Same Conversations, Higher Stakes: Why Internal Comms Needs a Strategic Reset

In internal comms, some conversations keep coming back around - again and again.

We still question our role. Still try to define our value. Still ask how we get leadership buy-in, how we measure impact, how we shift from delivering messages to driving outcomes. The list goes on…

And while these conversations are valid, the fact they keep resurfacing tells us something important: there’s a deeper issue at play.

Too many people enter the profession without formal training. They’re often teams of one. They’re figuring things out on the fly, usually under pressure - and with little access to structure, shared language or strategic development.

So it’s not that internal comms is failing. It’s that we haven’t built the foundations to help the work move forward in a consistent, strategic way.

Meanwhile, the stakes keep rising.

The Stakes Have Changed

Internal communication is being asked to solve bigger problems than ever:

• Make strategy real and relevant

• Support ongoing transformation

• Build (or rebuild) trust

• Translate complex business direction into something meaningful for people

• Maintain engagement in environments where morale is fragile

• All whilst keeping the business as usual running like clockwork

But most teams are still stuck in delivery mode. Responding, not shaping. Sending, not steering. And that’s not a reflection of talent - it’s a reflection of the environment. The discipline hasn’t evolved fast enough to match what’s now being asked of it.

This Isn’t About Blame, It’s About Opportunity

The fact that we’re still having these conversations isn’t a failure. It’s a signal.

It tells us the structure’s missing. That the frameworks aren’t widely shared. That the thinking isn’t embedded early enough. That people are being asked to deliver strategic impact without the time, tools, or support to do it well.

That’s why I’m so passionate about frameworks - not as another model to follow blindly, but as thinking tools people can build on. Tools forged through the blood, sweat and tears we’ve all experienced (or will experience) along the way.

The Way I Work Is Different - For a Reason

And this is why my consultancy offer looks a little different.

I’m not approaching this with theory. I’ve lived it. I’ve been in the trenches delivering operational comms under pressure, managing last-minute asks, and getting things over the line because “it just needs sending.” It’s soul destroying.

But I’ve also seen what happens when you stop, step back, and build the strategy the right way: by asking the right questions, in the right order. By understanding the nuance of how execs see things versus how programme teams are pushing for outcomes. By helping teams translate what matters to the business into what makes sense to people.

You can’t do that when you’re stuck in the day-to-day. You need outside perspective. And in my little corner of the world, that’s what I’m out here doing - providing an objective voice that can help you unpack what’s really going on - then guide you toward a structure that actually works.

That’s what the 6-Step CHANGE Framework is designed to do. It’s not about overcomplicating. It’s about making sure we stop firefighting and start leading and being clear that there is a more proactive, strategic way of managing comms well.

What You Can Do, Right Now

It leaves us with a clear ask and more importantly, a clear opportunity.

If you’re an internal comms pro trying to make sense of growing expectations, you’re not behind. You’re navigating a role that’s never been clearly defined, in a profession that’s still evolving. But you can build structure. You can step into strategy. And you can be supported in doing it.

If any of this feels uncomfortably familiar, you’re not alone—and you don’t need to overhaul everything to start moving forward.

Here are three things you can do right now:

• Ask better questions. Before you start the next campaign or channel review, pause. What shift are we trying to create here? What’s the business outcome? Who really needs to care - and why?

• Map what you actually do. Lay it out. Tactics, requests, leadership asks, BAU. What’s strategic? What’s reactive? Seeing it clearly is the first step to making change.

• Find one outside perspective. Whether it’s a trusted peer, a mentor, or someone like me - don’t try to navigate the complexity alone. Strategy needs space and structure. Give yourself both.

Leading a Team?

It’s easy to stay busy. To respond quickly. To be seen as “on it.” But real strategic value doesn’t come from volume - it comes from clarity, consistency and knowing what you’re not doing, as much as what you are.

Ask yourself:

• Are we building the right foundations - or just keeping things moving?

• Are your team members empowered to step back and think?

• Do they have frameworks to guide their work—or are they building from scratch every time?

• Are you creating space for strategy, or just absorbing pressure from above?

And for all of us, there’s a chance to raise the standard of this profession - not by criticising the repetition, but by helping more people move beyond it, faster.

We don’t need more noise. We need more clarity, more confidence. And more generosity in how we build the next chapter of internal comms together. Don’t gatekeep - share your knowledge widely.

Let’s not just talk about the gap. Let’s close it.

This Is The Work I Care Most About.

It’s what I help teams do every day. If you're ready to step out of delivery mode and into something more strategic, I’d love to hear from you.