In this Between the Seasons episode, Pinaki Kathiari and Chris Lee sit down with Amanda Todd, Senior Director of Communications at Temporal Technologies, to unpack why clarity is one of the most critical outcomes of effective internal communication.

Amanda shares her “squiggly” path into internal comms, her belief in honesty as a core communications skill, and how working in complex, fast-growing organizations pushed her to rethink how success is measured. Drawing on research and real-world experience, she explains how she helped build a Clarity Index that turns something often seen as “soft” into a measurable business metric.

The conversation explores what it really means to communicate for the receiver, not the sender, why personas matter inside organizations just as much as they do in marketing, and how clarity around strategy, roles, career paths, and culture can directly influence engagement, confidence, and retention.

This episode is a grounded, practical look at how internal communicators can move beyond vanity metrics, earn credibility with leadership teams, and advocate for the strategic value of their work.

In this episode, they discuss:

Why clarity should be treated as a core communications outcome

How honesty builds trust and effectiveness in internal comms

What it means to communicate for the receiver, not the sender

Using personas to simplify complex organizations

How a Clarity Index can turn comms into a measurable business driver

The link between clarity, confidence, and employee retention

Why internal communicators deserve a seat at the strategy table

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to Between the Seasons and today’s topic

01:45 – Amanda’s squiggly career path into internal communications

03:10 – Navigating complexity and subcultures inside organizations

04:15 – Communicating for the receiver, not the sender

06:00 – Honesty as a core communications skill

07:10 – Introducing clarity as a measurable metric

08:40 – Building a Clarity Index and what it measures

11:30 – Using data to influence executive teams

14:05 – Linking clarity to strategy, engagement, and retention

16:30 – Using clarity data to shape communications strategy

18:20 – Advice for internal communicators measuring clarity

19:45 – Final reflections on clarity and the human side of work

Connect with Us

Pinaki Kathiari – LinkedIn | Local Wisdom

Chris Lee – LinkedIn | Gallagher Communication

Bree Bartos – LinkedIn | Local Wisdom

Special thanks to digital communication agency Local Wisdom (www.localwisdom.com) for really believing in our mission and making this podcast possible.

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