I’ve always disliked the word messaging when it comes to internal communications.
Messaging sounds like advertising. It’s what companies use to sell products or sway public opinion.
Think about it:
- What message will convince you to choose this brand of toilet paper over that one?
- What message will convince you to vote for this politician over the other one?
- What message once convinced people that cigarettes weren’t harmful, but a lifestyle choice?
Messaging is about persuasion. It’s about carefully crafted words designed to attract, convince, or manipulate.
Internal communications is not that.
The Real Role of Internal Communications
Internal comms is about something far more fundamental: clarity and connection.
It’s about making sure employees understand the organization’s goals and their role in achieving them. It’s about sharing information in a way that’s straightforward, human, and easy to act on.
When people feel informed and connected, they do better work. They innovate. They collaborate. They stay. And yes — those outcomes ultimately support growth and profit.
But those are results, not the purpose. The purpose is to create understanding and alignment.
Why the Distinction Matters
When leaders treat internal comms like “messaging,” it changes the dynamic. Employees stop being partners in the mission and start being seen as targets of persuasion. And employees can spot spin a mile away.
Once trust is broken, it’s incredibly difficult to repair.
When we strip away the sales-pitch mentality, internal communications becomes what it should be: a bridge between strategy and people, between goals and action, between leaders and teams.
A Better Way Forward
Instead of asking, “What’s our message?” organizations should be asking:
- What do employees need to know to do their jobs well?
- What context will help them see the bigger picture?
- How can we make sure they feel included, not just informed?
- What’s the simplest, clearest way to communicate this?
That shift in mindset — from messaging to communication — is what builds trust, alignment, and engagement.
Because internal comms is not a sales pitch. It’s communication.
