What does it really mean to listen to employees, and are organizations doing it as well as they think they are? In this episode of The EX Conversation, Kaz sits down with Chuck Gose to unpack the gap between traditional “listening” approaches and what’s actually happening across organizations today.
Chuck brings a unique perspective shaped by a career spanning internal communications and technology, as well as his work building the ICology community. Together, they explore how employee listening is evolving beyond surveys and focus groups, and what EX leaders might be missing if they only rely on formal channels.
This episode will be especially useful for EX and internal comms leaders who are questioning whether their current listening strategies are giving them the full picture. If you’re trying to better understand frontline experience, support managers through constant change, or make sense of AI’s role in comms, this conversation offers practical reflection points.
🎧 Enjoy the episode and thanks for listening.
00:00 – 03:20 | Chuck’s career and the origins of ICology
Chuck shares his journey across comms and tech, and how his community for internal communicators came to life.
03:20 – 06:10 | Finding a voice in the comms community
How Chuck built influence by elevating new voices and creating space for fresh perspectives in internal comms.
06:10 – 08:00 | The moment internal comms clicked
A turning point at General Motors that reshaped Chuck’s view on the value of internal communication.
08:00 – 10:00 | Learning from the frontline
Why physically embedding yourself with frontline employees changes how you understand work, culture, and communication.
10:00 – 12:00 | What employee listening really means
Moving beyond surveys and focus groups to recognize behavioral signals as a form of listening.
12:00 – 14:30 | Leadership, listening, and trust
The gap between what leaders say about listening and how they actually behave—and why that matters.
14:30 – 16:30 | The overlooked role of managers
Why middle managers are often the least listened to—and what that means for organizational change.
16:30 – 18:30 | Navigating constant change
The reality of continuous change in organizations and the case for patience as a critical leadership skill.
18:30 – 20:30 | Creativity, AI, and the comms workflow
Balancing efficiency with creativity, and how AI can act as a partner rather than a replacement.
20:30 – 23:00 | AI guilt and changing skillsets
Why communicators feel conflicted about AI—and how to think differently about its role.
23:00 – 25:30 | Tools, habits, and ways of working
A lighter look at productivity tools, creative processes, and how Chuck approaches his day-to-day work.
25:30 – 27:30 | Lessons from podcasting
What communicators can learn from running podcasts and why audio is such a powerful storytelling medium.
27:30 – 29:00 | Early career advice that stuck
A simple but memorable lesson about presentation, professionalism, and perception.
29:00 – 30:30 | What to throw in the “Room 101” of comms
Why it’s time to move on from debates like “a seat at the table” and reporting lines.
30:30 – 31:10 | Employees vs. business: what comes first?
A candid perspective on balancing employee experience with business priorities.
31:10 – End | A question for the next guest
Chuck leaves a thought-provoking question about storytelling and the “villain” in our professional journeys.
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.