Musk's Communication to Federal Workers Examined
Who he is, what would help and how employees can best respond
Elon Musk is a polarizing figure now operating in the federal government and his recent directive for federal workers to provide a list of five accomplishments from the last week has created anger and contempt from a segment of those government employees and criticism from part of the media and public.
Is the approach necessary for his decision making or should there be an adjustment?
“Musk has to be more supportive and transparent in communication,” says Joosep Seitam, the co-founder at Icecartel, a jewelry e-commerce platform. “By clarifying the rationale for his demands, he will be able to create a shared sense of purpose.”
Showing understanding in his communication may help him be more influential.
“Empathy in communication goes a long way in eradicating stress at work,” Seitam says, adding that Musk could “achieve this by keeping communication channels open.”
How Musk is communicating shouldn’t be a surprise, says another CEO.
“A lot of highly intelligent, results-driven people tend to have very little patience for diplomacy — and over time — people stop expecting it from them,” says Nikita Khandheria, founder and CEO at Eria Food.
“Even for me, though I’m obviously not working at Musk’s level, I sometimes struggle to slow down and bring people up to speed with my thinking,” she relates.
“I’ve already thought things through, I’ve already taken action and I have a hundred other things to do, so my time is better spent executing rather than carefully guiding people through every step of my thought process.”
Regarding Musk, she suggests what may lessen resistance and hostility.
“I don’t think the answer is trying to change how he communicates,” Khandheria says. “Instead, it’s about having someone act as a translator, someone who understands that he prefers to get straight to the point and can relay his ideas in a way that resonates with his audience.”
This could reduce the current heated emotions, conflict, unwanted optics and criticism.
“If Musk had an assistant who could do this, they could take his core message and frame it differently,” Khandheria recommends. “Instead of him bluntly demanding five accomplishments, this person could say:
"‘We know the government is under scrutiny and we want to show people how effective we are. To do that, we need to highlight the excellent work being done. So let’s put together a list of accomplishments that showcase our impact.’"
This change may be received more favorably.
“The same message gets across,” Khandheria says, “but in a way that inspires people rather than putting them on the defensive.”
Musk doesn’t care that not everyone is emotionally, psychologically wired like him so an intermediary could assist in helping him communicate. It just can’t be anyone.
“It’s about finding the right person to bridge the gap,” Khandheria stresses. “Someone who can absorb his fast-paced, no-nonsense approach and then reframe it in a way that keeps people motivated instead of making them feel like they’re being interrogated or put under a microscope.”

This person will have a greater grasp of the people involved in the equation and work the departments’ landscape.
“By delegating this communication role to someone who understands both his mindset and the emotional responses of others,” Khandheria points out, “Musk can avoid unnecessary stress and resistance while still getting the information he needs.”
Employees can respond in a certain manner that will best impress.
“The way Musk values employees is similar to how many entrepreneurs do: he’s looking at the ratio of what he’s paying versus how much problem-solving and progress he’s getting in return,” Khandheria says.
“Employees who resist his methods just because they disagree with them will struggle to gain his respect. Instead of pushing back, the best approach is to engage with the process and demonstrate their value.”
Poise, confidence and professional communication has to be the response.
“If someone is genuinely productive, it shouldn’t be hard for them to list their accomplishments. But beyond that, they should go a step further and say, ‘Here’s what I’ve done, and here’s what my team and I are planning next,” Khandheria recommends.
“Musk values people who don’t just check boxes but actively push things forward. He’s looking for those who speed up the mission rather than slow it down.”
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