Tailoring your message as a remote leader

- As a communications advisor to many C-suite executives, I always remind my clients that they're not the judge of their own communications ability. In fact, it's what other people think and how understandable they feel you are. It's why it's always helpful to have a second pair of eyes reading or reviewing your material. So what this means for you is as you're beginning to craft the first draft of your communications, keep in mind your audience and what they care about. In a crisis situation, young leaders often fall into the trap of just saying what is on their mind. They react quickly, but there's a difference between reacting versus thoughtfully responding. For a leader to make their message powerful, they have to make it relatable and bring it down to earth. It's why early on in the planning stages of your visibility strategy, you'll want to first get a good temperature check of what other people are really feeling. You'll want to speak to their emotions or else they'll walk away with a lot more questions. So how do you get a temperature check of everyone's emotions? Find out what are the rumors going around right now? What are people saying that they're afraid of? What do people know and don't know? What's happening outside the organization that is directly impacting the organization internally? What's management doing on the daily to address a situation even if they don't have the answers right now? Once you have your temperature check, plan to address these questions on your chosen communications platform head on and honestly. Now one effective strategy in having your communications resonate with others is to be comfortable with being a little bit more personal. Now, there is a difference between sharing something that is private versus sharing something that's personal. Personal means you are showing empathy. In fact, leaders who show empathy are often seen as more effective and relatable. Some examples of sharing something that can be personal can include a conversation that you had with somebody or how you felt when you first learned of the situation at hand. By getting more personal, you'll leave the impression that you are living and breathing this moment with everyone else, and that you understand. In the end, what makes a message resonate is how relatable it is to those who are listening. As a leader, your job is to show empathy and understanding, especially when times are tough. Do your research and get a temperature check of the situation, carefully mapping out how you want to address a situation, so everyone feels like they're on board.