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Making Sense of Change: Inside the Future of Internal Communication
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Making Sense of Change: Inside the Future of Internal Communication
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Insights From Jennifer Sproul, Chief Executive at IOIC.
The Internal Communication Stage at this year’s Employee Engagement Summit was buzzing with insight, challenge, and inspiration – and few sessions captured the mood of our changing world quite like The Future of Internal Communication: Navigating Change in a Complex World. If you’ve ever wondered how internal comms can truly shape the way organisations think, behave, and thrive amid complexity, this one’s for you.Jennifer Sproul, CEO of the Institute of Internal Communication (IOIC), took us on a thought-provoking journey through the shifting landscape of internal communication. Drawing on the IOIC’s annual IC Index, Jennifer unpacked the major forces transforming how organisations connect with their people – from the accelerating march of technology to changing employee expectations around purpose, authenticity, and personalisation.
As Jennifer highlighted, today’s employees demand more than polished messages. They want communication that feels personal, transparent, and meaningful – communication that connects them to the “why” behind the work. But meeting those expectations requires balance. While technology and AI tools are transforming the way information flows, Jennifer reminded us that technology should enable human connection, not replace it. In her words, the internal communicator’s role is to build trust and dialogue, using digital tools responsibly to enhance – not erode – authenticity.
One of the standout insights was the IOIC finding that 62% of employees expect their employer to take a stance on societal issues. That shift puts brand values squarely in the spotlight – externally and internally. Jennifer challenged internal communicators to help teams navigate difference, foster open conversation, and sustain trust in increasingly polarised environments.
Trust, purpose, connection, and alignment emerged as the four major challenges shaping the future of internal comms. And in a world of hybrid work and information overload, Jennifer urged leaders to see internal communicators not as message broadcasters but as sense-makers – professionals who help employees interpret change, anchor themselves in purpose, and see the bigger picture.
Her vision of the modern internal communicator is both inspiring and practical: part strategist, part storyteller, part data analyst, and always human at heart. The future, she argued, belongs to communicators who can blend empathy with evidence – using narrative and data to both inspire and influence.
As the session closed, Jennifer left us with one of the day’s most powerful takeaways: to truly make progress, we sometimes need to “dial down to dial up” – to strip back, refocus, and create space for meaningful change.
It’s a vision that feels more urgent than ever. If you missed the session, be sure to tune in to our podcast for the full conversation. You’ll walk away re-energised about what internal communication can and must become in the months ahead.
To register your interest for the 2026 Engage Employee Summit click here: https://www.engageemployee.com/engage-employee-summit-registration
