scm

LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION
So what can you do?
How to become the star Unless you’ve already built up a strong
relationship with your CEO, it’s never easy
coach of a winning to go into the lions den with an aim to give
feedback and provide coaching – unless it’s
leadership team been asked for in the first place.
Whatever the circumstances, you need a
good reason to start the coaching dialogue
and in my experience, having sound
qualitative feedback is always helpful.
Getting this feedback is not as hard as it
may seem. Next time your CEO
DARREN BRIGGS communicates to your employees, think
about the kind of feedback you need in

COACHING YOUR LEADERS TO order to prompt a coaching conversation.

Whether it’s an e-mail or a town-hall style
address, try and avoid using “happy sheets”
COMMUNICATE WITH IMPACT to gain quantitative data but consider more
open questions that will give you the
How many communicators want to find themselves in the position where they have to meaningful insights about the effectiveness
take on their CEO and risk providing feedback that may not be wholly positive? But of the communication.
being able to coach senior leaders to improve their communication technique is an Another technique is to get leaders to
encouraging step forward for a component of the internal communicator’s role that has see and hear themselves so that they can
previously faced resistance. Darren Briggs explains how best to approach the challenge. witness what their audience has
experienced. It’s a powerful way of
In the world of business, Dale Carnegie, their communication. Our evidence illustrating strengths and weaknesses. Few
the well known American communication suggests that they want feedback and that people like seeing themselves perform and
training guru once said “there are four they’re prepared to listen; though we all rarely hold a mirror up to themselves. It’s
ways, and only four ways in which we have know that saying they want to listen and part of an approach that The Company
contact with the world. We’re evaluated then actually listening can be two different Agency uses when we coach CEOs. On
and classified by four contacts: what we things. Sadly though, we found that one hand you can find leaders who engage
do, how we look, what we say and how we internal communication continues to face immediately with this approach and on the
say it.” an uphill battle. It’s a fact that many CEOs other (certainly the minority) there are
Equally in the sports world, winning and senior leaders primarily get their those who find it extremely uncomfortable.
coaches have a way with words, whether communication counsel and in turn their
educating or motivating. They never fail to coaching from their direct reports and not The golden rules of feedback
let their players know what is expected, their internal communication professional. In summary, coaching people and in
what they’ve done right and where they So the big question is: what can you do particular leaders is never easy. Within an
can improve their performance. They can to become the communication coach for organization, there are very few people
move individuals and teams to great the leadership team? who are brave enough to give tough
heights with a few chosen words spoken at feedback to their boss, let alone their
the right time. The interesting fact is that a The principles of a successful coach CEO. Hence it’s often easier to leave it to
great coach is also an effective In our experience being a coach doesn’t a third party to give the tough messages. If
communicator. mean being the best at what you do. It you do find yourself in the privileged
helps of course, but it isn’t a pre- position where your relationship with your
The coaching challenge requisite for success. Going back to the leaders allows you to coach them with their
Over the years, internal communicators analogy of sport, great footballers don’t communication, just remember the golden
have struggled to take on the role of always make the greatest coaches. rules of giving feedback. Always start with
communication coach for business Being a good coach is about painting a the motivational stuff first (“you did a
leaders. This may in part be down to clear vision of success, challenging really good job here by...”) and close with
resistance from managers who see no performance and motivating people to the formative comments last (“next time,
need for coaching. The normal response realize their full potential. In other words, why don’t you try it this way…”).
is that they wouldn’t be where they are the same principles of good leadership. Good luck!
today if they were a poor communicator. We’d say communication leadership. 1.
For more information about the report 21st Century Leadership
Or it could be down to the fact that some Communication, please visit: www.melcrum.com
internal communicators aren’t seen as
credible communicators themselves.
The encouraging news is that our recent Darren Briggs is partner at The Company Agency, where he advises and coaches
CEO research with Melcrum1 has senior leaders to be more effective communicators. He has 20 years’ corporate
highlighted that many senior leaders are experience working at chief executive and board level with companies such as British
now seeing the virtues of being coached on Airways, Microsoft, Nike, PepsiCo and Vodafone.

scm Volume 12, Issue 1 December/January 2008 13

© Melcrum publishing 2007.For more information visit our website www.melcrum.com or e-mail info@melcrum.com
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