CX Decoded Podcast
September 30, 2024
SEASON 4, EPISODE 13
In this episode of CX Decoded, Dom Nicastro and Michelle Hawley of CMSWire discuss the evolving roles of chief marketing officers (CMOs) with insights from CMOs Gurdeep Dhillon of Contentstack and Kathie Johnson of Sitecore. The episode highlights the significance of a structured onboarding process for new CMOs, showcasing Johnson’s approach that emphasizes people, processes and performance. It also explores the necessity for CMOs to balance innovation with current market demands, advocating for alignment with actual customer needs rather than innovation for its own sake.
Dhillon shares his strategies for building and managing effective teams in a remote work environment, focusing on personal connections and understanding individual team members' motivations. Both Dhillon and Johnson emphasize the crucial role of communication and team involvement in decision-making, which not only empowers teams but also aligns them with the company’s strategic objectives.
Episode Transcript
The Gist
- Structured Onboarding: Kathie Johnson shares her structured approach to the first 90 days as CMO at Sitecore, emphasizing the three pillars of people, process, and performance.
- Remote Leadership: Gurdeep Dhillon discusses his strategies for building rapport and managing teams in a fully remote environment, emphasizing personal connections and strategic alignment.
- Innovation vs. Market Needs: Both CMOs discuss the balance between pushing for innovation and aligning with current market demands, stressing the importance of customer-centric strategies in leadership roles.
Episode Highlights
- Leadership Dynamics: Kathie Johnson discusses the dynamics of stepping into a high-stakes leadership role and the importance of establishing a rapport with the team and aligning everyone towards common goals.
- Cultural Integration: Gurdeep Dhillon emphasizes the significance of integrating a strong company culture that supports remote work while maintaining high levels of engagement and operational efficiency.
- Customer-Centric Strategies: Both CMOs dive into the shift toward more customer-centric marketing strategies, discussing how these strategies drive the product development and innovation process.
- Impactful Communication: The episode touches on how transformative communication can be when implemented from the top down, fostering an environment where every team member feels heard and valued.
Episode Transcript
Editor's note: This transcript was edited for clarity and brevity. This podcast is a derivative of Johnson's interview with Nicastro and Dhillon's interview with Hawley on the CMSWire TV show CMO Circle.
Dom Nicastro (Dom): Hey everyone, welcome back to CX Decoded, your go-to podcast where we dive into the latest trends and insights shaping the customer experience world. I’m Dom Nicastro, editor-in-chief at CMSWire, and I’m here with my colleague, the always insightful Michelle Hawley, senior editor of CMSWire. How’s it going, Michelle?
Michelle Hawley (Michelle): Hey Dom! I’m doing good over here. And I’m really excited to get into today’s episode because we’ve got some gold for our listeners from two top CMOs — Gurdeep Dhillon from Contentstack and Kathie Johnson from Sitecore — both of whom gave us incredible insights during our CMO Circle interviews.
Dom: Yeah, and somehow we actually got two digital customer experience vendors into one room, which is a miracle! But seriously, today’s episode isn’t about their products, it’s about their marketing leadership. Gurdeep and Kathie didn’t just talk about their companies — they gave us some powerful takeaways on being CMOs in today’s fast-changing landscape.
Michelle: Exactly! We’ll be pulling directly from those interviews and diving into the lessons they’ve shared that go way beyond their products and into their approaches to leadership, strategy, and AI. So let’s get right into it!
Takeaway No. 1: The Importance of Onboarding as a CMO
Dom: So, let’s start with our first takeaway — onboarding as a CMO. When Kathie Johnson took on her role as the CMO of Sitecore, she came in with a really clear and structured plan for her first 90 days. Here’s what she shared with us about that process:
Kathie Johnson: I really built out a very detailed 30, 60, 90 day plan, which is all about the three pillars that I feel are so important when you're onboarding: people, process, which includes tools, and performance. And I spend a lot of time digging in.
She continues her insights on the people side, process and technology side, and performance measures.
Dom: Kathie really nails the importance of making that human connection, especially when you’re new to a team. It’s not just about coming in and shaking things up. It’s about learning, building trust, and getting a real feel for the landscape before you start making big moves.
Michelle: Definitely. And what I love about her approach is that it’s not just about meeting people — it’s about understanding the processes and technologies that are already in place and finding ways to optimize them. A lot of times, new CMOs just come in guns blazing, but Kathie really emphasizes getting that lay of the land first.
Michelle: And speaking of onboarding, Gurdeep Dhillon from Contentstack also had some great insights on joining a team, especially in a fully remote environment. Here’s what he had to say about how he built rapport with his team from the get-go:
Gurdeep Dhillon: Sometimes there's an assumption that when someone enters into a new role, especially at an executive level, especially external, that the team needs an overhaul. It's funny because what I've found is actually that's not often the case.
He continues discussing building rapport with his team, the importance of understanding team motivations, and fostering team engagement virtually and in-person.
Michelle: I love that Gurdeep prioritized getting to know his team face-to-face — even if it meant taking that extra step to organize an offsite early on. In a remote world, that personal connection is still so important.
Dom: Yeah, it’s such a key point, especially in remote settings where it’s easy to feel disconnected. And Gurdeep makes it clear that remote teams don’t have to feel distant. With some effort, you can still build that camaraderie and trust, which are essential for long-term success.
Related Article: CMO Circle: Navigating the Onboarding Journey: A New CMO's Approach
Takeaway No. 2: Balancing Innovation and Current Market Demands
Dom: Alright, moving on to our next takeaway. One of the toughest challenges CMOs face today is balancing innovation with the actual needs of the market. Kathie had a great point about this.
Kathie Johnson: I really focus in on what's working, what's not working from a pipeline perspective, but then also messaging and positioning. Are we differentiated?
She continues discussing the key pillars around performance and understanding the business.
Dom: Kathie’s so right here. We hear so much about innovation, but what really matters is if that innovation is addressing what your customers actually need today. You can be as cutting-edge as you want, but if the market isn’t ready for it or doesn’t need it, you’re wasting resources.
Michelle: Exactly. It’s that balance between forward-thinking and practical execution. Kathie’s focus on positioning and messaging as key differentiators really shows that she’s not just about chasing shiny objects — it’s about delivering what works.
Michelle: Now let’s bring in Gurdeep’s take on this. He also touched on how Contentstack needed to shift from high-level messaging around innovation to more targeted, market-aligned strategies.
Gurdeep Dhillon: Obviously we play in the CMS space and marketing's job is to own and drive the pipeline. And so when I came in, it was a really interesting situation where we weren't focused in our demand generation efforts.
He continues discussing the need to align innovation with market demands, using the example of "composable DXP" versus "headless CMS."
Michelle: Gurdeep is speaking to that same balancing act. They were pushing for innovation with "composable DXP," but the market wanted "headless CMS." Once they made that pivot to meet demand, things started clicking.
Dom: Right, it’s a great lesson in listening to your customers and understanding where they are, not just where you want them to be. Gurdeep’s shift had real results, and it shows that aligning innovation with market needs is what drives actual success.
Related Article: CMO Circle: Strategic Insights From One CMO's First 90 Days
Takeaway No. 3: Team Empowerment and Accountability in Face of Change
Dom: Moving into our third and final takeaway, Kathie talked about the importance of empowering your team and giving them ownership over their work. And overcoming any fear of change when a new marketing leader comes in.
Kathie Johnson: "People are afraid of change, and I do try to keep that in my mind. And honestly, they're most afraid when there's an absence of communication or an absence of clarity."
She continues discussing the importance of clear communication, celebrating team successes, and sharing her playbook with the team.
Dom: This approach from Kathie shows how vital it is to empower teams through clear communication. When you allow people to bring their unique skills and passions to the table, you get a much more engaged and driven team.
Michelle: Absolutely. Giving people the space to take ownership over their work by empowering them through constant communication creates a sense of accountability, but also drives innovation because they’re invested in the outcome. It’s not just a task on their to-do list anymore; it’s something they’re personally connected to.
Michelle: And Gurdeep echoed this sentiment when he talked about team involvement in decision-making.
Gurdeep Dhillon: "I think it's really important that everybody in the organization feels like they had a hand in architecting the solution. And the solution could be macro or micro."
He continues discussing the value of team involvement in brainstorming sessions and strategic initiatives.
Michelle: Gurdeep is spot on. It’s all about making your team feel like they’re part of the bigger picture, which boosts morale and leads to better outcomes.
Dom: Yeah, you can’t expect great results if your team doesn’t feel empowered to take initiative and bring their own ideas to the table. Both Kathie and Gurdeep clearly understand the importance of that.
Dom: Alright, that’s it for today’s episode of CX Decoded. Huge thanks to Gurdeep Dhillon and Kathie Johnson for their incredible insights from their CMSWire TV interviews. And as always, thank you, Michelle, for another great chat.
Michelle: Thanks, Dom. And thank you to everyone listening. Be sure to subscribe, leave us a review, and stay tuned for more episodes as we keep decoding the latest trends in CX and marketing leadership.
Dom: See you all next time on CX Decoded!