After Six Years, a Few More Chairs at Our Table (But Only a Few)

This week a colleague sent me a picture of the last moments before the Executive Communication Council first convened, at the Hermosa Inn, near Phoenix, Ariz. This was the room where we held our Founders’ Meeting, February 13-14, 2020. (Contemplate that date.) Yeah, we made a lot of big, long-term plans in that little room that had to be back-burnered a few weeks later. But the growing group was bonded in those tumultuous years, with hoops of steel.

Since then, the ECC has conducted original research to set forth an Executive Communication Standard and used its annual Executive Communication Summit to become a beacon to the larger executive communication community. And with the help of expert collaborators, ECC members have steadily and strategically guided one another through the most profound trend cycle in the history of executive communication.

More plans are afoot. And to anchor them in our original purpose, I’m compelled to reread what I wrote when we’d all just returned from that intimate gathering in the desert six years ago:

Phones off, brains on, in a cozy room with a fire in the fireplace, exec comms chiefs from member organizations … shared everything: Their personal journeys to the top of this field, the things they do that set them apart, the problems they have that hold them back, and the biggest dreams they have for their organizations and themselves. …

It’s a warm and friendly group. There was a lot of laughing—belly laughing, the kind you can only do with people who know exactly what you’re talking about. There were open expressions of admiration and appreciation for the exceptional work these organizations are already doing. There was deep listening and real concentration on helping one another solve some of the most nettlesome problems in this problematic business. And there were generous offers of hours and resources from members, who realize this is not our group, but theirs.

“I’ve just had a really good couple of days,” said one Founding Member at the end, “and I like you all very much.”

That Founding Member is still with us. And the experience he describes is still true. To ensure it remains that way, the ECC will always be a small, invitation-only organization. But if you think you and your organization might be a fit, please apply here, and let’s have a conversation.

Sincerely,

David Murray, Executive Director, Executive Communication Council