The importance of leading the customer experience cannot be understated. However, if the CMO steps into this role, there are risks that come along with the rewards. It may mean, in some organizations, that you’ll have to start by wearing a flak jacket to repel those who want to do you in. While that sounds harsh, those who have tried to lead new initiatives and were some of the first people who ventured out and did it, like social media, have been seen in the organization as early adopters. Most people in corporate America, though, are members of the early majority and late majority in terms of adoption of new ideas.
As a result, if you are an innovator or early adopter, be prepared that others may not see what you see. They may require a business case and more details on why you want to change the organization. If you know this in advance, it will save you a lot of heartache and make you much more successful.
The five “gottchas” our research uncovered for CMO’s (or whomever is leading customer experience) to watch out for include:
- Jealously and politics among colleagues
- Lack of organizational readiness
- Lack of skill sets in functional departments
- The amount of change the organization has to go through
- CEOs and board members who do not understand the importance of customer experience.
It is highly recommended that if you step into the Customer Experience Management role, you have full backing from the CEO and board members for all decision-making and ample resources in people, budget and technology. Projects without this will be doomed to fail. What has your experience been with leading change?
@DrNatalie, VP and Principal Analyst, Constellation Research
Covering IOT of Customer Facing Applications in Marketing, Sales and Customer Service to Create Great Customer Experiences
