Are you an IC pro who’s stuck? It’s time to “go rogue.”

15 June 2025 Reading Time: 3 minutes

by Mike Klein:

One of the biggest problems standing in the way of internal communication being seen as a genuine strategic lever in most organizations comes down to organizational politics – the need to align #IC’s priorities and resource levels with those of the leaders it reports to.

This problem is not only harmful to the IC function, but can severely limit its positive impact across the business.

It persists because IC’s capabilities tend to be cross-functional and integrative on the one hand, and quite distinct on the other.

Internal communication can improve business performance in a number of key categories of activity:

– Delivering essential business information

– Clarifying, facilitating and accelerating change and transformation

– Driving alignment between objectives and activities

– Spreading improved processes and practices

– Driving operational efficiency and reducing risk

– Surfacing and exchanging feedback

– Increasing safety, security, and legal compliance

– Mobilizing employees as promoters and recruiters

As you can see from this list, it’s rare for any C-Suite leader to have a portfolio that covers all of these categories. It’s also at least as rare to have an IC function resourced sufficiently to cover what could individually be several full-time, or even full-team responsibilities.

So where does this leave #internalcomms?

Usually focusing on one of these categories largely to the exclusion of the others.

This is particularly acute when IC reports into Human Resources (aka “People”) – because in becoming a support function to a support function, it’s often structurally disincentivized from diverting it’s attention from that which HR sees as essential – and managed to KPIs which lack direct relationships to operational, financial or transformation measurements.

But HR isn’t the only culprit.

A reporting line into Marketing will bias IC towards promotional initiatives.

A change/transformation orientation can de-emphasize critical support for “business as usual”.

A focus on compliance may inundate employees with directions that they may see as irrelevant (and if so, irritating) – or create an undertone of “all stick and no carrot”.

Not only can a requirement to serve a leader’s specialized interests leave beneficial activities neglected and essential functions left without professional communication support, it can also starve #IC from political support and advocacy from other parts of the business. That, in turn, can leave it exposed when layoff or budget-cut conversations happen.

After all, why would a different functional leader divert attention and resources to a function that neglects its needs and interests? And if the leader #internalcomms reports to sees their core activities as being of greater importance and there’s no pressure from other leaders, why would that leader move money and attention away from their own core activities?

I’d argue that this institutionalized obstacle to the full utilization of IC’s advantages for the business is the single greatest barrier facing #IC professionals worldwide.

So what’s my solution?

Go “rogue.”

Don’t just serve your direct manager, but find initiatives and business problems that can benefit from your involvement. Select carefully (based on the visibility of the problem and the positive inclination of the leaders who own them) and get involved.

Is this risky? Hell yes.

Will this add to your workload? Also a potential “hell yes.”

But not to go rogue has its own risks.

Without having other leaders at the table supporting you and your resource needs, you will continue to be reliant on your one leader for all of your organizational support.

Without demonstrating your ability to deliver value that’s visible and plays to your and IC’s strengths, you might either find more tactical and less beneficial items added to your workload, or you may become seen as expendable if #IC is further automated or deprofessionalized.

Going rogue is not an easy approach. It requires a level of courage, initiative, confidence and leadership beyond what’s required to maintain one’s status-quo relationships and activities.

It may involve violating unwritten organizational rules – even when it is done with the organization’s best interests and objectives at heart. And it may make your current boss feel like you have extra time on your hands.

But if you see a gap between the potential impact you can have and what you are doing now, can find a leader who wants to benefit from your impact, and can make a difference efficiently as well as effectively, “rogue” might be the only way to go.

If you are looking to go beyond “business as usual” and take your role or your activities to a new level, let’s chat. Book a meeting with me at http://changingtheterms.youcanbookme.com

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Mike Klein is Editor-In-Chief of Strategic, an IABC Fellow, and a consultant specializing in internal and social communicati0n.

Written by: Editor