It was a rough year; filled with the unknown, unexpected crises, uncontrollable circumstances and inevitable change.
Many felt the need for support in a way they never have before. I believe it made us find the inner strength we didn’t even know we had, and in many cases led us to become better people.
Many businesses needed to change the way they work. In fact, didn’t we all need to change? We needed to adapt to a situation we knew nothing about; we needed to lean on using technology to survive and were rushed into acquiring new knowledge and skills.
I am in constant communication with so many different professionals; people coming from different countries, cultures and industries. Suddenly we all shared the same agony. We were no longer just partners, clients, employees, employers – we were people first.
Through our conversations, I noticed something remarkable – the desire to help others has become a priority. I spoke to so many professionals who were eager to contribute with their experience and knowledge, hoping it will help other businesses during the crisis.
Business professionals grasped the need to learn something new and sharing knowledge has quickly become the perfect way to achieve that. This was the moment I realised that the direction of The Judge Club (TJC) should change course.
I knew people who wanted to help, and I knew those who needed the help; so I believed it was about time we got those people together.
We completely transformed our business with the use of technology that allows us to get people together. We even put some of our projects on hold in order to help others.
Since May 2020, The Judge Club has gathered business professionals from all over the world LIVE Online on SIX different occasions.
HOW TJC HELPED?
1. We had a dozen business experts who shared their valuable experiences, knowledge, and practical tools and tips with fellow professionals.
- Paul Corke: Founder and Leadership Architect at Leadership Architecture
“How to build resilience and cope with stress during times of uncertainty and change”.
- Haydn Bratt: Business Design Specialist at Mindset Leadership LLP
“The Link between Leadership and Customer Experience.”
- Kim Adele: Executive Director at Kim Adele Ltd.
“Benefits of the Virtual Watercooler”.
- Nicole Bachmann: Founding Partner at Haywood Mann
“Empowerment as a consequence of C-19 – how the necessities of virtual working have impacted practical leadership”.
- Sarah Walker: Smith, Chief Executive at Shakespeare Martineau
“The New Abnormal”.
- Tony Lynch: Managing Director at Keep Thinking Big
“What’s the one thing that the last three UK recessions all had in common – that we should all be aware of?”.
- Olga Potapsteva: Executive Director, Memberships, Customer Institute at European Customer Consultancy
“Building trust in CX tools: certification from the Customer Institute.”
“CX Inspired Report”.
- Fleur Hicks: Managing Director at onefourzero
“Agility in the face of adversity”.
- Fiona Cameron: Director at Sticky Change
“Turning healthy lockdown habits into BAU”.
- Chloe Woolger, Commercial Director, CX and Tim Pritchard, Managing Director, Customer Experience at Kantar
“2020: a year in review for the CX industry”
- What the ideal customer experience should look like
- Predictions on the state of the marketplace in the year ahead
- What brands must do to succeed in the face of the challenges we all still face.
2. We had more than 100 professionals joining live discussion rooms in which different relevant topics were covered:
- Coping with Change and Self-isolation During Lock Down and its Effect on Future
- How Can Managers Improve CX with their Leadership?
- How to Engage Employees Online; Not only to Survive but Thrive
- Engagement – helped or hindered by virtual working?
- The new abnormal will need a shift from words to action and more collaboration across businesses – how can we achieve both?
- Developing a business strategy – what are the key things we need to consider?
- What Proves the Value Of Customer Experience?
- Will the growth in decline change after COVID-19?
- How do we sustain healthy business practices after lockdown?
- Customer Experience VS Human Experience
- CX feedback survey response rate – increasing or decreasing?
- CX improvement during the lockdown
3. We organised 10 Winsight webinars, disclosing remarkable innovations and achievements throughout the year:
- Link to register and listen:
- https://awardsinternational.com/winsight-webinars-recordings/
4. Our members participated in mini-conferences at our awards programmes, helping others with quick tips on surviving during the Covid crisis.
The Judge Club has enabled professionals to be the very best they can be and reach goals by inspiring them to learn.
It’s not just about allowing people to connect – it’s about connecting the right people to make an impact. This is a true virtue of The Judge Club and is the main reason I’m proud to be ‘the face’ behind this organisation.
With 2020 out of the way, the time has come to continue with our planned projects.
The most important one was to create a place that would allow people from all over the world to connect, share knowledge, grow business, and shape futures from the comfort of their homes and offices, wherever they may be!
Human touch has become too important to be forgotten. We have all learned a lot in 2020 – we were forced to!
Now, if we combine what we have learned through our experiences before, during, and – hopefully soon – after Covid, and get together with other professionals regularly to exchange expertise, imagine the difference that will make. There’s nothing like working with professionals on problem-solving activities and getting unique perspectives from real experts.
Not being able to get together physically has its disadvantages, of course. However, it’s important to understand the benefits of using technology to connect. The people you can meet this way come from different cultures, industries, and backgrounds; the most diverse expertise you can imagine in one place!
If things didn’t go the way they did last year, we might have never had the opportunity to meet them and benefit from their insight.
I’m proud to be part of a group that has helped and supported so many during this time of crisis and I’m incredibly excited to be working closely with our valued members of The Judge Club.
If you would like to know more about The Judge Club or have any questions about how you can contribute or participate, feel free to contact me on: ana.belic@awardsinternational.com