CMO short tenure, which was 40 months in 2020, has attracted much attention. Many articles frame short tenure as a problem—either a reflection of failure on the part of the executive or the organization. However, in some cases, shorter CMO tenure may be a sign of a healthy and growing organization. So reports MIT Sloan Management Review.
Here are a few circumstances when shorter tenure isn’t such a bad thing.
- Younger CMOs who are more willing to embrace risk. As the youngest member of the C-suite, CMOs may be more willing to chase new and different job opportunities.
- Marketers may be more likely to seek new jobs because of their propensity for growth. “Marketers are trained differently than C-suite members who come from other functions; they are uniquely demand generators whose role is primarily centered on creating revenue growth rather than cutting costs or driving efficiency,” according to the article.
- CMOs gain experience by changing job. The CMO role is complex and requires a wide breath of experience. It is almost impossible for CMOs to learn all they will need to know at one company. Some CMOs move from job to job to acquire more skills.
- The pandemic has caused some CMOs to realign their careers with a bigger purpose. A long year of lockdowns has come with a lot of self-reflection and many CMOs are pursuing other careers—some with lower pay—to take on work that is more personally meaningful to them.