If you’re a Director or Senior Manager in tech aiming for an executive promotion, you probably already excel at building robust execution plans. You know how to drive delivery—planning roadmaps, managing resources, tracking metrics, and shipping products on time.
But here’s the hard truth: being a great executor isn’t enough to make you stand out for that next-level role.
What often separates those who stay where they are from those who step into the C-suite is not just how well they execute, but how well they communicate what they’re executing.
In other words, your execution plan needs a communication plan.
And if you ignore this, you risk staying invisible—no matter how good your delivery record is.
Why Tech Leaders Often Overlook Communication Plans
In tech, we pride ourselves on building. We create systems, solve problems, and measure results. The work itself is tangible and satisfying. A strong execution plan—clear goals, resources aligned, timelines mapped out—feels like success.
But here’s the blind spot: execution without communication is like building a great product that no one knows about. It doesn’t get the traction, visibility, or advocacy it needs.
Executives aren’t just judged by what they deliver. They’re judged by:
- How well they align teams and stakeholders
- How they shape perceptions across the organization
- How they build momentum for initiatives beyond their immediate area
This is especially true for CTO, CIO, or COO roles which are about steering the entire business, not just managing delivery.
What Happens Without a Communication Plan?
Picture this: You’ve been working tirelessly for six months on a strategic platform upgrade. Your teams burned the midnight oil. You finish on time, on budget, and the new platform performs beautifully.
But at the next quarterly business review, it barely gets a mention. Meanwhile, another leader who’s delivering something smaller but constantly sharing updates, highlighting wins, and keeping stakeholders engaged, is praised for “great strategic impact.”
Frustrating? Absolutely. But common.
If people don’t see the story, they don’t appreciate the impact.
Without a communication plan:
✅ Your initiative stays siloed.
✅ Other executives might not understand (or care about) your project’s strategic value.
✅ You lose political capital that could support your next ask—funding, headcount, or your own promotion.
Why Executives Think in Stories, Not Just Metrics
By the time you’re in the Director or Senior Manager ranks, your execution should be a given. It’s the price of entry.
What executive teams care about is:
- How does this advance our strategy?
- Where’s the evidence it’s working?
- How will this position us against competitors or market risks?
- Who else is seeing value from it?
In short, they think in stories about progress and positioning.
If you’re not intentionally telling that story—through updates, briefings, wins, user or customer anecdotes, or even quick metrics snapshots—no one else will tell it for you.
How to Build a Communication Plan for Your Initiative
So, how do you start? Here’s a practical framework you can adopt now:
1. Map Your Key Audiences
Who needs to know about this initiative?
Break it down into:
✅ Upward: Your boss, their peers, and the executive team.
✅ Sideways: Other departments your work depends on (or that will feel the results).
✅ Downward: Your team and extended teams who’ll build or maintain it.
✅ Outside: In some cases, key customers, partners, or even the broader market.
Remember: For a Director eyeing executive ranks, showing you can align laterally (peers across Marketing, Sales, Operations, Product) and upward is critical.
2. Build a Storyline, Not Just a Status Report
Don’t just say: “We’re 75% complete on phase two.”
Instead, frame it as: “We’re on track to deliver the new platform by Q3, which will cut onboarding time 50%—something both Sales and Customer Success flagged as crucial for hitting our 2025 growth targets.”
Tie your updates to bigger company goals or cross-functional pain points. This is executive-level communication.
3. Choose the Right Moments
Think about communication milestones that match your execution milestones.
- Early milestone? Share a strategic rationale such as why we’re investing here.
- Mid-project? Share quick wins or early feedback.
- Major delivery? Highlight business impact and next opportunities.
Proactively book slots on meeting agendas. Don’t just wait to be asked.
4. Make It Easy for Executives to Engage
Executives live on quick decisions. Craft your updates so they can respond in seconds.
For example:
- Good: “Option A costs $200K with a 6-month ROI, Option B costs $500K with a 2-month ROI. My recommendation is Option B—agree?”
- Not so good: “Here’s 5 pages of analysis. What do you think?”
In emails or decks, lead with the headline, then follow with supporting details.
5. Don’t Stop After Delivery
Your communication plan doesn’t end when you launch. Keep the momentum by:
✅ Sharing early success metrics
✅ Spotlighting customer stories or testimonials
✅ Calling out cross-team contributions (which also builds your reputation as a leader who amplifies others)
This keeps your work top of mind—and positions you as someone driving ongoing impact.
✅ Action Items to Get You on the Executive Track
Ready to put this into practice? Here’s how to start moving from a capable operator to a visible, strategic leader:
- Pick your flagship project: Choose the one initiative that best highlights your impact on business priorities.
- List who matters: Identify the execs, peers, and cross-functional partners who should know about your work.
- Plot communication touch points: Decide when and how you’ll update them—whether through executive check-ins, cross-team reviews, or quick informal briefs.
- Craft headlines, not just details: Write 1-2 clear lines tying your project to business outcomes to make it easy for leaders to see why it matters.
- Book the conversations: Don’t wait to be asked – schedule updates and put yourself in rooms where decisions and promotions are shaped.
- Coach your team: Align them on the strategic story so they can amplify it in their own interactions.
- Ask for calibration: After key updates, check: “Is this helpful? Anything you’d want to see differently next time?” This keeps your communication sharp and executive-focused.
- Rinse and refine: Review each quarter. Did you stay visible? Did the right people see your impact? Adjust as needed.
Take one of these steps this week: Small moves compound—and that’s how Directors and Managers build a reputation that makes executive promotion the obvious next step.
