What are the best habits to do when working with C-Suite?
Always try teaching them someone that they don't already know about the business, product, or customers.
Keep your communications tight, both verbal and written!
Never let them walk into a risky/negative situation unprepared
Remember that they are people too!
Establish yourself as a go-to person that they can count on in key situations. Be hungry and aggressive!
- Always be clear on the purpose of the meeting and involve agendas and share relevant documentation with their EAs well in advance
- Center conversations with a key headline - what is most important and the significance of that backed by relevant data
- Keep communications concise and timely. Be sure to specify if updates are informative or actions are needed
- For any meetings, be as prepared as possible by researching your customer/portfolio, relevant product updates, and any changes (good or bad) regarding customers' experience with your product and services
- Leverage champions and sponsors who may meet more regularly with the C-Suite to get to know them indirectly
- Provide something valuable and ask for something specific in return. Think of this as a ping-pong game where you can keep your audience engaged and give them a tangible action to help
Understand Their Goals and Objectives: Understand the overall goals and objectives of the organization and align your work with them. CIO care about efficiency and innovation but also cost savings. CRO care about revenue acceleration and optimization. CCO care about GRR and NRR. CFO care about EBITDA. Know thy audiece.
Be Concise and Clear: C-Suite executives have limited time. Be concise and clear in your communication.
Be Solution-Oriented: Instead of just presenting problems, come up with solutions or at least some options for addressing the issues.
Show Leadership: Demonstrate leadership skills by taking responsibility and ownership of your work.
Be Adaptive: Be flexible and adaptable to changes. C-Suite executives often have to make decisions that result in changes to plans, so being adaptive is crucial.
Build Relationships: Develop and maintain positive relationships with C-Suite executives as well as with others in the organization.
Be Respectful of Their Time: Be punctual, and don’t waste their time with unnecessary meetings or communications. Always have 25 min or a 50 min meeting as opposed to a 30 min or a 60 min meeting so that you can give them time for their next meeting because they are usually back to back. I learned this trick from Nick Mehta, our fearless CEO at Gainsight.
Be Prepared: Always be prepared for meetings and interactions. Have all the necessary information and materials ready.
Listen Actively: Listen carefully to what they have to say, and ask clarifying questions if needed.
Understand the Business: Have a deep understanding of the business, its challenges, and its competitive landscape. Read up their annual report, results and trends in their industry.
Be Discreet: C-Suite executives often deal with sensitive and confidential information. Be discreet and maintain confidentiality.
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Continuous Learning: Stay updated with the latest trends and developments in your industry and profession.
When working with the C-Suite, it's important to keep in mind that they are pressed for time and have a clear vision for what needs to be executed to support desired business outcomes. It's incredibly helpful to try to see things from their perspective. Here are a few additional habits to keep in mind:
Understand their priorities
Communicate effectively and concisely
Be proactive and come with solutions, not just problems
Build relationships
Be adaptable
When communicating with the C-Suite, it's important to maintain a high level of professionalism and attention to detail, and to ensure that your communication is crisp and to the point.
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