CX and EX in silos? Use this 5-step playbook to fix one bottleneck fast

You know I'm obsessed with leadership. But here's the other thing: I'm a systems geek. I love fixing what looks impossibly complex, because transformation is rarely about a massive two-year program. It's about one proof of concept at a time.

And proof matters. According to McKinsey, around 70% of transformation projects fail, mostly because they try to do too much, too fast, with no visible proof along the way.

So today, I'm trying a new format with you: a saveable CX•EX Reset Playbook. These are five steps I've tested, proven, and kept in my “best practice” book. They're simple, practical, and designed to work in the mess of real life.

I'd love to know if you find this format useful, so hit reply after reading and tell me.

The CX•EX Reset Playbook:

• Step 1. Focus: Pick one moment that matters.
• Step 2. Map: Put customer + employee journeys on one page.
• Step 3. Fix: Choose the smallest system change.
• Step 4. Measure: Track one signal for each side.
• Step 5. Sprint: Run a 30-day experiment.

Remember: One moment. One fix. One signal. One month.

Step 1. Focus: Pick one moment that matters

A service company I worked with had the same problem over and over: after signing a contract, the kickoff date kept slipping. Sales promised one thing. Delivery discovered another. Clients chased updates. The team spent hours rebuilding context.

That's the perfect “moment that matters.”

• Customers were confused.
• Employees were frustrated.
• Nobody owned the handover.

Success looks like: one clearly defined moment, one owner, and a simple problem statement.
Watch out for: leaders insisting on fixing three things at once.
Counter: write this rule at the top: One moment. One fix. One signal.

Step 2. Map: Put both journeys on one page

Once you've named the moment, mapping it out is where the magic starts.

Draw two columns: Customer side (what they see, expect, feel) and Team side (what they do, need, decide). Add timestamps and owners. Circle where people step in as duct tape.

Our example:

• Client expects kickoff date within 48h of contract signature. Instead, they get a vague “welcome” email.
• Delivery digs for scope, access, and contacts across five different tools.

Success looks like: a one-page map both sides can read in three minutes.
Watch out for: arguments about what should happen.
Counter: write down what actually happens today, not what the SOP says.

Step 3. Fix: Choose one system change

Here's where leaders usually overcomplicate it. Don't redesign the entire onboarding. Choose one shared fix you can ship in 1 to 2 weeks.

Our example fix:

• Create an auto-generated Kickoff Packet at contract signature: scope, roles, access checklist, and a booking link.
• Add a 2-minute internal checklist so Delivery starts with full context.

Success looks like: one friction loop removed for both sides.
Watch out for: scope creep (“let's redo the whole process”).
Counter: park bigger ideas in a backlog, ship one fix now.

Step 4. Measure: Track one signal per side

You don't need five KPIs. (Trust me, I've seen that mistake a hundred times.) You need one customer signal and one team signal. That's it.

Our example metrics:

• Customer signal: time to confirmed kickoff drops from 5.2 days to under 48h.
• Team signal: fewer escalations on missing info.

Success looks like: both metrics move within three weeks.
Watch out for: leaders adding five more metrics.
Counter: write this rule on your scoreboard: One customer metric. One team metric.

Step 5. Sprint: Run a 30-day reset

Day 1: align on one problem, one fix, one signal, one owner.

Weekly: 20-minute check-ins to check usage, signal movement, and blockers.

Day 30: lock what worked, note what didn't, and pick the next fix.

Our example cadence:

• Week 1: build the Kickoff Packet + checklist.
• Week 2: pilot on three deals.
• Week 3: roll out to all new clients.
• Week 4: stabilize and choose the next fix.

Success looks like: calmer mornings, fewer “where's my kickoff” emails, no more duct tape work.
Watch out for: excuses (“we skipped it on two deals because X”).
Counter: treat misses as data. Ask: what in the system made the new behavior harder than the old one?

What to expect in 30 days

• Less ping-pong between Sales and Delivery.
• Shorter time to clarity for clients.
• Fewer escalations for missing context.
• A visible lift in calm and confidence across the team.

Optional extra in Week 3: add a client-facing status page both sides can see. It reduces chase emails and builds trust fast.

Frictions you'll meet (and how to handle them)

• Budget silos: bring in Operations as co-owner.
• Expert mode: people overcomplicate. Bring it back to the two signals.
• Scope creep: park extra ideas in a backlog.
• “We're different”: same 5 steps apply. Context doesn't break the playbook.

Over to you

Try this 5-step reset on one messy moment this month. Then hit reply and tell me:

• Did it work?
• Did the friction show up differently?
• Do you want more of these playbooks in future newsletters?

With you for results that actually feel good,

Amélie