Chicago, July 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Grossman Group announced today the launch of a new ebook by founder and CEO David Grossman, “The First Six Months: Wisdom for the New CCO, Drawn from CCOs Past and Present.”
Created for newly appointed Chief Communications Officers and senior communications leaders preparing for the role, the ebook offers practical guidance for one of the most consequential and pressure-filled transitions in the C-suite. As expectations for CCOs continue to expand, Grossman argues that the first six months often determine whether a CCO builds the platform for long-term influence or sets patterns that are difficult to unwind.
“The first six months as CCO keep coming back as the moment that defines everything else,” Grossman said. “Handle them well, and you build a platform that pays off for years. Stumble early, and the road back is steep.”
The ebook draws on insights from working and former CCOs, who shared lessons from their own early months in the role, including the mistakes they would avoid, the first moves they would make again, the traps new CCOs often fall into and the actions that paid off most in their first 90 days.
The First Six Months identifies six lessons for new Chief Communications Officers, including:
- Start with the business, not communications.
- Listen wider than you think you need to.
- Move on talent, but assess capability and capacity first.
- Make your first move count.
- Watch for hidden traps.
- Translate communications into business outcomes.
The guide emphasizes that new CCOs must first establish themselves as business leaders with communications expertise. Contributors repeatedly point to the importance of understanding the financial model, building credibility with the CFO, mapping the company’s risk and opportunity landscape and grounding communications strategy in what creates enterprise value.
The First Six Months also includes practical tools and prompts for communications leaders, including:
- Questions to guide early conversations with the CEO, CFO, executive peers and team members.
- A framework for assessing team capability and capacity.
- Guidance on identifying “quick wins” without moving too fast.
- Common traps that undermine new CCOs early in the role.
- Ways to connect communications metrics to business outcomes.
- “Try this” and “avoid this” guidance for each major lesson.
“The pressure to demonstrate value early is real,” Grossman said. “But the best new CCOs don’t confuse speed with impact. They move quickly enough to build confidence, but thoughtfully enough to make sure their first major acts are tied to where the business is going.”
The ebook is available now from The Grossman Group here.
About the Grossman Group
The Grossman Group is an award-winning internal and change communications consultancy based in Chicago that works with Fortune 500 companies to drive strategic leadership and organizational change initiatives, particularly during periods of uncertainty. The firm helps align business and communication strategy, strengthen workplace culture, improve employee engagement and performance, and deliver stronger business results. A certified diversity supplier, it partners with C-suite leaders and internal communications teams at companies including Abbott, Amsted, DHL, General Mills, Grubhub, Kimberly-Clark, Lockheed Martin, Novartis, and Stanley Black & Decker, among others.
Media Contact: Michael Tilus Broadsheet Communications for The Grossman Group michael@broadsheetcomms.com
