The Five Capabilities CX Leaders Need Now — And How To Build Them At CX Forum West

2026-03-22 · Source: Featured Blogs - Forrester · Field: Business & Management — Corporate Strategy & Leadership, Project & Product Management, Operations & Process Management · Depth: Advanced, short

Summary

Forrester's CX Forum West, scheduled for June 29–30 in San Francisco, addresses the critical need for Customer Experience (CX) leaders to adapt to rapidly shifting customer expectations driven by AI. The event focuses on five core capabilities essential for CX teams to thrive in the AI era, moving beyond outdated strategies. These capabilities include transforming journey mapping into a continuous journey management operating model, ensuring responsible and strategic AI deployment, implementing trusted and intentional personalization, demonstrating CX value through ROI storytelling, and fostering cross-functional alignment and stakeholder leadership. The forum offers workshops and certification programs designed to provide practical, hands-on learning and build confidence in guiding organizations through AI-accelerated changes.

Key takeaway

For CX leaders tasked with navigating AI's impact on customer expectations, you must evolve beyond legacy playbooks. Focus on establishing journey management as an operating model, ensuring responsible AI use, and demonstrating CX value through financial metrics. Prioritize cross-functional alignment to effectively implement new strategies and secure the necessary resources for AI-driven CX transformation.

Key insights

AI amplifies existing CX dysfunctions, necessitating human-led strategic frameworks and governance.

Principles

• Human leaders define journeys; AI optimizes them.
• Responsible AI requires human judgment and boundaries.
• Alignment multiplies all other CX capabilities.

Method

Transition from episodic journey mapping to continuous journey governance, embed it into planning, and scale it across functions to establish journey management as an operating model.

In practice

• Design agentic interactions grounded in customer intent.
• Connect customer outcomes to financial outcomes.
• Strengthen relationships to reduce organizational friction.

Topics

• Customer Experience
• AI Strategy
• Journey Management
• Responsible AI
• Personalization

Best for: Executive, AI Product Manager, Consultant

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Featured Blogs - Forrester.