Editorial
Welcome to Courage Coach, where expert columnist Karin Hurt answers readers' tough leadership challenges with practical tools and techniques you can use right away. Have a question for her? Drop her a line!
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Dear Courage Coach,
I have this project manager on my team, who struggles with executive communications. Let’s call him Jake. Jake is a well-meaning guy, but oh my god, his updates are all over the place. He SHOULD be able to manage executive updates at this level without my help. Quite frankly, I have so much going on that I don’t have time to review every communication.
I gave him feedback that he needed to get clearer and more concise in his executive communications. Now it’s way worse – I’m sure he’s using AI.
I’m not opposed to AI in concept, but now we have a bunch of flowery language and jargon…and still no substance.
I care about Jake. I want him to be successful. And yet, his poor communication is starting to impact my credibility too.What should I do?
Signed,
Concerned
Dear Concerned,
First, it sounds like you’re in a tough spot. Thank you for having the courage and caring to tackle this head on and have the difficult performance conversation.
4 Ways to Craft Better Executive Communications Using AI
Here’s where I’d start.
1. Define Success
Start with a candid conversation about what makes executive communication effective. Help Jake see that it’s his job to distill complex information into easily digestible points that enable action and decision. Invite Jake to consider what he wants the reader to think, feel and do as a result of the communication.
Help Jake understand that his message should be crystal clear in terms of the actions and reactions they’re seeking from the execs.
Guide Jake to always start with his main point. What’s the ‘so what?’ Be clear up front about decisions and actions needed.
Related Article: Jargon Gets In The Way of Progress. Here's How to Remove It
2. AI as a Tool, Not a Crutch
Discuss how AI should be used smartly — as a tool to enhance, not overshadow, human communication. AI can be a great time saver, but sometimes it can add irrelevant information that dilutes the true substance.
Focus on AI’s role in organizing thoughts and initial drafting, not in setting the tone, and certainly not the substance of communication.
Require that Jake carefully rework every AI-generated draft. AI can start the conversation, but it takes a human to lead it. Emphasize the importance of feeding it relevant information, using appropriate prompts and careful editing, keeping only what serves the purpose.
3. Fact Check
I’ve used AI enough to know that sometimes, it just makes stuff up.
For example, my co-author David Dye and I have a new collaboration framework based on our research and findings from our World Workplace Conflict and Collaboration research. The framework includes four Cs: Connection, Clarity, Curiosity and Commitment.
I asked ChatGPT, “What are Karin Hurt’s 4Cs of Collaboration?” Rather than telling me it didn’t know (which could be a reasonable answer, as the framework is hot off the press), it CONFIDENTLY articulated an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT framework.
“Karin Hurt, a well-known leadership consultant and speaker, has articulated the "4 Cs of Collaboration" as a framework to enhance teamwork and collaborative efforts in organizations. The 4 Cs are… Here's where it started making stuff up (only one C, Connection, was a lucky guess). Karin Hurt's framework is designed to help leaders and teams build a more collaborative and effective working environment by focusing on these key areas.”
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Executives need to be able to trust that anything you put in your executive updates is true. It only takes one unchecked source to create doubt in all future communication.
4. Regular Check-Ins and Improvements
Set up frequent review sessions to help Jake develop. Use these to reflect on what’s been working and what needs tweaking. Celebrate improvement and learn from the misses.
Balancing the innovative use of AI with the need for clear, concise communication is key. It's about guiding Jake to use AI as a complement to his skills, not a replacement. By setting clear expectations, focusing on substance, and continuously refining his approach, you can help Jake craft better executive updates.
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