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These two executives work for two different companies. The first executive, we’ll call him Robert, was given the mandate by the CEO to break down the company silos to create an enterprisewide view of the firm’s top customers. The goal was to treat these customers as the important assets they are no matter which part of the firm they deal with. Robert -- having done his homework and learning his predecessor’s missteps -- insisted that he be given the authority to “force” all company divisions to comply. The CEO granted that authority. When one division balked at the enterprisewide customer view and customer experience plan, Robert laid down the law: Not only will you comply, he said, but here’s exactly what you will implement (technology, processes, etc.) to make it happen and here are your metrics – and I’ll be doing the measurement, not you.
The result? The division goes through some short-term pain to comply, but the division and company as a whole benefit long-term, as do the customers.

Now let’s look at the second executive. We’ll call him Sam. He was given the mandate to break down silos and create an enterprisewide view of the customer, as well as track various customer-related metrics – some previously reported, like acquisition, and others previously avoided, like attrition. Sam has gone to the division heads with his plans. His strategy is to use customer data to make business improvements that help everyone, company and customer alike. The division folks aren’t buying it. They feel like he’s been hired so the CEO can shake things up in ways that may be a detriment to them individually. Unfortunately for Sam, the CEO has not mandated that the division heads comply with Sam’s plans. Consequently, he’s spending a great deal of time spinning his wheels.

What will the result be? Only time will tell. But my guess is that if Sam’s CEO doesn’t get behind the efforts that he requested in the first place, Sam will become another C-level marketing statistic.