Insights from the XOS Pulse on what drives—or limits—experience-led success
XOS Pulse—an assessment tool grounded in the principles of the Experience Operating System (XOSTM)—reveals that not all companies do or should start from the same place when it comes to building experience management capabilities.
Based on data from hundreds of organizations that have taken the XOS Pulse, four distinct experience maturity personas emerge. These personas represent the most common profiles, and highlight how strategy, culture, and operational focus converge to either accelerate or stall customer experience impact.
The Four Organizational Personas our analysis revealed include:
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Visionaries – 30%
Organizations in this group are forward-thinking leaders that set industry benchmarks. They consistently drive innovation and growth, but their challenge is maintaining momentum as competitors close the gap. -
Balanced Performers – 34%
These organizations are steady, aligned, and well-positioned for a breakthrough. With targeted shifts, they have the potential to accelerate into leadership.
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Process-Focused Builders – 24%
Operationally disciplined and structured, these organizations excel at process but can lag in agility. Building cultural adaptability and collaboration is the key to unlocking their next stage of growth.
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Emerging Organizations – 12%
Still early in their journey, these companies have strengths but little cohesion. Their opportunity is immense: by building foundational alignment, they can advance faster than any other group.
Experience Maturity is About Balance and Integration Across an Organization.
Across industries and company sizes, these personas reveal an important truth: experience maturity isn’t just about having strong capabilities in one area. It’s about balance and integration across the entire organization. Strength in one area can be undercut by weakness in another. If you have great customer insight but no alignment or accountability, progress stalls. If you have a clear strategy and vision but weak cultural adoption, change won’t stick.
Visionaries and Balanced Performers consistently outperform in customer satisfaction, strategy execution, and innovation because they align culture with strategy and adapt quickly. Process-Focused Builders demonstrate how operational excellence alone isn’t enough—without cultural agility, progress stalls. Emerging Organizations remind us that even early adopters can achieve rapid gains if they focus on foundational alignment.
These personas highlight that experience management maturity and capabilities are less about size, industry, or resources, and more about how organizations approach experience management as a system. And without the clarity a system provides, organizations risk wasting time and money chasing the wrong priorities.
Why the 8 Keys of The XOS Matter
The four personas describe where you are. The 8 Keys of the Experience Operating System explain why you’re there—and what to do next.
These eight interconnected capabilities—ranging from strategy and alignment to culture and accountability—are what enable organizations to deliver consistently high-impact experiences. When organizations use the 8 Keys as a guide, they consistently gain clarity, focus, benchmarking, and momentum.
Clarity comes from having a map of current status, strengths, and weaknesses. Focus ensures that high-impact opportunities are prioritized. Benchmarking shows how maturity compares with peers and leaders. And momentum comes from a shared language and roadmap that aligns the organization.
Where Does Your Organization Fit?
Our findings show organizations that know their persona and act based on a clear understanding of where they are outperform those that don’t. Visionaries push boundaries. Balanced Performers close in on leadership. Process-Focused Builders refine agility. Emerging Organizations can accelerate from foundational strength.
The question is: where does your organization fit today?
That’s what the XOS Pulse is designed to show. In just a few minutes, it gives you a clear picture of your Experience Management Maturity, how you compare to peers, and where to focus for the greatest impact. More than a snapshot, it’s a dynamic guide for continuous learning and strategic refinement—helping organizations act with clarity and intention, using what they know and leveraging what they have to logically progress.
So take the XOS Pulse Assessment, see your results, and use them as a roadmap for what comes next.
By examining where your strengths and opportunities lie today, you’ll have the insights needed to uncover underlying drivers, align on a prioritized approach, and the focus and confidence to strengthen experience management and accelerate growth.
The Experience Operating System and XOS are trademarks of Michael Hinshaw and Diane Magers, all rights reserved.