Frequency

In this episode of Frequency, hosts Jenni Field and Chuck Gose reflect on their recent experiences in Nashville for the #Unite25 conference and discuss various topics related to internal communications, including the challenges of proving ROI, the shift from engagement to effectiveness, and the importance of communication for frontline workers.

They delve into some recent research reports from Dewpoint Communications and Workvivo by Zoom and they explore the implications of being recognized as a 'best place to work' and the employee expectations that come with it. The conversation emphasizes the need for effective internal communication strategies that align with organizational goals and the importance of understanding employee experiences.

Links to articles mentioned in this episode:

🎶 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, Jenni and Chuck explore the controversial trend of 'quiet promotions,' the challenges of maintaining morale after layoffs, and the evolving expectations around hybrid work. 

It turns out people are being asked to do more without the salary increase, but the pair question whether this is new. 

The conversation also highlights insights from a senior internal communications roundtable Jenni hosted in London, emphasizing the need for deeper discussions at industry events and the vital role of senior leaders in turning up to industry events to help the more junior folks learn and grow. 

Employers are dishing out quiet promotions: fancy new job roles without the title or pay—and experts say it ‘practically guarantees burnout’

How to Keep Teams on Track After Layoffs

UK job ads are quietly tightening hybrid expectations

What do senior comms leaders want from industry events? Email to find out more: [email protected]

🎶 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, Chuck Gose and Jenni Field discuss the evolving role of the chief communications officer and the extra demands being placed on them. They explore the declining interest in management roles among employees, the challenges faced by Gen Z in securing entry-level positions, and the importance of emotional regulation in response to workplace pressures. 

They both reflect on their own careers, how they moved up the corporate ladder and the reality of jobs changing as technology evolves.

Links to articles mentioned in this episode:

Chief communications officers are absorbing more corporate functions, report says

Fewer workers want to be managers

Gen Z’s employability problem

The over-reaction pandemic and what to do about it

Join Chuck and Jenni at their speaking events in October:

Unite25 in Nashville on October 7 and 8: Unite 25 | The #1 Employee Experience Conference

Who owns employee experience? Chuck debates with Hebba Yousef online, hosted by Workvivo on October 9 : Who owns Employee Experience: Internal Comms or HR?

Jenni’s online Quarterly Workplace Huddle, on October 14 https://redefiningcomms.com/huddle/ 

Jenni’s in person Leaders Reboot in London on October 21 https://redefiningcomms.com/leaders-reboot

🎶 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.

Does humour (or humor) play a role in your internal comms? 

Are we at a crossroads in internal communication? 

Is employee engagement really the top of the list for leaders?

In this episode of Frequency, hosts Chuck Gose and Jenni Field discuss the importance of humour in communications and whether it’s about being fun or funny.

Five months on from the initial discussion about the merging of CHRO and CIO roles they discuss some recent opinions about what would make that blend a success. The discussion touches on the future of internal comms after a recent advance reading of a new book out in December and they get stuck in to some insights from a leadership report from the Institute of Leadership.

Articles mentioned in this episode

🎶 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, hosts Chuck Gose and Jenni Field explore various themes related to workplace culture, employee engagement, and the evolving dynamics of work post-pandemic. 

They discuss the impact of mascots on business, introduce the concept of Otroverts - the new personality type according to psychiatrists - and analyze the implications of return-to-office policies. 

The conversation also delves into Gallup's five key levers of employee engagement, the effects of personality shifts in the workforce since the pandemic, and the growing trend of the four-day work week. Additionally, they address the phenomenon of fawning behavior in the workplace and its consequences on employee well-being.

Links to articles mentioned in this episode:

🎶 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, hosts Chuck Gose and Jenni Field kick things off with a discussion about whether you can call a podcast a ‘pod’ and the songs of summer according to Spotify! 

Join this discussion where Chuck challenges the approach suggested by Harvard Business Review (HBR) on how to achieve DEI goals without DEI programs. The conversation stays with HBR as they look at how busy people find joy and the role of the organization in creating it for employees. 

After a sneak preview from Ipsos Karian and Box into the latest UK IC Index, they discuss the findings as well as some other research into our need for digital silence in a world full of distraction and digital noise. 

Links and articles mentioned in this episode

🎶 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, Chuck Gose and Jenni Field discuss the pervasive negativity on platforms like LinkedIn, challenging the narrative and advocating for a more positive approach - the challenge is on! 

They explore recent leadership accountability trends, particularly in light of whistleblower reports at Nestle, and examine the shifting dynamics in workplace structures, including the thinning of middle management and the impact on employee direction and engagement. 

The conversation also delves into the complexities of workplace culture and the impact of working from home - what do leaders need to focus on to get it right? Is it more about supportiveness and transparency? And when it comes to supporting employees, what is the role of the manager when it comes to mental health and wellbeing? The pair offer advice to help managers trying to get this right.  

Links and articles mentioned in this episode

🎶 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, Chuck Gose and Jenni Field share their personal recommended reading for communicators - all 10 are listed below. 

They discuss the dynamics of employee relations and unions, how that differs in the UK and USA and what you can do to improve relationships if they are tough. They discuss the importance of leadership visibility and what a lack of it leads to before delving into the effectiveness of video in internal communications.

After Jenni finished reading Gallup's 'Culture Shock,' the pair discuss some of the data from the book and what that means for professionals working in HR and communications.

Links and articles mentioned in this episode: 

Recommended reading: 

🎶 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.

The discussion about working remotely, away from offices and the current trend to return to office (RTO) is still rumbling on and in this week’s episode, Chuck Gose and Jenni Field dive back into the conversation about the reasons behind the call back to the cubicle. 

The themes this week focus in on some recent AI stories: The memo from Duolingo CEO stating it’s going “AI-first”, a recent MIT report that shows corporate AI pilots are already failing to deliver results and a real watch out for leaders and comms professionals about data poisoning.

The conversation wraps up with the age old debate about where the internal communication function should report to in organisations - spoiler, it doesn’t matter.

Links and articles behind the conversation this week 

🎶 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, 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

🎶 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.