CX-301e · Module 2

Friction Removal Playbooks

3 min read

Each friction type has a specific removal playbook. The CSM who applies the wrong playbook — treating organizational friction with a product training session, or treating behavioral friction with a technical fix — wastes the client's time and their own credibility. Match the intervention to the friction.

Do This

  • For technical friction: escalate to product/delivery for specific fixes, provide targeted training on pain-point features, and create quick-reference guides for common sticking points
  • For organizational friction: engage the executive sponsor to communicate the adoption mandate, align adoption goals with departmental objectives, and remove organizational barriers through stakeholder conversations
  • For behavioral friction: identify and showcase internal champions who have seen value, create peer-to-peer learning sessions, and demonstrate ROI in terms the non-adopting users care about

Avoid This

  • Treat all friction with more training — training addresses knowledge gaps but not motivation gaps or organizational gaps
  • Escalate organizational friction to product — the product team cannot fix an organizational problem
  • Ignore behavioral friction because there are no complaints — the absence of complaints is the complaint