In this episode of Changing the Terms: The Comms Disruptors, Mike Klein is joined by internal communications and employee experience experts Lee Smith and Emma Bridger. Together, they explore the evolving landscape of employee experience (EX), employee engagement, and the role of internal communication in shaping modern workplaces. They also discuss the importance of designing human-centered workplaces and the powerful impact of intentional communication on organizational performance.

Emma and Lee share how EX is more than a buzzword—it’s about understanding the entire employee journey, from onboarding to daily interactions. They dive into the difference between managing information and guiding emotions to create positive, impactful experiences at work. With insights into the holistic nature of EX, this conversation offers practical steps for communicators to move beyond silos and become proactive, strategic leaders within organizations.

About guests:

Lee Smith:

Lee is an employee communication, engagement and EX professional with more than three decades experience spanning both consultancy and senior in-house roles. Formerly co-founder and co-owner of the highly respected UK employee comms agency Gatehouse – now part of Gallagher’s Employee Experience practice – Lee co-created the annual State of the Sector research survey and developed and led the Accelerate strategic internal comms learning programme. He is a fellow of both the Institute of Internal Communication (IOIC) and Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and holds an MSc in Corporate Communication & Reputation Management.

Emma Bridger:

Emma is one of the world’s leading employee engagement and experience experts. She is the author of Employee Engagement (2014) and Employee Experience by Design (2021), both published by Kogan Page. A trained psychologist and coach, she has been training people professionals in employee engagement and employee experience for more than a decade. Through her consultancy, People Lab, she works with a range of global organisations to make a positive difference to the people who work there.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction to Employee Experience (EX) and Internal Communication.

02:00 – Lee’s journey from PR to internal communications and his co-founding of the EX Space.

05:00 – Emma’s background in behavioral change and her transition into internal communications.

07:30 – What is Employee Experience (EX) and why does it matter in today’s workplaces?

13:00 – Human-centered design in EX: The role of internal communicators in creating meaningful experiences.

18:00 – Examples of impactful employee experiences: Small details that shape big perceptions.

25:00 – How communicators can use tools like design thinking and agile to enhance EX.

33:00 – The importance of resilience and preparing organizations for change.

45:00 – Practical advice for mid-career internal communicators navigating today’s evolving workplace.

Links & Resources:

The EX Space – https://theex.space/

People Lab by Emma Bridger – https://peoplelab.co.uk/

Lee’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/leemsmith/

Emma’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmabridger/

If you're looking to move beyond traditional internal communications and become a key player in shaping employee experience, listen to the full conversation with Lee Smith and Emma Bridger to learn how you can leverage design thinking and innovative tools to transform your communication strategy and build stronger, more resilient organizations.

Keywords: internal communications strategy, employee engagement tools, EX transformation.