In this episode of Frequency, Jenni Field and Chuck Gose discuss the impact of attention spans on employee engagement, and the evolving role of internal communications in a changing work environment.

They are asking questions about the role of internal comms in a world where leaders are being more open about the fact work is work and Gen z are ok with these boundaries - what does this mean for the employee engagement agenda?

They bring in some advice to help with all employee meetings to help sift from content agendas to outcome agendas and they discuss the remit of internal comms as organisations explore streamlining communication to create more efficient workplaces.

Links and articles that inspired this episode

• It’s Time to Streamline How We Communicate at Work
• The attention apocalypse
• Revolutionize Your Company Meetings: A Case Study on How Launch Darkly Improved Communication and Engagement
• What is the role of internal comms in the new era of work?

🎶 Theme music for Frequency is “Blessed Be the Weary," produced by Poet Ali. You can find the track on Spotify, Apple Music, and wherever you stream music. We're grateful to Poet for setting the tone with his powerful, reflective sound.

In this episode of Frequency the conversation starts with a question of simplicity in internal communication with frontline teams. Chuck Gose and Jenni Field also look at how AT&T’s CEO responded to employee feedback on RTO, how one UK council turned a retiring employee into an AI chatbot, and what internal comms can learn from the surprising power of perceived effort in B2B marketing.

They discuss how some of these stories highlight bigger things to consider for internal communicators and what really needs to be done to build trust. Jenni wraps up the episode with a reflection on employee engagement stats for the last 25 years and how they have never got close to 50% - ever!

Links and articles this week

• “Sometimes We Make Internal Comms More Complicated Than It Needs to Be”
• AT&T CEO Dismisses Employee Feedback on Return-to-Office Policy
• Retired Worker Transformed into AI Chatbot to Preserve Institutional Knowledge
• Why It Works: The illusion of effort is a powerful behavioural driver for B2B marketing

🎶 Theme music for Frequency is “Blessed Be the Weary," produced by Poet Ali. You can find the track on Spotify, Apple Music, and wherever you stream music. We're grateful to Poet for setting the tone with his powerful, reflective sound.

Why are managers miserable? Why isn’t hybrid working? Is there a link between manager engagement and the success of hybrid work?

These are some of the questions Chuck Gose and Jenni Field try to answer in this week's episode.

They discuss the importance of supportive leadership, the challenges of hybrid work, and the role of technology in enhancing communication. They explore recent research findings on manager engagement and employee satisfaction with internal communication, as well as whether paying for meeting room space is a good or bad thing for workplace culture.

The conversation also touches on the issue of loneliness at work and how it relates to communication practices and the desire for meaningful connection at work.

Links and articles mentioned in this episode:

• Why Are Managers So Miserable at Work?
• Hybrid still isn’t working
• The $25 Billion Company Where Employees Pay to Book Conference Rooms
• 2025 International Employee Communication Impact Study by Staffbase
• Join ICology at Transform in 2026 - The EX Summit