Change doesn’t fail because people resist it.
It fails because they don’t understand it.
The truth is, most communication around change creates more noise than clarity. Updates pile up, messages overlap, and employees tune out. What’s missing isn’t information: it’s structure, rhythm, and empathy.
That’s where the Clarity Framework comes in.
But before we go into that, let’s talk about why it matters.
Noise Is the Real Enemy
Organizations often mistake volume for impact.
They send dozens of emails, hold back-to-back town halls, publish intranet updates, and assume communication is happening. But all that noise? It just creates fatigue.
In the absence of clarity, people fill the gaps with their own interpretations. Leaders contradict each other. Teams hesitate. Projects stall.
And the irony is everyone’s technically “communicating.”
Just not connecting.
Clarity Is a Leadership Act
Clarity isn’t a comms tactic. It’s a leadership skill.
When you strip away the buzzwords, clarity comes down to three things:
- Translation: turning complexity into something people can actually understand.
- Rhythm: creating consistency and timing that builds trust.
- Empathy: meeting people where they are instead of talking at them.
The leaders who master these skills move faster and with less friction.
They create cultures where people don’t just hear the message—they own it.
“Clarity isn’t corporate: it’s human. It’s what makes strategy believable and transformation sustainable.”
The Hidden Cost of Poor Communication
According to Prosci’s global change management research, projects with excellent change management are seven times more likely to meet or exceed objectives compared to those with weak practices.
And the number one factor in success?
“Communicate frequently and openly.” — Prosci Benchmarking Report
But it’s not just about frequency: it’s about precision.
Prosci found that when communication is clear, targeted, and led by visible sponsors, 79% of projects achieve their goals, compared to just 27% when sponsors stay silent or vague.
Translation: clarity drives ROI.
The Clarity Framework (At a Glance)
The Clarity Framework is my approach to helping organizations cut through complexity, align their leaders, and connect with their people.
This framework brings together five simple but powerful principles: diagnosis, storytelling, rhythm, empathy, and measurement, to make clarity repeatable at every level of transformation.
It’s how I turn confusion into connection, and it’s less about tactics and more about mindset:
- Diagnose what’s really blocking understanding
- Define the core story: what people actually need to know, feel, and do
- Design a rhythm that feels predictable and human
- Deliver with empathy, not ego
- Measure understanding, not just output
I won’t share the full mechanics here (that’s consulting work 😉), but the principle is simple:
When people understand the story, they move with purpose.
The Proof Is in the Pace
I’ve seen firsthand how clarity transforms even the most complex environments.
Once, a leadership team was drowning in competing messages about a large-scale transformation. Every department had its own “update,” and employees were tuning out.
We didn’t start with another campaign. We started by defining one shared narrative that made sense across audiences. Then, we built a communication rhythm people could trust.
The result?
A visible drop in confusion, stronger alignment across leadership, and an actual sense of momentum.
Clarity didn’t just make communication better.
It made execution possible.
Where to Start
You don’t need a new platform or 12-person comms team to lead with clarity.
You need the discipline to:
- Focus your message on what matters most
- Cut jargon that clouds understanding
- Create structure people can trust
- Repeat key messages until they stick
- Measure alignment regularly
It’s the difference between change that drifts and change that lands.
Final Thought
Clarity isn’t just how you communicate.
It’s how you lead.
When you make information make sense, you help people believe in what they’re building—together.
✦ About the Author
Hi, I’m Ana Magana, a strategic communications and change consultant helping organizations bring structure, empathy, and storytelling into transformation.
If you’d like to explore how the Clarity Framework could support your organization, let’s connect.