Prepare to have your mind stretched as we navigate the human brain with the esteemed neuroscientist and psychologist, Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett. In this captivating discussion, we explore how social media is rewiring our brains, why the parent's role is critical in helping a child's brain develop, and what the challenges of puberty mean for cognitive development. Dr. Barrett offers unique insights into the delicate art of knowing when to step in and when to step back, helping our children handle ...
Feb 06, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Are your everyday experiences really a true reflection of how your brain works? Our guest for this episode, acclaimed neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, sheds light on this thought-provoking question. Dr. Barrett takes us through the compelling world of neuroscience, revealing the ingenious manner in which our brains regulate our bodies. She explains how our brain is a master of deception, constantly predicting and preparing based on past experience rather than just reacting to the world. ...
Jan 16, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 61
As we approach the end of another eventful year, what were the highlights for you in the world or work and workplace? Andrew Mawson, AWA's Founder and Managing Director shares his views on the significant developments that really caught his attention - including AI, which has been through a transformative phase in 2023. This year also seems to have seen a lot of consolidation around hybrid working - leading to an excess of office space being carried by a lot of organisations. And we see an incre...
Dec 28, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 60
Picture this: you're navigating the intricate paths of hybrid working - what bearing does this have on talent and succession planning in your organization? That's the meaty conversation we're sinking our teeth into in this episode. We explore the key facets of finding, fostering, and future-proofing strong leadership within organisations. Take a moment to think about your role, your ambition, and how your organisation is supporting you and your colleagues. We consider how succession planning nee...
Dec 05, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 59
Get ready to supercharge your understanding of India's booming office space market with AWA's Shashi Sharma and Director of Corporate Real Estate for Carelon Global Solutions in India, Sanjeev Tullicherry. We ask whether India's economic growth can be balanced with environmental sustainability by adopting strategies like refurbishing existing buildings instead of constructing new ones? We delve into the heart of commercial real estate's environmental sustainability, extracting insights from the ...
Nov 14, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 58
Ever imagined a world where trust, openness, and virtuality are the norm in the workplace? Buckle up as we dig deep into the seismic shift from an office-centric model to the hybrid work norm, all thanks to an unprecedented global pandemic. We have as our guests Andrew Mawson, Founder and Managing Director of AWA, and Brad Taylor, AWA's Director of Consulting, to provide a bird's eye view on this transitional phase and the friction it's sparking between senior leadership and employees. Now, let'...
Nov 01, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 57
As hybrid working becomes the new normal, we know you're asking: how do we formalize this? Do we need to review our employment contracts? What about our duty of care for home workers? How do we balance individual needs with organizational efficiency? This episode looks at what needs to change, and what doesn't. We dig into the detail of employment contracts and relationships in the wake of COVID-19, exploring the benefits of putting more rigor in place to safeguard employee health and wellbeing ...
Oct 19, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Unlock the secrets of transforming good intentions into actionable plans in the face of climate crisis with our special guest, Richard Lupo, managing director of Shift Environment and author of Happiness by Numbers. Lupo shares his insights on the UK's march towards achieving net zero and how climate change influences our day-to-day lives. AWA's Lara Al Ansari and Brad Taylor also join us, fresh from the AWA Institute's event, 'Beyond Green', sharing their thoughts on making net zero a part of c...
Oct 03, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Ever thought about the deep-seated toxicity lurking in your workplace? Hold your breath as we navigate this uncharted terrain with consultant psychologist Linda Doe, who brings to the table her vast experience in business psychology. We dissect the meaning of a toxic office culture, the tell-tale signs to look out for, and the devastating impacts it leaves in its wake, including poor mental wellbeing and sometimes alarming rates of staff turnover. But that's not all! We peel back the layers of t...
Sep 26, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Are you prepared for the future of work? Will you be at the forefront of a revolutionary shift, or will you be left behind, much like Kodak when digital photography rose to prominence? In this engaging episode, we converse with Henry Massey and Andrew Mawson, experts on the brave new world of the Metaverse and its potential implications for our working lives. We unpick the vibrant tapestry of the Metaverse, contemplating an immersive, inclusive, and story-driven hybrid working environment that c...
Sep 05, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 53
Curious about how hybrid working is transforming organisations around the world? AWA’s Hybrid Working Index reveals the truth about what’s really going on. We look at different types of hybrid working policies, the volumes of people coming into office, the impact on the usage of workspace and the ultimate decisions being taken to resize real estate. The most recent results reflect a population of 150,000 people across 15 sectors and 22 countries. We reveal the latest findings and the trends acro...
Aug 15, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 52
Ever wondered if we should fear a malevolent AI takeover? Reconsider what you know about artificial intelligence (AI) as we host a riveting conversation with Dr. Mike Jackson. As a renowned expert in the field, Dr. Jackson clears the air on misconceptions surrounding AI while shedding light on its potential and the importance of unbiased data and decision making. We also debunk the Hollywood-inspired myth of evil AI entities commanding the world. We don't stop there but shift gears to discuss th...
Aug 01, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Today we're taking a compelling journey into the heart of the hybrid work model in India to discover how the pandemic has radically transformed the workspace and encouraged innovative solutions to retain productivity and enhance employee satisfaction. So, buckle up and prepare to delve deep into the intricacies of remote work, office occupancy measurement, and the challenges of policy framing in large tech companies - which provide much of the current workplace narrative in India! Jagvinder (Pin...
Jul 18, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 50
Ever wondered what really matters to the Gen Z workforce? Join us as we engage in an eye-opening conversation with six Gen Z professionals, including Danielle Farage, a top voice for Gen Z and a Top 10 Future of Work Influencer. Gain valuable insights into the priorities and values that drive this generation, from flexibility and development to a strong emphasis on workplace culture. We're debunking myths and shedding light on the unique career paths many Gen Zers are taking. Hear firsthand expe...
Jun 27, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 49
The way we acquire the skills we need is changing - accelerated by the pandemic and the ready availability of guidance and knowledge on social media and through Google searches and YouTube videos. People want to teach themselves and choose the methods that suit them, rather than having their organisation dictate what they should learn. Furthermore everyone seems time starved when it comes to most activities, particularly training, so whatever they do really needs to be specific to their needs an...
Jun 06, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to attract and retain the right skills and talent – in the face of rising employee expectations and fierce competition. Under these conditions, the experience people have at work is critical – leaving this to chance is foolish and wastes an enormous opportunity to ensure people have what they need to deliver for your organization. Delivering the best workplace experiences requires you to carefully manage the workplace (whether that’s an office,...
May 16, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 47
As organizations continue to figure out their approach to hybrid working, many are finding that they have more space than they need. While some are holding onto that space, in the belief that people will gradually return to working in the office, others are looking for ways to offload it. And there is also a need to ensure that the space that is provided works well - generating confidence that it will fulfil the needs that they have when they come into the office to work with colleagues. Here's ...
Apr 25, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Leadership is leadership - if leaders and managers struggled pre pandemic, it's likely they're struggling now - unless they've upskilled. Hybrid is shining a bright light on management and leadership skills - exacerbating shortcomings and causing some to return to pre pandemic ways of working - to what's easier for them (not easier for their people). This is a dangerous, slippery slope that will see people quit because they know how it feels to determine and control they way they work and to fin...
Apr 04, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Bupa is a great example of aligning ways of working to a strategic vision of what the company needs to be. Senior leaders had already set Bupa on an agile journey before the pandemic and plans were well advanced - helping them adapt quickly when the pandemic struck. There have been many challenges, as for all organisations, but there are ambitious plans for the future. And we'll hear about how the data AWA gathers from staff surveys helps to inform the design and planning of effective office env...
Mar 14, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 44
This is part two of our exploration of workplace experiences - thinking about how to deliver them day in, day out and adapting them to changing circumstances - so they continue to be relevant and to satisfy the needs of individuals, teams and the organization as a whole. Covid was a big test for everyone's ability to adapt and ensure that people's experiences of work continued to serve each organisation's purpose, and hybrid is the next opportunity to fine tune and refine the degree to which you...
Feb 21, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 43
We all have "workplace experiences" every day - but whether they are left to chance or consciously thought about and curated can make a world of difference to how we absorb our organisation's vision, brand and values. Writing values on the walls and expecting that to do the job won't cut it. If the lived experience of the organisation (in the office, at home, and culturally) is filled with jarring disconnects from the story it tells about what it values, then the level of friction and lack of au...
Jan 31, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Once upon a time - workplace capacity was calculated by taking the number of people to be accommodated, assigning a desk to each person and adding some other spaces. But with hybrid working, when people don't need a desk every day or even when they come into our building, how should we be determining how much space we need, and what facilities and types of space to provide? And how can we ensure we create holistic workplace experiences by working across disciplines (HR, CRE, IT, FM)? This episod...
Jan 10, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 41
2022 seems to have been the year that hybrid working really got into its stride. We've covered many aspects of hybrid and other ways of working topics during this year. This episode is a look back at some of the highlights! Here's a quick overview of the topics in this episode: A test and learn approach to hybrid (from 3 AWA clients) ( 02:21 ) Changing our approach to meetings and wellbeing ( 07:38 ) Hybrid in different industry sectors (energy, insurance, tech, life sciences, charitable and hig...
Dec 27, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Here are the latest results from AWA's worldwide Hybrid Working Index, tracking office attendance, desk usage and the hybrid working policies of 62 organisations across 220 offices and nearly a quarter of a million people within those offices. Use of the office is falling, calling for a different approach to how we deliver and manage the workplace. Here's a quick overview of the discussion points in this episode: What is the hybrid working index? ( 01:30 ) The latest results ( 08:19 ) We need a ...
Dec 13, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 39
There is a wealth of advice and guidance available to organisations looking to implement or refine their hybrid working approach. Helping organisations change the way they work has been AWA's bread and butter for the last 30 years, so we know a thing or two about this - albeit that the Covid pandemic accelerated the journey for us as well as our clients. Hearing real life experiences from clients who have gone through a change journey is very powerful. In this episode we hear from the British He...
Nov 29, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Organisations put a lot of effort into creating appealing and powerful customer experiences. But how much effort goes into the creation of employee experiences - whether in the office or away from it? Do organisations see their employees as consumers of the organisation? Do they consider how employees' experiences can trigger emotional responses and memories, or create attachment and commitment to the brand and its values - all things that can promote either loyalty and longevity, or faster turn...
Nov 08, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 37
What is the circular economy? Is it just recycling? What do we have to do differently? What does it mean for the workplace? Will it cost more? Why do we have to do things differently? How can we get started? What are some simple examples I can use to start meaningful conversations in my organization? So many questions, for which we have some straightforward answers and inspiring examples of what can be achieved. There's no time to lose - we have to start thinking differently and acting different...
Oct 18, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Universities and colleges are complex organisations - in many ways quite different to other businesses in sectors such as finance, insurance and technology. With their mix of students, academics, researchers and professional services staff, there are a many needs to be met. So how are they managing after 2 years of the COVID pandemic, where many more people started working away from their offices and students and lecturers began a journey of online learning? Many academics and researchers were a...
Sep 27, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Covid has prompted many of us to question what we’re doing with our lives – and what we’re doing at work. Many are asking whether they and their organisation have a clear purpose – and not getting a clear, satisfactory answer. Charities have potentially had the upper hand here – the desire to do good in the world has given them an advantage in recruiting employees who feel passionately about their cause, or who are drawn to the non profit sector in general. But what now - when commercial organis...
Sep 06, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 34
There's been so much talk over the last 2 years about how we are working - in offices, remotely, hybrid. At the same time, in the UK we've been treated to lots of adverse publicity about the workings of the Prime Minister's office, 10 Downing Street. Is this office still fit for purpose? Is the West Wing any better? How would we go about redesigning the working experience for the incoming Prime Minister? Here's a quick overview of the discussion points in this episode: The 'workplace' issues at ...
Aug 16, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 33
