Essential Executive Communication Factors

Brief #20: Three communication traits for those trusted by leaders

Photo by Charles Forerunner on Unsplash

Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.

Confucius

Communication between workers and apex leaders consistently creates awkward and tense experiences for these parties. Employees can (figuratively and literally) break out into cold chills and panic. Leaders might despair in advance of what they perceive as ineffective and low value uses of their time. At some level, this awkwardness is driven by fear and/or frustration. Two emotions which can be tempered by preparing for these interactions. Winging these interactions is a practice of mediocre workers.

Three factors

1. Accuracy

2. Benefit

3. Brevity

Discussion

Who is an apex leader. These individual have no or relatively few people they are answerable to in practice on a regular basis. Examples of apex leaders include:

• Owners

• C-suite officers

• Board members

• Vice-Presidents and director-level positions (depending on organizational structure)

• Principals & partners

You can use these skills with anyone in a leadership position (such as a team lead, department head, supervisor or manager). They may not appreciate it or realize the benefit of receiving information in this format.

It’s not uncommon for people at lower levels of leadership to request or even demand more information that they will ever need or use. Often they just do not know better. Or they may be flexing their limited authority to because they can do so. In these cases, go with the flow and do what they ask.

When a person is closer to the apex of organization, task saturation becomes a significant factor in their lives. This phenomenon occurs when demands on a person’s performance nears or exceeds their ability to process and respond appropriately. Examples of these demands can include decisions that need to be made. People waiting for approvals to begin work activities. Sending correspondence. Attending events. Doing interviews. Exercising. Doing things with their family. And much more.

How is it that high performers seem to get more done than other people? There is a huge difference between these individuals and the struggling “busy” people. It comes down to having self-discipline to prioritize what they spend their energy and focus during any given block of time. And saying “no” or de-prioritizing most everything else.

Often how apex leaders decide what is important upsets people. No one likes themselves or things important to them being labeled as “not important”. Does this mean an rejected issue/message/matter is not important to you or other people? That is irrelevant. The topic at hand is its importance to an apex leader.

If (when?) You and/or your effort to get time or approval from an apex leader fails, avoid getting mad and hurt. Or get through those feelings quickly. Then reflect on that rejection. How did you miss the mark in that communication attempt with a leader? Was your communication beneficial, accurate and brief? Once you begin thinking in these terms you will be a more successful communicator with apex leaders.