Executives are short on time and attention. Learn how to Be Brief, Be Brilliant, and Be gone. The secret is in clarity of thinking and having the relevant context, not structure or word choice.
This is a great read, thank you! I found this helpful even for written communication (emails and slack). I’ve realized how much ‘asymmetry of information’ there is where execs know a lot less than we realize and it’s our job to figure out what are the key details they need to connect the dots as you mentioned and make more effective decisions.
Love that you highlighted knowing when to stop! Even when people have crafted a clear, concise update, they end up rambling because they're uncomfortable with silence. We always have more context to share, so we have to be selective to highlight the critical details. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve noticed that many professionals build context first to “earn” their conclusion but then quickly lose their audience. Instead, I recommend starting with the conclusion. People pay more attention because they immediately understand the importance of your perspective. You’ve connected the dots upfront. I suggest my coachees use the BLUF method: “Bottom Line Up Front.” Begin with the punchline and then back it up.
Great post. When I speak with enterprise executives I only have 4 seconds max to generate interest and a minute to provide value.
I learned that you have to assume they are intelligible enough about the problem to where if you touch on it clearly they know what you’re talking about.
But you cant take too much time so you offer a quick next step to get more time.
Sharing context is super critical. I’ve worked with many executives, and you need to share 1-2 sentences up front to help orient. Executives juggle a lot. What is obvious to you (as the person executing the work) is not obvious to them.
There is also another point, which is trying to understand/match the executive style. Some have direct kind of approach, some have the leading with fear style, so on so forth. So it might take a few tries before you can actually “communicate effectively” with an executive.
This is a great read, thank you! I found this helpful even for written communication (emails and slack). I’ve realized how much ‘asymmetry of information’ there is where execs know a lot less than we realize and it’s our job to figure out what are the key details they need to connect the dots as you mentioned and make more effective decisions.
Love that you highlighted knowing when to stop! Even when people have crafted a clear, concise update, they end up rambling because they're uncomfortable with silence. We always have more context to share, so we have to be selective to highlight the critical details. Thanks for sharing!
A great way to focus on what matters. The explanation of the three are a big help. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing this interesting read.
I’ve noticed that many professionals build context first to “earn” their conclusion but then quickly lose their audience. Instead, I recommend starting with the conclusion. People pay more attention because they immediately understand the importance of your perspective. You’ve connected the dots upfront. I suggest my coachees use the BLUF method: “Bottom Line Up Front.” Begin with the punchline and then back it up.
“Knowing when to stop” really resonates for me. It is difficult to determine when you have said “enough”. Thanks for sharing Yue
Great post. When I speak with enterprise executives I only have 4 seconds max to generate interest and a minute to provide value.
I learned that you have to assume they are intelligible enough about the problem to where if you touch on it clearly they know what you’re talking about.
But you cant take too much time so you offer a quick next step to get more time.
Sharing context is super critical. I’ve worked with many executives, and you need to share 1-2 sentences up front to help orient. Executives juggle a lot. What is obvious to you (as the person executing the work) is not obvious to them.
There is also another point, which is trying to understand/match the executive style. Some have direct kind of approach, some have the leading with fear style, so on so forth. So it might take a few tries before you can actually “communicate effectively” with an executive.
I just wrote on this topic as part of a piece on executive presence and so many of these points are on point IMHO!!! Love this