Change the Way You Respond to Change

Q: There’s a saying in politics: Never let a crisis go to waste. Is that what we’re talking about here, except for business?

Matt: Well, it doesn’t have to be a “crisis,” per se. A trigger event could be a competitor suddenly emerges, or sales drop or the market pivots – and the CMO needs to respond. Or it could simply be that a new CEO came in, or you’re acquiring a company or restructuring. Increasingly, CEOs look to the CMO to be the growth driver. Our approach is about helping the CMO define a goal and pointing the right resources in the right direction.

Michael: Complicating things, for many CMOs, their scope is broader than ever: They’re running marketing and communications, of course, but they’re also playing significant roles in CX, top-line growth strategy, employee engagement, data and analytics.

Q: So how do CMOs figure out where to focus?

Matt: The first step is assessment and prioritization. As Michael said, there’s a lot the CMO could do, but the question is ultimately what the CMO should do. CMOs need to evaluate which priorities are closely aligned with top-line growth goals and are achievable within, say, a hundred days.

Michael: It’s important to understand where and how marketing objectives fit into the organizational priorities. From there, outline any opportunities or constraints based on market data, the capabilities and bandwidth of the MarCom team and other variables. The goal is to set a vision and think strategically, not react tactically. By determining what’s known, what’s unknown and what’s needed to be successful, the CMO can address short-term challenges while moving towards long-term goals.

Q: How do CMOs rally their teams and build momentum in these periods of change?

Matt: There are two main groups that comprise the CMO’s “teams.” One is their direct reports, and the other is their peers across departments. Gaining buy-in with both is equally important. One way we do this is a “Stakeholder Advisory Group,” structured to stay aligned with other C-suite leaders and department heads. This “SAG” keeps everyone on the same page about goals, strategy and resources.

Michael: CMO’s need to think about how the strategy will be executed by functional leaders, like marketing or product owners, plus operations, IT, finance, etc. Cross-functional alignment at both levels is key. We’re fans of “beacon initiatives” – projects aligned with larger goals but achievable in a short timeframe.

Q: This sounds like Agile methodology, with sprints and near-term goals.

Michael: Absolutely. There’s a lot of overlap with Agile thinking – particularly the short, iterative cycles. But it’s not just about launching fast; it’s the balance of being both ambitious and methodical, creating the right sequence of steps.

Matt: This is the opposite of how big management consulting firms work, where they operate behind the scenes – sometimes independent of your teams and often for a year or more – and then suddenly unveil a whole new plan, business model, whatever. We’re with and a part of your team each step of the way.

Q: So how do CMOs create a plan that’s both strategic and achievable?

Matt: Most important is to align your efforts with overarching business goals and the company’s theory of growth. If those are aligned, then your plan – your sequence of achievable goals – almost falls out of that naturally.

Michael: That said, CMOs need a process to review regularly, identify signals and adjust the plan if things aren’t going as expected. One of the biggest mistakes we see is sticking to a plan that’s off-track because leaders feel locked into it. You need to be able to course-correct midstream, which is doable when you have credibility with stakeholders because you’ve been transparent with them.

Q: How should CMOs allocate resources during these periods of rapid change?

Michael: You surge resources to the highest priorities – say, expediting investment in a new program, leveraging new technology, bypassing cumbersome processes or hitting pause on previously planned projects to allow a shift in budgets.

Matt: It could also mean reallocating personnel – redeploying high performers where they’ll make the biggest difference.

Q: Are there specific metrics or KPIs CMOs should focus on?

Michael: Of course. They could be the usual MarCom ones: MQLs, search traffic, share of voice, brand lift. But often with change programs, it’s growth and efficiency metrics: new revenue, increased deal velocity, lower cost-per-project. Often the initiatives are more than just marketing projects. It’s important the KPIs reflect that.

Matt: There are also intangibles: Are projects more closely aligned with business goals? Are employees happier because they see the strategic value of their work? Is the C-suite more engaged? Is the board more supportive? Not every aspect of every initiative throws off crisp data points, but it’s important to capture and celebrate those wins too.

Q: How do you make a lasting impact beyond these focused sprints?

Matt: The alignment you’ve created, that sense of focus, the spirit of teamwork – that can have the effect of transforming your team and how you work. When you’ve created something strategically important together, that can fundamentally change an organization’s ways of thinking and working.

Michael: Exactly. It’s not just about successfully making change happen. It’s about creating energy and ongoing momentum. Just like CEOs look quarter-to-quarter, CMOs similarly should have some version of a hundred-day plan in motion – so there’s always a recent success to build on and an achievable goal on the horizon.