Looking back over the past year, you might be struck by the sheer volume of stories about hybrid working, burnout, trust, AI and economic pressure. But when you step back and consider them together, a much clearer picture emerges. One that reveals the deeper forces shaping how people feel about work, and what leaders will need to pay attention to in 2026.

In this special solo episode of Sticky From The Inside, Andy Goram explores the underlying currents that sit beneath the headlines. Yes, we talk about return-to-office tensions, the rise in burnout, and AI’s quiet spread across workplaces. But these aren’t isolated issues. They’re connected, and they’re telling us something important about the state of work today.

Drawing on a year of cultural insights, research and real-world observations, Andy introduces five forces he believes will shape engagement, culture and leadership in the year ahead. From the growing urgency around work design, to the shift from engagement as feedback to engagement as shared power, to the rising importance of trust, human-fluent AI leadership, and belonging as a stabilising force.

If you’re leading people, shaping culture, or simply trying to make work a healthier, more human experience, this episode offers a grounded and connected view of what’s really happening and why leaders can’t afford to think about these forces in isolation.

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Key Takeaways

Work Design becomes a core leadership discipline. Sustainable performance will depend less on location and more on designing work that people can realistically deliver without burning out.
Engagement shifts from measuring feelings to sharing power. People want influence, not just surveys. Organisations that involve employees meaningfully will see stronger commitment and trust.
Trust becomes the currency of effective leadership. In an environment of economic squeeze and organisational change, trust is fragile — and leaders will need to earn it through clarity, consistency and honesty.
Leaders must be both AI-literate and human-fluent. AI is entering the workplace faster than governance can keep up. The leaders who succeed will understand technology and know how to support people through it.
Belonging and psychological safety become strategic stabilisers. In pressured systems, belonging is not a soft concept, it’s the foundation for resilience, creativity and high performance.

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Key Moments

The key moments in this episode are:

0:01:13 – Looking back to understand the year ahead
0:02:04 – Why the headlines don’t tell the full story
0:03:01 – The workplace stories shaping today’s backdrop
0:06:17 – Engagement falls, burnout rises, and tolerance shifts
0:09:24 – Trust under pressure and the rise of employee voice
0:12:56 – AI adoption grows from the bottom up
0:16:09 – Economic pressures and their cultural impact
0:21:10 – Introducing the five forces shaping 2026
0:21:23 – Force One: Work design steps into the spotlight
0:22:30 – Forces Two to Five: Power, trust, AI and belonging
0:27:07 – A challenge for leaders in the year ahead

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Join The Conversation Find Andy Goram on LinkedIn here Listen to the Podcast on YouTube here Follow the Podcast on Instagram here Follow the Podcast on Twitter here Follow the Podcast on Facebook here Check out the Bizjuicer website here Get a free consultation with Andy here Check out the Bizjuicer blog here Download the podcast here ----more---- Useful Links Gallup State of the Global Workforce here Read Inspiring Workplaces' take on the survey here Read The Autonomy Institute's piece on the 4-Day Week here Read The Guardian's piece on the 4-Day Week here Read Microsoft's view on AI at work here Read Peoplescout.com's article on Mental Health at work here ----more---- Full Episode Transcript

Get the full transcript of the episode here

Looking Ahead: The 5 Forces That Will Shape Engagement, Culture and Leadership