But what I noticed your every year is that some programs that submitted that thought they were great. We're actually not great at all. They just didn't know that

spk_0:   3:57
they weren't

spk_1:   3:57
great because you don't know what you don't know when you're just in your own program

spk_0:   4:02
and you

spk_1:   4:02
don't have visibility to one of the programs were doing. So, uh, that's why benchmarking is important to get that third party perspective. And that's what I can do in in helping a program benchmark itself. Because I do have the perspective of a world class juror as having influence the revisions of the world class characteristics every year and being in different companies premature every other week. I can help them see where they are relative to where the profession is,

spk_0:   4:37
right? Well, that makes so much sense. And, you know, for me, I didn't have the opportunity really to do benchmarking, you know, officially with my program, and I don't know as much about it. So I'm really curious to hear a lot more today As we go through our discussion on dime. I'm gonna learn a lot, as I'm sure our audience will, too. So with yeah, so let's jump in and I obviously first question out of gate here. Can you share with our audience? What is a benchmarking study like? What does that look like?

spk_1:   5:10
Bench working study is, It culminates in a in a one or a two day workshop with the intact team. But leading up to that is the opportunity for the team to work together to do some self assessment. But ultimately in the workshop itself, we go through each of the characteristics of world class and do an evaluation assessment of that particular program strength or gaps in that criteria. So are they behind the curve like, Is that the way 19 nineties or is what they're doing? Pretty much table stakes. Typical average.

spk_0:   5:45
Are they

spk_1:   5:45
really strong in that particular category, or even an industry leader? Are they doing something innovative

spk_0:   5:52
so that

spk_1:   5:52
they get that relative look at where they're at? And to do that? I use a lot of examples of what different companies anonymous, of course, are doing in that particular area so that they can engage where they're at, and I help him do that.

spk_0:   6:11
Great. Okay. And so are their key elements that usually included. I mean, you go through the world class, you've got each of the four main categories, and then out of that, then you're looking at areas that you want to focus on for doing the benchmark in itself.

spk_1:   6:29
Exactly. I kind of look at it as looking outward, then looking inward than looking forward.

spk_0:   6:37
So we

spk_1:   6:38
generally start where I help them take a look outward. What are the What's the next big thing on the horizon? One of the big trends in the industry right now. What are some of the leading programs doing? So they get that industry level perspective across the global briefing space. Then we spend a good bit of time looking inward, and that's really the self assessment. Where did you see yourself? And we talk about each of the characteristics of what examples are in that characteristic and what are you doing and where did you self assess and I helped engage that based on what I know and we go through one by one, each of the characteristic on all that van has a lot of ah ha moments. So then the third part of the benchmarking is really looking forward. So based on what we just talked about and your strength and opportunities for improvement, what's the going forward action plan? Where do you see the low hanging fruit? The opportunity to make the most impact? And let's prioritize that, And what can we do in the next six months. And what can we do in the next 12 months, which is what's gonna take two years? Where are we going to get the best bang for the buck and help them put up a going forward plan in place.

spk_0:   7:50
Okay, great. And, you know, that leads into what my next question was going to be about. One of the benefits of the benchmarking the programs, which I can only see now is that you are, in fact, having that action plan that comes out of one. They're probably realizing, Oh, this is kind of where we stand on, you know, all of these categories. We thought we might have been strong here, but But maybe, maybe not so much. And then looking at the opportunities. And I like the fact they were saying they would be looking at what? What can they have the most impact on, obviously from prioritizing, but then trying to set a time line. So are there other benefits that you would you would highlight out of this other than, you know, having those big off a moment?

spk_1:   8:34
Well, I think you've hit the benefits. The benefits are really identifying strength and opportunity for improvement. And, as you know, the bar is raising every year. Briefing programs are more and more competitive, and sometimes programs feel validated that what they thought, where their strengths and opportunities for improvement are. In fact, you know how it works out quite a surprise. But either way, when they go to get funding or investment for their action plan going forward, there's a lot of strength and being able to say we had 1/3 party industry professionals

spk_0:   9:10
come in

spk_1:   9:10
and bring us that out. My perspective, which there's just no way you can get that inside your own program,

spk_0:   9:16
right? That's so true. And you know, it's It's, I don't know, almost a joke in the industry. But you know, you as a briefing program manager and leaders of our programs, we could be saying things to our management over and over again. But then, when you have an outside consultant, come in and say the same thing, actually, we'll listen to it, right, right,

spk_1:   9:35
especially if they're specific examples or specific examples in their own industry,

spk_0:   9:40
right? How

spk_1:   9:40
other programs are doing things or with their staffing model looks like or what their metrics look like, you know, whatever it might be, it just has additional gravitas that they could bring it from that third party perspective,

spk_0:   9:52
right? And

spk_1:   9:53
even if not, it helps managers, particularly if it's a a new manager manager is new to the program and wants to bench market or a program that's trying to reinvent itself. Or maybe

spk_0:   10:04
there's

spk_1:   10:04
been a merger where two companies emerging and they're looking at both the programs it or maybe it's even a company that's going to want to go for a world class award. You know, it really doesn't help them as a program prioritized the focus of their human resource is and their investment both capital and operational. Going forward,

spk_0:   10:25
right? Yeah. No, those were great, great reasons for going through with that. And you were talking about the examples within the workshop that you do, you know, sharing examples, maybe what other anonymously, what other programs are doing? So so, who do you benchmark against? You know, and how there was identified under you. Probably. You see who it is you're gonna be doing a workshop with, you know, Is it others in the same industry? Is that the same kind of size of program, same kind of organizational structure. What are the Who's that you might benchmark against?

spk_1:   11:06
Great question. You know, we don't break it down explicitly at that level. It's looking at a broad base of what all kinds of programs all sizes, all industries, all geography.

spk_0:   11:18
They're doing okay.

spk_1:   11:20
And that comes from being a judge of world class programs, programs that thought they were world class art just just being in the field every week or so. And and all of those examples, of course, have to be a naughty Mai's unless they've been shared in the public domain at 8 p.m. But in my own mind, I am thinking about who were their editors of one of the key preparation steps that I have to involve myself in is who do you see is your competitors So I can bring that particular insight if I if I have it for that company or atleast as you say, programs that are of a similar size or similar structure, you

spk_0:   11:59
know you're

spk_1:   11:59
just a headquarters programmed satellite programs and global U. S. Based Are you in health care? Are you intact? That sort of thing

spk_0:   12:07
right exactly. And I think, you know, with, as with everything we do for a B p m as faras competitors and looking at what those programs, we're doing it. We're all in the same boat as faras trying to improve over doing. It's all about the how how can they be more efficient? How can we provide a better customer experience, you know, has nothing to do with our companies And what are companies do? It's just really about our programs. And how are we servicing our customers the best we can. And while obviously adding to the bottom line of the company and making ourselves more efficient and utilizing those world class characteristics as the benchmark, if you will, of what we're measuring ourselves against, you know, it's just all goodness out of this. So being you would bring that perspective, Uh, you know, when someone is doing a benchmark study for a program, I just think that the more information, the more where they are all different kinds of other programs should they be competitors or not, is just really, really valuable, right? Okay, great. And then my next question was gonna be, you know, can you share some of the key findings that you may have seen with some of the programs that have done benchmark studies, you know, like it was a huge shift in certain things. You know what? What are some of the findings that you've had success stories If you want success stories? Yeah, exactly.

spk_1:   13:33
I'm thinking of AA program that I worked with earlier this month, and one of the key findings that they really had was around voice of the customer. So what this particular program did? We were working with the intact team, but for that first part of the bench working workshop where we look outward,

spk_0:   13:52
they

spk_1:   13:53
invited a number of other people from marketing from project

spk_0:   13:57
management

spk_1:   13:59
from, uh, voice of the customer from advisory board. The number of other marketing communications People could come in and hear that opening piece about what's going on in other companies around briefing programs, and they had a big, ah ha moment that they were not anywhere, really, on the voice of the customer spectrum. They knew they wanted to do something, but they just didn't know how to get started, and they did not realize what was really going on. in other companies in that space, So that was a key finding that was even broader than the briefing program. So that was kind of neat. Also, that same day, we when we looked at their metrics, they that was an area where they thought they were strong. But in fact, as it turned out, they were measuring the wrong thing.

spk_0:   14:49
They were

spk_1:   14:49
really measuring more just in efficiency and not ineffectiveness. That was nearing 19 nineties kind of metrics. But they didn't know they just didn't realize that the profession had advanced and that there were other possibilities of things that they could manage and another finding from that particular day. They knew they wanted to get a discussion later. Engagement strategy going, and they've even identified a person to get going on that. So they knew they were weak in that area. But they were very excited to hear about how they could get started in that and what it takes toe put discussion, leader engagement strategy in place that helps that person who's assigned to that really get some traction and get started on it.

spk_0:   15:31
Fantastic. Those were some really big Hawes, and I love that you were talking about who? The other stakeholders or key players within a company. Are they not that you brought in that? Is that something that you normally do in benchmarking programs? It seems like you would and you mentioned at marketing teams, you know, advisory boards, committees and certainly the Aussie team in that instance. You know what? Are there other standard groups that we should try to have in our benchmark studies? In our workshops,

spk_1:   16:06
the benchmarking works up per se, you know, particularly in that big section where we're looking inward in doing the South Assessment is really best done with an intact team.

spk_0:   16:16
Okay, The

spk_1:   16:17
more people you involved, the more diluted it becomes. But, uh, but even for that section, I I might invite someone outside the team. Let's say that it was in this case they're looking at opening a second briefing center. So they had the person who is going to be charged with opening a new

spk_0:   16:39
center in another city, right monitor.

spk_1:   16:42
And listen in on that because, you know, we're going deep into the world class characters there. So, uh, the really the intact team for that looking inward and looking forward piece. But the broader industry perspective. I thought they were a very smart and I and inviting some key stakeholders from other parts of the business that obviously the manager was trying to impress with Look at what's going on because ultimately she's gonna wanna go to the mat for some funding,

spk_0:   17:08
right? It was

spk_1:   17:09
really a very strategic for her to invite those people,

spk_0:   17:13
right? So I'm I'm just thinking, too. I love the idea of having that outward perspective and bringing folks like, from an advisory committee standpoint, to, you know, my advisory board was quite a mixture of different people from from different areas of the company and for them to understand more about other briefing programs in general, like, you know, you're inside a company and you know what your program does. And you know what? You're briefing program managers or directors. You know what they provide, you know, within your own corporation. But to have some of those extra perspectives and having you be able to share that with those teams you know, can help the briefing program managers be ableto communicate. And again, maybe it's ideas that they've had in trying to share and get going within their own companies. But again, having that back in this context, yeah, can really be helpful.

spk_1:   18:19
Even bringing in the briefing program managers manager and in the

spk_0:   18:23
next one of

spk_1:   18:24
these people don't come to a B p m. To know what we know about

spk_0:   18:27
right

spk_1:   18:28
where you know the possibilities of what are happening in programs. But to get your manager and your manager's manager. And suddenly they have that ah ha moment where they thought they had a great program and they're like, really other companies are doing that. Oh, my goodness

spk_0:   18:42
right. I could

spk_1:   18:43
be a really powerful experience,

spk_0:   18:46
Absolutely. I think that's a great great note to take here for our audience just building that into it. You know, they might might be trying to get a benchmark study approved and whatnot, but if you're gonna actually get your management involved in a piece of it, that that might help you to get the agreement to do it, the approval to do it, but then have that my another positive outcome is fantastic. So exactly yeah, always helps us so also great. So thanks for giving the example that you did with one of the recent ones that you did and you were talking about initially, how we have, you know, kind of set up an action plan in what the opportunities are and generally a timeline. Can you talk a little bit more about maybe phases of benchmarking? Is there the initial workshop? You set up the action plan, you said a timeline for three months or six months. Check in and then you start into phase two plans, depending on how phase one actions went. You know what? What does that look like?

spk_1:   19:53
Well, it's kind of a before, during and after. So before the actual physical date, one day engagement I like to collect from the manager of the program as much background as I come on. The Program

spk_0:   20:05
of order

spk_1:   20:06
chart the roles and responsibilities, job descriptions, their feedback surveys. What are their marketing materials? What is their process in their process checklist What their agenda

spk_0:   20:14
looks like,

spk_1:   20:15
what their business plan look like. What metrics are they measuring when you have a vision? All of that, so that I can immerse myself deeply and understanding where their program is that today so that when we actually go in the room together. I have a good sense of some things that I think they do uniquely well in other places that are opportunities for improvement. So that's going on prior to the workshop with me and with the team prior to the workshop, they are completing a pre work survey for me anonymously. What are three things you think are going well in your program? What are three things you think need to be changed? I have the inside from each individual, and they are also individually with the A B camera class characteristic going through each characteristic and and circling a score and each one where they think their program isn't that and why. And then that's what we we bring into the discussion on the day of the workshop.

spk_0:   21:10
Wow. Okay, so there's a lot that goes into the pre planning. This is great to know. Okay, and then

spk_1:   21:16
right, so there's this before. And then there's the actual engagement during the day, and coming out of that day is the action plan where we want to focus on that kind of points to the after, which could be follow up the very next day, where we go really deeper into those areas that they felt that they need more inside on, whether it's staffing, development or customer experience or hospitality discussion. Leave engagement advisory board whatever did. Or it can point Thio a longer term action plan of attending the core competency curriculum or the advance for Compton personal in those areas. And you know, there's, Ah, there's a webinar half day, full day or two day class. I'm pretty much every single one of the world class

spk_0:   22:07
characteristics.

spk_1:   22:08
We move from this higher level survey of strengths and opportunities for improvement, and then they can deep, kind of bungee jump into the deeper workshops as an ongoing action plan. After that.

spk_0:   22:24
Okay, great and as far as the action plan and those being some of the actions to take those courses and things, But are there are there Usually, you know, there's a timeline where it's set that you know, we want to complete this piece by this time and then do you come back? Do they review with you their progress? Is there a following clues that you do with them? Or does that not Usually I

spk_1:   22:49
do like to do what an calls a well, baby check sometime down the road.

spk_0:   22:55
You

spk_1:   22:56
know, at the at the one month, three months, six months is checking in to see how things were going

spk_0:   23:02
on.

spk_1:   23:02
And if there's anyway that, you know, I can help keep them on track. But ultimately, really, at the end of the day of the benchmarking workshop, they have an actual plan in place that they own that and I may or may not be part of the ongoing engagement, depending on what they decide to do.

spk_0:   23:20
Okay. All right. I love that. Well, baby check. That's great. But it's good to have in that action plan. You know what the model storms are. I assume, you know, if it part of it is trying to take some of those courses, you know, obviously that falls into the timeline of when they can either take the webinars. They're being ableto attend certain conferences and do that. What about the ideas of our Are they often? And I'm sorry this is off the cuff. I'm just thinking of this, um, potentially putting them in touch with some of the programs that we know that are doing a great job. But some of the things where maybe they are not as strong and be able to have a good tidings from them.

spk_1:   24:04
That's exactly the kind of follow up in the case of this program I was just talking about. They asked to be put in touch with someone who leads the discussion leader community in a world class program. They asked for some follow up examples of process checklist, different tools. So, yes, that's kind of the level of ongoing support to either make connections or provide resource is or point them to somewhere where they could get more information on that or four point of potentially too a, uh, a supplier partner or a class that can help them deeper.

spk_0:   24:39
Oh, great. Okay, yeah, Let's get to know. It's just like I'm learning so much here and listening to how this works. I'm super impressed with how the process works for planning and implementing the study itself. I mean, you'd have to in order to get the most out of it, you have to be able to collect all of that information to really know how everything is operating within the the current program. Um, how about programs? D I assume that there's also benchmarking for programs that have multiple sites and even global programs. And with those do, the workshops tend to, you know, go two or three days. Or, you know, is there a different approach that you have for collecting the information or or walking through it? What is that global aspect? Bring to it?

spk_1:   25:28
The approach is still the same because we're looking at it at a programmatic level, not a location level. If you know the engagement could extend longer, but typically you been pays what you could do it one day when it's really well planned. That

spk_0:   25:43
very

spk_1:   25:43
targeted and everybody is 100% engaged. You know, by the end of that day, there's Post it notes all over the wall

spk_0:   25:50
rise.

spk_1:   25:51
You know, we have all of these 12 categories of the was called the wheel, the briefing wheel, the different areas going forward. So we map what our briefing speak is

spk_0:   26:02
when we

spk_1:   26:03
talk about world characteristics, but we map it, too. What is your business? College? Well, they call that program communication, or they call that budgeting, or they call that staffing a development, and we we look to move the every conversation we've had as we move forward, I went to your stakeholders. And what you're applying management Call that. Let's put it in the right bucket. So when you go for funding or you submit your business plan for the next year, it's in the kind of language that your management speaks.

spk_0:   26:34
That's great

spk_1:   26:35
swiveling from briefing program. Speak to what does that look like in a business plan of the

spk_0:   26:40
business? Right? That makes sense. Wonderful. Okay, um, so you know, we're closing out our time here, but I want to see Are there any other important items that our audience should know about that maybe we haven't covered or questions? I haven't asked about doing these studies. Do you want to share?

spk_1:   27:02
Well, I would add a comment. This is true of a lot of the different workshops that I leave. But in this one in particular, team building is such a strong side effect

spk_0:   27:14
of the process. Yeah, because

spk_1:   27:16
the whole team is coming together to talk about very openly and candidly what they do well, where they think there's opportunities for improvement and the team building is a strong, strong aspect. And then a lot of buying by the end of the day to everybody has participated. They've all voted with their dots and they're posted notes and, you know, everybody is in the boat together. This is where we want to go forward. These are our priorities. We agree to take these action items and moving forward together. So I do think it strengthens the program in that sense as well.

spk_0:   27:50
Oh, that's a great outcome of it. Yeah, and the fact that everybody has a voice. If you have everybody together

spk_1:   27:56
back,

spk_0:   27:56
yeah, everybody can speak up and, you know, in a safe environment to be able to say what they need to say and hopefully see any areas that maybe have needed improvement for awhile. You know, maybe those can can rise up on the priority list for action soon, arrive and later. Right, So intestine.

spk_1:   28:15
So there's the the conversation in the room, but it's also in the pre work that people do, and they contribute anonymously toe survey about what they

spk_0:   28:23
think Roman

spk_1:   28:24
isn't going well. Sometimes I can see trends in that that are a little different from what I'm hearing for the manager, and I'm able to bring that to the conversation anonymously inside. No, it's about a 60. You mentioned that, you know, whatever their trust on the team, or that we're not bettering the right things or the databases. And it's very time sensitive, you know. And so there's that opportunity to provide that anonymous perspective.

spk_0:   28:48
Oh, and that's great. So again, another safe place to be able to share what you need and then having yourself or whoever's facilitating this benchmark study to be able to bring that out and have it be part of the conversation that seems like that I'm quite empowering. Yeah, for a team so fantastic

spk_1:   29:07
I love it. I I learned so much. That's how I keep learning more clear

spk_0:   29:11
right, Great

spk_1:   29:12
benefits purview. But when I go in to do the next one, I've just learned something more from wherever. I just

spk_0:   29:17
right exactly. And, you know, I know there's there's a number of folks across our industry that do these these benchmarking kinds of studies, and but I so appreciate you offering all of these nuggets of, you know, what does it look like? How do you prepare for it? Where the positive outcomes and, you know It's a whole thing like this is a whole thing that can really elevate our programs and obviously help all of us drive to be closer to world class, which we all will want to. But knowing that world class is also always shifting right, it's it's always moving itself up and up and up and higher. So I just think this is a great topic that we cover today and that so many of our audience members, you know, whether just starting out new programs, you know, doing this, you know, been around for a couple of years, or even mature programs who've been doing it for a long time. I think everybody can really benefit, so thank you so much. I just

spk_1:   30:11
think it's so exciting because how many people are

spk_0:   30:13
in a

spk_1:   30:13
job where they can actually benchmark

spk_0:   30:15
their job on And

spk_1:   30:16
they're not very many jobs that there are rolls or, you know, marketing type programs where there is on industry standard against which you can grade yourself

spk_0:   30:29
True.

spk_1:   30:29
Andi Yeah, I just think that in itself

spk_0:   30:32
is

spk_1:   30:32
really exciting, that we have a document like that,

spk_0:   30:35
right? Right. That's our guiding guiding principles. If you will. So wonderful. Any other final? Thank you. So

spk_1:   30:43
let me talk about my

spk_0:   30:44
guy. Yeah, of course. I was 11. I always loved chatting with you. And I know our folks. We're just gonna be thrilled with all the takeaways here. So So, thanks so much. And, you know, I'm just really thrilled that we were able to go through this and I learned a bunch. So So thank you.

spk_1:   31:01
What could invite me back?

spk_0:   31:03
Of course, we'll find some more topics that there's so much that you have to share. It will be fantastic. So All right, well, thank you much. And I'll say thank you to everyone for listening today. And if you have any thoughts or questions about today's podcast or any ideas for future briefing industry podcast topics that you'd like to see us cover in the Siri's, the best way to reach me is by email. And that's Darby at the cx out dot com. Thank you so much. This has been a production of the sea X app. Live your partner in digital customer experience programmes. For more insights, tips and trends, visit us at the c x app dot com where the experience is everything