In my last two posts, I explored the business cost of “good enough” and the danger of assuming “we’re already doing it.” But there’s another, less visible barrier that quietly kills even the best customer experience initiatives: 𝗰𝘆𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺.

You’ve seen it:
A bold new vision is rolled out. The plan looks great on paper. But instead of excitement, you sense skepticism—maybe even silent resistance.

Why?

Because people have seen it all before. Promises of change that fade. Slogans that become background noise. Initiatives that crumble under daily pressures. Over time, hope erodes, and cynicism becomes a protective armor.

𝗖𝘆𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗰, “𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀.”

If you want to break through and create real transformation, you need more than a strategy—you need to address the emotional reality of your teams.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁:

1. 𝗔𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀: Be honest about what hasn’t worked and why. Transparency builds trust.

2. 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀: Culture is shaped by what leaders do, not just what they say.

3. 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲: Peer-driven initiatives often stick better than top-down mandates.

4. 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀: Tangible progress breaks the cycle of disbelief.

5. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝘂𝗹: Consistency over time is the antidote to cynicism.

Have you hit a wall of cynicism in your organization’s culture journey? If you’re ready to break through and turn skepticism into momentum, 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸.

We help leaders move from stalled change to real, sustained transformation.