With so many pressing environmental and social challenges to address, workplace activism is on the rise. Concerned citizens are increasingly using whatever means they have – whether as consumers, shareholders, or increasingly now, workers – to raise awareness and effect change for the issues that matter to them.

This has dynamic consequences for business. Organisations must work out how best to respond to colleagues who bring social and environmental justice issues to work. Those that refuse to listen to the concerns of their staff face disengagement, or worse, mutiny.

How can – and should - leaders shift from traditionally hierarchical ways of thinking about the views and opinions of their workers towards leveraging and integrating those views for the benefit of all?

In this episode, Jen, Dom and Cat speak to Megan Reitz and John Higgins, co-authors of Speak Up: Say What Needs to be Said and Hear What Needs to be Heard. They explore the role of colleague voice in engagement and look at the role of internal communication in helping organisations become better equipped to hear – and leverage – the views that matter.

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Find Megan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganreitz/

Megan’s website: https://www.meganreitz.com/

John’s website: http://www.johnhigginsresearch.com

According to Mental Health UK, 90% of adults experienced high or extreme levels of stress in 2023, a figure that was consistent across all ages. The same research found 20% of people of working age needed to take time off due to poor mental health.

In 2025, there are all manner of reasons why people are anxious, stressed and close to burnout. The way we work isn’t working for far too many of us.

But what are the signs of burnout and what support is available? What can organisations do to help colleagues better manage their workloads? And what part can internal communication play?

In this episode, Jen, Cat and Dom chat with Tracey Hewett, a worklife coach and wellbeing trainer to understand the risks and how to avoid them.

Takeaways

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Find Tracey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traceyhewett/

Worklife Mindfulness: https://www.worklifemindfulness.com/

HSE  - employer’s legal duty: https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/overview.htm

Tracey’s stress audit: https://www.worklifemindfulness.com/work-related-stress-audit

Tracey’s blog about burnout: 19 things I learned from a stay at Burnout Hotel

https://www.worklifemindfulness.com/post/things-i-learned-from-burnout

In February 2025, the IoIC launched its AI ethics Charter for internal communication. As GenerativeAI adoption goes mainstream, there are many moral and ethical considerations that require contemplation and resolution. Its implementation requires human care, stewardship and oversight.

The goal of the AI Charter is to present some of the most pressing points for organisations to reflect and agree on and to catalyse a live and ongoing membership conversation about how best to adopt AI while sustaining access to good, purposeful work for colleagues.

In this conversation, we are joined by AI taskforce members Adele McIntosh and Joe McMann. As VP Internal Communication and Community for Arm (Adele) and Director of Internal and Executive Communication (EMEA) for Marriott International (Joe), they were expertly placed to help evaluate what an AI ethics Charter might include. We discuss what drew them to the taskforce and the role internal communication can play in helping organisations harness the full potential of AI.

Takeaways

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Find Adele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adelekmcintosh/

Find Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-mcmann-364a1b11/

Download the AI ethics Charter

AI and associated technologies are changing the work people do and the way business gets done. As work becomes increasingly digital, scant few of us can remain complacent with our current skills and expertise – we must all upskill to remain relevant and future-ready.

This raises interesting questions. We are rapidly shifting away from an era where organisations trained their staff for efficiency and compliance. Instead, we must all become continuous learners – learning in the flow of work we do each day. Simply put, the skills that upheld business as usual up until now are no longer sufficient to navigate today’s challenges.

In this episode Cat, Jen and Dom chat with learning designer Beth Salyers to understand how we best learn and, more poignantly, what role communication plays in social learning.

Takeaways

About Beth Salyers

Beth Salyers, Ph.D. is a former public school classroom teacher and current learning experience designer for social impact organisations, including for-profits, nonprofits, and schools and universities through her consulting business, Custom Learning Atelier. She knows herself and the world first and foremost through the arts and music, is a practitioner of human-centered circular design thinking methodologies, and a big soccer fan. In 2025 she's embarking on an external-facing personal creative project called #CuriosityTour2025 as a way to regeneratively navigate (another trump administration) whatever in the hell is happening in the U.S. right now. (thought I'd make you laugh).

As we enter another year of instability and uncertainty, it behoves all organisations to keep one eye on the future for successful innovation and evolution. But shifting out of survival mode to examine the long game remains a challenge for many.

Horizon scanning and scenario planning to mitigate risk and leverage opportunity ought to be in every business strategist’s toolkit. However, all too often boards and senior leadership teams are stressed and overwhelmed by firefighting and conflicting priorities.

What are the benefits of future-gazing? In this episode, Dom, Jen and Cat chat with IoIC festival keynote speaker Rohit Talwar. They explore some underlying trends that are set to reshape business in 2025 and look at how can internal communicators help their organisations become more future-ready.

Takeaways

About Rohit Talwar

Rohit Talwar is a global futurist, award-winning keynote speaker, author, and the CEO of Fast Future. He has a particular focus on helping clients develop ‘ready for anything’ leadership mindsets and capabilities to understand and respond to critical forces and developments shaping the future – ranging from geo-political and economic shifts through to sustainability and disruptive technologies such as AI. His keynote speeches and immersive executive education sessions are all highly tailored to the needs and context of the client organisation.   

His key current speaking topics include:

Rohit has advised over 2,000 clients in global businesses, technology providers, professional service firms, governments, international agencies, NGO’s, and industry associations across a wide range of sectors in 80+ countries around the world. He uses his insights, experience, and inspirations to help clients build sustainable and future proofed organisations through virtual and in person speaking, executive education, research, consultancy, and publishing.

Fast Future is a foresight agency led by futurist Rohit Talwar with a prime focus on helping clients explore and prepare for future shifts and uncertainties. Key services include keynote speaking, executive education, foresight research, scenario planning, strategy consultancy, event design and book publishing. Critical themes covered include leading in uncertainty, disruptive technologies such as AI, innovation and new business models, global shifts and shocks, new economic thinking, socio-demographic developments, sustainability, and the environment. Fast Future has published seven books and over 20 reports on different aspects of the emerging future. 

Find Rohit on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit-talwar-futurist-keynote-speaker/

Fast Future: https://fastfuture.com/

Have we shifted from polycrisis to permacrisis? As geopolitical tensions, extreme weather events and societal discord show no sign of abate, the pressure builds for organisations to end unsustainable business practices and reduce carbon emissions. In addition to regulatory demands, a rising tide of employee activists expect business to act as a force for good.

Organisational purpose seems to have become a misappropriated buzzword in recent years, one that all-too-often lacks depth and resonance.

What part can and should business play in a more equitable, well-functioning society and what role can internal communication play in bringing that to life? In this episode Jen, Dom and Cat talk with Sarah Gillard, CEO of the charity Blueprint for Better Business to hear her views on the opportunity for business to address the pressing challenges of our times.

Takeaways

About Sarah Gillard

Sarah is the CEO of Blueprint for Better Business, a charity that helps businesses to be inspired and guided by a purpose that benefits society and respects people and planet. She is a passionate advocate for making business “more human” - places where people flourish, communities prosper, and long-term sustainability is the driving force. She has over 25 years’ experience leading in fast-paced commercial environments at some of the UK’s largest retail companies, including the John Lewis Partnership where she was responsible for rearticulating and embedding the organisation’s  purpose so that it continues to be a source of inspiration, innovation, and strategic differentiation. 

Sarah has a degree in PPE, is a fellow of the RSA and a Trustee of the BGF Foundation. She is a member of the Advisory Panel for the British Standards Institute on “PAS 808: a standard for purpose-driven organization”, which is being developed into an internationally-recognised ISO. Sarah is a qualified executive coach and speaks publicly on topics including purpose, leadership, organisational transformation and culture.

Find Sarah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahgillardpurpose/

Blueprint for Better Business: https://www.blueprintforbusiness.org/  

In this first episode of 2025, Jen, Dom and Cat review their favourite conversations of 2024. They also discuss the topics, trends and themes they most want to explore in 2025, as shaped by what IoIC members have said they want to learn more about.

This episode explores some of the primary risks and opportunities for internal communicators in the coming year. Tune in to hear about up and coming guests and conversations.

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Deborah Hale MBE has spent her career developing high profile global campaigns. She knows the importance of building brands, navigating complex stakeholders and making change happen by creating enhanced audience engagement.  

As employers across the board struggle to resume pre-pandemic levels of organisational performance, Jen, Dom and Cat chat with Deborah to hear what she has learned about creating the conditions that build loyalty and goodwill across diverse audiences.

This conversation is a must-listen for any internal communicator looking to drive colleague engagement and imbue a sense of community within increasingly distributed workplaces.

Takeaways

• Patience is essential in leadership and communication.

About Deborah Hale MBE

Deborah has a proven track record of developing high profile UK and global campaigns that achieve brand growth, awareness and audience engagement. In all her projects, her starting point is: “what is the change you want to see?”

After several years spent promoting the creative industries, she became Head of International Marketing for London, in charge of positioning the capital as a centre of excellence for inward investment, tourism, education and culture. This led to her role as Producer of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays, in charge of what would become one of the UK’s largest public engagement campaigns. She was awarded an MBE in the 2013 New Year’s Honours List.

As an independent consultant, she has worked with numerous commercial and not for profit organisations such as the Design Council, Permian Global, BBC Children in Need, and the Global Goals campaign.

Find Deborah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-hale-mbe-370bb7/

As the climate crisis worsens and social inequality escalates, legislation to monitor the sustainability efforts of organisations abounds.

But mandatory reporting is often undertaken by executives who don’t socialise their data in a way that helps internal stakeholders feel their employer is taking proactive steps to improve its impact.

In this episode, Jen, Dom and Cat chat with strategic communications consultant Debra Sobel to learn more about the vital role of internal communication in sustainability reporting.

Takeaways

• Sustainability is shifting from aspiration to activation and transformation.

About Debra Sobel – Strategic Communications Consultant

Debra is an experienced strategic communications strategist, with specialist knowledge in all things sustainability and purpose. Over 18 years in business she has partnered and consulted with national and multinational brands helping them navigate the purpose landscape, shape strategy and deliver clarity when it comes to stakeholder communications and embedding responsible business into culture. Debra is an ex-BBC prime TV producer / director who worked on programmes including Crimewatch, Watchdog and political and environmental documentaries.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-sobel-verity-london/

The volume of digital tools and platforms available to improve how we work expands by the day. But how effectively are we, as users of those products, integrating them into our daily work habits? What provision is made by organisations to make sure their internal stakeholders are skilled to optimally use these tools? And what is the long-term impact on the users trying to keep up with increasingly digital workplaces?

In this episode, Jen, Dom and Cat chat with Elizabeth Marsh who researches the effect of all-digital on organisational health. A keynote speaker at the IoIC’s 2021 festival, Elizabeth specialises in digital upskilling and digital health.

This conversation explores the intersection between new workplace technology and the future-readiness of internal stakeholders to embrace increasingly AI-fuelled operating environments.

Takeaways

• Techno stress is a psychological and physiological strain from technology use.

About Elizabeth Marsh

Elizabeth Marsh is an expert on workforce skills and wellbeing in digital contexts. She has over 20 years of experience in the digital workplace industry, working in range of organisations and roles - as a practitioner, consultant and researcher.

Her consulting and research span topics such as digital dexterity including AI readiness, protecting wellbeing in context of issues such as technostress and overload, and the role of digital workplace and communications professionals in mitigating them.

She supports organisations with digital skills audits and recommendations for raising digital dexterity and protecting wellbeing. In 2014 she co-authored 'The Digital Renaissance of Work' book and in 2018 released 'The Digital Workplace Skills Framework' report. Now in the latter stages of an ESRC 'Digital Society' PhD at the University of Nottingham, she has recently published to peer reviewed journals on the 'dark side' of technology and optimising digital worker well-being.

Find Elizabeth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethmarsh/

Elizabeth’s website: https://digitalworkresearch.com/