Increasingly, organizations appoint customer advocates at the C-level, the Chief Experience Officer (CXO). But just sitting at the boardroom table is not enough to make an impact. The CXO must work in the same direction as the CEO. In a short interview by Maz Iqbal (FutureLab), Lonnie Mayne (CXO at Mindshare Technologies) provides some suggestions as to how create a fruitful cooperation with the CEO.According to Lonnie, CEO’s tend to focus on profitable growth. And in pursuing profit it is easy for them to ‘lose sight of the customer along the way’. Too much focus on profit often leads to poor decision making: decision making which favors short term efficiency and cost reduction over long term effectiveness in addressing customer needs.
Therefore, the central challenge for the CXO is to ensure that the customer is present at the leadership table.
So, what does it take to make a meaningful impact as a CXO? Some imperatives.
1. Ensure you have the wholehearted support of the CEO and build a good working relationship.
2. Have real clout within the organization.
3. Broaden the definition of customer to include internal customers.
4. Involve the people in the organization in grappling with the key questions.
5. Access and use of the Voice of the Customer.
6. Speak the language of the business.
7. Get the CEO in front of customers regularly.
8. Respectfully challenge the CEO as and when necessary.
Source: What Does It Take to Make an Impact as the Chief Experience Officer? (FutureLab)
