Experience-led Business Transformation

Saudi Arabia is rapidly becoming one of the world’s most compelling CX benchmarks. Consumers in the Kingdom now expect faster resolutions, highly personalized engagement, and seamless omnichannel journeys, often at levels surpassing global averages. At the same time, Saudi Arabia has emerged as one of the fastest-growing digital experience markets. So, what can global organizations learn from this transformation? 1. Lead with ambition, not limitations. CX in Saudi Arabia starts with a Vision 2030 mindset: If customers deserve better, we build better. This simple shift reframes the entire operating model. Instead of asking, “What can we deliver with our current capabilities?” the question becomes, “What experience should our customers truly have?” That ambition accelerates innovation and establishes a culture where exceptional service is the norm. 2. Localize deeply. Relevance is a performance driver. Global playbooks don’t automatically translate to the Saudi context. Every touchpoint, from language, to culture, tone, service rituals, even design cues must reflect local expectations. That’s why solutions like HUMAIN, built natively in Arabic and shaped around regional behavior, are gaining momentum in experience-led organizations. 3. Balance digital scale with human-centered service. Saudi Arabia’s CX leaders blend AI, automation, and human-centered service to achieve both speed and meaning. Take Balady | بلدي+, the navigation and city services app in the Kingdom as an example. It combines advanced mapping with thoughtful, human-centered design to deliver accurate, hyper-local navigation, service requests, neighborhood insights, and real-world relevance. It’s a powerful example of how CX becomes transformative when technology is grounded in human behavior. 4. Co-create with the youth. With more than 60% of the population under 35, young Saudis are redefining what “great experience” means: simple, fast, intuitive, transparent, and mobile-first. Leading organizations don’t design for the youth, they design with them. When a generation this influential guides experience design, services evolve faster, get smarter, and stay relevant. Saudi Arabia’s CX transformation is more than a national success story. I see it as a blueprint. The world is beginning to take notice because the Kingdom shows what becomes possible when ambition, culture, and human-centered innovation move in the same direction. For global companies looking to elevate their own customer experiences, Saudi Arabia isn’t just an example to admire but also a place to learn from. And as this momentum continues, the Kingdom is well on its way to shaping the standards and we welcome the world to learn from us. #SaudiArabia #Leadership #Business #CX #Customer

There is a growing appreciation for experiential learning today. It engages people. It energises rooms. It creates moments participants remember. But this is something I often share with clients, based on experience. The activity itself is not the transformation. The real shift begins after the experience. It happens when participants start asking themselves: How did I show up when I had to lead? What did I do when things did not go as planned? How did I behave when I had to influence without authority? These questions turn an activity into a mirror. But mirrors only matter if people keep looking. Behaviour does not change because of one powerful moment. It changes through repeated noticing, gentle reminders, and consistent nudges in the workplace. That is why experiential learning needs follow-through. Simple reflections. Regular reinforcements. Conversations that reconnect people to what they experienced. My invitation to organizations is simple. Do not use experiential learning only as a tool for engagement. Use it as the starting point for deeper behavioural change. Because real transformation is rarely dramatic. It is quiet. It is gradual. And it is built over time. An experiential learning experience delivered for one of the largest global insurance companies.

One of our clients—an international energy company—was undergoing a massive transformation, shifting from oil to e-mobility and sustainable fuels. The board’s mandate was clear: build a workforce ready for tomorrow’s challenges. During my first week, I visited a remote field site. Standing beside a team of engineers, I could sense their anxiety about unfamiliar technologies, stricter compliance audits, and the relentless pressure to deliver results. The old training modules? They barely scratched the surface of what these teams truly needed. We soon realized that off-the-shelf courses just weren’t enough. Understanding how people actually felt about new work processes was essential. I spent hours with field and office teams—listening, mapping out real pain points, and asking sometimes uncomfortable questions. How can we help our people make critical decisions on the ground? How do we build capability at scale, rather than just ticking compliance boxes? Once we gained that clarity, everything began to shift. Our team created an interactive learning journey—complete with role-based simulations, gamified crisis scenarios, and data-driven feedback loops. Each module put learners in the driver’s seat, dealing with real-life emergencies or optimizing EV infrastructure in realistic ways. It wasn’t all smooth sailing. Our first pilot exposed significant gaps—some learners felt overwhelmed, while others needed more hands-on support.We responded quickly by launching peer forums, field workshops, and targeted communications to bridge those divides. Within just 90 days, employees became noticeably more confident. Sites reported improved safety, efficiency, and even reduced downtime. This experience reinforced for me how real listening, strategic design, and a willingness to adapt can transform not just results, but the culture itself. I aim to make every learning initiative feel like a story worth living—for teams and for the business. #LearningAndDevelopment #EnergySector #Transformation #CriticalThinking #ProblemSolving #EVReady (Photo by <ahref="https://lnkd.in/gQWCp5Qf">Stockcake</a>)

Experience isn’t an accessory. It’s the architecture. 🏛️ For years, digital transformation focused on technology, systems, platforms and tools. However, adoption has often lagged and Impact plateaued. Why? Because transformation is designed for machines, not minds. It will always hit a ceiling. Today, the real differentiator isn’t just tech, it’s human alignment. When we embed behavioral insight into the very fabric of change, transformation becomes scalable, sustainable and measurable. This shift reframes how we think about: 1. Cognitive design: Nudges, defaults and simplicity that make the right actions effortless 2. Social dynamics: Peer influence, purpose and recognition as catalysts for adoption 3. System alignment: Governance, incentives and telemetry that evolve with human behavior Experience is at the core of Digital Foundation; it's not a slogan, but a structural imperative. It demands leaders who can bridge the gap between technology and psychology, who measure adoption as rigorously as they measure deployment and who design ecosystems where humans and intelligent systems co-create value. The question isn’t “how do we implement more tech?” It’s “how do we architect transformation around human experience? 👉 What’s your perspective? Are we ready to make experience the foundation of digital change? #DigitalTransformation #Leadership #HumanCenteredDesign #ExperienceAsInfrastructure #FutureOfWork

After years of leading transformation initiatives, I’ve learned one fundamental truth: Change doesn’t fail because of bad strategies. It fails because people aren’t ready for it. Executives invest in systems, workflows, and AI. But what about the teams expected to adopt them? What about the emotions, the uncertainty, the resistance? True transformation happens when you: ✅ Build trust before rolling out change ✅ Address unspoken fears head-on ✅ Communicate not just the "what" but the "why" ✅ Make people feel like 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴, not 𝘣𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 GenAI, digitalization, mergers… None of these succeed without a workforce that’s: → Engaged → Empowered → Equipped to move forward Because change isn’t just a business strategy. It’s a human experience. Are you leading it that way?

🚀 The Role of the Employee Experience Platform in Enterprise AI Transformation 🚀 AI is transforming the workplace, but the real game-changer? The Employee Experience Platform (EXP). I had the pleasure to lead our latest report, in collaboration with no other than Microsoft, exploring how the EXP has evolved from a transactional tool into a critical enabler of AI adoption, driving change agility and better business outcomes. Key Takeaways: ✅ AI-Driven Employee Experience: The EXP is now an intelligent, adaptive system facilitating AI-driven communication, learning, and operational transformation. ✅ Change Agility Over Change Management: AI transformation requires continuous adaptation and workforce readiness—traditional change management won’t cut it. ✅ The Evolution of the EXP into a change agility tool: Companies using AI tools like Microsoft Copilot in combination with a fully integrated EXP like Microsoft Viva accomplish "superworker" results because they don't just focus on technology but on change and adoption. ✅ HR’s Elevated Role in AI: HR drives AI adoption by focusing on employee experience, change agility, and skill-building, ensuring AI is used responsibly and effectively. Real-World Case Studies: ✨ ASOS, an online fashion retailer – Leveraged Microsoft Viva and Copilot to empower employees with AI, improving productivity, knowledge management, and sustainability results. ✨ Clifford Chance, a major law firm – Integrated AI into legal workflows, increasing efficiency in document reviews and collaboration, with a focus on AI upskilling. ✨ Microsoft HR – Using Viva, Microsoft HR aims to become the most AI-powered HR organization on the planet. The team leverages the EXP (Microsoft Viva) to support their AI transformation: creating an AI community of practice, measuring success, and communicating effectively, fostering engagement, learning, and continuous AI adoption across teams. The EXP is no longer just about transactions or process flows. It’s now a strategic AI enabler that bridges technology, people, and business success. Organizations that embrace an AI-powered EXP will see higher productivity, adaptation, and employee satisfaction. 🔍 Read the full insights and let’s discuss: How is your organization using AI to enhance the employee experience? And what role does the EXP play in the AI transformation? #AI #EmployeeExperience #HRTech #EXP #FutureOfWork #Superworker Join Josh Bersin, Prerna Ajmera, and me on a webinar on February 27 to learn more about this new role of the EXP and how HR can drive impact in AI transformation. The Josh Bersin Company

In an era of constant disruption, organizations must transform at pace to survive and thrive. But what separates successful transformations from those that falter? The answer is simple, yet profound: people. Recent research by the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School and EY uncovers a critical insight—putting humans at the center of transformation can increase the likelihood of success by over 12 times. Yet, despite decades of advancements in technology and strategy, nearly 70% of transformation efforts still fail. Why? Because too often, the human element is overlooked. 🔺Understanding the Turning Point The research highlights that almost every transformation (96%) will face a pivotal moment—a turning point—where the program risks going off course. How leaders respond in these moments determines whether the transformation will succeed or stagnate. These turning points are not just challenges; they are opportunities to course-correct and accelerate progress. 🔺Sensing, Sense-making, and Acting: The Human-Centered Approach To navigate these turning points effectively, leaders must engage in a dynamic process of sensing, sense-making, and acting: 1. Sensing: Leaders must tune into the emotions and behaviors of their teams. This goes beyond traditional KPIs. It’s about reading the signals—subtle shifts in morale, collaboration, and engagement that indicate deeper issues. 2. Sense-making: Once these signals are identified, leaders need to bring the right people together to understand the root causes. This collaborative approach ensures that the path forward is co-created and aligned with the needs and perspectives of those on the ground. 3. Acting: Finally, leaders must take decisive action, guided by the insights gained during sense-making. This involves re-establishing the conditions that enable people to thrive, ensuring the transformation stays on track. 🔺Why Human-Centered Transformations Succeed Transformations that prioritize the human element create environments where people feel valued, heard, and motivated to contribute. These transformations are 12 times more likely to succeed because they harness the collective energy and intelligence of the entire organization. When leaders focus on building psychological safety, fostering trust, and creating a shared vision, they unlock the full potential of their teams. This not only drives the success of the transformation but also lays the groundwork for a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. 🔺Are You Ready to Lead the Human-Centered Transformation? The future of transformation is not just about managing change—it’s about leading with empathy, insight, and a deep understanding of human dynamics. By embracing this approach, you can navigate the inevitable turning points with confidence and achieve lasting success. Curious to learn more? Dive into how to put humans at the center of your transformation with Errol Gardner. #supplychain #sustainability #management

Transformation isn’t just a new org chart or a shiny tech stack. Transformation is what happens when people start showing up and working differently. When teams shift from confusion to clarity. From reaction to intention. From frustration to engaged. In every transformation I lead, we focus on three core levers: 💎 Enabling new skills that make change possible 💎 Embedding new behaviors that make change happen 💎 Designing new ways of working that make change sustainable Not that long ago, one of my clients had gone through rapid growth, an acquisition and a series of restructures. The future looked promising, yet the engagement metrics weren't reflecting the sentiment at all. From the first day I met with them, it was obvious that the organization was struggling with a common problem: people were exhausted, disengaged, and unsure how to move forward. Leadership was struggling to communicate effectively, and employees didn’t feel connected to the mission anymore. We started with a current state assessment of communications, behaviors, and decision-making norms. It only took a few hours of good questions, leaning into hesitant responses, and supporting moments of uncomfortable truths to ignite a spark of possibility. We rolled out a clear, simple communication strategy aligned to their business goals, hybrid work realities, and regional dynamics. We held a series of working sessions with managers to build their confidence in leading through ambiguity. And we established consistent communication cascades and feedback loops to reinforce the change. Within weeks things felt different. Within months, engagement metrics were up. Employees reported feeling more trusted, more aligned, and more equipped to represent the company with confidence. Most importantly, they began acting more like a team again and the company performance metrics soon followed. This is what real transformation looks like. New skills, new behaviors, new ways of working. It’s capability you build and nurture. It's powerful and it's contagious. Because when people feel clear, connected, and capable, amazing things happen. What has been a turning point for your organization? #TransformationTuesday #OrganizationalChangeManagement #ThePowerOfAnd #TeamCulture

My friend Aaron Karpaty sent me his recap of Gartner last week, sharing that it's still fascinating how events don't have a seat at the table in strategic marketing conversations. The presentations and case studies are all about digital. Never (or rarely) are they about in-person events as a marketing tactic... ironic because Gartner is an in-person event. 🤷 So here's my pitch for someone to take and run with as a presentation - "The Era of Experience-Led Growth is here." Marketers have been chasing growth through every lens possible. → Product-led growth said if the tech was good enough, it would sell itself. → Sales-led growth bet big on hustle, handshakes, and outbounding. → Marketing-led growth automated everything and chased every MQL. → Event-led growth managed the roadshows & hit the pipeline. → Community-led growth brought us closer, until the team got laid off. But there’s one approach that’s been percolating in the background: Experience-led growth. This is not just an event department thing, though. It's growth powered by emotional connection, and tied into the full business strategy, from marketing to customer service. It's designing moments people share and trust (and act on). It's integrating the event team with the product team, the marketing team, the support team, the sales team, and even the HR team to make the whole brand experience cohesive (not just well-branded). We all know that right now trust is scarce and attention is fragmented. The experience that customers have with your company at every touch point matters more than ever. Experience-led growth takes the marketing funnel and treats it like a holistic customer journey. As my friend 👋 Shaena Harrison 🪽 🦸🏻♀️says, the funnel is a pinball machine now - there is no "top to bottom" customer experience anymore. If you’re running your event department, stop thinking of yourself as the “logistics team” and start positioning yourself as the "growth engine" inside your company. → Show the Business Impact. Beyond the registered vs attended metric, connect your event outcomes to pipeline influenced, deals accelerated, customers retained, or partners won. → Cross-Pollinate Early. Invite yourself into meetings with product, sales, and customer success. Show how live experiences support their goals and design touchpoints that close those loops. (They aren't going to tell you no when you ask to join those meetings.) → Tie Events to the Journey. Map every experience to where it fits in the customer journey. First impression? Expansion opportunity? Retention moment? Speak in terms of customer lifecycle. → Rebrand your Role. Start calling your team the Experience Strategy Team. Or the Event Marketing Team. (Anything but “event planning.”) Experience-Led Growth isn't tied to the BEO, it's tied to the business. We've seen time and time again that event leaders are not going to get organically invited to the table. So just pull up a chair.

Customer experience doesn’t fail because of a lack of effort—it fails because of fragmentation. Organizations often celebrate siloed wins while customers struggle through disconnected journeys. This article explores why fragmentation is the silent killer of CX and shows how a journey-led approach transforms scattered initiatives into a unified model for growth. By following the progression from Awareness to Commitment, Operationalization, Value Realization, and ultimately Transformation, leaders can shift from isolated touchpoints to seamless journeys that drive loyalty, trust, and measurable business value.