Communicating in high-stakes situations is the ultimate test of leadership.
The discussion with senior HR leaders during this month’s HR M&A Roundtable was illuminating.
We discussed five questions:
- The challenges in linking talent to value creation plans
- The overlooked roles that are critical to value creation
- What helps align incentives to value creation
- How can you institute speed in leadership transitions
- The biggest watchout in assigning decision rights
The collective answer from HR M&A experts to 4 of 5 of these? Comms, Comms, Comms.
In high-stakes moments, communication is make-or-break.
Why? As we’ve said before, the human tendency to ad lib, in the absence of knowing what to say, opens the door to misinterpretation that produces confusion and misalignment at best and alienation at worst. Silence erodes trust.
But few appreciate just how hard it is for leaders to define and deliver a clear, unified narrative that resonates when they are also personally grappling with evolving situations and concurrently leading and coaching their organizations through the same.
If you’re an executive, business owner, or HR leader seeking senior communications leadership during high-stakes moments — from M&A integrations to divestitures, spinoffs, carveouts and IPOs, as well as enterprise transformations, current events, and Chapter 7 & 11 filings — get in touch.