Communicating with Executives

What’s the best way to set the meeting up for success?

• Jump into the details

• Provide clear objectives for the meeting

• Warm the crowd with a funny story

• Recap actions taken since the last touchpoint

What’s not an important consideration when getting into the right mindset for an exec update?

• Using accurate and precise language

• Balancing excitement with credibility

• Showing you understand the material and have good judgment

• Avoiding details at all costs

When “providing an update on an initiative,” what are two key components to speak to? (select 2)

(a)   (b)  

• What it’s worth
• How it’s going
• Both the 50K- and 1K-level view

• An overview of the problem and solution

When sharing “what it’s worth” in an update, which of the following is not a helpful way to explain the “worth”?

• Absolute vs. relative scale

• Solution-first orientation

• Cause & effect connection

• Before and after visualization

When sharing “how it’s going” in an update, where should you start?

• Build up to the answer by talking through each milestone to date

• Speak to mitigation or amplification efforts based on the current progress

• Lead with the answer, regardless of whether progress is good or bad

• Joke by saying, “It's going well. How are you?”

What are a couple great ways to break down the progress on an initiative?

• Use “waterfalls” and “bridges”

• Focus only on the positive aspects

• Always start with the bad news

• Plot the progress on a 2 x 2

What’s one way to show Execs that the working team has a strong understanding of the initiative?

• Polish every doc to ensure it’s “exec ready”

• Resurface the RAPID and emphasize each person’s role on the team

• Share learnings to date, and how the team will adjust course based on those learnings

• Send bi-weekly updates to all relevant stakeholders

When “pitching an idea” to execs, where should you start the discussion?

• Ensure the exec is in a good mood

• Always lead with the solution

• First align on the problem

• Lead with “how” you’ll solve the problem

What are the components of the 2x2 framework Dan suggested using when pitching an idea?

• Horizontal axis: Absolute & relative scale

  Vertical axis: Cause & effect

• Horizontal axis: Problem & solution

  Vertical axis: 50K & 1K altitudes

• Horizontal axis: Time horizon

  Vertical axis: Size of Prize (SOP)

• Horizontal axis: Cats

  Vertical axis: Dogs

Which of these is not one of the things you should do when preparing for a meeting?

• Look into the mirror and “power pose” for at least 10 min before the meeting

• Ensure you have a plan B

• Use a simple, memorable statement for everyone to walk away with

• Think about how you feel about what you’re saying