Closing the Engagement Gap

Part 1

I gave my pizza to a bully once in grade 7. I regretted it, but I was responding out of fear and survival. Your organization may be doing the same thing with something much more costly.

Only 9% of employees say they feel entirely aligned with their organization's goals. Ask their leaders, and 27% think the team is aligned. Both numbers are low, but the gap also shows a gap in communication compounding the issue.

Here’s what I learned from studying communication and years of working with teams: Understanding lies with the person receiving the information and if your listeners are not engaged, they aren’t fully understanding.

The Communication Crisis (not just AI).

Follow me on this. It's a bit wordy but incredibly important:

Approximately half of employees say they lose trust in leadership if communication isn't clear. Only 51% believe your organization's communications are clear and engaging yet 80% of leaders believe their communications are clear and engaging. That's a 30 point miss in misunderstanding.

It may not be that your people are not willing to ask questions or share concerns, but that it takes so much energy to do so, they stay silent instead. Leaders think everything is fine, but the reality is, many employees, just want to get back to their ever growing to-do list.

Here's what this means for you as a leader.

If you're an HR leader, a Chief People Officer, or anyone responsible for culture and engagement, is this a priority with you and your organization? Should it be? Even the most engaged cultures can be better. It’s a “thing” that needs constant attention. Most of the organizations I work with make this a high value goal that deserves constant attention. Inviting a speaker (like me!) come in once a year to you AGM or Strategic Planning meeting is critical, but connection and engagement have to be nurtured, especially if it's been off your radar.

Axios HQ found organizations that increased communications investment were more likely to report gains in engagement.

Call to Action:

In my experience, organizations that invest in communication and strategic workshops see measurable changes. And there’s good news. I (and others) can help!

AUTHOR BIO

David Fisher is a keynote speaker, executive communication coach, and workshop facilitator based in Vancouver. He helps organizations build cultures where people see each other, communicate with clarity, and lead with intention. His programs—A Culture of Us™, Human and Machine, and Amplify Your Story™—focus on the real work of connecting leaders, teams, and organizations. .He's the author of Sales for People Who Don't Like Sales and A Culture of Us™, and is an executive contributor to Brainz Magazine.

Website: davidfisher.world

Bibliography:

72% / employee alignment with organizational goals Axios HQ, 2025 State of Internal Communications Report. Survey of 457 executives and 813 employees across U.S. industries, conducted January 21–24, 2025. Finding: 72% of employees say how well they understand organizational goals affects their engagement at work; 79% say the quality of leadership communication affects how well they understand those goals; 27% of leaders believe employees are entirely aligned with organizational goals, compared with 9% of employees. → axioshq.com/research/state-of-internal-communications-report

43% / trust in leadership Workplace communication research as reported by Lower Street, Communications Challenges in the Workplace (2026). Finding: 43% of on-site employees and 54% of remote employees say poor communication causes them to lose trust in leadership. → lowerstreet.co/blog/communications-challenges

50% / clarity of communications Axios HQ, 2025 State of Internal Communications Report. Finding: 80% of leaders believe their communications are clear and engaging; 50% of employees agree. (An earlier 2023 Axios HQ survey put the employee figure at 51%.)