Communicating Up Is Different Than Public Speaking

Senior leaders do not need to be entertained. They need to understand the issue,

Many mid‑level technical professionals assume that if they can deliver a strong public speech, they can deliver a strong presentation to senior management. That assumption creates noise. Public speaking and communicating up are two different games with two different goals. Public speaking is about holding attention and entertaining an audience. Communicating up is about transferring information quickly and clearly so leaders can make decisions.

Why Public Speaking Creates Noise

Great public speakers are entertainers, using pacing, stories, humor, and performance. Those techniques help keep a general audience engaged.

Senior leaders do not need to be entertained. They need to understand the issue, the implications, and the decision in front of them. Bringing entertainment techniques into a senior‑level briefing adds noise that distracts from the message. Leaders start working to find the signal instead of receiving it.

Don’t Strip Out Engagement

Removing the entertainment techniques does not mean stripping out engagement. Engagement is essential. It means stripping out the parts of public speaking that are designed to entertain rather than inform.

Your Role Shifts to Trusted Advisor

When you communicate up, you are not a performer. You are a trusted advisor. Your job is to reduce uncertainty, highlight what matters, and make the path to a decision shorter.

Senior leaders expect you to be concise and relevant in your presentation of technical information. Decision makers want a recommendation supported by the minimum amount of context needed to act.

The Tip

Strip out the entertainment. Keep the engagement. Focus on transferring information with clarity and purpose. When you communicate up as a trusted advisor, you reduce noise and increase your influence

---

JD Solomon champions practical communication skills that help technical professionals convey complex ideas clearly and confidently. Need help getting started? Visit his company’s website, www.jdsolomonsolutions.com.