Your CRM Journey - Part 5: Winding Roads

You may initially think that a CRM implementation or rollout would be straightforward. So many firms have gone down this road before that you wouldn't expect to have to blaze a new trail. 

But what you will often discover is that you may have to drastically alter both your expectations and your course. You might start out planning to go in one direction initially, but soon find out that you are moving in a completely different direction - or even doing a complete 180.

With CRM, one minute can seem like smooth sailing. The next, you may find yourself caught in a whirlwind just trying to stay afloat. At times like these, it’s easy to feel like bailing. But don't. Before embarking on your CRM journey, you need to understand that achieving CRM success can be a long and winding road. That path can be filled with peaks and valleys and littered with roadblocks.

This is because the goal of CRM is to help the firm achieve key objectives, and these are often affected by the winds of change. Things like variable market conditions, economic upswings or downturns and increased competition can cause a firm to require a course correction. And as that course changes, sometimes the CRM implementation needs to change to support the new direction. But for firms that stay the course and are able to change gears and get things moving in the right direction again, the CRM journey can end up being incredibly rewarding and can take them to places they didn't even have on their original itinerary. 

Your CRM Journey - Part 4: The Map

If you don't know where you are going, how in the world will you know when you get there? This is some sage CRM success advice. This is also the reason that for every CRM journey – from international adventures such as a full-scale firm-wide roll-out, to simpler treks like CRM enhancements, upgrades or data projects – you are going to need a good map.

Of course, because CRM is a journey - and one that never really ends - you can't really ever hope to 'get there.’ But without a map, you won't even know whether you are making progress. In fact, you might not even be aware if you are covering the same ground multiple times – or even going in circles.

Your CRM plan is your map. Before embarking on any CRM journey, you need to really think about where you want to go and the best way to get there. Because CRM often requires consensus building and behavior change, you may find out that the best way to get from point A to point B is not actually a straight path, but rather a winding road. You may also learn that because things are always changing, even the best maps often have to be revised. Heck, 29 new countries have come into existence since the 90s. (Really, how many people have even heard of Turkmenistan - forget about finding it on the globe?) 

You will also want to consider points along the way where makes sense to stop, rest, regroup – and plan your next move forward. 

Facebook and the Ideology War

I had originally planned to make this post to my Facebook account, but decided it was worth the deeper treatment I can give it here.  But first, regarding FB-- with the new timeline feature, you can quickly and easily discover all the twists and turns of your FB 'journey'....I was shocked to realize that I had signed on in 2007.  I didn't do much with it that year, because I really didn't understand it, even though I'd been using different hobby forums since the early 00s.  My primary use of FB is to stay in touch with fellow cyclists and swimmers/triathletes (although I am not a tri, I like to keep up with my friends who are, even though I personally despise triathlons); post cultural things of interest to me having to do with music, books, movies, and the occasional wise crack at the things posted by friends and relatives. 

But I digress, I digress...last night, I woke from a dream that erased itself as I awoke, like an ocean wave erasing letters in the sand.  But a voice from Sleepworld left these words in my head:  'You cannot change another's ideology by forcibly stating your own'.  I thought it interesting that FB had so penetrated my consciousness that its issues are being tossed around in my sleep, but that's beside the point.

You cannot change others' ideology even by gently stating your own, anymore than someone else could change yours, or mine.  Trial lawyers call it a pissing match. It is a useless, pointless exercise in narcissistic futility.  All that really happens is that the Other hardens his ideology, becoming more vociferous, more paranoid in its defense.  Why, why, why then, people, the endless parade of banners proclaiming this, that or the other attack or defense?  Does it come from the same basic impulse expressed by Ratso Rizzo in 'Midnight Cowboy' when he banged on the hood of a taxi and said 'Hey, I'M WALKIN' here!'

Of late, there is endless argy-bargy about gay rights, a chicken restaurant, and gay marriage.  I don't believe any amount of digital shouting by either side is going to change the other even slightly, but I do think there is one possibility of change that gets little attention.  Over the last couple of years, my wife and I have become close friends with a married gay couple.  During that time, I have not heard either one of these guys say anything that indicates a willingness to get into the whole ridiculous tangle of moral/ethical/philosophical/political side choosing and 'debate'.  Nor have I seen either one of them post any internet based manifestos in support of their side or against the other 'side'.   They appear to me to be two people who know and accept themselves for who and what they are, are comfortable with the style of life they've chosen, and who plan to keep on living it, without proclaiming the goodness or the moral rightness of it. 

Their quiet example-simply going about their business- is to me is a far stronger manifesto than any cleverly worded put down posted on Facebook