Plot twist: strategy beats hoping for the best!

Sleep when the baby sleeps!, Eat when baby eats!, well, no longer a baby but the advice keeps coming – work when the toddler plays!

For me these situations are as realistic as wishful thinking!

And this week: take vacation when the toddler takes! (so I turned naïve optimism to strategy: fully externalized the “look, look, look, mami, looooook” to a dedicated bunica♥!)

The modern concept of work-life integration with a little human, does not work for me!

And this got me thinking. 

Many small & medium businesses I interact with, operate with the same kind of wishful thinking & unrealistic expectation when it comes to employee & customer experience.

The mindset is simple: Treat employees well, and they’ll treat customers well! 

🦄 The execution, however...

The number uno cause: lack of strategy for employee and customer experience!

And these assumptions do not count:

Great service is just common sense

Happy customers start with… the customers!

Employees are paid, they should be motivated

If no one is complaining, everything must be fine

We’ll hire nice people; they are hospitable by default!

Employee engagement? We do team lunches sometimes

Customer complaints are about bad employees (when they’re, in fact, about the system itself)

Here are two checklists for a very quick analysis. Is your business working on assumptions or with intention & strategy?

👑 Employees need:

Purpose. More “I love what I do” & less “Just here for the paycheck”

Growth. A ladder to success, not just a treadmill

Recognition. A “thank you” goes a long way. A bonus goes even further

Autonomy. Trust them to handle it, not babysit them through it

Strong Leadership. Bosses who inspire, not just micromanage

Positive Culture. A workplace that doesn’t drain the soul

Fair Pay & Benefits. Passion only doesn’t pay the bills

Connection. Work friends make Mondays bearable

Clarity. Roles that are like service guidelines, no room for confusion

Feedback. Talking with employees, not at them

🔥 Customers need:

Consistency. No one likes a brand that’s amazing some days

Ease. Make their life simple, not a scavenger hunt (unless this is what you sell!)

Recognition. They’re not just a sale—treat them like VIPs

Trust. Do what you say, learn from mistakes, and stay honest (even when no one is watching!)

Personalization. “You get me” beats “Dear valued customer”

Emotional Connection. More heart, less corporate-speak

Exclusivity. A little “just for you” makes the difference!

Surprise & Delight. Who doesn’t love an unexpected perk?

Shared Values. Customers love brands that stand for something

👷‍♀️ I can help you with the strategy - a clear plan to treat employees like internal customers, build a culture of intentional, teachable excellence.

Feeling the symptoms, seeing the problems of blindly businessing & wishful thinking is the hard part! 

It’s time to stop hoping for the best and start planning for it. 

❓ What do you think?