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Tools for leadership communications

How to make a powerful platform, tricks of the trade and stories from the C-Suite

William Smith, Leadership Communications Director, The Coca-Cola Company

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Why Leadership Communications?

…What’s in it for you?

What does success look like?

Your goal postsExternal:

• Positive feedback: Standing ovations, “atta

boys” from friends, big shots, board members

• Sales: Customer wins, stock price up

• Recognition/Influence: Awards and speaking

requests (VSOD), invitations to speak to

prestigious and powerful groups, social media

followers

• Visibility: Awareness, brand value

• Reputation: Positive earned media

Internal

• Results: profitable growth ($$$), key metrics

• Employee engagement: surveys, talent

retention and flow, quality and quantity of

questions at Town Halls

• Healthy culture: safety, quality, ethics

• Change management: performing while

transforming, seamless transitions

Spectrumof Trust

Hate Love

Chairman/CEO

Entry Level

Defining great leadership…Attributes:

VisionaryInspiringAuthenticPolishedTransparentOptimisticConfidentPassionateEmpatheticCaringCharismaticMagneticInsightfulImpactfulInfluentialSereneBoldInnovativeCourageousRestlessRevolutionaryEvolutionaryArticulateStrategicPreparedKnowledgeableWiseIntrovertedOutgoingDemandingOpen-MindedDecisive

Stories from the C-Suite

2004 to 2016

Positioning leader brand

Write down adjectives you (or

your leader) would like to be

described by…

Examples: Actions taken to

demonstrate that quality

Enhance Detract

“Leadership is lifting a person’s vision

to high sights, the raising of a person’s

performance to a higher standard, the

building of a personality beyond its

normal limitations.”

-Peter Drucker

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Matching speaker and audience: External

Speaker

(Business Leader)

Audience

(Influentials in business,

government and civil society

Branding and

Reputation

Personal

Accomplishments

Functional

Operations

Business Results

Stories:

leadership

lessons

Macro trends

and the future

Public policy &

sustainability

Stock price and

industry

dynamics

Personal

Interests/Passions

Entertainment

Politics

Family and

Friends

Self help

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Matching speaker and audience: Internal

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C-Suite Leader Employees

Internal Communications

Pet Projects

Personal

Accomplishments

Criticism

Risks to business

and career

Governance: safety,

quality, ethics

Business Results

Company News/

Changes

Beliefs/Values

Goals/Metrics

Strategy

Culture

Recognition/

Empathy

Leadership

Lessons

Personal Stories

What’s in

it for me?

How can I

get ahead?

Am I going

to get fired?

What’s happening

to my benefits?

Personal

Interests/passions

Preparation: differing perspectives

“Forget debate prep --

give me a break.”

-Donald Trump

“Success depends upon

previous preparation, and

without such preparation

there is sure to be failure.”

-Confucius

Preparation: the art of the brief

Situation:

• Location and time

• Meeting theme/purpose

• Notable people in the room

Audience: Reality and Assumptions

• Education?

• Interest level?

• Hostility to speaker?

• Knowledge of topic?

• What’s on their minds?

Destination: When finished listeners will…

Think | Feel | Do

Preparation: Hook your audience

Startling fact:

Statement:

Question:

Anecdote:

Situation, complication,

question, message

Preparation: Crafting the message

1) Opening:

• Establish personal connection -- hook

• Acknowledge situation

• Open audience to receive message

2) Content:

3) Closing:

• Confirm audience has reached destination: Summarize content

• Call to action: What I need you to do is…

• Reemphasize benefit (answer why): You will benefit because…

Questions Answers Proof Points

Science of communications: response hierarchy

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Stages Hierarchy of

Effects

AIDA Communications

Cognitive

Awareness

Knowledge

Attention

Exposure

Reception

Cognitive

Response

Affective

Liking

Preference

Conviction

Interest

Desire

Attitude

Intention

Behavior Purchase Action Behavior

Strategy: Proactive executive communications platformSituation/Context:

Purpose:

Leaders:

Audiences:

Themes:

Messages:

Channels and format:

Personal interests and connections:

Schedule:

Channels and FormatsExternal Internal

Speech (formal) Town Hall (speech, Q&A webcast)

Fireside chat (informal conversation) Presentation/Powerpoint

Annual Report letter Email message

Op-ed (byliner in leader voice) Video/audio message (email)

Press release (quote) Intranet (Speech reprint, Q&A, internal

blog post)

Presentation (Investors, stakeholders) Infographic

Media interview (Q&A, profile) Conversations over a Coke (informal)

Blog (brand journalism) Chatter (internal live chat)

Native advertising (thought leadership)

Leader forums (Longitudes)

Speech opener (brief exciting video)

Social media (linkedin)

FormalJargonSerious ImpersonalLongReactiveUnclearCorporateComplex

InformalConversationalFunPersonalConciseProactiveClearAuthenticSimple

Tone Format Channels

Leader voice for employees

Inform Inspire Engage

Tactics: Internal Communications Platform

Building Culture & Capabilities Driving Engagement & Advocacy

Best practice: Coca-Cola Ambassador

Best practice: Listening sessions

Thoughts on managing up

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Storytelling frameworks

Thoughts on production

Open conversation…any questions?