Had that feeling your stakeholders said ‘yes’, but won’t follow up?  This can be the difference between success and failure.    What to do?  In my recent conversation with strategic communication expert Paul Ichilcik on Cutting Through, we discussed this issue.  The first step is to know the difference between the advocate and the champion. ↳ An advocate says: “good idea, off you go’. I won’t get in your way. ↳ A champion asks: “how can I help?”  Getting a yes in the meeting is just the beginning.  ↳   Real success requires decision-makers prioritising your initiative. ↳   It requires daily trade-offs.  🥅 The willingness to make those tradeoffs is the real test. 🥅 Go to your favourite podcasting player and search for Cutting Through to hear the full episode. It's the latest one with Paul Ichilcik.

How do we use emotion in senior meetings? The idea of using emotion when communicating with executives is popular but fraught. How do we do it right? This was one of many topics in my most recent Cutting Through podcast. Strategic communication expert Paul Ichilcik and I dove into communication and problem-solving strategies, including emotion. Paul’s insight was fabulous. Here’s what he said: "We're not talking about Hollywood emotion —we're talking about what gets people out of inertia." ↳ The most successful business communications combine methods. ↳ Structured thinking PLUS understanding stakeholder motivations. ↳ Logic gets you in the room. ↳ Understanding their incentives gets you the decision. Here’s the #1 takeaway for you: 🏅 Learn to identify the real drivers behind executive resistance, then … 🏅 Craft messaging that moves people to action. You can hear the full Cutting Through episode on your favourite podcasting player.

My first ‘communication client’ was my university boyfriend, who liked me to help him with his essays. Needless to say, that was a while ago. Since then I’ve helped lots of people from all over the world. I typically help about 500 people a year, so the cumulative number is high! It fascinates me that the challenges people have are so very universal. And it’s all too easy to bake those natural challenges in to form ‘bad habits’. Here are my top 7. Why not pick one and see if you can crack it? Here they are: 1️⃣ Long background. Derails you from your purpose. 2️⃣ Fuzzy messaging. Confuses them, suggesting you haven’t thought everything through. 3️⃣ Leaving the ‘main thing’ until the end. You’ll lose them before you get there. 4️⃣ Numbers, without explanation. Requires your audience to decide what they mean. 5️⃣ Not skimmable. Execs need to skim quickly so they know where to focus. 6️⃣ Topic titles. Waste space as they lack meaning. 7️⃣ Missing the basics. There’s no excuse now. AI can fix typos, grammar, and basic expression. Which one is the hardest to fix?

💡 Writing to think? It's a trap that leads to endless revisions.  Start with clarity on WHY you're communicating and watch your effectiveness soar.  #CommunicationTips #LeadershipSkills #leadershipcommunication

🎯 NEW: "Overcoming Resistance to Training"  Why do your best people resist development? Executive coach Dan Auerbach revealed the psychology:  "For each of these people, there's a safety need that potentially is unmet."  Work WITH resistance, not against it.  Listen now: clarityfirstprogram.com/e13-…  #TrainingResistance #Leadership

How do you want your decision-makers to feel when they open your communication? ❌ Overwhelmed? ✅ Engaged? Turn preparing presentations into a pleasure rather than a chore. Join 10,000 other readers lifting reading the free Clarity Compass newsletter. clarityfirstprogram.com/xnew…

Do you ever catch yourself writing, re-writing, and polishing—only to realize it’s not getting you anywhere? ✍️❌ The trick? Start by asking why you’re communicating. When you clarify your purpose upfront, your writing becomes faster, clearer, and far more impactful. 🚀 My book, Engage, will show you how to do just that. Ready to save time and make your words count? ---------------------------------------------------------------- If you found this useful, join 10,000 other leaders who receive fresh communication ideas each week in my Clarity Compass newsletter. Register here: clarityfirstprogram.com/link… #CommunicationTips #EngageBook #LeadershipGoals #WorkSmarterNotHarder #ClearMessaging #ProfessionalGrowth #DecisionMakingMadeSimple #LeadershipSkills

Clients often tell me they want their teams to communicate more insightfully. What does that look like? You might be asked to ... 🤔 Be more strategic 🤔 Say more with fewer words 🤔 Be clearer 🤔 Be more insightful While these are all good things to aim for, they are a bit vague. Instead, try focusing more on the messaging than on the document itself. Here's how: ✅ Analyse your context (thinking about how your topic fits within the strategy) ✅ Define the decision you need (get hyper specific, don't just throw an update together) ✅ Map your messaging (forget the document for now, just think about what you would say if you bumped into the CEO in the cafe) ✅ Iterate to lock it in (test the messaging, not the document, with stakeholders) ✅ Build your document ... at the very last. ONLY after your messaging is locked in. The formalities of business meetings and governance can get in the way of great communication. Strip it back to basics and focus on the messaging. The documents will take care of themselves (and hopefully the decisions will too).

CAN board papers go from feeling like a chore to a catalyst for a wonderfully productive conversation? The difference between frustration and success is clear:  ❌ Rambling → Rabbit holes   ❌ No point of view → Confusion   ❌ Data dump → Delays OR   ✅ Clarity → Decisive action ✅ Clear perspective → Curiosity  ✅ Cohesive case → Fast decisions  After decades helping executives communicate, I've seen how shifting your mindset transforms results.  Ready to turn your board papers from dreaded tasks into powerful tools? Discover a new approach to executive communication. clarityfirstprogram.com/book… #BoardCommunication #ExecutiveMessaging #CommunicationStrategy #DecisionMaking #ClarityFirst

Even good docs can get in the way of good decisions. Today's coaching session was revealing. My client, a deeply experienced tech PM, came with a well-structured and elegantly written one-pager. At first glance, I thought I had very little opportunity to help. I was honestly conflicted. On the one hand I was chuffed that 'Fred' had taken on board the lessons I had shared with his group so well. On the other, I was bothered at the lack of material to work with to help him and his colleagues level up further. But then, the story came out. 💥 The action plan that was laid out so elegantly was only part of the story. It missed the reasons why this was the right plan, which would have led to convoluted discussions and a questionable decision. In staying in the safe place with recommending actions, Fred was missing a wonderful opportunity to engage his leaders in the potential of his program area. Getting this messaging right gave him the opportunity to really sell his plan. 👉 The 'why' is the easiest thing to miss. 👉 It can feel obvious to you as the author and at the same time can be really hard to articulate. It is, though, where the real decision-making value lies. ✅ So, the next time you go to send out a list of actions in your recommendation go a step further. Ask yourself .... why are these the right actions? -------------------------------------------------------------------- If you found this useful, join 10,000 other leaders who receive fresh communication ideas each week in my Clarity Compass newsletter. Register here: clarityfirstprogram.com/xnew…

Every now and then I meet someone and think, I must interview them for Cutting Through, my occasional communication podcast. Russell King, whom I met recently via an online course, fits that bill. I wanted to learn from him, and I thought you might like to as well. Asking people to pay for things that were previously free isn’t easy! And yet, Russell successfully persuaded New South Wales public transport users to start paying, with barely a peep of resistance. Not only that, he laid the groundwork for one of London’s busiest underground commuter systems, the Northern Line. He brought decades of public policy experience to this, honed by being an elected official in the UK. In our conversation, Russell shared several things that I think you will find useful while throwing in a few cricket terms too. We discussed … ▶️ How to gain stakeholder buy-in well before you pitch anything. He calls this ‘rolling the pitch’. Imagine getting the field ready before a game. ▶️ How to navigate decade-long-term projects that could fail at any point should community support dissipate. ▶️ The importance of verifying and explaining thoroughly. Assumptions about understanding and positions can be very damaging. ▶️ Why you must prepare for performance dips after any initial implementation goes live. Look for CUTTING THROUGH on your favourite podcast players or YouTube, or go to my website, where you can also find the show notes. clarityfirstprogram.com/podc… -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you found this useful, join 10,000 other leaders who receive fresh communication ideas each week in my Clarity Compass newsletter. Register here: clarityfirstprogram.com/link…

Assuming writing board reports is about 'writing' misses the point. It's about decision-making. And decision-making is about good ideas. So the next time you sit down to write a doc or deck for your senior leaders, focus on the ideas instead. How will you convey ideas that will get a smart, fast decision? ✅ Focus on the messaging first. ✅ The document will come quickly and easily once the messaging is clear. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you found this useful, join 10,000 other leaders who receive fresh communication ideas each week in my Clarity Compass newsletter. Register here: clarityfirstprogram.com/xnew…

The second most common request I get from executives: "Help me create presentations faster." They want to spend less time on decks and more time on strategic work. This requires intentional tradeoffs. Here's what I suggest: Minimize these ... ↳ Perfect phrasing ↳ Perfect formatting ↳ Excessive polish Prioritize these ... ↳ Accurate data ↳ Strong synthesis ↳ Actionable insights The goal isn't perfect communication. The goal is great decisions. Comment below what you think the #1 goal is, and I'll send you my latest cheat sheet. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you found this useful, join 10,000 other leaders who receive fresh communication ideas each week in my Clarity Compass newsletter. Register here: clarityfirstprogram.com/xnew…

Do you have a love-hate relationship with communication templates too? How do you make them work FOR you, not AGAINST you? ▶️ Templates are superb for collecting information. ↳ The layout is clear and familiar ↳ All the necessary topics are covered ↳ You don't need to think too hard about what to include. ❌ However, they have HUGE drawbacks when it comes to communication. ↳ You are less likely to think when 'filling it in' ↳ Insights can be buried inside the boxes ✅ Here's how to get the most out of them: ↳ Craft a compelling story in the executive summary section (if there is one) ↳ Turn each section into a mini story, with a main message for each one ↳ Add and delete sections that are not relevant to you, to avoid drowning decision-makers in unnecessary stuff Despite being a mixed blessing, you can make templates work for you. --------------------------------------------------------- If you found this useful, join 10,000 other leaders who receive fresh communication ideas each week in my Clarity Compass newsletter. Register here: clarityfirstprogram.com/xnew…

What's going on when you pitch an idea to your C-suite and they say, "Keep us posted?" What's really going on? 👇 Your decision-makers are really saying this: ➡ You aren't clear about the value. ➡ You don't sound confident, so why should we be? ➡ We aren't confident you have fully thought this through. So, trust your instincts. Pitch your idea only if these two things are in place: ✅ You can sum up your idea in a single sentence which includes the value your idea will bring. ✅ You would put your own time or money into this idea if your personal budget were at stake. 💥 If you can't persuade yourself, you are unlikely to persuade your C-suite. 💥 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you found this useful, join 10,000 other leaders who receive fresh communication ideas each week in my Clarity Compass newsletter. Register here: clarityfirstprogram.com/xnew…

Which of these communication challenges are the hardest to avoid? 🤦‍♀️ Failure to define the outcome this doc or deck must deliver 🤦‍♀️ Not getting a solid brief before you start 🤦‍♀️ Rushing to write immediately 🤦‍♀️ Giving up, saying 'that will do', when it gets hard to properly connect the dots for the audience 🤦‍♀️ Reviewing whole docs or decks before the messaging is locked down 🤦‍♀️ Following old habits to structure the doc or deck rather than structuring it to match the messaging flow 🤦‍♀️ Using passive and inconsistent language Comment below. I'm curious to know. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you found this useful, join 10,000 other leaders who receive fresh communication ideas each week in my Clarity Compass newsletter. Register here: clarityfirstprogram.com/link…

CEOs drowning in board paper revisions doesn’t have to be the ‘norm’.   There is a better way 👇 👇👇 I've witnessed leaders transform from spending days rewriting hundreds of pages to reviewing documents in just 15 minutes.   This dramatic shift isn't about cutting corners. It's about clarity-first communication.  ↳ Focus on the decision first, document last ↳ Help your team know what they need to communicate about and why before they draft anything ↳ Resist using Track Changes until the very last minute so you can focus on the big ideas, not tiny tweaks Clarity-first communication means ... ↳ Empowering your teams to write docs and decks you can review quickly ↳ Investing your review time being constructive rather than critical ↳ Getting your nights and weekends back Focusing on clarity first helps you and your teams, even when none of you particularly love preparing the docs and decks essential to your results. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you found this useful, join 10,000 other leaders who receive fresh communication ideas each week in my Clarity Compass newsletter. Register here: clarityfirstprogram.com/xnew… #executiveefficiency #communicationtransformation #clarityfirst #businesscommunication #structuredcommunication

If you are working nights and weekends to rework your team's docs and decks ... ask yourself why. Here's how to change that dynamic 👇 👇 👇 This might seem a bit rough, but ... Could it be the leaders' fault that they end up working harder on their team's docs and decks than the team does? ↳ The exec throws together a draft ↳ The leader rewrites it ▶️ The exec thinks this is normal ↳ The exec delivers a pre-read ↳ The leadership team bends their brains to understand it ▶️ The exec gets a decision anyway Sure, it's better to feel good about our communication, but ultimately if you get the outcome you need, all good, right? Sort of. Here's what's happening. Those execs preparing 'ok' docs and decks are often not materially worse communicators than their peers. And when leaders rework the docs and decks, they carry the load for their team and reinforce it. Many think that is their job. By continuing to work late at night and at weekends reviewing and reworking their team's communication, these leaders are setting up the wrong incentives. ↳ The team isn't incentivised to prepare outstanding communication. ↳ The leader is also stuck doing their team's jobs for them. The way to flip the script is to change the way you think and work. Here's how to do that: ▶️ Give the team a better brief at the beginning ▶️ Mandate that they give you a one-pager with the key messaging first so you can quickly provide input ▶️ Create an expectation that no docs or decks will be prepared until the messaging is clear and insightful Here's a challenge for you. 💥 Where do the incentives lie in your team? 💥 Are you setting your team up to draft poor-quality docs and decks because they know you will redo them anyway? ------------------------------------------------------------------ If you found this useful, join 10,000 other leaders who receive fresh communication ideas each week in my Clarity Compass newsletter. Register here: clarityfirstprogram.com/link…

Do you put your head in your hands when you think about reviewing your team's draft docs? Don't know where to start? Here's a left-of-center idea. 👇 👇👇 ❌ Don't let them send you a full document to review. ✅ Ask them to map their messaging on a single, highly structured page Review THAT instead. ✅ When the messaging is 'nailed down', then ask them to flip it into a doc or a deck. 💥 Don't torture yourself by negotiating important messaging inside docs or decks.💥 Comment 'ONE-PAGER' below and I'll send you mine. -------------------------------------------------------------- If you found this useful, join 10,000 other leaders who receive fresh communication ideas each week in my Clarity Compass newsletter. Register here: clarityfirstprogram.com/xnew…

🚫 Tired of late-night rewrites? Here's how to get your nights back 👇 👇 My bet is this is what's happening: ❇︎ Someone asks you to draft a doc or a deck ❇︎ That someone gives you a pretty scant brief ❇︎ The author dives in and starts writing ❇︎ The author sends it to you for your input ❇︎ Your day is jammed, so it's night before you get to look at it ... And then ... it's hard to know where to start. You know they have ... ❇︎ Made quite some effort ❇︎ Included lots of relevant information ❇︎ Done their best But you also know it won't engage decision-makers in the way you need it to. So, you are stuck. You ... ❇︎ Don't want to stomp on their effort ❇︎ Can't call to ask questions as it's night ❇︎ Have to dive deep to know what's being said ❇︎ End up rewriting Here's how you shift that dynamic. 💥 Ask them to deliver their messaging to you as a well-structured one-pager before they write their doc. This makes it fast and easy for you to review during work hours. This ... ✨ Cuts review time in half ✨ Boosts team confidence ✨ Gets faster decisions Comment 'one-pager' in the comments, and I'll send you mine. ----------------------------------------- If you found this useful, join 10,000 other leaders who receive fresh communication ideas each week in my Clarity Compass newsletter. Register here: clarityfirstprogram.com/link… #Leadership #BusinessTips #CommunicationSkills #TeamSuccess #WorkSmarter #LeadershipCoach #ProfessionalGrowth #BusinessAdvice