In this episode of The EX Conversation, Kaz sits down with Jason Anthoine, Managing Director at Arketi Inside, to unpack what’s really holding employee experience and internal communications back. Drawing on nearly four decades in the field, Jason reflects on what’s changed — and what hasn’t — from leadership expectations to the ongoing challenge of actually reaching and influencing employees. At the center of it all is a simple but often overlooked idea: progress in EX doesn’t come down to tools, budgets, or skill gaps — it comes down to courage.
They explore how the role of leadership is evolving, why internal and external brand are now inseparable, and what it takes to connect communications work to outcomes leaders care about. Jason shares practical perspectives on helping leaders show up more authentically, bridging the gap between comms and marketing, and why speaking the language of revenue, cost, and risk changes the conversation.
This episode is especially useful for EX and internal comms leaders who feel stuck between knowing what needs to change and struggling to make it happen. It speaks to the real frustrations — slow progress, unclear impact, disengaged leadership — and offers a grounded way to think about moving forward.
🎧 Enjoy the episode and thanks for listening.
00:00 – 03:30 | Introduction and Jason’s background
Jason shares his career journey across internal communications, employee experience, and culture change.
03:30 – 06:30 | What hasn’t changed in internal comms
Why organizations still struggle to truly reach employees despite advances in technology.
06:30 – 09:00 | The evolving role of leadership
How leadership expectations have shifted from specialist expertise to broader, more human-centered roles.
09:00 – 12:30 | Authentic leadership (and why forced moments don’t work)
A look at why engineered “connection” moments can fall flat — and what employees actually want from leaders.
12:30 – 15:30 | Different leadership styles, same team
Why effective leadership teams don’t need uniformity — and how diversity of style can be a strength.
15:30 – 18:30 | Why brand = employee experience + customer experience
Jason explains the convergence of marketing and EX, and why internal and external narratives can’t be separated.
18:30 – 21:30 | Speaking the language of business impact
Connecting comms work to revenue, cost, and risk — and why this changes how leaders engage.
21:30 – 25:30 | The bold take: EX has a courage problem
Why courage — not budget, tools, or skills — is the biggest blocker to progress in internal comms.
25:30 – 29:30 | Courage in practice: challenging leaders and expectations
Real examples of where comms teams need to step up and have difficult conversations.
29:30 – 32:30 | Why courage is contagious
How modeling courage can shift team dynamics and unlock better outcomes.
32:30 – 35:30 | Hidden skills: patience in internal comms
An often overlooked strength and why it matters in complex organizations.
35:30 – 38:30 | Rethinking engagement surveys
Why traditional surveys fall short — and what more effective feedback loops look like.
38:30 – 42:30 | The future of the comms role
Why communication should be seen as a core leadership responsibility, not a support function.
About The EX Conversation
The EX Conversation is a podcast series from Unily that brings together employee experience, internal communications, and digital workplace leaders from across industries.
Each episode features an open, practical conversation with people on the frontlines of EX: sharing what’s working, what’s hard, and how they’re navigating complexity in real time. No hype. No scripts. Just honest perspectives and hard-won insight to help EX leaders learn from each other and move the workplace forward.