Everyone’s Watching: Why Internal Messages Need a Public Filter

Photo by Pavan Satpute

There was a time when internal memos stayed inside. Not anymore.

Cultural expectations have changed. Employees are encouraged to bring their full selves to work, including their voices. Company news no longer stays confined to internal channels; many employees feel not only comfortable but also responsible for sharing updates and opinions through their personal platforms. Topics once considered off-limits are now part of the public dialogue.

Internal and external communication are no longer separate lanes. The distinction is gone.

An email to staff can end up on Reddit within minutes. Announcing a policy to customers before informing employees can create immediate backlash. 

In this environment, forward-thinking leaders move away from control and lean into transparency.

The Shift You Can’t Ignore

You might think this is about hybrid work or a younger generation changing the landscape. It’s not. It’s about new expectations for how organizations communicate with everyone.

Employees are online and engaged, not just with your intranet but with the world. And they’re part of the broader conversation about your brand, whether you planned for it or not.

What used to be called “internal comms” now carries external risk and reward. If it sounds inconsistent, inauthentic, or misaligned with your public message, people notice. And they talk.

To meet this shift, smart communications leaders are integrating (and not separating) their strategies.

Why This Demands Attention

Trust starts on the inside. According to Edelman’s 2024 Trust Barometer, employees place more trust in their employer than in government or media institutions. That trust, however, can erode quickly.

Mixed messages trigger doubt. When employees see one narrative publicly and hear another internally, confidence weakens. When policy changes appear in headlines before internal updates, credibility slips.

Meanwhile, your customers are watching. And so are your investors, your partners, and your future hires. They all expect alignment, and they notice when the story doesn’t hold together.

Every message counts. Every inconsistency echoes.

When Internal Communication Becomes Reputation

Internal communications used to be about alignment. Now, it’s about reputation.

Employees are your most credible messengers, but only if they trust you and only if you communicate clearly, consistently and authentically.

Earlier this year, Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano faced a moment that called for both leadership and agility. As his team worked on a formal response to a Presidential executive order targeting DEI, Capuano attended an industry conference. Reporters asked him to weigh in before any official messaging had been approved.

In a perfect scenario, a fully vetted statement would have been ready. In its absence, he relied on something more enduring: Marriott’s values. He spoke about creating opportunities for all and maintaining a culture where everyone feels welcome.

The response wasn’t polished. It was principled. And it resonated.

More than 40,000 employees emailed him within 24 hours, sharing gratitude for staying true to the company’s identity in a moment that mattered.

This is what it looks like when values drive communication. A plan sets the course, but values keep you steady when timing forces the moment.

Compare that to OpenAI’s meltdown in late 2023. Their board fired the CEO without telling the staff. Employees found out with the public. The result was a mass revolt and a reputation crisis. Even customers considered jumping tools because of the uncertainty. Then, the board reversed course.

That’s how fast it can unravel.

Three Core Areas You Need to Rethink

1. Internal Communications

Think of internal communications like external communications, but with better targeting.

No more burying updates in a 500-word email. No more assuming everyone will interpret things the same way.

Use short, honest updates. Repeat them often. Use video, voice, Slack, Teams, text - whatever you know your people actually check.

And expect every internal message to be shared. Plan for that. Write with that in mind.

2. Brand Reputation

Your brand is only as strong as your internal culture. If employees post screenshots of tone-deaf leadership emails, the damage is done. If your values don’t show up in your policies, people will talk.

You can’t brand your way out of a trust gap. You have to align.

This is why companies like Salesforce and Marriott win. Their internal and external stories match, and their people know it.

3. Crisis Communications

In a hybrid world, crisis hits differently. You don’t have the luxury of calling everyone into a room. You need to reach people across time zones and channels, fast.

Where do you start? With your employees. Tell them what you know, even if you don’t know everything. Then update regularly. Let them be part of the solution.

Slack did this well during a service outage. They gave updates every 30 minutes and owned their mistake. As a result, customers forgave them and employees felt informed.

What Winning Teams Do Differently

Winning teams treat all communication as public. They empower people managers to talk clearly and confidently. They run drills for crises. They prepare playbooks. They audit their values and make sure actions follow.

Most importantly, they don’t aim for perfection - they aim for consistency, clarity, and trust.

Tools and Tactics That Work

Here are a few of the tactics and tools we have leveraged as we have counseled clients:

• Unified message calendars across internal and external teams

• Pre-drafted holding statements for rapid response

• Employee briefings before major announcements

• Slack channels for real-time updates

• Social media guidelines that empower (not restrict)

• Listening tools that track sentiment inside and out

The tech is there, but it’s the culture that makes it work. Lean into it.

One Voice, One Story

The line between internal and external has gone from blurred to gone.

Now is the time to stop splitting your strategy and start aligning your story.

The message you send to your team might define your brand. The message you post for the world might define your culture.

Make both count. Make them match. And lead with clarity that builds trust, inside and out. 

Communicate like everyone is watching. Because they are.