Make your leaders better communicators

1. Making the business case for senior leadership communication

Validate and strengthen your business case with evidence from global industry studies.

• Quantitative proof from leading industry studies
• How to break leaders out of the “ivory tower”
• The importance of communicating the vision
• Getting senior leaders to communicate the company vision effectively
• How senior leadership communication impacts the bottom line
  

2. Performance and delivery of senior leadership communication

Making leaders aware of the value of communication is one thing, but how do you get them to commit time and resources to improving it? And what information should senior leaders be communicating?

• Core challenges with senior leaders
• The vital issues senior leaders should be communicating
• Benchmarking data on how senior leaders are performing
• 21 communication tips for leaders
• Improving communication between senior leaders and line managers

Case study example: How the communication team at Marconi demonstrated to their leaders the impact of their communication on employee perceptions.

3. Skills and competencies for senior leaders

Having identified senior leadership communication as a key area, how do you go about improving it?

• Practical models for leadership competency
• Communication training for senior leaders
• Helping senior leaders to benchmark their communication skills
• Using executive coaching to take skills from “good” to "great”

Case study example: See how Bayer help leaders benchmark their presentation skills.

4. Attitudes and behaviors of senior leaders

In analyzing senior leadership communication, having a raw appraisal of the leaders’ skills and deficiencies isn’t enough. You can achieve better results by going a step further and gaining an understanding of how leadership style and behavior is a greater key to unlocking improvement. With this knowledge you can develop strategies which enhance and diversify your leaders’ existing style rather than trying to change their personality.

• Do leaders recognize their role as “communicators”?
• Characteristics a senior leader should demonstrate
• Helping senior leaders to drive company values
• The most common CEO leadership styles

5. Measuring senior leadership communication

Measuring the performance of senior leaders is clearly a sensitive topic. Find out how top companies measure their senior leaders’ communication and feed back the results.

• Measuring employees’ perceptions of leadership communication
• Key outcomes to focus on
• Holding senior leaders accountable

Case study example: Discover how Eastman Chemical Company holds its leaders accountable.

6. Communication tools and media

Many senior leaders don’t have the time or skills to communicate in person. The chapter looks at the alternative tools and channels available to help you deliver the message.

• The most frequently used communication tools
• Tips for leadership broadcasts, blogs and webcasts
• Getting the most out of hotlines, conference calls and executive voicemails

7. Face-to-face communication channels

While other tools and media can help get your senior leaders’ message out, none has more value than face-to-face communication. Here we showcase the most effective methods to enhance two-way communication between senior leaders and employees, and lateral communication between senior managers. You will also get best-practice ideas from top companies using face-to-face channels to build trust and engage employees.

• Ingredients for a successful roadshow
• Shaping staff perceptions of leaders
• Make the most of CEO site visits
• Top tips for driving upwards communication

Case study example: How GE Healthcare used employee / executive lunches to foster successful two-way dialogue.

8. Communicaton strategies for new leaders

First impressions are long lasting, so it’s critical for new senior leaders to build relationships during their first few months in office. This chapter outlines the tasks and priorities new senior leaders should focus on during their first 100 days, including examples from practitioners of how communication can support new leaders when initially communicating their vision.

• Leadership priorities in the first 100 days
• Building a “CEO brand”
• Communicating a new vision

9. Taking a long-term approach to senior leadership communication

The current mindset towards senior leadership communication seems to be resolutely focused on short-term, tactical “quick-fixes.” Find out why organizations need to focus on long-term development to change the culture of senior leadership communication.

• Short-term vs. long-term approaches
• The communicator’s role in leadership development
• How to develop a leadership communication strategy

Case study example: In 2001, Sensis’ employees’ morale and engagement levels were at an all-time low. Find out how the development of a leadership communication strategy helped turn the tide.

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