Thinking Like a CEO

When I work with middle managers who want to move to the next level, a common sticking point is communication with higher levels of management. “I’m totally comfortable and effective in meetings with my team and the staff I manage,” I hear, “but when I have to meet and present to my Vice President and the level above her, I'm not able to fully connect.” This is so typical -- the problem may be that you are not presenting the material in a way that is meaningful to the higher-ups.

A common misstep in this scenario is The Data Dump. You’ve proudly worked for weeks on a project so naturally you want your superiors to see all the details of how you got from point A to point B to point C to final solution. Consequently, you stuff the report and Powerpoint deck with what you believe to be essential data.

Guess what – executives typically hate presentations that start with the background data. Because they have to sit through countless meetings, they need to get the overview of each situation as quickly as possible. Remember, executives are thinking strategically -- they’re thinking about how your project fits into the 30,000 foot view of the business. Your details, while clearly showing you know your stuff, are clutter to them.

The Fix: Determine the three to five points you want the executives to know. What do you want them to think, do or decide from your presentation? Once you hone in on these, you have the gist of your Executive Summary – the sweetest of sweet concepts to top execs!

Now, here’s the catch – don’t think you can just eliminate the details! An executive is just as likely to ask you a specific question about your research or your methodology, so you must be ready. Appendices with all your details can be at the end, on hidden slides or in a background document. Think like a CEO and be prepared to give the high level analysis, but remember you’re also paid to know the details inside and out.