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  "description": "Why RevOps change efforts fail, and how to fix them, using real Salesforce adoption lessons, psychology, and practical tactics that actually drive change.",
  "path": "/why-change-management-fails/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-06T16:00:22.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.revenueoperationsalliance.com",
  "tags": [
    "market shifts",
    "Salesforce",
    "change management",
    "Leadership",
    "change management frameworks",
    "Get Pro+",
    "Subscribe now"
  ],
  "textContent": "Change is everywhere in RevOps. We're constantly pivoting with new products, adapting to market shifts, and orchestrating transformations across our organizations. Yet despite being the architects of change, we still struggle to make it stick.\n\nI recently experienced this firsthand at Affirm when we tried to get our sales teams to actually use Salesforce. You know the story: sellers who'd rather do anything than update their opportunities, missing data that makes forecasting a nightmare, and leadership wondering why they can't get basic visibility into the pipeline.\n\nThis summer, we decided enough was enough. We had everything going for us: buy-in from our SVP of Revenue, a clear vision of AI-powered risk reporting, and all the standard change management tactics.\n\nTraining sessions? Check. Manager engagement? Check. Executive communications? Check.\n\nThe results? Well, let me show you what \"success\" looked like.\n\n## The 20% problem nobody talks about\n\nAfter months of effort, we celebrated hitting 20% adoption across the board. Leadership was cautiously optimistic. The project team was exhausted but hopeful. Everyone agreed we just needed to push harder; more training, more communications, more executive pressure.\n\nBut here's what the celebration missed: 80% of our opportunities still weren't being updated. Eight out of ten deals were flying under the radar. That's not a success story; that's a massive blind spot in our revenue operations.\n\nWhen you dig deeper into the data, the picture gets even more interesting. Our direct sales team had actually jumped from 10% weekly updates to 45%. Not perfect, but real progress. Meanwhile, our customer success team? They went from 2% to... 2%.\n\nZero movement. Complete failure.\n\nThis raised an uncomfortable question: why would the same change initiative produce such wildly different results across teams? CSMs and sellers face similar operational challenges. They both juggle competing priorities. Neither group particularly loves updating Salesforce. So what was really happening here?\n\n## Understanding the psychology of change\n\nTo figure this out, I turned to one of my favorite change management frameworks from Chip and Dan Heath's book \"Switch.\" They break down successful change into three core elements that perfectly explain what we were seeing at Affirm.\n\nFirst, there's **the Rider**. The rational, analytical part of our brain that processes information and makes logical decisions. The Rider loves clarity, step-by-step instructions, and knowing exactly what success looks like.\n\nThen there's **the Elephant**. The emotional, instinctive side that actually powers our behavior. The Elephant needs to feel the change, not just understand it. It needs motivation, inspiration, and a compelling reason to move.\n\nFinally, there's **the Path**. The environment and systems that either facilitate or hinder the change. Even with a motivated Elephant and a clear-thinking Rider, a rocky path will stop progress in its tracks.\n\nLooking at our Salesforce adoption through this lens, everything started making sense.\n\nFor expert advice like this straight to your inbox every other Friday, sign up for Pro+ membership.\n\nYou'll also get access to 100+ hours of exclusive video content, a complimentary Summit ticket, and so much more.\n\nSo, what are you waiting for?\n\n Get Pro+ \n\n### This post is for subscribers only\n\nBecome a member to get access to all content\n\nSubscribe now",
  "title": "Why change management fails  (and how to fix it)",
  "updatedAt": "2026-02-06T16:00:22.000Z"
}