Five strategies leaders need to communicate effectively with their staff

Don’t get lost in spending too long creating detailed spreadsheets or creative presentation slides, advises Val Wright, instead adopt five simple strategies to communicate effectively

Millions or even billions of pounds are in jeopardy during board meetings, investor calls, media interviews, customer interactions and employee conversations. For leaders, stakes are extraordinary in every conversation.

The most successful execu­tives know this and prepare with precision what to say and when to say it. This thoughtful and intentional focus is required for leaders to drive profitable growth. Don’t get lost in spending too long creating detailed spreadsheets or creative presentation slides, instead, here are five strategies you can immediately apply to communicate effectively:

1Prepare the precise words you will use

Think back to your last significant communication. How did you feel as you started speaking? Did you feel in control, confident of your lines and excited to share your message? Or perhaps you were running between back-to-back meetings, hadn’t had time to clear your head or review your script? Have you ever felt like a talk­ing head where you can’t connect to the words that are falling from your lips that someone else wrote for you and you are wondering exactly what you will say next?

Preparation is crucial. It needs to be done at a pace you are comfortable with. Some leaders like to write their own talking points and scripts then let someone else finesse and edit them. Others prefer to give a verbal download and let their communications guru craft the soundbites and stories. Others still prefer to be handed their full script and make minor edits. Any of these scenarios can work if it is intentional. Your preparation will also depend on your confidence in your communications team and their ability to ‘get’ your voice and the voice of your company. This takes skill and ability to craft both the unique angle of the company while also infusing the leaders voice throughout. The most crucial part of your preparation is blocking enough time in your calendar ahead of the event to allow for edits and revisions.

You can follow the Triple 30 rule for intentionally communicating at every level. If you follow these goals for each of the three 30s, you will calmly get your message across right before the event:

• 30 days prior: the purpose, audience, topics, and messages are clear.
• 30 hours prior: the details, logistics, and script are confirmed.
• 30 minutes prior: your free silent time to prepare.

2Create real and relevant content

Xbox CEO Peter Moore stepped on the stage of games industry conference E3 in 2004 when everyone was waiting to know the release date of the much-anticipated game Halo 2. Instead of talking, Peter rolled up the sleeve of his shirt to reveal a tattoo with the Halo 2 game logo and the date November 9 inked on his arm. The buzz, press, and excitement from that moment alone still is talked about today. Not that you need to get a tattoo for effective communication but consider how you can hone in on what your audience wants to know.

Your content needs to be relevant and real, with a connection to your audience and what they care about. Whether meeting a group of new hires, your board, an investor, journalist, or a new customer for the first time, knowing what they expect and what they need to know is essential. We have all sat through presentations and meetings where the words float over you like passing clouds but nothing is attention grabbing and a thunderclap is needed. This happens when someone has prepared well and delivered flawlessly but their content wasn’t powerful or memorable enough. Prior to every communication moment you need to ask yourself this one question:  ‘What three messages do I want my audience to remember?’

3Use the power of music

Optimistic, by The Sounds of Blackness, is a song I will often share during a keynote talk. It allows me to share my story with the audience in a unique way. Ever since I was petrified as a teenager in England revising for my GCSE exams, the song’s lyrics gave me hope, confidence, and renewed energy.  I found myself playing it again frequently during the last two years of the pandemic as I held advised boards and executives around the world via a screen from my attic office, while our family of five adjusted to work and school from home. Music leaves a unique lasting impression and ignites new memories and connections. When I lead strategy retreats, I encourage all leaders to share a song that represents their last few months, it allows people to tell their story through the language of music.  I encourage all leaders to share songs that are meaningful for you. How can you incorporate music into your next meeting or company event?  

4Practice and refine your delivery

I have never met anyone who enjoys watching themselves on video. Not even the most prominent successful executives and speakers. So, when you read this next piece of advice it is ok to wince, not want to do it, avoid it, and procrastinate it, yet I am going to encourage you to do it anyway. You will never improve your communication skills if you don’t see and hear how others experience you. That involves watching yourself on video. The most effective exercise I give leaders I am coaching is to watch a video of themselves twice. First with no sound where you watch your facial expressions, how you interact with your audience, how you use your arms and body to make your points, and what a sped-up version of you in a meeting or on stage looks like. Then, replay with the audio only and listen to how you sound, the words, tone, pace, silence, and patterns of the words you use. This allows your brain to deconstruct the many aspects of communication you convey to your audience. Sit with your mentor or coach as you do this, and you will get valuable feedback on what is fantastic and where you may want to focus your attention.

5Know where you are brilliant

There are two extremes of a continuum for leaders when communicat­ing internally or externally, those who adore it and those who avoid it at all costs. Imagine for a moment that there is a stack of cards on a table. Each card holds a topic that could be about any aspect of your busi­ness. You now must pick a card from the stack and immediately talk about that topic for five minutes without stopping. Let’s pause for a moment to consider, how do you feel about that?  

Your reaction may range from  bring it on,’ to ‘hmmm, ok if I must,’ or even ‘Val, that sounds terrible, I need more preparation!’ You may also have more questions before giving your answer, wanting to know who would be in the audience, would this be internal to your company or external, the size of the audience, a small group or your whole company, or an external conference, or even a small group of CEOs you have known for the past 10 years.

I walk you through this theoretical game of speaking extemporaneously, as I do when I first start working with an executive on increasing their communication impact because it helps us understand where you have strength and confi­dence, and where you have not yet mastered this expertise.  While it is unlikely you will have to play the random topic card game, it does help you put yourself in certain communication scenar­ios and consider what it is you dislike most about those situations. Let’s first consider all the possible scenarios where you must be on stage as a leader.

You can use the Executive Communications Evaluation to reflect on the most common scenarios where the spotlight is on you as a leader representing your company.

For each of the seven internal and eight external communication events, rate along the scale how much you adore doing them vs trying to avoid them –and be a truth teller in your evaluation.  As you compare the first seven with the last eight, what do you see? I often find that leaders are far more comfortable with the internal communications than the externally facing opportunities.  Knowing this evaluation will help you know where you are brilliant already, and where you want to focus areas for improvement.

The great news is that all these gaps are fixable and now you can identify which one, two, or three areas you will focus on first improve your executive communications for any audience.