It happens at pretty much every company, eventually. The organization gives way to manageable org chart teams, processes and products. It wasn’t too long ago the book The Fiefdom Syndrome highlighted just how these teams begin to battle each other. We put people, products, lines of business and whole companies into buckets. Then we tell them to get the job done!
Battles are fought over perceived turf – marketing budget dollars, headcount, the attention of Mr. or Ms. Bigshot.
I get what you’re going through as a fiefdom lord. It’s not your fault. You’re just doing your job.
You’re supposed to ONLY care about the one thing that will secure your bonus.
Your product is the one that you are in charge of – not the others. They can worry about themselves.
Your job is to sell, right? What happens after that isn’t your concern. You were already reprimanded for overstepping into account management territory.
You’re not the one who should worry about what happens when things go wrong. That’s someone else’s job, too. That’s someone else’s department.
Employees are forced to put blinders on every day. They are told to keep their noses clean, stay away from upsetting Manager X, and just deliver on their key metrics.
The problem is that customers are left with a sub-par experience.
We love our salesperson but find the post-sale attention is lacking.
We love the product but can’t bear the thought of calling tech support because it’s just too painful.
It’s the biggest barrier to a superior customer experience. And without delivering what your customers expect, you are left with an army of disappointed, vocal and defecting serfs.
Are you supporting a fiefdom or the experience overall? The battle is not worth it. It’s time to wage the war.
