Yes, that’s right - and you probably already know it too.

We know that almost 90% of your fiercest competitors are planning to compete primarily on the basis of CX by the end of next year, the board has sponsored some small initiatives to get a feel for the size of the prize, and the challenge of delivering something to address it.

But something just isn't right. It might be the number of moving parts, the amber lights on the dashboard, or the (lack of) robust quantitative data being generated...

I've been working recently with clients who are about to undertake strategic transformations in the CX space. And the more I meet with, the more the commonalities and markers for failure become apparent. Here's a few for starters;

Don't start with inside-out views: Taking an existing product lifecycle and retrofitting how the customer works within that context is only going to get you an internal view of how the internal team think the customer fits in. It might be the easiest way to start - but you're likely to be wasting an awful lot of time.

Crave unconstrained ideas and viewpoints: So whilst knowledge of the organisation, culture and processes is critical, the reason why you're doing CX is because the customer is demanding something different. Maybe you need someone different, with a wider cross-industry viewpoint to challenge you.

You know your release process is too slow for this already: So? Start fixing it! The move to bi-modal, x-functional teams, micro-services and next-gen Agile isn't just a list of funky buzzwords. It is a truly different way of working - and raising the levels of functionality. Embrace it and learn how to start moving to a new way of working and releasing to your customers.

Yes, there's much more to it. And yes, I’m working with firms delivering an approach which addresses these and much more besides. But, please don't think that your new CX initiative is probably going to be ok.