Don’t Cascade into the Communications Gap!

How clearly does your leadership message reach its audience?  Too often, a dangerous gap emerges between what is being said, and what is being heard.

Comms GapWhen a strategic message needs to reach a wide audience of employees or customers it’s often entrusted to specific “spokespeople” – say, CEOs, executives or public relations staff.  This has the benefit of consistency; everyone involved is likely to stay “on message” in an effort to “cascade” it down through the corporate ranks.

Danger arises when the cascade becomes a charade.  When messages are transmitted accurately, but without conviction, even the most well-crafted will fail its intended purpose.  And without the ability to hear audience reactions directly, and respond effectively, spokespeople are essentially operating blind.

The gap is one of authenticity:  for others to transmit your message effectively, they need to make it their own.  Whether senior executives, mid-level managers or B2B customers, they must restate and develop the message in their own voices.  This may sound risky (what if messages become distorted or mis-directed?).  We believe it’s possible to avoid that and to strengthen message delivery by getting the immediate audience actively involved.

It can begin very literally, by asking audience members to share the stage at a conference or corporate meeting.  Crafting a vehicle for participation (such as storytelling by audience members, live video interviews with respected field personnel, real-time audience polling, or any number of theatrical techniques) invites people to respond to, and shape the message in ways that may connect with more impact than any single presenter can achieve.

Engaging others in your organization or client base to help carry a message forth has enormous benefits.  It transfers ownership, and multiplies the channels through which the company’s voice can be heard.  The fundamental techniques used for this have proven effective over time, even as audience interaction shifts from live environments to digital platforms.

So mind the gap, and start building that bridge from the beginning.