Change Management Challenges In Customer Experience Transformations

I can't begin to tell you how often I get a call during which the person I'm speaking with says something to the extent of, "I've been running our Voice of the Customer surveys for years and nothing's getting better in those customer relationships." This, of course always results in me asking how they've worked toward changing their people, process and technologies to meet their customers at or above their expectations based on what they learned in that feedback? Surprisingly, the answer is almost always the same, "what do you mean?" Too many CX teams have been lead down the primrose path of overcommitting technology solutions as the magic silver bullet cure-all for all issues with their customers and do not put anywhere enough emphasis on the need to adapt and change, and to meet their customers, where they are, in their respective journeys at those defining moments of service. Indeed, I tell them that an overreliance on tech as that silver bullet is very much the same as an overweight person blaming their bathroom scale for their unhealthy condition. It's not the scale's fault they may overeat and perhaps get too little exercise, and until this changes, the scale won't report anything more optimistic. The moral of this short story is obvious. CX improvement may be powered by the customer's voice, but it is always a change management function. If we do not prepare to change our ways and continue to evolve our organization and how we do what it is we do, we risk not meeting our customers when and where they are looking for us and will indeed continue to disappoint. Ignoring the most basic need for adaptive change is akin to the famous Albert Einstein quote about his definition of insanity: doing the same things the same ways you always have but looking for a different (and presumably better) outcome. The odds, my friends, are against. We need to be willing to change, and in many ways, burn the boats from our past and free ourselves to find new and innovative ways to serve our customers when, where and how it matters to them. Until we do this and fully commit to transformative changes to practically every aspect of our business, we are truly only paying lip service to our customer focus and the experiences we create. It's a gigantic, missed opportunity for so many. Knowing how to change and using state of the art technology as a change enabler will prove to be key in this process. Having the right priorities, focus areas, and direction will have a positive, orchestrative effect and conversely the lack of the right analytics to guide this decision process will leave you sub-optimized or worse, functionally crippled. If I leave you with nothing more here, please consider customer experience as a change management job more so than simply a measurement one. We all need data to make our decisions, true point, but don't assume that just because you have invested in a state of the art NPS program, that this alone will be enough to make an impact.

🌎 Transforming Traditional Banks and Credit Unions: Lessons from Experience and Insights for the Future 🌎 After 21 years with ING Direct and Tangerine across several countries—and working with tech and fintech firms since—I’ve seen how transparency, customer-centricity, and innovation can transform banking. Yet here we are in 2025, and many banks and credit unions still face the same challenges we tackled years ago. 🤔 Customer Satisfaction Is Still Low Capgemini’s 2025 Retail Banking Report shows only 26% of customers are satisfied with their experience. As 💯 Jim Marous put it, banks may not be seeing mass exits, but they’re facing silent attrition—customers quietly moving products to neobanks like Nubank, Revolut, Stripe, Robinhood, Chime, and SoFi. Why is progress so slow? 🤬 Where the Friction Lies 1. Legacy Systems – Outdated tech makes it hard to offer seamless, personalized experiences. 2. Regulations – Compliance slows innovation—but it doesn’t stop it. 3. Cultural Inertia – Resistance to change is deeply embedded. 4. Data Silos – Fragmented systems mean fragmented customer views. 5. Fintech Competition – Agile, digital-native players are redefining expectations. 💪 Let’s be clear—THESE ARE NOT BARRIERS. They’re frictions. Frictions can be solved. Some of us built banks in environments where regulators hadn’t even imagined branchless banking. 🚀 Strategies for Transformation 🚀 1. Culture First – Customer focus must be embedded in the culture. Break silos, reward collaboration. 2. Modern Tech – Move to flexible, cloud-based platforms. Use AI and data to personalize. 3. Agility – Embrace iterative development. Test, learn, improve—fast. 4. Fintech Collabs – Partner with or acquire innovators to accelerate capability. 5. Customer-First Design – Simplify processes. Build trust through transparency. 6. Engaged Teams – Empower employees. Happy teams create loyal customers. Final Thought This isn’t about knowing what to do—it’s about doing it. Change is possible. I’ve seen it. Led it. Delivered it. So can you. If you're a bank, credit union, neobank or fintech ready to make real progress, I’d love to help. Whether in a C-level role or as an advisor, I bring experience that turns strategy into impact. David Bradshaw Andrew Chau Phil Taylor, FICB/FCSI American Banker Aline Badr PCC Brenda Rideout Stacey Schwartz Michael Giller Michael Aceto Gaurav Singh Mark Nicholson

70% of transformations stumble. Not on technology. Not on strategy. But on five critical hurdles that few see coming. Here's what really blocks transformation And how successful leaders overcome them: 1. The Comfort Zone Barrier When uncertainty feels threatening: - Create psychological safety - Build small wins early - Make change feel achievable 2. The Communication Gap When clarity matters most: - Over-communicate purpose - Share progress consistently - Make impact visible 3. The Middle Management Freeze When pressure comes from all sides: - Equip them with tools - Provide clear direction - Enable decision-making 4. The Initiative Fatigue When teams feel overwhelmed: - Focus on vital few priorities - Celebrate small victories - Build momentum gradually 5. The Leadership Misalignment When direction isn't clear: - Align on core objectives - Show unified commitment - Lead by example Obstacles don't block your path during transformation. They are your path to better solutions. Each one makes transformation stronger, and more achievable. Leading through transformation challenges? DM me "TRANSFORM" to discuss strategic solutions.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀? E𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁?? It’s not about poor ideas. It’s not about lazy teams. It’s about 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚. Behind every “transformation” are overwhelmed leaders, tired teams, unclear priorities. And a lot of wishful thinking. Here are 10 challenges that quietly sabotage change efforts (even in the best-run companies): 1) 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝘇𝘇𝘆. People can’t commit to what they don’t understand. → Clarity isn’t a luxury — it’s a leadership responsibility. 𝟮) 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗴. Most execs have to act before all the facts are in. → That’s not reckless — but without structured scenario planning, it becomes risky. 𝟯) 𝗪𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵, 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁. We overload teams already at capacity, hoping they’ll just “make it work.” → Sustainable change requires ruthless prioritization and realistic phasing. 𝟰) 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲. Change without active, visible leadership is change that quietly dies. → People follow behavior, not PowerPoints. 𝟱) 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆. You can’t support your team if you’re running on fumes. → Self-care isn’t soft — it’s strategic. 𝟲) 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗺𝘆. When everything’s urgent, nothing gets done well. → High-performing execs do less, better. 𝟳) 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸. One email or town hall won’t do it. → Communication is a process, not an announcement. 𝟴) 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱. People don’t resist change. They resist 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡. → Involve them early. Speak to their fears, not just your plans. 𝟵) 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴. Most orgs aren’t set up to 𝙙𝙤 change. They just expect it to happen. → Frameworks, training, tools. They’re not nice-to-haves. 𝟭𝟬) 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁. Change fizzles when it’s not embedded. → Celebrate progress. Reinforce behaviors. Institutionalize the shift. If you’re leading through change right now, here’s your reminder: ✔ You’re not alone. ✔ It’s not just you. ✔ This is the real work of transformation. 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 — 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝟭𝟬 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱? ----- 👋 I’m Lars – delivering transformation that sticks. 🔔 Follow me for more on 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 and 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. ✉️ DM 'READY' for insights.