From just "good intentions" to intentional communication

I fully believe that most communication starts with good intention.

A team wants to inform.

A leader wants to inspire.

A business wants to get people excited.

But somehow, it doesn't always translate to intentional communication.

So what goes wrong?

Excitement kicks in. The deadline feels tight. The new tool or trend feels too shiny to ignore.

Someone says “This is urgent!” so it gets pushed out quickly, before fully thinking it through.

And in that rush?

On a good day, the communication is ignored.

However, too often, rushed efforts just lead to more communication - to clarify missing information, reword to make relevant or backtrack entirely.

So, now you’re in a worse position than when you started. And you need to work twice as hard to achieve your goals.

You may have meant to target the right people.

You may have meant to be clear.

You may have meant to inspire action.

But how does what you've prepared actually translate to your audience? That’s what matters.

Because if the message doesn’t land, the outcome doesn’t either.

Start with purpose Ask: what are we really trying to achieve? (Hint: it’s not just “get this out quickly.”)
Keep your audience front and centre Not just demographics but real needs, experiences and perspectives.
Don’t sacrifice accessibility for speed A message isn’t complete until everyone can engage with it.
Pause and check the context What else is going on that could affect how this is received?
Make time to test it Even five minutes to review tone, clarity and timing can save you a re-do later.