Jenni and Chuck are in the same room for the first time in 60+ episodes, and they spend it arguing about whether your headphones are quietly making coworkers think less of you. Before that, four reports worth a comms team's attention: email benchmarks, CCO pay, and a leadership sentiment gap.

Recorded in person in Toronto after IABC World Conference and Comms Reboot, this week's episode digs into the data that cuts against communicators' instincts.

Workshop's 2026 report (186 million emails, 580 companies) sets the median internal open rate at 73%. The headline isn't the number, it's what argues with your habits: small targeted sends beat mass blasts, plain text beats image-heavy email even though 97% of emails still include an image, and SMS clicks run nearly three times higher. Who are we really designing these emails for?

A Wall Street Journal piece tracks the Chief Communications Officer's rise, now reporting straight to the CEO at nearly half of organizations, with base pay past $450K. The catch: workload satisfaction is falling and the role keeps absorbing reputational risk that used to belong to the whole leadership team.

Culture Amp analyzed 1.7 million employees and found a 40-point sentiment gap between the C-suite and individual contributors, plus a reminder of how far one leader's quality travels through performance, attrition, and trust.

Then the headphones debate. Research says coworkers judge each other not for what's playing, but for the story they invent about why you've got them on. Jenni and Chuck do not agree, and it becomes the liveliest stretch of the episode.

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Want to find out more about Chuck’s work and ICology - check out the website and how to become a member here: https://www.joinicology.com/ 

Jenni’s a regular speaker and consultant on leadership credibility and internal communication, you can find out more about how to learn from her and work with her here: https://thejennifield.com/

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Articles mentioned in this episode: 

The Internal Email Benchmark Is Now 73% 

Workshop — 2026 Internal Communication Benchmarks & Best Practices

Comms Chiefs Stormed the C-Suite. Now They're Overwhelmed.

The Wall Street Journal — The Revenge of the Publicists: How Comms Execs Stormed the C-Suite

Leaders Think Work Is Great. Their Employees Disagree by 40 Points.

Culture Amp — The Leadership Advantage: How Great Leaders Elevate Organizational Performance

Your Headphones Are Sending a Message You Didn't Write

Harvard Business Review — Research: What Message Are Your Headphones Sending Your Coworkers?