This is the Most Significant Thing We Learned in 2020! Like many people, we are not sad to see the year 2020 slip into the past. We look to ringing in the new year with happy anticipation of better things to come. With a vaccine headed to us all and a new appreciation for what we share when things are “normal,” we are all practically giddy at the prospect of sending this year off to the annals of history. However, even a year as challenging as this one presents new insights and opportunities for us all. Every year we usually take time to reflect on what has happened and what we have learned, and this one is no different, even if unprecedented. This episode, we share five significant insights that we gleaned from the notorious year 2020. Key Ideas to Improve Your Customer Experience From the impressive power of human resilience and ingenuity during crises to a renewed appreciation for the most important things in life, we share both personal and professional lessons we learned this year. In this episode, we also discuss what we see for the future in Customer Science and Customer Experience. Here are some highlights of the discussion: 02:27  Ryan shares his first insight about how this terrible year taught him a lot about how humans can adapt to challenging times. 05:36 Colin shares how he remembered to appreciate what he has but also what is most important to appreciate. 07:15 Ryan talks about how he sees the beneficial impact of empathy both customer- and employee-facing. 10:47  Colin explains how the future of Customer Experiences is in the area of Customer Science, which is a fusion of data, technology, and the behavioral sciences. 16:02 Colin explains how the iPhone took existing technology and changed the world and how Customer Science at a similar inflection point. 17:59 Ryan explains why Customer Science is close to changing everything as we know it. Please tell us how we are doing! Complete this short survey. Customer Experience Information & Resources LinkedIn recognizes Colin Shaw as one of the 'World's Top 150 Business Influencers.' As a result, he has 289,000 followers of his work. Shaw is Founder and CEO of Beyond Philosophy LLC, which helps organizations unlock growth by discovering customers' hidden, unmet needs that drive value ($). The Financial Times selected Beyond Philosophy LLC as one of the best management consultancies for the last two years. Follow Colin on Linkedin and Twitter. Click here to learn more about Professor Ryan Hamilton of Emory University.  Why Customers Buy: As an official "Influencer" on LinkedIn, Colin writes a regular newsletter on all things Customer Experience. Click here to join the other 22,000 subscribers.  Experience Health Check: You already have an experience, even if you weren't deliberate about it. Our Experience Health Check can help you understand what you have today. Colin or one of our team can assess your digital or physical Customer Experience, interacting with your organization as a customer to define what is good and what needs improving. Then, they will provide a list of recommendations for critical next steps for your organization. Click here to learn more.   How can we help? Click here to learn more about Beyond Philosophy's Suite of Services.