Take A New Look At Insight: Think like a..... Chief Executive

In the insight world, it’s easy to get so bogged down with the large volume of demands you face that you just end up reacting to everything. However, to be really effective, you need to start thinking more like a good Chief Executive, who is pro-active and helps to steer the company forward. By being more proactive you will also start to maximise your value to the business.

 

For a moment, try and put yourself in the role of a Chief Executive of a customer insight company – perhaps a hypothetical sister company to your main organisation. How would you react to this responsibility and what would you do to provide good insight? Bear in mind that you would be judged on the value you could deliver to the business, and not simply on your efficiency of turning round and delivering effective responses to requests.

 

To be really effective, you can’t afford to focus purely on operations (commissioning research, gathering intelligence, carrying out analyses etc.) You also need to see the bigger picture. That means considering a whole range of functions - including strategy, marketing / PR, sales, operations (including procurement, manufacturing, delivery and customer service), quality management, finance and administration, IT, human resources and research and development.

 

For years, the main focus has been on the manufacturing and delivery elements. However, the real value comes from actually influencing decisions - and this is where the sales and marketing elements come to the fore. So, it can also be helpful to put yourself in the role of a marketing director and see how they would market insight. That might involve identifying what (internal) customers actually need and finding solutions that meet these needs.

 

So, why not try a little role play – and see if you can widen your vision and start being more proactive!

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