Communicating With Your CxO for Alignment: A Guide for Chiefs of Staff
In an ideal state, a Chief of Staff is their CxO’s right hand, strategically driving the business forward and shepherding initiatives with a sense of strategy and authority. But maintaining this equilibrium takes conscious effort and consistent communication.
Stellar alignment is the result of outstanding communication, on a strong cadence. To establish that cadence with their CxO, Chiefs of Staff need to prioritize communication strategies from day 1, and then tirelessly perfect the process from there.
Invest in communication up front.
In the early days of a Chief of Staff’s engagement with their CxO, there’s no such thing as “too many touchpoints.” Daily check-ins, even if these are just brief 30-minute syncs, can help Chiefs of Staff to deeply understand their CxO’s perspective and to get their questions answered across key areas like:
CxO vision
Company values
Chief of Staff-owned special projects
It’s worth noting that some CxOs might be wary of such frequent meetings - their time is precious and finite, after all. A Chief of Staff can assuage any concerns by assuring them that, in order to be the CxO’s dedicated proxy within the organization, they need to spend as much time together up front as possible. This early, consistent alignment lays a strong foundation for their future relationship and mitigates any misunderstandings or crossed wires down the road.
Plus, these daily meetings only need to happen at the very start of the engagement (2-3 weeks); after the groundwork is set, communication cadence can shift per the CxO’s preference.
Craft a communication schedule that suits your CxO’s style
After the introduction phase, just how does a Chief of Staff find a cadence that works with their CxO? In short, by observing their communication style and asking a lot of good questions. From those initial ~2 weeks of daily meetings, Chiefs of Staff will have some understanding of how their CxO consumes information and prefers to communicate. Maybe they’re a high-energy leader who loves to dig into the details and discuss company objectives at length during one long meeting per week. Or maybe they’re a leader who can’t sit still and jumps from one topic to the next quickly, without pausing to delve into necessary nuance. They might benefit from shorter, more frequent meetings.
Either way, it’s the Chief of Staff’s job to identify these differences, ask questions, and ultimately build out a strategy that suits their specific leader. It’s crucial that they defer entirely to their leader’s style; after all, it’s a CoS’s job to cater to their CxO.
Once the meeting structure and cadence are established, it's beneficial for the Chief of Staff to create a structured agenda tailored to executive-level insights for each meeting. These agendas should focus solely on the CxO’s priorities and any essential information the CoS needs to execute those tasks. To ensure clarity, the Chief of Staff should guide their leader through status updates and FYIs, then clearly delineate which items require direct CxO action.
These agendas don’t just serve the CxO - they also function as crucial documentation of the Chief of Staff's responsibilities and progress. Sending agendas and action items via email after each meeting is the final step in documenting these sessions effectively.
Achieve true partnership
While structured meetings are a cornerstone of a successful CxO-Chief of Staff partnership, there will always be times when communicating on the fly is necessary. Much of a Chief of Staff’s role requires asynchronous conversation with their leader - bridging the gap between the personal and professional with ease and grace.
To do that, boundaries are necessary. Establishing a channel for quick, instant communication with a leader is hugely helpful on this front. Whether that’s text, Slack, or a phone call, having some sort of process around how and when a CxO can reach their Chief of Staff is necessary for successful collaboration.
The personal & the professional
People who are drawn to Chief of Staff roles tend to be highly personable in and outside of work. It’s hard to be a CoS without being a person who indexes around relationships - because really, relationships are the currency of the role! When Chiefs of Staff lean into that aspect of their personality and use their people skills wisely, they show their leader what true partnership can look like.
Chiefs of Staff can share polite details about their life and what makes them a full human being - without oversharing or crossing the boundary of what is professional. This way, they show their CXO who they are - and in turn, their CxO will feel a sense of connection and comfort.
The CxO’s role in communication
While the Chief of Staff plays an integral role in successful communication with their leader, the responsibility does not solely fall on their shoulders. There are a few key ways a CxO can aid in the creation of a strong line of communication with their CoS:
Be self aware: The clearer the message, the more actionable it is. Without awareness of what their stressors are, what the organization’s priorities are, and how business is progressing, a leader can’t effectively ask for help or communicate a need.
Be reflective: Successful conversations require forethought. A CXO sets their Chief of Staff up for success when they carefully review items of importance prior to discussions and engage with any resources their Chief of Staff shares with them.
Be open and vulnerable: Sharing details about their life and being honest and vulnerable with their Chief of Staff goes a long way. For this relationship to work, both sides of the equation need to operate with a high level of trust, humanity, and respect.
Conclusion
By establishing clear cadences, crafting tailored communication strategies, and nurturing a culture of openness and trust, partnerships between CXOs and Chiefs of Staff can thrive. As they embark on this journey of alignment, both parties lay the groundwork for impactful collaboration - and in doing so, clear a path toward outstanding communication across the entire organization.