How to conduct a communications review

Struggling with misalignment, lost momentum, or communication noise inside your organisation?
A communications review, done properly, doesn’t just spot surface problems — it diagnoses system-level issues, refocuses your messaging architecture, and builds the clarity needed to drive action.

Here's how to approach it in a way that delivers real outcomes, not just observations.

Why Communication Reviews Matter

Communication isn’t a side function. It’s how strategy moves, decisions get made, and culture comes to life.
When communication systems falter, the effects ripple across operations, leadership, and employee engagement.

Warning signs to watch for:

• Disconnected leadership messaging
• Increased absenteeism or low morale
• Slower decision-making and project delays
• Teams unclear about priorities or direction
• Change initiatives struggling to land

Ignoring these symptoms risks long-term performance drift — often before the root cause is even recognised.

The Risks of Inaction

If communication issues aren't addressed early and systemically, organisations typically face:

• Misaligned execution of strategy
• Fragmentation of culture and values
• Leadership credibility erosion
• Rising operational drag and decision bottlenecks

A communications review is a strategic reset point — essential for organisations that want to stay coherent, agile, and trusted.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Most internal reviews fail to surface real issues because they fall into familiar traps:

1. Focusing on Volume, Not Value

Tracking the number of emails, events, or campaigns misses the bigger point.
The key question: Are communications driving clarity, action, and alignment — or just adding noise?

2. Over-Reliance on Surveys

While useful, surveys often skim the surface.
To truly understand communication system health, organisations must listen at depth — through focused conversations, flow audits, and narrative analysis.

3. Internal Blind Spots

Internal reviews are often shaped by unspoken politics, fear of transparency, or ingrained biases.
External facilitation brings the objectivity, speed, and system-level view necessary for real improvement.

The Rewired Work Approach: Diagnose → Align → Act

A communications review isn’t just about assessment — it’s about action.

At Rewired Work, we use a strategic three-stage model:

1. Diagnose

• Map communication flows across leadership, operations, and teams.
• Identify where messages lose traction, fragment, or cause friction.
• Surface hidden system blockages — not just content gaps.

2. Align

• Reconnect communication efforts directly to organisational priorities.
• Build a shared understanding of messaging purpose across leadership and teams.
• Prioritise clarity at critical decision and influence points.

3. Act

• Develop a phased action plan: immediate resets, structural improvements, and capability shifts.
• Redesign workflows and feedback loops for speed, coherence, and adaptability.
• Set new success measures focused on outcomes, not output.

How to Run a Strategic Communications Review

Step 1: Define Purpose and Outcomes
Clarify what success looks like: improved clarity? Faster decisions? Stronger leadership credibility?
Anchor your review goals directly to business needs.

Step 2: Map the Communication Landscape
Catalogue formal and informal channels.
Assess where key narratives start, how they move, and where they lose impact.

Step 3: Engage Across the System
Gather insights from leadership, middle management, and frontline staff.
Use a blend of structured interviews, focus groups, and narrative mapping.

Step 4: Assess Outcomes, Not Just Activity
Measure how communication supports decisions, behaviour change, and engagement — not just how much content is produced.

Step 5: Identify Strategic Gaps
Highlight gaps in message architecture, leadership flow, or cultural coherence.
Distinguish between tactical issues and system-level blockages.

Step 6: Prioritise and Plan
Frame recommendations around strategic importance and organisational readiness.
Prioritise quick wins that rebuild trust and longer-term shifts that reshape the system.

When to Bring in External Expertise

An external partner can help organisations:

• Break through internal resistance and political blind spots
• Accelerate diagnosis with tested methodologies
• Focus reviews on system outcomes, not departmental outputs
• Translate insights into immediate and sustainable action

If your communication challenges feel persistent, complex, or politically sensitive, an independent Sound & Signal Review may be the catalyst needed to drive real change.

Sound & Signal Review: Turning Insight Into Action

Rewired Work’s Sound & Signal Review offers a deep, structured diagnostic of your communication system, followed by a clear strategic action map.

Unlike conventional audits, it’s not about counting channels or issuing satisfaction surveys — it’s about understanding how communication really operates across your organisation, where signal is lost, and how to reset for clarity, coherence, and traction.

FAQs

What are the best ways to gain deeper insights during a communication review, beyond using employee surveys?

To uncover meaningful insights during a communication review, go beyond surveys by engaging a diverse range of stakeholders, including leadership, managers, and frontline staff. This ensures you capture perspectives from all levels of the organisation.

Assess your communication channels and workflows to identify where messages may be getting lost or misunderstood. Additionally, map key messages to their outcomes to understand not just what’s being communicated, but how effectively it’s driving action and engagement.

Workshops or focus groups can also provide valuable qualitative insights, helping to uncover systemic patterns or barriers that surveys alone might miss.

How can external consultants enhance the effectiveness of a communication review?

External consultants provide an unbiased perspective, helping to uncover issues that internal teams might overlook due to organisational politics or familiarity. They bring speed and expertise, allowing for a thorough and efficient review process that identifies systemic communication challenges.

Additionally, consultants can offer fresh insights and proven methodologies to address gaps, ensuring the review leads to actionable improvements. Their objective approach can be particularly valuable when internal reviews are hindered by subjective viewpoints or lack trust across teams.

What steps can organisations take immediately to address communication gaps identified in a review?

To address communication gaps effectively, organisations should focus on creating a clear, actionable plan that prioritises both quick wins and long-term improvements. Start by identifying the most critical gaps impacting clarity and alignment, and develop targeted solutions tied to organisational goals.

Engage key stakeholders, such as leadership, managers, and frontline staff, to ensure alignment and buy-in. Consider running communication workshops or training sessions to enhance skills, improve team alignment, and address specific challenges like message delivery or feedback loops.

Finally, ensure any changes are measurable, so you can track progress and refine your approach as needed. The goal is to create a system that drives clarity, coherence, and action across all levels of the organisation.