Twitter, Slack, Chatter, LinkedIn … the business world we operate in today is driven by instantaneous communication. Employees, partners and customers now have immediate access to the messages being delivered by your organization. And the message starts at the top. So, the question is: What’s the story coming out of your C-suite?

As a C-suite executive, it’s time to acknowledge that the new currency in the digital age of business is communication. The ability to develop, deliver and activate a crystal-clear message will define market leaders and laggards in the future.

C-suite executives must embrace this fact. They can no longer ignore the impact strategic messages have on business performance and the technologies that are changing how those messages are delivered. That’s why the voice of the C-suite is more critical than ever before. Any inconsistency or crack in the armor can negatively impact employee engagement, brand reputation, customer retention and, ultimately, the financial performance of the business.

Modern executive teams get this. They are investing the time and resources required to formulate strategic C-suite messages that matter and leveraging innovative technologies to deliver that story across their organization and into the marketplace.

These executives understand, before they can leverage technology in a positive and meaningful way, they first must define the stories they have to tell. The messages that must get through to employees, partners and customers. As a C-suite executive, ask yourself … what are the stories we have to share? What messages do we need to champion and manage over time? What messages will ultimately determine the success of our organization?

Is your C-suite on message?

Can your C-suite answer the following questions with absolute clarity and alignment …

  • What’s the story behind our brand and purpose?
  • What’s the story behind our go-to-market strategy?
  • What’s our culture and employee recruitment story?
  • What’s the story behind our latest organizational change strategy?
  • What’s our story to current and prospective investors?

C-suite teams that spend time defining these strategic messages and ensuring there is a “pull-through and activation” strategy behind the story – will outperform their competitors. And a critical part of the pull-through and activation strategy is the cadence by which the C-suite actively participates in the communication process. How they leverage the latest communications technology – on a consistent and intentional basis – to ensure the message is delivered precisely when and where they want it.

Is your CEO and C-suite active on Twitter? How is this channel being used? Are your C-suite executives leveraging enterprise messaging technology like Slack to engage leaders across the organization. What about LinkedIn to communicate with partners and customers? Are they intentionally using these technologies to explain and reinforce strategic messages that must get through to positively impact business performance?

Communication pull-through and cadence should be part of every C-suite meeting. It should become a cornerstone of how your team operates month to month, quarter over quarter. The goal is to actively manage a consistent, sustained cadence by which each C-suite executive supports and delivers strategic messages through the technologies that matter most.

The days of delegating strategic, organizational communication to others … are over. C-suite executives must take the reins – like they once did years ago. Why? Because only those executive teams that make strategic messaging development a priority; define sustained pull-through strategies; and leverage innovative communication technologies – will succeed at engaging employees, partners and customers in meaningful ways. Ways that ultimately drive business and financial performance.