Why does CRM only work when combined with a new organisa-tional culture?

CRM projects rarely fail due to technological issues; they rather fail due to structural and responsibility-related matters and, above all, a lack of cultural change. Frank Klinkhammer explores this theme in his chapter “People and Organisation in the CRM Competence Model: New Approaches to Organisational Development on the Way to a Customer-Centric Company,” where he calls for a true paradigm shift.

Anyone aiming for a genuinely customer-centric CRM must also make necessary organizational changes. This means embracing self-organization instead of hierarchy, prioritizing purpose instead of process-driven approaches, and fostering role responsibility rather than relying solely on the power defined by an organizational chart.

Klinkhammer highlights why traditional change methods are no longer effective and also provides a clear blueprint for creating a “responsive organization”—companies that continuously evolve, intelligently utilize feedback, and embed responsibility where value is generated.

Key takeaways from this chapter include:

• It is an illusion to think one can “introduce” customer centricity without also transforming the organization.
• Structures should be designed boldly and iteratively, utilizing pilots, learning cycles, and transparency.
• Holacracy and similar frameworks are practical tools (which I can confirm after years of working with the Holacracy approach).
• Psychological safety is not merely a "nice to have"; it is fundamental to the functionality of teams.

My conclusion: it is essential to consider CRM in human terms. It is not about finding the one perfect blueprint; rather, it is about adopting a new mindset. This shift in perspective is what makes it so valuable.

🔗 To the book on Springer

This blog post is based on the chapter “People and Organisation in the CRM Competence Model: New Approaches to Organisational Development on the Way to a Customer-Centric Company” by Frank Klinkhammer from the book “CRM Goes Digital – Design and Use of Digital Customer Interface in Marketing, Sales and Service”, published in 2024 by Springer Gabler Publishing House.