What do tennis, serving customers, and employee experience have in common?

4 tenets for the next phase of the company’s growth.

I always enjoy watching the French Open this time of the year. When I watch Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams play tennis, their mastery of the sport seems absolute, and their love for the game shows in every movement on the court. We should all be as fortunate to find as much joy in our work as they do in theirs.

The journey to excellence is not always easy, but when we have purpose, the decision to move forward with vigor to attain it is. When we do what we love—and find purpose and meaning in it—the drive for excellence transforms into something even more special: flow.

What is flow? Flow, or being “in the zone,” has been defined as “the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.”

Leading with purpose and flow.

Earlier in my career, I worked for a global business process outsourcing company. We had tens of thousands of experienced team members on the front lines supporting customers with everything from healthcare benefits to natural disaster response.

This experience filled me with a strong sense of purpose, and I often found myself in a state of flow. Creating moments that matter for customers guided the way we hired, developed, and engaged our people. After all, happy employees are table stakes in creating happy customers.

Many companies struggle to make a personal connection with their customers. Far too often, engagements between companies and customers are purely transactional with a focus on cost efficiency. However, that view can be likened to tripping over the dollar to save the dime.

Research shows that when customers feel seen, heard, and valued, they are happier and more loyal to brands. With the increase in digital interactions, it can be easy for businesses to lose those purpose-driven connections with customers. However, technology can be an incredible enabler in creating exceptional experiences between companies and their customers that drive more revenue and loyalty.

What does this have to do with my reasons for joining Talkdesk? Everything.