​Your Comms Problem Isn’t What You Think

It’s not the message or the channel. And it's rarely "just" the comms team. 

​It’s the system behind it.

​Your communications aren't working because the entire system it relies on – your leaders, your structures, your channels, your message flow – isn’t aligned with how humans actually operate at work.

That’s why your messages don’t land.

That’s why your people act.

​That’s why the organisation slows down, action stalls, trust wears thin, and change efforts fizzle.

You can’t fix this with another messaging campaign or tone of voice guide.

​You fix it by understanding what’s really going on, and rebuilding your communication system from the inside out.

​So, what’s the real problem? ​

​​Most organisations treat communication like a support function – something to be tasked with rolling out messages after decisions have been made.

But communication isn’t just how you explain the work.

It is the work

​And when it’s broken, the signs are everywhere:

• Leaders contradict each other without knowing it
• Teams slow down or duplicate effort
• Initiatives stall because no one owns the narrative
• People don’t believe what they’re hearing
• Decisions and actions die in the gaps between meetings, memos and managers

Here’s what we consistently see in organisations:

Comms teams are firefighting.

Senior leaders ​assume clarity  that doesn’t exist.

Middle managers can't translating strategy into something people can actually act on.

​These aren’t content problems.

They’re system failures across four core areas:​

1. Self

Leaders who don’t realise how their tone, timing or behaviour erodes trust.

2. Skills

Inconsistent ability across the organisation to communicate with intent and influence.

3.Structure

Mixed senior ownership, unclear flow between message and decision, no rhythm or accountability.

4. Story

Generic, jargony or scattered narratives that fail to drive action.

When even one of these is off, communication breaks down.

When all four are out of sync?   You get confusion, resistance and organisational inertia.

​What Everyone Gets Wrong About Communication

​When communication problems show up, most organisations reach for the usual fixes. may that's a refreshed strategic narrative, or a tone-of-voice guide or sending all the managers on yet another “CoMMunIcaTiOn sKiLLs” workshop. 

But it's all just more content, more channels, more noise.

These aren’t solutions.

They’re symptoms of a deeper issue.

Nobody is owning the communication system.
​
Because nobody is acknowledging that communication is a system.
​

​Instead, comms is treated like a clean-up crew – brought in after the real work is done to “help people get on board.”

But by then, it’s already too late.

Here’s what we consistently see inside organisations:

🚩Leadership behaviours  are off-message, off-values and off-brand. This is a huge red flag, every behaviour is a communication and leaders are the main corporate messengers, if they are off message or off value it has real workplace consequence. 

🚩Strategy and messaging are developed in isolation - meaning those delivering the message falter because it's not connected and does resonate. 

🚩Middle managers are overloaded and unclear about detail and expected to know everything - That old line "If you have any questions, go and talk to your line manager" is a trust KILLER!

🚩Comms teams are expected to fix deep-rooted cultural and leadership failures with magic content - Listen, not even Merlin himself can do this with any great ease, let alone Helen from Comms. 

What you need is a clear, objective view of how communication actually functions inside your organisation – where it breaks, why it breaks, and how to rebuild it so it works under pressure.

​But first, you have to accept the truth:

​Communication is a system.

The Communications System 

In every organisation, five components make up the communication system:

01.

The communication team
The function responsible for drafting and distributing the core message.

02.

The communication
The actual message – what senior leaders are trying to say.

03.

The communications
All the ways managers and leaders cascade and interpret that message to their people – through meetings, updates, conversations, and 1-to-1s.

04.

The flow of information
How messages, decisions and insight move through the organisation.

05.

The conversations
The everyday, informal, unscripted interactions that shape culture and belief – and ultimately determine whether people act.

Most communications functions would agree they own the first and second.

But if communication is to truly work, they must also take responsibility for influencing the others.

Let’s be clear – you cannot control every conversation in the business (nor should you try).

But you can equip leaders and managers with both the words and the skills to lead communication well.

And you can shape the environment in which conversations happen.

​The flow of information is central here. If communication is to be systemic, the flow itself must sit under comms leadership.

Information flow 

This flow operates in three key directions:

1. Up and Out

​Signed off by senior leaders and shared externally with stakeholders

2. Down and Through 

​Top-down messaging cascaded via leaders and managers

3. Across and Integrative

Cross-functional information shared between teams and departments

Together, these five components and three directional flows are the vital signs of a healthy communication system.

And while you might not own every conversation – who does? – you should absolutely own and influence the training, support and structure that enable managers to hold them well.
Communication is a system.
​
And if you want it to work, you need to treat it holistically.

​Diagnosing & Fixing the Comms System

We don’t run generic workshops. We don’t just rewrite your narrative.

We fix the communication system – fast, clearly, and permanently.

Our flagship offer is the Sound & Signal Communication Review – a fast, focused, high-trust diagnostic that reveals exactly where your communication is breaking down and what to do about it.

Think of it as a full health and vitality check for your organisation’s communication.

​It cuts through assumptions, exposes blind spots, and gives you a sharp-edged plan to move forward.

Here’s how it works – and how you could do it yourself.

01. Discovery & Scoping 

We meet with your sponsor – often the CCO, CPO or CEO – to understand your ambitions, key pressure points, the current communications landscape and where you THINK you have problems.

We agree the scope, timeline, and key people involved.

​​How you could do this:

• Run a short internal alignment session with senior sponsors to clarify what communication problems you’re really trying to solve, what outcomes you want, and who needs to be involved. ​

• Start by mapping all known comms pain points across the business.

02. Diagnosis

We interview stakeholders across levels, audit internal messaging, and map how communication actually works – not how you assume it works.

How you could do this:- 

• Interview a cross-section of leaders, middle managers, and frontline staff. Ask: “What do you understand the strategy to be?”, “Where do you get your information?”, “What do you trust?”
  
• ​Collect examples of internal messages and analyse for tone, clarity and behavioural alignment. 

03. Analysis & Report

​We apply our proprietary framework to pinpoint root causes. You receive a clear, executive-grade report outlining:

• What’s not working
• Why it’s happening
• What to fix – and how

How you could do this: - 

• ​Look for patterns in your findings – where are there disconnects between strategy, leadership, and story? 
• ​Compare current messaging against your organisation’s stated vision, values and behavioural expectations.
• Look for gaps in credibility, clarity and alignment.

04. Executive Debrief 

We walk your senior leaders through the findings in a high-trust session – not a slide deck.
This is where the real alignment and decision-making happens.

How you could do this: -

• Bring together your senior team for a facilitated working session.
• Present findings clearly, then focus on discussion.
• Use it to surface tensions, challenge assumptions, and align on what needs to change now.

This isn't theory.

This is a field-tested process for organisations that are serious about aligning leadership, rebuilding trust and making communications work.

What to do next 

So look, you’ve got two options.

​Now that you see communication is a system – and that fixing it requires a systemic approach – you can either:

Run the process yourself in the way we have described above. And feel free to explore our other articles and guidance across the site to help you do that.

Or...

You can shortcut the process, bring in experts with a track record, and get it sorted.

​Our Sound and Signal Communications Review is for organisations that are serious about:

✅Diagnosing and fixing the communications system
✅Rebuilding credibility and trust
✅Aligning leadership on messaging
✅Making their strategy move forward

We work with a small number of clients at a time.

Every review is run by me personally  – with sector-specific associates brought in when needed.

If you want to talk, here’s how we start:

Step 1: Ready to talk? Book a short call here.

Book a Call

​Step 2: We’ll discuss whether the review is a fit, agree the scope, and set timelines

Step 3: We get to work – fast, direct, and no fluff

No generic training.

No vanilla decks.

Just sharp diagnosis, clear direction, and communication that finally works.

Get Started Now! 

Book a call

---

🚀Want to read more like this? Go to our Featured Insights Page