Why Most Cross-Functional CX Projects Stall—And What To Do Instead
Everyone Showed Up to the Meeting—So Why Did the Project Die?
Cross-Functional Collaboration Gets a Lot Of Hype
The idea?
Bring together leaders from product, ops, marketing, and support to co-create the customer journey.
The reality? It’s chaos in slow motion.
Weeks pass.
Meetings stack up.
Updates fly.
Decisions stall.
Ownership fades.
Momentum disappears.
It’s not a strategy problem.
It’s an accountability problem.
Why Your Big CX Plans Keep Getting Stuck
They look good on paper. But too often, that paper just gathers dust.
After 20 years leading CX transformations across tech, media, and telecom, I’ve seen the same five patterns kill progress:
1. Alignment becomes a parking lot.
Product wants speed.
Ops wants scale.
Marketing wants splash.
Everyone waits for consensus. No one moves.
2. Ownership is missing in action.
Plenty of hands in the pot. None on the wheel.
When things slip, there’s no clear point of failure—or success.
3. Metrics fight each other.
One team tracks NPS.
Another chases conversion.
Another cuts cost.
Without a shared goal, efforts pull in opposite directions.
4. There’s no shared CX North Star.
Each team defines “great experience” their own way.
That leads to misfires, fragmentation, and confusion for the customer.
5. CX leaders lack real authority.
They’re tasked with steering the ship—without a rudder.
Asked to advise, not drive. Expected to influence, not own.
The result? Everyone’s looped in. No one’s accountable.
What Works Instead: Treat CX Like a Product
Top-performing companies handle major CX efforts like they would a product launch.
They don’t start with a committee. They start with a GM.
Someone with the authority to lead, the clarity to decide, and the backing to deliver.
Here’s how to structure it:
Assign a GM-level owner.
Senior enough to make calls. Trusted enough to move fast.Give them real decision rights.
Skip the approval chains. Let them lead.Set quarterly OKRs tied to real outcomes.
Focus on adoption, churn, CSAT, revenue, not activity for activity’s sake.Tie incentives to results.
When it works, they win. If it doesn’t, they’re responsible.Build a cross-functional squad.
Staff the initiative like a product team. Clear roles. Clear leadership.
This model works. Product orgs do it every day.
It just needs to be applied to CX.
From Influence to Impact
The biggest obstacle? It’s not complexity.
It’s clout.
You may know what needs to happen.
But without decision rights or political capital, your ideas stall.
If you’re nodding and thinking, “I’d love to do this, but I’m not sure I’d get the green light,”—you’re not alone.
That’s why I built 30 Days to Greater Influence—a self-paced email program for CX pros who want to:
Rally cross-functional teams
Earn trust from skeptical stakeholders
Lead like a GM, even without the title
It’s practical. Built for busy pros like you. And laser-focused on one outcome:
Making your voice impossible to ignore.
Because strong CX needs strong leadership—and that starts with influence.
📌🚀 Make faster, smarter CX decisions in under 10 minutes
Say goodbye to overwhelm and hello to crystal-clear prioritization. Download your free set of 32 GenAI prompts right now. Prioritize smarter, communicate better, and achieve tangible results—starting today.
You’ll get plug-and-play prompts to:
✅ Rank initiatives by ROI, urgency, and feasibility (Prompt #7 = game changer)
✅ Clarify impact and align projects with business goals (Prompt #2 delivers fast insights)
✅ Run feedback sessions that surface real customer pain points
✅ Write persuasive stakeholder emails that get CX projects prioritized
✅ Adapt on the fly when customer needs or business priorities shift
Use these prompts with your favorite AI Chatbot to evaluate, prioritize, and communicate your CX initiatives more effectively. Let’s make prioritization less stressful and more actionable!
“These prompts gave us clarity in a single meeting that we’d been chasing for weeks.” - B.D. Sr. CX Manager
Quick Action Checklist: From Consensus to Ownership
Want to take this from idea to action? Here’s your 5-step checklist to fix accountability in your next CX initiative:
✅ Identify one GM-level owner with authority and respect across teams.
✅ Define success metrics that tie directly to business impact—not just CX signals.
✅ Give that leader decision rights, not just influence.
✅ Form a lean, cross-functional squad with shared goals.
✅ Review progress in 30-day cycles—publicly, with exec support.
Print it. Share it. Use it as a lens for every CX program you’re running right now.
What Successful CX Leaders Do on Sundays
DCX Links: Six must-read picks to fuel your leadership journey delivered every Sunday morning. Dive into the latest edition now!
👋 Please Reach Out
I created this newsletter to help customer-obsessed pros like you deliver exceptional experiences and tackle challenges head-on. But honestly? The best part is connecting with awesome, like-minded people—just like you! 😊
Here’s how you can get involved:
Got feedback? Tell me what’s working, what’s not, or what you’d love to see next.
Stuck on something? Whether it’s a CX challenge, strategy question, or team issue, hit me up—I’m here to help.
Just want to say hi? Seriously, don’t be shy. I’d love to connect, share ideas, or even swap success stories.
Your input keeps this newsletter fresh and valuable. Let’s start a conversation—email me, DM me, or comment anytime. Can’t wait to hear from you!
— Mark
www.marklevy.co
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Thanks for being here. I’ll see you next Tuesday at 8:15 am ET.
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Insightful read! The quick action checklist is super helpful