Business leaders tend to have one thing in common: they spend a lot of time and energy thinking about their products and how they will create the next “big” thing that gets their customers excited. Meanwhile, they hire the best talent they can afford, but spend little to no time thinking about how to connect with them in a way that gets them excited!
No one says you have to do the same old thing you’ve done in all your meetings. It’s time to innovate and develop NEW, IMPROVED, CREATIVE ways to communicate with your team, in keynotes and at conferences.
With this in mind, here are some corporate communication tips to help you get creative and shake things up with your communication style.
Create a Receptive Atmosphere
Your very first step to better communication with your team members is to ensure you have fostered a receptive atmosphere. In fact, one of the most critical executive communication skills you can have is creating a culture of receptivity so your messaging always lands.
If, in the past, you have communicated more like a boss (listen to me) than a leader ( you are awesome and can help me bring my vision to life), your team may not want to actively engage with you, no matter how FUN and INNOVATIVE you try to make your messaging.
You’ve got to shift your company culture from one of top-down communication to collaborative communication where all voices are heard. This will eliminate any tension and help your messaging be received moving forward.
Teaser Campaigns
You’ve most likely used teaser campaigns in your advertising to build hype and get people to buy into your messaging. But who says you can’t use the same strategy for communicating new ideas to your employees? Internal teaser campaigns are great for when you want to build buzz around something new and exciting coming down the pipeline that employees already know a little about.
For example, before gathering everyone into a conference room to make an announcement about a new launch or release, you could have a scavenger hunt around the office for a few days. Team members find clues related to the features of the new product or service or other important information. This creates buzz and excitement, making your message far easier to deliver and your audience far more receptive.
Opt for Video Messages
Your employees are busy all throughout the day. It’s not always ideal to have them stop what they are involved with to come and take part in a meeting that may take 5 minutes or 20 minutes. Either way, their workflow has been impacted, as has (potentially) their mood.
Most of us are happy to digest video content, and when we can do it on our own time, even better! While some of your messaging may need to be shared in person during meetings, see if there aren’t opportunities for you to get creative and use video to communicate with your team.
Employee-Generated Messaging
Just as it’s important to think about the most effective ways you can communicate with your team, it’s equally important to develop innovative ways for them to communicate back to you and to each other. Consider this: the 2014 Edelman Trust Barometer suggested that 52% of consumers trust an “average” employee more than the CEO of that company. It’s very likely that your employees also feel this way.
Be sure to break up your own messaging with that from other team members. You may want to ask members from various departments to share new and exciting information about company culture, new marketing initiatives, what’s happening in your Beijing office, etc. By inviting others to share their passion and vision, you create a cohesive team.
Learning new executive communication skills doesn’t have to be hard. It’s really a matter of finding your own creative spark again, analyzing your strengths and weaknesses as a communicator, and not being afraid to try something different. And at the end of the day, your employees will appreciate your efforts.
Continued Success & Learning!
LaQuita Cleare and Team CCAP.S. Follow us on LinkedIn for public speaking tips, tricks and techniques
