Transcript
[00:00:08.500] - Imogen
Hello and welcome to Dear Comms, the coffee break podcast where we tackle your biggest corporate comms challenges. My name's Imogen and I'm Amanda.
[00:00:17.920] - Amanda
We're here to give you practical, no-nonsense advice so you can focus on the things that matter most: driving influence, engagement, and impact.
[00:00:26.930] - Imogen
We've had a question in from Emily this week. She says, my CEO thinks they're a communications genius. We all have had that before. They always insist on lengthy emails full of jargon, endless presentations of graphs and charts, and they love a logo. How do I push back without sounding disrespectful?
[00:00:47.000] - Amanda
Well, looking on the bright side for a moment, you've got a CEO who wants to communicate. That's a— you're a lucky thing. Yes. At least they're trying, right?
[00:00:56.040] - Imogen
They are trying. I think the fact that their approach isn't the best one, well, that's something else, and that's something that you need to work on. We can work with.
[00:01:04.280] - Amanda
Yeah.
[00:01:04.440] - Imogen
Absolutely. You know, lengthy emails, jargon, graphs, all of these things make your CEO feel like they're delivering important, thoughtful, and impactful messages. As communicators, we know that they're probably a little overwhelming, a little unclear for the employees receiving them. And this is where we have to fall back on some of our communication soft skills, empathy and tact.
[00:01:31.230] - Amanda
Yep, take a deep breath and put your big pants on because you're going to need to manage up.
[00:01:36.770] - Imogen
Absolutely. I mean, our role as communicators is to act as that trusted counsel and advisor, isn't it?
[00:01:43.510] - Amanda
Yeah, I mean, sometimes you have to speak truth to power. Your CEO might not realize their approach is overwhelming, They probably have never been told it before, and they might not know what else to do.
[00:01:57.880] - Imogen
Yeah, speaking up to your managers is always difficult. It's not something a lot of people like doing because they don't want to come across as rude or abrasive or challenging.
[00:02:08.480] - Amanda
Yeah, and you can manage it the right way. You just need to frame your advice, acknowledge the good intentions, and ask some questions to find out what the real objectives of the communication are. And then you can align those goals with the audience needs. You can then, you know, segue into advice on how to achieve that. I think sometimes it works when you highlight aspects of their style which work. This shows that your goal is to amplify their strengths and not undermine their approach. Let's give you an example. Why not try something like this? I see the importance of what you're sharing, and I know many people would like more detail. However, I wonder whether you've considered introducing the topic in a simpler, more direct way to start with. Then we can go on and ensure everybody's on board before we get into more detail.
[00:03:03.570] - Imogen
I think what I notice about that example, Amanda, is, is the importance of using the right language when you are framing your feedback. Sometimes, and I know that I'm very guilty of this and I've struggled with it in the past, sometimes when we're either offering critique or we are the one who is getting feedback, the receiver can take it as a little bit of a personal slight, something against them, as opposed to the support which it's meant to be. To prevent this, it might be a good idea to use coaching phrases. So, "Have you thought of?" or "What if we tried?" or "I've always found it helpful to..." If you make it more of a conversation than a command, it's likely to go down better. Sometimes leaders struggle a little bit with a blank page.
[00:03:53.720] - Amanda
Well, we all do, right?
[00:03:55.420] - Imogen
Why does ChatGPT exist if not to get rid of the blank page?
[00:03:58.310] - Amanda
Blank page.
[00:03:59.900] - Imogen
But if your leader doesn't know what good looks like, they'll be tempted to fall back into what they know, and that is a wealth of information. So why not offer to make a start for them and then get them to input their own style, their own tone, their own thoughts?
[00:04:15.860] - Amanda
Yeah, it's really important that you need to reinforce that you're not dismissing their style, you're just trying to make them more impactful. You know, these conversations are never easy.
[00:04:24.450] - Imogen
No.
[00:04:24.760] - Amanda
And I think when you're in doubt, go back to the audience.
[00:04:27.350] - Imogen
Mm-hmm.
[00:04:28.360] - Amanda
Remind your CEO that your role is to act as the eyes and ears of their employees, to make sure that what they're saying not only resonates and connects, but employees understand and engage with it. The clearer the message, the more likely employees will take action. By focusing on them, it becomes more than just the CEO and their message. It's about making comms work for everyone.
[00:04:53.570] - Imogen
Richard Branson is a great example of a leader who consistently communicates with his audience in mind. I read a blog post that he wrote for Virgin years ago, but he said communication makes the world go round. It facilitates human connections and allows us to learn, grow, and progress. It's not just about speaking or reading, but understanding what's being said, and in some cases, what is not being said.
[00:05:20.700] - Amanda
And it's that element of understanding that's the most important thing. So don't be tempted to prioritize brevity over clarity. You may think you've communicated, or your CEO might, But if that message wasn't understood, have you really?
[00:05:37.230] - Imogen
Absolutely. Another Richard Branson quote to back you up there, if you'll forgive me. He said, "From the beginning, Virgin used clear, ordinary language. If I could quickly understand a campaign concept, it was good to go. If something can't be explained off the back of an envelope, it's rubbish." I think he was probably paraphrasing the old Einstein adage, you know, if you can't explain something simply, then you don't understand it yourself. This is something that really resonates with me. CEOs, we know they are smart. They wouldn't be in their position if they weren't. But sometimes they forget that simple doesn't mean stupid.
[00:06:19.490] - Amanda
And I think that's a pretty strong quote to finish on. If you have to manage up today, remember, keywords are empathy and tact. If you have a pressing problem, drop it in the comments. We'd love to help. Until next time.
[00:06:33.840] - Imogen
See you soon.
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