Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.
Esther 8:3 (NIV)
Over the course of my career I’ve worked with a veritable plethora of clients—from companies you’d instantly recognize to many you’ve never heard of. For me, one of the most fascinating aspects of that journey has been encountering so many different corporate cultures.
In my upcoming book This Call May Be Monitored (What Eavesdropping on Corporate America Taught Me About Business and Life) [FYI: Book available mid-late April], I share a number of different experiences. One of them included a major retailer whose contact center was in the lower level of their corporate headquarters. Internally, we referred to it as “The Bunker.”
The Bunker was a rather small space crammed tight with tiny work stations. Agents were packed in like sardines. It was loud and uncomfortable. Agents were metaphorically chained to their desks. If you needed to use the restroom you were required to raise your hand and ask permission. It was no wonder they were struggling with poor customer experiences delivered by unhappy agents.
One of the challenges I have often faced in my career is that of trying to help clients move the needle on the customer experience within an antagonistic system. Often our team is hired by a lower-level executive who has little influence over whoever occupies the corner office of the C-suite. And corporate culture always flows out of the corner office.
In today’s chapter, Esther finds herself in a position that is both positive and precarious. Her nemesis, Haman, is dead but Haman’s genocidal decree remains in place. Victory over an enemy is not enough if the system he built still stands. She must risk her life a second time to approach the King, plead for her people, and request a reversal of his earlier decree.
Jewish scholars view Esther as a road map for life in exile and diaspora. Both Mordecai and Esther have no control over the culture of the foreign Persian Empire in which they live. Their exile began under the Babylonian Empire. Now the Persian Empire holds sway. In this game of thrones, they found themselves having to shift, adapt, and learn to live under very different cultures and realities.
Paul in his letter to the believers in Corinth echoes this same paradigm for followers of Jesus:
Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NIV)
One of the joys of my career has been to participate with clients in making positive and transformative changes. The client began listening to customers and addressing the systemic issues that were undermining the customer experience. The Bunker was eventually scuttled and agents moved into a modern, spacious contact center space. The company grew and became even more profitable. I had a front row seat and had the opportunity of participating in the transformation.
In the quiet this morning, I’m reminded that I will often find myself operating within dysfunctional systems I don’t control. What I do control, however, are my own words and actions — and how I personally operate within that system. I can either participate in the dysfunction, or I can become an agent of change.
If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.
