Communication In Business Growth Strategies

Someone recently asked me if there are any internal phrases/mantras we lean on at Doist. I thought this was a great question, so wanted to share my responses here (and I’d love to hear any you have as well!)… 1️⃣ Async not asap. We value thoughtful, well-considered work over speedy, one-line-at-a-time communication. By embracing asynchronous communication, we empower our team members to collaborate effectively without the constant pressure of immediacy. 2️⃣ Disagree and commit. Diverse perspectives are our strength. We encourage healthy debates, but once a decision is made, we commit as a team. It's about unity in action, even when we hold differing views. 3️⃣ Remote first, not remote only. Flexibility is key! We prioritize remote work but maintain the option for intentionally curated in-person interactions a few times per year. 4️⃣ If it’s not a hell yea, it’s a no. There are a lot of good ideas, but if everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority. We believe in focusing on what truly matters, so if a project or idea doesn't align perfectly with our goals, we owe it to everyone on the team to pass, even if the potential outcome is positive. 5️⃣ Decisions drive action. We don't dwell in analysis paralysis. Once we make a decision, we act on it promptly, ensuring our ideas turn into impactful outcomes. 6️⃣ Radical Candor. Honest and caring feedback can be especially difficult to elicit in a predominantly async-first environment since non-verbal communication represents 80% of how we express ourselves (and we lose a lot of that in the virtual world). So it’s imperative we foster an environment where open, direct communication is valued, and where constructive criticism leads to personal and professional development. 7️⃣ Deep work. We champion deep, focused work, and we value creating dedicated time for meaningful tasks, while minimizing distractions and interruptions, to maximize productivity. Chatting isn't working, being present doesn't equate to output. 8️⃣ Document it. Knowledge sharing is key in a remote environment, so we make it a point to document our processes, decisions, and insights so that everyone can access and benefit from our collective wisdom. When something is mentioned in passing, we’ll often say “document it”, to ensure it is hardcoded into our handbook. Very few days go by where I don’t hear/read one of these phrases mentioned, so they truly are core to our company culture, and baking them into how we communicate has a real impact on how we make work, work. I hope this is helpful for you, and if you have any similar mantras your team leans on, I’d really love to hear them 👇

Not many people see difficult conversations as crucial for executing strategy, yet they are, and for several reasons. Strategy execution relies on alignment, accountability, and agility, all of which require open, honest communication, especially on uncomfortable topics. Alignment across an organization is vital. Strategies often involve change, which can be met with resistance. Difficult conversations ensure everyone understands the strategy, their role, and the importance of their contributions. For instance, addressing resistance to a new initiative through candid discussions can uncover and resolve root causes, and lead people in a common direction. Accountability is also crucial. When expectations aren't met, tough conversations about performance and results are necessary. These discussions maintain standards and ensure responsibilities are met. Without them, under performance persists unchecked, undermining the strategic effort. Leaders avoiding these conversations may signal that mediocrity is acceptable, eroding the organization's commitment to success. Additionally, difficult conversations promote transparency and trust. Open dialogue about challenges builds trust and encourages valuable feedback. This trust is foundational for collaborative problem-solving and innovation. Teams that trust each other share information, seek help, and work together to overcome obstacles, essential for adapting to changes and driving key initiatives. Agility, another key component, allows us to adjust to new information or shifting circumstances within our strategy. Difficult conversations can quickly address issues, re-evaluate priorities, and cause the right adjustments to happen. For example, a pointed discussion about a failing project can lead to a pivot, saving time and resources. Having difficult conversations reveal valuable insights. Front-line team members often carry different perspectives than those above them. Honest dialogue can uncover practical challenges and innovative ideas that might not surface in routine discussions. This bottom-up feedback is vital for leadership to "fill in gaps of understanding" and negotiate organizational dynamics. While inherently uncomfortable, difficult conversations are indispensable for effective strategy execution. Leaders who master them position their organizations for greater strategic success by navigating complexities with clarity and confidence, ultimately achieving results faster. #ceos #leadership #difficultconversations #strategyexecution

Sales folks, take note! Spamming a target company's employees with your services and requests for meetings will result in your company making its way onto a buyer's blocklist. As a buyer in the localization industry, I receive dozens of emails and LinkedIn requests every single day from vendors looking to showcase translation, AI, QA services, and more. It's not humanly possible to give personal replies to every outreach. When vendors can't get through to me, they often reach out to everyone on my team... and sometimes to many others across my company. I'd love for this practice to stop. It wastes valuable company time and makes a vendor appear desperate and non-strategic. Here's what to do instead: 1. Appeal to ego! Invite a target company’s decision-maker to a panel, or start a vlog series and ask buyers to appear and discuss industry topics. It’s also a great opportunity to reposition your company as a thought leader. 2. Offer genuine insight, not just services. Share a case study, white paper, or benchmarking data that’s actually useful to the buyer’s role, and do it without a sales pitch. 3. Build a reputation before you build a pipeline. Comment thoughtfully on posts. Contribute to community conversations. If you consistently show up with value, you’re far more likely to get noticed. 4. Target smarter, not broader. Don’t shotgun your message to an entire company. Learn the org. Understand the buyer’s scope. Then send one well-researched, personalized note that shows you actually did your homework. 5. Focus on mutual value. Can you help solve a known pain point or offer perspective on something changing in the market? Frame your outreach around collaboration, not consumption. 6. Use timing to your advantage. Keep tabs on when companies are hiring for roles associated with your offerings, launching in new markets, or attending conferences. That’s when buyers are more receptive to new solutions. 7. Lead with generosity. Offer a no-strings-attached resource, intro, or suggestion that doesn’t benefit you directly. Reciprocity is a powerful trust builder. And please! Don't ever ever call me on the phone! ;)

Brand-level messaging isn't just about what you say - it's about the emotional response you create. Get this right, and the rest of your messaging has a strong foundation. Get this wrong - the stories you tell - from product to sales, feel misguided. That's why PMMs need to collaborate with with brand teams to create powerful brand messaging. 1. Start with conviction What unique perspective do you hold? What do you see that others don't? 2. Make a promise How will you actually deliver on that conviction? This needs to be tangible, not just aspirational. 3. Tell the transformation story Paint the picture of 'before' (the problem) and 'after' (the world you help create) 4. Back it with proof Real examples, not buzzwords. Show, don't just tell. 5. Tie it together [Category] deserves [belief] because [conviction] The magic happens when you tell one cohesive story that resonates emotionally with your audience. What I love about this framework is its simplicity. It forces you to get clear on what you actually stand for, not just what sounds good. Use this next time you want to get foundational with your messaging.

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐀𝐫𝐞 Enterprise Architecture abhors a vacuum—it thrives on stakeholder engagement. Often, architects jump into collaboration without first assessing one critical factor: • 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞, 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐄𝐀? Before strategy, frameworks, or roadmaps, 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 and 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. This will shape how you approach, gain buy-in, and drive outcomes. Here are 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 for aligning EA with stakeholders: 𝟏 | 𝐆𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐄𝐀 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 EA means different things to people, how can you align? Approach: * 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞. What do leaders think EA does? What experiences shape their view? * 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐀 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞. If a product saw EA as 'overhead,’ shift the conversation to ‘rapid decision-making.’ * 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. Finance, operations, and IT leaders have different concerns. Meet them on their terms. 👉 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞: When you shape EA’s role based on their reality, it becomes relevant, not theoretical. 𝟐 | 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐄𝐀 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 EA isn’t all architecture, it’s solving business problems. Approach: * 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐊𝐏𝐈𝐬. Growth? Efficiency? Risk? Align EA contributions to what leadership interests. * 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭. Show architecture driving go-to-market, savings, or agility—over compliance. * 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞/𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬. If EA was a bottleneck, demonstrate accelerated decision-making instead. 👉 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞: EA is a strategic enabler, not afterthought. 𝟑 | 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐄𝐀 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 EA works best in collaboration, not isolation. Approach: * 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. Decision-making improves when EA is a proactive presence. * 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 ‘𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐀’ 𝐭𝐨 ‘𝐜𝐨-𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.’ Stakeholders engage when architecture is a tool for their success. * 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞-𝐨𝐟𝐟. EA isn’t a pitch—it’s a dialog evolving with business. 👉 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞: EA shaping decisions early rather than reacting later. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠. Before pushing frameworks or models, assess 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐀 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲—and how to reshape that narrative to unlock its full potential. How do align EA stakeholders? Let’s discuss.👇 --- ➕ 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 Kevin Donovan 🔔    👍 Like | ♻️ Repost | 💬 Comment    🚀 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬’ 𝐇𝐮𝐛 👉 https://lnkd.in/dgmQqfu2

🥗🍱🍝 "Have you eaten?" vs. "How is the weather today?" ☀️🌦️❄️ During a business trip in Asia, I started a meeting with a typical 'German' question about the weather. I was met with puzzled looks until I realized: it's always 31°C in Singapore – what a pointless small talk question! When I then asked the team how they would start a meeting, they suggested asking if and what everyone had eaten. They explained, "With a full stomach, the mind is primed for productivity!" I also remember a German colleague mentioning a product launch in summer. Our Asian colleagues responded, "Which summer do you mean? Here it's always summer!" --- As we work extensively in teams across countries, intercultural competencies are more crucial than ever! Experiences like these help us become more aware of cultural differences and tailor our communication accordingly. We just launched 8 "Culture Videos," featuring insights from Infineon Technologies colleagues worldwide on conversation starters, common pitfalls, meeting protocols, and feedback dynamics. Additionally, we have 12 one-page Learning Nuggets on "How to do business with Germans/Austrians/Indians/Filipinos...". These are quick yet insightful reads. For those needing more in-depth knowledge, we offer a range of intercultural trainings tailored to various professional contexts. 🥨 Now: "What have you eaten and what was your intercultural learning when collaborating with colleagues from different countries?"

An ecommerce company recently approached my team to do an email audit as they were facing challenges with low open and click-through rates. After analyzing their email account, here are our main recommendations to revive their email marketing channel: 1. Strategic Email Segmentation: Currently, your emails lack personal relevance due to a one-size-fits-all approach. This is a crucial area to address. Action Plan: Implement segmentation based on purchase history, engagement levels, browsing behavior, and demographic information. 2. Personalized Content Creation: Generic content won't cut it. Your audience needs to feel that each email is crafted for them. Action Plan: Develop emails specifically tailored to the different segments. This includes curated product recommendations, personalized offers, and content that aligns with their interests. 3. Subject Line A/B Testing: Your current subject lines aren't doing their job. You need to be implementing ongoing A/B subject line tests, as this is low-hanging fruit to improve your open rates. Action Plan: Regularly test different subject line styles and formats to identify what resonates best with each segment. Keep track of the metrics to inform future campaigns. 4. Mobile Optimization: A significant portion of your audience reads emails on mobile devices. Neglecting this is causing a decrease in your email engagement rates. Action Plan: Ensure all emails are responsive and visually appealing on various screen sizes. Test your emails on multiple devices before sending them out. Additional Campaign Strategies We Recommend: - Launch a Monthly Newsletter: This should include new arrivals, style guides, and user-generated content. It’s an excellent way to keep your brand in the minds of your customers. - Seasonal Campaign Integration: Tailor your campaigns to align with holidays and seasons. This approach can significantly boost engagement and sales during key periods. - Re-Engagement Campaigns: Specifically target subscribers who haven't interacted with your brand recently. Offer them unique incentives to rekindle their interest. Next steps: 1. If you found this helpful, please leave a comment and let me know. 2. If you own/run/work at an Ecommerce company doing at least $1 million in annual revenue, message me so my team can audit your email channel to see if there's a good fit for working together.

After nearly 30 years in the customer experience space, one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the critical importance of partnership. You can have the most innovative CX strategy, cutting-edge technology, and even the most comprehensive data insights, but if you don’t have buy-in from the right stakeholders, and have business leaders willing to work with you, your efforts will always fall flat. Sounds obvious, but so many miss this. Managing stakeholder expectations and ensuring alignment across departments isn’t just about communication, it’s about trust and influence. Whether it’s C-suite executives, frontline employees, or even external partners, each stakeholder plays a vital role in shaping and delivering the customer experience. The best CX initiatives are those that have everyone on board, with a shared vision and a clear understanding of the impact on both the business and the customer. Being an effective partner means listening to stakeholder concerns, aligning your objectives with theirs, and continuously showing the value that customer experience brings. It’s about understanding their priorities and communicating how CX initiatives help meet those goals. When stakeholders see CX as an enabler of business outcomes rather than just a customer-focused initiative, execution becomes far more effective. The bottom line? CX success isn’t just about customers. It’s about aligning the internal team, building trust, and ensuring that everyone is invested in the same outcome. #customerexperience #stakeholdermanagement #leadership #strategy #digitaltransformation #collaboration #technology

most ceos obsess over strategy, product, and capital—yet ignore the one lever that makes every move stick: strategic communication. i’ve seen brilliant founders pour millions into innovation only to stall because employees, investors, and even customers couldn’t articulate the mission. when communication is treated as a tactical afterthought, momentum leaks out of the system. here’s the simple math i walk leaders through: clarity cuts the noise ↳ if your team can’t repeat your top three priorities on demand, the message hasn’t landed. connection builds capacity ↳ information flows freely when silos are bridged, turning scattered talent into a single powerhouse. momentum fuels drive ↳ stories that make people feel part of something bigger spark energy you can’t buy with perks. alignment reduces friction ↳ psychological safety plus clear decision frameworks keep teams moving in the same direction. invest in the “transmission,” not just the engine. strategic comms turns vision into traction.

Before you post about a sponsorship, run this checklist or risk being ignored. Here is the 13-step checklist to make sure your sponsorship messaging lands. This is about shaping a story across every layer of influence. 1/ Start with an internal positioning memo If your team can’t explain why this partnership matters to the business, your comms will default to fluff. Write the real story before briefing anyone. 2/ Assign ownership to each layer of communication Break down responsibilities across brand, execs, partners, social, and PR. No one owns “sponsorship comms” as a whole, it’s a stack of overlapping influence. 3/ Define the executive narrative system Each leader should have a message tied to the partnership. CEO for business trust. CTO for technical alignment. CMO for positioning. Each message builds authority at a different altitude. 4/ Write for perception shift, not reach Choose one shift you want to drive: → Seen as a category leader → Trusted as an innovation partner → Associated with elite performance Everything should reinforce that idea. 5/ Identify your high-trust targets Don’t write for everyone. Write for analysts, enterprise buyers, investor advisors, journalists, whoever carries influence inside your niche. 6/ Build an internal-to-external calendar Line up what you’re saying internally (sales, investors, leadership) with what shows up externally (owned channels, media, partnerships). 7/ Structure your race-week or activation window Every high-visibility moment should have pre-baked storylines, exec posts, media hooks, and assets ready to go. Don’t just react, deploy. 8/ Align with the rights holder’s comms rhythm If the partner is posting, your comms should either: → Amplify → Add depth → Create a new angle Too many brands ghost their own deal after the press release. 9/ Create a feedback loop across all teams Set up a short, weekly cadence: → What was said → What landed → What gaps appeared Fix messaging in motion, not at the end of the season. 10/ Use internal content as external proof Town hall decks. Product demos. CEO memos. When you repurpose these into public comms, they show consistency. And consistency = trust. 11/ Map your storytelling against business levers Don’t stop at “it’s good for the brand.” Show how messaging supports hiring, retention, B2B growth, or investor visibility. 12/ Audit your executive footprint every quarter How often are your execs showing up in the conversation? Who’s resharing them? Are they quoted in media? Silence kills narrative power. 13/ Build a strategic recap system After each big comms push, capture: → What the audience heard → Who responded → Where the brand now sits in the conversation That insight builds the next wave. This is how brand leaders build comms systems that reposition.