Four ways to work with 538.
Each engagement is scoped to the problem in front of it. Start with the situation that matches yours.
538 Alignment Diagnostic
Start here when something is not working and the cause is not yet clear.
Most organizations can describe what they communicate. Far fewer can describe what employees receive, understand and trust. Without a clear view of how information moves, and where it breaks down, leaders can end up choosing fixes for problems they have not fully diagnosed.
When organizations call 538
- Leadership suspects a disconnect but cannot name where it starts.
- An engagement survey identifies communication as a problem, without explaining why.
- A merger, restructure or new strategy has made existing channels unreliable.
- Different parts of the organization appear to be operating from different information.
What 538 does
Depending on the scope, the diagnostic may include:
- Leadership interviews to understand intent and priorities
- Employee listening: interviews, focus groups or targeted surveys
- Review of existing survey or engagement data
- Communication and channel review, and information-flow mapping
- Review of manager cascade points
- A facilitated discussion of findings with leadership
- Prioritized recommendations and a proposed measurement approach
Representative outputs
- Communication-flow map
- Current-state diagnostic report
- Leadership recommendations
- Employee listening findings
- A prioritized 90-day roadmap
What you leave with
- A structured, research-informed picture of how alignment is breaking down today
- A short, prioritized list of the problems most worth solving
- A roadmap the organization can act on, with or without continued support from 538
Strategic Communication & Change Projects
Start here when the problem is understood and needs a plan to address it.
Restructuring, leadership transitions, new strategic plans, policy changes and workforce reductions test an organization's communication more than a routine newsletter does. Handled poorly, the damage to trust can outlast the change itself.
When organizations call 538
- A restructure, merger or leadership transition is underway or has been announced.
- A new strategic plan needs to reach employees in a way that builds real understanding.
- A policy or workforce change requires careful, sequenced communication.
- An organizational change is increasing the cost of existing communication gaps.
What 538 does
Depending on the situation, this can include:
- Defining what employees should understand, feel or do differently as a result
- Change readiness and stakeholder analysis
- Message architecture and sequencing across audiences
- Manager briefing materials and talking points
- Employee questions and feedback mechanisms during the change
- Leadership communication counsel and preparation
- Measurement of understanding and sentiment after the change
Representative outputs
- Change communication strategy
- Manager communication toolkit
- A 12-month roadmap tied to change milestones
- Measurement framework for understanding and trust
What you leave with
- A sequenced communication plan built around how the change will unfold
- Leaders and managers prepared to answer difficult questions consistently
- A way to measure whether the change was understood
Workshops & Communication Capability
Start here when leaders or managers need stronger communication skills.
Managers are often the busiest, most trusted and least prepared link between leadership and employees. Employees frequently trust a manager's explanation of a decision more than a company-wide email, which is part of why manager communication is worth developing directly.
When organizations call 538
- Managers have become the main point of contact for organizational information.
- Leaders want a shared, practical approach to communicating priorities and change.
- A communications team wants a working framework its people can apply.
- Employee feedback needs a clearer, more consistent channel back to leadership.
What 538 does
A session can include:
- A flagship session: From Leadership Priority to Employee Understanding
- Leadership communication
- Manager communication fundamentals
- Communicating organizational priorities
- Communicating through change
- Employee voice and feedback
- Communication across distributed workforces
Representative outputs
- A single working session or a short series
- Manager communication reference tools
- Practice scenarios built around the organization
What you leave with
- A practical approach leaders and managers can use immediately
- Shared language and tools for communicating priorities and change
- A clearer channel for employee feedback to reach leadership
Fractional Internal Communication Advisory
Start here when the organization needs ongoing senior communication counsel.
Internal communication often falls to whoever has time for it: a marketing generalist, an HR partner, an executive assistant. Fractional advisory applies consistent, senior-level judgment to that work over time, sized to the pace and needs of the organization.
When organizations call 538
- The organization needs senior communication counsel without adding permanent headcount.
- The internal communication function is a team of one, and that person is stretched thin.
- Leadership needs a sounding board for how, and whether, to communicate something.
- The organization is building an internal communications function and wants it designed well from the start.
What 538 does
The scope can include:
- Ongoing strategic counsel to executive and communication leadership
- Leadership and change communications
- Manager communication support
- Employee listening on a regular cadence: pulse surveys, focus groups, feedback loops
- Editorial planning and message architecture
- Measurement and additional capacity as needs change
Representative outputs
- A monthly or quarterly cadence, scoped to the organization's needs
- Manager communication toolkit
- Editorial calendar and message architecture
- Direct, continuous access to senior counsel
What you leave with
- Consistent, senior-level judgment applied to internal communication
- Tools managers and leaders can use
- A long-term partner who knows the organization
Sample outputs across engagements
What an engagement produces depends on its scope. These are representative examples, drawn from past engagements.
Communication-flow map
Current-state diagnostic
Leadership recommendations
Employee listening findings
90-day roadmap
12-month roadmap
Change communication strategy
Manager communication toolkit
Workshop reference tools
Measurement framework