Listen to “193. The Culture of Innovation vs The Work of Innovation w/ Lee Jelenic” on Spreaker.
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon
When brands limit innovation to tasks, projects, and work, they restrict the potential and promise that every team member brings to the table.
On the other hand, when innovation is ingrained into the company culture through core values or through modeling and example, it isn’t stifled or directed. It’s organic, meaningful, and happening at all times — innovation is everywhere.
Today’s guest is Lee Jelenic. Lee is the Chief Innovation Officer at United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM). Lee believes that UMV serves clients (not customers) with team members (not employees). He demonstrates how they live out their company’s core values, including innovation, through a commitment to continual improvement and to preserving the human touch.
Before joining UWM, Lee served as the VP of Marketing for Ford Motor Credit Company, the CEO of Ford Commercial Solutions, and led marketing for the Lincoln brand. He also spent four years at JP Morgan in their Capital Markets group… and two years as a professional hockey player.
Today Lee shares how UWM has achieved an impressive Net Promoter Score (on a scale of negative 100 to 100, it’s 87) by employing people (all in the same physical space) to field well over 20,000 calls per day. For Lee and the UWM team, it’s critical that clients going through one of the most significant financial transactions of their lives do so with the trust, connection, and competence they can only find in and with other people.
Lee and I also discussed:
• How positive client experience helps to cut through the noise
• Why “client” signifies a longer-term relationship than “customer”
• What guiding philosophy led to growth from 2K to 8K team members
• How the value of innovation is expressed throughout the company
• Where humans and tech should intersect
The Culture of Innovation vs The Work of Innovation
Hear Episode 193 and any/every other conversation of The Customer Experience Podcast in your favorite podcast player …
In your podcast player, please give an extra click to rate the show (or even take a minute to leave a review) – it’s very helpful!
We also embed the full conversation and make it searchable right here in these blog posts. The recording with Lee Jelenic is right here …
Listen to “193. The Culture of Innovation vs The Work of Innovation w/ Lee Jelenic” on Spreaker.
Video Highlights: The Culture of Innovation vs The Work of Innovation
Check out the top five video highlights from the discussion with Lee Jelenic…
1. Customer Experience is The Only Thing That Matters
2. Preserving Culture Through Rapid Growth
3. Innovation Culture Versus Innovation Work
4. Why Humans Answer 20,000-30,000 Phone Calls
5. Importance of Human Accessibility
Links Related to This Conversation:
- Lee Jelenic on LinkedIn
- UWM.com
- FindAMortgageBroker.com
- Mat Ishbia on LinkedIn
- Mark Fields on LinkedIn
- Jim Farley on LinkedIn
- Delta Airlines
Other Episodes You’ll Enjoy:
- Episode 171 with Michelle Lisowski, “Why Better CX Is The Goal, Not Disruption”
- Episode 191 with Sue Woodard, “Operationalizing Love for Customers and Employees“
Subscribe, Listen, Rate, and Review The Customer Experience Podcast:
