
Line managers play a crucial role in articulating company communications and providing feedback to senior management. As the workplace changes radically – driven by a range of inter-linking factors such as technological advancements, talent shortages, remote working, and sky-high urban property prices – the role of the line manager in this context is going to become even more critical.
Yet, rightly or wrongly, they are consistently seen as being poor communicators. Year after year, poor line manager communication skills occupies the unenviable No 1 slot in the Gatehouse State of The Sector list of barriers to successful internal communications, followed by 'not fit for purpose technology'. While the latter can be sorted by adopting technology such as Poppulo, what can be done to improve the comms skills of line managers?
Here at Poppulo, we asked ourselves if there was anything we could do to help so we asked communications expert Olga Klimanovich to author this special guide to help line managers become better communicators. It includes some wonderful insight from several IC professionals and covers:

Internal communication is under real pressure. IC teams are expected to support leaders, shape culture, and deliver relevant, personalized communication to an increasingly diverse audience—all while operating at greater speed and scale than ever before. AI arrives at the right moment. It doesn’t replace communicators; it elevates them. Applied well, AI sharpens the fundamentals of effective communication: diagnosing issues, shaping the narrative, guiding leaders, and delivering messages that connect people to purpose and progress. At its best, AI accelerates drafting, adapts content for different formats, improves accessibility, and surfaces insights about what’s landing. Without governance, though, it can create noise or risk. The opportunity for IC teams is to bring AI in thoughtfully, with governance and human judgment at the center. This guide shows how to do exactly that. Inside, you’ll find practical guidance on when to use AI, where humans remain essential, how to establish guardrails, how to prompt effectively, and how to scale AI responsibly across channels and teams.

Clear answers on security, data protection, integrations, deployment, AI governance, and enterprise scalability.

When communication is clear, consistent, and grounded in purpose, HR becomes one of the most powerful drivers of culture and performance. But that only happens when people understand what’s being asked of them—and feel connected to why it matters. This guide is for HR professionals who want to align their communication strategy with the things that matter most: engagement, retention, wellbeing, and trust. It brings together practical thinking, real-world insight, and clear guidance on how to measure what’s working—and where to adjust. From AI and analytics to channel strategy and message design, we explore how to build a communication approach that supports your people and delivers real impact. Inside the Guide How leadership, HR, and internal comms can align to shape culture The impact of AI on HR communication and KPI strategy Why multichannel messaging matters—and how to do it well The KPIs that help HR teams track progress, improve clarity, and build trust A practical framework for building a people-first comms strategy How analytics can help you learn what’s landing and where to improve Smart communication means making every message count. This guide shows you how to do it.