This assessment form takes about ten minutes. At the end you get a clear scorecard - what's working, where things feel fragile, and the one area I'd fix first.
Filling out the questions takes about 10 minutes 35 questions, 7 sections Scorecard on screen & by email
There are no right answers here, and this isn't a test of your team. Answer for what usually happens, not what should happen - that's where the honest picture is. One note: where we say "the communication function," we mean the team or person responsible for communication - whether that's a department, one person, or a role shared across the company.
What this covers
Strategy & Business Alignment
Team Collaboration
Leadership Clarity
Operations & Process
Budget & Resources
Message & Narrative Consistency
Risk Assessment & Blind Spots
Strategy & Business Alignment
Does communication support business goals, or react after decisions are already made?
1 Strongly disagree · 5 Strongly agree
1.Our communication priorities are clearly connected to business goals.
2.We know what communication needs to help the organization achieve this year.
3.Communication is involved early in important decisions, not only after decisions are made.
4.We have a clear communication strategy, not only campaigns, updates, or ad hoc messages.
5.When business priorities change, our communication adjusts quickly to match them.
Team Collaboration
Do other teams understand the communication function, share what it needs, and involve it early?
1 Strongly disagree · 5 Strongly agree
1.Teams across the organization understand what the communication function does and when to involve it.
2.Teams proactively share important information with the communication function, instead of waiting to be asked.
3.When teams notice a risk that could affect communication, they inform the communication function early.
4.Regular trainings or briefings keep mid-level managers and all staff aware of the communication function's role.
5.Other teams treat the communication function as a partner and involve it early, not only at the final stage.
Leadership Clarity
Does leadership across the organization communicate consistently and with one voice?
1 Strongly disagree · 5 Strongly agree
1.Leaders across the organization communicate with a consistent voice.
2.Important messages do not change depending on which leader delivers them.
3.People in the organization understand the reasoning behind leadership decisions.
4.Leaders align with the communication function before announcing any important change or news.
5.Leaders take responsibility for making sure a message is understood, not only delivered.
Operations & Process
Does the communication team work to a clear process, keep information flowing inside the team and across the organization, and monitor and improve how it works?
1 Strongly disagree · 5 Strongly agree
1.The communication function works to a clear, predictable process — with set routines for updates and decisions, not last-minute improvisation.
2.Inside the communication team, it is clear who owns which topics, audiences, and channels.
3.Information flows freely within the communication team, so everyone has what they need to do their work well.
4.Important information moves reliably between the communication function and the rest of the organization, and people can find what they need when they need it.
5.The communication function continuously monitors how its processes are working and gathers feedback to improve them.
Budget & Resources
Is the communication function resourced to do its job — with enough budget, the right people, and the flexibility to use both as needed?
1 Strongly disagree · 5 Strongly agree
1.The communication function has enough budget to deliver on the business tasks it is expected to achieve.
2.The communication function has the people and skills it needs to do its work well.
3.The communication function can use its resources flexibly, shifting budget and people to where they are needed.
4.The communication budget follows the priorities, with something held back for the unexpected.
5.Budget for paid services, such as paid media, is allocated to and managed by the communication function.
Message & Narrative Consistency
Does the organization tell a consistent story to its internal and external audiences?
1 Strongly disagree · 5 Strongly agree
1.People inside the organization can explain what the company stands for in simple words.
2.The organization's internal and external messages are aligned and consistent with each other.
3.Key messages are clear enough to be repeated consistently by teams across the organization.
4.The organization does not overload its internal or external audiences with too many disconnected messages.
5.New employees quickly understand what the company stands for and how it talks about itself.
Risk Assessment & Blind Spots
Does the organization continuously spot, prepare for, and prevent communication risks — before they become problems?
1 Strongly disagree · 5 Strongly agree
1.The communication function continuously audits the communication risks the organization is facing.
2.The communication team and the relevant teams for each case are regularly trained and rehearsed, so they can act early — before a risk becomes a problem.
3.The organization acts proactively to prevent communication risks, rather than only reacting once they happen.
4.Important communication is challenged and pressure-tested before it goes out, so problems are caught early.
5.Internal and external transformations are planned and executed together with the communication function.