I’ve had lots of opportunities, over the years, to evaluate executive communication (communication by someone in a executive capacity) and the executives themselves as they are communicating. Let me share some observations.
Executive communication almost always shares certain attributes.
1. It is economical. Executives have learned to listen a whole lot more than they speak. That holds true primarily because an executive by definition has the authority to ultimately make a decision. Therefore, the executive doesn’t have to hear himself or herself speak. What they’re mostly interested in is understanding what someone else has to say. An executive listens a lot and speaks just a little.
2. An executive’s communication is reductionistic. By that, what I mean is that the greatest contribution an executive can make is to listen to the conversations surrounding himself or herself and then reduce that conversation to simple takeaways. The takeaway can be in the form of a summary if the objective of the conversation is to better understand something. It can be in the form of directives if the objective of the conversation is to decide what to do at that point. Or it can even be in the form of observations “being observed and communicated” for everyone else in the room. But the bottom line is that an executive’s responsibility, best served, is to listen to chatter, or dialogue, or conversation, or debate, and come away with specific communications that are reflective of that discussion.
3. An executive defaults in favor of being abundantly clear. The one thing an executive’s communication needs to be is clear. Everyone needs to understand exactly what those directives, or takeaways, or observations, were and what needs to happen based on them. If an executive is unfocused, political or unclear in that regard, then so will be the results—and that’s not something an executive wants.
4. The communications are always purposeful. Strapped by time, or demands, or schedules, or simple nuances or policies, an executive’s communications are not haphazard or willy-nilly. They’re almost always purposeful in some way. Sometimes the conversations are intended to inspire; or motivate; or clarify; or charge; or direct. But there is a very specific purpose supporting the communication. If an executive doesn’t understand that there should be a purpose behind his or her communications, then the chances are very strong the executive doesn’t appreciate or understand his or her own power and authority.
5. Communications need to be aspirational. By character, an executive is optimistic. You rarely take over a top spot when you are pessimistic or negative. The communication of an executive, therefore, is intended to reflect that optimism in an aspirational way. That does not mean that everything is always coming up roses. A executive can always be straight and tell it the way it is. However, what the executive’s communication should do is reflect an aspirational component to current circumstances.
In any event, I wanted to share some observations with respect to these five characteristics of what I found effective in either a high executive role or, for that matter, a leadership role.
Original writing date: April 8, 2008