Broad based secondary research in behavioral data provided indicators from disparate 3 sources suggesting the problem was both systemic and predictable. In-field observations substantiated the hunch and contextualized it through the discovery of a series of work-arounds. Covered up by the good will of well intentioned operators, customers were falling through a gap in our service model. As it turns out, we had been looking in the wrong place for the problem. While the attrition problem was clearly pronounced at a new members 90 day mark, the moments that were mattered to changing their trajectory were the 30 days before they ever joined us in a physical space.
With data in hand, and knowing our expertise was in closing experience gaps with digital touch-points, we shifted our focus on partner engagement. Operating as co-pilots with the intent to distribute ownership from day 1, we ran a series of cross functional co-creation sessions with teams around the world. Where tech was needed, we built a suite of tools in low fidelity environments to democratize accessibility and leave room for localization. After creating experimental parameters and SOPs for deployment, we opened the toolkit and actively supported multiple teams running parallel experiments around the world.
The value prop of WeWork was focused on culture, engagement and energy. Digital tooling, at best, is always in service of the human experience. While a majority of the tooling and artifacts created were intended to automate monotonous tasks, increase confidence and clear space for personal connections, experimentation showed that the greatest driver digital adoption was the facilitation of new in person experiences. The largest take-away from this work was that if we wanted people to feel comfortable stepping into a space on their first day of work, all we had to do was create the opportunity and the incentive structure for them to join us in the space before it mattered. Physical artifacts, digital offerings, and service experiences all needed to work hand-in-hand.
Fast turn times, shared prototypes and an experimental approach drove cooperative change at pace. Within 3 weeks of the work beginning, initial prototypes of New Member Welcome Kits were being distributed through a rigorously vetted pilot program. Run almost entirely by volunteers from our globally distributed ops team, the first 2 rounds of piloting showed significant wins with no significant risks, leading to an immediate global release. As part of a much larger body of work orchestrated against this initiative, account retention and existing account growth increased from 20% to 55% of total sales during my tenure.
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