How to Fix Internal Communications to Support Growth, Culture, and Alignment
A practical guide for scaling companies that need internal comms to cut through the chaos and pull that strategic lever
Our company values aren’t sticking — how do we bring them to life?
To bring company values to life, you need to show employees what the values look like in action through stories, modeling, and recognition. One of my favorite projects was at CNH Industrial, where we launched a "Women in Agriculture" video series to highlight employees living out the company’s values of innovation, sustainability, and customer focus. These videos worked on a few different levels: they reinforced the company’s commitment to diversity; they demonstrated the behaviors and mindset that makes employees successful at the company; and they helped everyone to feel a deeper connection to the exceptional community of the organization.
When values live only in words on posters or in slide decks, employees disconnect. This disconnect often starts when values are defined in a vacuum, without meaningful input from the people they’re meant to guide. For values to stick, employees need to see themselves in them, and they need to recognize their peers, too. This is where storytelling moves from corporate buzzword to business imperative.
Employees need to see what those values look like in practice, through stories about their managers, their peers, and company leaders. I believe that today, one of the most effective strategies to demonstrate values in action is short-form video. Like it or not, this is the way that people experience social connection these days, and these videos help employees understand what it takes to be successful inside your company. When done right, values go from abstract words on a slide to standards for behavior, decision-making, and belonging.
How do we make internal communications feel less random and more strategic?
To make internal communications more strategic, start with an employee-centered audit and implement a structured channel strategy. Most internal communications teams are stretched thin and operate like emergency responders. Requests pile up, campaigns go live without the planning their managers wanted for them, and executive messages compete with compliance alerts. If employees say they don’t know what’s going on, they’re usually right. Even when something was technically "communicated," it may have arrived through the wrong channel, at the wrong time, or in a format no one wants to read.
I once had a very well-meaning partner pull me aside and say, with more compassion than I probably deserved, that the latest CEO email was "a hot mess." And you know what? It was. I'd crammed way too much into it because, hey, everyone reads the CEO’s email, right? Wrong. That moment taught me two things: first, I don't get paid to edit the CEO's stream-of-consciousness novella, I get paid to protect his voice. And second, just because people will read it doesn’t mean I should use it as a dumping ground for everything we need employees to know.
That email should have been tight, inspiring, and reserved for mission and vision. Instead, it read like a frantic Slack thread. It was a mortifying moment, but it’s shaped my philosophy ever since.
A better approach starts with an audit from the employee's perspective. What are they seeing? What are they missing? What does it feel like to receive communications inside your company? From there, establish a tiered channel strategy with clear purpose, cadence, and ownership. Company-wide newsletters, function-specific updates, two-way comms, leadership-only channels, and peer storytelling all serve different purposes. When each message has a home, internal comms can finally stop operating in reaction-mode and start functioning like the strategic asset it is.
What should internal comms look like during big changes?
During major changes, internal comms should focus on clarity, empathy, and sequencing to build trust and reduce resistance. During transformation, whether it's RTO, a RIF, an acquisition, or a new job leveling structure, internal communications becomes a lifeline. The most important thing to establish early is what can be shared and when. Transparency is important, but clarity and sequencing matter even more.
I’ve supported several mergers and acquisitions from both sides of the table. For some employees, it’s cause for celebration; stock options are finally paying off, and the perks of being part of a larger organization are within reach. But for others, it’s like being pushed onto a lifeboat and told to row toward an island they’ve never heard of. I’ve been in rooms where leaders were riding high on exit adrenaline, and I’ve had to gently remind them: yes, we can be proud, but let’s also be human. Not everyone is going to feel great about this tomorrow morning.
When announcing something as big as an acquisition, a live meeting always trumps the email announcement. It isn’t about polish; it is about presence. People need to feel like company leadership has the reigns firmly, and they are being guided to this next chapter with empathy. Get clear on what information can be communicated now, and think deeply about what employees will immediately want to know. Address those gaps with transparency because employees don’t need you to have all the answers yet. They just need to feel like their questions and feelings are acknowledged and validated.
Tone and format matter. Live town halls, short videos from leadership, tightly-structured AMAs, posted FAQs (that are updated often) and manager toolkits give employees multiple ways to engage and understand. Two-way communication isn’t optional in these moments. It’s the difference between acceptance and resistance.
Employees don't expect to like every change. What they do expect is to be respected. That starts with explaining the why behind a decision in language that makes sense to employees, not just the C-suite. Comms during change should be honest, empathetic, and human. Messaging should acknowledge the individual impact of the change, even when the change isn’t beneficial for everyone.
How do we keep employees aligned during change without overwhelming them?
To keep employees aligned during fast growth, simplify messaging, use consistent formats, and invest in manager enablement. High-growth companies often struggle with alignment because internal communication hasn’t scaled with the rest of the business. New people join weekly. Priorities shift. Teams get restructured. In that environment, overcommunication doesn’t solve the problem. It adds to it.
Alignment comes from simplicity and intentional design. A company-wide editorial calendar can help you maintain rhythm. Town halls should be regular, not reactive. Manager enablement must become a priority; your line leaders are the cultural glue that keeps growth from turning into chaos.
One underrated tactic? A consistent set of internal formats. Maybe it’s a Friday message from the CEO, a biweekly team spotlight, or an end-of-month recap. Employees feel grounded when they know where to look, what to expect, and how to engage.
What’s the right way for our leaders to show up internally?
Leaders show up best internally when they communicate consistently, authentically, and with a clear connection to business priorities. Employees don’t need their leaders to be entertainers. They need to feel like the person steering the company is present, intentional, and consistent. The best internal executive voices are grounded in clarity, not charisma.
When writing for executives, the goal isn’t to sound polished. It’s to sound real. Emails shouldn’t read like press releases. They should reflect how a leader actually communicates in tone, cadence, and content. The more employees can recognize their leader in every email, video, or stage moment, the more they trust the message.
Another example: I managed a Friday email series from our executive leadership team. Some leaders worked with me or their chief of staff to draft their messages, while others wrote them entirely on their own. The most memorable ones came from our CFO. He had a natural voice, took risks, and wrote from a personal perspective. One week, I gave him a list of prompts, from “What does a typical day look like for you?” to “Caddyshack or Big Lebowski?” He answered them all. Employees, his peers, EVERYONE loved it. He got dozens of callouts and replies, not because he shared big strategy updates, but because he showed up as himself. That one email did more to build connection than any formal campaign. It reminded everyone: you can be real, be relatable, and still be taken seriously here.
When I am getting to know a new executive, I will study video of speaking engagements, listen carefully to word choice and sentence cadence, and really try to understand the way that they relate to the world. My job is to help them show up as their most authentic self, keep them on message, and help them connect with their audience.
I believe that consistency is more important than perceived likability. Some leaders are animated. Some are reserved. Either can be effective as long as the tone is stable and authentic. The worst outcome? A leader who suddenly shifts styles to “be more engaging.” It confuses employees and undermines trust.
How do we measure whether internal comms is actually working?
To measure internal comms effectively, track both behavioral outcomes and perception, in addition to clicks or open rates. Those traditional metrics are helpful, but they don’t tell the whole story. The real question is whether your communications are influencing understanding, behavior, and business results.
Start by defining what success looks like for each campaign. Is it awareness? Behavior change? Increased participation? Then, gather both quantitative and qualitative feedback. Assess if people took ACTION, if they felt informed, and if the messaging reached the right people through the right channels.
What does action look like in practice? It is a manager, cascading the message in a team meeting. It is one of the execs referencing it in an AMA. It is lower attrition, more sales meetings on the books, higher eNPS scores, and any other organizational goal you are trying to influence. These moments show whether communication is landing in the culture and not just inboxes.
Can I outsource internal comms without losing authenticity?
Yes, you can outsource internal comms without losing authenticity, if your partner understands your voice, business goals, and internal context. Internal communications isn’t just pushing out information. It’s about understanding what the organization is trying to achieve, what behaviors need to shift, and what messages will actually move people.
A good communications consultant will ask what the business is trying to change, research who can be influenced, and make the message resonate across different employee groups.
That said, I would be lying if I stood here and told you that internal comms is best executed by outside consultants. It's not. A great internal communicator will constantly audit their job from the inside. The best of us are fluent in nuance, allergic to BS, and occasionally guilty of ignoring the very emails we write. But the reality is, internal communications is still the redheaded stepchild of the comms world, and most companies don't have the resources for a high-level strategist on staff. This is where fractional leadership becomes the secret weapon. For all intents and purposes, a fractional internal communications leader is deeply embedded inside the company. They just might also be doing it for a few other companies, and in turn, bringing fresh ideas, tested frameworks, and the occasional meme to you.
The key is trust. Your consultant should understand your leadership voice, your internal landscape, and your strategic goals. When they do, they can help your company speak with purpose and be heard.