Earlier this week I accidentally came across a video from a multinational that makes enterprise software aimed to help organizations better manage operations and customer relations. This video features the company’s top honcho who talks at length about how their company is establishing trust with customers and employees using ’empathy’. To set the context for the commentary below, I have been tracking this company over the past decade and have a solid understanding of their technology, operations, people, and culture.
On that note, I have to be honest and say it as it is, these statements from this top honcho are nothing but pieces of fiction. I can talk to lengths about how this organization has for years (and continues to) force customers to renew contracts on the back of license compliance. So the reason for customers still staying with them isn’t technology but a near lock-in situation. So when the honcho of such an organization talks about empathy, I am compelled to call it anything but real (read fake).
Btw, I have chosen to not name this organization since the idea of this research report isn’t to hurt them, but instead, throw light on a critical topic from which everyone can learn. With this as the premise, I decided to run a quick poll on Twitter (embed below).
Quick #Poll – When a multi billion dollar IT company known for pushing their products talks about empathy, would you believe them at all?
— Sanchit Vir Gogia (@s_v_g) September 12, 2017
As you can see for yourself, I’m not the only one who doesn’t trust such messages. Albeit 27% respondents (total of 52) are still willing to give such companies a chance to prove their sermons on empathy, a majority 73% are not willing to trust them at all.
The way I see it – Empathy isn’t a mere marketing message but a way of life. If you aren’t practising it, don’t preach it. Worse still, don’t say it out loud.
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Analyst:
Sanchit Vir Gogia: Sanchit is the Chief Analyst, Founder & CEO of Greyhound Knowledge Group, a Global Strategy & Transformation Research, Advisory & Consulting Group. To read more about him, click here.
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