Your message didn't reach them (and it's nobody's fault)

Information doesn't flow through organizations the way you think it does. If you sent it, that doesn't mean they heard it. If you didn't hear it, that doesn't mean no one told you. The system itself filters, blocks, and loses information at every level. You can't over-communicate in the corporate world.

The Story

Last October, I started getting requests about project updates. People needed to account for a software change coming in the next release.

The problem? That change had been delayed back in May.

The February announcement reached everyone. The May delay reached a few managers. Those managers had other priorities. The delay fell off their list.

By October, teams were still planning for the original timeline. They had no idea anything changed.

No one was lazy. No one dropped the ball on purpose. The information just stopped flowing.

The Problem

If you're sending information, you think your job is done when you tell your direct reports. You assume they'll cascade it down. You assume they'll share it the same way, with the same urgency, with the same detail.

They won't.

If you're receiving information, you assume someone would have told you if something important changed. You wait for updates to reach you. You think silence means nothing happened.

It doesn't.

Both sides are wrong. And both sides stay frustrated.

Why Information Gets Stuck

Think about plumbing in a building.

The main water line has full pressure. It splits into smaller pipes on each floor. Those pipes split again into individual offices. Some pipes are narrow. Some have filters. Some have valves that close when other areas need more flow.

By the time water should reach the bathroom on the third floor, nothing comes out. Meanwhile, the water company thinks everything is fine. The main line has plenty of pressure.

That's how information moves through your organization.

Leadership announces something. Full pressure. Clear message.

It hits the first layer of managers. The pipe narrows. Each manager filters based on their priorities. Some decide it's not urgent. Some decide their team doesn't need to know yet. Some just forget.

It hits the next layer. The pipe narrows again. More filtering. More priorities competing for attention.

By the time it should reach the person who actually needs it, nothing comes out.

No one is blocking it on purpose. The system itself creates the blockage.

What Senders Get Wrong

You told your team once. Maybe twice. You think that's enough.

It's not.

Your message needs to reach people 7 times, 7 ways, per person.

That's not exaggeration. That's reality.

You can't assume your direct reports shared it the way you said it. You can't assume they shared it with the same urgency. You can't assume they shared it at all.

They had ten other priorities that day. Yours might not have made the cut.

You need to repeat yourself. Email. Slack. All-hands. One-on-ones. Team meetings. Written summaries. Quick updates.

If it matters, say it again. And again. And again.

Stop thinking repetition is annoying. Start realizing repetition is the only way information actually moves.

What Receivers Get Wrong

You're waiting for information to reach you.

Stop waiting.

If something doesn't make sense, ask questions upstream. Don't assume someone would have told you if it changed. Don't assume silence means nothing happened.

Assume the information was missed somewhere. Not on purpose. Just missed.

Assume positive intent. The person who didn't tell you wasn't hiding it. The manager who didn't cascade it wasn't lazy. The system lost it.

Build your own pathways to information. Ask your manager. Ask their manager. Ask the team that owns the project. Check the source.

Don't sit in October wondering why no one told you about the May delay.

What to Do Monday

If you're sending information:

• Send it 7 times, 7 ways. Email, Slack, meetings, one-on-ones, summaries, updates.
• Don't assume your directs will share it the same way you said it.
• Follow up. Ask what people heard. Correct what got distorted.
• Repeat the important parts every time you talk about the project.

If you're receiving information:

• When something doesn't add up, ask upstream. Don't wait for clarity to find you.
• Assume the information exists somewhere. You just haven't found it yet.
• Build relationships across layers. More pathways mean more chances information reaches you.
• Assume positive intent. It was missed, not hidden.

For everyone:

There is no such thing as over-communication in the corporate world. The system filters too much. Pipes are too narrow. Priorities compete too hard.

If it matters, say it again.

What information got stuck in your organization? Where did the pipe narrow? Drop a comment.

You're great at the work. Let's make it visible.

If you're struggling to get your message heard or frustrated that critical information keeps missing you, let's talk. I help tech and systems leaders build communication strategies that actually reach people.

Contact me: https://www.jessestaffordcoaching.com/lets-talk