Circular Design, Extended Producer Responsiblity, and the Case for Business Fluency in CX
"How do you bring people along with you when you're in the CX leader's role?"
This is a question I've been asked more than any other in my consulting work.
And I understand. Influence is important. But the assumption is often that technical competence is the key: voice of the customer, experience measurement, culture, and journey mapping, for example. And yes, technical competencies absolutely matter.
That is one reason I wrote the peer-reviewed A Foundational Guide to Circular Design in Business for the new SAGE Business Social Impact Essentials collection.
Another reason: I wanted to expand on Chapter 4 of my book, Guide to Global Leadership, where I wrote about circular design in customer experience.
A Foundational Guide to Circular Design in Business
Circular design is often framed as a matter of customer preference. Research shows many customers, especially younger generations, do like the idea of purchasing products that are repairable, reusable, refurbished, or recyclable.
But CX leaders need to know more about why circular design matters to contemporary businesses, beyond potential customer preference.
The Business Case for Circular Design
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and taxation laws are changing how organizations need to make decisions about product materials, customer ownership, and what happens when products are discarded.
EPR rules place cost burdens for collecting and managing waste upstream, onto the creators of eventual waste. Packaging, electronics, textiles, rubber, pharmaceuticals, and glass, for example.
Whether customers care about EPR or not, EPR means company leaders, from operations to supply chain functions, need to support designing experiences with environmental accountability in mind.
So, sure. Circular design is part of the CX stage, but it's even bigger on the business stage.
In A Foundational Guide to Circular Design in Business, I talk about Fairphone, Patagonia, BASF, Desso, PepsiCo, and Microsoft. All of these organizations are all deeply entrenched in circular design, but in different ways.
What they share, though, is an understanding that accountability for a product, not just an abstract responsibility to a customer, increasingly extends beyond the point of sale.
Circular Design is a Matter for Business Fluency, Not Just CX Fluency
I've long believed that CX influence comes from business fluency, not just CX technical expertise. Circular design sits at the intersection of CX, business strategy, and regulation. It's tough to ignore the topic if you need to build more influence within your organization.
Understanding the nuances of business that touch customer experience, whether it's EPR requirements, material constraints, or other business pressures, is an opportunity to branch out from basic CX technical competencies and holistically support the company's business realities.
Many thanks to the Sage social impact collection editors. It was a pleasure to contribute. Reach out if you want to talk more!
