In this episode of the Culture First podcast, host Damon Klotz speaks with Bob Sutton, an organizational psychologist, Stanford management professor, and New York Times best-selling author. They discuss the negative impacts of power differences within organizations, the concept of destructive and constructive friction, and the critical role of leadership in mitigating such friction. The episode delves into Bob Sutton's latest work on 'The Friction Project' and explores how effective leaders can ...
Jan 27, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 80
In this episode of the Culture First podcast, host Damon Klotz, along with co-hosts Fresia Jackson, Director of People Science at Culture Amp, and Justin Angsuwat, Chief People Officer at Culture Amp, delve into the trends shaping the future of work in 2025. They discuss the implications of AI on job roles, the evolving dynamics between employees and employers, and the declining favorability of do-it-all leadership. The episode is packed with research data, including insights from over 1.3 billi...
Jan 15, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 79
In this episode of the Culture First podcast, our host Damon Klotz invited Didier Elzinga, the CEO of Culture Amp, to step into the interview seat and speak with Esther Perel, a renowned psychotherapist and pioneering voice in understanding modern relationships and workplace dynamics. Together, Didier and Esther discuss the importance of relational dynamics and the power of storytelling in solving conflicts and creating meaningful connections. The conversation touches on the complexities of toda...
Dec 17, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 78
In this episode of the Culture First podcast, Damon Klotz interviews Dr. Marcus Collins, professor and best-selling author of For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be . Together, they discuss the profound impact of culture on brand and organizational success. They delve into the definitions and misconceptions surrounding culture. They explore how brands like Patagonia and e.l.f. Beauty authentically maintain consistency between their external and internal ...
Dec 03, 2024•56 min•Season 1Ep. 77
In this episode of the Culture First podcast, Damon Klotz interviews Shane Battier. Shane is a two-time NBA champion and former player for the Miami Heat. He was recognized as a scholar-athlete at Duke University, earning accolades such as the National Player of the Year before being drafted sixth overall in the 2001 NBA Draft. Beyond basketball, Battier is committed to philanthropy through his foundation, which focuses on educational resources for underserved youth. In this episode, Damon talks...
Nov 19, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 76
In this episode of the Culture First podcast, Damon Klotz interviews Amy Gallo, an esteemed author and workplace expert. Damon and Amy have an in-depth discussion on conflict resolution, feedback, and workplace culture. Amy shares her experiences and professional insights, addressing the perils of 'artificial harmony', the importance of establishing norms for healthy disagreements, and the role of empathy in feedback. The conversation explores managing conflicts both in-person and remotely, emph...
Nov 05, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 75
In this episode of the Culture First podcast, Damon Klotz interviews Vincent Stanley, Patagonia’s Director of Philosophy. They discuss Patagonia’s unconventional approach to business, emphasizing cultural confidence and the importance of storytelling in building a responsible company. Vincent shares insights on Patagonia's foundational values, decision-making processes, and the importance of focusing on both environmental and societal responsibilities. The discussion highlights Patagonia's uniqu...
Oct 22, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 74
In what ways are today’s workplace expectations shifting, and what does it mean for the future of professional growth? In this episode of the Culture First podcast, Damon Klotz sits down with Isabel Berwick, the Working Careers Editor at the Financial Times and author of the bestseller 'The Future Proofed Career,' to tackle these very questions. Isabel and Damon discuss key themes around adapting to uncertainty, the role of AI in the workplace, the significance of curiosity, and maintaining a he...
Oct 08, 2024•53 min•Season 1Ep. 73
In this episode of the Culture First podcast, Damon Klotz interviews Seth Godin, renowned author, marketer, and entrepreneur. They delve into the essence of company culture and explore the significance of defining workplace culture by setting expectations and not tolerating disruptive behaviors. The conversation also highlights the importance of storytelling, enrollment, and the distinction between productive and busy work. Seth emphasizes the role of strategy in embodying a company's vision and...
Sep 24, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 72
In this episode of the Culture First podcast, Damon Klotz interviews Amy Lavoie, VP of People Science at Culture Amp, about the role of people science and people analytics in the modern workplace. They discuss practical examples of using data to make decisions, the importance of combining science and technology, and the future of people analytics. The conversation highlights the need for people scientists who can analyze data, provide insights, and consult with leaders to drive meaningful change...
Aug 06, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 71
This is the second part of a two-part series on layoffs and their impact on the employee experience. The episode focuses on the long-term impact of layoffs, based on research conducted by Culture Amp. The study analyzed data from layoffs in the tech sector between March 2020 and December 2023, including over 3,300 layoff events by 2,400 companies. Chapters 03:30 - Rebounding After a Layoff 07:00 - How Long It Takes to Rebound 11:46 - Determinants and Drivers of Engagement Post Layoff 18:50 - The...
Jul 18, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 70
This is the first part of a two-part series on layoffs and their impact on the employee experience. The episode focuses on the immediate impact of layoffs, based on research conducted by Culture Amp. The research analyzed data from layoffs in the tech sector between March 2020 and December 2023, including over 3,300 layoff events by 2,400 companies. The conversation explores the impact of layoffs on employee engagement and the employee experience. It discusses the decline in engagement levels af...
Jun 19, 2024•47 min•Season 1Ep. 69
In this episode of the Culture First Podcast, we take you on the road with us to give you a front-row seat to an incredible conversation that took place at SXSW Austin this year. In this episode, Didier Elzinga, CEO and Co-founder of Culture Amp, will moderate a discussion on achieving and sustaining a high-performance culture by drawing upon lessons learned from the world of high-performance sports. He was joined by Lindsay Verstegen, Chief People & Diversity Officer at the Detroit Lions, J...
Jun 06, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 68
In this episode, Damon Klotz and Chip Conley explore what it means to be a modern elder, ponder the notion of our identity being wrapped up in our work, and what role the manager can play in creating the environment and culture to do the best work of your life. If you'd like to listen to the full episode with Chip click here: https://www.cultureamp.com/podcast/how-to-learn-unlearn-stay-curious-at-work-with-chip-conley Learn more about Culture Amp by heading to www.cultureamp.com We believe in cr...
Apr 18, 2024•14 min•Season 1Ep. 67
Join Damon at Culture First Virtual 2024 to hear from Esther Perel, Megan Rapinoe and Ben Crowe. Register here to get your free ticket & a thank you for being a Podcast listener. Register now. This May, people leaders and culture creators from all over the world will gather to share innovative ideas and insights on improving organizational culture. Join us at Culture First Global 2024, a free virtual conference where leaders connect on culture at work, to hear from Esther Perel, Megan Rapino...
Apr 10, 2024•5 min•Season 1Ep. 66
DeRay McKesson is a civil rights activist, community organiser, and host of Pod Save the People. He started his career as an educator & human capital leader and is the co-founder of Campaign Zero. Many of the marches DeRay has helped organize contributed to the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement. DeRay has become a key player in the workplace when it comes to confronting the systems and structures that have led to mass incarceration and police killings of black and other minority popul...
Apr 04, 2024•14 min•Season 1Ep. 65
Do we lose access to curiosity as we age? Or is it like a muscle that's always there, but just needs to be activated and strengthened? Scott Keoni Shigeoka is an internationally recognized curiosity expert, speaker and author and he's known for translating research into strategies that promote positive wellbeing and connected relationships around the globe including at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center and through his popular courses at the University of Texas in Austin. In this vibrant ...
Mar 27, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Season 1Ep. 64
Do you feel like trust works both ways in your workplace? With the sustained rise in remote or semi-remote roles, the importance of trust in the workplace is top of mind. But trust needs to work both ways, right? The question isn’t only "can employers trust their employees", it also needs to be "can employees trust their employers?" Rachel Botsman is a trust expert, author and lecturer at Oxford University. She's passionate about challenging ideas around trust and humility and has been recognise...
Mar 20, 2024•15 min•Season 1Ep. 63
Cleo Wade describes herself as a friend and a community builder. She's the author of bestselling books - Heart Talk, poetic Wisdom for a Better Life and Where to Begin, a small book about your power to create big change. Cleo’s also got a new book coming out in May this year - pre-order it here ! From the data we collect here at Culture Amp, we know how important it is to give employees a chance to be heard, give feedback and share stories about their experience at work. Creating space for these...
Mar 13, 2024•10 min•Season 1Ep. 62
We can't think of a better way to mark International Women's Day than with a crystal clear call to action to all employers, laying out exactly what is needed to improve the world of work for women. Jamila is Deputy Managing Director of Future Women, where she supports governments and employer organisations working towards gender equality. Listen to Jamila dictate the email that she would like us to send to CEO’s around the world who are ready to improve the world of work for women. Jamila's emai...
Mar 06, 2024•6 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Join Damon at Culture First Virtual 2024 to hear from Esther Perel, Megan Rapinoe and Ben Crowe. Register here to get your free ticket & a thank you for being a Podcast listener. Register now. How will the top 7 HR trends of 2024 impact your workplace? Damon breaks down his top three employee experience predictions for 2024, along with key predictions from four experts around the globe. In this new era of work, our technology, leadership, and communication are all hyper-focused on prioritizi...
Jan 24, 2024•16 min•Season 1Ep. 59
We're signing off for the year with the one thing we all need to hear right now + some exciting news about 2024. If you enjoy and find value in this podcast, please don't hesitate to subscribe, follow and leave a review. Learn more about Culture Amp at www.cultureamp.com or @cultureamp on Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Dec 20, 2023•5 min•Season 1Ep. 58
The research team at Culture Amp are on the cutting edge of everything people + data science, and in this episode you'll get access to the top findings from their latest publication: The State of the Manager Report . The study looks at feedback from over 1 million employees, which analyzed 250,000 plus managers from 3,304 companies during the time period of July, 2022 to 2023. This makes it one of the largest and most comprehensive State of the Manager reports published . Fresia is a Lead Resear...
Dec 06, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Sarah Walsh has been integral in making women’s football in Australia what it is today. Following a club career that saw her play in the NWSL in the United States and in the A-League Women in Australia, she won 70 caps for Australia’s national team the Matildas and has spent the second half of her career fighting for equity and equality for today’s athletes. In the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the Matildas captured the hearts of Australia and the world with record breaking audiences glued to their sc...
Nov 22, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Are you stressed? Or could you get benefit from getting a little more specific and looking within to see if something else is happening? Maybe you identify disappointment, exhaustion or feeling unsupported? Damon's guest today is Award-winning psychologist Susan David, and in this episode she'll break down why getting specific with our emotions activates our readiness potential, allowing us to move forward and have the necessary conversations about why work can sometimes feel really hard. As one...
Nov 08, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Adam Bryant is currently senior managing director at the Ex-Co Group, but you might also know Adam for his work as a columnist on one of the most popular NY Times columns of all time. That column was the iconic Corner Office, where he interviewed CEO’s of the world’s top companies and notoriously never missed a single week of publication in his 18 year tenure. If your ambition is to be a leader who leads with empathy and humanity, then you had better take notes during this conversation with Adam...
Oct 26, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Welcome to Part II of this special episode with Lucy Prebble, executive producer and writer from the hit tv show Succession. If you’re curious about why you both loved and hated Logan, why Shiv was as deeply flawed as her brothers and why a bromance like Tom and Greg’s made us feel all kinds of things, then hit play because all those questions and more will be answered. As Lucy and Damon take a deep dive into the world of Waystar Royco and Succession, Lucy shares openly to what lengths deeply re...
Oct 11, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 53
Lucy is an award winning British playwright and is the Executive Producer, and writer for the TV show Succession. She is known for her compelling story telling that often explores themes of power, corruption, and the dark side of human nature. In part one of this episode we are going to learn about Lucy the writer, the storyteller and the world creator. You’ll hear Lucy applying her techniques for world creation to the company cultures we all experience every day and we'll explore the “note behi...
Oct 04, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 52
If you've ever doubted the ability of a Culture First company to have their delicious Culture cake and eat it, too - Garry Ridge is about to lay down a 20-minute Master Class on exactly how he made it possible. Our guest today was one of the very first CEO's that Simon Sinek recognised as putting his Golden Circle into practice and in this episode, you’ll hear Garry talk about his relationship with Simon Sinek and he lets us in on the tweaks he made to Simon’s own formula for creating a Culture ...
Sep 20, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Jamila's role as Deputy Managing Director of Future Women, an agency that supports governments and organizations that are working towards gender equality, is the culmination of a lifetime of fighting for change. Jamila is a former advisor to the Australian Government on gender and early childhood education and also a best-selling author for adults and children, columnist, media commentator and fellow podcast host. Damon's conversation with Jamila is packed with actions you can take into your own...
Sep 06, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 50
