In my 15-plus years in corporate communications, I have worked with CEOs of public, private companies and startups and I can’t emphasize enough the importance of a trusted relationship between the CEO and the Chief Communications Officer (CCO). An increasing number of CEOs are making the role of the CCO critical to the company’s character. Are you one of them? Let’s look at three key signs of CEOs that understand and value the role of the CCO:
- Your Head of Communications Reports Directly to You: The traditional approach is to have PR and corporate communications report up to the CMO and consider it an extension of Marketing. Nothing wrong with this approach but remember, your Chief Communications Officer’s prime responsibility is much bigger than lead generation. He/she is the guardian of your company’s reputation and to a large extent your reputation. A favorable brand reputation is critical to attracting top talent, maintaining customer loyalty and influencing demand generation and this lies largely in the hands of your communications team. Companies with the CCO reporting directly to the CEO have the greatest alignment between the corporate objectives, communications and all activities that involve engaging with key stakeholders.
- Corporate Communications Has a Seat at the Table: Make no mistake, every decision you make as a CEO, be it organizational changes, new products, strategic new hires, layoffs etc., has the communications component to it. By giving your communications lead a seat at the (metaphoric) table, you ensure all critical organizational decisions that have an impact both internally and externally on your company’s reputation, will be well thought-out. IBM senior executives do a good job at involving their heads of communications for their respective business units in their senior leadership meetings. I experienced this first-hand when I led external communications for IBM Cloud. This simple act of including your communications lead in your critical decision-making process could be the reason you were able to inspire your global workforce to collaborate on the next big idea or save your company from a negative backlash from the media.
- You Think Beyond Press Releases: This is the bane of every PR, communications head. A new-age CEO doesn’t think of her corporate communications team as a press release sweatshop. Instead, you ask for a STRATEGIC, INTEGRATED communications plan to promote major milestones. Leave it to your chief of communications to decide what’s the best strategy, tactics, and platforms to amplify your big moment. Not every news deserves to be a press release. A blog post can have a bigger reach and engagement than a press release in certain instances. I can’t tell you how much time is wasted in writing, reviewing and finalizing press releases rather than executing on an effective communications plan that addresses your business needs. If you think PR = Press Releases, you have completely missed the opportunity to truly engage with your key stakeholders. Think beyond press releases and ask your head of communications to develop a plan that a) reaches your target audience b) engages with them c) inspires them to take action.
Your chief of communications should be your trusted advisor on all important strategic initiatives and is key to managing your company’s reputation. I hope you are the CEO that empowers your CCO to do their job right!