Success in CX means harnessing the power of people. For those who weren’t there and those who were, that is my biggest takeaway from the just wrapped up CXPA Insight Exchange in New Orleans.
Session after session, speaker after speaker, this theme emerged. I’ve used two ‘big bucket’ categories to boil down what I heard.
The Success of CX Programs
- More than ever before, CX leaders recognize that successful customer experience programs hinge on employee engagement and company culture. So we heard a lot about how to shift a culture, how to foster engagement, and how to get every employee engaged in delivering the intended experiences.
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On the listening front, we see a resurgence of qualitative approaches. The concept of human-to-human interaction recognizes the need to go deeper than a quantitative score and dig out the ‘why’ and the ‘how.’ It also acknowledges the importance of maintaining personal connections with customers in an increasingly digital world.
The Success of the CX Profession
We all advance together. One of the best qualities of the Insight Exchange is the openness of all the attendees. Everyone is willing to share what they’ve learned and how they’re challenged.

At this year’s event, we recognized a profession hitting a tipping point in maturity. I believe this is evidence of the CXPA’s commitment to professional and career development. This commitment will only expand in the coming years. There was an obvious desire for more learning and the career path in CX is becoming more clear. And if you’re looking for some tips for your own personal development, check out this podcast series on the top 10 traits of effective CX leaders.
I’m leaving the event more optimistic than ever about the future of CX and the opportunities CX leaders have to drive success for their businesses.
To those of you who were also at the event: what were your key takeaways this year?
I agree with Jen – lots of good progress in CX. The focus on articulating the value of CX and on professional development really stood out for me.