Do you know... 🏢 What your office is for? ✅ Which elements to consider when designing workplace where people actively want to spend time? 🌍 What global research tells us about how we can help people do their best work in the many places that work happens? 😊 How to cultivate a joyful workplace environment? 💭 The link between physical workplaces and psychological wellbeing? 🙌 Strategies and frameworks for building a work environment that amplifies productivity, happiness and job satisfaction?...
Jan 25, 2024•51 min•Season 7Ep. 72
The people who need the most development and most time are leaders, but they are precisely the people who don't invest in themselves. Are you one of them? That's why Gemma Ellison of Heart Leadership and I created Labs. Leanne Ledger , Senior Brand Strategist and Partner at Emperor , and Sarah Cockroft , Manager at OceanWise Ltd join Gemma and I in this podcast to share the impact that a new approach to development has had for them. We contrast a conscious process that centres around being human...
Jan 11, 2024•1 hr•Season 7Ep. 71
Did you know... Only 46% of employees trust their manager to do what is right, dropping to 32% for senior leaders? 72% leaders report they feel used up at the end of the day, an increase of 12% from 2020? Fewer than half of leaders find their jobs purposeful. Yet, leaders with a strong sense of purpose are 9 times more likely to feel engaged? Only 29% companies train for the crucial skills that leaders want to develop. The world is evolving. Expectations are changing. The impact on your people i...
Dec 15, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 6Ep. 70
Is your organisation fuelling addiction? Do you understand the causes and triggers that can lead to someone engaging with addictive behaviour? Do you know the behaviours that might constitute addiction, or that could manifest into addiction? Richie Paxton of the EPIC Restart Foundation has lived experience. He joins Amantha King and I to share a heap of insight about how to be more aware and support people living with addiction, including those impacted by someone else using this behaviour. If y...
Dec 08, 2023•52 min•Season 6Ep. 69
A Chief Inspector is not necessarily the first person who springs to mind as the driving force for self-care, better mental health and launching a podcast! But Stewart Codling of Thames Valley Police is modelling exactly how leaders can embrace the challenge of changing expectations by doing things differently. Stewart joins me on my podcast to explain how he is going about improving mental health, particularly for men in a traditional industry. Police are people who wear a metaphorical cape eac...
Dec 01, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 6Ep. 68
Bad managers are causing one in three staff to walk*. Luckily for OceanWise , Sarah Cockcroft isn't one of these managers. She is only two weeks into her role there, but she is going in with her eyes wide open to what is needed of her. Sarah has the benefit of hindsight. She is not new to management and that is why I invited her to join me to discuss the very real problems that are existing in many organisations today. Instead of starting with clear ideas about what she wants, she has armed hers...
Nov 24, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 6Ep. 67
What are you growing? 🪴 Is the PH level in your environment producing what you want? And what have you grown into? Are you in the right soil? Have you become what you WANT to be? What you NEED to be? I was inspired when I heard Courtney Hobbs share his experience during a session where we both presented for macmillan cancer earlier this year. Today he joins me to expand on his story that includes a need to fit in and how quickly things can get out of control. His earlier life meant his eyes wer...
Nov 17, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 6Ep. 66
Did you know that in Q3 of 2022-23, antidepressants were the most prescribed class of drug? More and more people are struggling with anxiety and depression , yet we conveniently turn a blind eye. It's easier to assume that employers are not responsible. However, when we consider the significant role work plays in mental health, whether that's adding to problems, or in contrast creating the conditions to thrive, we must take a collective responsibility. This resource is all about depression and a...
Nov 10, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 6Ep. 65
I love talking with people about exceptional employee experience, and Mike Mair is one of those people who knows a thing or two about it. He is passionate about helping people grow and develop. This conversation is a step-by-step exploration of EX throughout the employee lifecycle. It follows a road map that includes: 📌Recruitment 📌Onboarding 📌Training 📌Work environment 📌Leadership 📌Strategy and vision 📌Outstanding team 📌High performance 📌Balance 📌People Development 📌Culture 📌Reward ...
Nov 03, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 6Ep. 64
From being told he wouldn’t get anywhere in life, to becoming Operations Manager at Guernsey Mind , Chris Chamberlain likes to challenge expectations! In this episode of the podcast, we delve into shaping yourself as an intentional leader, and the style of situational leadership. We consider the balance between being authentic and changing our style to suit others. How do we get self-awareness, empathy and being proactive right? Chris explains how to challenge existing practice to do what is rig...
Oct 20, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 63
Allyship . Seb Randle and I discuss what makes this an important topic... FOR MEN. Women are great at promoting women, but without men onboard, we hit a glass ceiling. But it's not 'all about the women at the expense of men'. We need to get beyond stereotypes and look at a more inclusive approach that benefits everyone. We discuss the all important question for much of the workforce: What's in it for men? Every individual in an organisation has a part to play. Every individual benefits. We also ...
Oct 06, 2023•52 min•Season 6Ep. 61
Olivia Sharp , Partner in HR Practice at Eton Bridge Partners , has produced the Chief People Officer Pathway Report, a comprehensive set of findings based on research into the CPO role. She joined me on the podcast to discuss the outcomes and how we apply that to the world of HR and the future of work. We discuss terminology and how HR titles can be a controversial subject. We explore differences in internal/ external appointments, gender and geography. We consider squiggly careers and routes i...
Sep 29, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 60
Do you have a 'JOB'? According to Mike's dad, job stands for 'Just Over Broke'. Not very inspiring, energising or engaging if you want to live a meaningful, fulfilled life. As an entrepreneur, Michael Brennan is anything but that. In this honest and self-aware conversation, Mike shares his challenges, what he has learnt, and in his view, what leading a business is all about. We get to grips with: Reinventing ourselves to intentionally become who we want, learning from past experience The balance...
Sep 15, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 58
Avoidable employee harm. What springs to mind when you hear that term? I think it sums up brilliantly the damage that processes can have on organisations and individuals when they fail to focus enough on humans at the heart of them. And let's be honest, many processes have been shaped historically, or exist simply because that's what was put in place without much consideration of the big picture. But is there a better way... One that cares for employees, the organisation as a whole, and their cu...
Sep 08, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 6Ep. 57
Kathy Heath of the Healthy Minds Club , a personalised health and wellbeing platform that connects users with experts, products and services to achieve better wellbeing and lifestyle goals, joins me today. As one of the 'experts' at the club, I was excited to be talking with Kathy about proactive approaches to wellbeing in this episode of the podcast. We cover everything from HSE to ESG, and wellbeing strategies that really make a difference. This episode is very timely as Healthy Minds Club is ...
Sep 01, 2023•51 min•Season 6Ep. 56
PRIME used to conjure up thoughts about the drink that appears to have become a fad (and that my son gets super excited about the prospect of seeing on a supermarket shelf) 🤦🏻♀️. But then I met Dr Karen Cripps , Senior Lecturer in Leadership at Oxford Brookes University . Karen informed me about PRiME, an acronym for 'principles for responsible management education' and it's taken on a whole new (and much more helpful!) meaning. In this episode of the podcast, we uncover: the key sustainabili...
Jul 14, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 55
Are you a popcorn fan? You might rethink your love of it after hearing about Theran's experience. Role-modelling taking a sick day did not go as planned! Aside from dealing with his popcorn damage, Theran Knighton-Fitt of mygrow is on a mission. He is challenging the notion of culture as a means to an end when humans are turned into resources. Instead, Theran is redirecting the conversation to one that is more about being human in place of extracting value. It will be no surprise then to see som...
Jul 07, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 54
The multi-award-winning, author and very awesome Roy Magara provides a legal perspective on putting the human factor back into business. It was great being able to pick up the conversation from those that we had during the pandemic when we facilitated a number of webinars together. Why is it that so many legal cases continue to be brought to Roy's attention? He outlines cases where employers have been called out for not caring enough. And the increasing number of cases associated with mental hea...
Jun 30, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 53
Being ready for the future of work requires action. Now. Research clearly identifies that Individual performance has a causal relationship with wellbeing. So it doesn't take a psychologist to tell you that companies need to invest in getting wellbeing right. But just what makes the biggest difference? And where do we begin? Start simple is my approach. Human connection is the building block of good relationships, mental wellbeing, psychologically safe environments, engagement, and performance. S...
Jun 23, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 52
This is one of the most frank, honest podcast conversations I've had and I'm so grateful to Gail Cohen of the GCVA for being so open with me about her leadership style. We explore if she is a good leader (her words!). Gail's honesty and vulnerability is powerful as we unpick: How our experience shapes us Self awareness vs self evaluation Generational differences within the workforce Employee led culture Clarity of a leaders' strengths and areas for development Leadership, management and being an...
Jun 16, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 5Ep. 51
My podcast got hijacked!!! I loved this... the fabulous David Greenaway and Gemma Ellison did a takeover of Beyond the Water Cooler and put me in the hotseat to celebrate 50 episodes. Actually, to my relief, it was a great discussion involving all three of us, about what has changed in the world of work since my first episode. And importantly we get to grips with some of the challenges companies are grappling with right now, to help them move forward. Did you know... ‼️ 72% of leaders report the...
Jun 09, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 5Ep. 50
Forbes has put together 101 of the best customer experience quotes . Only 3 of them feature employees, despite the fact customer experience relies on your workforce. Simon Sinek says: 👁️🗨️ “Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.” And that's exactly what Graham Hill , from insight6 , and I talk about in this episode of the podcast. We refocus the lens, shifting away from simply the customer, to the people within organisations that determine CX. One thing that ha...
May 26, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 49
Nick Jemetta , founder of Stories Matter , joins me to discuss anxiety. He is passionate about creating connection, conversation, curiosity and change. And he takes a holistic approach to mental health. Stress, anxiety and depression are thought to be responsible for almost half of working days lost in Britain due to health issues. According to the Workplace Health Report 2022, 58% of employees are experiencing anxiety, and 34% of those experiencing anxiety are aged 25-34. In the current climate...
May 19, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 5Ep. 48
Placi Espejo is a MH Champion, Coach and Mentor supporting innovative businesses to help them grow. She is also a TEDx speaker, having taken to the stage to share her ideas about embracing mental health and the benefits of workplace policies. Placi talks from her own experience of struggles with mental health, and from her role within companies that means she has a wealth of insight into how to make the experience of work better. Poor mental health is costing UK employers up to £56 billion a yea...
May 12, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 5Ep. 47
How confident are you that every member of your team feels empowered and safe enough to contribute? That they are fully engaged? That their ideas are encouraged to emerge and germinate? That their experience day to day matches how they want to feel? In this episode of the podcast, Sonali Kumarakulasinghe , People and Culture Consultant at SK Consulting outlines TWO PRACTICAL APPROACHES that enable people to become more aware of themselves and their colleagues, to engage with meaningful change, a...
May 05, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 46
John Hibbs , Co-Founder of CoEfficient , joins me to explore organisational performance from the human perspective. We discuss: 🗣️ the Monergy Flow that links purpose with people, strategy, implementation and outcomes 🗣️ common factors in successful companies 🗣️ the disconnect between leadership perceptions and those of the wider workforce 🗣️ organisational measures and mental health; the vital link 🗣️ employee surveys: their limitations 🗣️ data - the devil is in the detail (and what we ch...
Apr 28, 2023•58 min•Season 5Ep. 45
I was recently invited to guest on Get Radio ‘s The Business Brunch with Ben Thompson & Mike Foster . Each week, business leaders from across Oxfordshire join them for interviews and a round table discussion sharing their expertise, knowledge and experience. During the show, I had the opportunity to talk about my business, It’s Time for Change, and the topic of resilience for business owners, whilst giving really practical advice to business owners listening. We were joined by the fantastic ...
Apr 21, 2023•44 min•Season 5Ep. 44
Gemma Ellison , Senior Leadership & Talent Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support , joins me in a productive 'rant' about some key issues in business, and most importantly, how to rethink them. I love the energy, inspiration and wisdom that comes from Gemma. She really knows her stuff. We get to grips with... 🗣️ The deliberate leader - an important distinction to a step up the career ladder 🗣️ Challenging common beliefs; is treating others how we want to be treated good enough? 🗣️ The bias t...
Mar 31, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 4Ep. 43
March is B Corp month and so who better to join me than Chris Williams , Sustainability Champion and Commercial Manager at Jennings , where they have just been awarded the badge?! In this conversation, Chris helps us to understand: What B Corp is actually about What prompted Jennings to pursue the B Corp route What a values-based culture looks like What the B Corp certification process involves The benefits of the B Corp accreditation How to inspire companies to do business better, regardless of...
Mar 24, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 42
Carla Maroussas joins me today to explore overwhelm, and the all-important question - how do we reduce it? In a world where overwhelm feels normal, where many of us feel trapped with the only option being to push through, this is an important conversation. We explore: the feeling of overwhelm that produces a real desire of wanting to retreat into a bubble the pressure on leaders and managers to be seen to cope the need to align our lived experience with our values how emotional support from mana...
Mar 17, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 4Ep. 41
