Take the Credibility Diagnostic

Credibility Diagnostic

Rate each statement based on how true it is of your organization today.

Leadership Alignment

Internal strategy-to-communications alignment

  1. 1.Our leaders have a clear, well-cascaded strategy that everyone understands and can articulate.
  2. 2.Our leaders agree on the top priorities and teams are clear on what they should focus on.
  3. 3.Our leaders make cross-functional decisions in a shared forum, not in isolated silos.
  4. 4.Leadership changes and turnover do not disrupt the continuity of our strategic narrative.
  5. 5.Our stated values are consistently reflected in how the company actually operates and makes decisions.
  6. 6.Our company has a single source of truth (e.g., a message architecture or narrative document) that all leaders work from.
  7. 7.There is one clear owner accountable for the integrity of our company message.
  8. 8.Our leaders meet regularly to review, pressure-test, and ratify key messages before they go out.
  9. 9.Our leaders use communications as a strategic tool to drive business outcomes, not just a means of producing decks and announcements.
  10. 10.When our strategy evolves, we update and cascade consistent messaging across the organization quickly.

Blind Spots

Audience understanding and perception gaps

  1. 1.Our teams recognize that audiences do not share the same internal context and background as we do, and we communicate accordingly.
  2. 2.We engage skeptical and harder-to-reach audiences with the same discipline as audiences we already know and trust.
  3. 3.We tailor our core message to the distinct needs of different audiences rather than relying on a single version for all.
  4. 4.Our communications consider how audiences will feel, not just what they will know.
  5. 5.Our communication style is genuinely two-way, with leaders listening to audiences as much as they speak to them.
  6. 6.We actively investigate quiet audiences rather than assuming silence means agreement or support.
  7. 7.We have a systematic way of capturing signals from press, customers, employees, analysts, and social channels.
  8. 8.We do not interpret silence from any audience as agreement or support.
  9. 9.Our culture makes it safe and expected for people to surface bad news and dissenting views.
  10. 10.Information flows freely across teams and reaches leadership intact and in context.

Communication Cadence

Confidence and trust maintenance through communication rhythm

  1. 1.We believe communicating consistently is a strategic advantage, not a risk to be minimized.
  2. 2.Our leaders communicate proactively rather than waiting for perfect certainty.
  3. 3.Our communication follows a steady, intentional rhythm rather than being tied only to events, crises, or launches.
  4. 4.When we cannot share final answers, we still communicate orientation, process, and intent so audiences are not left guessing.
  5. 5.We prioritize and craft our content so key strategic messages cut through the noise.
  6. 6.We maintain a disciplined communications plan and calendar tied to business priorities.
  7. 7.There is one clear owner of communication cadence across audiences and time.
  8. 8.We measure how our communications land and use those insights to adjust our approach.
  9. 9.Our internal approval processes (legal, reviewers, committees) operate at a pace that meets audience needs.
  10. 10.Other teams (leadership, product, operations, field) consistently provide timely inputs to the communications team.
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