Know what to say

Executive communications are easy to understand but can be challenging to successfully navigate. For the most part, executives want simple, fast, easy-to-understand answers that convey that the work you are undertaking has a significant positive impact that will be realized in the corporate or financial reporting period that they have on their mind at the time of your discussion, but what does that mean?

Your answers should be short and convey the strategic area in which you and your team are working in and that the quantified positive impact will be above the financial or operational threshold they care about in the next reporting period, which is typically a calendar quarter or possibly in time for the next board meeting, or both.

I was in a meeting recently where an executive told a team leader that he was not interested in the project if it did not deliver a positive $20 million impact in the next quarter. In the following month, the project was sidelined...