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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