There’s an art to getting your message heard, especially by the executive team.
Some cultures are less concerned with hierarchical etiquette than others. Even within company cultures, there are written (and unwritten) rules for moving information, issues, and challenging conversations through the ranks.
Let’s start with the basic premises from which we’ll explore tactical strategies.
Premise 1: It’s your job and responsibility as an employee (regardless of your level in the organization) to share information that you believe can significantly help or hurt the company.
Premise 2: Respect your organization’s hierarchy. Share the information or issue with your boss first. Give them the opportunity to assist or resolve the issue before taking other action. Put yourself in your manager’s shoes. How would you like someone to handle this issue if you were in your manager’s position? If the issue IS your manager (or you believe your manager is preventing information from moving up the chain), share your concerns and discuss options with a trusted leader or human resources. Avoid skipping levels (see Premise 5 for times when it might be appropriate, however). Alternatively, meet with your manager and ask how they want you to handle sensitive topics that you feel are important enough to escalate. We call these “upfront agreements.” Agree on a process to avoid miscommunications in the future.
Premise 3: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. If you share information, but it isn’t heard, try other professional avenues until you believe you’ve tried them all. These options might include trusted peers who understand the issue or cross-functional leaders who could be affected. It also might involve not acting until the time is right. If your manager explicitly tells you to stop sharing, do so (or consider Premise 5). It’s possible you do not have all the necessary information, but your manager does (and isn’t able to share it with you). In that case, it’s important to follow their lead.
Premise 4: Once you’ve done your part, you can do no more. Ultimately, it may not be your decision to make, BUT it is your responsibility to share the information. What someone else does with it, you can’t control. This can be hard to accept, but it’s your only option, unless you choose to quit your job over the issue.
Premise 5: If the topic or issue is a hill you’re willing to die on (so important you would risk your job or business over it), do what it takes to get the message to the person who needs to hear it. If this includes skipping levels and bypassing your manager, so be it. If this is the last resort, make sure to first work through the steps below.
Now let’s explore how to get your message heard once you decide to share it.
Step 1: Identify the key message by sorting and organizing your thoughts.
Not everything is worth the effort, discussion, or challenge it may trigger. Carefully consider all viewpoints and data until you have identified one core issue or opportunity. Keep it succinct. It’s better to bring one clear issue to the table than a myriad of interconnected issues that you’ve not thoroughly considered. A great question to ask yourself is, “What if I’m wrong?” It allows you to carefully consider all the facts before deciding to share.
Step 2: Consider the business impact if the information is (or isn’t) shared. Anytime you can link a message to how it helps or hurts the bottom line, you’re more likely to get the ear of senior executives.
Step 3: Assume you don’t have all the facts. This is a great practice, especially if you need to share sensitive information. It’s a good practice to share what you have learned, while acknowledging there may be information you’re not privy to. What first seems to be an obvious or easy problem to solve might be more intricate and politically charged.
Step 4: Decide what action you’re requesting or recommending. There are times when no action is required, but the information nonetheless is vital to share. Other times, immediate action is key, making your request specific and urgent. When bringing important issues to my C-level clients, I use a yellow or red card analogy (as in sports). The yellow card is a heads up: “There might be an issue in the future, and I’m letting you know in advance.” The red card means immediate action is recommended. Sometimes with dominant C-level executives, I explicitly tell them NOT to act on a yellow card, as they tend to want to resolve issues immediately. This isn’t always my recommended strategy. I’m crystal clear about the difference between sharing information early versus taking immediate action. Often, a decisionmaker needs more than a one-time scenario or one person’s voice to make a big decision. Don’t assume that one conversation will produce an immediate action (especially if it’s a complicated issue to resolve).
Step 5: Run the conversation or written message past a trusted person before sharing (or not).Perspective is key to any situation we’re facing. Trusted peers or stakeholders can offer invaluable insights that might help you decide to share the information or not. Timing is a key factor. Someone with a different perspective and insights might help you decide when to act.
Step 6: List those who can help resolve or pass along the information. If your boss is your first stop, clearly articulate the key point and ask for their feedback or recommended action steps. If your boss isn’t available, and if the information is time-sensitive, you might need to skip a level. Always inform your direct manager of the step you took to avoid surprising them after the fact. Let the next in command know that you’ve informed your manager of the conversation. Consider what you would say if you had the ear of the most senior leader. Situations might occur serendipitously, and it’s always good to be prepared. Ask yourself, “How can I help things go right in this scenario?”
Step 7: Lead with facts–not emotions. If you are emotionally invested in an issue, consider giving yourself time to balance those emotions and proceed neutrally. Stay curious and open to being wrong. If, for example, you need to share a concern about another employee, you might say, “On three separate occasions, I noticed person X doing Y. It makes it appear as if they are putting their own interests above the organization’s. I’m not in a position to address this directly with them, as they don’t report to me. This is why I’m bringing the issue to you. It’s affecting morale and eroding trust. I’m concerned you’ll have key team members leave the organization as a result.” You’re not telling the leader what to do. You’re simply sharing the facts and bottom-line impact. Remember, in most situations, your role is to share information clearly and objectively, not to make the final decision. It can be hard when we don’t control the outcome.
Step 8: Once shared (using the steps above), let it go. This is important for your sanity. You must learn to sort what’s worth the fight—or not. This tends to come with experience. If you’re early in your career, this can be particularly challenging. If, for some reason, you can’t let it go, you might need to look for a new job, organization, or cause. Remember, you can’t make someone act. You only can share information (perhaps repeatedly), indicate perceived consequences (positive or negative), and let those who are responsible for making decisions act (or not).
If you want your message to be heard by those at the top, you’ll find these strategies effective, powerful, and essential.
Following these premises and steps doesn’t guarantee a successful outcome, but doing so will help you feel more confident.
