Why Are Internal Comms KPIs So Hard? | Reddit At Work | Amanda Todd

In this Between the Seasons episode, hosts Pinaki Kathiari and Chris Lee welcome Amanda Todd, Senior Director of Strategic Communications at Temporal Technologies, for a practical and honest conversation about measuring what actually matters in internal communications.The episode kicks off with a Reddit post asking a familiar question: why is it so hard to define meaningful KPIs for internal comms, especially when reporting to executives? From there, the conversation moves beyond open rates and attendance numbers to examine clarity as a powerful indicator of understanding, behavior, and business impact.Amanda shares why clarity is often the missing link between communication activity and outcomes, and how tying comms metrics to strategy, retention, and employee lifetime value can change how leaders see the function. Chris and Pinaki add perspective on leading versus lagging indicators, why executives care more about outcomes than outputs, and how internal comms teams can advocate for their value without burning themselves out.Together, they explore what it means to measure understanding, action, and impact, and why internal communicators deserve credit for the sheer volume and visibility of the work they ship every day.In this episode, they discuss:Why traditional comms metrics fall short with executive audiencesClarity as a measurable driver of performance and retentionLeading vs. lagging indicators in internal communicationsHow to align comms metrics to company strategyWhy internal comms teams should track and own their productivityWhat executives actually care about when it comes to measurementIt’s a grounded, validating conversation for anyone in internal communications who’s ever been told to “just show the numbers” and wondered which ones truly matter. Timestamps00:00 – Welcome to Between the Seasons01:30 – Introducing Amanda Todd and today’s Reddit post03:00 – Why comms measurement feels so hard05:30 – The limits of open rates and attendance metrics07:30 – Clarity as a meaningful indicator10:00 – Leading vs. lagging indicators explained12:30 – What executives actually care about15:00 – Productivity, visibility, and internal comms burnout17:30 – Tying clarity to retention and business outcomes18:45 – Closing thoughts and what’s nextConnect with UsPinaki Kathiari – LinkedIn  | Local WisdomChris Lee – LinkedIn | Gallagher CommunicationBree Bartos – LinkedIn | Local WisdomSpecial thanks to digital communication agency Local Wisdom (www.localwisdom.com) for really believing in our mission and making this podcast possible. If this episode made you think differently, laugh, or even yell out loud, we want to hear about it! Connect with us on LinkedIn, and don’t forget to rate, review, and share – maybe with your work bestie… or even your boss if you're feeling bold. We also bring these important conversations to conferences and private workshops, creating space for real, meaningful change. Take the first step at www.whydoesitfeelsowrong.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.