20 Feb Strong internal communication can make or break strategy
I’ve come to think of internal communication as being the difference between a business which moves together, and one that pulls itself apart without meaning to.
It’s rarely a headline issue in organisations. Leaders tend to worry about growth, sales, margins, and competition. Communication often sits in the background, and is assumed to be working unless something goes horrendously wrong.
But in my experience, when things do go wrong, it’s poor communication that’s usually high up in the mix.
I remember one workplace where the CEO gathered over a hundred of us into a room with absolutely no warning and then went round the circle asking each person to explain, in a sentence, how they thought the business could be improved?
One by one, people mostly froze, guessed, or rambled. No one knew the purpose of the meeting. No one recorded the ideas. Nothing came back from it afterwards. It felt less like being invited into a conversation and more like being put on the spot during school assembly.
Chipping away at trust
This kind of moment doesn’t just miss the mark. It chips away at trust. People stop volunteering their ideas because they don’t feel there’s any point.
At the same time, I’ve also worked with leaders who have a far more sage and brilliant approach to internal communications. They float strategic ideas early, test them informally, and genuinely take time to listen to others before making big calls. Sometimes this has meant structured focus groups, a survey, of just casual chats over lunch.
The common thread isn’t the method. It’s the intent.
People could see how their input genuinely mattered, even when the final decision didn’t match their suggestion. That’s the difference between communication as an event versus it being a habit.
When communication is treated as a one-off announcement it rarely sticks. When it’s part of how the organisation operates, it shapes culture without anyone needing to label it as such.
Clarity is the biggest gift that leaders can give their teams. People don’t expect to know everything, but they do want to understand where the organisation is heading and why.
Mind the gap
If this is missing people fill the gaps themselves. That’s when rumours can start, silos form, and teams quietly drift away from the bigger picture. When it’s present, things shift. Work feels less like a list of tasks and more like being part of a shared effort.
That’s when strategy starts to live outside of the leadership team. People can begin to connect their day-to-day decisions with wider goals, which makes execution far smoother than any formal rollout plan ever could.
Recognition plays into this as well. When leaders showcase progress and share examples of work that reflects ideal company values, or simply acknowledge effort, it reinforces what matters in a way no policy document can and instead tells people in very real terms, ‘this is what good looks like here.’
None of this requires perfect messaging or slick internal campaigns. But what it does demand is consistency and openness.
People don’t expect leaders to have all the answers, they expect honesty, direction, and a sense that someone is steering the ship. When they get this, engagement tends to follow naturally.
Four practical tips for leaders
- Explain the ‘why,’ not just the ‘what.’
People are far more likely to back a decision when they understand the thinking behind it.
- Make communication routine, not ceremonial.
Regular updates, informal conversations, and visible leadership presence matter more than occasional big announcements.
- Show that feedback can really change things.
Even small examples of employee input shaping outcomes can build huge credibility.
- Recognise progress out loud.
Celebrating effort and success reinforces priorities far more effectively than repeating targets.
At its core, effective internal communication isn’t about keeping people informed, it’s about providing clarity and helping them feel a part of something that’s moving forward. And when this happens, strategy stops being an ignored document, and starts becoming reality.
By Mark Ferguson, Director at More Fire PR Ltd.
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