Communication Drift

Definition

The gradual, often unintentional divergence between what an organization intends to communicate and what it actually communicates across channels, teams, and time.

Why it matters

Drift is entropy applied to messaging. It is invisible inside any single artifact and only appears in comparison — which is why it accumulates silently until it becomes a strategic problem.

Examples

• A product positioning that gradually changes between marketing pages and sales decks.
• An internal value that is described differently in onboarding than in performance reviews.

Best practices

• Detect drift through comparison, not inspection.
• Sample regularly across channels.
• Treat drift as a leading indicator, not a violation.

Related concepts

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  Communication Drift Article

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