Trust Trumps Truth – and how internal communication must evolve and adapt

3 February 2025 Reading Time: 5 minutes

by Jonas Bladt Hansen:

We’re in the midst of a massive transformation—both technological and cultural. Highly trusted social media “news influencers” can sway public opinion overnight, misinformation travels faster than ever, and artificial intelligence is taking over tasks that once belonged to us internal communicators.

So where does that leave internal comms?

If AI can generate content within seconds, what unique value do we still offer?

The answer lies in building and maintaining trust at all levels in the organization.

Machines may produce text, but they can’t replace the human capacity to listen, interpret, and shape meaningful dialogue that resonates on a personal level.

So, what could this mean for the internal communications function?

Below, we’ll look at organizational listening, narrative management, and credible leadership as three key areas where internal comms can truly stand out.

Organizational Listening – Seeing the Forest – and the Trees

Organizational listening goes far beyond an annual survey or the occasional Town Hall. It is a continuous, deliberate practice woven into everyday decision-making and team dynamics.

Rather than viewing listening as a top-down mandate, modern approaches emphasize that everyone in the company—from frontline employees to managers and executives—has a role in both giving and receiving feedback. This shared responsibility creates an environment where employees feel their voices matter and leaders gain early insights into emerging issues.

Here are some examples of listening activities:

Ongoing Feedback


Instead of a single survey once a year, organizations that excel at listening add feedback loops into daily tasks. This might mean short team check-ins, quick digital polls, or informal sessions where people can share concerns. By doing this all the time, we catch small issues before they become big, and employees see that their opinions count.

Formal and Informal Channels


Useful feedback doesn’t always come through official surveys or interviews. Sometimes, the best insights show up in hallway chats, chat messages, or coffee break talks. A strong listening culture values these casual comments as much as formal responses, but it requires that we in internal comms see these channels and interactions as such.

Taking Action


Listening only matters if it leads to visible changes. Whether it’s fixing broken equipment or rethinking a policy that’s unfair, leaders build trust when they act on feedback. I love the argument that Howard Krais (co-author of “Leading the Listening Organisations”) makes when saying, that surveys are not the problem, the real problem is that people don’t feel that they make any difference.

One Real-life example on how listening leads to better decision-making

I came across a real story a few years ago:

A customer service team started satisfaction ratings were worsening, and management assumed the agents needed more training. But after one leader joined the team and took a few calls, they found the real issue: faulty headsets.

It turned out that agents had to raise their voices because they couldn’t hear properly, and customers felt they were being yelled at. By actually listening and seeing the day-to-day problems, they solved it without wasting money on unhelpful training.

In this case the first assumption (“The staff needs training”) fell apart once managers truly listened.

Understanding and Addressing Narratives

Narratives are the stories we tell about what’s happening, why it’s happening, who benefits, and what leadership truly values. If we fail to understand the dominant narratives within the organization, our messages risk missing the mark and failing to resonate.

Finding the Hidden Stories

Often, the most important narratives don’t appear in official data. They appear in chats, private messages, or gossip. To steer the conversations in the right directions and ensure a truthful narrative about a given situation the communication team can provide opportunities for employees to share what’s on their minds in order to understand the dominating narratives.

Sorting and Checking Themes


After gathering employee stories, it’s wise to check if these concerns are more widespread than just a handful of voices. For instance, if a large number of employees say that the new remote work policy seems to favor only certain roles—while others are stuck on-site with no flexibility—that’s a sign leadership needs to step in right away. There could be other biases such as people who are most dissatisfied tend to speak up, or that introverts might not feel comfortable speaking up at a larger event.

Reframing


Sometimes, people simply need a bit more info about why a decision was made. Other times, leaders need input to realize that what looked good on paper didn’t work out in reality. In either case, being transparent and honest about changes and the reasons behind them helps shift the story from frustration to hope or cooperation.

Here is a recent example of a Danish politician, Rasmus Jarlov who is trying to reframe the narrative being shaped by Donald Trump if Denmark actually has the right to claim ownership of Greenland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMqnI9jvnag

Credible Leadership: Earning Respect in the AI Era

In recent years, much attention has been given to ‘authentic leadership’ and the idea of ‘being yourself’ at work. While authenticity can be a strength, it doesn’t automatically earn credibility or followership. True credibility comes from consistently aligning your actions with the values and beliefs you claim to uphold, which ultimately builds trust and influence

Listen, Then Lead


Leaders build trust by actively listening to employee feedback and addressing concerns. As internal communicators, our role is to uncover the underlying narratives within the organization. By ‘doing our homework’ and identifying these narratives, we can guide leaders to respond directly to employees’ concerns, enabling more effective and empathetic communication.\

Connect Narratives to Reality


Credible leaders don’t shy away from addressing difficult truths. They openly discuss the benefits and drawbacks of decisions and acknowledge concerns.. The CEO of Shopify, Tobias Lüdtke once made an internal podcast to the leaders at Shopify called “context”, where he shared his reflections about the decision he made during the week.

Sharing unpopular messages becomes more impactful when leaders show they understand how these decisions affect employees and address counterarguments upfront. As internal communicators, we can advise leaders by ensuring they remain in tune with employees’ real concerns and emotions.

Earning Followership


In the end, employees “follow” leaders they trust. This trust develops when leaders are accessible, address tough questions honestly, and show they’re prepared to make changes based on real feedback—without hiding behind buzzwords or polished statements.

Three Key Actions for Internal Communicators

If we focus on a more strategic approach in these three areas—listening, narratives, and helping leaders become credible—we’ll strengthen our influence and impact in the organization. It might feel like a lot to take on, so here’s a quick summary of steps you can put into practice right away:

Make Listening Part of the Routine


Weave feedback moments into everyday tasks—short stand-up meetings, simple online suggestion boxes, or even casual office walk-arounds. Talk to people outside your usual network, and sit with different colleagues in the canteen to hear their perspectives. If you work at head office, try spending regular time at other sites. You’ll gather valuable insights you’d never thought of – and a lot of things might make a lot more sense to you.

Pay Attention to Emerging Narratives

As you listen, you’ll start spotting the stories people tell—both formally and informally. Look out for any surprises or misunderstandings that might be floating around. When you hear something unusual or concerning, dig deeper. Ask questions and try to understand the reasons behind these narratives.

Help Leaders Earn Credibility

Even the the best communication strategy won’t succeed if leaders aren’t equipped to address properly what employees are thinking or need to know. You can help leaders earning credibility by giving them the insights they need. But it doesn’t necessarily have to start with insights. It can also just be feedback on how leaders can improve their presentation skills – or input on how to structure the meeting to ensure important info isn’t missing and everyone is heard.

It’s time to take internal communication to the next level.

But nobody’s going to knock on our door saying that. They are also not going to ask, “Please create a listening strategy” or “Could you uncover the organization’s narratives?”. If you think this sounds like some good ideas – the initiative is yours to take.

Over time, people should notice that your insights are sharper, your content is stronger, and your advice is more strategic, ultimately guiding leaders to make smarter business decisions.

I believe that if we keep pivoting toward these new strengths—listening deeply, shaping honest narratives, and helping leaders earn credibility—internal communicators will find themselves in more demand than ever.

Written by: Editor