Companies That Have Successfully Implemented Out-of-the-Box Thinking, via Rory Sutherland:

Octopus Energy
- They have a software division called Kraken
- They manage utilities in a much more sophisticated pricing environment, like cheaper rates for charging cars after midnight
- “It’s very much about marrying supply and demand.” – Rory Sutherland
- They have a lot of small teams (10-20 people) with considerable autonomy
Shopify
- Their customer service teams are modeled on sports teams, with sizes of around 10 people
- Toby Shannon, COO, believes small team sizes create motivation and accountability
- In traditional call centers, one person might manage 100, but Shopify’s small teams feel responsible for each other
AO (Appliances Online)
- British online retailer
- Simple staff guidelines: “Treat the customer like you treat your grandmother” and “Make your mum proud.”
- Emphasis on empathy and personal accountability over strict metrics
Zappos
- Rory mentions a Zappos executive who refused to make call speed a measure of success
- He said, “The call is as long as it needs to be to solve the problem.”
Rory criticizes the obsession with metrics and quantification
He compares current corporate practices to “Soviet-style capitalism” with a focus on quarterly targets
There is a loss of discretion and judgment in favor of cost-cutting and efficiency
Rory references John Ralston Saul, a Canadian philosopher who criticizes the French Enlightenment’s focus on reason at the expense of other human qualities like ethics, memory, and creativity
The reason shouldn’t be used in isolation for problem-solving

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