I’m currently working with a Chief Executive who every week gives 30 minutes of his time to talk with his people about matters affecting the business.

It’s a significant investment in time – but one that’s paying dividends.

This particular CE is one of the old-school – and it shows in how he talks with his staff.

He’s shy, not charismatic; quietly spoken instead of booming; and while he’s very thoughtful, he’s not polished.

Yet his style works, and his staff love him. It’s not unusual for eighty to ninety percent of staff (including senior managers) to attend his weekly staff briefings.

Why?

Because he is authentic.

He trusts his people implicitly, and will give them more opportunities that others might not.

He makes his expectations very clear – and he holds himself to those same high standards.

He invites feedback – and carefully listens and often acts on it.

And importantly, he is a powerful story teller.

How is that possible if he’s not charismatic, you might ask?

Easy.

He uses his quiet tone to force people to sit forward on their seats and be quiet; he is clear about his expectations for his people and  celebrates those who are meeting them; he trusts them with information; and he uses his own stories – and words – to illustrate lessons.

Recently he spoke to his staff about standards, following a serious error by one team that went to the heart of the organisation’s credibility.

Yet he didn’t rail at them.

Instead, he opened the weekly meeting with a story that seemingly had nothing to do with the issue everyone was thinking about – until he got to the end of the story, which made it clear how simple oversights and assumptions can cause incredible damage.

Comments from staff afterwards illustrated they were dismayed that they’d disappointed him, were inspired to do better – and importantly, were talking about solutions for doing so.

That he wanted to tell the story was his own idea, and one he developed on his own.

As a communications professional, it’s a pleasure working with such people – they understand the power of good communication!.

So how do we help our clients who perhaps don’t have the same knack, or simply haven’t developed their own presentation style for communicating with staff?

It’s simple; we help them to understand their own personality and approach. Not by trying to be something they’re not, but by building on what they already do well. And ensuring that, whatever the style is, it’s authentic to them.

It takes time, and testing is a fundamental part of the journey, especially early on.

In the words of a well-known Kiwi model, “it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.” And it will pay dividends.