Cynosura

Meet the Executive Team

One of the methods that has been used in a number of organisations has been described as ‘Meet the boss’, ‘Meet the CEO’ or ‘Meet the Executive Team’.  The success of these events depends upon the degree of planning that goes into them.  Unfortunately in most cases they are seen as a good idea by a new CEO coming in to the organisation and are not properly thought through.

Methods

There are a number of different methods that fall under this title:

• Briefings – sometimes called company-wide briefings where all staff are gathered in one large hall to receive a briefing by the senior executives
• Walkabouts – where the senior executive walks around the premises talking to people
• Breakfast or lunchtime meetings – usually with small groups of selected people
• Webinar or video conference – where the senior executive is available for a short period of time to answer questions
• Biographies – usually on the website, intranet or internal newsletter.

Biographies

The simplest form of meet the executive team but not really a true description of meeting senior executives.  Nevertheless it has a role to play in internal communications.

This is where the senior executive has a piece written about themselves.  This could be as simple as a set of biographical details usually found online in the corporate governance or ‘about us’ section of a website.  Typically this consists of a photograph and brief biographical details of the person concerned.  The trick is not to make it too quirky and include lots of personal information.  As a serious organisation what you will want to portray is the image of a capable and successful leader.

You should ask yourself who you intend to include and who will be left out.  For example, if you are a very large organisation do you want to include every Vice-President or Partner in the organisation?  Could it be limited to the Board and/or top three members of the Executive Board?  Ask yourself; why is it important anyway?  Does it serve any purpose and who are the stakeholders you are trying to address?  If this is on your website then you should consider the external stakeholders as well.

The other format is something like, ‘a day in the life of’ which will feature in the internal newsletter/magazine; or an interview or question an answer.  Of the latter two it is easy for the article to come across as self serving and ingratiating.  There must be a clear purpose linked to a new initiative, major change or change of personnel to make it relevant.

Here are some interesting examples for you to peruse;

http://www.dongenergy.com/EN/About%20us/Meet_our_CEO/Pages/default.aspx

http://jeremy14120.tripod.com/id13.html

http://www.mclaren.org/body.cfm?id=165

http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/Corp/ExecMgtTeam.cvsp

You might want to ask yourself what each group was trying to achieve by the way in which they present their executives and at whom they were pitching their message.

Webinar or video conference

This is more likely to be used in the same way as a breakfast or lunchtime event.  It will be limited in time, perhaps only half an hour to an hour in duration and should be limited to a selected number of employees.  It is used most effectively when an organisation has multiple sites worldwide.  Beware the employee that cannot speak the same language as the CEO, so if necessary have an interpreter available if it is deemed necessary. 

Aim, with your video conference to lay down some basic rules; for example, questions should not be local issues but should be of a companywide or strategic nature.  Remember that a local or team manager will handle questions about parking spaces, repairing a broken fork-lift etc, the senior executive is there to answer wider questions not be an instant problem solver.

Make sure that the time is limited, possibly 30 minutes but unlikely to be more than an hour.  Also make sure that you select the people carefully (more of this below).

Breakfast or lunchtime meetings

These require a lot of planning but do reap rewards depending upon how carefully you plan them.

• Best used by small to medium sized organisations.  If dealing with a large worldwide organisation then consider how you get to people in other countries; unless senior executives are making very regular trips to each country site
• Be very clear that if your organisation has a charismatic or high profile CEO or if you come from a country where hierarchy matters then the impact of these events will have repercussions all of their own.  Imagine the junior person who goes back to his line manager and says ‘well when I was talking to the CEO he said it was alright to . . .’
• If you do them once then make them regular events.  If you do them irregularly then make them special events and choose those you intend to invite even more carefully
• Plan out who you intend to invite.  Get this bit wrong and you can create huge upset.  It is often better to start by planning out the levels you intend to invite.  Will you keep it to middle and senior managers?  Will you invite frontline staff?  Will you mix them up so that there are senior managers and frontline staff in the same meeting?  Do you invite those people who have been given awards or special recognition?   Only you can answer these questions because they depend upon the size and culture of your organisation as well as the nature of the senior executive involved
• How many people do you invite?  The ideal number should be quite small; perhaps 6 if you are dealing with middle to senior managers and no more than 10/12 if you have more junior people present 
• Give them plenty of notice i.e. at least a week and don’t suddenly surprise people with a request to meet the boss!
• Where do you hold it?  Don’t make it too lavish or too basic.  It could be in a small medium priced restaurant or a hotel meeting room.  It could also be in a private meeting room within the company premises, but avoid using open spaces such as a canteen where others can walk over and get involved
• What do you give them?  This is a working meal so it should be simple.  If breakfast then pastries, coffee, fruit juice etc.  If lunch, then sandwiches or hot snack dishes but avoid a full blown meal
• How long?  For this type of event you should aim for an hour.  The best thing is to get everybody into the event before the senior executive arrives, then maximum time is utilised
• Managing the senior executive.  Do not do these types of events if the senior executive is going to arrive late and then spend most of the time taking messages, answering his blackberry or taking mobile phone calls.  Once in the room the senior executive should give those assembled her full attention for the duration of the meeting; if they can’t do that then don’t bother because they will do their own reputation a great deal of harm.  They will also reinforce the idea that this was a cosmetic exercise and not a genuine exercise in listening – and that is the key point, the senior executive should listen more than talk  
• Make sure that there are clear guidelines of engagement.  Line managers will not thank the senior executive if the conversation ends up being a problem solving session about a localised issue (the senior executive is unlikely to know all the facts and could make matters worse).  As with the videoconference, make it clear that the discussion is about company matters or strategic issues and not about local matters
• After the event get feedback and ask where the programme could be improved.  Also publish some of the discussion in your newsletter.  In other words make a virtue of the event and get secondary publicity from it.

Walkabouts

Are a very positive thing to do if done properly.  Like most communications techniques, if done badly they can send the wrong signal.

• Again it is best when it is planned rather than an impromptu visit.  Although I always remember being in an M&S store when Sir Stuart Rose was about to visit – we couldn’t get any service because everyone was too busy being apprehensive about the visit.  So plan ahead but avoid making it into a circus
• Always inform line managers; they really hate surprises and will not be that cooperative if they think you are ‘snooping’
• Be aware of the usual health & safety rules especially if going around workshops
• Do your preparation – find out what is of concern in the office or shop floor being visited; are there any new employees, start performers, new equipment which people are having to train on, someone who came up with a cost saving or efficiency idea
• Show interest in them, go around with a manager who knows the people concerned, get her to introduce you and then show interest in them and their work
• If asked a question then try and answer it; if not then always promise to find out and make sure that it happens.  In other words treat them with respect, listen, ask questions and learn from the people who are making it happen
• Be very careful to avoid familiarity, avoid taking on a ‘we’re all boys here’ attitude.  They should welcome the visit from someone showing interest but not as someone who tries to become one of them for the day
• Time the visit carefully.  Avoid periods when people are taking breaks or machinery is idle; be prepared to leave if something gets busy or if someone needs to concentrate on their work

Briefings

Here we describe the large workplace briefings where everyone appears in the same auditorium to hear a message from a senior executive.

On the whole these are not especially successful.  Especially if you mix up the employees and have managers sitting with more junior people.  Equally they are often rather impersonal and become speeches from the CEO.

Reserve such events for very special one-off announcements and make sure that  they are carefully planned, well timed and timely.  Remember that such events will require some notice and that they will lead to a build up of anticipation with the rumour mill going full strength unless the reason for calling them is also clearly signposted.

For example, it would not be a good idea for a notice to go out saying that the CEO will be making an important announcement.  On the basis that people always fear the worst, the rumour will soon go around saying that there are to be major redundancies.  By giving reasonable notice and making clear what subject the CEO will be addressing it is possible to prevent a lot of short term damage.

On the day make sure that you have in place all of the usual arrangements for an event.  These include a properly organised top table, enough chairs, refreshments, a working PA and other presentational equipment, good lighting and video equipment if it is to be placed on the intranet for staff in other sites to view. 

Make sure that the timing of the meeting minimises disruption to normal work periods, but also be careful that you do not intrude into people’s free time.  First thing or just before lunch can be good times because it allows people to talk about the announcement afterwards.

Make sure that there are information sheets or packs for everyone attending, especially if the information is detailed or complicated.

You might need to consider seating arrangements.  Will you have managers sitting with their teams or in separate blocks?  There is no correct answer; it all depends upon the nature of your organisation.

There is a big difference between knowing the theory and making it happen. For help in implementing your communications practices email us now.