9) A "True" CRM Dilemma

If you Google "CRM Dilemma", you will find the list comprised of decisions between software, vendors, hosted or on-site. You will then see provocative references from my blog telling you that CRM isn't going to work, no matter what you do. A true dilemma is one that involves more than one person or group, making a decision that impacts both the outcome and the decision made by the other group. The CRM Dilemma I have defined through research is a Trust or Don't Trust Dilemma between employers and employees that heavily impacts resistance to CRM.

• An employer requesting that "Low card" activities be recorded in CRM, causes users to distrust, and fight CRM because:
• "If our employer trusts us, and does not plan to use our recorded activities against us, why do they want us to provide quantitative data about our activities?"
• The resistance by users to providing information on their activities, causes employers to distrust, because:
• "If our employees are doing what they are supposed to do, resistance to providing this information can only mean they are not doing what they are supposed to be doing."

The most fascinating part of this dilemma for me is that it can't be spoken with the other party in the room! As soon as you validate the concerns of the other party, there is no longer a dilemma and "Distrust" can be the only choice. The only element to be decided is whether the employer or employees will "Win." A win by employees means no one is using CRM to record any activities. I believe the CRM failure rate provides the answer on who really has the power to make or break CRM against this dilemma.

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