As the Executive to the CEO of a unicorn startup, I have helped plan more company town halls than I can count. On the surface, they are upbeat, all-hands meeting like a routine rhythm of updates, milestones, and open forum leadership. But behind the curtain, you will find something more intricate and intriguing. Town halls are never just events; it’s strategic productions, live broadcasts of company culture, and very dependent on communication.
Town halls are one of those moments when leadership speaks directly to the entire company, which means every word will matter. Employees look for what is said and what is missed. The tone in which the CEO speaks can change how teams are going interpret the next 6 months of strategy. Investors often hear the whispers of tone and messaging, even if they are not present. And Slack lights up the moment anything even slightly unexpected is said.
The prep usually begins one week in advance. I take up the responsibilities of organizing and taking care of all the back-hand work so that on the day, everything runs smoothly. It begins with gently chasing down department heads for updates. Then comes message refinement for the CEO, turning raw thoughts into narratives that feel honest. A good script should feel like a conversation, not a press release. And then there are the visuals, review every slide and transition, making it as attractive as possible.
Then comes the Q&A part; if the planned segment is the concert, then this is jazz. Here is where things go off-script and full of potential curveballs. Employees ask about everything: stock options, road map delays, layoffs, things that leadership can’t always answer fully. That’s where I step up, behind the scenes, and blend in live and pre-submitted questions. Making sure nothing is too risky, there are no inappropriate answers, and filtering out all the unnecessary jargon. I’ve learned one thing here: it’s not about having the perfect answer; it’s about showing honesty and care.
This one time, during a town hall, our CEO casually mentioned a possible office move, and within 10 minutes, rumors were flying that the company was going fully remote. I spent the next hour coordinating with HR and comms to clarify the statement before things spiraled.
Regardless of all the chaos, I love town halls. When done well, they align the team, boosting morale and reminding everybody of what we are building. It’s more about connection than production. I’ve seen quiet engineers light up after a shoutout or junior team members get brave enough to ask hard but important questions.
For leadership, it’s a chance to build trust. For me, it’s a chance to make sure everything runs smoothly, even if I’m just off camera, watching every word, every slide, every facial expression.
A good town hall looks effortless. But trust me, it takes a village to make it feel that way.