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