"We sent the email" isn’t a strategy.
In many organizations, communication success is judged by output:
The all-staff email went out
CEO held a town hall
We posted the intranet article
Yes, those things matter, but they are not outcomes. Outcomes happen when people understand what is happening, why it matters, what it means for them, and what they should do next. Outcomes show up in aligned behavior, better decisions, fewer surprises, and a stronger sense of trust.
When communication isn’t treated as a system, leaders end up relying on gut feel and anecdotes. When no one complains, leaders think everything is fine. Silence becomes a false measure suggesting things are working, when it may actually be a sign that people have checked out.
Communication needs to be managed. Think about how your organization handles finance or operations:
There are clear inputs and processes.
Teams have defined roles and responsibilities.
Dollars allow for regular metrics and reviews.
Communication deserves the same discipline. It drives:
Execution: Do people know priorities and how to act on them?
Culture: Do messages reinforce the behaviors and values you want?
Retention: Do people feel informed, respected, and involved? This matters even more during times of change.
When communication is ad hoc - especially in M&A, reorgs, leadership turnover, process improvements, or culture work - small gaps in understanding quickly turn into resistance, rumors, and rework. Treating communication as a process and a system helps you spot and address those gaps before they become problems.
Now, let's talk about the limits of vanity metrics, feelings, and anecdotes in communications. Most organizations use some form of measurement, but often those measures don’t address real forward progress. Vanity metrics & feelings might look like:
Email open rates.
Town hall attendance.
Intranet page views.
"Whenever we X - Y does [or doesn't] happen" (hunches not facts)
A few comments from vocal employees; like 1 or 2 people.
These numbers tell you who saw something, not who understood or trusted it. These measures don’t reveal:
Whether managers were informed enough to answer questions.
If different locations or teams heard different versions of the story.
How people changed their approach because of what they heard.
Growing your communication skills means learning to look beyond vanity metrics and asking: What do we really need to know to manage this as a system?
Enter the communications assessment!
A communications assessment is the shift from assumptions to evidence. It is a structured review of how communication currently works in your organization, what’s effective, what’s fragile, and what’s missing. I love when I get to share the start, stop, continue results that come from my assessments.
Instead of jumping straight into send more emails or invest in a new platform, the assessment results in solutions like:
Start: looking at the messages that are misunderstood, delayed, or distorted. Find out what’s confusing – fix that!
Stop: over-communicating details to the wrong people (or all people) while ignoring the people who need to know, but remain in the dark about the plan forward.
Continue: things that are working well that should be protected and amplified.
Act: highlight leaders who communicate well. Why does their approach work? How can you replicate that behavior. Find out which leaders or managers are unintentionally blocking effective communication. Help them improve with training and coaching.
For leaders, this becomes the baseline. An assessment will show the you are here marker on the map. As a communicator, this approach provides the clarity needed to grow proper practices and influence.
Does your team need a little help to see where you are on the comms map? Let's chat. I know I can help.
