This Is How To Impress Your New CEO In Less Than 1 Minute
CEOs are often very busy individuals and lack the time for idle chit chat. The next time that you find yourself standing next to the CEO, you may only have a few seconds to make an impression.
Is it possible to learn how to impress your new CEO in one minute? The answer depends on a variety of factors, including your position within the company.
As an employee you could attempt to impress your new CEO by offering a solution to a current problem – pitching a new idea or strategy in one minute or less forces the pitch into clear, concise information only. Even if the CEO does not give the idea their consideration, the employee is at least likely to leave a lasting positive impression.
Yet, pitching a solution to a problem is not the only way to impress a CEO. New employees who want to make the right impression should work hard. CEOs appreciate employees who contribute to the success of the company.
Employees who want to impress a CEO may want to focus on:
- Showing up early and staying late
- Volunteering for projects
- Providing honest feedback
- Asking for help when necessary
The behaviors listed above show dedication and commitment, which should create a stronger impression. However, it is also possible for a new employee to cross boundaries and come across as too needy or aggressive.
In this post, you can learn the right balance of how to impress your CEO without becoming a nuisance or overstepping your responsibilities.
Can you impress a CEO with an elevator pitch?
As a new employee, you have one thing in common with the CEO. You both want what is best for the company.
A CEO may not want to listen to your life story or hear about your interests, but they are likely to listen to a potential solution to an existing problem that the company faces.
If you want to try impressing the CEO quickly (for example when meeting in a hallway or sharing an elevator), present a solution to a problem rather than simply raising a problem for discussion.
Learn more about the company’s biggest threats and develop a potential work around that others may not have thought of.
As an example, cyber security is one of the biggest concerns for many organizations (71% of CEOs are extremely concerned about cyber threats) – have you noticed any vulnerabilities in how your company processes or handles data?
Other concerns commonly on a CEO’s mind include profits and talent acquisition.
Impress your new CEO by volunteering for projects
Along with helping to solve problems, you can impress your CEO based on your job performance. Start by volunteering for projects and taking on more work when possible.
Volunteering shows initiative and increases your chances of being recognized by the CEO, however, it is also important to avoid taking on more work than you can handle.
Over-volunteering may decrease your job performance and become counterintuitive to your aims.
Create a stronger impression by putting in more time
Showing up early and staying late may win you points with the CEO as their role and responsibilities tend to require putting in extra hours (a study found that the average CEO works 62.5 hours per week) and are likely to appreciate a colleague who does the same.
Spending more time at the office may also increase your interactions with the CEO. If you are the only two people entering the building half an hour before the start of the day, you may gain more opportunities to talk and get to know each other better.
Yet, you should avoid working yourself too hard. As with over-volunteering, overworking yourself decreases your overall performance. If the quality of your work starts to suffer, you may need to take pause and re-address the work/life balance.
Create a stronger impression by putting in more time
Make a good impression by providing honest feedback. CEOs appreciate hearing the truth instead of being told what people think they want to hear. Focus on using facts instead of sugar-coating an issue with rhetoric.
Volunteering and putting in more time should help the CEO recognize your hard work and commitment to the company. As you become a more integral part of the organization, the CEO may be more willing to listen to your input. Use this opportunity to provide honest feedback and constructive criticism.
Ask your new CEO for help when necessary
If your CEO is accessible, you may have the opportunity to ask for help or advice.
For example, if you are an executive at your organization and frequently meet with the CEO or work in a small company, you can likely discuss a variety of matters. This includes asking for help when needed.
Asking for help shows that you care more about the success of a project than your image. Whether you need advice or additional resources, it can create a stronger partnership between you and the CEO.
Let your CEO know more about your career ambitions
As you become more comfortable around the CEO, you may start to divulge details about your interests, including your career ambitions. Let your CEO know more about your career goals.
Ensuring that your CEO knows your ambitions increases your chances of receiving responsibilities that align with your goals. You may receive more projects or tasks that help move you toward the position or place you want to be.
Your CEO cannot help with your career path if they don’t know what you hope to achieve.
Impress your CEO by showing interest in their life
After gaining the trust of the CEO and interacting more frequently, you may become comfortable enough to start building a more personal relationship. Start showing more interest in their life outside of work.
Ask about their weekend at the start of the workweek, inquire about their family, and learn more about their hobbies and interests. You may find some common ground that could help you forge a stronger bond.
Closing notes
Impressing your boss in less than one minute is not easy. Unless you have a specific proposal that you can pitch in 60 seconds or less, you are better off trying to make an impression by excelling at your job.
Employees are more likely to create a strong impression when they show dedication to the company. Putting in extra hours and volunteering for projects can make an employee stand out. Employees should also provide honest feedback and ask for help when needed.
The bottom line is that new employees are unlikely to impress the CEO on their first meeting. If you do wish to create a positive impact however you won’t go far wrong by identifying a weakness in the business and presenting a straightforward solution for how to correct it.
Similar posts
Does Job Title Accuracy Matter For Background Checks? {Little White Lies}
Can You Take Notes Into An Interview (And Should You??)
