Communication is often treated as a single skill—something people either have or don’t. In practice, communication functions more like a system. It is shaped by structure, reinforced through systems, carried by story, directed by strategy, and sustained through stewardship.

When one of these elements is missing, communication becomes unstable. Messages may circulate, but they do not hold. Leaders may speak, but meaning does not transfer. Culture absorbs the inconsistency, and confusion becomes normalized.

The Communicate on Purpose™ framework offers a way to understand this dynamic.

Rather than focusing on outputs—emails, campaigns, presentations—the framework examines the conditions that allow communication to function over time. It is organized into five tiers: Structure, Systems, Story, Strategy, and Stewardship. These tiers are not roles or job titles. They are layers of responsibility that exist in every organization, whether they are named or not.

Understanding how these layers interact makes communication legible—and therefore teachable.

Structure

Structure establishes the conditions for communication. It defines ownership, authority, and expectation. When structure is unclear, communication becomes reactive, uneven, and dependent on individual interpretation. Clarity at this level determines whether communication can be coordinated at all.

Systems

Systems translate structure into practice. They include processes, workflows, and decision paths that make communication repeatable. Without systems, communication relies on memory, availability, and goodwill. With systems, it becomes consistent and sustainable.

Story

Story is how meaning is carried. It shapes how people interpret decisions, change, and priorities. Story is not decoration; it is the mechanism through which values and intent are understood. When story is absent or misaligned, people fill in the gaps themselves—often incorrectly.

Strategy

Strategy directs communication toward outcomes. It involves judgment, timing, and prioritization. At this level, communication is no longer just responsive; it is intentional. Strategy determines not only what is said, but what is withheld, delayed, or emphasized to support broader goals.

Stewardship

Stewardship is the long view. It considers how communication shapes trust, culture, and power over time. Stewardship asks whether today’s communication decisions reinforce the kind of organization leadership claims to value. It is less concerned with immediate reaction and more concerned with lasting impact.

Why This Framework Is Useful

Communication problems are often treated as performance issues—something individuals need to fix. The Communicate on Purpose™ framework reframes them as design issues. It shows where communication is breaking down and why, without assigning blame.

By separating communication into these five tiers, the work becomes clearer. Expectations become explicit. Growth becomes possible without gatekeeping.

The framework does not prescribe personality or style. It provides a shared language for understanding responsibility—whether someone is executing, advising, or shaping culture.

Communication, when done well, is rarely accidental. It reflects choices made at every tier. Communicate on Purpose™ simply makes those choices visible.