“Lean in to the change.”

Each year, ICMI is helped by a group of contact center industry thought leaders. The ICMI Strategic Advisory Board helps us evaluate our offerings, content, and partnerships to best serve the contact center industry.

Throughout the year, we’re profiling members of the board. Here, we ask a few questions of Scott Whitely, Senior Director, Customer Experience at Agero. Here is what he had to say.

Thank you for agreeing to be a part of ICMI’s Strategic Advisory Board. Why do you think it’s important to give back to the contact center community?

I am excited to be part of the advisory board for 2023. I believe that we all have common and unique experiences in the contact center industry and it’s important to share those within our community. We all have a vested interest in the future of our industry and will all be a part of the inevitable change that is coming. I can’t think of a better way to contribute than to be a part of the ICMI Strategic Advisory Board.

What lesson did you learn from your biggest success in your career? And from the biggest challenge (that you’d like to share)?

The biggest lesson I’ve learned in recent years is that the journey is as important and rewarding as the successful outcome. It is very easy to become so focused on the outcome that we miss opportunities to enjoy and celebrate the journey. This is important for us and especially important for those that we lead.

In my experience, our biggest challenges also present some of the greatest learning experiences. It’s important that we embrace challenges and understand that failure is a key ingredient to growth and for future success. We try, fail, learn, adapt, grow, and succeed. It’s a process and something to remember the next time you’re faced with a big challenge in your career or life - do not let it get you discouraged or view it as a negative. Instead, it’s important to look for the lesson.

In your opinion, what skill or skills will be most needed in the next decade in this industry?

Aside from adaptability, I think skill development in experience management, analytics and technology will be key in the next decade. Digital transformations coupled with emerging technologies with artificial intelligence and machine learning will inevitably reshape the contact center industry in the years ahead. The ability to create, shape, and support these new technologies will be key. It will be especially important to double down on managing experiences with our customers and other key stakeholders while leveraging new technologies to deliver upon that experience. As this technology is data dependent, developing a skill set in analytics will also be important in order to develop, interpret, and present the insights that will be gathered through these new technologies.

What are you most proud of in your career, and why?

I have been proud of my lifelong commitment to learning. Throughout my career, I found it’s been important to continue to learn in order to grow. My company has been encouraging and supportive of my growth throughout my career and I’ve been fortunate to complete a MBA in recent years, as well as achieve certifications in six sigma and project management. I have also had the benefit of working with many talented people who have provided me with both opportunities to learn and mentorship.

You find yourself in a room full of contact center professionals and you have the opportunity to give them just one piece of advice to set them up for success. What would you say?

Keep an open mind and commit to continuous learning. The future in our industry has been evolving and the rate of change is likely to accelerate with the emerging technologies on the horizon. These changes will bring new ways and forms of interacting with our customers, new measures of success, and new challenges. Lean in to the change and enjoy the journey!