Frequency

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