Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 32
How to Effectively Communicate With the C-Suite
by Evelyn M. Lee, AIA
Evelyn M. Lee, AIA, writes
a regular column for Contract
on business practices in design
and professional development.
Based in San Francisco, Lee
is corporate managing director
for workplace strategy and
analytics at Savills Studley.
She holds graduate degrees
in architecture, public
administration, and business
administration. Currently
a member of the AIA national
board of directors, Lee
received an AIA Young
Architects Award in 2014.
Her website is evelynlee.com.
Visit contractdesign.com/
businesspractice to read all
of her columns for Contract.
Designers often collaborate with the heads
of real estate or facilities, and yet our value can
be undersold to the C-suite, the group of officers
of a business organization who have the word "chief"
in their titles. In my role as a tenant representative,
I have witnessed instances in which architects
and interior designers met with an organization's
leadership but were unable to establish a meaningful
connection. After such meetings, my clients rarely
talk about the design process, even though I know
that the designers have taken painstaking steps
to create an environment around a client's vision.
With this disconnect in mind, here are several
points to help get the conversation going.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
CEOs are often the most pressed for time, and
they are interested in seeing results. Going into
a meeting with a CEO, make sure you understand
what they hope to get out of the project and address
that within the first 30 seconds so you have their
immediate attention. Keep your slide deck lean
and do not include anything that does not respond
to their end objective.
tracking. The best COOs are known for improving
every area that they touch, and it is the designer's
role to find ways to support them. When meeting
with a COO, address their most pressing needs
first and help them identify any areas in which design
can improve operational processes and foster
growth and the retention of quality staff. COOs
are usually the force behind the implementation
of a company's strategic plan, so if the work
you are doing specifically responds to the plan,
make those points as well.
Preparation and rehearsal are key to
successful meetings with executives. Designers
are indoctrinated into a culture of working up
to the last minute to meet deadlines and then flying
loose with presentations. At best, this approach
shows that we are passionate, but it rarely creates
a specific connection to what executives are seeking
to understand about the work we are doing for them.
A meeting with any member of the C-suite
presents an opportunity to position the firm
as a knowledge leader and plant the seed to become
a trusted adviser. It is a chance to show that your
insights are valuable beyond the scope of the current
project. To whatever degree feasible, you should
learn as much as possible about the business
and operations of your client in order to understand
exactly how your project serves the bigger picture.
When you are able, have conversations with those
who know the executives. You would be surprised
at how much information can be attained from
a CEO's assistant about their preferred method
of communication. For example, perhaps they love
the bullet points that you find so incredibly boring.
Finally, never ask for or expect more time
with an executive. If you resonate, they will make
time for you. c
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Meetings with a CFO require extensive preparation:
You should know your numbers inside and out.
With a project in process, I often lead with how much
value we have created, the measurable outcomes,
and how much improvement can be seen thus far.
I also cover potential financial risks to the project
and how we can mitigate them to get ahead of
any concerns that the client may have. And if I can
identify a time frame for maximum impact from
the results of the project, it creates an opportunity
for us gather data postoccupancy. My slides often
contain data or infographics that have been pulled
from a database or spreadsheet, and rarely does the
project's design come into play (although I always
include design-related slides at the end just in case).
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
COOs often measure their success in increments
of time as it relates to money or efficient processes.
Unlike CEOs and CFOs, the COOs tend to wear more
hats and have more things they are simultaneously
32
contractdesign.com
NOVEMBER 2017
PHOTOGRAPHY: CARL BOWER
COLUMNIST
http://www.evelynlee.com
http://www.contractdesign.com/businesspractice
http://www.contractdesign.com/businesspractice
http://www.contractdesign.com
Contract Magazine - November 2017
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract Magazine - November 2017
Contract Magazine - November 2017
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Designer You Should Know: Whitney Hendrickson of Perkins+Will
Columnist: How to Effectively Communicate With the C-Suite
Healthcare Design Expo + Conference
Product Focus: Bedside Manner
Product Briefs
Jacobs Medical Center
Miami Cancer Institute
Stamford Hospital
Healthcare Environment Awards 2017
Healthcare Environment Awards
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Marcus Mariota Sports Performance Center
Mountain Park Health Center, Tempe Clinic
Mercy Virtual Care Center
Children’s National Medical Center Bunny Mellon Healing Garden
RIPCHD.OR Operating Room Prototype
Regaining Independence: A Long-Term Acute- Care Hospital
Designers Select: Healthcare
Sources
Ad Index
Exhibition: The New York That Never Was
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Intro
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Contract Magazine - November 2017
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Cover2
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 1
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 2
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 3
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 4
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 5
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Contents
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 7
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 8
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 9
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 10
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 11
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 12
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 13
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 14
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 15
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 16
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 17
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Editorial
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 19
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 20
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 21
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Industry News
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 23
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 24
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 25
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 26
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 27
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Designer You Should Know: Whitney Hendrickson of Perkins+Will
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 29
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 30
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 31
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Columnist: How to Effectively Communicate With the C-Suite
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 33
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Healthcare Design Expo + Conference
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 35
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 36
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 37
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Product Focus: Bedside Manner
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 39
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Product Briefs
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 41
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 42
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 43
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 44
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 45
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 46
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 47
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 48
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 49
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Jacobs Medical Center
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 51
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 52
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 53
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 54
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 55
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 56
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 57
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Miami Cancer Institute
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 59
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 60
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 61
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 62
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 63
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Stamford Hospital
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 65
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 66
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 67
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 68
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 69
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 70
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 71
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 72
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 73
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Healthcare Environment Awards
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 75
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 77
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 78
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 79
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 80
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 81
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 82
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 83
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Marcus Mariota Sports Performance Center
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 85
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 86
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 87
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 88
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 89
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 90
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 91
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Mountain Park Health Center, Tempe Clinic
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 93
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Mercy Virtual Care Center
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 95
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Children’s National Medical Center Bunny Mellon Healing Garden
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 97
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - RIPCHD.OR Operating Room Prototype
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 99
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Regaining Independence: A Long-Term Acute- Care Hospital
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 101
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 102
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 103
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Designers Select: Healthcare
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 105
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Sources
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 107
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 108
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 109
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Ad Index
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - 111
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Exhibition: The New York That Never Was
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Cover3
Contract Magazine - November 2017 - Cover4
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