AIM FIRST! A CX DISCIPLINE MOST LEADERS MISS

-- by Jamey Lutz

While traveling to a distant village, a man noticed something remarkable.

On a large tree stood a perfectly painted bull’s‑eye with an arrow lodged directly in the center.

A few miles later, he spotted another.

And another.

Every arrow, dead center.

Eventually, he discovered the “master archer”: a confident ten‑year‑old girl.

When he asked how she achieved such flawless precision, she smiled and said:

“I shoot the arrow first… then I draw the bull’s‑eye around wherever it lands.”

I first wrote about this metaphor in my book Pathway to Purpose because it captures a timeless truth about human behavior. It also reveals something important about how many organizations approach customer experience.

🎯 The Illusion of a “Perfect” Customer Experience

It’s easy to declare success after the fact:

• “The customer didn’t complain…must’ve been a great interaction.”

• “Our score went up…we’re on the right track.”

• “We fixed the issue…problem solved.”

But that’s not strategy. That’s drawing the bull’s‑eye around whatever happened and calling it excellence.

Customer experience doesn’t improve through justifying it retroactively. It improves through thoughtful, intentional design.

🧭 Intentionality Beats Activity

The little girl was really busy – arrows everywhere – but she wasn’t truly aiming. Organizations fall into the same pattern when they confuse activity with progress, and even success.

New tools. New scripts. New initiatives. Programs de jour.

But no shared understanding of the experience they want to create.

And this is where leaders often miss the mark. As I often remind clients:

“Don’t be fooled. Just because you’re doing more doesn’t mean you’re getting more done.”

Activity without intention creates noise and a lack of cohesion.

Intention creates clarity. And clarity builds trust.

🔍 Vanity Metrics Can Hide Real Pain

Her bull’s‑eyes looked impressive until we understood the trick.

The same thing happens when leaders rely on surface‑level metrics.

Averages can mask friction.

High scores can hide inconsistency.

Dashboards can tell a flattering story that customers don’t actually feel.

Real improvement requires the courage to look beyond the numbers and listen to what customers – and employees – are experiencing.

🧩 Consistency Requires a Defined Target

The girl avoided missing by never defining the target upfront.

Organizations do this when they lack a clear CX standard.

Without a defined aim:

• Employees deliver the experience “their own way.”

• Customers receive inconsistent interactions.

• Leaders struggle to articulate what “great” looks like.

When the target is unclear, the experience becomes unpredictable.

And unpredictability erodes trust.

🏹 CX Is a Discipline, Not a Happy Accident

Mastery doesn’t come from acting as if every shot is perfect… pretending doesn’t make it real. Lasting success comes from aiming, missing, learning, and shooting again.

The best organizations:

• Map friction honestly

• Test and refine before scaling

• Treat misses as opportunities, not failures

This is the work of disciplined, people-centered design – the kind that strengthens culture and elevates service from the inside out.

💛 Purpose Is the Target. Experience Is the Arrow.

When purpose is unclear, CX becomes reactive.

When purpose is clear, CX becomes a proactive differentiator that employees believe in and customers feel.

Purpose gives direction.

Experience brings it to life.

📩 A Call to Leaders

If you want to elevate your customer experience, stop drawing bull’s‑eyes around random outcomes.

Define the target.

Aim with intention.

Design with discipline.

And let your purpose guide every shot.

If your organization is ready to build a culture-powered, service-driven experience that reflects who you aspire to be, I’d welcome a conversation.

Let’s create something remarkable – on purpose.

jameylutz.com