Allies, Agnostics and Antagonists

First Things First discussed the first of five key things the CMO must do well*, getting the marketing mandate right. 

The second is building meaningful relationships with functional and business leaders.

After the CEO, the most important constituents for the CMO are his or her peers. Senior leaders look to the CMO to be a thought leader on the businesses’ critical issues. They want the CMO to learn how other functions and businesses work and what their challenges are and be willing to engage them early in the development of marketing plans.

“I want my CMO to be sincere about enabling cross-functional success; he’s in a position to tear down walls. Get out of the office and spend time with customers, at the factory, attend the national sales meeting. Take an interest in other functions,” said the president of US sales for a consumer products company.**

“As much as possible, try to understand where they’re coming from and make them the hero. Come in humbly and say, ‘You make great things. I can help you tell the world about them. Let’s figure out how our skills are complementary,’” said Andy Berndt, Head of Google’s Creative Lab.***

This is going to require all the political and networking skills you've acquired over the years. You’ll find allies, agnostics and antagonists:

The allies recognize something needs to be done differently and they may – or may not – know exactly what. They supported your hiring or promotion and, if you interviewed with them, you already have a leg up. But you need to dig deeply into their issues and concerns – you can’t have a single or superficial conversation with them. Ask if you can attend their next department meeting, in listening mode. You’re not ready to present anything yet, so resist the urge to do so if invited. Your objective is to get to know their subordinates and then schedule one-on-one meetings with them. 

The agnostics really don’t care. They’ll show polite interest, but they are really interested in the status quo and don’t want to rock the boat. They’ll get on board when you have some successes but, for the most part, they’ll watch with mild interest from the sideline. You can’t ignore them though – these executives often have substantial power when it comes to either moving initiatives forward or stalling them. And some have the ears of other powerful people in the organization and they won’t hesitate to share their opinions when it is to their advantage. For this group, make sure you schedule individual time with them, probe and attentively listen to their answers. And check back in with them periodically – they’ll be your weather vanes.

The antagonists are going to be both your biggest short-term challenge and the source of your ultimate success. They think marketing is fluff, it’s been tried before and didn't work and is largely a waste of money and resources that they could use to drive profitable initiatives. The best of these are the open skeptics – they’ll be direct and tell you exactly why investing in marketing isn't worth it. Treasure these people! They’re a great source of insight into the organization. The worst are the ones who appear to be allies or agnostics – they are skilled organization politicians and will work to undermine you (as they do everyone else) to increase their own power. You’ll need all your learned survival skills when dealing with them. The best way to engage is “eyes wide open” – treat the conversations as a negotiation, probing for challenges they face while avoiding any early commitments that might later haunt you.

Regardless, to be successful, you must engage with the key players.

Next: Meaningful Metrics.

*“What Do You Want From Me? How High-Performing CMOs Exceed Expectations,” SpencerStuart, 2010
** Ibid.
*** Ibid.