Every January I do the same thing. I read as many trends reports and prediction pieces as I can find, make lots of notes and try to work out what’s really going on for the internal comms profession. This year, though, something different is happening. The split between what we’ve always done and what we might become seems to have shifted from a whisper to a megaphone and I’m wondering if 2026 is going to be the year things really shift.
The headlines that won’t go away
Let's start with the themes that appear in virtually every report, article and podcast conversation. These aren’t new, but they are intensifying.
AI has moved beyond the “should we?” phase and firmly into “how do we do this properly?” territory. Research is telling us that 42 per cent of communicators are using AI daily, with another 31 per cent using it a few times a week. That’s three-quarters of the profession using AI in their normal working week. But what we are using it for is what matters – most of us are still using it for content creation. The opportunity ahead lies in workflow automation, analytics and strategic decision support.
Trust remains the foundation everything else sits on. Whether it’s trust between employees and leaders, trust in the communication itself or trust in how change is being handled – this is the golden thread of 2026 (and it has been a thread for many years already). This has to be a shift in how we communicate and it requires leaders to really step into the space of credible leadership.
Line managers are the number one focus area for 2026, with more than half of communicators naming it as their top trend to explore. In research from the past year and even in my own research in 2021, we can see that the cascade is no longer effective. There is so much data to show the importance of line management skills, the lack of understanding from hard-to-reach employees – it’s one that is going to be hard to ignore.
The human side of work is demanding attention in ways it hasn't before. Research shows that burnout is becoming a “boardroom hazard”. Psychological safety, wellbeing, and engagement are no longer nice-to-haves – they're business continuity issues. It’s a big piece of the puzzle when it comes to culture and wider organisational challenges.
The practical stuff that still matters
The day-to-day work of internal communication in 2026 will involve:
- Getting better at data and measurement – though only one per cent say they're effectively measuring employee sentiment, which is a problem when 34 per cent want to improve engagement. You can't improve what you don’t measure.
- Creating content that works across formats and preferences – short-form video, personalisation, mobile-first design. Research shows 74 per cent of IC teams send all-company newsletters, 80 per cent handle leadership updates, and 64 per cent manage change communication. That's a lot of content to get right.
- Building employee influencers and amplifying authentic voices – 41 per cent want to explore this in 2026. It's not about creating corporate cheerleaders; it's about enabling the people who naturally have credibility to share their perspectives.
- Sorting out governance and process – whether that's email calendars, content pipelines, or cross-functional workflows. The research shows 61 per cent of teams struggle with getting content from other departments, and 48 per cent aren't “in the loop” early enough to shape messages.
These aren’t glamorous, but they are essential. And frankly, if you don't get these basics right, none of the bigger, more broader themes will be achievable.
The bigger shifts that will change everything
This is where it gets interesting. Several significant shifts are happening that will reshape what internal communication means:
The experiment is over. Five years of workplace flexibility experiments post-pandemic need to resolve into something operational and clear. The ambiguity around where and when work happens needs to be properly operationalised, bringing together culture, technology, HR and communication.
Change communication becomes the core skill. When organisations are in constant transformation, the ability to help people navigate change isn't a specialisation – it's the job. Ghassan Karian, chairman of Ipsos Karian and Box, puts it well: “Leaders desperately need a human being who can make sense of chaos, decode emotions, and help land change without breaking the organisation – or its people.”
The role of judgement becomes critical. AI has made knowledge easier to access, which means knowledge alone is no longer a differentiator. What sets communicators apart is their ability to interpret, question and apply judgement. This is the advisory role that can't be automated.
We might need a new name. It’s suggested that the IC professionals who thrive will be “the ones who stop identifying as communicators altogether”. The argument is compelling: when anyone can generate decent content, the communicator identity becomes indefensible. But the person who ensures strategic initiatives land and stick? Irreplaceable.
What does this mean for 2026 and beyond?
I keep coming back to the split between tactical execution and strategic influence. It has always existed in our profession, but 2026 might be the year we stop trying to be both things to all people.
Some teams will need to focus on operational excellence – getting the basics right, automating workflows, measuring effectively and supporting the organisation with clear, timely communication. Others will move into strategic territory – advising on culture, enabling organisational change and helping leaders navigate complexity.
Both are valuable. Both are needed. But they might not sit in the same team or even under the same label much longer.
The question I'm sitting with – and the one I think the profession needs to grapple with this year – is whether “internal communication” still describes what we actually do. When your work spans culture, change, leadership advisory, organisational effectiveness and strategic alignment, are you still a communicator? Or have you become something else entirely?
The year ahead is going to give us some answers. I'm not sure we're all going to like them, but I am sure we need to start asking the questions.
Jenni Field is founder and CEO of Redefining Communications.