Hail to the Chiefs

There has been a growing trend in both the private and public sectors to enhance the titles of their top management with the words “Chief” and “Officer”.  We have had Chief Executives for some time of course but then the word “Officer” was added so now we have Chief Executive Officers or “CEO’s”.  This was followed by Finance Directors becoming Chief Financial Officers (CFO’s) and good old “Operations Directors” becoming Chief Operations Officers (COO’s).  I haven’t actually seen an example of an HR Director becoming a “Chief People Officer” but I bet somewhere we already have a “Chief Talent Officer”.

I read in the business news this week that Alex Baldock the new boss at Dixons Carphone has created a new role in the business of “Chief Customer Officer” (CCO).  Fair enough the perception of Dixons Carphone’s customer service is so dire that he needs to do something but I have my doubts that appointing a CCO will make much difference unless much more changes.

My “Deep Thort” on this is that the words “Chief” and “Officer” are symptomatic of and reinforce a top down management culture where the people with these titles are positioned at the top.  When it comes to looking after its customers these people at the top TELL the people at the bottom what customers want and how they want it.  The people at the bottom then TELL the customers what they can have and how they are allowed to have it.

In an "upside down" culture the people serving the customers are at the top.  They LISTEN to the customers and continuously advise the people below (their management) what is needed.  The people below LISTEN to their staff, supply resources and help remove problems and obstacles to meeting customer needs.  It doesn’t take a genius to work out which culture you need to support improvements in customer service.  I don’t see any signs of the necessary change happening at Dixons Carphone from the announcements so far from their new “CEO”.  So the bloke I feel sorry for is Antreas Athanassopoulos – he’s just been given the CCO job!