Our members are part of something bigger
February 24, 2019
By David Whitesock, Face It TOGETHER Chief Innovation Officer
I’m sometimes asked why we call the individuals we coach “members” and not clients, customers or something else. That word – member – was an intentional choice.
By definition, a member is someone who is part of a group, part of something bigger – part of a greater whole. When we create something people want to be part of, we start to build a community – an ecosystem. Within ecosystems and communities are members.
Individuals who engage Face It TOGETHER for coaching become a member of something larger than themselves. They’re part of an extended ecosystem of activation, support, motivation, health, strength, connection and wellness.
This concept of membership extends to everything we do. It’s reflected in the design we’ve applied to both the space in which we coach – our addiction management centers – and our digital interactions, whether on our website or through our mobile coaching app. It’s also captured in our everyday routines – how we greet our members, leave a voicemail or offer a beverage.
Our membership experience is all of these things and more. At their core, these interactions are purposefully designed to reduce fear, build trust and create connection to that greater whole.
The core of our member experience is a commitment to being present together every moment of someone’s journey. This isn’t literal, but a philosophy behind our commitment to guide members through a thoughtful and intentional path that is the experience of coaching.
Every Face It TOGETHER coach embraces a mindset of “present together” in the way we engage with our members. This means:
-
We have a disposition of being there for them when they need us, and making sure they know it;
-
We have a disposition of focusing on them in big and small ways when they are with us;
-
We have a disposition of partaking in every moment of their journey, the highs and lows, by listening, empathizing and engaging them without judgment.
We know people are feeling all kinds of emotions when they connect with Face It TOGETHER for the first time or even the tenth time. For some, simply deciding to go to our website in the privacy of their own home is a scary, big step. Our goal with these interactions, big or small, is to provide comfort and affirm the decision they’ve made to connect with us.
Sadly, too many of the experiences involved in the clinical treatment system in the United States are undignified and barely at par with average healthcare systems. Apply stigmatized language and discriminatory practices across the care delivery system and consequences are tragic. Everything we’ve designed is meant to change this for those who need support.
The addiction management coaching Face It TOGETHER provides is more than a service – it’s a thoughtfully designed, transformational experience.
And the greater whole we’re building, that sense of connection and shared purpose, is what powers that experience and gives our members a sense of belonging.