Chiefly tool: Better communication through better thinking - a short guide for Chiefs of Staff
Refine your thinking and your communication will naturally follow… and your boss will notice!
If you’re a new Chief of Staff, finding yourself suddenly communicating with CXOs and boards can feel like a steep learning curve and a step outside your comfort zone. You might notice that people seem more impatient. They might ask you to get to the point. They might ask very different questions than you’re used to.
However, when it comes to communicating about concepts, decision points, and strategy, you can’t really go wrong with a few key best practices. I’ve seen these work well regardless of industry, sector, domain (and to some extent, culture).
This isn’t about relationship-building and rapport with colleagues - here, I’m specifically talking about when you’re trying to communicate content relating to your company, your work, or your industry. There’s certainly no prescriptive, one-size-fits-all way to talk to colleagues and build trust with them, or even have fun with them.
The first thing I’ll say is that effective communication is rarely about just your words, structure, and delivery. It actually starts much earlier: it starts with better-quality thinking. Master that, and you’ll find that the way you discuss, ideate, and influence changes naturally. The way you write, make documents, and share your thoughts will improve in a noticeable way.
Below, get a copy of a (deceptively simple!) one-pager I’ve put together which blends the best of what I’ve seen in my nearly two decades in consulting and industry, as a Chief of Staff, and in working with top management globally. And if this is a topic you really want to excel at, let’s chat - it comes up a lot in my coaching practice and I love helping people with it!
