CEO COMMUNICATION
H
aving interviewed over
6,000 candidates for
jobs reporting to CEOs,
and having coached the
candidates who were
hired, I kinda know what ticks CEOs
off day in and day out – and one
thing is how people communicate
with them. This article spells out
three of the most irritating ways
people communicate with CEOs and,
frankly, with all high-level managers.
To make this article less wordy I’ll
refer to communicating with CEOs,
but the points pertain to everyone
who communicates with any high
powered executive.
COMMUNICATIONS IRRITANT #1:
“IT DEPENDS.”
It drives CEOs nuts when they ask
a question and the response is “it
depends.” Of course it depends.
Anyone can say “it depends” as a
response to just about any question
— what’s the weather going to be like,
who do you think will win the ball
game, what do you want to be doing
in five years, will the strategy work?
“It depends” is usually a stalling
technique for people who either
don’t know the answer or don’t want
to tell the truth for fear the CEO
will criticize them.
How To Communicate
With CEOs And Other
Top Executives
BY DR. BRAD SMART CEO, TOPGRADING, INC.
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