Modern CRM Transformation - Part 6: Keeping CRM Transformations on Track Over Two Years

Signal Boost: "Europe Is Lost" by Kate Tempest
A powerful, spoken-word storm of realism and resilience that captures the burden of leading through uncertainty.

We had our plan. Our roadmaps were clear. Our teams were energised. Then three months in, a major business unit restructured, two key sponsors left, and a wave of new regulatory requirements landed.

It would have been easy to panic. Leading through change wasn’t a side task. It became the job. Here's what I learned about keeping momentum, trust, and delivery alive over the long haul.

Accept That Change Is Inevitable

The biggest leadership mistake is treating change as a disruption.

Change is not the exception. Change is the environment.

If you expect stability, you’ll be blindsided and defensive. If you expect change, you’ll stay adaptive and resilient.

We built flexibility into everything:

• Rolling six-month roadmaps, refreshed quarterly.
• Missions that could flex, even if team structures stayed stable.
• Governance rhythms designed to spot changes early.

Example:
At our quarterly planning sessions, we always asked,

"What’s changed since last quarter that we need to adapt to?"
Normalising change in planning built muscle memory for the unexpected.

Anchor to Purpose, Not Plans

Plans became out of date. Purpose stayed true. When sponsors changed or new leaders arrived, we didn’t re-justify our backlogs.

We reconnected to the outcomes:

• "Reduce customer onboarding time."
• "Speed up case resolution."
• "Improve customer satisfaction."

Business leaders might debate features. They rarely debate outcomes.

Whenever turbulence hit, we re-anchored:

"What’s the real business problem we’re solving?"

That question kept us focused when the details kept shifting.

Build Relationships Before You Need Them

Transformation is relational before it’s technical. We invested early and often in building trust across business and tech, across teams and leadership levels.

• Regular drop-ins with sponsors.
• Open showcases for broader teams.
• Safe spaces for surfacing risks without fear.

Example:
When a critical dependency with a finance team threatened a release, the fact that our Product Manager already had strong relationships there meant we resolved it over a single conversation, no escalation needed.

Trust wasn't just nice to have. It was operational resilience.

Keep Communication Frequent, Honest, and Two-Way

Under stress, communication often collapses. Leaders either retreat into closed rooms or fall into "Everything is fine" PR messaging.

We chose a third path: regular, honest, two-way communication.

• Weekly team huddles, not just task updates, but honest pulse-checks.
• Monthly leadership updates showing wins and struggles.
• Quarterly "state of the platform" reviews open to all.

And we listened as much as we talked. When people feel heard, they lean in. When they feel spun to, they disengage.

Protect Team Energy

Two years is a long time. Sustained pace beats heroic sprints.

We protected teams by:

• Limiting late nights and weekend work.
• Celebrating small wins every quarter.
• Rotating staff when necessary to avoid burnout.

Example:
Midway through the first year, when a major integration slipped, leadership made the call to adjust delivery goals rather than push the teams harder.
We showed teams that sustainable progress mattered more than heroics, and morale stayed intact for the long run.

When people are exhausted, they resist change. When people are energised, they navigate it.

Leadership isn’t just setting direction. It’s protecting the people making it happen.

Challenges We Faced (and How We Adapted)

Sponsor Turnover:
We lost two key sponsors mid-programme. Each time, we re-anchored to purpose, reintroduced the outcomes, and quickly built new relationships.

Mid-Programme Reprioritisations:
New business strategies emerged. We adjusted roadmaps without losing the core product missions.

Team Fatigue:
There were moments when motivation dipped. We addressed it openly, celebrated progress, reset expectations, and kept going.

Leading through change wasn’t about being perfect. It was about staying real, adaptive, and connected.

What It All Comes Down To

By leading for resilience, not rigidity, we created:

• Teams that could flex without losing purpose.
• A platform that adapted to new realities without losing direction.
• Trust that survived leadership changes.
• Momentum that carried us through turbulence.

We didn’t just build a CRM platform. We built a culture of adaptability, resilience, and continuous improvement. That’s what real transformation leadership looks like.

Next Up: Part 7: Building a Sustainable CRM Product Organisation.
Go-live isn’t the end. Here’s how to build momentum and sustainability post-launch.