A couple of weeks ago, my colleague Sam sent the following response to our boss: 'the attached email has additional information.' I almost fell off my chair when I saw that.
I can see the question mark all over your faces as you wonder what is so wrong about Sam's response.
When communicating up (our manager's level and above), we want to be succinct and to the point. Curating and synthetizing information is an essential part of our job.
The higher the level the more emails people receive and the less time they have to actually read them. Most likely, they are looking at emails on a mobile device in between meetings. Our job is to make it easy for them especially if we need the recipient to take specific action.
Here are three tips I have learned and used throughout my career. It is a never-ending evolution as communication skills evolve with the type of job, level in the organization, and audience.
1) Start with the 'so what'
When we are talking with our friends, family, and colleagues in a casual manner, we are usually telling a story. And we know that we never give the plot or the punchline away too soon. This approach works perfectly fine when we are talking or writing to connect or entertain.
It is the opposite when it comes to executive communication since most of the time there is a problem to be solved.
Why am I writing the email to this person? Do I want to keep him or her informed? Am I asking for an approval? Start there.
I typically use the subject line to indicate the topic, what I want, and by when. For example
REQUEST FOR APPROVAL — Revised Due Date for Project Atlas — Please Respond by EOD Friday Feb 10
And the first line after salutation would be the change in due date.
We are updating the due date for Project Atlas from Jun 30th to Sep 30th due to longer than expected coding and testing. Considerations:
- Total budget will slightly increase by 1% from the initial one.
- Even with the 90-day delay we expect to be among the first three firms to offer this product in the market.
The objective is to give the decision-maker what they need to approve or reject. If they require more information or have other questions, they will indicate so.
2) Know your audience
How do I know what the person needs to make a decision? How much information is too much or too little?
The more you know your audience, the better responses to these questions you will have.
If you are writing to an executive for the first time, you can ask your peers, your boss, other colleagues what this person's preferences are. You could also see emails others have sent him or her and follow a similar outline.
If you are writing to the head of the business she will be interested first in the numbers (expenses, profits, etc.), customer or employee impact, time to market, etc.
If you are addressing your email to the head of Compliance, on the other hand, he will be concerned with regulatory impact, privacy, treating customers fairly, and so on.
Most likely you will have a mix of people as part of your audience. So start with the main 'so what' for each of them at the very beginning of your email.
3) Be clear on what you need from the recipient (s)
Most executives are driven by action, wired to solve problems, and to remove obstacles.
So we want to be quick to say what we need from them. Am I giving you a heads up but things are under control? Am I asking you to pick up the phone and talk to your peer in Tech so they can assign resources?
I say what I need at the beginning of the subject line. For example
HEADS UP ONLY — Project Atlas Key Milestone Delayed
Being clear up front will help you manage anxiety especially when discussing sensitive topics or projects with high visibility.
Putting it all together
Let us imagine that one of your vendors, Standard, made a mistake impacting a number of your customers. Buyers expected to receive their product in two days. Four days have gone by and some customers have not received their orders.
You and your team are working tirelessly with other groups to solve the situation. You have an idea of the financial impact. Customer Service is receiving more complaints than usual for this product. The Distribution team already assigned additional resources.
You are writing to your boss to let her know of the situation.
To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: HEADS UP ONLY — Orders Delayed for Standard Product This is to inform you on a situation we discovered this morning. We are already working with several teams to solve it as quickly as possible. I will keep you posted and let you know if or when you need to take action.
- Orders fulfilled by vendor Standard were not completed timely
- As of this morning, 1000 customers have not received the product
- 500 customers received their order after the 2-day SLA
- To alleviate customer impact, we will
- Send a communication apologizing for the delay
- Refund the shipping fee — impact ~$15K, expect Standard to refund as part of the contract
Please, let me know of any questions or if you need additional information.
One more thing before you go
Communication skills are essential for our career and a key component when we are being considered for promotion, important projects, etc.
The higher we are in the organization, the more important effective executive communication is.
How we communicate continuously evolves depending on the nature of the job, the audience, and our level in the organization. This was very apparent to me when I moved from an oversight function to a front line one.
I equate it to learning a foreign language. Sometimes I even joke about it at interviews. I tell people I speak Spanish, French, Compliance, Audit, Portuguese, Product Management, etc.
I learned that how I convey a message to the head of the digital organization, for example, is quite different to how I deliver the same message to the head of risk. It is like saying "I liked the exhibit" in English vs. French vs. Spanish.
As I compose important emails, I exercise empathy. I imagine myself running from meeting to meeting, looking at my inbox on my cell. How can I make it easy for this person?
Give it your best effort. It does not matter if you leave things out. You will, so free yourself from that worry. The great news is that you will receive additional questions or comments that will serve you for the next time.
Ask for help. If you are stuck with too much detail or on how to deliver the message clearly, ask a colleague to read your draft and give you feedback. I do it all the time.
If you are new to the team and you are still figuring out what to bring to your boss and when, ask him or her. In time, you will know what his or her priorities are, and you will align accordingly.
How we communicate will evolve as we change teams, organizations, or functions. It is an iterative process. With time and practice it becomes easier.
What are your considerations when communicating to senior leaders? Please, let us know in the comments.
As a leadership coach, I enable talent to achieve bold goals with high standards. My mission is to empower underrepresented women in the financial industry transition from mid to senior level leadership positions using mental fitness to achieve peak performance, peace of mind, and healthier relationships.
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