A great deal of CDAOS begin their journey as CDAOs at a disadvantage. Even the most compelling and significant of communicators can fail in this role. The sad truth is that D&A is often viewed as a “second-class citizen” within the C-suite realm.
As a CDAO you may often find yourself having to convince and fight your corner, as well as face the challenge of overcoming misguided views from executives and the board. Your peers at C-suite level won’t see you as an equal, despite your title. You may even find the scope of your role doubted and second-guessed, as they may view themselves as established executives and believe that to be established one must typically have more tenure, greater influence and a more secure seat at the table.
This places the CDAO role in an awkward position as they feel the need to break down those barriers and in doing so work harder to build credibility, establish trust and be “accepted” as a peer in the business leadership team as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, first impressions count here.
The faster one acts to change the peers’ perceptions, the better. Building trust and credibility is also essential. The role is less about technical skills initially and more about relationships and acceptance.
In order to be a successful CDAO, a combination of skills needs to be considered and practised. These include sales, politics, relationship building and ruthless execution.
The CDAO role is unique—it requires a mix of soft skills and accomplishment ability. Being effective means mastering the business “playground” while delivering results. Neither relationships nor execution alone will cut it.
About the Author
Sophie Muscat
Sophie is our Head of Marketing. She has a wealth of experience in marketing and communications, having driven strategic initiatives and managed direct communications.
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