Building Executive Signal, Not Noise

Angelica Patlán
6 days ago
2 min read

Focus

Designing a repeatable CEO communication strategy informed by engagement data

Context

The global tech company I worked for had recently gone through a reduction in force affecting approximately 150 employees and had also shifted its business strategy shortly before. While the organization was focused on moving forward and hitting key goals, the People team conducted an engagement survey a few months later to understand current employee sentiment.

Problem

One of the key findings from the survey was a low score related to employees’ outlook on the future of the business. Given the recent changes and the importance of maintaining momentum, leadership needed to address concerns around direction, strategy, and confidence in a clear and intentional way.

I was asked by the Chief of Staff to create a CEO communication strategy to address this issue.

Approach

Before developing the strategy, I focused on understanding the underlying concerns behind the survey results. I reviewed more than 200 qualitative comments from Lattice and grouped them into key themes, including the reduction in force, lack of clarity around strategy, and gaps in leadership communication cadence.

Using this analysis, I created a proposal that outlined recommended next steps for a CEO communication approach grounded in transparency and consistency. The strategy focused first on acknowledging employee concerns related to the reduction in force, then providing clear explanations of the company’s strategy and why each component mattered.

The CEO and I partnered to develop written and video communications that were delivered to the global workforce on a monthly cadence. We used Asana and shared documents to plan, draft, and coordinate content.

Outcome

Ten months later, the same engagement survey question related to business outlook was asked again. The score increased by 12 percent, indicating greater employee confidence in the company’s direction and future.

What I’d Do Next

If I were still in this role, I would apply Lean’s 5S principles to sustain the communication process. I would organize all content in a centralized, accessible location with clear labeling, standardize how communications are shared and referenced after initial delivery, and continue partnering with the CEO to maintain a consistent cadence and experience for employees.