How do you communicate with company leaders?

[mbarba]

Many executives under-appreciate the work operations leaders perform.

How do you communicate the value of your work and get buy-in from company leaders on your proposals?

Share a story or technique in the comments below!

[Emem]

I speak in the language they understand. For some it's the numbers - revenue, cost. For others, it's the feel-good metrics... so it's important to tailor comms to their interests and personalities.

[dyg]

In order to communicate to leadership, it's helpful to identify advocates for you that sit close to leadership. For example, this could be the senior leader of your department that reports to the Csuite of your department that can talk to the CEO. As you communicate up the chain, you will refine your presentation naturally as you will face critique on the way up. Once you have your final product and by in from your leadership, you may be able to then present to upper management. Always lead your communications with numbers and tell a story with those numbers. Always have a resolution.

[HLee8]

Every company is different. The way my leaders liked to hear information was to have a one-sentence background, details of what we did, and then next steps on the left side of the slide, with supporting data (charts) or pictures (e.g. ad creatives) on the right side. The hardest part of this is the Next Steps - how can you make these less tactical (e.g. test XYZ feature) and more strategic (unlock conversion rate from A to B by testing XYZ feature). Similarly, lead with the impact of what you did (increase revenue by $X annualized) before going into the steps of what was done. Mostly, by the time something comes to an executive meeting, there's already an initial win in place to show that this idea has potential, plus a clear plan of Next Steps to show that there's room to grow and scale this initiative further.

[Jaycee_Lewis]

Hey, @HLee8 🙌 Welcome to our community! Thanks for being vulnerable and sharing your experience. I agree, learning to communicate with leadership is a skill we can all develop, and one I am still improving to this day. — Jaycee 

[Abdulk]

I report to the CEO of our group of companies. My way is to keep the proposal simple, to the point, and very short. Like 2 sentences short. This way I quickly get a sense if they are interested in hearing the entire plan. Sometimes, I would send a Loom video, as they can fast forward to any point they like. Plus, I get insights if they watched the video or not. 

[MP49]

I’ve learned to keep it simple:

• Lead with numbers. Show $ lost from bad process, $ gained from fixes.

• Tie ops to velocity. Example: SLA alerts cut 3 days off cycle time.

• Frame as ROI. 20 hrs of RevOps → $90k recovered per quarter.

The key is shifting the conversation from “operations detail” to “business impact.” Leaders hear money, time, growth.

[vijayKumar114]

"I focus on being clear, concise, and respectful when communicating with company leaders. Before reaching out, I make sure I understand the context and objective. I tailor my message to their priorities — whether it's strategic outcomes, project risks, or key updates — and I support it with data or proposed solutions. I also try to keep it structured, whether it’s via email, presentations, or in meetings, and I always leave room for questions or input. I believe in keeping communication transparent and value their perspective, while making sure I'm confident and prepared."

[jessieong]

I would use no more than five slides with clear visuals and concise bullet points, structured as Hook – Story – Gift. This approach keeps executives engaged, clearly communicates impact, and highlights value in a simple, memorable way.

Storytelling framework:

Hook – Grab the audience’s attention with a strong opening, problem statement, or surprising fact.

Story – Explain the context or journey: what happened, what you did, and key insights.

Gift – Share the takeaway or value for the audience: the key lesson, benefit, or what they gain.

[rgill4]

I keep it simple and outcome-focused. Instead of listing tasks, I highlight how my work directly impacts revenue, efficiency, or customer satisfaction. For example, when proposing a new process, I connect it to cost savings or faster delivery times. I’ve learned that leaders respond best to clear business value, not just effort.

[AlePerotti]

Translating the ideas into numbers is usually a good practice. If you can show how to impact top line by increasing revenue, or bottom line by cutting costs, or how other important strategic metrics are affected, you have a better chance to convey your ideas. You also have to be crystal clear and direct in your communication. Using a STAR approach (situation, task, action and result) is probably a good practice that can be used to structure your messages. Tables and charts can be a helpful tool as well, but you need to be careful not to overwhelm audience with too many numbers that may be hard to read - easy visualization is always a good way to reach all stakeholders. Finally, try to reach alignment as soon as possible in the process, preferably before final presentation. That way you can get some sponsor to your cause beforehand...

[hgonzalezc]

Using assertive communication,  ideas must be crystal clear and, most importantly,  how my ideas enhance organizational performance. By the way, not to bring trouble, but to get solutions. 

[VMald]

I communicate with company leaders by being clear, concise, and solution-focused—aligning insights with business goals, using data to support recommendations, and adapting my message to their priorities and time constraints.

[DPachan]

I usually come up with the tenative solution and then talk about the problems

[JArredondo]

By taking ownership of a problem. I usually take the initiative when I see a persistent issue that we are dealing with. After analyzing it thoroughly or as best as possible with the information I have at my disposal I begin to create 2 - 3 solutions. Once these are put together in a coherent way I present them to my executive team. Part of the solution is also presenting what would happen or continue to happen if we don't implement any solution which allows the team to see the value of the solution and the work I contribute towards. I usually aim for a minimum of 1% savings that for projects starting at around $20 Million is about $200k, which justifies my fees.

[KBonebrake]

Now I with utilize an a3 method but prior to this lesson I had been doing what I do before any stakeholder meeting. Make sure I have a shared meeting agenda set so that we're on the same page, keeping topics high-level but having materials ready to go granular if explanation is needed, and making note of differences or important details with priority alignment or differences between us while focusing on keeping things specifically in relation to the Triple Constraints of PM

[LWu47]

using a3 of grabbing attention, highlighting the issue, presenting a solution, and visualizing the impact

[HMitchell2]

1) Current state

2) Problems 

3) Actions to be taken to fix these

[Elena_Tilmaciu]

If I were in RevOps, I’d start by using an A3 model to analyze the problem and develop clear solutions.
Then, I’d structure my proposals using Monroe’s Motivated Sequence—grabbing attention, highlighting the issue, presenting a solution, and visualizing the impact.

To increase buy-in, I’d also use prewiring, discussing ideas with key stakeholders beforehand to address concerns early and gain support. This way, leadership would be more likely to approve and implement my suggestions.

[CBoulanger]

This is something I've done well and poorly at different times.

• Doing it well: Have a reall sense of what the exec cares about (brand, revenue, cost, etc) and build your case around that. Keep it focused on the value to them.
• Doing it poorly: Talk about it from my POV with jargon, processes - basicallly too much detail and data and not enough "heart".

I try to prep as much as possible. I've gotten better at presenting/speaking over the years but doing practice runs. Another thing that works for me is thinking of my deck as modules that can be moved or ignored. If a leader seems to be onboard, then I don't try to belabor the point. Move quickly to actions and anything that can seal the deal.

[DiogoRoeder]

Its good to avoid showing up in bad times. People get more engaged when they are in a good mood.  I level your communicatioen with their speech , leeders ussually pay high attencion on terms like "profit" and "loses".  Ask yourself the main doubts before them and be the source of solutions.