Customer centricity is a rational-sounding idea that is almost impossible to achieve in practice.

There are many reasons for this, but perhaps the most obvious is the transfer of power it requires.

Making decisions based on customer research rather than our own opinions or ideas involves a shift of power from the executive to the customer. Instead of doing what we want, we are doing what they want. Instead of basing our decisions on what we think, we are basing them on what someone else thinks.

As logical as it may sound to be customer-centric, logic is no match for human nature, and most people do not cede power or control willingly. In fact they often fight tooth and nail to increase it. Think for a second about how much energy many people devote to enlarging their budgets (power), headcount (power), political influence (power), and salary and remuneration (power).

The idea that those who enjoy real decision-making power will immediately kowtow to data, primary research or customer feedback — especially if it clashes with their own beliefs — is a bit naive, as plenty of past projects have demonstrated.

By implication then, psychological safety, curiosity, intellectual humility, and objectivity are far more important organizational virtues to aspire to than customer-centricity. And the groundwork must be laid with the correct management span, structure and incentives.

Working on the above will get you somewhere. A vague aspiration to be customer-centric will almost certainly not.

See this post on LinkedIn