Leadership communications
The demands on leaders have never been greater. Employees expect more from their jobs and that requires some creative thinking, when the financial and reputational pressures on businesses are heightened too. I work closely with leaders to understand the unique communications challenges within their organisation, improving both relationships and business outcomes.
Here are a couple of quick ideas to facilitate better communications with your audiences. Get in touch if you think you'd benefit from a conversation about how to extend the reach and impact of your leadership communications.
1
Listening
This is crucial.
If you are not listening to your employees, customers and investors you are flying blind. And let's be clear, listening isn't about relying on your Comms team and reading the employee survey results once a year. It requires effort, time and space, but the results include better retention rates and the ability to respond quicker to emerging risks and opportunities.
2
Authenticity
Being authentically and openly yourself as a leader can be scary. Boundaries can be helpful, they protect us. But people connect with people.
Think of the greaters leaders you know of; the chances are, their authenticity is part of why you respect them.
Remember during lockdowns, when everyone got a glimpse of each other's houses and family lives? Your employees want to connect with you, your customers, funders and Board members want to know you're someone they can trust. Letting people in a bit can go a long way...
3
Live your values
Remember those values you agreed on years ago? The ones that sit in your email signature or on the walls of your meeting rooms? If they were a collective effort, chances are, they mean something to your employees and the people who engage with your business externally. Remind yourself what they mean to your organisation, refresh them if you think they need it, and then live them in your working day.
4
Vulnerability
This is the scary bit, but the really successful businesses out there are recognising the power of learning from failure. If you want your high performing teams doing this, then you have to be ready to do it yourself.
Talk about the project that didn't go the way you planned, the life lesson that informs your leadership. There are few things more powerful than a leader sharing a story of failure and how they came back from it (otherwise Desert Island Discs wouldn't be a thing). People will trust you more for it and be more ready to open up themselves.