How to work with the executive team

At some point in your leadership journey, you will be asked to meet the executive team.

How do you work with them, and make a good impression? Let’s dive in.

Who are the executive team?

When you are a team leader of one of the very many teams in a company, the executive team may appear like a distant unreachable or untouchable part of the organisation.

Sometimes that is the case, unfortunately. And it’s not the bestest of signs if such a team distances themselves from the rest, giving the impression they are exclusive.

Let’s go with the view that the executive team is approachable and visible, though.

The executive team are the company’s directors and C-suite members. Depending on the company, the executive team may be small – e.g. 5 members, or quite extensive and have more than 15 members.

What’s their role? In general, they are responsible for making decisions related to running the company. They are responsible for the financial aspects, organisational structure, decisions on which initiatives to embark on, which risks to address and how…

It goes without saying that they are busy and under a lot of pressure.

So how do you work with the executive team?

The Dos and Don’ts of working with the executive team

I am keen to make sure you see the executive team as human beings who are part of the company. Yes, they are important but fundamentally they are like you and me.

The question that I like asking myself when I about to encounter a member of an executive team is how I can make their life less stressful or chaotic. Or in other words: which actions of mine may add to their workload (and it goes without saying that no one likes that).

Here’s how I work with the C-suite and directors:

• I respect their time and attention. What this means: the information I share is consise, specific and clear. If I need to create a report, I don’t make it 15 pages long but summarise it on one page or slide.
• I anticipate their questions. What this means: I literally ask myself “What does the [CIO] need to know in the first 2 mins of speaking with me?”, and work off that. This means that my summary slide or page addresses these questions before they are asked.
• “Why are we meeting? What can I help you with?” What this means: my introduction to a meeting with an executive member often starts with a clear indication what I would like achieve during the conversation. For example I specify that I would like to present a couple of options with pros and cons, and I’d like a steer on which option to go for. Therefore, I’d like to conclude a meeting with a decision if possible.
• No surprises. What this means: whenever I can, I give the executive team member(s) heads up what I want to discuss with them. This translates into sending the material that we will go through in advance, and into providing clear agenda in a meeting invite along with the material to be covered. Even if the invitees don’t read everything, I have provided the detail in advance of the conversation and given them an opportunity to check it beforehand.

Photo by Teemu Paananen on Unsplash

What won’t help when working with your directors?

The executive team is busy and lots of things require their attention. And so one of the worst things you can do when working with the executive team is make their day even more chaotic and leave them confused.

If you come unprepared, they will lose interest in what you’re saying. If you fumble your words trying to explain your point, they may get impatient. I practice with an imaginary audience what I want to put across before my meeting, thus checking if my explanation flows and is coherent.

Don’t overload the meeting or conversation with lots of bullet points or busy slides. Think coherence and being succinct – this is what gets you the attention and support of an executive team.

Lastly, it may be tempting to crack a joke. Do it ONLY if you have dealt with the executive team members long and often enough for them not to be baffled by it. I’d suggest erring on the safe side, and keeping a pleasant and professional decorum.

---

Working with an executive team may be daunting initially.

Sticking to the standards of keeping information clear and consise, of minimising surprises, and maintaining a profressional attitude will definitely get you set on the right foot.

What would you advise an aspiring leader how to best approach working with an executive team? Let us know in the comments!

Feature image credit Photo by Benjamin Child on Unsplash