What do you do if your mid-career position requires effective communication with senior stakeholders?

Quick tips for talking with top execs from my time at Intelygenz: Focus on what matters to them. - Be brief and clear. - Regular, short updates. - Anticipate their questions. - Welcome their feedback. - Let data do the talking. Works like a charm! ??

To effectively communicate with senior stakeholders in a mid-career position, align your strategies with their priorities and organizational goals. Understand what matters most—be it project outcomes or strategic directions. Communicate clearly and concisely, recognizing their limited time. Prepare thoroughly, anticipate questions, and use relevant data to support your points. Focus on outcomes, showing alignment with organizational objectives and demonstrating tangible results. Proactively seek feedback to refine your approach, build rapport with regular updates, and demonstrate reliability. Effective communication enhances project success and your professional growth.

Tailor my communication style and content to their needs, providing concise, high-level updates that focus on strategic impacts and business outcomes rather than technical details.

A lot of things depend upon the person you are going to talk to. Its vital you know his/her personality and the way he wants to move forward. You must know well his past preferences as well in order to take the matters forward.

Senior stakeholder management can be a rewarding experience as well as can put your career on a growth trajectory, because of the level of the exposure. Hence, plan in advance. Understand deeply the scope/agenda of the conversation, have clarity on what's your unique contribution to it and what expertise you bring to the table. Prepare your piece/contribution diligently and with all honesty and present the most accurate picture you can. Remember your expertise is valuable and that's why you are part of the conversation in the first place.

Prepare for meetings and discussions with a clear agenda. Outline your points and anticipate questions they might have. Always have data and insights ready to support your discussion points.

Em primeiro lugar, prepara??o é imprescindível para qualquer intera??o, especialmente com as partes interessadas. Saber sobre o que se vai conversar, compreender melhor como esta parte interessada pensa, e quais suas dores e desejos, é importante para um conversa produtiva e que o traga para o engajamento.

While getting into a discussion with Sr. Stakeholders - identify your questions prior to that also do some research on what they are expecting from you. It'll help on the time well spent and also it'll give them the assurance that they are fully backed in whatever they need is. so that they can go with their plannings and strategy.

Preparing ahead for effective communication becomes fundamental in this situation: ? Know your audience: Research their priorities, communication style, and goals. ? Anticipate questions: Brainstorm potential concerns and prepare clear, concise answers backed by data. ? Focus on the "why" and the "what": Explain the rationale behind your ideas and the desired outcome. ? Practice your delivery: Rehearse your communication, be it a presentation or a casual conversation, to ensure clarity and confidence.

Two strategies I actively use when communicating with senior stakeholders are (i) the BLUF method - “bottom line up first” and (ii) adopting a “so what?” and “now what?” narrative in my mind when clarifying the points.

Ive always observed that when presenting to the Steering committee or senior management, managers tend to build big slide decks having a lot of unnecessary information. Before presenting, they should ask the following questions a. What is the objective of this meeting? Are we just giving a status update or do we need a decision from this meeting b. Who will be attending this meeting? Is the information that I will be providing them be relevant. The relevant information along with data needs to be provided. For eg. If I am highlighting a risk in the meeting, what is the mitigation plan that is in place and what is the impact to the project if the risk becomes an issue. Most importantly, an agenda should be circulated prior to the meeting.

Less word is better. And usually 3 points are sufficient. 1. What's Needed: Start by clearly stating the purpose of your communication. Whether it's a decision request, risk information, or any other crucial matter, be explicit about what you need from leadership. If needed, provide your own position on the matter. 2. Why It Matters: Explain why you believe this information is crucial. Whether it impacts strategic direction, mitigates risks, or enhances decision-making, articulate the significance behind your message. Back It Up: Support your points with concrete evidence or reputable sources. Data, market research, forecast, industry trends… It strengthens your case and instills confidence in your communication.

A few things to keep in mind, firstly you are part of the conversation because your expertise and your opinion matter. Hence, take note of the following: 1. Keep the messaging crisp and distill the information for the leadership. So, you are crystallizing the most important information for them. 2. Give your opinion or recommendation for them to choose from. Execs appreciate it when a distilled conversation is presented with options to pick from, so they can apply their rounded and upward visibility to pick the best option. 3. Be ready to dive in deeper. Most execs might want to deeply understand a topic or recommendation from you. So be prepared to go into the weeds.

Communicate clearly and directly. Respect their time by getting to the point quickly and avoiding unnecessary details. Speak less, say more.

Practice active listening and reading in the room during the conversation. That gives you the opportunity to tailor your message, based on the conversation in the room. Going with the predefined script might not always be the winning strategy. Take notes if that helps you capture the key learning or hot topics.

Deep listening is one of the best skills you can implement as an employee. Listen to understand, not to respond. When you have a deeper understanding of someone’s intentions, you can develop a strong action plan to ensure their needs are addressed. Schedule regular touchpoints 1 on 1 to get feedback and insights on how to be more effective. Also ask open ended questions and paraphrase to get deeper insights.

Listen -> understand. To understand the needs of your stakeholders, you need to listen and ask the right questions. The collaboration and trust will grow on good foundations.

I have always found listening very important, especially when it comes to stakeholder management. Whether you are at mid level of your career or at a senior level, whenever you are in the same room, listen carefully. It will help you understand their perspective, their context and their expectations clearly. Also it will allow you to contribute better if you know where they are coming from. What’s their viewpoint. In the long run, this will increase respect on both sides and a meaningful impact can be created.

Pay attention to what they say and how they say it. Show engagement by nodding and asking clarifying questions. This demonstrates respect and allows for a deeper understanding of their perspective.

Follow up. The one thing I notice often even the best of people forgetting to do resulting in the non-occurrence of something. After meetings or important communications, send a summary of key points and next steps. This keeps everyone aligned and shows that you value the interaction and its outcomes.

is KEY.. if you are not pro active in the follow up steps, you are dead. The senior stakeholders do not want to chase you for a follow up. Build a link for follow up : with notes shared, meeting summary (action plan).. be structured in the what and the how (follow up)

Remain open to feedback and adjust your communication style to align with their preferences and expectations. Seek opportunities to enhance your communication skills through training, workshops, or mentorship programs. Stay informed about industry trends and relevant topics to engage senior stakeholders with valuable insights. Embrace new technologies and platforms to streamline communication processes and stay ahead in your role.

1. Map out the desired outcomes and quantify the benefits and costs. 2. Consult widely to gain support for any changes to be introduced. 3. Identify gaps and solutions. 4. Do not second guess what the senior stakeholders may prefer, but speak the truth. If the ship is leaking, don't sound the alarm only when it is sinking. 5. Lastly, make sure that self-interest is not standing in the way.

Know them: understand their point of view, style, and approach. Plan ahead: knowing the people you're delivering messages to demonstrates the ability to adapt to different styles. Be concise: make key points and communicate these succinctly and be open to questions. Know the details. Listen actively: Repeat back what someone says if you need to. Confirm your understanding. Follow-up: Ensure any outstanding queries are closed out or follow-up separately to address any questions. Communicate your follow-up to make sure the stakeholders have appropriate visibility. Adapt & Learn: Reflect on what worked and what could have been better to ensure any follow-up communication is targeted and demonstrates your adaptability and understanding.

You can use your network to help you prepare. They may have experience working with (or for) the senior stakeholders, so they can give you valuable insight into what/how messages might land. Your network will include critical friends to help you review and polish your approach and key messages.

In addition to networking,perception and perspectives are really important.perception management requires a much better understanding of the customer sentiments.

Be respectful and make sure your stakeholders know what they aim to achieve in clear milestones. Make sure they know their role in the initiative - making decisions or escalating these where necessary and adapting to fail fast methodology. Make sure you have a capable project manager to liaise between technical teams, management and stakeholders. PM needs to KNOW the business and how to navigate its dysfunctional nuances.

In my experience, when we know we have an upcoming discussion with a senior stakeholders in the company, the key to create a lasting impression and enhance productivity is to prepare clearly for the discussion - what is intended out of the meeting, why am I in that meeting, what is my expected contribution, and my key suggestions. What do they need as management, put yourself in their shoes. Then, find a solution to the situation. It is going to be tough, but wherever we can, offer a solution. Be ready with ideas, if not solutions. Each exposure to the management, is an opportunity which can be seized. And they do notice, more than we think they do. Being proactive is the key.