Seems to me that you're basically trying to ask us to judge whether you're the problem or the company is. Here's some questions to help you decide: 1. Does th

Seems to me that you're basically trying to ask us to judge whether you're the problem or the company is. Here's some questions to help you decide: 1. Does the CEO communicate down clear objectives for your role or are you having to make up your own? - if no this is a bad sign and they might have pulled a bait and switch on you. Ie you've been hired because someone has to run IT and your role is not thought of as a strategic necessity. 2. Do you have the same comms problem with all non technical staff? - if you do maybe it's you... or maybe th departments are very siloed and speak different languages. You know how corporate PR always comes off patronisingly simplistic. Ever wonder why? 3. Is the office full of "shruggers" (those for whom direction doesn't matter). - companies always have survival functions. if those that stay all have the same characteristics this gives you a strong clue about what the place is like. 4. What is it that you can't communicate? Is it structure and process? - if yes this is also a bad sign. There is a generic meta structure to every department and if you can't talk about pipelines, dependencies and projects then chance are he'll never understand you. Given that you're not just a coder in a suit that doesn't know how to talk to the softer Cs and you find yourself surrounded by placid types and talking about the basics of processes is met with blank stares then I'd expect more of that for the foreseeable future.