A Novel Idea:  Briefing Teams and Executive Management in Collaboration

Before you launch into yet another sales or marketing-related activity to boost your briefing program’s visibility and its results, why not ask for your Executive Leadership’s perspective?  I always recommend that no matter the stage of your program, establishing a cross-functional Executive Steering Committee should be a briefing best practice, as a committee of this nature can act as a sounding board for your innovative ideas, a problem-solving mechanism to address program challenges and a way to ensure you have executive-buy in for your initiatives and the supporting budget required to realize your strategic business plan.

Better yet why not consider scheduling a one-day facilitated Executive Briefing Team and Executive Leadership retreat to strategize the direction of your program, discover ways to better impact business results, and improve customer loyalty and satisfaction?  Briefing Teams often conduct offsites to discuss internal operational challenges and to map out future strategies. But why do that in a vacuum?  On the flip side, Executive Leadership may also schedule working-session retreats to address marketplace issues, macroeconomic trends that can affect business and chart the future direction of the company. How often is the Executive Briefing Program invited to those gatherings and/or is a subject matter discussed in those Leadership meetings?  I would venture to say that it is “hit or miss” depending on how valued the Briefing Program is within a company. However, since the Briefing Program frequently holds the key to valuable customer and sales insights gathered during briefings, it seems only natural that discussions between Briefing Teams and Executive Leadership would be a way to bring that feedback to the forefront which may impact future company priorities.

The benefits of a joint half-day or one-day facilitated offsite designed to include the Executive Briefing Team and Executive Leadership are as follows:

• The ability to study and analyze data to predict trends that can impact the business
• A way to explore new ideas and concepts (think innovation) that could help differentiate the company and its offerings to customers
• An opportunity for the Executive Briefing Program to educate key leadership on briefing trends and best practices, so programs stay leading-edge
• A method for prioritizing what is important to the business

Retreats offer a safe environment that allows participants to listen, share and collaborate. The benefits are many but, include strengthening internal organizational relationships, removing obstacles through education, collaboration and consensus, and focusing on what matters most for the business as a whole. When this process happens, a “reimagining” of the Briefing Program may occur and new, innovative plans to support the overall company mission can emerge.

So, if you are a strategic Executive Briefing Leader, be bold!  Schedule that Executive Briefing Team and Executive Leadership Retreat as you begin your new fiscal year. After that first collaborative experience, just watch how quickly your program will start making an even bigger impact on business acceleration because now you will have the understanding and support you need from the top!