The next nine months.
Phew.
Day 90 has arrived, and you've successfully managed the transition. Take a break, have a nice relaxing dinner and don’t think about what’s next.
Until day 91.
Now is the time to consolidate and build on the successes you've created in the whirlwind. You've got your team in place, you've begun building coalitions and know what has to be done. What you do next will ensure your success through the next two years.
Says Karen Masullo, EVP Social Media, Firestorm, now’s the time to “work really, really hard. There’s no room for laziness in marketing. If I don’t drive actionable items to the sales team, I’m not doing my job. Never get too complacent. You have to take a stand. Stick to your guns – you’re working with senior leadership, and you must give them your best insights and recommendations. Finally, your responsibility is to unify senior teams, especially technical teams. You need to know everything about the company.”
Visa Global Chief Marketing, Strategy and Corporate Development Officer Antonio Lucio, who has beat the average, says the secret to longer CMO tenure is simple: “You have to be effective and deliver strong business impact.” He’s been able to stay in his role by delivering against three parameters: business results, brand results and broader organizational impact. CMOs who last, he says, have an impact as leaders that has “probably been felt more broadly than in just the marketing agenda."*
Phew.
Day 90 has arrived, and you've successfully managed the transition. Take a break, have a nice relaxing dinner and don’t think about what’s next.
Until day 91.
Now is the time to consolidate and build on the successes you've created in the whirlwind. You've got your team in place, you've begun building coalitions and know what has to be done. What you do next will ensure your success through the next two years.
Says Karen Masullo, EVP Social Media, Firestorm, now’s the time to “work really, really hard. There’s no room for laziness in marketing. If I don’t drive actionable items to the sales team, I’m not doing my job. Never get too complacent. You have to take a stand. Stick to your guns – you’re working with senior leadership, and you must give them your best insights and recommendations. Finally, your responsibility is to unify senior teams, especially technical teams. You need to know everything about the company.”
Visa Global Chief Marketing, Strategy and Corporate Development Officer Antonio Lucio, who has beat the average, says the secret to longer CMO tenure is simple: “You have to be effective and deliver strong business impact.” He’s been able to stay in his role by delivering against three parameters: business results, brand results and broader organizational impact. CMOs who last, he says, have an impact as leaders that has “probably been felt more broadly than in just the marketing agenda."*
Pete Krainik, Founder and CEO, The CMO Club, who’s held a variety of CMO and senior marketing positions at M&M/Mars, Avaya and DoubleClick says “Focus all your energies in things that help build relationships with customers – everything else is just noise. It is easy to get caught up in all the other stuff.” And never forget that “execution determines success. Great ideas without execution don’t matter.”
“Listen,” says Gary Slack, Chairman, Slack and Company. “Go see customers, after you've spent time with the rest of the company. Get to know your staff. Work hard on relationships with peers. Talk to prospects and to defectors. Develop a deep understanding of customer awareness, attitudes and perceptions.”
Next: What Have You Done for Me Lately?
Next: What Have You Done for Me Lately?
*Rooney, Jennifer, “Average CMO Tenure Hits 43 Months,” Forbes, CMO Network, June 14, 2012.
In fact, I think most employees, unless they've been so totally mismanaged that they're completely disengaged, actually try to find the best way of doing things. Simply exhorting 'smarter' work is not likely to get results...