Your target group is people who are directly affected by the manager’s decisions. Depending on the size of the company, employees may know their “boss” personally or be the second generation to work there. This is one of the reasons why the rule is to always communicate internally before externally. Contact with the more anonymous “public” of external communication follows different rules.
We asked our colleague Jasmin Drogi (top management consultant) what is really relevant for IC when it comes to CxO positioning. These are her three most important aspects:
- Trust and openness on the part of the CxO are the be-all and end-all. Unpleasant feedback may also come up during discussions and not all well-intentioned feedback is something you want to hear straight away. But both are part of it. The CxO not only needs to be open to addressing critical issues. It is also about accepting criticism and talking about personal strengths and weaknesses. This also includes trusting that the process is crucial for a good result.
- A perfect fit beats copy/paste. Positioning measures should always be based on people, i.e. the person in question. They must be coherent and fit them. It doesn’t help to copy concepts that other companies use or that you yourself like as a consultant. Your competitor has established a new vlog format? If your own CxO feels uncomfortable with video formats, such a channel is unsuitable. The question must always be: What makes the person tick? Which format does he/she feel comfortable with and therefore comes across as authentic?
- Stay on the ball. In the beginning, it is better to develop one measure internally and one externally and establish it sustainably than to start with two or three things that quickly become overwhelming and then fizzle out. If things go well, you can build on your experience, make adjustments or perhaps add further ideas. Always keep an eye on internal and external perception.