The CX Department? You’re Looking at It.

No team. No budget. No mandate.

Just you—and the massive task of improving customer experience across an entire organization.

Sound familiar?

I’ve seen this setup at small and mid-size companies, which isn’t surprising. But what’s more shocking is how often it shows up at billion-dollar organizations. Usually, it’s because the company is still dabbling in CX—testing the waters before making a serious investment. They want to see ROI before assigning a budget, a team, or a seat at the table.

There’s often internal debate, too. Should Support report to CX? What about Quality, Design, or Customer Success? And who should CX report to—the CEO? Another C-suite leader? That conversation could fill an entire article.

For now, I’ll just say:

There’s no perfect model. The right structure depends on your company’s goals, culture, and stage of CX maturity.

And if you’ve been handed the CX reins with little more than a title and a to-do list, you’re not alone.

Sometimes it’s a new role. Sometimes it’s a side hustle you didn’t ask for, but care too much to ignore. Either way, the expectation is the same: lead change with little support.

You’re the voice of the customer.🗣️

The analyst.📊

The strategist.♟️

The cheerleader.📣

The firefighter.🔥

The lone wolf.🐺

But just because you’re a team of one doesn’t mean you have to go it alone.

Here’s how to stay scrappy, strategic, and sane.

Get the Organization Driving, Not Just Nodding

It’s easy to get people to say they support customer experience. It’s harder to get them to act on it. Your goal isn’t passive agreement; it’s shared ownership. Don’t start by asking for approval. Start by helping one team solve a real problem using customer insights.

Look for an opportunity that meets three criteria:

It’s visible
It’s tied to an outcome the business already values
You can make progress quickly

Once you’ve delivered one small win, bring that story back to the broader organization. Frame it as “Here’s what we heard from customers. Here’s what we changed. Here’s the result.” That’s what turns heads and builds momentum.

Stay Close to the Customer

Before you build dashboards, influence leaders, or launch a journey map, start here: get as close to your customers as you possibly can.

The very first hat you wear in this role is the most important one: voice of the customer.

Before you build relationships across the organization or push for big changes, you need to truly understand the customer’s world. That means spending real time with real people - listening, observing, and gathering insights that go beyond charts and KPIs.

Ideally, more than 60% of your time should be dedicated to customer understanding:

Joining support and sales calls
Shadowing frontline teams
Interviewing customers after key experiences
Reviewing open-ended feedback for themes and signals

This is what gives you credibility. It fuels everything else (your strategies, your stories, your influence). When you’re grounded in the customer experience, you're not guessing. You're facilitating the conversations, decisions, and improvements that matter most.

Don’t Build an Empire. Build a Movement.

If you're in a matrixed organization, it’s almost impossible to own every part of the customer journey. But you can build influence. The trick is to create a network of informal champions. Look for people in different departments who care about the customer, even if it’s not in their job title.

Give them simple ways to contribute:

Invite them to share what they’re hearing from customers
Ask them to test small improvements in their area
Offer to spotlight their work in leadership updates

You’re not trying to control everything. You’re helping people connect the dots and take action where they already have influence.

You’ll also need practical support. Two areas where solo CX leaders often hit a wall are analytics and design. And for good reason: these are high-volume, high-need areas that almost always require dedicated expertise over time. Don’t be afraid to ask for temporary help or shared resources. These are often the first full-time hires for a growing CX function—and starting with borrowed bandwidth is a smart way to show the value before asking for budget.

This is where influence comes in. You’re not just building grassroots energy. You’re laying the foundation to bring key leaders on board, leaders who can unlock resources and help CX scale across silos.

Build a Bridge with Key Leaders

You can’t scale customer experience alone. One of the most strategic moves you can make is aligning with 2–3 leaders who influence major parts of the customer journey. Think of it as building a bridge: not asking for permission, but finding shared priorities and walking across together.

Start with curiosity. Ask them what their teams are hearing from customers, where they see friction, and what success looks like in their world. Then connect the dots between their goals and what you’re trying to improve.

This isn't about selling CX. It's about creating mutual value—and showing that CX isn't a department. It's a way of working that benefits everyone.

Don’t Burn Out Trying to Do It All

When you're the go-to person for customer experience, it’s easy to say yes to everything. Every request feels important. Every fire feels urgent. But trying to be everywhere and fix everything will drain you fast—and make you less effective in the long run.

The key is to be intentional with your energy. Ask yourself:

Is this request aligned with a bigger goal?
Will this move the needle for customers or the business?
Does this need to be me, or can I guide someone else?

Protect your time for the work that creates real traction. Say no when needed. Set expectations clearly. And remember, your value isn’t in doing more; it’s in focusing on what matters most.

Make It Visible

You might be doing incredible work. But if no one sees it, it’s easy for leaders to assume CX isn’t moving forward. As a team of one, part of your job is making progress visible.

Don’t wait for a formal quarterly update. Share quick wins in the moment. Loop back with teams when changes are made. Tell short, specific stories that connect customer feedback to business outcomes.

Think of it as internal marketing. It’s not self-promotion, but storytelling with purpose. You’re helping the organization see what good looks like. And that visibility? It’s what builds momentum, credibility, and eventually... investment.

You’re doing the work. Now make it count.

This is exactly the kind of leader we support at LoyaltyCraft; driving customer experience forward, often without a playbook or a full team

If you’re ready to build real traction and get CX the attention it deserves, let’s talk.