DCX #109 | CX Expertise Isn't Enough: What You Really Need
The Hidden Skill That Turns CX Visionaries into Organizational Change-Makers PLUS I'm launching a new email course today.
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Welcome to this week's DCX Newsletter
Here's a sneak peek of what's in store:
The Boardroom Wake-Up Call
Darcy's Dilemma: Expertise Isn't Enough
Mapping the Influence Maze
Building Your Credibility Arsenal
Expanding Your Sphere of Influence
Navigating Roadblocks to Change
From Blank Stares to Boardroom Brilliance
Assess Your Influence: Where Do You Stand?
NEW: “30 Days to Greater Influence eCourse”
Ready? Let’s go!
The Boardroom Wake-Up Call
In a crowded boardroom, Darcy, a seasoned CX leader, presents her vision for a customer-centric overhaul.
Despite her compelling data and well-crafted slides, she's met with blank stares and noncommittal nods. Her chest tightens, her jaw clenches, and a wave of frustration threatens to overwhelm her.
Goddammit, not again, she thinks, fighting to maintain her composure. How can they not see how critical this is?
This scene, a maddening reality for many CX professionals, illustrates a cruel truth: expertise in customer experience isn't enough.
The real challenge—the infuriating, hair-pulling, sleep-robbing challenge—lies in influencing an organization to embrace and implement CX initiatives.
As Darcy packs up her ignored presentation, she can feel the weight of missed opportunities crushing down on her.
Every dismissive glance and stifled yawn from the executives feels like a slap in the face—not just to her but to every customer who deserves better.
This scene, familiar to many CX professionals, illustrates a crucial truth: expertise in customer experience isn't enough.
The real challenge lies in influencing an organization to embrace and implement CX initiatives.
"The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority." Kenneth Blanchard, renowned management expert
This principle is particularly relevant for customer experience leaders. As customer-centricity is vital to organizations' success, CX leaders must master the art of influence to transform from within.
Customer Experience leaders are experts in understanding and meeting customer needs.
We craft journey maps, analyze touchpoints, and design experiences that delight.
However, the skills required to sway customers don't always translate to swaying colleagues and executives, and possessing CX expertise alone is not enough to effect change.
To truly impact our organizations, we must master the art of organizational influence across departments and hierarchies.
This article outlines key strategies for CX leaders to enhance their influence and drive meaningful organizational change.
Darcy's Dilemma: Expertise Isn't Enough
After the disappointing boardroom meeting, Darcy realized she needed to change her approach.
The blank stares and noncommittal nods weren't just a rejection of her ideas—they were a wake-up call.
She understood that her expertise in customer experience, while crucial, wasn't enough to drive the changes she envisioned.
In the weeks that followed, Darcy shifted her focus.
Instead of immediately pushing for another big presentation, she began to lay the groundwork for building her influence within the organization.
She recognized that to turn those blank stares into enthusiastic support; she needed to take a strategic approach to increase her impact and credibility.
From that challenging boardroom experience to becoming an influential CX leader within her organization, Darcy's journey offers valuable lessons for all CX professionals.
Let's examine the key approaches that Darcy and other successful CX influencers employ to build their organizational clout and drive meaningful change.
1. Mapping the Influence Maze
Before you can effectively exert influence, you must become an expert in your company's dynamics.
This involves mapping the power structure, identifying key stakeholders, and recognizing decision-making patterns.
Darcy initially struggled with this, focusing solely on the formal organizational chart and missing the informal networks of influence that truly drove decisions in her company.
To address this, Darcy took several concrete steps:
She scheduled "coffee chats" with colleagues from various departments, learning about their challenges and priorities.
She created a detailed influence map, noting not just titles but relationships, interests, and decision-making styles.
She volunteered for cross-functional projects, gaining firsthand experience of how different parts of the organization interact.
These efforts paid off. While not in the C-suite, Darcy discovered that the head of sales had significant sway over customer-facing initiatives. She also found an unexpected ally in a long-standing IT manager who was passionate about improving internal systems.
Most importantly, Darcy realized her company favored data-driven decisions, prompting her to adjust her presentations to lead with hard numbers and concrete examples.
To apply this in your organization:
Look beyond the org chart. Informal influence often matters more than formal titles.
Engage with colleagues at all levels. You never know where you'll find your next champion.
Pay attention to how decisions are really made, not just how they're supposed to be made.
Expert Insight: Don't just map the formal hierarchy. Understand the informal networks where real decisions are made. Who do people go to for advice? Who has the ear of key decision-makers? These are your critical influence points.
2. Building Your Credibility Arsenal
Establishing yourself as a trusted advisor is crucial for gaining influence.
This involves demonstrating CX expertise, delivering measurable results, and aligning with organizational goals.
Initially, Darcy struggled to gain traction because, despite her expertise, she was seen as just another voice in a sea of opinions.
To build her credibility, Darcy:
Started a monthly CX newsletter, sharing industry trends, best practices, and success stories from other companies.
Identified a quick-win opportunity by simplifying the return process, resulting in a 20% decrease in customer complaints within a month.
Reframed her proposed loyalty program to directly align with the company's goal of increasing customer lifetime value.
These actions transformed Darcy's reputation.
The newsletter quickly became a must-read across departments, positioning her as the go-to CX expert.
The quick win with the returns process demonstrated her ability to deliver tangible results, while the reframed loyalty program showed her understanding of broader business objectives.
To build your own credibility:
Consistently share your expertise in ways that add value to others.
Look for low-hanging fruit that can demonstrate quick, measurable impacts.
Always tie your initiatives back to key business objectives.
Expert Insight: Credibility comes from consistently delivering value. Start by solving a problem that's keeping a key stakeholder up at night. When you alleviate their pain, you become indispensable.
3. Expanding Your Sphere of Influence
Once you've established credibility, it's time to actively expand your influence.
This involves cultivating cross-functional relationships, mastering storytelling, building a coalition of supporters, and navigating internal politics.
Darcy realized her influence was limited because she primarily interacted with her own team and immediate superiors.
To expand her influence, Darcy:
Joined a task force on digital transformation, allowing her to build relationships outside her usual circle.
Started incorporating customer stories alongside data in her presentations, creating more emotional engagement.
Created a "CX Champions" program, offering special training and recognition to employees who actively promoted customer-centric practices.
Proactively addressed the finance department's concerns about costs by presenting a detailed ROI analysis of her proposed CX improvements.
These efforts significantly broadened Darcy's impact.
The digital transformation task force allowed her to demonstrate CX's relevance to broader company initiatives.
Her storytelling approach helped win over executives who were previously unmoved by data alone.
The CX Champions program created a network of advocates throughout the organization, while her proactive approach with finance turned potential adversaries into allies.
To expand your own influence:
Seek opportunities to collaborate across departments.
Combine data with compelling narratives to appeal to both logic and emotion.
Create a network of supporters by offering value and recognition.
Anticipate and address concerns before they become obstacles.
Expert Insight: Being a giver is the most effective way to expand your influence. Look for ways to add value to others without expecting immediate returns. This builds a network of allies who are naturally inclined to support your initiatives when the time comes.
4. Navigating Roadblocks to Change
Even with a strategic approach to building influence, CX leaders often face significant challenges, such as budget constraints, resistance to change, and short-term thinking.
Darcy found her initiatives repeatedly stalled by these common obstacles.
To overcome these challenges, Darcy:
Started with improvements to the existing customer feedback system before proposing a more comprehensive overhaul, addressing budget constraints.
Invited vocal critics to join her CX planning sessions, turning some into her strongest advocates and reducing resistance to change.
Implemented immediate improvements while consistently communicating a three-year vision for CX transformation, balancing short-term wins with long-term strategy.
These approaches helped Darcy navigate common pitfalls.
By starting small, she was able to build momentum and make a case for larger investments.
Involving critics in the process disarmed much of the resistance she had faced.
And by balancing quick wins with a long-term vision, she was able to satisfy demands for immediate results while keeping sight of larger goals.
To overcome obstacles in your organization:
Start with low-cost, high-impact initiatives to build a case for larger investments.
Engage with skeptics early and involve them in the process.
Balance short-term wins with a clear, long-term vision.
Expert Insight: When facing resistance, seek first to understand. Often, what looks like opposition is just fear or misunderstanding. Address the underlying concerns, and you'll turn skeptics into supporters.
From Blank Stares to Boardroom Brilliance
Darcy's transformation from a frustrated CX expert to an influential leader didn't happen by chance.
It was the result of deliberate action, strategic thinking, and persistent effort. Her journey shows us that influence is not a trait you're born with but a skill you can develop.
As you close this article, remember: every interaction is an opportunity to build influence.
Every conversation, every meeting, and every email is a chance to demonstrate your expertise, build relationships, and align CX with broader business goals.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to be the Darcy in your organization.
Start small, but start today.
Schedule that coffee chat.
Launch that newsletter.
Reframe that CX initiative in terms of business objectives.
Your journey to becoming an influential CX leader begins with a single step.
The boardroom that once greeted you with blank stares?
It's waiting for you to transform it.
Armed with these strategies and your unique expertise, you have the power to turn those stares into nods of approval, those nods into enthusiastic support, and that support into organization-wide, customer-centric change.
The future of CX in your organization is in your hands.
Embrace your role as an influencer, a storyteller, a relationship-builder.
Your customers are counting on you.
Your organization needs you. It's time to step up, speak out, and lead the charge toward a more customer-centric future.
Be a Darcy. Start now. Your influence journey begins today.
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Assess Your Influence: Where Do You Stand?
Sign up for “30 Days to Greater Influence” email course
Before embarking on your journey to expand your influence, it's crucial to understand your starting point.
Use this self-assessment tool to evaluate your current influence level and identify improvement areas.
Access the Interactive Spreadsheet Template
Rate yourself on a scale of 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree) for each statement:
Organizational Understanding
I have a clear understanding of the informal power structures in my organization.
I can name at least five key decision-makers outside my immediate department.
I understand how decisions are typically made in my organization.
Credibility and Trust
My colleagues regularly seek my opinion on CX-related matters.
In the past year, I have successfully implemented at least one CX initiative with measurable results.
I can clearly articulate how my CX initiatives align with broader business objectives.
Cross-Functional Relationships
I have strong working relationships with leaders in at least three other departments.
I regularly participate in cross-functional projects or task forces.
I can easily get support from other departments when needed for CX initiatives.
Communication and Storytelling
I regularly share CX insights and success stories across the organization.
I'm comfortable presenting to senior leadership about CX matters.
I effectively use both data and narratives to make my case for CX initiatives.
Overcoming Obstacles
I have successfully implemented CX improvements despite budget constraints.
I've turned at least one skeptic into a supporter of CX initiatives.
I have a clear long-term CX vision that I consistently communicate to others.
Scoring:
60-75: You're a highly influential CX leader. Focus on maintaining and leveraging your influence.
45-59: You have a solid foundation of influence. Identify your lower-scoring areas and work on improving them.
30-44: You have opportunities to significantly increase your influence. Pay special attention to your lowest-scoring categories.
15-29: Building your influence should be a top priority. Consider which strategies from this article you can implement immediately.
Reflection Questions:
In which areas did you score the highest? How can you leverage these strengths to build influence in other areas?
Which area had your lowest score? What specific actions can you take in the next month to improve in this area?
Think of a highly influential person in your organization. How would they score on this assessment? What can you learn from their approach?
Remember, influence is a skill that can be developed over time. Use this assessment as a starting point to track your progress as you implement the strategies outlined in this article.
Share your results in the comments.
Access the Interactive Spreadsheet Template
Sign up for “30 Days to Greater Influence” email course
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P.S.
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-Mark