The salt and pepper shakers were usually the primary focus. They repeatedly lined up across from each other with the occasional district glass ‘clink’ when they made contact. They moved like chess pieces in a repeating pattern of scenarios. Today the hot sauce bottle, several sugar packets, and even a small container of jelly joined the lineup on the table. Our weekly breakfast had been put on pause, again, as our tabletop became the field of play. 

It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence; my two friends are football coaches, good ones. One now wears a state championship ring—his defense only allowed one first down in the second half. The other coaches at a school that has made the playoffs consecutively for the last two decades. In the football-crazed state of Texas, these are impressive accomplishments.

I sit as a little bit of an outsider as their hands continually rearrange the items on the table. To be honest, a little more hot sauce on my breakfast taco would be nice, but socially the reach doesn’t seem appropriate. They are locked in; this is what they do. So, I sit back and eat my bland taco and try to follow along. 

As the conversation winds down and the ‘what if’ scenarios start to fade, my friends begin to lean back into their chairs. It finally seems appropriate to ask a question that has been off the table until now.

“How do you get high school kids to understand ALL of that?” I ask.

They both pause, taco now in hand, and then almost in unison they answer, “You don’t.”

The secret to my friends’ success was not in their complexity of their schemes. Their success is found in how they make the complex, simple. Players only needed to remember a couple of ‘keys.’ These keys dictated specifically which players to watch and then how to react. The athlete does not concern themselves with all the ‘what ifs,” they only focus on their specific keys.

In the business world this is a version of a Hedgehog Concept. Jim Collins outlines the same idea in his book Good to Great. Companies that thrived and became great identified and focused on a handful of critical areas. The business focus eliminated distractions and provided a clearer vision for the company’s next step forward. 

The name for the Hedgehog Concept comes from a children’s story: a fox and hedgehog have become rivals. Each day the sly fox dreams up a new way to surprise and gain an advantage over the hedgehog. The fox believes himself to be crafty and wise, clearly the more intelligent creature. The hedgehog, on the other hand, is simple and responds to each unique attack by the fox by using its natural strengths. The hedgehog rolls up into a ball leaving its sharp quills pointed out in every direction. The fox, despite his angle of attack, walks away unsuccessful yet again. 

We can apply the same Hedgehog Concept to our personal lives. The same formula that puts athletes in the right position to make plays and helps animals fend off predators can put business in line to gain a profit and can help us make quicker and better decisions in our workspace. 

Customer interactions can happen as quick as any sports play. It is very easy to get caught off guard. Sometimes it feels like someone is trying to run you over and it’s hard to know what their end game might be. Setting up a couple of keys of what to watch and how to react could be extremely useful. 

Developing Your Own Personal Customer
Service Hedgehog:

1. Step One: Identify areas that are causing you confusion and or frustration. These are typically customer interactions where you are not fairing well. These moments are not enjoyable and could be repetitive in nature. 
2. Step Two: Clearly define a specific key indicator you are looking for. Start looking for the very first notion that you (and a customer) are entering the undesired scenario. It could be a topic, specific words, or nonverbal cue that things are going south. 
3. Step Three: Develop a Hedgehog response that is consistent with your personal strengths (and company policy). Your actions should be simple to execute, such as saying a simple word or phrase. The action may also be passive in nature, for example mentally reminding your self not to say something just because it ‘might feel good.” 

Don’t confuse automatic behavioral reactions with a purposefully chosen Hedgehog. A natural human behavior might be to attempt to run away from a bear. That ‘natural’ reaction will likely only result in a short scream filled jog. The bear is faster and will catch you. 

Evaluate how you react to customers in challenging situations. Sometimes learned behaviors are appropriate. Ask yourself if you are successful under two criteria. First, is your reaction something that your supervisor would approve of? Second, are you comfortable with your reaction? Many times, effective responses to life’s situations will at first seem a little counterintuitive (or uncomfortable).

Developing good keys indicator and Hedgehog responses takes time. Collins indicated that businesses developed their Hedgehog Concept over an average of four years. Athletic teams are continually refining the key indicators used by their athletes.