At Dreamforce you feel the network, the conversations, the pragmatic exploration of how to solve real-world programs. You hear about leadership and vision in creating trust between the business and its customers. This is Digital Transformation reduced to the real world of change management. About integrating departments just as much as about integrating applications. As much as you might have expected an environment of ‘buy this product’ at a conference such as this, ‘pitching’ – is pretty far from the reality here. The reality of Dreamforce this week has been, “How can we all do better?” Better as IT leaders, better as CIOs, better as business leaders, better as innovators and Trailblazers and better as partners.

Practical Ideas are Changing the World

More than any other technology conferences out there in the world, this one is about practical ideas that are changing the world now, and ideas that will change the world in the future. And though it is brought to you by Salesforce, the content is delivered by anyone with the best idea. Over 500 companies have presented their stories about improving the customer journey and the customer experience, and the employee experience, and pushed a message of philanthropy and environmental sustainability.

Sometimes without knowing it, or able to explicitly articulate it, all of us are driving business process transformation towards more intentional value exchange. Between the business and its employees, the business and the community, the business and the environment. All are discussing mutuality, without using the word – the art and science of sharing for mutual improvement – to make everyone better, and better off, than when they started out.

Trust is Key

The basis for change is trust. Each side is saying: “I believe you enough that I am ready to enter into, and then maintain, a relationship where both of us extract some value. A safe flight, a relevant insurance policy, a dependable vehicle, a quality product, and sometimes continuity where we are always reinventing ourselves to evolve the relationship. Who doesn’t want to be like Disney, Amazon, Shinola, ABB, or the Ritz-Carlton for customer loyalty and mutual benefit?

Can we be honest with ourselves and our customers? We have to be able to eke out a profit if we are to stay in business. We need to live within a budget if we are a government, and live up to the credo set for ourselves. We need to educate children to succeed in their chosen paths on a reasonable budget and adequate funding.

Why is mutuality so important in business? Because when a relationship has the perception of being beneficial, it is reinforced. Customers, and especially millennials and Gen-Z, are aware that they are not captive to any business, but often not as acutely aware of the benefit that accrues to them from the relationship.

The power of Dreamforce this week has been in seeing the enthusiasm to embrace new technologies, to innovate on behalf of the customer, to create trust, embrace experimentation and collaboration and new business models – all to become the very best versions of ourselves.

Be sure to get back safely, and to look back at what you learned, to reach out to the people you met, and to create a roadmap – 30 days, 90 days and one year – to embark on the next step toward sustainable customer success!