Building executive communications that actually work

Executive communications inside complex institutions can look reactive from the outside. In reality, they require structured systems, disciplined decision-making and clear governance across stakeholders with competing priorities.

In this session, you’ll learn how to design and operate an executive communications operating system within a research university or similarly complex organization. Drawing on real-world experience in a provost’s office at a major university, you’ll explore how to:

• Build a scalable intake and prioritization model.
• Manage ambiguity and rapid-turn requests from senior leaders.
• Map stakeholders and approval flows across legal, academic and administrative units.
• Align messaging with institutional strategy rather than daily noise.
• Use metric dashboards to shift the focus from activity to impact.

You’ll leave with practical frameworks you can adapt and use right away.

Presenter

Roland Wyn Jones — Columbia University