5 Rules for Communicating Effectively with Executives

Summary

The video outlines five key rules for communicating effectively with executives: 1) Avoid excessive details and instead focus on big picture goals and outcomes; 2) Exude confidence in your ideas and abilities; 3) Have purposeful, business-focused conversations that demonstrate you understand their priorities; 4) Adopt longer time frames in your thinking and planning; 5) Exercise business acumen - understand the organization's vision and how you specifically can contribute value.

Takeaways

• 😀 Executives aren't interested in day-to-day minutiae. Focus on big picture ideas and strategy.
• 😎 Exude confidence when speaking to executives. Believe in the value you provide.
• 💡 Have rainmaking conversations - discuss ideas that drive profit and growth.
• ⏰ Think long-term. Adopt the decade+ timeframes executives use.
• 🤝 Don't try too hard to impress.Aim to be invited into their inner circle.
• ❓ Avoid asking irrelevant questions that force them to provide background.
• 📝 Don't rely too much on scripts or slides. Know your material cold.
• 😊 Communicate at their level with business acumen, not as an employee.
• ✨ Package your experience into strategic ideas that achieve their vision.
• 👌 Tailor your communication style and value proposition specifically to them.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose is to share the five rules for effectively communicating with executives in order to get into their inner circle.

What does 'escaping the minutiae' mean in the context of communicating with executives?

It means not getting bogged down in the day-to-day details and routines. Executives are focused on bigger picture strategy and results rather than implementation tactics.

Why is exuding confidence important when communicating with executives?

Confidence gives executives assurance in your abilities and ideas. It transfers certainty so they can have confidence in your competency.

What are some common mistakes people make when communicating with executives?

Asking irrelevant questions, rambling on too long, relying too much on notes/slides, not knowing the details cold, trying to impress rather than provide value.

How can you demonstrate business acumen when communicating with executives?

Understand the company's vision and goals, provide ideas focused on profit/growth/impact rather than just identifying problems, show how your skills/experience can drive strategic outcomes.

Why is it important to match the timeframes executives use?

Executives have longer timeframes, thinking in terms of decades or lifetimes. Matching their timeline perspective shows strategic thinking.

What does the speaker recommend if you want executive-level communication coaching?

She recommends booking a call with her or her team to explore personalized coaching and support.

What is the essence of achieving effective communication with executives?

Getting into their inner circle, which is by invitation only. Following these rules helps earn that invitation.

Why should you not communicate from an 'implementer's landscape' with executives?

Because executives are focused on leadership, vision and strategy - not tactical implementation. Adjusting your communication is key.

What is the benefit of subscribed to the speaker's YouTube channel?

Subscribing enables you to receive regular video updates covering executive career tips, communication advice and interview preparation.

Outlines

00:00

😊 Escaping the Minutiae

The first rule is to escape the minutiae. Executives are not focused on day-to-day implementation details. To move to a leadership role, you must adopt an executive mindset beyond daily checklists and tasks.

05:00

😎 Exuding Unshakable Confidence

The second rule is to exude absolute confidence when speaking to executives. They want to feel certainty in your abilities, so you must communicate the value you bring while conveying self-assurance.

10:02

💰 Executing Rainmaking Conversations

The third rule is to have profit-focused rainmaking conversations. Understand what drives the business's success and speak at the executive level about staying competitive and profitable.

⏰ Elongating Your Time Frames

The fourth rule is operating with elongated time frames, like executives do. They use decade or lifetime long horizons. Communicate using their expanded time perspectives to establish trust.

📈 Exercising Business Acumen

The fifth rule is to demonstrate business acumen. Adopt an owner mentality, focus on the company's vision and goals, and showcase how your skills can help achieve them.

Keywords

💡minutiae

Minutiae refers to small, precise, and often unimportant details. The video advises avoiding getting bogged down in minutiae when communicating with executives, who are focused on big picture vision and strategy rather than day-to-day implementation details. An example from the script is "executives aren't worried about the minutiae which means the day-to-day routines".

💡confidence

Having unshakable confidence is crucial when communicating with executives, who want to see that you truly believe in and stand behind what you are saying. The script notes "they need to feel your certainty so that they can have certainty in your competency and your ability to be in dynamic relationship with them".

💡rainmaking

Rainmaking refers to the ability to attract new business and opportunities. When speaking with executives, it's important to have rainmaking conversations that create value and align with their goals of profitability and market relevance.

💡time frames

Operating with elongated time frames means thinking long-term rather than being restricted to short-term goals and plans. Executives use expanded time frames of lifetimes or decades, so communicating effectively requires adopting this big picture perspective.

💡business acumen

Business acumen refers to having a keen understanding of how businesses operate, make decisions and prioritize to achieve profitability and success in the market. To connect with executives, you must demonstrate business acumen rather than just focusing on day-to-day problems.

💡inner circle

An executive's inner circle refers to the small, select group of advisors and leaders that an executive trusts and relies upon. The video notes that "it really is by invitation only" to become part of this exclusive inner circle.

💡implementers

Implementers are individuals responsible for the day-to-day work required to turn plans into concrete results and completed projects. The video contrasts implementers with executives, who focus on big-picture vision and strategy.

💡uncertainty

Uncertainty refers to doubt, instability and lack of confidence. Effective communication requires transferring your certainty and confidence in yourself to the executive to displace any uncertainty they may have about you or your ideas.

💡value

Communicating value means clearly conveying to executives how your skills, ideas and contributions will further their goals and bottom line. Rather than focusing on tasks, you must illustrate the unique value you provide.

💡vision

Vision refers to the overarching goals and direction executives establish for driving business growth and success. Communicating effectively requires aligning your conversations and contributions with advancing the organization's vision.

Highlights

Escaping the minutiae and not focusing on day-to-day routines or to-do lists

Executives aren't worried about implementation details, they focus on bigger picture strategy

Exude unshakable confidence when communicating with executives

Execute rainmaking conversations focused on business value, profitability, and staying competitive

Avoid asking irrelevant questions, speaking too long, relying on notes, or trying to impress

Know your subject matter deeply instead of trying to impress executives

Operate with longer time frames like decades instead of months or years

Align your thinking and communication to executives' longer-term vision

Adopt a business owner mindset instead of just an employee mindset

Focus conversations on achieving core business goals and adding marketplace value

Demonstrate you understand the company's purpose and how you specifically contribute

Package your experience into clear business value instead of listing accomplishments

Shift from focusing on problems to focusing on the company's core vision

Apply your functional expertise to help the business achieve strategic goals

Cultivate genuine business acumen beyond just functional skills

Transcripts

if you've ever tried to communicate

effectively with executives you'll

notice that they are sometimes speaking

a different language definitely the way

they approach communication and the way

they expect to be to be communicated too

is a whole different landscape so in

this video what i want to share with you

are the five rules when it comes to

effectively communicating with

executives right and when it comes to

you wanting to talk to executives keep

in mind that essentially the essence of

what you're trying to achieve is to get

into their inner circle how to be a

member of that inner circle and it

really is by invitation only right so

here are the five steps the five rules

actually to effectively communicate with

executives and by the way if you enjoy

this topic give me a thumbs up and

remember to subscribe to my channel ring

that bell as well so you can receive

notifications every time i release

videos like this every single week so

the five rules for speaking with

executives let's not waste time rule

number one is escape the minutiae

here's what i mean by that executives

aren't worried about the minutiae which

means the day-to-day routines right we

are always worried about day-to-day

routines in fact we've been programmed

to concentrate on our to-do list what we

have to do every day all the single

things every single thing that we do

every day and we've been programmed to

want to try to impress executives by

showing them all the different things we

do and then therefore whenever we speak

with someone and we try to become

impressive we share how many things

we've done how many projects we've

achieved and all the different programs

that we've introduced all the different

pro projects that we have completed that

is the new shay and that's not what

they're interested in because when it

comes to minutiae that is for a certain

group of people it's for the doers the

implementers in the marketplace but you

don't want to stay at implementation you

don't really you don't want to be the

person who does the thing and that's not

where the executives are executives

aren't in the implementation stage of

their career so if you want to move to

the next level and demonstrate to your

executives that you are worthy of

leadership this is where you have to

escape the minutiae because this is

where you got to start to adopt the

mindset of not operating from the

implementers landscape anymore right so

rule number one escape the minutiae

which leads us to rule number two

and the second rule is to exude

unshakable confidence because let's face

it when you're in front of executives

and you're communicating with them

sharing them with your ideas trying to

illustrate and communicate the value you

have to bring they want to know that you

believe in what you're talking about

because that gives them confidence in

any conversation that you're going to

have with executives it is going to be a

transference uncertainty they need to

feel your certainty so that they can

have certainty in your competency and

your ability to be in dynamic

relationship with them so this is

important when it comes to having

confidence that you are standing in

front of the executives and in no way at

all do you feel that you are inferior to

them this is extremely important you

cannot give or exude any energy or any

or any body language or any language as

well by word choice that you are

inferior to them that you are looking up

to them because that is not exuding

confidence so when it comes to how do we

do this

exuding that unshakable confidence this

is where you are communicating exactly

the value that you have to bring but you

got to believe in that value yourself

and you have to know exactly how the

value you are about to offer is

certainly going to serve them to what

they value in this organization right so

that is rule number two that is exude

unshakable confidence which takes us to

rule number three is to execute rain

making conversations

when you are at the executive level this

is where it's important what are they

focused on they want to be able to make

the business money they want to be

profitable they want to stay relevant in

that marketplace so it is very important

that you execute rain making

communications this is about go speaking

on them speaking towards them at their

level not on the level that you've been

used to operating it requires a

completely different set of

communication skills

some of the some of the biggest mistakes

that i see career professionals making

when they are communicating with

executives are for example asking too

many questions or irrelevant questions

right another mistake big mistake is

going on for too long sharing the

minutiae or stretching out their

communications another mistake that i

see is they are making the executives

explain the background to them when they

should already know another mistake that

i see is refl relying too much on notes

writing a script or slides when they

need to refer to it right which leads to

the next biggest mistake that i see very

often is not knowing their stuff real

cold

right and finally the biggest mistake

that i see also is trying to impress the

executives because when you are

communicating with your executives it's

about how do i get into their inner

circle by invitation only so that's you

and you are noticing as i'm going

through this list of biggest mistakes

that you're noticing for yourself that

yeah i really do that i write a script

oh yeah i'm really i'm reading from my

notes i am asking a lot of questions i'm

not sure if i'm going on too long if you

are finding and resonating with this

then i invite you to get some support

right i have experience leading

executives to land their most desired

desired positions in their industry and

also how they can communicate

effectively with their bosses and their

bosses bosses as well so if you want

that coaching and you're serious about

taking your career to executive levels

then invite you to book a call with me

there is a link in the description below

this video direct link where you can

fill out an application and this is

where either myself or someone from my

team is going to get on a call to speak

directly with you to explore whether or

not we can definitely work together and

it is the right fit for both of us so if

you're serious about achieving these

outcomes then book a call and look

forward to seeing you on the inside

which takes us to rule number four

elongate your time frames right what do

i mean by that

everybody operates on certain time

frames it's just what we're used to our

default mode right so let me give you an

example

how how many of you you know when you're

watching this video

do you resonate with planning the year

year by year what am i going to do next

year what are my next year's goals what

do i hope to achieve by next year if

that's you and that resonates with you

the most then chances are your time

frame is year by year right however

there are some individuals and maybe

this is you right maybe you make a

five-year plan right you and your your

your partner or your spouse right and

your and your teammates maybe you're

used to making the five-year plan and

you review that plan and so if that's

you and you resonate with that then your

time frame is five years right five year

time frame everybody has a time frame

that they're most comfortable with

operating so this is where you got to

know what has been your time frame what

has it been

and you will find evidence that's coming

true in your life what your time frames

have been and you will notice that as

you progress through your career you're

an ambitious career professional you'll

notice that when you progress through

your career from college from recent

graduate from junior member mid-level

manager and now you're about to step

into executive you will notice that

necessarily in order to get to each

subsequent level that you needed to

expand your time frames

maybe when you got your first job out of

college your time frame was operating on

a paid check to paycheck basis in other

words month to month

but now you're operating year by year or

five years by five years but executives

operate from much elongated time frames

compared to you

they operate from lifetimes

they are free from time frames that are

lifetimes long or decades long so this

is where it's important if you want to

communicate effectively with your

executives that you operate and you

communicate with them with their time

frames as well and in that way you can

really truly demonstrate that you're

thinking on their level that you are one

of theirs a peer of theirs when you're

able to communicate with someone at

their time frames

it's inspiring it feels like familiarity

and they can trust you as well that you

can think in alignment with the vision

comment below i want to hear from you

which rule so far did you resonate with

the most are there ones in particular

that you never thought of that are quite

intriguing so comment below i want to

hear from you and if you haven't done so

already remember to subscribe because

every single week i release videos where

i talk about executive level positions

interviews how to take your career to

the next level and very important skills

when it comes to communication so

remember to subscribe and i look forward

to hanging out with you in my next video

and the fifth and final rule is to

exercise business acumen

because at the executive level they want

what is the next best thing for this

organization they're looking for the

next best thing right it's important

that you don't just focus on problems

but you actually see the reason why this

business exists

what exactly are they trying to achieve

in terms of the big picture vision and

chances are the vision involves some

sort of profit some sort of shift in

market some sort of value that they add

into the marketplace so this is where

you're going to wear your business owner

hat

right you are no longer operating from

an employee mindset you got to start to

operate and think from their

perspectives bring forth your business

acumen not necessarily focusing on

problems but focusing on what are we

trying to achieve here and how is the

value that i'm the skills that i've had

as an implementer for the past few years

and therefore as a manager how am i

going to use all of these experiences

and real life work history that i've had

and how am i going to package it in such

a way that i can demonstrate i

understand why i exist in this company

and exactly how my skills my knowledge

my expertise and my experience how all

of those things combine to help them

achieve their business goals what is

that right so these are the five rules

for talking to executives i look forward

to hanging out with you in the next

video

[Music]

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