The explosion of communication technology has outpaced our ability to manage it. We have migrated from the era of memos and meetings into a chaotic landscape of fragmented digital channels. However, more ways to communicate hasn’t led to better understanding. Without a deliberate communication strategy, organizations in the arts and entertainment space force their staff into a state of perpetual distraction—ultimately leaving the guest to pay the price for the resulting operational friction. In the arts, entertainment, and recreation sectors, the absence of a formal communication plan doesn’t just frustrate staff—it actively degrades the guest experience.

The Missing Hierarchy: Priority vs. Noise

With so many communication options, most organizations today are drowning in information but starving for direction. When we fail to define the importance of specific communications, employees are forced to guess which channels and messages demand their attention.

This lack of clarity creates a culture of reactive operations by default. Without a strategy that governs both vertical communication (top-down directives and bottom-up feedback) and horizontal communication (coordination between peer departments), staff energy is diverted from proactive preparation toward managing “surprises.” In the arts, entertainment, leisure, and recreation sectors, being reactive is almost always too late—and the visitor’s experience inevitably suffers somewhere along their journey.

First Steps to Correction: Confirmation and Accountability

Regardless of the platforms used, one of the most debilitating habits in modern business is the assumption that sending information is the same as communicating it. This “check-the-box” mentality allows accountability to be passed on without actual acknowledgment.

In previous leadership roles, I’ve found a strict policy is necessary to combat this: An employee cannot assume important information was received until they receive explicit confirmation. If you didn’t receive confirmation, you didn’t communicate. Without this loop, the critical details that ensure a seamless guest journey—whether moving through the chain of command or across service teams—can fall through the cracks of your operations.

The Path Forward: Communication as a Tool, Not a Byproduct

Organizations must stop treating communication as a byproduct of work and start treating it as the primary tool that enables work. High-stakes guest environments require precision. Without a policy that accounts for communication channels, message priority, and clear accountability, you will not be focused on creating intentional guest experiences.

Looking Ahead 

Poor communication is often a symptom of a larger disease: departmental siloing. In our next post, we’ll dive into how to break those walls down to create a seamless guest journey