Making an exit…
A few weeks ago, I asked my students to map out the ecosystem of individuals and organisations that sit around their own not-for-profit businesses.
After a little research, one student was shocked to learn that an organisation that she thought of as a competitor was actually picking up people that she was unable to help.
This competitor, it turns out, is actually a valuable ally in her service ecosystem.
But what, she wondered, was happening in the space between those people leaving her, and arriving with her competitor?
It prompted a valuable discussion about how it’s often as important to design the exit from a service, which might include a handover to another, as it is to design the entry.
A well-designed exit ensures that you and your service user part on the best terms possible. This increases the likelihood that they will return to your service in future, and recommend it to others.
A well-designed exit also helps smooth the transition for a service user into a complimentary service, if that’s what they need.
In the case of my student, she spent some time understanding what happened to her users after they left her organisation and before they joined her competitor-turned-ally.
She learned that they had to start their search for support from the beginning, finding organisations that were better suited to their needs and going through the application and onboarding process all over again.
This insight spurred her to design an exit experience that provides a smooth, signposted transition from her service to the other. As a result, her service users now feel like they have continuity of service, even though they’re changing provider.
It’s also built a strong, supportive connection between two organisations that previously perceived one another as competitors.
A win for the service users, and a win for the service providers.
