In this episode of Frequency, Jenni Field and Chuck Gose kick things off with a surprisingly revealing conversation about bread — and quickly land on a much bigger question: when recognition misses the point, what does it say about how organisations really value people?

That idea becomes a thread running through the episode, as they move into a frank discussion about performative communication. Using recent ICE-related events in the US as a backdrop, they explore the growing pressure employees are putting on leaders to take meaningful, visible stands, and why cautious, logo-signed “de-escalation” statements often feel more like corporate self-protection than leadership. Jenni and Chuck question what employees are actually asking for, and whether silence, symbolism or collective action carries the most weight.

From there, the conversation turns to meetings — why they continue to frustrate people, and what role AI realistically has in fixing them. While tools like AI note-takers and summaries can help with accountability, they argue the real issue is capability, not technology. Poorly run meetings, unclear purpose and a lack of facilitation skills won’t be solved by automation alone. Better meetings still matter — especially for trust, debate and decision-making — and cutting them entirely is not the answer.

This leads into a wider challenge around AI adoption and productivity. As leaders increasingly point to AI’s potential impact on GDP as justification for rapid rollout, Jenni questions whether economic upside is the right — or sufficient — argument. They unpack research showing many organisations are using AI without investing in training or redesigning how work actually gets done. The risk, they argue, is treating AI as a cost-saving shortcut rather than a capability shift. Without strong foundations, clear processes and proper enablement, AI won’t fix broken systems — it will simply amplify them.

The episode then tackles Amazon’s latest round of layoffs and the way employees discovered the news through internal errors. Jenni and Chuck reflect on what moments like this signal about leadership control, humanity and trust — and why how information is shared matters just as much as what is shared.

Finally, they react to reports that AI company Anthropic destroyed large quantities of books to train its models, raising uncomfortable questions about ethics, ownership and optics — especially when legality, public perception and values collide.

They close with their Freq Out of the week, sharing candid reflections on conference speaker rejections, feedback that stings, and why rejection isn’t always a signal that your work isn’t needed — sometimes it’s just redirection.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

• Tech workers push CEOs to condemn ICE as Minnesota CEOs issue a “de-escalation” letter https://www.axios.com/2026/01/26/tech-workers-ceos-ice https://www.axios.com/2026/01/25/minneapolis-shooting-ice-target-3m-ceos-letter
• The LinkedIn post that inspired the bread conversation
• Dropbox bets on AI to fix meetings and protect time
• HR Dive: AI could boost GDP, but only if employees are trained
• BBC: Amazon layoffs confirmed after an internal email error
• Ars Technica: Anthropic destroyed millions of print books to train AI
• Remote Work by Chris Dyer and Kim Shepherd (not Scott)

In this episode of Frequency, Jenni Field and Chuck Gose kick off 2026 with a frank check-in on how the year is going — personally and professionally — before diving into a stack of research that reveals just how disconnected leadership and employees have become.

The conversation opens with an article on millennial disengagement, where employees say the quiet part out loud: "my leader doesn't know me and doesn't care to know me." Jenni and Chuck explore whether curiosity can really be an antidote to stagnation, and what it takes for leaders to actually demonstrate they care.

They then tackle Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser's widely reported memo telling staff "we are not graded on effort" — and surprisingly land on the side of her directness. Sometimes, they argue, honesty about expectations beats the flowery alternative.

A DHR Global study sparks discussion on the culture gap between C-suite and entry-level employees, with 77% of execs calling culture "very important" while only 37% of junior staff agree. The disconnect gets sharper when nearly half of employees describe their culture as reactive and inconsistent.

Gallup's new span-of-control data brings the manager conversation back into focus, with average team sizes now at 12.1 — nearly 50% larger than a decade ago. Chuck breaks down the math: if you manage 10 people and give each just an hour a week, that's a quarter of your time before you even start your own work.

Finally, they examine a growing satisfaction gap between leaders and employees on change communication — a 30% divide in 2026 that shows no signs of slowing. The culprit? Communication built for leadership, not the people receiving it.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

• 3 tips to replace employee stagnation with curiosity in 2026
• Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser warns of job cuts and says it's time to raise the bar in a fiery memo to staff: 'We are not graded on effort'
• Global Survey Reveals Workplace Culture Gulf Between Execs and Employees
• Span of Control: What's the Optimal Team Size for Managers?
• The satisfaction gap - what employees and leaders think good communication looks like (Lars Hancke)

In this episode of Frequency, Jenni Field and Chuck Gose explore the quiet pressures tightening around modern work - from burnout and broken flexibility promises to the unintended consequences of AI “efficiency”.

The episode opens with a deceptively simple question: what happened to happy hour? Not as a drinking debate, but as a signal that the informal “third space” of work - where trust, mentoring and belonging once formed, is disappearing.

They then unpack Amazon’s evolving performance and office-tracking approach, questioning where healthy accountability ends and surveillance begins, and what communicators should really be saying when trust is already fragile.

A global frontline study from UKG brings the conversation back to reality, revealing burnout rates of 76% and a widening “two-culture” divide between frontline and office workers. Flexibility and financial security aren’t perks anymore, they’re retention levers.

The episode also tackles McKinsey & Company’s idea of “super agency”, asking whether AI’s biggest blocker is actually leadership hesitation, not employee readiness.

Finally, Jenni and Chuck examine a counter-intuitive risk of AI: when busywork disappears, so does recovery time — unless work itself is redesigned.

As ever, this is straight-talking, reflective and a little uncomfortable — in the best way.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

What Happened to Happy Hour?

Amazon is making big changes to the way it treats workers

Global study reveals flexibility and financial wellness are top 2026 priorities for frontline workers

Superagency in the workplace: Empowering people to unlock AI’s full potential

The Downside to Using AI for All Those Boring Tasks at Work

In this special bonus episode of Frequency, Jenni Field and Chuck Gose are joined by Carolyn Clark, VP of Communications and Employee Experience at Simpplr, to dig into the findings from the 2025 State of Internal Communications and Intranet Report.

This isn’t an employee survey, it’s a look at how the builders of the system (comms, HR and IT leaders) think internal communication is working… and where it’s quietly falling apart.

Together, they unpack ten findings that reveal a familiar tension: internal comms is getting more attention and investment, but employees are still navigating tool sprawl, unclear ownership and platforms that don’t always help them get real work done.

The conversation covers:

• Why exec attention doesn’t always equal understanding
• The growing gap between “we have an intranet” and actual employee experience
• Tool sprawl, digital stress and the hidden cost of friction
• Why IT satisfaction doesn’t equal employee usability
• What “ethical AI” really means inside organisations
• And why relevance, targeting and governance are still lagging behind ambition

Straight-talking, practical and occasionally uncomfortable — this episode challenges leaders to stop counting tools and start fixing system.

Thanks to Simpplr for sponsoring the episode!

Read the report here: https://www.simpplr.com/resources/research-reports/state-of-ic-and-intranet-technology-uk/

In the first episode of 2026, Jenni Field and Chuck Gose are back with a candid, wide-ranging conversation about what the world of work really needs to leave behind.

They start by sharing the leadership, culture and communication habits that should have stayed in 2025 – from performative “authenticity” and meaningless values to treating AI as either a miracle cure or an existential threat.

The conversation then turns to employee happiness. Drawing on recent research, Jenni challenges the idea that leaders are responsible for happiness at work, arguing instead that feeling respected, supported and energised is the baseline of credible leadership – not a perk.

Jenni and Chuck also unpack:

• Why trends are often marketing fluff (and why predictions are more useful)
• Whether internal communication is facing an identity crisis
• When buzzwords help – and when they create unnecessary chaos
• Why open-plan offices don’t work, and what the office should be for now

Articles mentioned in this episode:

• New Data Shows The Surprising Payoff Of Employee Happiness
• What are the trends shaping internal comms and the workplace in 2026?
• Are buzzwords bad?
• The open office is a lie

In this final episode of 2025, Jenni Field and Chuck Gose reflect on a year of conversations by pulling together the 10 themes that defined work, leadership and internal communication over the past 25 hours and 41 minutes of the podcast.

They revisit the middle management crisis, the ongoing disconnect between hybrid work reality and mandates, and the shift from performative authenticity to honest leadership transparency. The episode also explores AI adoption anxiety, the persistent challenge of proving the value of internal communication, and why change fatigue means productivity takes far longer to recover than leaders expect.

The conversation looks at purpose-driven work, communication overload, cultural intelligence in global teams, and the unresolved productivity paradox behind return-to-office decisions.

They close by sharing five AI-generated predictions for 2026, challenging leaders to build trust, rethink management, and stop trying to control their way through change.

• Slow Productivity - Cal Newport
• Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff - Ness Labs
• The Productivity Diet - Mike Vardy

In this week’s episode of Frequency, Jenni and Chuck explore the forces shaping how we feel at work - from safety and strategy to hybrid rhythms and AI anxiety. They unpack new research showing psychological safety isn’t a “nice to have” but a strategic resource that protects against burnout and increases retention, especially when resources are tight.

They also dive into why internal comms teams get stuck in delivery mode instead of strategy, and why pausing to reset purpose doesn’t need to take months, it just needs focus. Hybrid working gets a fresh lens too, with new data revealing clear workplace rhythms, the risk of overloading Thursdays, and why short commutes are becoming an engagement driver.

Finally, they tackle AI anxiety head-on, debating whether it’s really about technology — or simply our human response to big change. Plus, festive traditions, doors, and milestone birthdays are in this week’s Freq out!

Articles and posts mentioned in this episode:

• In tough times, psychological safety is a requirement, not a luxury
• Plans without strategy: why internal comms keeps getting stuck in task mode
• The New Rhythms of Work: How Hybrid Reality Is Reshaping Employee Experience
• Why AI at work makes us so anxious
• Episode 4 of Frequency where they discuss the misconceptions of psychological safety

In this episode of Frequency, Jenni and Chuck get stuck into a report-heavy week packed with big questions for communicators, leaders and HR. They explore the UK Government’s RESIST framework for tackling misinformation and why “strategic silence” can sometimes be the smartest move.

The conversation then turns to workplace wellbeing, with new data from Reward Gateway showing a growing shift from pay to work–life balance - but the conversation discusses the serious confusion about what wellbeing at work actually means. From unlimited leave to sleep, stress and personal responsibility, they challenge where the line really sits.

They also unpack striking Gallup engagement data showing that 90% of UK employees are disengaged or not actively engaged, and question what leaders are truly trying to measure. The episode wraps with a powerful model for “human work” from the team at Fauna and CultureCon based on their recent research.

The reports and articles mentioned in this episode:

• A new Government framework for communicators to tackle misinformation
• Workplace wellbeing - a business imperative
• The future of work has a heartbeat
• ICology Mentorship Program - deadline to apply is December 15