General approach
People at the top of your organization are very busy, and their attention is expensive. It is not because they are not interested in the employees, but because they need to deal with hundreds of "fires" across the organization and plan the next strategic steps simultaneously. A lot is at stake. In other words, efficiency and directness are expected, and time-wasting is not an option.
Generally, we would not advise approaching C-level executives when you want to raise awareness of a problem without proposing how to solve it. Instead, we suggest coming up with a potential solution and then pitching your idea to the C-level to secure resources or approval for the execution.
However, in real life, there might be situations when you need to approach C-level executives to raise awareness of the problem, even without having a solution. It could be a potential critical threats to a company's health that other employees fail to realize or just don't notice.
Examples:
An extremely inefficient & expensive process that seems to be a norm for everyone.
The negative effect of someone in the hierarchy with an influence on the company's culture.
In such cases, even if you don't have a solution it would be smart (good for the company & your career) to raise awareness among the top decision-makers to leverage their influence & initiate a problem-solving process.
Step-by-step guide
Validate the problem
We humans are subjective and tend to overreact. This is for a reason. Objective and unalert animals won't survive long.
"If the wind rustles the grass and you misinterpret it as a lion, no harm is done. But if you fail to detect an actual lion, you are taken out of the gene pool."
Sometimes this system misfires & we identify false problems. This is why before anything else we advise you to sit down and understand if it is a problem in the first place. Look at the numbers, talk with people who might be affected, and collect evidence. This way you will identify 3 things: problem existence, severity & occurrence. If a problem exists, it is damaging to the company in some way & it happens more than once - go for it. In another case, this is not a problem, or not a problem yet.
Describe the problem
Keep in mind that executives work at a different pace and levels of responsibility, so you need to be efficient and direct. Describe the problem in a very clear way, so other people will also see the problem there. Condense everything you have found in the 1st step. Then, get to a point, by identifying the core of the problem. A good way to do so is the 5 whys technique. Work on the problem description until it is short & clear.
Add necessary context
Describe what part of the business is affected, in what way, and how this affects customers or employees. Mention how frequently this problem occurs.
Once a year or every day - it is a big difference.
Finally, support your case with key metrics. This will serve as “hard evidence” and will help people quickly understand the situation.
Explain negative consequences
Describe what most likely might happen if actions are not taken and the problem is not solved. Almost everything works according to the compounding effect law, or in other words, turns from a tiny small ball into an avalanche.
Small problems may seriously damage the business if not fixed timely. By explaining potential negative consequences you bring in additional factors that could help make the decision.
Set objective & clear CTA
A lot of discussions end with a cliff. No action follows. Why? Because there is no clear call to action.
What do you want to achieve by bringing this information to C-level executives?
What is the end goal of the meeting?
Answering these questions is critical, as this will help to outline "what is needed from the audience" & will set things into motion.
This also will show you as a professional, who values the time of other people. To resonate with C-level executives align your message with strategic goals, potential earnings or losses, and company values.
Even if you don’t have a solution, try suggesting initial steps that can guide the organization toward solving the problem.
Wrap it into a structure
Take the outcomes of previous steps & outline the clear structure. Providing structure to your discussion will help C-level executives quickly wrap their heads around the key points of the upcoming discussion.
Keep in mind, that you should always start with what’s important to your audience, in this case C-level executives.
Identify the right channel to deliver your message
Identifying the right channel for the delivery of your message is crucial. The channel over which your message is delivered will define the level of its importance, needed attention & urgency of the topic.
Message delivered over Slack radiates much less significance than in-person discussion. Pick your channel right.
Keep in mind!
C-level exectuvies are humans too
Despite their aura, C-level executives are also human. They experience worries, anxieties, and similar struggles and embarrassments to everyone else.
They are not divine beings; they are simply people. They do laundry and groceries, visit the doctor, have dreams, and struggle to achieve ambitious goals over the years.
They also have hobbies that they start but then forget about. They have guilty pleasures and bad habits, experience stress, and find happiness in simple things. They are just like everyone else.
Knowing this will make it much easier to communicate with them. Like a human to a human. Of course, there are nuances, and this whole page is dedicated to them, but most importantly it is just a conversation.
Just be yourself!
Message example
