2 April 2025

Written By Cyd Craddock

Communication That Doesn't Lie:
Building Culture With More Than Words

"People are at the heart of what we do."

You've heard it. You've probably written it. But when people hear those words inside a system that exhausts, erases, or exploits them, it doesn’t land as inspiration. It lands as betrayal.

Because what’s claimed in a tagline must be proven in action. And right now, a lot of corporate communication is performative at best, and alienating at worst.

So what would it look like to mean it? What would it take to build communication cultures that don’t just sound good, but do good?

Let’s start with the disconnect.

The Disconnect Between Message and Meaning

Most internal and external messaging is written for optics, not for outcomes. It’s built to protect the brand, not the people.

That’s how you end up with:

  • Layoff emails that open with "we’re grateful for your contributions."

  • Campaigns about equity with no pay transparency.

  • “People-first” values statements from companies that ghost employees after a restructure.

The words sound right. But they feel wrong.

And when communication creates a gap between what’s said and what’s lived, people lose trust. Quickly.

The Human Cost of Performative Comms

Communication that centers control over connection leads to:

  • Silence, because people don’t feel safe telling the truth.

  • Burnout, because overwork gets framed as loyalty.

  • Cynicism, because people stop believing any messaging.

Worse, it trains teams to self-abandon: To smile in meetings when they’re drowning. To say “sounds great” when it feels like a gut punch. To stay quiet because they don’t want to seem “difficult.”

This isn’t sustainable. Not for people or for the brands who rely on them.

Communication That Doesn’t Lie: A New Framework

If we want to rebuild trust, we need more than messaging. We need rituals, systems, and soft skills that restore humanity.

Here’s how that starts:

1. Lead With Empathy

Before crafting a message, ask: What are people feeling? What might this bring up?

  • Internal: Acknowledge the discomfort, fear, or loss that may arise.

  • External: Speak to the impact before the intention.

2. Design Feedback Into the Process

Don't just push messages. Listen to the response.

  • Internal: Test messages with small internal groups first.

  • External: Invite real feedback before campaigns go live.

3. Name the Hard Things

Say what’s real. Even if it’s messy.

  • Internal: "We don’t have all the answers, but here’s what we do know."

  • External: "This didn’t go as planned. Here’s how we’re owning it."

4. Ritualize Humanity

Make honesty and belonging a habit, not a heroic effort.

  • Internal: Weekly team reflections. Anonymous pulse checks. Office hours with leadership.

  • External: Ongoing community dialogue. Stories told by real people and not just spokespeople.

The Invitation

If you say people are at the heart of what you do, prove it. Not just in values statements. In emails. In memos. In announcements. In apologies. In the pauses between big decisions.

Because every word a brand speaks is a chance to earn trust (or erode it).

The next era of communication won’t be about spin. It’ll be about substance. And if you’re building something like that, I want to hear about it.

Let’s make sure your words mean something.

Cyd Craddock