Communicating with Confidence: How To Influence the C-Suite

The importance of effective internal communication (IC) was brought into focus during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to many IC leaders finally gaining a seat at the top table. Members of the C-Suite started to understand the power of employee experience (EX), and we were all presented with a golden opportunity to demonstrate that internal comms is more than just an organizational postbox.

But four and a half years on, we’re faced with a new challenge.

“As we settle into a post-pandemic world, the question is not whether internal communications adds strategic value to a company” explains Senior Communications Strategist, Simon Rutter. “There is a big difference between having a seat at the table, and influencing business decisions”.

I couldn’t agree more with Simon.

To be able to support the organization in a genuinely strategic manner, internal communicators need to be involved in key business decisions from the very beginning. We may have gained a seat at the top table, but it’s pretty much worthless if we haven’t increased our levels of influence and – ultimately – impact.

According to Gallagher’s State of the Sector 2024 report, IC functions around the world are still struggling to prove their value to the C-Suite as they come up against conflicting priorities and a lack of support.

We need to be able to confidently communicate with our C-Suite colleagues to gain the support and credibility that lets us influence core business decisions.

Trust me, this is a battle worth fighting.

Because when our function is truly embedded into the organization, we have the power to increase employee engagement, productivity, moral,  and the business's ability to achieve its overall objectives. We get to shift from ‘reactivity’ to ‘productivity’, and we become strategic partners that add real value to the organization. Now that’s something worth getting out of bed for each morning!

In this blog, I’ll explore four tried-and-tested ways for IC professionals to communicate with confidence and increase their levels of influence with the C-Suite.

1. Know your stuff

It’s only possible to confidently communicate with the C-Suite and increase your levels of influence when you know your stuff.  

A well-respected and trusted IC or EX partner has a solid understanding of their subject, both internally and externally. Internally, you’re going to need to dive into the employee data and build a clear picture of where the organization is currently at. Keep up to date with employee data and demographics (what percentage of your workforce is Gen Z? How many employees have been with the organization for under two years? What are the current turnover and absence rates?), and make sure you're always on top of the results from any recent employee surveys.

This is your opportunity to bring employee sentiment to the surface and position yourself as a valuable ‘connector’ between the C-Suite and the wider workforce.

Externally, build your network and keep an eye on emerging trends in the world of EX and IC.  Stay on the ball by reading recent research from organizations like McKinsey & Company, Gallup, Harvard Business Review, and Ipsos Karian and Box. It might seem like a lot, but you’ll be amazed by what you can skim through in 10 minutes with your morning coffee!  

Truly knowing your stuff and positioning yourself as an expert in your field is one of the most important things you can do to gain respect and credibility with your colleagues in the C-Suite, and ultimately increase your impact.  

2. Know their stuff

I’m not saying that you also have to become an expert on everything the CFO, CHRO or COO is responsible for. But building a solid understanding of how your business operates is crucial if you want to communicate with confidence and influence the C-Suite.

‘Knowing their stuff’ means being able to speak the language of the business. This isn’t about throwing in a load of complex jargon – it’s about tailoring your messaging, strategy, and talking points to resonate with your audience.

Senior leaders at C-Suite level are often data-driven and want to hear about the background research you’ve conducted to minimize any risk to the business. They want to feel confident that you’ve developed a strategy that is appropriate in the context of the latest annual report and financial results, and that aligns with the organization's overarching priorities.  

While you might not be an expert on everything on the CEO’s to-do list, your C-Suite leaders want to know that you get it and that your IC approach is right for the organization.  

3. Listen as much as you speak

Which leads us nicely to the next point – listen as much as you speak. Being able to communicate confidently with members of the C-Suite requires conscious active listening.

It can be very easy to fall into a ‘presentation trap’ when you first get a seat at the top table, feeling as though every sentence needs to be scripted and rehearsed to ensure a seamless interaction. And while meticulously planning every slide and perfecting talking points will be appropriate in some scenarios, you’re shortchanging yourself if you manage every C-Suite touchpoint in this way.

You have valuable access to the organization’s most senior leaders, and gaining a seat at the top table allows you to really hear their voices, understand their priorities, and expand your own knowledge.

If you want to increase your impact and influence, it’s important to build trust and respect by listening to – and understanding – everything your C-Suite colleagues have to contribute.    

This is a great opportunity to increase engagement and involvement at the C-Suite level, inviting the organization’s most senior leaders to feel invested in your IC strategy.

4. Have clear boundaries

Although it may seem counter-intuitive, setting clear boundaries and saying ‘no’ is actually one of the most powerful practices to educate the C-Suite on IC and increase your impact.

After following the first three steps, you’ll be armed with a well-informed and aligned strategy and a solid understanding of your most senior stakeholders' goals and priorities. This helps you to push back on additional requests that sit outside of the strategy and your pre-defined scope of responsibility.

Be respectful and professional, but think about asking questions like:

• “That sounds great, but how do you see it aligning with the strategy?” 
• “What priority will this replace?”
• “How will this help us achieve the overarching business goals?”
• “What additional resource is planned to allow us to achieve this?”

We all know that working in IC and EX means being flexible, adaptable, and agile. But having a clear strategy and an agreed set of priorities enables you to set clear boundaries and push back with confidence.

Internal communication is a strategic function, and we need to set clear boundaries to avoid diluting our positive impact on the business.

Communicate confidently with Workvivo

One of my favorite things about the Workvivo solution is its ability to completely revamp the employee experience while significantly reducing the admin burden for IC and EX professionals.

Replacing numerous clunky and outdated platforms that require our manual input on a daily basis lets us work far more strategically, and place more focus on increasing our influence and impact at the C-Suite level.  

Get in touch with the team to schedule a demo and see how Workvivo can help you and your team.