Vibrancy Unlocked Featured in FastCompany

ALIGN YOUR MESSAGE WITH EXECUTIVE INTERESTS

Sadly, it is not unusual for employees to feel unheard by executives. Executive leaders are often overly busy and distracted by their priorities, not to mention the pressure from shareholders and owners.

As such, I recommend two key strategies for employees to increase the chances of getting their message through. Consider how your message or insight aligns with the executive’s priorities and interests. Doing so can position your message to “help” or “serve” the executive’s needs.

Then, be patient yet politely persistent. Finding the right time to reach out or follow up will increase your odds of connecting. The end of the month or quarter, or late in the budget season, are examples of when you may not want to reach out. If the first time your message doesn’t get through, try another time or try another channel (email, text, notes, in person).

Essentially, what you are doing is sending the right message at the right time via the right channel. For example, if you notice a process is inefficient because an old piece of equipment keeps breaking down, you could share that the company could reduce overtime expenses by getting a new machine. Here, you are aligning your concern—frustration with all the downtime—with an executive’s likely priorities to keep expenses down.

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