As the leading CMO executive search firm, one position we are seeing rapidly becoming commonplace is the Chief Purpose Officer role. Companies are adding this new C-suite position in hopes of transforming the tone and path of the organization for continual alignment with the strength of purpose.
So, what does the Chief Purpose Officer role look like? Is it necessary? What is the purpose of creating the new position? MarketPro has taken on the task to thoroughly identify whether or not you need to consider adding a Chief Purpose Officer to your leadership team. Here is what executive search marketing consultants know.
Executive Search Marketing Firm Shares Insight Into The Rise Of Chief Purpose Officers & Whether Or Not You Need Them:
If you take a look at today’s marketing world, you will see the drastic changes top marketers need to make to stay relevant. Customers are expecting these leaders to inspire and guide them through every touchpoint. They also want to be able to purchase from a brand they can identify with. As a result, these changes have caused companies to re-evaluate their marketing team and build stronger relationships with their audience.
With this as the sole focus, companies have created the Chief Purpose Officer role to embed purpose in the DNA of their business. The intention of this role is to entrench purpose into everything a company does, remove it from the niche pursuit of dedicated teams and instead infuse it into the body corporate.
In simpler terms, they are to set the path and tone for the organization and overall influence the way a company operates. Rather than having each department set its purpose metric, the organization as a whole must contribute to the purpose bottom line. Here is what the responsibilities of a Chief Purpose Officer should look like:
Purpose Activator
The CPO’s main job is to ensure all communications have meaning and that people understand the meaning behind their work. They are to educate and guide staff members at every level to act upon the vision, mission, and values of the company.
Inspire the Team
Similarly, this position would align with the Head of HR. They are responsible for increasing job satisfaction and retention rates. CPOs are to inspire and motivate employees to see the higher significance of their work aside from profit.
The Bridge to the Audience
A company’s purpose is the key factor to success. It ties the brand together. Essentially, it helps consumers understand who the company is, and what they stand for. As a result, CPOs are tasked with the responsibility to emotionally connect and resonate with the target audience.
Final Verdict
At the end of the day, every brand and business needs to have a purpose and the purpose must be applied both internally and externally. Your goal is to make sure each interaction with your customer is carefully crafted.
However, if you have top talent in the CEO and CMO role, CMO executive search consultants find the Chief Purpose Officer role redundant. Strong leaders are responsible for instilling purpose into every decision they make.
For this reason, adding a Chief Purpose Officer to your leadership team will likely do more harm than good. Ultimately their job description is simply taking from the roles of other senior leaders necessary focus. Your CEO and CMO have a lot on their plate but driving the organization’s purpose cannot effectively be outsourced to another executive. Before you add a new role, you might need to determine if you have top talent in their current roles. Any organization can thrive if they have the right leaders by their side.