When you have talented employees you want to grow with your company, you’re often considering the soft skills of these future leaders just as much as their ability to do the everyday job. The ability to communicate clearly and compellingly is essential not only to their careers, but to an organization’s strategic agility and alignment.
The Challenge: Bridging the Communication Gap for Future Leaders
A prominent regional financial institution was addressing their talent succession planning, identifying high-potential individuals for future leadership roles. As part of this critical initiative, a consistent challenge emerged: these leaders needed better communication skills, particularly when presenting to senior leadership. This is a common problem. Many aspiring leaders struggle to distill complex information, often getting “into the weeds” during presentations. At this organization, this frequently led to interrupted presentations and a perceived lack of alignment with executive expectations. Critically, these communication gaps were often cited as hindering the development of the “executive presence” deemed essential for advancement.
The Solution: Articulation’s Holistic Communication Series
To address these critical communication needs, the bank partnered with Articulation, engaging our comprehensive Communication Series. This wasn’t a one-size-fits-all approach; we designed a holistic program delivered in small, intimate groups, which allowed for individualized attention that is crucial for deep learning and habit change.
The series began with Message Method, our structured thinking process designed to help participants craft clear, concise, and compelling presentations. Leaders learned to articulate their insights with precision, applying this methodology directly to their ongoing work. The program then transitioned to an in-person training intensive, focusing on style and delivery. Here, participants honed their voice and body language to project confidence and presence. The series culminated in a miniature presentation where they could synthesize all their new skills.
Crucially, the program integrated continuous feedback, iteration, and embodied practice tailored to the bank’s specific industry context. This ensured that participants not only learned new techniques but also built resilient communication habits applicable to any mode of communication.
The Impact: Confident Leaders, Clearer Communication, and Enhanced Strategic Agility
The results of Articulation’s partnership with the bank were significant, fostering a more effective and confident leadership pipeline:
- Increased Confidence and Capability: Leaders who participated in the Communication Series reported a marked increase in their confidence and overall capability to convey insights at all organizational levels.
- Improved Performance: The company saw tangible improvements in their communication skills, a key area for development, reflected in participants’ performance reviews.
- Executive Recognition: Many leaders received direct accolades from their bosses and senior leadership, recognizing their enhanced ability to communicate effectively.
- Accelerated Decision-Making and Strategic Impact: Perhaps most importantly, the newfound clarity in communicating insights led directly to the adoption of participants’ recommendations. Because most participants were people leaders themselves, they were able to cascade what they learned throughout their teams, fostering a better communication culture across the organization. This improved ability to articulate insights clearly translated into better strategic decision-making at the highest levels and in significantly shorter timeframes, as meetings resulted in clear action steps rather than requiring further clarification or rework.
Articulation’s Communication Series didn’t just train individuals; it created a ripple effect, empowering the bank’s future leaders to communicate with precision, presence, and purpose, ultimately contributing to a more agile and strategically aligned organization.