What's your secret to measuring and improving executive communication and influence?

There are are seven guiding principles of which executive leadership should be aware. Here are the first 3. 1. Your employees are not an audience, thay are stakeholders. 2. It is impossible not to communicate: not saying or doing something in a given situation, still sends a message. 3. Effective communication is determined by the stakeholder: by their understanding and actions, they demonstrate whether communication has been effective.

And here are the next 4 guiding principles. 4.The more complex the issue; the greater the need for communication to be informal. frequent and interpersonal. 5. Observed behaviours are the most powerful and reinforcing elements in underpinning expectations and resultant actions in a workforce. 6. Employees tolerate management's logic but act on their own conclusions. 7. Every business decision requires a communication decision (see 2). © R. Alan Crozier 2020

Engaging with a coach is an excellent way to get feedback and develop your skills. There is more than one approach to coaching so be sure to interview several to find the best fit (many will offer a low or no-cost initial consultation for this purpose). I’ve been fortunate to work with more than one professional/executive coach and the insight I gained about myself has been invaluable to my professional and personal development. Coaching is applicable to all levels of employment, from early-career individual contributor to the C-suite executive.

In a leadership role, I realized the need to adapt my communication style for effective team management. Initially, my approach was direct and task-focused, which worked well in some situations but not all. Observing team responses, I recognized the importance of adjusting my style. I started incorporating more empathetic and supportive language, especially in team meetings and one-on-one sessions. This shift resulted in improved team morale and productivity. Regularly reviewing meeting recordings helped me refine my approach, making my communication more inclusive and responsive to team needs. This experience taught me the value of continuously practicing and refining communication skills to become a more effective and influential leader.

I agree about adapting communication styles, showing empathy, making sure everyone is included/has a chance to speak up. I went thru a similar learning curve as a young tech lead. Adapting communication also works with more formal discussions & presentations (think management, customers, etc).

Without the growth mindset today, we have nothing. And to develop this, we need to give ourselves the freedom and flexibility to fail. Fail spectacularly, if we have to. Only those failures lead to the burn that triggers creative and highly effective ideas. People with a growth mindset are naturally problem solvers. Their colleagues love working with them, they are positive and solutions-driven people. And, they gain tremendous influence over time. This is the hallmark of a great communicator. Of course, everything needs to start with a conviction in our approach and our core value proposition. Understanding a challenge, mulling over possible solutions, and hitting pay dirt with one big idea are what Communication dreams are made of!

How we communicate is always evolving. The trick to good executive comms over the long-term is to look at how you can adapt your channels. For example, looking to podcasts to reach a wider audience. There's two important points here. First, you should look to migrate your current audience. Second, be consistent. Any executive comms channel should be developed for the long-term. If you're expecting quick results, spend your money on advertising.

Communication strategy seems like a complex process or product. It is not. A good communication strategy simply answers the who, why, what and how of communication. Who is the audience? Why are they important? What do you need them to get, support and do as a result of your communication? How will you get the message to them and how will you measure the impact of the communication? That’s communication strategy - for executives and/or for organizations. Executives should take care of these fundamentals and lean on their communication experts to take care of the technicals (e.g. channel section, social media, etc).

In the era of digital economy with changing contexts, technological shifts and evolving expectations, executive communication and influence needs continued learning and improving to stay on top of the game or even to stay relevant. This is not just in the context of public appearance or persona but also as an executive within the firm or people and teams one leads. Learning, updating and improving skills, strategies, knowledge can help being effective and exert influence.

Clearly in the dynamic world we live in, there is no right or wrong approach. But Communications is a more fluid field than quite possibly any other. Lifelong learning is a core skill, so is improvising, and thinking on your feet. Staying agile, relevant, and resilient and telling yourself you don’t have to get it right every time are crucial to finding a modicum of success. Embrace technology, keep your truth or purpose in sight always, and colour outside the lines just a little bit to keep those creative ideas coursing - soon you will find people gravitating towards your content and, by association, to you.