In a year dominated by AI, automation, and tooling upgrades, it is easy for the human side of Customer Success to slip down the priority list. But the strongest CS organisations are not defined by their dashboards or tech stack. They are defined by the leadership habits, behaviours, and systems that shape how teams think, feel, and perform.


In this video, Delores Cooper from Zendesk explores the human systems that sit beneath every high-performing CS team and how small, intentional shifts can dramatically improve outcomes.


She shares how to:

  • Treat your calendar as a strategic tool

  • Protect the time blocks that directly influence customer outcomes

  • Turn one-to-ones into coaching conversations instead of reporting sessions

  • Build psychological safety so risks surface early and cheaply

  • Model vulnerability in a way that strengthens trust and growth

  • Use questions, tone, and presence as levers for better performance


Delores’ message is simple and powerful:

Change your questions, your tone, and your time and your team’s outcomes will follow.