How to Maintain Sustained Momentum

According to a Bain survey, 65% of initiatives fail because they require significant behavioral change. Making business changes stick long-term is one of the greatest challenges leaders face. Here’s how to overcome this hurdle: 1. Clarify Objectives: Without crystal-clear objectives, your team will struggle to understand the "why" behind the change. Define the goals in simple, actionable terms that resonate with every level of the organization. 2. Reinforce Behavioral Change: Behavioral change isn't a one-time effort. It requires consistent reinforcement. Regularly communicate the importance of new behaviors, and celebrate small wins that align with the change. 3. Support Commitment to the Goal: Leaders must visibly commit to the change. This commitment builds trust and signals to the team that the initiative is not just another passing trend but a core part of the company's future. 4. Ensure Accountability: Accountability is critical. Assign clear ownership for each part of the initiative. Use metrics to track progress, and hold individuals and teams responsible for meeting their targets. 5. Combat the Swirl of the Day Job: One of the biggest obstacles to lasting change is the day-to-day swirl of existing responsibilities. Prioritize the change by integrating it into daily routines and making it part of the fabric of the organization. During a recent corporate carveout, we faced the challenge of transitioning from a legacy culture to a more agile, entrepreneurial mindset. The real hurdle wasn't just setting new strategies but ensuring everyone aligned with the new way of thinking. By focusing on these key areas—especially reinforcing new behaviors and combating the daily distractions—we successfully embedded the changes into the company’s DNA, turning a potential roadblock into a stepping stone for growth. Remember, the real problem often isn't the change itself but our collective unawareness of what truly needs to be done to make it stick. Focus on these key areas to ensure that your business changes become lasting improvements rather than temporary adjustments. #Leadership #ChangeManagement #BusinessTransformation #Carveout

Big projects can feel overwhelming. Whether it’s writing a book, launching an improvement initiative, or driving major change, it can feel hard. You start with excitement, but as reality sets in, it’s easy to get stuck. I recently spoke on a panel hosted by the South Asian Customer Success Alliance, where we discussed what it really takes to complete ambitious projects. Reflecting on my own experience writing two best-selling books while running a successful consulting business, here are a few strategies that made all the difference: 1. Find an Accountability Partner Having someone to keep you on track makes a huge difference. It can be a mentor, coach, or peer. For my book, a developmental editor helped me stay focused and hit my milestones. 2. Work Backwards from a Deadline Instead of hoping to “finish when it’s ready,” set a deadline and map out your key milestones in reverse. This ensures steady progress and avoids last-minute panic. For example, I wanted my book available to launch at Gainsight’s Pulse conference. 3. Embrace Structure to Make Progress Easier Don’t start from scratch every time. I created a repeatable structure for my chapters, which reduced decision fatigue and let me focus on writing instead of formatting. Apply best practices to make things repeatable. 4. Consistency Beats Perfection Big projects don’t happen in a day. I committed to writing regularly each Friday because momentum is built through consistent effort. I also felt like it didn’t need to be perfect the first time. You can always refine it later. 5. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help No major project is completed alone. I actively sought feedback from peers, editors, and experts. External perspectives improved my work and kept me motivated. Even when the feedback was hard to hear, I knew that it came from a good place. 6. Celebrate Milestones Along the Way When tackling something big, it’s easy to focus on how far you still have to go. I made it a point to recognize small wins like finishing a chapter, telling an interesting story, or getting useful feedback. Acknowledging progress kept me motivated. 7. Publicly Commit and Get Others Involved One of the most powerful motivators is making your goal public. I shared my book-writing journey with others and engaged them in the process, and their encouragement kept me accountable. The support from my community made a huge difference in getting to the finish line. Thanks to Parul Bhandari for hosting and to the other author-panelists Jeff Mar, Atma Gunupudi, Jennifer Chiang. It was a great conversation. Whether you're tackling a book, launching a new initiative, or driving transformation in your business, these principles apply. What strategies have helped you take on and accomplish big goals? Would love to hear your insights! #Leadership #GoalSetting #Execution #CustomerSuccess #ProfessionalGrowth #REACH #TheCCOPlaybook #CCO

Motivation is a liar. It’s there when you’re excited about a new goal. But the moment things get hard? It vanishes. I’ve been there, starting strong, feeling unstoppable but, Only to hit a wall when life got busy or results didn’t show up fast enough. Sound familiar? That’s when I realized, Consistency isn’t about motivation. It’s about commitment. Here’s how you keep going when motivation fades: 1. Create a non-negotiable routine. Don’t rely on “feeling like it.” Set a schedule and stick to it. 2. Lower the resistance. Struggling to start? Make it easier. Break tasks into tiny steps. 3. Celebrate small wins. Progress fuels momentum. Keep track of it. 4. Find an accountability partner. When you don’t show up for yourself, show up for them. Winners don’t wait for motivation. They build discipline. Keep showing up. That’s how success happens. #Consistency #Discipline

There is something magical about starting a new year. You get to imagine a new reality. “We are going to launch this amazing new content strategy.” “I don't see any reason we can't grow marketing sourced pipeline 5x this year, we are just getting started” “We are finally going to launch that new social strategy” For the first few weeks of the year, the energy is palpable. Teams are organized, meetings are productive, and execution is on point. It feels like everything is falling into place. But then, February rolls in, and the grind sets in. Deadlines get missed. A few unexpected fires pop up. That exciting new campaign gets bogged down in revisions. And before you know it, all that January momentum starts to fizzle. You know the feeling: that burst of energy at the start of something new, followed by the slow realization that the real work isn’t as glamorous as the planning phase. But the true test of a marketing team’s is in their ability to execute the plan not in their ability to create it. The gritty, monotonous day-to-day grind is where the real change happens. The truth is most marketing teams fail at execution and that's one of the biggest reasons for lack of growth at companies. So how do you keep the excitement going past all your initial planning. Here are 3 ways: 1) Work in shorter cycles – 2-week sprints: Breaking down your projects into 2-week sprints can make tasks feel more manageable and keep momentum high. It’s a lot easier to stay focused and motivated when you’re constantly hitting small milestones and seeing progress. 2)Break down goals into monthly or weekly goals: Large goals can be overwhelming. By breaking them down into monthly or weekly targets, you create a series of attainable steps that guide your progress and keep you on track. This approach provides a clear path forward and helps maintain focus. 3)Celebrate small wins: Don’t wait until the end of a project to celebrate. Acknowledge and reward the small victories along the way. This can boost morale, keep the team motivated, and reinforce the value of consistent effort. So, next time you find yourself enamored with the planning phase, remember at the end of the day, it’s not the plan that matters – it’s the execution. If you need help executing this year - don’t hesitate to reach out.