Partnering with the C-Suite

“Frequent marketplace disruptions, a global economy, and the accelerating rate of technological change mean that the problems companies now face are more difficult, more complex, and more multidimensional than ever.” 2018 Global Human Capital Trends

Senior leadership cannot afford to live in silos anymore, but instead they need to be open to the experts they have hired. With teams becoming increasingly cross-functional and traditional company hierarchies falling to the wayside, the C-Suite needs to be open to functional team ownership and open conversation. When they do, C-Suite collaboration oftentimes leads to higher growth expectations.  Consider the rapidly shifting market, an integrated leadership team helps the company stay agile and profitable for the long-term and a non-siloed approach helps create and maintain follow-ship which is key to influential leadership and company engagement.  As the C-Suite opens, managers and senior management can add insight and innovation which fuels key decisions and the ability to avoid major disruptions, ride disruptions, and be first to market with products allowing them to capitalize on the profit that comes with each. 

Connecting

The first step to connecting with the C-Suite is learning how the company makes money, beyond simple marketing. Learn how the company completes its mission. From there understand that specific types of relationships are built with different types of C-Suite members. However, a few general principles apply to connecting with all C-Suite members. 

When partnering with the C-Suite, understand that decisions are being made more frequently with teams, not individuals. This should adjust your approach to connecting with your C-Suite leadership. C-Suite leaders are flooded with data but starved for insight and understanding. Bring proof and research to your meetings but be ready to go the extra step if they ask questions or dive into different directions. Know how your data affects them and be able to clearly explain why it should matter and what threat your suggestion resolves and/or creates. Do not waste time answering and asking questions you could and should answer on your own. In effect, choose how you spend their time wisely and understand the C-Suite leader controls the timeline. This may turn into a “hurry up and wait” situation, so do not be discouraged or dissuaded. Instead, be prepared to engage early and hang in there for the long term. 

Be transparent, include the difficult points when talking about issues. Know going digital is dominating C-Suite interactions. One-on-one can be effective but with today’s time constraints and hectic schedules, digital interactions are increasingly preferred, so be flexible to your C-Suite leaders’ preferences. But most importantly, stop being afraid and act like advisors. Converse like peers and team members over the issues, focusing on new and relevant information as you share recommendations. By behaving like a partner, you will be viewed like a partner. Over preparing and spewing a PowerPoint presentation without the ability to discuss all the relevant benefits and shortfalls looks juvenile and can lead to C-Suite frustration. Prepare a 3-minute elevator speech but know your facts so you can speak to whatever the C-Suite may follow-up with. Gain their respect without frustrating their time. 

Talk the Talk

The C-Suite has a unique lingo that leaders will need to understand to partner with them efficiently. It also sets you apart as a team member not an outsider when you use it. Be careful not to pretend, however, if you ruin your credibility with the C-Suite by coming in with a false front, it will be difficult to impossible to gain a partnering relationship later. Instead, be observant and communicate with the C-Suite in the way they prefer; digital, person-to-person, phone, short and direct, detailed and longer, etc. Be a student of your C-Suite leaders. Understand what is and is not important to them. Think like an executive and be prepared to talk at any time. Their time is precious so take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself—within reason. When you do get that opportunity, stick to the facts. Be purposeful and clear to avoid costly mistakes. In short, improving your communication with the C-Suite will help you become a valued member of their team. It will open the doors to future opportunities to partner with them. 

When partnering with the C-Suite, in many ways it is leading up, or in this case, partnering up. To do so become a master of your own self-management (the C-Suite will not look favorably toward a chaotic partner as the maintenance and time consumed through contact would be too great). Be the one to lighten the C-Suite’s load by stepping in where others will not. Do not just manage your team, show the C-Suite you can lead by focusing on people and leading by influence. Improve your relational skills and be prepared every time you take your C-Suite’s time. Learn the finer skill of knowing when to push and when to back-off. Essentially, constantly work on improving yourself.