One Issue That Keeps Coming Up in the Executive Leadership Offsites I Facilitate

Over the summer, I facilitated several executive leadership offsites. Different organizations, different leaders, different challenges.

But one issue came up again and again: communication.

Not simply whether people were communicating enough, but whether they were communicating in ways that worked for the people they needed to reach.

One leader wants the full background before making a decision. Another wants three bullet points and will ask questions if they need more.

One person checks Slack constantly. Another considers Slack something they’ll get to eventually.

One manager wants to know about a problem as soon as you see it developing. Another doesn’t want to hear about it until you’ve thought through possible solutions.

None of these preferences is inherently right or wrong.

The problem is that we tend to communicate the way we like to communicate and assume it works for everyone else.

Effective communication requires understanding your stakeholders.

And you shouldn’t have to guess.

Here are some questions to ask your manager, team members, colleagues, and other key stakeholders:

• What platform do you prefer for regular communication?

• If something is urgent, what’s the best way to get your attention?

• Do you prefer bullet points or paragraphs?

• Do you want the full background, or would you rather get the headline and ask for more detail?

• How should I keep you in the loop, and how frequently?

• When do you want to be consulted versus simply informed?

• Do you want me to bring you problems, proposed solutions, or both?

• Do you prefer time to think before discussing something, or do you like to talk things through in real time?

• How do you prefer to receive difficult information or feedback?

• What communication habits drive you crazy?

And then there’s an equally important question to ask yourself:

Do the people you work with know your answers?

Understanding other people’s preferences doesn’t mean abandoning your own communication style. It means becoming more intentional and flexible.

The message may be the same. How you communicate it doesn’t have to be.

Sometimes improving communication starts with something very simple:

Ask people what works for them. And tell them what works for you.