Building Better Cultures

Summary

In this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott McInnes speaks with Catherine Fallon about the critical role of change communication in organizations undergoing transformation. Catherine shares her extensive experience in employee engagement and change management, emphasizing the importance of building trust and aligning stakeholders during periods of change. The conversation explores effective strategies for communicating change, the role of middle management, the significance of storytelling, and the necessity of engaging change agents to foster a supportive environment. Ultimately, the discussion highlights the need for honesty and transparency in communication to ensure successful change implementation.

Takeaways

Change communication is about building trust, not just issuing messages.
Effective change communication aligns people towards a common goal.
Resistance can cripple change programs if not managed properly.
Honesty and transparency are critical in change communication.
Middle management plays a vital role in translating change for their teams.
Stakeholder analysis is essential to understand different perspectives.
Stories can make change relatable and resonate with employees.
Engaging change agents helps to influence and support the change process.
Regular communication updates are necessary, even if there is no new information.
Treating employees like adults fosters a culture of trust and engagement.

Sound Bites

"It's not what you do, it's how you do it."
"Change is always going to happen in an organization."
"Building trust with the people going through the change."
"The worst case is resistance and friction."
"You want to know where the pockets of resistance are."
"Being honest and open is critical."
"Treat your employees like adults and don't infantilize them."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Change Communications
02:51 Catherine Fallon's Career Journey
05:45 The Importance of Change Communication
08:49 Effective Change Communication Strategies
12:09 The Role of Middle Management in Change
15:05 Understanding Stakeholder Perspectives
17:49 The Power of Storytelling in Change
21:04 Engaging Change Agents and Influencers
23:57 Final Thoughts on Honesty in Change Communication

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Summary

In this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott McInnes speaks with Clare Duffield, Assistant Chief Officer for People and Organisational Development at the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). They discuss the importance of workplace culture, the challenges faced by policing globally, and the insights gained from a cultural audit conducted within PSNI. Clare shares the findings of the audit, highlighting both concerns and strengths within the organisation, and emphasises the need for trust, recognition, and support in fostering a positive culture. The conversation concludes with practical steps for implementing cultural change and the significance of connecting employees to the organisation's mission and purpose.

Takeaways

Workplace culture is about the experience of employees.
A clear mission and purpose are essential for organizational culture.
Cultural audits can reveal both strengths and weaknesses.
Trust and transparency are crucial for employee engagement.
Recognition of achievements boosts morale and culture.
Leadership visibility fosters trust within the organization.
Cultural change requires time and commitment from leadership.
Engaging employees in the change process is vital.
Understanding the context of culture is important for effective change.
Small, incremental changes can lead to significant improvements.

Sound Bites

"Culture is what's it like to work here?"
"We have to be able to give back."
"Trust starts with human connection."
"It's about the person behind the uniform."
"One step at a time. Marginal gains."
"We need to invest in the police service."
"Focus on the why. Why does it exist?"

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
02:54 Understanding Workplace Culture
06:02 The Impact of Global Policing Challenges
08:56 Cultural Audit and Its Findings
11:48 Addressing Cultural Concerns
15:11 Positive Aspects of the Workforce
17:55 Building Trust and Support
20:49 Recognizing and Celebrating Achievements
23:45 Practical Steps for Cultural Change
27:02 Looking Forward: Implementing Change
29:58 Final Thoughts on Culture Change

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Summary

In this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott McInnes speaks with Dara Connolly, CEO of Common Purpose Ireland, about the evolving role of leadership in today's organizations. They discuss the importance of connection, self-awareness, and the need for leaders to adapt in a post-COVID world. Dara shares insights on practical strategies for effective leadership, the significance of mentoring, and the impact of good leadership on society. The conversation emphasizes the need for leaders to be open, curious, and engaged in their communities to foster positive change.

Takeaways

Connection is essential for effective leadership.
Leaders must adapt to the changing landscape post-COVID.
Practical networking is about building genuine relationships.
Self-awareness is crucial for leadership development.
Surrounding oneself with mentors enhances leadership skills.
Creativity can be found in all professions.
Good leadership contributes to societal change.
Leaders should be open to new experiences and perspectives.
Awareness precedes action in leadership decisions.
Building trust is fundamental to successful leadership.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Leadership and Learning
02:45 The Role of Connection in Leadership
05:51 Adapting Leadership in a Post-COVID World
09:10 Practical Tips for Effective Connection
12:12 Building Leader Capability for the Future
14:50 The Importance of Self-Awareness and Mindset
17:58 The Power of Good Leadership in Society
20:52 Final Thoughts on Leadership and Connection

Sound Bites

"Get together, we are stronger."
"Creativity is everywhere."
"Awareness precedes action."
"Do good feels good."
"Keep your mind open to opportunities."
"Surround yourself with mentors."
"A coach, an apprentice, and a Jedi."

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Summary

In this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott McInnes speaks with Lorna McAdoo, head of ESG at Version One, about the importance of organizational culture, the role of ESG in shaping that culture, and strategies for enhancing employee engagement, especially in a post-COVID world. They discuss the significance of listening to employees, integrating ESG into daily operations, and the potential of neurodiversity in the workplace. Lorna emphasizes the need for organizations to be flexible and proactive in creating an inclusive environment that fosters connection and collaboration among employees.

Key Points

Culture is hugely important for organizational success.
Engagement and culture start from the ground up.
ESG initiatives can enhance employee engagement.
Creating real reasons for employees to come to the office is essential.
Flexibility in work arrangements can tap into diverse talent pools.
Listening to employees is key to building a supportive culture.
ESG can be a powerful tool for culture building.
Organizations need to think outside the box for talent acquisition.
The integration of ESG into daily operations is crucial.
Neurodiversity should be embraced as a valuable talent pool.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Building Better Cultures Podcast
02:26 Understanding Organizational Culture
06:41 The Role of ESG in Organizations
12:45 Engagement Strategies Post-COVID
18:38 Integrating ESG into Daily Operations
24:53 The Importance of Neurodiversity in the Workplace

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Summary

In this engaging conversation, the speakers delve into the importance of non-verbal communication in leadership, the journey of a brain hacker, the power of subconscious storytelling, the role of empathy in communication, and the science behind influence through mirroring and rapport. They emphasize that effective leadership requires understanding and harnessing these elements to create a positive organizational culture. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the intricacies of influence, decision-making, resilience, and leadership. They explore how to effectively negotiate by understanding body language and the importance of gut instincts in decision-making. The discussion also emphasizes the need for mental resilience through acceptance and positivity, especially in challenging times. Finally, the speakers highlight the significance of authenticity in leadership, advocating for genuine connections with team members.

Takeaways

99.9999% of leaders leave communication skills on the table.
Leadership is a mindset, not a position.
Cultural leadership involves leading teams effectively.
Subconscious behaviors drive our actions and decisions.
Storytelling is crucial for effective communication.
Empathy is essential in today's volatile world.
Tactical empathy can enhance leadership effectiveness.
Understanding non-verbal communication is vital for leaders.
Influence is built on trust and rapport.
Effective storytelling involves hooks, tension, and payoffs. Influence can be achieved through understanding and mirroring body language.
Trusting your gut instinct can lead to better decision-making.
Life is messy, and accepting that can lead to personal growth.

Chapters

00:00 Unlocking Non-Verbal Communication in Leadership
05:07 The Journey of a Brain Hacker
09:49 The Power of Subconscious Storytelling
14:59 Empathy and Communication in Leadership
20:01 Influence Through Mirroring and Rapport
21:30 The Art of Influence and Negotiation
23:12 Trusting Your Gut: The Role of Instinct in Decision-Making
28:42 Building an Unbreakable Mind: Acceptance and Positivity
37:53 Authenticity in Leadership: The Key to Connection

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Summary

In this episode, the conversation delves into the intricacies of workplace culture, emphasizing the importance of leadership, purpose, and employee wellbeing. The speakers discuss how culture is shaped by the behaviours tolerated within an organization and the critical role leaders play in modelling desired behaviours. They explore the challenges faced by middle management and the necessity of empowering employees to take charge of their wellbeing. The discussion highlights the need for intentionality in fostering connections and trust within teams, ultimately leading to a stronger organizational culture.

Takeaways

Your culture is defined by the worst behaviour you tolerate.
Purpose should be central to organizational culture.
Leaders play a crucial role but are not the sole influencers of culture.
Middle management faces unique challenges in today's work environment.
Wellbeing initiatives must be integrated into the organizational culture.
Building trust is essential for effective communication.
Employees should be empowered to lead wellbeing initiatives.
Intentionality in interactions fosters better connections.
Storytelling can enhance the understanding of purpose in work.
Giving employees a voice is key to building a strong culture.

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Workplace Culture
03:07 The Role of Purpose in Organizations
06:03 Leadership and Culture Dynamics
09:00 Middle Management Challenges
11:51 Wellbeing in the Workplace
14:47 Building Trust and Connection
18:11 Empowering Employees for Wellbeing
21:04 Creating a Strong Organizational Culture

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When 20 senior leaders from 9 countries gathered in the heart of Mumbai, the lessons weren’t found in PowerPoint decks—they were found in the streets, in conversation, and in shared moments of discomfort and growth.

In this episode, Scott McInnes reflects on his experience with the Common Purpose Senior Leader Programme, exploring how a city of contrasts challenged his assumptions, highlighted the power of diversity, and deepened his understanding of bias and empathy. A story about leadership that unfolds not in loud declarations—but in quiet, meaningful shifts.

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Episode Summary

In this episode of Building Better Cultures, Scott McInnes sits down with Jonathan Reed, CEO of Paddy and Scott’s Coffee, to discuss the company’s incredible transformation over the past three years. Jonathan shares his journey from employee to owner through a management buyout (MBO) and the challenges he faced in reshaping the organisation’s leadership and culture.

With a strong focus on communication, trust, and a people-first approach, Jonathan highlights how visibility, vulnerability, and fun play crucial roles in creating an engaged and motivated workforce. He also delves into the company’s commitment to social impact, ensuring that business success translates into meaningful contributions to coffee-growing communities.

This episode is packed with insights on leadership, resilience, and the power of responsible commerce to create real change.

Key Takeaways

Transitioning from employee to owner is a profound leadership shift.
The MBO process is challenging but ultimately rewarding.
Clear communication and trust-building are crucial for a successful transition.
Leaders must be visible, present, and engaged with their teams.
A great workplace culture includes fun as a key performance indicator.
People—not just coffee—are at the heart of Paddy and Scott’s business.
Strategic planning should involve and empower employees.
Vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness, in leadership.
Businesses have a responsibility to make a positive social impact.
The future of Paddy and Scott’s is built on responsible commerce and community support.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background
08:54 Impact of MBO on Leadership and Culture
19:45 Emphasizing People Over Profit
34:52 Future Vision and Social Impact

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EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Building Better Cultures, Scott McInnes sits down with Jenni Field, CEO of Redefining Communications, to discuss her new book Nobody Believes You and the critical role of credibility in leadership. They explore the eight interconnected practices that define credible leadership and examine how leaders can navigate post-pandemic organisational challenges with empathy, integrity, and self-awareness.

Jenni shares research-backed insights on how leaders can build trust, foster a supportive culture, and adapt their communication styles to strengthen their credibility. From balancing vulnerability with professionalism to embracing feedback as a tool for growth, this conversation offers practical strategies for leaders looking to inspire confidence and drive meaningful change.

KEY POINTS

Credibility is the foundation of leadership—without it, leaders struggle to gain trust and influence.
Post-COVID leadership requires a shift towards empathy, integrity, and adaptability.
The eight practices of credible leadership work together—leaders must develop all of them to be truly effective.
Leaders must be intentional about communication, self-awareness, and feedback to maintain credibility.
A strong organisational culture is built through supportive leadership and a clear vision.
Empathy is not just an inherent trait—it’s a skill that can be developed and strengthened.

ABOUT JENNI FIELD

Jenni Field is an international speaker, author, podcaster, researcher, and business communications strategist. She specializes in helping teams and leaders use communication to take people and organisations from chaos to calm.

From Canada to Slovenia, you’ll find her talking about credible leadership, relationships at work, and how to be more impactful with your communication.

A well-respected thought-leader in the communications industry, she is known for her optimistic outlook, energy, and honesty on any stage she is speaking on.

Jenni’s podcast, Redefining Communications with Jenni Field, provides short 15-minute episodes focusing on different business topics and providing advice to help organizations go from chaos to calm.

In 2021 published her first book Influential Internal Communication.

Jenni has led several research projects to help organisations tackle some of their biggest challenges; In 2019 she carried out the only research into communication with deskless workers, repeating it in 2023 to see the impact of the pandemic on frontline teams.

Her research in 2021 explored the role of line managers and in 2023 she researched the different practices that make a leader credible – leading to the publication of Nobody Believes You; Become a Leader People Will Follow.

SOCIAL LINKS

Redefining Communications website
Jenni's LinkedIn
Instagram: @Jennifield
X: @mrsjennifield

REFERENCE LINKS

Books by Jenni
Redefining Comms Research Reports
Redefining Communications Podcast

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Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott McInnes interviews Eimear Marrinan, VP of People Experience at HubSpot, about how HubSpot has built and maintained a thriving corporate culture.

The conversation explores the challenges and opportunities of hybrid work, the role of feedback and transparency, and the importance of intentionality in fostering meaningful employee engagement. Eimear shares practical advice and insights into aligning company values with the needs of employees and customers alike.

Key Takeaways:

HubSpot’s culture code acts as a guiding principle for hiring, management, and decision-making.
Constructive, candid feedback fosters personal and organisational growth.
Remote and hybrid work require intentional strategies for communication, engagement, and productivity.
Managers need upskilling and support to lead effectively in dynamic work environments.
Culture is an evolving product shaped by data, feedback, and leadership alignment.
Aligning leadership around core principles enhances company mission and employee connection.
Challenges faced by Big Tech reveal the need to balance employee well-being with business priorities.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Building Better Cultures Podcast
07:01 HubSpot's Culture Code and Its Importance
12:05 Feedback and Transparency in Organisational Culture
20:04 Intentionality in Communication and Management
25:44 The Importance of Intentionality in Management
36:01 Balancing Family Culture with Business Needs

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EPISODE SUMMARY In this episode, Scott discusses the power of storytelling in organisations with Des Moore and Shelly Hayward from The Cumberland Building Society.

They explore the importance of a common narrative during transformation, the co-creation process that engaged employees, and the significance of events like Cumberland Calling in celebrating the organisation's story.

The conversation emphasises the need for authenticity, emotional connection, and the ongoing evolution of the narrative as the organisation continues its journey.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Storytelling is critical for effective communication in organisations. 2. A common narrative helps unify employees during transformation. 3. Co-creation of the story fosters ownership and engagement. 4. Emotional connection is key to engaging employees. 5. Leadership involvement ensures authenticity and inspires trust.

TIME STAMPS * 00:00 Introduction to Storytelling in Organisations * 02:19 Transformation Journey at Cumberland Building Society * 07:10 The Importance of a Common Narrative * 10:34 Co-Creation of the Cumberland Story * 16:47 Cumberland Calling: Celebrating the Story * 21:52 Engaging Leaders and Customers in the Narrative * 27:15 The Positivity: Celebrating Pride in the Organisation * 32:17 Continuing the Story: Future Directions

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Episode Summary

In this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott McInnes welcomes Tim Threipland from FranklinCovey to discuss the critical role of trust in organisational culture and leadership. They explore how trust impacts performance, the effects of the pandemic on work culture, and the importance of intentionality in building high-trust environments. The conversation highlights the need for leaders to extend trust, create psychological safety, and navigate the complexities of hybrid work. Tim emphasises that trust is not just a soft skill but a vital component of business success, urging leaders to focus on measurable outcomes and engage employees in the process of building a trusting culture.

Key Takeaways 1. Trust is the cornerstone of effective leadership and thriving organisational cultures. 2. High-trust cultures foster agility, leading to faster decision-making and improved performance metrics. 3. Trust is not just a soft skill—it's a measurable and critical business outcome. 4. The pandemic has spotlighted vulnerabilities in organisational cultures, offering opportunities for growth. 5. Fear-driven, control-oriented leadership erodes trust and limits organisational potential. 6. Psychological safety is the foundation of trust and must be intentionally nurtured within teams. 7. Leaders must actively design and sustain cultures that prioritise trust to achieve long-term success. 8. Employees play a vital role in trust-building by clearly communicating their needs, contributions, and feedback. 9. Trust flourishes through consistent, transparent communication and alignment of expectations. 10. Extending trust as the default approach empowers teams and reinforces a culture of mutual respect.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Welcome Back 05:02 Understanding Trust in Organizations 11:53 The Impact of the Pandemic on Work Culture 18:01 Navigating Fear and Control in Leadership 25:10 Building High Trust Cultures 29:52 Key Takeaways and Closing Thoughts

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Have you ever witnessed patterns of communication that didn’t seem helpful or productive in your teams? Leadership and communication go hand in hand, and who better to unravel this intricate relationship than Marsha Acker. As the CEO of Team Catapult, Marsha understands that there is more to leadership than just technical prowess; it’s about understanding people dynamics and creating a safe environment for open and honest communication.

Throughout the episode, Marsha dives into the complexities of leadership and effective communication within teams, self-awareness challenges and discusses the significant shift from individual to systemic thinking, shedding light on the growing popularity of team coaching.

Key discussions include:

A self-leadership quest: How to work with other humans
An insight into communication dynamics and the four speech acts
Communication patterns in teams and organisations
The principle of bringing offline conversations into the room
Are leaders holding back from being vulnerable at work?
The edge of leaders in navigating fast-paced business environments
Change management: The importance of explaining the why
The evolution of team coaching and the benefits of coaching as a system
Recommendations for leaders navigating change

Plus lots more!

With a focus on the evolving nature of leadership in today’s fast-paced environment, Marsha emphasises the importance of embracing vulnerability and diverse perspectives. This episode will help leaders drive positive change, improve communication, and build better organisational cultures by understanding speech acts, introducing shared language, and focusing on team dynamics.

“It’s impossible, I think, for any one person to be able to have all the answers anymore. But yet, I think that’s an edge. I think it’s leftover from what we believe we think about leaders and what they’re supposed to be able to do, to what they need to do today.” – Marsha Acker.

ABOUT MARSHA ACKER

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marsha-acker-3486a72/

Book: https://buildyourmodel.com/

Work: https://teamcatapult.com/

ABOUT SCOTT McINNES:

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

ABOUT WORKVIVO:

If you’re struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!

This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com

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Can clear communication and the power of the pen have a transformative impact on your business? Absolutely! Get ready to discover all the 'write stuff' as we explore the influence of intentional communication with the founder of High-Value Writing, Erin Lebaqz.

In this episode, Erin takes an in-depth look at how leaders can foster trust, respect, and belonging through thoughtful and deliberate writing, creating an environment where people feel supported and acknowledged. Being a good writer isn't solely about getting your message across; it's also about understanding your audience.

Erin emphasizes the importance of considering different cultures and generations in your writing and unveils the role of emotion, including the surprising credibility boost that can come from emojis.

Key discussions include:

The power of writing and the cost of miscommunication
Clarity: The key to confusion-free communication
Effective communication in a post-pandemic work environment
Leadership Models: Can written communication impact organisational culture?
Write like a leader: Tips on mastering intentional writing
The rising role of emotion in writing
Writing for you VS writing for others
The key to unlocking your writing confidence

Plus lots more!

Erin provides all the tips for avoiding the high cost of miscommunication and shares the secret to boosting your writing confidence, reminding us that writing is situational, which we are all experts on. So, hit play now and get ready to build better cultures through the written word!

"The biggest connection in today's world between writing and business success is employee retention. People leave workplaces when they don't feel happy or appreciated or their growth is cared about. And where do we get those messages, through communication." – Erin Lebaqz.

ABOUT ERIN LEBAQZ

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinlebacqz/

Work:

https://www.highvaluewriting.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@HighValueWriting

Get the High-Value Writing book:

https://www.amazon.com/High-Value-Writing-Real-Strategies-Real-World/dp/1667805517

ABOUT SCOTT McINNES:

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

ABOUT WORKVIVO:

If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!

This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com

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How does the saying go? Is the glass half full, or is it half empty? Now, apply this to DEI in the workplace, and you'll see our guests, Christiane Bisanzio and Aleksandar Damchevski, challenge this very notion.

In this episode, Aleks and Christi delve into the evolving landscape of DEI, highlighting the progress made and the work that still needs to be done. This episode revolves around their insightful book, The Other 364 Days, and the profound idea that DEI should not be merely a day-long celebration but a year-round commitment in every workplace.

Throughout the discussion, we hear how organisations prioritise external appearances over internal actions, the responsibility of leadership in fostering diversity and inclusion, and the crucial part of setting precise and measurable inclusion goals. Aleks and Christi also reflect on common oversights made during event celebrations like Pride Week and International Women's Day.

Key discussions include:

The glass half full: A reflection on the progression of DEI
Are workplaces becoming more divided or more diverse?
Risk VS Opportunity: The two approaches to DEI
Who is responsible for driving diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces?
The importance of understanding and addressing internal biases and behaviours to create a more inclusive culture
Key pitfalls hindering the success of organisational DEI Initiatives
How authenticity can create more hope and drive change
Is unconscious bias training ineffective?
The flourishing link between DEI and ESG
The one simple change that will transform your workplace

"DEI is never a destination. It's always a journey. So this is never ending, it never stops, you have new trends, new topics, new themes coming up, but the overall importance of DEI remains." - Christiane Bisanzio.

ABOUT CHRISTIANE BISANZIO AND ALEKSANDAR DAMCHEVSKI

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianebisanzio/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleks-damchevski-he-she-they-b5589b20/

Book: https://www.amazon.com/OTHER-364-DAYS-DIVERSITY-INCLUSION/dp/2839939290

ABOUT SCOTT McINNES:

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

ABOUT WORKVIVO:

If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!

This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com

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Workplace culture is as strong as the communication it thrives on and as fragile as a string of miscommunications. Internal communications is the lifeblood of organisations, holding the power to inspire, inform and engage employees. This week, leading internal communications expert and author of ‘Me, Myself and IC’, Emily Hecker, joins Scott to dive right into its indispensable role in shaping organisational culture and unveiling how communication barriers can stunt growth.

This episode is packed to the brim with wisdom as Emily reveals how to gain buy-in from senior leaders and master the art of storytelling to drive your business forward. Emily also shares her advice on making internal comms a core business priority, highlighting the need for clear communication expectations within organisations.

Key discussions include:

Falling in love with the process of storytelling and creating narratives.
How to master internal communications.
The role of internal communication in shaping organisational culture.
The three tiers of communicators within an organisation.
The key to empowering employees to become better communicators.
Identifying what effective communication looks like.
The impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on internal communications.
Don’y shy away from success: The importance of showcasing successes to prove value. and gain leadership buy-in.
How to provide support to leaders to become effective communicators.
The three critical elements of effective communication.
Plus lots more!

Emily is the embodiment of the power of storytelling, weaving her journey from a writing enthusiast to a corporate communication maestro. This episode is a masterclass on how communication can make or break your workplace culture. So, If you are ready to take the first step towards a more robust, interconnected, and engaged workplace culture, this is a must-listen for you!

“Internal communication is the lifeblood of organisations. Many studies show how it influences productivity, performance and satisfaction, all of which are key components to shaping culture.“ – Emily Hecker.

ABOUT EMILY HECKER:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyhecker/

Work: https://www.emily-hecker.com/

Book: https://www.emily-hecker.com/book

ABOUT SCOTT McINNES:

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

ABOUT WORKVIVO:

If you’re struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!

This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com

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Get ready to blast your workplace culture into new heights with the valuable guidance of this week’s special guest, Eric Stone. Eric is the founder of Clear Path Ventures and an acclaimed author who promises to enlighten your understanding of aligning organisational behaviour with values.

Throughout the discussion, Eric lays out the five pillars of employee engagement and reveals the correlation between increased employee engagement levels and customer loyalty. Eric also tackles the challenge of maintaining a vibrant culture in remote work settings, emphasising the importance of open communication, ongoing training, and recognition. This episode is an invaluable resource for anyone keen on cultivating a thriving and sustainable culture within their organisations.

Key discussions include:

A non-complicated rundown of workplace culture
Five factors to foster a high-performing culture
The hiring process: What a character test can reveal
Measuring organisation culture: An introduction to the six-point inspection
How employee empowerment can lead to a sustained and unique culture
The power of sharing stories within an organisation
Are your employees performing in sync with company values?
Is organisational culture maintainable in a hybrid working world?
The consequences of mandatory office returns
The importance of being intentional in designing and communicating culture

Plus lots more!

“Any time you have shared values and beliefs, that tends to create really good behaviours. Excellent behaviours over a consistent period of time lead to desirable outcomes.” – Eric Stone.

ABOUT ERIC STONE:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-stone-clear-path/

Work: https://clearpathventures.com/

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Book: Jumpstart Your Workplace Culture by Eric Stone

https://www.ericdstone.com/

ABOUT SCOTT McINNES:

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

ABOUT WORKVIVO:

If you’re struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!

This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com

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Are you ready to transform your workplace into a haven of well-being? If so, buckle up as Brian Crooke, founder of Workplace Well-being Ireland and Course Director of the Postgrad Certificate in Workplace Wellness at Dublin’s Trinity College, guides us through the ever-evolving landscape of workplace well-being.

From his journey as a ‘recovering’ management consultant to becoming a well-being advocate, Brian reveals the power of understanding and implementing well-being at the workplace and how it is intrinsically linked to an organisation’s vision and business objectives. Brian also delves into the magic of storytelling, the importance of leaders role-modelling healthy behaviours and creating a culture of permission.

Key discussions include:

Workplace health promotion: Your well-being goes beyond physical health
The three pillars of well-being
The importance of aligning well-being initiatives with an organisation’s vision and objectives
Building a culture of health: Connecting hard data with human stories
CEOs leading the way: How leaders are fostering supportive working environments
How to set up a well-being champion network for continued success
Incentivising and recognising change agents to drive business performance
A spotlight on Irish businesses promoting and sustaining well-being
How you can start improving workplace well-being

Plus lots more!

This episode is your essential roadmap to transform your workplace into a well-being hub. Brian generously shares invaluable advice on how to kick-start your well-being journey, offers his blueprint for establishing champion networks destined for success and reveals the inspiring Irish businesses leading the way.

“Start with why. Why is this important to you and your organisation? I always try and align what an organisation is doing, from a well-being perspective with their organisation’s vision, and business objectives.” – Brian Crooke.

ABOUT BRIAN CROOKE:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briancrooke

Work: https://www.workwellireland.ie/

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Article: Harry Goddard, CEO of Deloitte Ireland https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/i-didnt-have-call-read-email-from-work-2-months-harry-goddard/

See Change - Irish organisation dedicated to ending mental health stigma

https://seechange.ie/

ABOUT SCOTT McINNES:

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

ABOUT SINÉAD EGAN:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sineadegan

ABOUT WORKVIVO:

If you’re struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!

This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com

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Ever wondered what the secret sauce is for enhancing performance and productivity? Well, wonder no more as culture change catalyst, author and leadership coach Lily Woi is here to unveil how to drive change and boost your working environment.

Lily is no stranger to working with multinational companies to drive change and transformation and believes that creating an environment that fosters high performance and productivity requires a people-centred approach. Throughout this discussion, Lily highlights the importance of focusing on people and acknowledging that they are the core of an organisation's success, creating a unified vision for organisational success and building bridges of trust.

Key discussions include:

An introduction to Lily Woi
Striking a balance between high-performance and people-centred organisations
Business transformation: the top-down and bottom-up approach
Vulnerability in leadership: the benefits and the risks of being a vulnerable leader
The key to setting up a culture of alignment and the crucial role of internal communications
The value of autonomy, empowerment and accountability in the workplace
How to avoid the cycle of failure
Ways to become a more transparent leader

Plus lots more!

Lily's leadership and organisational transformation expertise provide a wealth of knowledge for any business looking to improve its culture. Hit play now to learn how to empower, engage and excel from Lily's valuable experience and insights.

"Creating a more human-centred approach is often the key to enhancing performance and productivity. You are not able to have a high-performing organisation if you don't focus on your people. They are core to your success."– Lily Woi.

ABOUT LILY WOI:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilywoi/

Work: https://lilywoicoaching.com/

ABOUT SCOTT:

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

ABOUT WORKVIVO:

If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!

This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com

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Are you striving to become a more courageous leader, challenge the status quo and drive innovation? If so, this latest episode with Joanna Howes, International Coach of the Year and founder of The Change Creators, is for you as we delve into leading with courage, igniting your self-awareness, unlocking high performance and empowering others.

We understand that knowing where to turn for guidance can be challenging if you’re in a leadership role and feeling overwhelmed, and that’s why Joanna is here to help. Joanna dives deep into the attributes of courageous leadership, from empowering others and being vulnerable to taking action and creating clarity. Key discussions include:

An introduction to Joanna Howes
Courageous leadership: stepping into the courageous zone
What does a courageous leader look like?
The relationship with yourself and the importance of looking within
The role of courage when driving change in an organisation
Unlocking strength through vulnerability and setting clear expectations
Leadership 101: the art of communication and listening
Is there a difference between high-performance and high achievers?
The value of a growth mindset and why protecting your energy is vital
How you can become more courageous today

Plus lots more!

With the right mindset and guidance, any leader can learn to be brave and create a better culture in their workplace. Hit play now and get ready to learn how you can transition from a reliant leader to an effective one and get the insights you need to grow and become a courageous leader.

“So many leaders think everyone can read their mind and see the world. When you accept they can’t, it’s your responsibility as a leader to paint the picture for them and understand them so they can move forward with you. It takes more time, but it does mean you’ll get the results.” - Joanna Howes.

ABOUT JOANNA HOWES:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/

Work: https://thechangecreators.com/

ABOUT SCOTT:

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

ABOUT WORKVIVO:

If you’re struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!

This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com

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Are leaders blaming employees for their own failures? In today's rapidly changing corporate landscape, establishing a strong company culture is more important than ever. Companies that fail to create a sense of purpose and passion risk losing talented employees and alienating consumers. That's where Sonya Shelton comes in. As the CEO and founder of Executive Leadership Consulting, Sonya helps fast-growth companies connect their business strategy with their company culture to maintain growth.

In this episode, Sonya provides practical insights into the importance of empowering employees, promoting collaboration, and clarifying internal communications and shares the leadership model that all leaders should be aware of, the Red Thread model. Key discussions include:

An introduction to Sonya Shelton
The triangle of culture, leadership and strategy
How leaders can help employees align with business strategies
The pandemic wake-up call: the connection to purpose
The five P’s of the Red Thread Leadership Model
The power of collaboration within a company
How decision-making can impact teams and individuals within an organisation
The key to creating intentionality and a positive workplace culture
Leadership problems: What leaders need to stop doing right now
How to help people align to strategy

Plus lots more!

Sonya’s expertise and guidance are invaluable for any company striving to build a better culture. Tune in now to discover how to make meaningful connections between your business strategy and company culture and how to empower your employees to be passionate about the company's purpose.

“Helping people understand why they're doing what they're doing, and how it's going to help them in their job and help the company ultimately, they'll be on board. If you're putting rules in place, just for the sake of it, and they don't really see the point, they're either not going to do it, or they're not going to be engaged.”– Sonya Shelton.

ABOUT SONYA SHELTON:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceosonyashelton/

Work: https://executiveleader.com/sonya-shelton/

ABOUT SCOTT:

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

ABOUT WORKVIVO:

If you’re struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!

This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com

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Have you ever wondered how we can approach life as an adventure? In the world of work, a sense of adventure can mean embracing change and uncertainty, taking risks, and being open to new experiences and opportunities. Joining Scott this week to delve into the adventure of leadership and unleashing your inner explorer is Polar explorer and executive coach Sue Stockdale.

With a focus on self-awareness, adaptability, grounding and resilience, Sue emphasises the importance of an adventurous mindset, being comfortable with discomfort and risk-taking, and inspiring teams to drive positive change. Key discussions include:

An introduction to Sue Stockdale
Why you should never be a psychological slasher
Fostering a sense of adventure in the working environment
The characteristics of an adventurous mindset
The importance of self-awareness in business
How to navigate through change in the workplace
The power of honesty and vulnerability
The telling signs of overconfidence
The elastic band of resilience

Plus lots more! Whether you are a leader navigating change or an individual seeking personal growth, this episode offers valuable insights and actionable tips for achieving your goals and building better cultures.

“Inspiration is often an underutilised skill that leaders are not using best to inspire people to change. When our leader is there supporting and encouraging us and sharing and recognising the belief in our potential, that inspires you to want to up your game and do your best for your leader..” – Sue Stockdale.

ABOUT SUE STOCKDALE:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suestockdale/ Work: https://suestockdale.com/

ABOUT SCOTT: 

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here. 

ABOUT WORKVIVO:  

If you’re struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration. 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it! 

This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com

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Have you ever had to deal with miscommunications in the workplace? Are you struggling to keep up with the sheer number of emails you receive daily? Joining Scott this week is communication expert Kim Arnold to shed light on how to connect more effectively.

Kim delves into the world of email communication, explores the impact of poor email etiquette, and shares insights on the use of concise language, tone of voice, accuracy, and the increasing use of emojis in emails. Keep an ear out for Kim’s must-know tips on creating a more human tone that fosters connections and relationships. Key discussions include:

An introduction to Kim Arnold
The problems poor email etiquette is creating in business today
The impact of COVID-19 on business communication
The overlooked skill of effective writing
The importance of embracing feedback
Generational approaches to communication
Do emojis belong in business communications?
Top tips for mastering your work emails

And more!

“We tend to move into formal posh, I’ve got my top button done up, I’ve got my jacket on, and I’m not going to crack a smile here. And people are starting to realise that that doesn’t always create relationships. It doesn’t create connections. It doesn’t build bridges with people because we sound like robots.” – Kim Arnold.

ABOUT KIM ARNOLD:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karnoldcomms/

Work: https://www.kimarnold.co.uk/

ABOUT SCOTT: 

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here. 

ABOUT WORKVIVO:  

If you’re struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration. 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it! 

This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com

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We've all heard that knowledge is power—but in the age of the internet, is knowledge still enough? Special guest Katja Schleicher, founder of Impact Communications Coaching, is here to teach us more about the shift from knowledge to emotional selling proposition and the importance of communication in an age of digital media. Get ready to find out how to make your message stand out in the sea of noise and learn techniques for crafting effective communication.

Key discussions include:

An introduction to Katja Schleicher
Why effective communication in leadership is essential
The biggest barriers to communicating effectively
The art of saying extraordinary things with ordinary words
Creating space for psychological safety
The importance of storytelling in business
The key to measuring the effectiveness of communication
How to ignite your communication skills today!

Plus, lots more!

Katja's advice is essential for any leader looking to build better cultures and connect with their audience more deeply. Listen for practical tips on improving your communication skills and making a lasting impact in your organisation.

"Knowledge is not an advantage anymore. Knowledge is a commonality. The difference between success and being mediocre as a company is how you get your message across." – Katja Schleicher.

ABOUT KATJA SCHLEICHER:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/interviewtraining/
Work: https://www.interview-training.eu/en/ | https://www.katjaschleicher.com/

ABOUT SCOTT: 

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

ABOUT WORKVIVO:  

If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration. 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it! 

This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com

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Do you strive to create an open and honest workplace culture? Author, leadership expert and communication coach Jay Williams is here to share his insights on building a culture of open, honest, and timely communication through the powerful feedback loop. Jay emphasises the importance of emotional engagement and alignment in organisations and offers strategies for developing a solid core in middle management.

Key discussions include:

An introduction to Jay Williams
A career shift: When a super worker becomes a supervisor
Engagement in the workplace and the role of employee alignment
The key components to leaders driving alignment within an organisation
How feedback is imperative for success
The power of a thought leader within an organisation
The framework for receiving effective feedback

Plus, lots more!

This episode offers solutions for executives looking to improve their communication and management skills. So if you are ready to create a more peaceful, collaborative, and productive workplace culture, hit play now!

"I think there is a conversation to be had with your people about how they define success and moving up in the organisation. Because there's a direct correlation between how happy they will be and a happy employee equals a more productive employee." – Jay Williams.

ABOUT JAY WILLIAMS:

https://www.jaywilliamsco.com/
https://www.jaywilliamsco.com/books

ABOUT SCOTT: 

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here. 

ABOUT WORKVIVO:  

If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration. 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it! 

This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com

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Are you aware of the three employee archetypes? The Keeper, the Leaper, and the Sleeper?

If not, prepare to learn about them and how best to engage them. Greg Offner Jr. – speaker, coach and consultant is here to share his fascinating insights on the psychology of change in organizations and how to disrupt the norm to create sustainable change.

Drawing on his experience as a duelling piano performer, Gregory intertwines principles used in the world of piano bars with the business world to make work more enjoyable. Gregory shares the importance of prioritizing skill development and the need for a culture shift that starts from the top but is endorsed and expected at all company levels.

Key discussions include:

Taking the irk out of work!
The importance of disrupting the norm in business
How to become the organization that everyone wants on their resume
Employee advocacy and the rise of boomerang employees
The power of incentives in the workplace

Plus, lots more!

If you are eager to learn how to create a culture of engagement and enjoyment while improving your organization's bottom line, this episode is a must-listen for you!

"Work is eight hours if we're lucky of our life every day. And not everybody gets to do something they love. But couldn't you at least like it? I mean, what's wrong with trying to make work a little more likable? And so that's what I do." – Gregory Offner Jr.

ABOUT GREGORY OFFNER JR:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregoryoffnerjr/ Work: https://www.gregoryoffner.com/ ABOUT SCOTT: 

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here. 

ABOUT WORKVIVO:  

If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration. 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it! 

This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com

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Is your organisation drowning in a sea of Human Resources policies? Are you tired of the stagnant work culture norms? Is this war of talent and high employee turnover era worrying you? If so, this episode is for you! Corporate culture and engagement specialist Paul Ter Wal is here to guide you on creating a positive culture, making your organisation a wonderful place to work and succeed.

Paul Ter Wal is the managing partner of Andare Consulting and is a celebrated international speaker specialising in culture and engagement. In this episode, Paul serves you invaluable advice on creating a culture of care. He unveils the power of purpose and core values, the benefits of investing in listening and trust and reveals why shareholders must make short-term sacrifices for long-term success. Key discussions include:

An introduction to Paul Ter Wal
Is customer experience overshadowing employee experience?
Language matters: it’s time to stop using the term human resources.
The importance of infusing core values when onboarding employees.
Belonging in the workplace and the elastic band of resilience.
Integrating sustainability into your business.

Plus lots more! Are you ready to learn how to improve employee engagement, foster resilience, and create a workplace where employees want to stay? Well, go ahead and hit play now!

“We need to change our perspective, from the short term of gaining a lot of money to a longer period of time, and invest in trust and then engagement, and then see that the productivity will go up.” – Paul Ter Wal.

ABOUT PAUL TER WAL:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulterwal/ Work: https://www.paulterwal.nl/ | https://team-andare.com/

ABOUT SCOTT: 

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here. 

ABOUT WORKVIVO:  

If you’re struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration. 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it! 

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Is your organisation on a mission to achieve true inclusion and belonging but struggling to know where to begin? If so, this episode is for you!

Joining Scott to discuss inclusive leadership and the secret to transformational change is special guest Sophia Kristjansson. Sophia is a US-based with UK university roots, founder of Lexicon Lens, A DEI people development and change professional, and author. Throughout the discussion, Sophia offers valuable advice and practical tips that you can implement today to build more inclusive cultures. Sophia also explores the power of uniqueness, the importance of gaining bias awareness, and the role of values within inclusive cultures.

Key discussions include:

The equation to building a sense of belonging in the workplace
How people leaders are a catalyst for businesses
Diversity and inclusion: is there a difference between the two?
How leaders and teams can discover unconscious biases in the workplace
Building inclusive cultures: The role of values within an organisation

Plus lots more!

This enlightening discussion will teach you the secret recipe to a more inclusive and diverse workplace. Hit that play button now to learn how to empower your employees and drive your organisation’s success!

“If you don’t have diverse perspectives, if you don’t have different kinds of people in all layers of your business, you are basically leaving money on the table and saying, I really don’t care about that.” - Sophia Kristjansson.

ABOUT SOPHIA KRISTJANSSON:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiakristjansson

Book: https://www.transformationalchangebook.com/buy-book

Work: http://lexiconleadership.com/  

ABOUT SCOTT: 

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by click here. 

ABOUT WORKVIVO:  

If you’re struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration. 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it! 

This podcast is produced in partnership with podlad.com

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On our latest episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, we speak to Dan Sodergren. Dan is the Co-Founder of YourFLOCK. This SaaS platform helps teams to grow by finding the best-fit candidates and maximising their value to your unique team based on culture.

In this episode, we talk about organizational culture, employee engagement, and remote vs hybrid work.

Key discussions:

How leaders can use culture as a tool to drive employee engagement and productivity.
Effective strategies and best practices for improving engagement among your employees.
What you should do to avoid common challenges to achieve high levels of engagement in the workplace.

And lots more!

Whether you're a business owner, People Leader, HR professional, or employee, this episode will give listeners a deeper understanding of culture's role in the modern workplace.

DAN'S LINKS:

Company: https://yourflock.co.uk/ TEDx Talk: The Future Of Work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=uiZJkod7h-4&feature=emb_title LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-sodergren-futureofwork/

ABOUT SCOTT:

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

ABOUT WORKVIVO:

If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!

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EPISODE SUMMARY:
Do you think storytelling has no place at work? That it’s just a fluffy exercise that doesn’t deliver results? Then, the latest guest on the Building Better Culture podcast, Richard Newman, the Founder and CEO of BodyTalk, says, “You’re missing the point!” Richard shares that for a millennia, the human brain has learned to sequence and process information delivered as a story, but HOW that story is told makes all the DIFFERENCE. We learn about the neuroscience behind effective communication to yield actionable results and fully engage your people. You’ll learn how to blast through denial, overcome the brain’s resistance to change and avoid “non-verbal leakage.” It transforms workplace cultures by delivering information in ways our brains can receive process, and act upon – with the kinds of epic outcomes your corporate leaders will doubtless remember. Heroic journeys start in small daily interactions, and Richard is here to share some of the tools most critical tools set that stage.

KEY INSIGHTS:

Focus on storytelling as a vehicle for connection.

It’s critical to understand how the logical and emotional minds differ when it comes to interacting with information, depending on how its delivered.

Stories that fail? They are stories that make you, your company, product or service the hero.

Stories that succeed? Those that deliver a compelling hero’s journey through the eyes of the listeners – the recipients of your intended message.

Non-Verbal Leakage: Body language, tone and words need to be in complete alignment. If they are incongruent, the effect is inauthentic and can generate distrust. Humans respond viscerally to energy and subtext.

Start Small: The quickest way to break down resistance to storytelling in the workplace is to integrate it into every daily interaction. It’s not a heroic tale, but a framework to deliver information in ways that the brains of others can accept, process and act upon.

FURTHER RESOURCES:

"Thinking Fast and Slow," by Daniel Kahneman.

ABOUT RICHARD:
Company: https://ukbodytalk.com/
Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/191645920X
Podcast: LIFT with Richard Newman
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardnewmanspeaks/

ABOUT SCOTT:
Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

ABOUT WORKVIVO:
If you’re struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!

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On this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, we drill down on the pivotal role that empathy plays in the workplace – especially in this time of remote work and back-to-back-to-back Zoom interactions. It’s about understanding someone else’s perspective, yes. But equally important is the ability to fully and non-judgmentally inhabit another person’s shoes, then communicate back in ways that create meaningful connection.

Our guest Rob Volpe, CEO of Ignite 360, is an “empathy activist” who consults with businesses struggling to weave understanding and compassion into workplace cultures. With his Five Steps to Build + Apply Empathy at Work, Rob shows leaders how to integrate simple – but transformational – practices to embody your brand and build self-awareness among teams across the enterprise. Studies show that organisations that prioritise empathy generate more loyalty, innovation and inclusivity among employees. You’ll come away from this episode with a keen understanding of how to listen with full awareness as well as specific exercises to build your empathy muscle and invite authentic communication at every level of your business.

KEY INSIGHTS:

The Empathy Crisis: Many leaders find it difficult to connect with personal perspectives and are untrained in the art of leveraging the power of storytelling in the workplace.
Leaders who promote empathy in the workplace see significant increases in loyalty, innovation and inclusivity among team members.
There is a difference between emotional empathy and cognitive empathy – one that many old-school leaders don’t fully understand, resulting in unfounded fears about losing respect.

4. Rob’s Macro-Level Framework:

Bring self-awareness in deciding how to show up.
Have the courage to practice empathy.
Adopt The Five Steps, which require practice and inevitable stumbles.
Offer yourself grace and forgiveness.

5. Rob’s Five Steps to Empathy:

Dismantle judgment: Notice negativity and resist casting aspersion.
Reframe Questions: Skip “why” – with its negative, closed associations and undertones.
Listen Actively: Be present and use all your senses to take in what others are saying.
Integrate Understanding: Stay open to and curious about divergent points of view.
Use Solution Imagination: Take what you’ve heard to advance the conversation, closing the gap between knowledge and action.

Rob’s Top Tip: Be courageous. Empathy is acquired one step at a time!

LINKS:

Company: https://www.ignite-360.com
Book: https://www.5stepstoempathy.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmvolpe/

ABOUT SCOTT:

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

ABOUT WORKVIVO:

If you’re struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!

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In this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, we learn about the principles of Raw Leadership, how to lean into your authentic power as a leader and how to create better organisational cultures that your employees want to participate in.

Our guest is Colleen Bashar, is the Senior VP of Global Solution Sales for Guidewire Software; a cloud-based service that efficiently combines digital, core, analytics, and AI to deliver results to clients. Colleen walks us through her 16-year journey at the company, where she started as a sales consultant, to her current position as a people leader and how she effectively manages a team of over 150 people.

KEY INSIGHTS:

What ‘Raw Leadership’ is, and its three core values: Curiosity, Authenticity and Vulnerability.
The importance of investing and reflecting on yourself as a leader to help you lean into your authentic self.
Why practicing self-awareness is incredibly powerful.

LINKS:
GuideWire LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/guidewire-software/ Colleen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenscott/

ABOUT SCOTT: Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

ABOUT OUR SPONSOR - WORKVIVO: If you’re struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

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Celebrating Success and Building Pride:

We're doing some focus groups for a new client, and an attendee said, "We used to hear stories of the difference we made, and we don't hear about it anymore. It'd be nice to get that back."

Why is it important? 

Because it helps to celebrate your purpose – Why you exist – through the difference you make, and that's at the very core of the culture you want to create.

Stories bring strategy to life:

Strategy is boring – stories bring it to life and show the difference people can make. The halo effect is people seeing examples of the difference they can make.

Aligned with your strategy, it highlights the difference everyone can make
They create a sense of belonging and a reason to stay – we know from research that people will move jobs for a mere 5-10% pay rise, so we need to do something more to get them to stay – pride is EMOTIVE and powerful.

So how can you find and tell them?

Proactively look for them – get your senior leaders or internal communications staff out into the business, talking to people and asking, 'Tell me a story about a time when you or someone on the team made a difference.'

Create feedback channels for your front-line staff to provide feedback on the stories they see and hear. And turn it into a recognition programme or reward your people when they submit a story.

Using Your Stories:

Bring them to life at staff events, turn them into short internal podcasts or videos on your intranet - even email as a last resort
Keep it local – ask leaders at team meetings to spend 10 mins asking teams about what's made them proud.

About Scott (Your host): Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

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Episode Summary:

On this episode of Building Better Cultures we’re checking in with Kevin Empey, Managing Director of WorkMatters, who first shared thoughts about pandemic fall-out back in March 2021 (Ep 61)

Kevin details various models going forward and where the priorities must lie for leaders invested in cultivating agility as well as sustainability.

The need for onsite collaboration and innovation is real, but so are the advantages virtual workers have seen in skipping their commutes. Are hybrid solutions a brilliant compromise or the source of confusing mixed messages?

Finding the right balance will require leaders to develop experiential metrics as well as communications that resonate with the hearts and minds of employees. “We have an opportunity to reset workplace culture and reaffirm it,” says Kevin. “And also maybe to lose some of those values that we said were important, but in fact actually are not.”

Employee experience and servant leadership loom large on the new Work 4.0 horizon – one ideally based in fulsome, authentic values and transparency. What signals is your workplace culture sending in this time of transition?

Key Takeaways:

Pandemic overnight transformed old, arguably broken models of workplace culture.
What’s coming next? Organisational culture has been infused with a complexity of choice, modes of operation, challenges and opportunities.
Should leaders embrace flexibility or prioritize certainty? Kevin advocates for “freedom within a frame,” providing guardrails while preserving a critical measure of flexibility.
Workplace culture has been forever redefined by the upsides that employees have experienced in working remotely. There is an element of questioning that makes directives less easily rolled out than in the past.
Change management today requires more intentionality than ever, with leadership mapping communications to employee hearts and minds.
Office productivity and meaningful collaboration have a bar to meet. Employees no longer want to default to long commutes just to check the box.
What’s does Work 4.0 look like? Kevin sees two intersecting horizons:
- The 2022 Agenda: Helping leaders and managers navigate the transition to new work models that are sustainable and effective today.
- The Long-Term Agenda: Visioning objectives, strategies and cultural values that will drive greater adaptivity and agility moving into the future.
Kevin believes several factors that will be determinative of corporate fates:
- Whether flexible, forward-looking models for performance management, rewards, development, recruitment and succession are adopted.
- Whether leaders put in place processes adapted to new workplace cultures.
- Whether Future of Work strategy is leveraged to examine and redefine who, how, why and whether certain workplace processes remain viable.
- Whether agile cultural, leadership and employee experience strategies are established and sustainable in the long term.
Advice for maximizing organizational opportunity at this juncture:
- Implement coaching and HR support to foster servant leadership.
- Adopt strategies that thoughtfully reflect corporate values and culture.
- Acknowledge and address leadership vulnerability in the face of unknown variables and change.
- Balance open communications and a human-centered approach with a more directive, command-and-control leadership style where indicated.
Moving ahead cultural values are center stage, revealing truths and challenging received wisdom about what works and doesn’t for employees across demographics.
Leaders are faced with a unique opportunity to undertake a robust assessment of the values that underpin their cultures and will shape workplace health going into the future.

About Kevin Empey:

Kevin is the founder of WorkMatters, a leadership and organisation development consulting firm focused on supporting business leaders, HR leaders and their employees prepare for the changing world of work.

Follow Kevin:

Website: https://workmatters.ie

WorkMatters @LinkedIn

Kevin @LinkedIn

Kevin @Twitter

About Scott:
Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

About Workvivo:
If you’re struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

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Episode Summary:

Organisations of all sizes are trying to define parameters for today's new workplace cultures – whether remote, on-site or in-between. Host, Scott McInnes, invites a people management expert Andrew Bartlow, the Founder and Managing Partner at the People Leader Accelerator, to share his 25+ years of expertise. Andrew shares practical tips and tools leaders can implement when establishing healthy workplace cultures. He dives into detail on a critical strategy –– clarity –– and its importance in engaging and motivating your organization to pursue corporate goals.

Thank you to our sponsor, Workvivo, the communications and collaboration platform that provides seamless digital integration for your hybrid or traditional workplace.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!

Key Takeaways:

Leaders need to stay flexible and iterative with new workplace models while at the same time communicating solid, dependable plans.
Change management via tiny steps can be disruptive. Andrew advises "ripping off the bandage" and carefully considering decisions to accelerate adoption and minimize fatigue.
Internal communications are the core much that happens within organizations, but rather than dropping by a desk, it's about dropping in on chat or Slack.
Determine the best modes of communication. What works most effectively at each level of the organization?
Learning through listening (and osmosis) isn't gone. It's just moved from the hallway or cafeteria to social media platforms.
Create dedicated corporate retreat spaces where "planful" human interaction occurs.
Execute meaningful, consistent communications and check-ins at all levels.
Andrew sees new mediums as potentially impactful alternatives to the written word: Podcasts, short audios, and video messaging.
To retain and recruit talent in a highly competitive market, organizations must offer remote options, fair compensation, and competent and humane management.
Andrew believes the No. 1 thing to build a thriving workplace culture is clarity, including well-defined organizational priorities and comprehensive and comprehensible messaging.

About Andrew:

Andrew helps organisations design people-management practices that support success. Leveraging 25+ years of Human Resources and Talent experience within the most highly regarded HR functions globally, he provides organisational advisory services and mentoring for HR leaders.

Website: www.peopleleaderaccelerator.com

Andrew @LinkedIn

About Scott:

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

About Workvivo:

If you're struggling with communications in new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

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Episode Summary: Darren Murph is an organisational architect who specialises in and knows what works – and what doesn’t. Based on 15 years at GitLab, most recently as Head of Remote, he has all kinds of concrete advice for organisations trying to figure out the correct configuration for their individually distributed workplace models.

Some C-suiters are reluctant to abandon old office-based operations, emphasizing proximity over business results. But looking ahead at the role and impacts of organisational design, Darren believes the forward-thinking, progressive leaders (and ultimately the most successful enterprises) will embrace flexibility, learning and a healthy redefinition of what it means to … build better cultures.

You can check out GitLab’s playbook, filled with information about all things remote, here.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate, review and follow it!

Key Takeaways:

GitLab was founded as an all-remote company and today has 1,500 team members in more than 67+ countries with no brick-and-mortar offices.
What to keep in mind when getting started with a remote work design:
Shift your mindset from where people work to how people work.
Actively implement programs that combat proximity bias. Leadership can communicate that there is no advantage in working at the office by themselves working from home.
Audit workflows across your organisation and ask: Will this work if everyone is distributed, or do they need to be in an office? Then build out a changelog based on those jobs that require an office and reconceive them.
Making remote work viable across the enterprise builds resiliency.
All-remote or all co-located workplace environments are the easiest to administer because the playing field is even. Hybrid, by contrast, can quickly devolve into the worst of all scenarios with proximity bias and jockeying.
The easiest way to hedge against proximity bias is to keep senior leaders outside the office by default. Remote work is a top-down proposition and requires conviction.
Agility is key, and the ability to test, learn, and iterate. People and operations can be modulated based on proactive experimentation.
Darren references research compiled by the workplace communications platform Slack that reveals interesting insights into the impacts on middle management of the overnight adoption of remote work and the current lack of response on the part of leadership.
Writers Take Note: The most important thing a company can do is ensure that all employees have strong written communication skills. Effective storytelling will be far more influential in remote environments that don’t rely on or reward charisma and talk. Scott recommends some related reading from a previous guest, John Simmons, author of "We, Me, Them and It."
On Diversity: Hire a diverse group of recruiters, watch your staffing demographic shift, and broaden by extension.
Parting thoughts for leaders at companies of all sizes:
Build the right workplace culture and ethics into your business model.
Fully embrace a people-first orientation that recognizes the power of uplifting employees with empathy and flexibility.
Take advantage of the journey and opportunity to get honest, embracing the importance of values fit – not just a culture fit.

About Darren:

Named an “oracle of remote work” by CNBC, Darren serves as GitLab’s Head of Remote. He is a visionary in organisational design, leading at the intersection of people, culture, operations, inclusivity, marketing, employer branding and communication.

Contact/Follow Darren:

About Darren/GitLab
@LinkedIn
@Twitter

About Scott: Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

About Workvivo:

If you’re struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

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Episode Summary
Big corporate initiatives designed to transform workplace cultures are often top-down affairs, this week’s guest has taken a different approach to integrate sustainability across Swiss Re, a global financial services provider. James Hartley, a global HR Leader at Swiss Re, shares with us the nuts and bolts of their CO2NetZero programme, a rallying point for climate activism that has ignited ongoing interest and creativity among employees around the world. James has maintained the momentum by staying communicative and open to changes as well as by fostering storytelling that resonates on a personal level. The results? Many measurable quantitative and qualitative impacts, large and small, as well as an interactive app that more than 4,000 employees have downloaded to track, learn about and better understand the ways in which environmental healing starts with the kind of individual daily efforts we can all make — if we know how.

Key Takeaways

James unpacks Swiss Re’s corporate DNA, which fuels a commitment to sustainability:
- A purpose-led culture whose core mission includes empowering employees to help make the world more resilient.
- Climate change and reaching a net-zero footprint is a central corporate value.
Does micro-change make an actual difference? Absolutely — when people band together to take individual actions that build community and truly add up through sheer volume.
Swiss Re’s CO2NetZero programme is iterative — meant to be co-created, fluid and responsive to feedback from across the enterprise.
Inviting employees at every level of the organisation to participate not just in the execution but the conception of an ESG programme is key. By building cross-functional teams, staging workshops and taking ongoing feedback, leadership secured tremendous buy-in.
Internal champions play an important role by spreading the word and engaging others.
Narrative Benefits: Out of Swiss Re’s company-wide commitment to sustainability has come a wealth of anecdotes, both emotional and practical, that connect to the “why.”
Sharing personal stories opens up emotional connections in even “right-brained” financial services types, reinforcing the overall corporate commitment to climate activism.
Swiss Re’s sustainability programme is built on trust, not micromanagement. James believes employees feel deputized and motivated to take action independently.
Bottom Line Stats:
- 130,000 individual acts of climate activism.
- 1,500 tonnes of direct removal through carbon certificates.
- A cumulative direct removal of thousands of tonnes globally.
Maintaining Momentum:
- James fosters ongoing engagement by cultivating connections, very often through constantly refreshed shared stories and interactive tools on the app.
- The platform is constantly refreshed with new series of challenges, education and information.
- Regional champions are deputized to run with locally relevant ideas.
Recommended first steps for companies of any size that want to make a concerted commitment to sustainability:
- Start a conversation. Don’t be intimidated by being the need to be something big, shiny and already fully formed.
- Create a space for individuals to bring their ideas and express their creativity through action.
- No matter the size of your organisation, recognize that every single action contributes to a joint movement that drives bigger global change.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!

About Scott

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

About James

A transformational and purpose-led People & Culture Executive, James has extensive global HR experience.

James on LinkedIn - @LinkedIn
Website - About Swiss Re's Sustainability Programme

About Workvivo

If you’re struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

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Episode Summary: Are you ready to integrate a values-based component into your corporate ethos? It’s a big commitment, but one with tremendous ROI at every level. On this episode of Building Better Cultures, Scott talks with Sandy Cross, CPO in the Professional Golf Association of America (PGA).

But for it to work, the effort must be for real. Without buy-in from top leadership – a deep understanding and commitment to sustained change – don’t bother, says Sandy. The PGA’s working group based its program on feedback from up and down the organization, and leaders have deployed it without equivocation. Learn what elements are key to upping your DEI game and how your workplace culture’s frame of mind benefits when a clearly articulated corporate values set is kept front of mind.

Key Takeaways

Mission-driven to values-based: The PGA culture embraced its mission deeply but Sandy advocated for more attention to the “how” of executing that agenda.
The PGA developed a playbook to support four people-centered pillar values – each of which includes visible, observable behaviours:
- Have each other’s back.
- Practice gratitude.
- Get better every day.
- Start with clarity.
Sandy’s initiatives have bolstered retention by fostering the flexible, culturally connected hybrid workplace that Millennials (especially) demand.
The PGA used a bottom-up approach to define values, based on the outcome of a working group of nine employees selected by peers.
Keeping It Real: Sandy’s values-driven agenda emphasizes measurable, behaviors and actions.
Having well-defined values gives a chance for difficult conversations because they provide a shared language, foundation and understanding.
Committed Deployment: The PGA’s approach is holistic, using values as a lens starting at the hiring process through onboarding and annual values-based (as separate from performance-based) evaluations.
Opportunity for Growth: Team members who “get it” can serve as coaches, mentoring and encouraging open communication among team members.
Watch Out for Weaponization: There can be friction because values-based culture doesn’t promise that everyone gets what they want every time.
Powerful Goal-Setting: Each PGA individual on an annual basis must identify one of the shared values they intend to prioritize for improvement and articulate what success would look like. What’s the desired behavior or outcome?
The best first steps for organizations undertaking a “values journey”:
- Talk to the leadership team. Are they ready on every level to embark on – and stay committed to – the journey?
- Support and embody the mission throughout the enterprise.
- The program has to be embedded across the full employee lifecycle.
- If it’s not going to be a deep, sustained commitment, say Sandy, skip it. False starts, shallow or hollow efforts are definitively a step in the wrong direction.

About Scott
Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

About Sandy

As Chief People Officer for the PGA of American with responsibility for DEI, Sandy’s career journey has been about building purpose-driven, values-based and people-centric cultures. Learn more here:

Website: www.pga.com
Sandy @Twitter
Sandy @LinkedIn

About Workvivo
If you’re struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

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Episode SummaryIf we didn’t already know it, the pandemic laid bare the fact that, as humans, we inevitably bring our whole selves to our jobs - including a range of emotions. This episode of Building Better Cultures focuses on mental health, which has taken center stage in the workplace and softened the separation between personal and professional.

Our guest, Niamh Fitzpatrick, a psychologist who works with business and sportspeople alike The pandemic deprived us of the ability to congregate among our favourite tribes (sports, entertainment, extended family, volunteer activities) but it also delivered a critical pause — a chance to get honest with ourselves and assess our priorities.

Our workplaces can be a source of the safety and acceptance on which humans thrive, particularly when leaders (themselves humans in need of support) foster cultures of openness and psychological safety.

This episode offers advice about how to recognize and respond to workers in distress; the role of communication and empathy in fostering healthy, productive workplace cultures; and how to bring out the best in teams by seeing, accepting and supporting the very real impacts of mental health.

Key Takeaways

Humans are tribal by nature and we seek out professional, social and familial groups with which to identify, share values and protection as well as create accountability.
Why the pandemic has deeply impacted mental health:
Daily tribal connections (sports, entertainment, social networks and other diversions/rituals) were suddenly completely shut down.
Covid19 produced heightened emotions and vulnerability in people across the spectrum.
The pause induced by lockdown afforded people a chance to notice feelings.
Because we are humans first, we bring mental health challenges with us into the workplace; or we pay the price for suppressing them.
Teams do not perform to their highest capacity when mental health is being denied or ignored. Successful leaders encourage their teams to express feelings within the workplace context.
Executives, too, are humans impacted psychologically by the same stresses with which they are helping employees cope.
Leaders who want to be alert and astute about mental health impacts should:
Tune in and determine their employees’ psychological baseline (even if only via Zoom): Are individual workers typically late, harried, prepared, unprepared or overwhelmed? Dial-up managerial skills and take note of the status quo.
Watch for any changes in effect and then follow up with questions and concerns.
Four pillars to protect leaders from burnout:
(1) Sleep/rest
(2) fresh air/movement
(3) nutrition/hydration and
(4) connection.
Effective leaders give workers permission to process their emotions.
Niamh’s Top Takeaway: An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behaviour. The sooner authentic mental health challenges are validated, the sooner we can process emotions and take steps to move on.

About Scott

Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

About Niamh

Niamh Fitzpatrick is a psychologist who works in the area of peak performance in sport and business, helping sportspeople and business leaders with performing under pressure, confidence in business, resilience in the face of setbacks, team cohesion and corporate wellness. She also works with people around loss and grief and wrote ‘Tell Me the Truth About Loss,' following the tragic death of her sister, Daire Fitzpatrick, an Irish Coastguard pilot in 2017.

Website: http://www.niamhfitzpatrickpsychology.ie
Twitter: @NFitzPsychology

About Workvivo

If you’re struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

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There's been a recent trend towards hiring for culture or values fit. It seems sensible in principle - hire people who share a similar working ethos and they should fit in and get going more quickly - but, in doing so, what might you be missing? How can hiring people with similar value sets help to create more diverse workforces? Or create that bit of tension and challenge that often results in bringing the best out in your people? So maybe it's not about hiring for cultural fit, but about hiring for cultural add or cultural stretch? -----------------------------------------

'Shorts by Building Better Cultures' is a short-form podcast in which we share our tuppenceworth on subjects in the areas of leadership, employee engagement, organisational culture and internal communications.

#BuildingBetterCultures #BBCShorts #InspiringChange #CreatingConnections

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SummaryIn this episode of Building Better Cultures, we hear from a top virtual-speaking specialist who sees a golden opportunity in the virtual world. Peter Hopwood, a global executive speaker coach, believes the most reticent public speakers can emerge as stronger, more engaging communicators than ever before.

There are ways to leverage your online environment and actually take pleasure in an ability to control the stage. Peter highlights the many variables (from sound to lighting to backdrop to gesticulation) that can be modulated to our advantage. He also explains other new factors to consider, such as the imperative to develop disciplined, compelling messaging that quickly captures – and then holds – people's interests.

To learn more about the Building Better Cultures podcast and related services, visit www.BuildingBetterCultures.com. You can also find out more about Scott's coaching and consultancy by visiting Inspiring Change's website.

If you're struggling with communications in this time of hybrid workplace, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

Key Takeaways

Some of the changes and challenges that leaders in our new hybrid face:
In a virtual world we lack all the usual sense-based indicators and cues.
Screens requires that we amplify (or minimize) our expressions, gestures and actions so that they read remotely.
Factors like sound, lighting, voice, concision, air time all impact how we come across online.
Attention spans are shorter and harder to marshal remotely when so many competing apps are there to distract.
Stay conscious at all times of how you're showing up, whether you're connecting and how brief the amount of time to engage really is.
Many leaders are lagging behind in awareness, oblivious that what worked in boardrooms doesn't translate to Zoom, WebEx or whatever other online platform.
When you're appearing onscreen, capitalize on the upside! You're 100% in control and can manage how you project and what kind of background you present.
What storytelling is for Peter and why it matters: Stories about what has happened to us and the attendant emotions define us as humans and create the bridges through which we connect. Emotional connection = Power of storytelling.
Emblematic words in a post-cubicle hybrid workplace where people show up differently – Empathy, Gratitude and Community
Advice from Peter for leaders who wish to become better communicators: Be curious and show curiosity; and tell stories

Key Quotes"I help teams and professionals find their stories and deliver them in a way that connects in a way that people will remember for the right reasons."

"Screens are almost more intimate than face to face so the key is really being aware of how we're coming across."

"We really have to make sure that the things we share (onscreen) are more concise, more to the point, get people feeling engaged and connected."

"If you can do well and get chemistry going (onscreen) it can only help you when it comes to going back to or building on your in-person communications skills."

"If we can connect with emotion and get people to feel that emotion and connect it with the message we want to share, then to me that is the power of storytelling and how to use it."

About PeterBritish Global Speaker Coach, Virtual Speaking Specialist & TEDx Coach, Storytelling for Sales Trainer, Worldwide Corporate Events MC & Speaker - lived in 7 countries, worked in 42, currently based in Croatia, working worldwide on Zoom! Storytelling strategist, confidence-booster & connector, I help professionals and global teams define, craft and deliver stronger stories, connect with their audiences and customers and take control of their messages, storyline & speaking impact.

Follow Our GuestWebsite: www.peter-hopwood.com
Peter @LinkedIn (lots of tips and resources)

About Scott McInnesLearn more about Scott McInnes, founder and director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

About WorkvivoDiscover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, here.

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Summary: This episode of Building Better Cultures throws a spotlight on mental health and well-being as we tentatively re-enter workplace cultures forever changed by the pandemic. Scott’s guest, Donna Reilly, is an expert in the development of corporate wellness programs. She reflects on Covid19’s long-term impacts on organisations and the adjustments leaders will have to make in light of employees awakened to the importance of work-life balance. In this new reality, everyone has seen that remote offices can and do work. What does it mean when employees refuse to return to business as usual? Will there indeed be a “Great Resignation” or will corporate teams come together to evolve new methods for collaboration?

Donna offers concrete advice for leaders and employees alike – as well as a special shout out for managers in the middle, who have been in many companies the advocates and protectors of employee health and wellbeing. Now, says Donna, it’s time for people at every level of the enterprise to take deep breaths and invest in self-care.

Since a hybrid workplace model appears to be here to stay, Donna proposes that enlightened leadership undertake initiatives designed to protect corporate mental health and enhance overall well-being, collectively and individually, as move into a new era.

Key Takeaways:

There are multiple elements and experiences at play when it comes to people’s wants and needs in today’s workplace, which only empathy and communication can bridge.
About “The Great Resignation” – Donna believes it has been what she prefers to term a “Great Awakening,” a result of the world’s pause, time in which people were able to reevaluate their quality of life and status quo.
Organisations have some catching up to do now that workers have experienced flexible conditions
Donna outlines some of the health and wellness issues that are likely to arise as the result of new hybrid work environments:
FOR LEADERS: The one-size-fits-all model no longer applies. Employees are more self-aware and will require bespoke approaches to qualify of life.
FOR EMPLOYEES: Health and safety procedures will be top of mind as will adjusting to more live interactions and less control over their work-life balance.
Donna suggests some tactics for leaders seeking to smooth the transition:
- Survey employees both formally and informally, put champions on the ground and clearly establish what they want and need.
- LISTEN to feedback and concerns.
- Invest financially to establish the supportive tools indicated.
- Take a long-term approach to investing in employee health and wellness strategies, which have documented ROI.
Donna suggests some tactics for employees seeking to smooth the transition:
- Don’t return to the office without taking time to prepare (logistics like child care, commuting, changes to morning/evening routines).
- Take a few deep breaths to calm yourself as you go.
- Employees have a responsibility to contribute to their own mental health and well-being, for which Donna can provide tools and support. But at the end of the day, the effort and commitment rests with individuals themselves.
PARTING WORDS OF ADVICE FOR EMPLOYERS: Truly stop, listen and commit to long-term employee mental health and wellness “because that’s where you’ll get the biggest dividend.”
PARTING WORDS OF ADVICE FOR EMPLOYEES: Don’t forget about your “self.” You know you best. Take baby steps every day, doing something you love in order to reinvest in and re-energize yourself.

To learn more about the Building Better Cultures podcast and related services, visit www.BuildingBetterCultures.com. You can also find out more about Scott’s coaching and consultancy by visiting Inspiring Change's website.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review!

If you’re struggling with communications in this time of hybrid workplace, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

Key Quotes:

“Although the restrictions are lifted, a lot of organisations are taking their time … You’re going to have different policies and procedures depending on where you work.” (Donna)

“Instead of calling it ‘The Great Resignation,’ Why don’t we call it ‘The Great Awakening’ or ‘The Great Realization’ or ‘The Great Rejuvenation’ or “The Great Evaluation’?” (Donna)

“Self-reflection and what that can lead to is definitely a catalyst for ‘The Great Resignation’ and from an organisational perspective, they’re learning too.” (Donna)

“The (employer-employee) balance of power has somewhat shifted. People have had the time to go, ‘What do I really want?’ ” (Scott)

“What we often forget is that people leaders are also people. We put all this pressure on them …but don’t spend enough time necessarily thinking about them as a group.” (Scott)

"(Middle managers) need support from above in terms of who is there for them, but also a gentle reminder that you don’t have to be a solver of everybody’s problems. You’ve got a lot of internal and external help in that space.” (Donna)

“The role of the organisation is to supply whatever might be needed in terms of people to go to for support, different initiatives or programs … but (employees) have to want to support and build their own well-being.”

“I don’t think we’ll see the (mental health) impact until we’re fully at the end. We are still in that bit of survival mode, even as restrictions are lifting. People are still having that tense feeling. I don’t think we’re fully relaxed.” (Donna)

“I don’t think it’s until we’ve come out the other side and allowed ourselves a sense of relaxation that we’re really going to be able to assess the damage.” (Donna)

“If all that came out of Covid is that we talk about (sensitive issues) more openly, then that’s a win. That’s an absolute win!” (Scott)

“Listen to what (your employees) want and take a long-term approach in terms of investment because that’s when you’ll get the biggest dividend.” (Donna)

“When you start to feel stress levels rise, do something just for you! … People forget to take the time to check in on themselves and their energy levels. So take time for you.” (Donna)

About Donna:

Donna is an experienced wellness coach, trainer, facilitator and consultant. Her goal is to help people discover their true passion in life and work with them to reach their full potential. An experienced Senior HR Business Partner, she has worked in people functions across financial services for more than 16 years. Donna has a proven ability to work with stakeholders to executive team level and uses her energetic, creative, positive personality to help empower others and develop strong relationship with clients

Follow Our Guest:

Website: www.donnareillywellness.ie
Donna @LinkedIn

About Scott McInnes:

Learn more about Scott McInnes, founder and director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

About WorkvivoTo discover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

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Not only is meaningful, sustainable cultural change possible in the workplace, but it’s also something that can be mapped and measured. In this episode of Building Better Cultures, Karen Jones spells out the many elements of the gold standard diagnostic model she deploys as a Managing Director at Denison Consulting. The inquiry starts with a survey of 12 key cultural measures, but those results are not an endpoint. On the contrary, they are meant as a starting place for critical conversations about what’s working within a workplace culture – and what most clearly is not.

The kind of diagnostic consulting that Karen does depends on tremendous buy-in. While her initial point of entry is most often through Human Resources, the work can’t fully succeed unless support comes from the top echelons of leadership. That ownership and willingness to be accountable are what fosters the atmosphere of trust required for employees throughout the ranks. The Denison process depends on candid, vulnerable feedback from team members at every level of the enterprise and, says Karen, that will never happen if they don’t feel safe to speak out.

And once they do share thoughts? It’s on corporate leadership to take real, meaningful steps towards adopting solutions. Failure to put evident muscle behind the outcome of a cultural survey will only leave employees dispirited, if not cynical, about the entire process.

Learn how high-performance culture can go to the next level when a concrete methodology, open communication and leadership integrity converge. It’s a conversation timelier and more important than ever for companies adapting to today’s quickly evolving hybrid workplace.

An overview of Denison’s model is available here along with other resources

If you’re struggling with communications, especially within the context of the hybrid workplace, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

Key Takeaways:

* The path through medicine, psychology and research ultimately brought Karen to where she is today, working as a coach and expert on organisational culture.

Karen believes culture isn’t something that can be summed up quickly, but that can – with the right tools – be measured and modeled. This requires balancing mission in the market and systems/processes to enable desired results.
Diagnostic measures assess beliefs and assumptions that people are making in their organisational context – which originate from their own personal context.
Throwing terms and affirmations up on a wall or into corporate literature will only breed cynicism if leadership has not committed to putting infrastructure and sustained support around those professed values.
The very real impacts of having a toxic team member, even one who is highly successful, and at what point they must be asked to move on. And, if the employee is invited to leave, will leadership make clear that it was a values-based decision?
- Setting the Bar: Communicating values and systems in support of a high-performance culture will inspire specific conversation about the strengths and challenges to getting there.
- Culture is Business: It doesn’t matter what strategies or innovations leadership tries to implement, it will fail if team members aren’t fully bought in. Denison’s focus is on ensuring adoption, which requires thoughtful strategic mapping.
- It’s essential to establish an open climate of trust in which behaviors can be discussed and members of the enterprise at all levels feel safe to speak candidly about conditions on the ground.
- Culture most often sits with HR, but the owner should be the CEO along with the entire senior management team. If the effort is compartmentalized in HR, that’s a red flag. It needs to be adopted from the top-down, bottom-up and everywhere in between.
- Karen’s thoughts about the single most impactful thing that leaders can do today to improve their culture: Be curious. Ask your teams how they are feeling, what they need, what they don’t have. Set clear expectations and stay open.
Key Quotes:

“In order to really understand your current state of culture you have to have a mechanism that starts to elevate those beliefs and assumptions that are driving people’s perceptions of the business.”

“I believe people want to come to work to be their best. They get distracted when systems, processes or indeed people bring them down in motivation or emotionally or tap into fears.”

“We have failed as a consulting firm if culture is a separate piece that people do when they have a bit of capacity. Knowing your culture, understanding, diagnosing, discussing it on a daily basis with your teams is really doing culture work.”

“You can’t create trust. Trust is an outcome of reliability, keeping promises.”

“If we’ve done the strategy mapping, all the leaders understand their contribution to the culture. It’s also the responsibility of every single person; every individual creates and impacts culture.”

“We have the quantitative number on the measure but after diagnostics, for us, comes honest conversation. The number isn’t the be-all, end-all. It’s significant, but what really matters is teams sitting down and sharing the story (behind the numbers).”

“We like to assume we leave our emotions at the door when we go to work. We absolutely do not. We’re human. It’s about the being, not the doing.”

“Sometimes leadership teams might need to do some work themselves before they’re ready for this level of exposure.”

About Karen:

Karen works closely with clients and certified partners to turn what is often ambiguous and intangible into something energising and productive. She helps organisations define the high-performance culture they are seeking to create in order to drive their business results, through aligning people to their strategy and ensuring they are able to deliver the promises they make to their customers.

Working in the board room and the shop floor to align corporate culture and leadership climate, Karen aligns with teams to build their strategic clarity and create an environment that builds commitment.

Follow Our Guest

Website: www.denisonconsulting.com Email: kjones@denisoncultureeurope.com
@LinkedIn

About WorkvivoDiscover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

About Scott McInnes
Learn more about Scott McInnes, founder and director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

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Our latest BBC shorts is about Creating Boundaries.

The pandemic has accelerated the idea of home / remote working and it’s here to stay.

It’s given us the flexibility to create a more blended approach to our work and home lives, like bringing the kids to school, doing a load of laundry, grabbing a coffee or going to a doctor's appointment.

BUT…

We’re missing the downtime commuting gave us. We need to take that time back and do something we enjoy, like read a book, call someone up on the phone, listen to a podcast or just chill out!

AND…

We’ve not been great at creating and maintaining boundaries. A lot of us are working more hours, but are we being effective by doing so?

When you finish work for the day, actually STOP. Decide a time that your workday ends and leave it there – no laptop, phone, email, chat, you get the picture. Turn the notifications OFF.

Make time for yourself – Schedule in (YOUR CALENDAR) some time for you. The time you will use to rest, process and recharge.

And, hey, you’re allowed to relax. You don’t need to feel guilty about it. You’ll be a better person and more energized to take on challenges and roadblocks.

Work-wise do the same;

Agree on a schedule with your team — When do we turn on? When do we switch off? There need to be guidelines but they need to be respected - you will be a more productive colleague for it.

And if you’re a boss, lead by example.

Change doesn’t just happen — YOU need to make it happen, for yourself, your colleagues or your team.

So what will you commit to doing differently today?

#buildingbettercultures #BBCShorts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

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Summary:

The Building Better Cultures podcast starts out the new year with a lively conversation featuring Ray Walsh, a communications and internal localization consultant whose professional background and years of living in various European markets have given him unique insights into the power and nuance behind effective messaging. The author of “Localizing Employee Communications: A Handbook” shares thoughts about the challenges unique to global organizations that want uniformity of messaging but not at the expense of effective penetration among the employees those internal corporate communications must reach.

Ray reflects on the responsibility of leaders to collaborate and co-create communications by taking an active role in the process. The most effective internal communications understand and incorporate local culture. English works as the global language of business to a large degree, but not in all instances, which is why Ray has developed a framework for tackling the thorny problem of reaching across business units and teams in markets of varying sizes and cultures with variable norms. This podcast offers concrete tips for building (and co-creating) compelling content that will resonate among individuals while preserving central corporate culture and messaging.

Click here to read more about Ray’s approach through his handbook, “Localizing Employee Communications.”

To learn more about the Building Better Cultures podcast and related services, visit www.buildingbettercultures.com

If you’re struggling with communications while adapting to a hybrid workplace model, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

**Key Takeaways:**

About the perennial challenges in Global (and global – small “g”) Communications:
Differences in language and culture.
- Comms materials not written in the local language (or taking into consideration other workplace differentiators) are less compelling, effective and inclusive.
- Lack of comms leaders with skills to translate, personalize and make more accessible internal marketing materials is a problem within many corporations.
Ray shares thoughts on the cascade approach, in particular internationally - when management across functions is asked to share information but not provided language support, it leads to fragmentary duplication of effort and puts the enterprise at risk for error or inconsistency.
Co-creation of communications requires thoughtful briefings, including:
Who’s the audience?
- What’s the desired outcome?
- Is there anything you need to measure and why?
- Consider presentations that take specific approaches (co-created, translated, versus cascaded as-is).
Ray finds it helpful to group markets into tiers:
Tier 1: Large markets that merit co-creation of materials.
- Tier 2: Mid-sized markets in which materials are simply translated word for word.
- Tier 3: Smaller markets in which content might simply be passed on as-is.
Irrespective of tiers, it’s important to be collaborative in developing communications and work with those who are most engaged and able to make messages accessible for employees downstream.
The Power of Storytelling: Most leaders still don’t fully understand what it truly is, the kinds of color available to all of us or the many low-stress ways in which life experience can be personalized and incorporated in presentations.
Ray believes it’s advantageous to produce internal communications materials in the local culture’s native tongue when the objective is to resonate on a deeper emotional level.
- Ray offers his best advice for companies looking to improve communications: Rather than centralizing, identify local stakeholders, consult with them often, given them time to co-create, translate if necessary and use their advice as you produce global materials in English for smaller markets.

Key Quotes:

“In regional offices here in Europe I see physically that we have gaps – gaps in understanding, gaps in motivation, business conditions, culture. More of us that work in home offices need to know that we have these gaps.”

“People are more likely to act on content that speaks to them.”

“We have to rely on (a cascade approach) a lot and I think we should. Unfortunately information isn’t like water. It doesn’t flow naturally like a cascade, so it has its problems.”

“I don’t think we can simply put out a campaign and say, ‘Let’s cascade this’ and just assume that they’re going to do it effectively and in a fully engaged way.”

“If you’re going into too much detail, you’re underestimating what your mature communicators can do for you. And if you don’t give enough detail, then you’re really encouraging … just flipping it forward.”

“It’s really important wherever possible to connect communications with (leadership’s) desired local outcomes.”

“Anything that connects abstract, global concepts to local examples, we consider a story; anything that grounds lofty concepts into the specifics of the workday.”

“When we’re trying to motivate or persuade, that’s where I think it’s much more effective to speak to (local employees’) guts; to use their mother tongue, to make it easier for them.”

“If you want to change behavior – or, more likely, prevent misbehavior – trainings coming from us in the Anglosphere may not be so effective.”

“We have to from the very beginning build a mindset for global-ready content. Global readiness, I believe, should be built into almost everything we produce.”

About Ray:

Ray Walsh is an American communications consultant based in Prague. For 20 years he has supported global clients in a variety of industries and managed employee communications in-house for companies including UPS and DXC Technology. He has lived in his native US, and in Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic.

Follow Our Guest:

Website: www.raywalsh.net
@LinkedIn

About WorkvivoTo discover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

About Scott McInnes:

Learn more about Scott McInnes, founder and director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

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It's the end of the year and a time to think about what we've achieved this year and perhaps start to think about what lies ahead.

But taking time to reflect on achievements isn't something I've ever been very good at, and I don't think others are either. But it is really important to take stock and celebrate our achievements. If we don't it can often be the case that no-one else will either

So take some time to think about the three or four amazing things you've achieved this year - no matter how big or small.

#buildingbettercultures #BBCShorts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

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The world is no longer linear, and yet old command-and-control management structures persist. In this episode of Building Better Cultures, international management consultant Gill Kernick shares powerful insights about why it is that C-Suite executives sometimes lack the leadership skills necessary to support healthy workplace cultures. Internal communications, policies and best intentions go only so far when it comes to shifting paradigms.

Gill offers thoughts on why it is that some companies get stuck, their leadership mired in old-school thinking. Agile workplace structures give members of the team at all levels of the enterprise an opportunity to speak up and the confidence that their voices will actually be heard. Gill explains why it’s so critically important to create an environment grounded in authentic care and respect. It unleashes great performances and sets up a safe landing when – as inevitability happens – failures occur.

There are concrete measures that leaders can take to empower employees to communicate now – rather than later when it’s very possibly too late. Invite bad news. Look for red flags. When leaders speak honestly and with compassion, they provide the entire workplace culture permission to act with courage and conviction.

Among the suggestions Gill has for enlightened leaders:

Ask proactively for the bad news, then welcome it!
Assign and rotate the role of designated challenger among various team members.
Make mistakes a source of learning, not blame; opportunity, not failure.
Tell the truth. If something is amiss, just own it – with grace and an attitude that encourages others facing risks or failures of their own.

Click here to learn more about Gill’s new book, "Catastrophe and Systemic Change: Learning from the Grenfell Tower Fire and Other Disasters."

Key Takeaways:
Gill shares a little of her background, including a lifelong fascination (starting in her formative years in South Africa) with human potential and the influence organisations can bring to bear in the contexts of equity and justice in the workplace and beyond.
Catastrophic events often share a single commonality: Concerns were raised and dismissed. Liabilities tend to go completely unnoticed because they don’t fit into traditional, outmoded paradigms in an increasingly complex world
Intelligence from the front lines is critically important. Enlightened leaders understand that the healthiest workplace cultures remove barriers and free up the flow of communication.
Organisational cultures depend on fresh thinking and the safety to foster systemic change. But before change can happen, there has to be an intentional approach that focuses not on piecemeal fixes but rather a sustained platform to support meaningful evolution.
- Planks in the Platform: Critical ingredients to effecting change.
A willingness to engage with dissonance (and outright resistance) and dig into the gaps that no amount of documentation or policy-making can fill or reorder.
Internal communications that directly address the changes and micro-changes that need to occur and hold space for those charged with executing them.
Disbelief will persist as long as systemic change remains an abstraction (i.e. trainings, handbooks) rather than an actual, measurable human behavior that exists in real time.
Leaders must demonstrate that they value feedback, that all voices are welcome and that mechanisms have been established to support them.
- Risk-taking has to be balanced against unintended consequences, taking into account the many variables – not least low probability events with high-consequence implications. It’s a multidisciplinary pursuit that requires data analysis and feedback from all stakeholders.
Diversity is the single biggest protection against bias, but workplace cultures have some distance to go before integrating not just the look of diversity but the actual voices and points of view represented by those from different backgrounds, orientations and experiences.
Time is often the enemy of complex, sustained cultural change. Meaningful paradigm shifts require intention, grappling in gray areas and the dedication of ongoing resources.
Averting negative consequences – catastrophic or more run of the mill – requires a workplace culture in which team members can bring their whole selves to the table. Innovative thinking, as well, demands a true openness and safe space for challenge.
Leaders have it within their power to set the stage for healthy communication and collaboration, through tactics such as:
- - Ask proactively for the bad news, then welcome it!
- Assign and rotate the role of designated challenger among various team members.
- Make mistakes a source of learning, not blame; opportunity, not failure.
- Tell the truth. If something is amiss, just own it – with grace and an attitude that encourages others facing risks or failures of their own.
Gill’s Top Tip: The single most important thing organisations can do to capture and apply the lessons of failures would be to search for bad news. Challenge the green and embrace the red!

About Gill:

Gill is a Strategic Consultant with a global track record of producing results through Development, Intellectual Property Design and C-Suite Culture Change Strategy Delivery. A sought-after author and speaker specialising in Safety, Culture and Leadership, she is an agile, strategic thinker with the ability to operate at all levels of an organisation and across diverse cultures. Gill partners with major Multi-National Corporations to create sustainable change, focusing on building leadership and management capabilities in complex, high-risk environments.

Follow Our Guest:

Gill’s Book: "Catastrophe and Systemic Change: Learning from the Grenfell Tower Fire and Other Disasters."

Companion Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/catastrophe/episodes

@LinkedIn
@Twitter

  To learn more about the Building Better Cultures podcast and related services, visit www.buildingbettercultures.com

If you’re struggling with communications in this time of hybrid workplace, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

About ScottLearn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

About WorkvivoTo discover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

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Peter Senge, the American systems scientist and author said, "People don't resist change; they resist being changed." And we've all heard the McKinsey '70% of change programmes fail' stat hundreds of times (largely because of a lack of buy-in from people and leaders).

Most corporate 'big change' is agreed by CEOs and senior teams and then pushed down through the organisation from the top, often without sufficient explanation or 'linking and labelling' back to purpose or strategy.

So what about if we turned that on its head? What if we drove change from the bottom up, by empowering people across organisations to make hundreds of micro-changes that, when rolled up, result in that big change the organisation was trying to create all along?

Yes, you'd need to ensure that everyone knew where you were going, why and how you're going there. And you'd need to ensure that everyone was pulling in the same direction by having:

A strategy but making it more compelling by turning it into a narrative that talks to head and heart.
A really emotive WHY - what's your purpose and is it compelling enough.
Lived values that are celebrated when they're live and people held to account for when they aren't.
Engaging Leaders that support and clear roadblocks and can contextualise and translate strategy.
Really clear objectives that cascade from organisation --> division --> teams --> individuals.

Something to just mull over perhaps?

#buildingbettercultures #BBCShorts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

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Summary:

Host Scott McInnes’ guest on this episode of Building Better Cultures exemplifies the passion she prescribes for strong leadership. Zana Goic Petricevic, founder and managing director of Bold Leadership Culture, brings a uniquely compelling brand of coaching and transformational approach to empowering workplace cultures. Her new book, “Bold Reinvented: Leading with Courage, Consciousness and Conviction,” lays out foundational steps that leaders can take to inspire the best in their teams.

Communication is key, and it starts with setting the right tone and vision. The strongest leaders, says Zana, are constantly learning. They’re able to hear all kinds of perspectives and embrace a broad spectrum of viewpoints. In other words, they are learners (the No. 1 trait Zana believes the strongest leaders share). There is an infectious energy communicated when corporate decision-makers are unafraid to do the digging, entertain the feedback and explore new, potentially better paths.

Zana shares with us a powerful model for corporate self-actualization with the acronym SOUL, Self, Other, Universe and Legacy. In this episode she spells out each of these four elements, providing personal examples and a challenge to leaders who are stuck in a “check-the-box” mentality. She wants all of us to ask – at work and in life – are we leaving it all on the field? Are we approaching the world from a place of fear or love? Passion is contagious and the visionaries who bring it transfuse everything and everyone around them.

Zana gives a shout-out to a book that has informed her thinking. Click here to learn more about “Radical Wholeness: The Embodied Present and the Ordinary Grace of Being,” by Philip Shepherd.

You can discover more about the Building Better Cultures podcast and related services, by visiting www.buildingbettercultures.com

If you’re struggling with communications in this time of hybrid workplace, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

**Key Takeaways:**

Originally from Croatia, Zana introduces herself as a coach and consultant, as well as an author who understands ways in which conversations can be valuable tools for dissecting and improving leadership styles.
Different cultures and a global orientation are integral to Zana’s approach.
The single word that for Zana embodies the best leaders? Learners. They share a common ability to stop and think, understand, raise their own awareness and grow.
- Another core competency prevalent among strong leaders? Decisiveness. Interestingly, it correlates back to being a learner. Doing your homework and pausing to reflect enables clear, decisive decision-making.
- Shifting perspective about what constitutes development can be powerful. Beyond the classroom, it can occur in myriad unexpected places, even among difficult colleagues.
- Does everyone have the potential to be a competent leader? Zana unequivocally says, “Yes!” It all depends on whether we actually choose to engage those innate abilities.
- About Zana’s model and the four things she believes are key to sound leadership, which all require that we bring a strong sense of soul to the mission. Those elements are:
S: Self. The journey begins with raising our own self-awareness and confronting ourselves honestly as to our beliefs, preconceptions and blind spots.
- O: Other. Leadership doesn’t occur in isolation. When we lean into each other and bring compassion, we are strengthening a message of trust that builds strong cultures.
- U: Universe. On the leadership journey, there comes an inevitable point of adjusting to the larger atmosphere we’re co-creating around us. What are we doing to impact and shape our overarching culture? We are part of a whole.
- L: Legacy. Great leaders bring a passion. They see the value and meaning in the work they are doing, and that commitment to honoring purpose is contagious.
How do you know if you’re laboring under an unconscious bias? We need to tune in and receive the feedback. We cannot grow ourselves alone, and devoid of how we’re impacting those around us. It can be a calling “forth” rather than a calling “out.”
Zana shares thoughts on the subject of trust, which she believes has three faces that are inextricably intertwined:
- Trusting ourselves: You need to believe that what you are bringing is worthy and unapologetically embrace it, as well as take responsibility for your impact.
- Trusting others: It comes down to a decision to invest in a relationship, allow mistakes and provide a safe space to grow a mutual bond.
- Trusting something bigger than ourselves: We must come to terms with the fact that not everything is under our control, much as we would like it to be.
It all comes down in the end to impact. Are you being the leader you are meant to be and bringing to each day a commitment to eliciting your best self in every endeavor?

Zana’s #1 Leadership Gamechanger: Ask yourself whether you’re playing to win, or playing not to lose. These are two drastically different approaches that determine whether you’re doing things from a place of fear or a place of love. Are you staying silent and safe or speaking up? Are you taking risks to create what’s missing or are you hanging back?

About Zana:

More information about Zana’s new book, “Bold Reinvented: Next Level Leading with Courage, Consciousness and Conviction,” is available here.

Website: www.boldleadership-culture.com
Zana @LinkedIn

About ScottLearn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

About WorkvivoTo discover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

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It sometimes feels like Employee Engagement has been superseded by the new, best thing in leadership thinking - purpose, values, leading in a hybrid world etc. But, for me, it's about getting the fundamentals of work right so that workplaces are the best they can be to allow people to be the best they can be

David Macleod and Nita Clarke published Engage for Success in 2010 and the four enablers of EE are as true today than they ever have been:

An emotive corporate story
Engaging Leaders
Employee Voice
Integrity

Scott spoke to David and Nita in Ep 43 of the Building Better Cultures podcast and you can find their work at www.engageforsuccess.org

#internalcommunications #creatingconnections #employeeengagement #culture #leadership #recognition #values #purpose ----------------------------------------------

#buildingbettercultures #BBCShorts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

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Summary:

While it may seem counter-intuitive at first, there is wisdom in the concept of leading from behind. This episode of Building Better Cultures deconstructs team dynamics and the long-term impact of providing individuals the space to contribute. Host Scott McInnes invites Peter Docker, the popular motivational speaker and author of multiple books, to share his unique take on human collaboration and the tools he’s developed to put theory into practice.

Learn about the three pillars that Peter details in his new book, "Leading from the Jumpseat: How to Create Extraordinary Opportunities by Handing Over Control." Together they provide the mutually reinforced scaffolding for fostering healthy cultures – wherever people are working together and accountable to one another. Those three key ingredients include:

Commitment
Humble Confidence
Belonging

From his years as a pilot and respected mentor in the Royal Air Force – as well as his transition into the private sector and beyond – Peter has derived an approach that empowers individuals and opens the way for the kind of leadership that inspires loyalty, drive and authentic pride of purpose.

The conversation wraps up with reflections on legacy. What do we wish to be remembered for – and why? For Peter, it’s a question to be examined carefully. What may appear on the surface like the thing you wish to be remembered for could actually be far less important than what you have achieved just below the surface; sometimes the most penetrating impacts ripple out slowly over time.

Key Takeaways:

A bit about Peter’s eclectic professional journey, from his career as a pilot with the Royal Air Force to his more recent success as an author and speaker.
What “Leading from the Jumpseat” means and why this book is important not only for leaders of the largest companies but also within a single family unit.
Peter shares the origin story that sparked the idea for “Leading from the Jumpseat.”
Leadership as Human Connection: Leaders are tasked with nurturing a sense of belonging because it fosters responsibility. People will tend to step up by choice more easily than they are willing to be held accountable. The secret ingredient: Caring.
There is nothing “soft” about caring. Leaders who support and cultivate are nurturing a level of commitment not unlike that which military leaders elicit from their troops.
Making the right moves: How leaders can promote a workplace culture that holds space for employees to contribute and shine. It starts at the top of the organization with clarity about priorities and goals. Once those guard rails are in place, the stage is set for what Peter calls “humble confidence.” It’s not about ego but clarity and purpose.
What constitutes “humble confidence”:
- We are able to listen and welcome input from others.
- We see the world as a place of purpose and opportunity, rather than scarcity and fear.
- We’re thinking of others around us, rather than just ourselves.
- We’re resolute in where we’re going, even when we aren’t sure of how we’ll get there.
On Commitment: The difference between a position and a stand: Peter explains the way in which a stand is clear and clearly moving forward. Once a stand is established, the commitment follows and a plan of action can be put in place.
Peter offers some concrete exercises for leaders who want to build a better culture:
- Commitment: Rather than a position against, figure out the stand “for” that sits underneath it.
- Humble Confidence: Take a situation at home or at work for which you know a solution. Rather than going straight to problem-solving mode, enjoin those around you to suggest what they might do. The willingness to create that opportunity requires humble confidence.
- Belonging: Send a text to someone you’ve been out of touch with for a while or reach out to someone on your team with a call out of the blue just to find out how things are going and what you can do to be of support. This is the human connection that underpins everything else.
Peter explains why the concept of legacy is so important in his view. It’s about being the pebble in the pond, and not knowing where those ripples will go. Holding space for those unknown effects is critical because we don’t know what amazing things may derive downstream.

About Peter:

Click here to check out options for purchasing “Leading from the Jumpseat: How to Create Extraordinary Opportunities by Handing Over Control.”

Website: https://www.leadingfromthejumpseat.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterdocker/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/peterdocker Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peterdocker/ About ScottLearn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

About WorkvivoTo discover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

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Summary:

Startups are known for being fluid, nimble and open to experimentation. In this episode of Building Better Cultures, Host Scott McInnes’ guest is someone uniquely positioned to explain the mindset and best practices under which these ventures thrive. Chief Marketing Officer for MUSH, a Chicago-based food company that has experienced phenomenal growth, Jo shares not only her from-the-front observations in the start-up world but also links them back to some of the leadership experiences she has gleaned while at Fortune 500 companies such as PepsiCo. It turns out that early-stage companies and established enterprises alike have hard-earned lessons to learn – and to teach.

Startups done right embrace healthy workplace practices immediately out of the gate, even well before any formal HR function has been codified. Cultures that prioritize psychological safety, practice empathetic leadership and value internal communication set themselves up for the smoothest possible transition to maturity and scalability. Jo offers strategies for fostering employee engagement and building brand good will. She also describes the importance of building a “fine to fail” workplace environment in which leaders not only permit but encourage experimentation, risk and missteps.

Jo and Scott also get granular about exactly when the time is right to introduce a more formal HR function into the start-up structure. It’s a transition that can be tough to make, but less so if leaders are equipped with the wisdom and perspective Jo has developed over her highly successful career across enterprises of all sizes and styles. Enjoy this lively, informative conversation!

Key Takeaways:

Scott opens the conversation by eliciting some of Jo’s origin story.
After many years working at established companies, like PepsiCo, Jo has found the high-growth startup environment at MUSH creative and exciting.
What does an employee-obsessed culture look like? Leadership and vision set the stage.
People want to be involved with MUSH because of the sense of community that is central to the workplace and fosters the organic way in which partnerships are formed.
Bigger organizations versus small: Does size matter when it comes to employee engagement? Not necessarily, if the right principles and practices are deployed.
Some ways Jo sees that employee engagement can be improved:
- Employee ownership – Adopt a cooperative model.
- Employee longevity: Commit and stay close to the consumer.
- Empower employees to do the right thing (even to the point of creating a P&L line item to underwrite acts of kindness to customers).
How does Jo translate customer obsession to the back-office functions?
- Make sure that – regardless of role – all employees spend time on the front lines with the consumers.
- Integrating with customers is both fun and it generates passion for the business.
- Leaders need to understand who their consumers are and then empower employees to deliver on that promise.
Scott shares an anecdote about Haagen Dazs that encapsulates the power of customer touch and good will.
Jeff Bezos’s Day 1 Concept: It’s essential to keep thinking like a startup because it keeps enterprises agile, experimental and hungry. Does Jo agree? Yes, and here are three reasons why:
- Beginners’ mindset: Drawn from the Buddhist concept of “shoshin,” it refers to an attitude of openness, eagerness and a blank slate.
- Failure as Data Acquisition: When leaders embrace mistakes, they open a path for creative problem-solving and advancement throughout the workplace culture.
- Even if you don’t know how, just start: Successful startups keep moving forward.
Jo believes that when an employee is not a good internal fit – and for whatever reason not carrying their weight plus some – it’s incumbent upon leaders to act swiftly and decisively.
Startups don’t have values-driven recruiting because they don’t yet have an HR manual at all. Rather, it’s about building an initial core A team.
Start-up growth at some point depends on building out from the central players, which requires a concept Jo learned from this management article: Give Away Your Legos.
At what point in the transition from startup to mature business do questions of shared values, workplace culture and internal communications come into play? Jo shares some basic parameters:
- When your staff grows beyond 20 employees.
- When you’re no longer able to turn around and get quick answers from the collective hive, it’s time to start writing things down.
- When you get to about 150 in staffing, a robust HR function become essential.
What can organizations and leaders within more established companies do to promote psychological safety in the workplace?
- It has to start from the top! Leadership sets the stage.
- Build moments of gratitude and solidarity into the week.
- Always have curiosity. Openness breeds vital, collaborative workplace cultures.
Test before you invest. In addition to being nimble, startups have to be smart, which means trying small-batch products before committing to the large.
Experimentation means giving employees permission to innovate, fail and try again.
Jo’s best advice for how astute leaders can best help their people to shine:
- Understand who your employees are, what motivates and excites them.
- Locate the right person for the right job.
- Reassure managers in a rapidly scaling enterprise that it’s okay to share tasks and delegate roles.
- Reinforce that there is room to fail and recover.
- Share the load: Let team members in on challenges. It offers them an opportunity to take ownership – and buy-in breeds loyalty and commitment.
We all get to the summit – but it’s the hardness, the toughness and grit – that make for the most satisfying result.

About Jo:Jo @LinkedIn and @camillab on twitter

Company Website: www.eatmush.com

MUSH on Instagram: @MUSH; on Twitter @MUSHFoods; and on Facebook @MushFoods

About ScottLearn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

About WorkvivoTo discover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

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Summary:

Culture in the workplace is often assumed to be human-to-human contact in the office environment, so the concept of culture in a solely remote business, on the surface, seems irrelevant. On this episode of Building Better Cultures, Scott discusses the importance of culture within a remote-only business framework with Camilla Boyer, an experienced speaker and Head of Internal Communications and Culture at Hopin.

Camilla shares her extensive background in public speaking and communication and reveals that promoting positive culture is not only possible in the remote setting, but also necessary for the success of the company. A key term that she uses throughout this episode is ‘deliberate’ – being more deliberate helps effectively shape a culture within companies, and this starts from the top down.

Camilla breaks the barriers of any preconceived notions one might have regarding culture in the virtual realm. Find out the advantages and disadvantages of remote-first business models in relation to culture, the interplay of values and why they should be promoted in the workplace, and how businesses moving forward should be advancing towards a hybrid- or remote-based workplace system.

Key Takeaways:

The common thread that has tied Camilla’s career is her effectiveness as a storyteller.
The main benefit of being remote-first when hiring is the ability to hire purely based on talent without any proximal constraint, which allows much more freedom to hire anyone around the world
Camilla looks for a few qualities when she hires people:
- Someone who aligns with the company’s values.
- Someone who desires a remote job rather than simply tolerating one.
- Someone who is self-directed and knows when to work and when not to work.
The importance of the transparency of values within a company and how they can be promoted is two-fold: on the employee side, creating a common language internally is essential for coworkers to uphold values; and on the management side, guiding behaviour and making sure employees adhere to the rules.
The downsides to remote hires are the inability to regulate employees’ work-life balance – those who might be prone to over-working which can potentially lead to burnout, and the difficulty of ensuring everyone has sufficient information to effectively do their job.
Onboarding at Hopin is a week-long event that helps incorporate real-world onboarding sessions on a virtual platform.
Camilla addresses a couple different ways in which she is deliberate in fostering positive culture at Hopin:
- How you talk about your culture and that comes through in the values – she received input from a representative sample of the company and formed values from their feedback, and incorporated those values in the hiring process and product decisions
- How you enact your values – Hopin provides various seminars to bring people together
Tools and resources within the company can help mitigate siloing – Camilla admits this is still a work in progress. At Hopin, there is a forum to match people from different sectors in the company to chat for 15 minutes.
Often, the way in which a message is written may be misconstrued – Camilla addresses the importance of conveying the message so that it comes across in the way in which it was intended.
Camilla is a strong advocate for moving forward and evolving with the times – it is foolish to believe that companies need to be in-person to thrive. Management within companies are realising that their employees are just as efficient remotely as they are in the office.
The demise of some companies will be their requirement of working in-person – workers are recognising the flexibility and freedom that comes from working remotely.
The schism of remote-first versus remote-forced mentalities boils down to a positive versus negative attitude. The focus should be shifted from adaptability to evolution – Camilla suggests companies pursue a remote-focused model, whether it is fully remote or hybrid.
In remote systems, the importance of working with leaders to be more deliberate about how they communicate with their teams and how they are representing themselves, and the ability for the leaders to trust their teams requires hiring the correct people for the job.
The ‘watercooler moment’ is a fallacy – it is a manufactured moment in a physical environment. Creating this in a virtual sense is difficult, yet possible.
Remote-first doesn’t mean contact is discouraged – when in-person contact does occur however, it becomes more valuable and more impactful.

Equality of experience is a huge factor that must always be considered in remote or hybrid work models. If an opportunity is available, it must be equally available for everyone – this is the main hurtle for hybrid companies to overcome.

About Camila:Camila @LinkedIn and @camillab on twitter

Company Website: www.hopin.com

Hopin on Instagram: @HopinHQ and on Twitter: @hopin

About ScottLearn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

About WorkvivoTo discover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

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In this episode, Scott talks about why recognition, why it's important and some ways to do it in a way that's authentic and builds price among your people Key takeaways: ➡️ Recognition is an important leadership skill that improves employee engagement. ➡️ A simple 'Thank you' is often enough - but let people know why you're thanking them so they know what they've done ➡️ Recognition goes supersonic when you relate it to your values - show your people what living your values looks like day-to-day #internalcommunications #creatingconnections #culture #leadership #recognition #values #purpose ----------------------------------------------

#buildingbettercultures #BBCShorts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

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Summary:

The culture and structure of military service is completely unique, and yet on some levels there are commonalities with commercial organizations of any type. In this episode of Building Better Cultures, Scott welcomes two front-line officers whose experience shaping the Irish Defence Forces offers lessons applicable within any workplace environment.

Vice Admr Mark Mellett, recently retired Chief of Staff, and Sgt Rena Kennedy, Head of Internal Communications, have devoted their careers to fostering excellence in leadership and pride throughout the ranks. Like all complicated institutions, the Irish Defence Forces has its own challenges with internal communications, diversity, accountability and effective leadership.

Whether within a commercial enterprise or military line of duty, find out why the concept of Just Culture has an important role to play and how ego can undermine trust, pride and morale among IDF ranks – or among the ranks of enterprises of any other type. Many of the most innovative workplace ideas are generated within military institutions because of the many challenges that must be met: messaging across distributed locations, cross-generational communications styles, security requirements and an atmosphere in which soldiers, regardless of rank, feel safe admitting error.

Enjoy this fascinating exchange about the nature of accountability, tools for promoting individual growth within organizations and leadership techniques that engage team members at any level or stage of career development. Vice Admr Mellett and Sgt Kennedy offer perspectives that you’ll find extremely thought-provoking.

To learn more about the Building Better Cultures podcast and related services, visit www.buildingbettercultures.com

Key Takeaways:

Mark felt the call to military service early, first volunteering with the Irish Defence Forces as a 14-year-old reservist and ultimately launching a multi-decade career upon signing up to be a cadet at 18.
Rena has 27 years of service, mostly spent in the communications space. She, too, was inspired early as a schoolgirl impressed by the role of the Irish Defence Forces serving with the United Nations.
The true nature of leadership within the military framework and how it has evolved over the course of Mark’s tenure. Diversity of thought is key, and something impressed upon Mark from his earliest experience in military service.
About the three strands that together define IDF leadership:
- Warrior – Tip of the spear.
- Scholar – Open, reflective, growth-oriented mindset.
- Diplomat – Able to bring complex, diverse institutions and professions together with a common vision.
Diplomacy is a critical tool for collaboration and progress across military and civilian sectors alike.
Rank has a role to play in executing missions, but for Mark, competence is the glue that binds teams together and creates a unified, highly effective culture.
Ego is the enemy of rank – a toxic ingredient that can put at risk the fabric of operations and undermine the authority of those in leadership.
When Rena and Mark work together they bring diversity of age, gender and perspective that plays a critical role in advancing teams in unison.
Whether in military or civilian, commercial culture, the fact that you have a title in no way guarantees that people will follow or execute your wishes.
Communications in the military and corporate spheres may differ, but they share the fundamental challenge to disseminate information effectively and accurately.
Email is one of the means for delivering messages, but the IDF deploys other modalities that may not be “cool” but get the job done. Flags, for instance!
Delivering a singular message to a cross-generational, broadly distributed audience with security requirements is a primary challenge for Rena. Communications are increasingly pushed through hand-held social media such as Facebook and Twitter, but there are limits to those formats and the personnel they reach.
Administrative and more routine internal communications involve messaging strategies quite distinct from operational tasking up and down the ranks. Among Rena’s tasks is the mandate to support IDF service members and their families with as much lead time and information as possible.
Things the IDF have done to enhance communications skills and efficacy?
- Create a clear presence for Public Affairs representatives within units.
- Give trainings to teach representatives how best to manage press interactions, compose internal memos, encourage leaders in each barracks to engage in face-to-face communications.
- Provide augmented educational opportunities to service members at every level and stage of their career.
The message received often isn’t the message given. Mark shares a tale of miscommunication involving a banquet centerpiece gone wrong.
Just Culture: Why normalizing openness to dissent isn’t at odds with military structure. If decision-makers are afraid to admit error, there is no basis for the trust and accountability necessary to turn that error into a “lessons learned” process.
Leaders must be able to discern between errors and violations, the latter being intentional and pernicious.
At the center of Just Culture is psychological safety. Mark believes it’s paramount that nobody should feel uncomfortable in the workplace and that establishing an atmosphere of safety – and follow-through – is the responsibility of leadership to provide.
Pride of purpose is rooted in recognition and respect. Offering thanks both publicly and privately (as with the recent very challenging operation in Afghanistan) knits pride into the culture.
The IDF’s Values Award highlights objective examples of bravery, selflessness, loyalty, physical and moral courage. It’s also a powerful internal communications tool showcasing individual commitment to core values.
Looking back on his highly successful career, Mark is most proud of his efforts to foster meaningful authority that reflects the strength in collaboration, communication and unity.

About our guests:

Mark Mellet - @LinkedIn

Rena Kennedy - @LinkedIn

IDF Website: www.military.ie

About Scott

Learn more about Scott McInnes, Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

About WorkvivoTo discover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

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In this episode, Scott talks about why podcasting isn't just an entertainment medium for millions of people around the world. Organisations - American Airlines, Tata Steel, Deloitte, Permanent TSB and more - are starting to realise that using podcasting internally for staff and harnessing the human voice brings a new level of authenticity, empathy and understanding to communications. Key takeaways: ➡️ Organisations large and small are now using podcasting to reach their staff wherever they are. ➡️ The bar to entry is low - it's not expensive and you don't need loads of experience or oodles of equipment ➡️ It's a great way to put your people and their stories at the centre of your internal comms by giving them a hand in creating them in the first place. #internalcommunications #creatingconnections #culture #leadership #podcasting #ICChannels ----------------------------------------------

#buildingbettercultures #BBCShorts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

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There is a reason that storytelling has been a primal means of communication dating back to our earliest tribal traditions. In this episode of Building Better Cultures, Scott McInnes’s guest, Eoghan Tomás McDermott explains why – and how – people across the spectrum of business, sports and public service arenas can benefit from deploying the power of narrative. All it takes is awareness, guidance and practice!

Managing Director of The Communications Clinic, Eoghan works with clients to help them put in place the building blocks for compelling communications, both internal and external. His expertise centers around three core competencies:

Strategic communications, PR, crisis communications and story placement
Corporate training and coaching
Careers and job interview preparation

But it is storytelling that's the thread that links all of the above. Since its founding in 2008, The Communications Clinic has helped people at all levels of leadership identify, locate and articulate the personal, memorable details that make for effective communications. It’s a skill and rhetorical device that engages audiences with even the most abstract of data or statistics, bringing home the “why we should care.”

Eoghan shares compelling anecdotes about clients who have found their voice through articulating vivid details behind what otherwise might register simply as impersonal facts. He and Scott share stories about helping leaders find an authentic voice, one that communicates branding by reaching people in meaningful ways. Whether cultivating loyalty and commitment internally among company ranks or projecting an effective, resonant message outward to clients, the power of connection cannot be underestimated. Find out why – and how to begin building connections today!

Key Takeaways:

Eoghan shares a bit about The Communications Clinic, its founding and areas of focus.
Storytelling as a valuable communications tool – not just a buzz word.
Moving things from the conceptual to the real; abstract strategy doesn’t have the “stickability” that a narrative does.
Written versus Oral: Why there is such a lineage of storytelling in religious and other tribal traditions.
The critical elements of storytelling:
- Moving from general concepts and statistics, to the specific.
- Vivid detail that enable audiences to fully use their imaginations.
- A deliberate and satisfying structure: the before, the catalyst, the after.
It’s the combination of data and story that gives a message credibility.
A critical piece: making old things feel new and new things feel familiar.
Linking and Labeling: The challenge for leaders to learn how to communicate the big picture that drives and inspires employee commitment.
Three mutually reinforcing elements foundational to effective messaging:
- Substance to back up and elucidate subject matter.
- Technique to render subjects interesting, understandable and memorable.
- Clear, compelling communication to draw audiences in.
How to help leaders in need of help with their communication style:
- Establish where you are and hope to go as a corporate entity.
- Understand your audience and what motivates those you’re addressing.
- Provide a suite of different stories that will resonate in different situations.
Case studies can provide the framework for powerfully vivid, relatable stories.
Authenticity isn’t innate to everyone, but it is a skill that can be cultivated with help and practice.
Verbally practicing a pitch or presentation is critical to performing comfortably and effectively. There’s no substitute for rehearsing your story!
Believing your own story is crucial to communicating confidence and authenticity.
Practice makes perfect when it comes to communications fluency from start to finish.
Being able to tell a story is a fundamental skill for all people at all career stages, from job applicant to C-suite leadership.

To learn more about the Building Better Cultures podcast and related services, visit www.buildingbettercultures.com

To discover Workvivo, a workplace communication platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

About Eoghan:Company Website: https://communicationsclinic.ie/

Book: "The Career Doctor: How To Get - And Keep - The Job You Want

Eoghan @LinkedIn and @Twitter

About ScottLearn more about Scott McInnes, Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

About WorkvivoTo discover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

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The summer of 2020 brought a reckoning on race around the world that few anticipated, but we may have all needed. After the months of Black Lives Matter protests and racial reconciliation, organizations and individuals alike have been left to grapple with what it actually looks like to promote diversity in the workplace.

On this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, host Scott McInnes sits down with global DEI thought leader Wema Hoover to talk all things diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), how the virtual work environment has brought this concept to the forefront in new ways, and how organizations can work to effect lasting change for their leaders and employees.

Wema believes the “right” way to approach DEI is different for each individual organization, but that doesn’t negate the fact that DEI is an essential aspect to a successful organization. During her time at some of the world’s biggest companies— including Google, Pfizer, and Bristol-Myers-Squibb—Wema saw firsthand what it takes to promote DEI in the workplace and put in place KPIs to measure how DEI is progressing and changing a company’s culture.

Scott and Wema finish their conversation by talking through the many benefits promoting diversity can have on an organization, including the ability to recognize differences in your customer base and creating a purpose-driven organization your employees actually want to work for. Creating a work environment of diversity, equity, and inclusion is not easy, Wema says, but in order to do so, organizations must look at their stats and listen to their employees, while employees work to find the courage to raise their voice.

Key Takeaways:

Wema’s journey to becoming a global DEI thought leader.
COVID-19’s impact on diversity, inclusion, equity, and mental health in the workplace.
Corporations now have a bigger role to play than ever in addressing the fact that there is little to no separation between personal time and work time, due to an increasingly virtual working environment.
An introduction to and definition of DEI—diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Why it’s critical for organizations to get their DEI strategies right, and what “right” looks like.
- It’s critical both to have an ambition and to have a strategy to combat apathy in employees.
One of the biggest barriers to creating a culture of DEI in organizations is the desire to do good, but thinking that desire is good enough to effect change.
Organizations need to ask questions of themselves and their teams to create parallels and pathways to educate their organization.
Success in DEI looks like evolving your organization’s culture.
To move the needle in the area of DEI, leaders need to:
- Start by understanding themselves.
- Create a space for dialogue.
- Make DEI more than a one-time thing, but part of Management 101 basics.
If you’re a leader who’s not part of a marginalized group, you need to be courageous and unafraid of asking questions.
Asking and seeking to understand creates new norms for your organization and teams.
Great leaders step up and recognize the absence of empathy and humility in themselves and their company culture.
Wema believes that leaders should put measures and KPIs in place to effect lasting change when it comes to DEI.
The types of KPIs an organization can use to promote diversity and inclusion include:
- Data
  - Hiring stats
  - Promotion demographics
  - Leadership demographics
- Talent programs
- Engagement surveys
The channels for success in the C-suite are sometimes so narrow, Wema believes organizations need to widen those channels to promote DEI.
Quotas on diversity become insignificant when channels for success are broadened.
The benefits to organizations of having a more diverse and equitable workforce include:
- Harnessing the full complement of your organization
- Recognizing the differences in your customer base
- Promoting a purpose-driven organization that employees want to work for
Wema believes that the future is now when it comes to DEI and moving the social climate forward.
The first things to do on your DEI journey, according to Wema:
- Organization
  - Look at your stats
  - Have a channel to listen to employees
- Individual
  - Raise your voice

About Wema

LinkedIn: Chris Dyer

About Scott

Learn more about Scott McInnes, founder and director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

About Workvivo

To discover Workvivo, a workplace communication platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

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Our world was flipped upside-down when COVID-19 entered the vernacular in 2020, and virtually everything, including how and where we work, changed. Eighteen months into the pandemic has society adjusting to this “new normal” in ways few could have predicted. One of those adjustments? —working remotely has become much more of the rule than an exception.

On this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, host Scott McInnes sits down with bestselling author and CEO Chris Dyer to discuss all things remote work and how it has affected both managers and employees. Chris is the author of The Power of Company Culture and Remote Work. A self-described remote work leader and advocate, Chris is a firm believer in the fact that company culture is built not through in-person chats at the watercooler, but instead by principles like transparency, listening, mistakes, and recognition—all things that can be practiced whether workers are together around a table or meeting via Zoom.

Throughout their conversation, Chris and Scott share practical examples of remote work success stories, the reasons why hybrid work is inherently difficult, and the types of meetings Chris and his team use to signal expectations no matter where employees are joining from.

Although remote work can have its difficulties, Chris and Scott both agreed that this new form of work, spurred on by the pandemic, is here to stay and should be embraced for its many benefits.

Grab a copy of Chris’s new book here.

Key Takeaways:

About Chris, an accidental expert in remote work.
Chris’s definition of what an amazing culture looks like.
The pillars of great company culture:
- Transparency
- Positive leadership
- Being good listeners
- Celebrating what makes us unique
- Recognition programs
- Mistakes
Why transparency is hands-down the foundational pillar of amazing company culture.
Chris saw the most transparency during COVID, because companies actually had the time to share and they were all in the mess together.
Good company culture isn’t impacted negatively by remote work because good leaders know how to lead well from anywhere.
Chris’s biggest problem is his people overworking, not underworking when they’re remote.
It’s hard work to figure out how to do remote work and remote management well.
Leadership failures and how leaders can become better for their employees.
The giant pile of work waiting when you get back is often why Americans don’t take vacation.
Practical ideas Chris’s teams use to help employees taking vacation not work while out of the office.
- How to help the employee avoid FOMO while they’re on vacation.
- Carve-outs for salespeople who are closing a sale while they’re out.
Hybrid work is inherently problematic because it forces a square peg into a round hole and everyone is at a different place.
Remote work is successful when we use the familiar “signposts” of in-person work that we’re all used to.
The types of meetings Chris and his team use to signal to team members what to expect:
- Cockroach meetings
- Ostrich meetings
- Tiger meetings
- Tsunami-planning meetings
The talent opportunities remote work presents in this new world of work.

Benefits of remote work for employees is varied and needs to be communicated by employers.

About Chris

Chris’s website: https://chrisdyer.com/

Twitter: @ChrisPDyer

LinkedIn: Chris Dyer

About Scott

Learn more about Scott McInnes, founder and director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

About Workvivo

To discover Workvivo, a workplace communication platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

Remote Work: Redesign Processes, Practices and Strategies to Engage a Remote Workforce

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At this point in the pandemic, none of us are strangers to change. But for Kyoko Minegishi, change has been the one and only constants in a life full of cross-cultural moves, varied leadership positions, and now spearheading a startup with an eye on the convergence of living spaces and robotics.

On this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, host Scott McInnes talks with Kyoko, the vice president of marketing for transformable furniture company Ori, about what forms change has taken in her own life, how change affects her teams, and why change is and always will be a driver of progress in company culture.

Kyoko began her career in the music industry, right when the traditional model of record companies and labels was making way for the digital age of streaming. She then spent time at Red Bull, helping transform the beverage company into the sports and adventure brand it’s known as today. Recently she landed at Ori, a startup bent on transforming the way we see and live in spaces through tech-driven furniture and architecture.

That’s a lot of change for one individual to manage, but Kyoko has used the changes to her advantage—driving the way she views company culture and creating effective communications both externally and internally. Throughout their conversation, Scott and Kyoko touch on how to maintain and enhance a culture of community despite the constraints of the pandemic, why companies need to maintain a constant level of engagement with their teams, and how poor internal communication can really hurt a company’s bottom line.

The episode wraps up with a look at hybrid work and how to build culture despite employees working from different locations. Kyoko believes listening to your employees and customizing communications to their needs and preferences is key to not only increased success and productivity, but also necessary for success in this new hybrid work world we’re all living in.

Key Takeaways:

An introduction to Kyoko and a look at her upbringing in the midst of constant change.
Kyoko’s journey from starting in the music industry and transforming Red Bull into a media business to landing at Ori, where she now helps people maximize and enhance spaces.
Kyoko’s thoughts on creating a culture of hyper-transformation at its core.
- Culture is a nonnegotiable for Kyoko because it bonds a business and team together, and if there’s a lack of culture there’s a cost to the bottom line.
The sense of community in culture has suffered over the last 18 months of the pandemic.
Companies maintain a constant level of engagement with their employees—even in the presence of hybrid work models—through intentionality, flexibility, and creating meaningful moments, even online.
Kyoko’s transformation of Red Bull’s brand from a beverage company to a sports/adventure brand.
Kyoko’s keys to creating culture during her tenure at Red Bull:
- Being intentional about bringing people together and creating a bond of community
- Global conferences every year
- Connecting with communities
- Mix of people on teams
Red Bull’s high-octane energy externally was also true on the inside, and it was driven by passion.
The story-first approach and person-first approach Red Bull championed while Kyoko was there gave its individuals and teams “wings.”
Culture is all about people, according to Kyoko.
Poor internal communication can be detrimental to a company’s bottom line because change is constant and team members can get lost if comms are poor.
In order to communicate effectively, you need to ask yourself these two questions:
- Who’s your audience and what’s their current reality?
- What are you trying to actually achieve with that communication?
Poor internal communication is often due to a lack of follow-through when it comes to relaying a message.
Internal communications need to be paired with empathy and the correct tools to leverage that information into something useful and productive.
The most important thing in the current state of hybrid work we find ourselves in is being connected with the workforce you’re communicating with.
Kyoko believes it depends on the work and workforce to see whether hybrid work will be successful.
Customize for your audience to make sure whatever you’re relating to them is workable and effective.
Listening to your workforce about how you’re developing and progressing is crucial for success in this new hybrid work world.
Culture in startups is ignited by the founder and founding teams.
Kyoko’s current experience at Ori shows that behavior really brings to life the culture of the company.
It’s tricky to determine when to formalize and instill a cultural muscle into a startup to allow it to grow its own company culture.
Kyoko’s biggest drivers of culture: behavior and decision making.

About Kyoko Minegishi

LinkedIn: Kyoko Minegishi

Twitter: @KY0_co

Ori website: https://www.oriliving.com/

More about Scott:

Learn more about Scott McInnes, founder and director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

More about WorkVivo
To discover Workvivo, a workplace communication platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

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In this episode, Scott talks about why connecting your people to your strategy is so important and how an inspiring story can help you capture their hearts and their minds. Key takeaways: ➡️ Why strategy is a necessary evil. ➡️ How you can create a story that brings your strategy to life and connects with your people. ➡️ Why leaders are so critical in translating that strategy for teams across your business. #internalcommunications #creatingconnections #culture #leadership #corporatenarrative #inspiringstories #winningheartsandminds ----------------------------------------------

#buildingbettercultures #BBCShorts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

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On this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott McInnes welcomes Jonathan Reed of Paddy and Scott’s coffee. A defining sense of purpose is the seed from which everything else at this disruptive, upstart coffee company grows. Hear Jonathan explain why he believes success starts with an alignment of core values. In the case of Paddy and Scott’s, that means honoring the suppliers of the coffee beans the company serves. Social responsibility and a sense of pride are key to their workplace culture but the strong employee buy-in comes from something more basic: Fun. Jonathan offers insights into how he hires the right people and cultivates their engagement on the job. He also shares managerial tips that resonate up and down the enterprise: from the coffee bean growers in Kenya to the baristas serving customers at their local cafes to the executive ranks driving the overall metrics and corporate mission.

In an unlikely origin story, Jonathan recalls the wake-up call that transformed the direction of both his business pursuits and life. Flattened by an unplanned afternoon of chasing around a soccer field with his son and a dozen other five-year-olds, he suddenly knew it was time to reorder his priorities. Jonathan wanted his work to reflect the value he placed on wellness and quality of life – not just for his own family, but out in the wider world. Jonathan brought a strong sense of authenticity that defines the entire workplace culture. His goal is to engage every employee by communicating a sense of personal pride not only in Paddy and Scott’s product but in the farmers whose toil provides it.

In addition to employee engagement and transparent internal communications, Jonathan also lets us in on perhaps the most powerful ingredient: Fun! It turns out that doing good also feels good – on the job and in life. With its socially responsible ethos, Paddy and Scott’s workplace culture encourages and listens to voices at all levels. Jonathan uses a personalized leadership approach to empower employees, giving them permission both to make judgment calls and to fail along their path to learning.

Scott elicits from Jonathan candid thoughts on everything from how to energize the typical “bored meeting” agenda to which four questions provide a helpful check on how Paddy and Scott’s is doing both internally and as a force for equity and advancement in the world. For this company, a cup of coffee in your local café equates directly with improved conditions in the Kenyan growing community from which the beans actually come. It’s a win-win-win business proposition … that is all about building better cultures.

To learn more about the Building Better Cultures podcast and related services, visit www.buildingbettercultures.com

Key Takeaways:

About Jonathan and how he has helped evolve Paddy and Scott’s, a coffee company built on social responsibility as a core value.
Jonathan initially trained as a hotel manager and within large corporate settings – not the best fit with his preference for entrepreneurial ventures. So he went instead to work at a tech startup focused on employee engagement.
The grind of a London commute and a bunch of five-year-old rugby players revealed to Jonathan that it was time to pursue a change of lifestyle.
Paddy and Scott’s coffee farm in Kenya is part of a central purpose that fuels the company’s employee engagement and overall success.
The role social responsibility plays in employee engagement and customer experience success. Do venture capital investors “get” the intersection?
Ways in which intentional leadership can impact the workplace culture:
- Place high priority on authenticity.
- Hire employees who believe in the mission.
- Ensure that each individual employee feels valued and engaged.
Unleashing passion, pushing the envelope and a willingness to fail makes for an engaging, accepting workplace culture.
Jonathan’s strategies for having board meetings (versus “bored meetings”) and how he fosters inclusive communications/engagement.
Four questions typically posed to an employee chosen at random to provide feedback at each of Paddy and Scott’s board meetings:
- How are we doing as a business?
- How are we doing as a business geared to making a positive impact?
- Tell us about the impact you’re having or hope to have at Paddy and Scott’s?
- What are the barriers that limit your brilliance?
Challenges integrating new leadership ideas into a wider workplace culture.
Transparency as a powerful tool for building communication and buy-in up and down the company.
Why Jonathan views effective leadership as not dissimilar from effective parenting.
Jonathan’s hiring ethos and tricks for recruiting quality employees who want to go the extra mile.
Customer influence and the role it plays in building strong businesses inside and out, including ways of keeping the job fresh and focused on the mission. (Hint: Fun is a big part of it.”
Internal Communications strategy: How to foster consistent messaging within a distributed work environment:
- Jonathan sends out a personal email each week, highlighting stand-out employees.
- Emphasis is placed on a message throughout the company that HQ and field staff are all part of one family.
- What’s App – fun and illuminating way to have casual conversations!
- In-person (Covid-19 notwithstanding) gatherings among team and departments.
- Setting metrics that inspire data-driven goals and participation.
What’s the differentiator that sets Paddy and Scott’s apart? Disrupting the traditional farm-to-cup retail chain, rebalancing profits to better serve the actual coffee growers’ communities.

More about Jonathan:

@LinkedIn

Website: www.paddyandscotts.co.uk

More about Scott:

Learn more about Scott McInnes, founder and director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

More about WorkVivo
To discover Workvivo, a workplace communication platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

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This week Scott talks about onboarding, how it's failing you and your new joiners, and how some communications and engagement thinking can maybe help.

Key to success is creating a more human connection with new joiners as quickly as possible. Yes, the operational stuff is important, but more important is how you make people FEEL when they join your business. It could mean the difference between them staying and going!

Key Takeaways:

➡️ Purpose and how you help people to feel a connection.

➡️ The power of tone and language.

➡️ Success by being a bit more creative.

#buildingbettercultures #BBCShorts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

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Mark Edgar isn’t a stranger to challenges, he’s built a career teaching organizations how to thrive in spite of it all. As a people-centric, strategic and innovative consultant, facilitator, and coach he has global experience developing and delivering impactful and business focused people strategies. The HR expert and self-proclaimed optimist shares his passion for people and creating better workplaces in this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast with Scott McInnes.

The core of Mark’s philosophy of work is trust - something he’s learned from years of experience and researching, looking ahead to an ever-changing work environment. Instead of running away from hybrid work models, he has assessed the setbacks and challenges others to see the opportunity to rethink the status quo and re-define what it means to be a successful company and how we get there. By capitalising on this moment, we have the opportunity to build leaders who are better equipped to support employees in this new world.

But how do we sustain productivity if we’re changing where and how the work gets done? The answer isn’t cut and dry. By treating each team differently and empowering them to do their job in the way that they want to be treated, Mark suggests that the key to profits may be in the way we treat our co-workers. Doing the work to create a more compassionate work environment retains talent and builds a better workforce and output, it just may require us to think again about business as usual.

Enjoy this thoughtful and passionate discussion and candid look at what it takes to build a healthy work culture in which everyone thrives – both at home and in the workplace.

To learn more about the Building Better Cultures podcast and related services, visit www.buildingbettercultures.com

Key Takeaways:

Mark’s background is as an experienced HR professional but more importantly how he defines himself as a successful husband and father.
A look into Mark’s experience and the creation of his company, Goat Rodeo Project days before a global pandemic.
Helping companies deal with disruption instead of turning into a train wreck.
What is Human Leadership? People-centric movement where everyone matters.
Importance of shifting companies to an employee first perspective. Acknowledging the challenges and setbacks and how we can learn from them.
Hybrid work has leadership problem; the fundamentals support happier teams but it requires effective leadership.
Fundamentals of on-boarding: how a pandemic highlighted the need to rethink a key portion of work life.
What do we do with the problem of bad leadership?
The future of work: what’s working and what isn’t and how can we turn a major disruption into an opportunity for better.

Parting Thought: Our romantic notion of how work needs to get done isn’t working – if we focus on flexibility and trusting our employees, being conscious of the outputs and inputs we can create a hybrid work model that works better for everyone.

More about Mark:

Website: https://goatrodeoproject.com/
@LinkedIn

More about Scott:

Learn more about Scott McInnes, founder and director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

About our sponsor

To discover Workvivo, a workplace communication platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

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Summary:

Friends of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Ireland Together (www.IrelandTogether.ie) ran a series of mini-conferences focused on the next great reset—returning to the workplace. They asked Scott to facilitate a discussion on the Future of Work—what we will do, how we will do it and where we will work from.

The panelists today are thought leaders in their own right, and during this discussion, they offer their insights into how work will be shaped by trends going forward. Our featured speakers are: Denise Black, Head of HR at Invest NI; Gillian French, CPO at Cubic Telecom; and Kevin Empey, Founder at WorkMatters.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Key Takeaways:

Opinions about where work can be done vary widely.
Employers should focus on gaining their employees’ trust before moving into mandated reporting.
Establish key contact points for in-person gathering.
Companies should look at this as an opportunity to change the culture.
Organizations need to include their employees in the conversation.
Leadership is responsible for making sure these hybrid models are equitable.

Q&A:

Scott: Is there going to be any real significant change to the future of work?

Kevin: The future of work didn’t start with COVID, and it will continue way beyond COVID. One example is the idea that business interruption is normal, that the frequency of change is happening more quickly. Another is that keeping an eye on the periphery is a crucial skill set. Finally, the ideas about how and where work can be done—as well as the expectations of management—are all changing as we move into the future. It’s also not just what’s happening within our own little bubbles, but what changes we can expect for our whole customer base and our suppliers with their own digital agendas.

Scott: If companies don’t adapt to small change curves, they’re dying. Gillian, what can we expect the future of work to look like for smaller companies?

Gillian: Generally speaking, smaller businesses are more agile and able to adapt to changes more readily than large, multinational companies. If smaller businesses can afford it, they should give their employees the flexibility that they desire. It will actually build social capital and build trust in your employees. It’s ultimately about focusing on building strong relationships because those are the tools they need to successfully pivot when hard changes do come.

Scott: How do you balance the needs of the company and the needs of employers when they don’t mesh?

Denise: I advocated that we start from a position of trust and empowerment. I said let’s look at it based on the principles of four pillars to focus on when you come into the office. Those pillars are: to Connect, to Collaborate, to Client, and to Commute. And each team will look at what their responsibilities are and what pillars fit best.

The key is to train the people leaders to think in this way. The other key part is establishing critical contact points, like team meetings, new starts and critical HR issues, most definitely. Other key feedback moments, too, like performance reviews or midterms.

If staffers haven’t made up their mind yet, I encourage them to. As soon as my staffers made a decision and showed they were going to roll out a plan, the shoulders dropped, and they could say now they know what’s going to happen.

Scott: And they can say, “alright, now this is what we’re going to try.” Kevin, if organizations don’t do something different after all of this, what is the impact going to be? What trick will they have said, do you think?

Kevin: I think there’s an opportunity to leverage competition, talent and expertise from around the world. There is also the threat that if they don’t act, they could be opening up their talent to other companies. You’re engaging in a culture exercise as much as anything else. It allows the opportunity to show vulnerability, which can improve the culture in the long term, past when COVID is forgotten. They would be embedding some of those skills in the future.

Scott: We seem comfortable with contracting work from remote locations. What do you think it will take for leadership to feel the same way about their own teams?

Gillian: They are hard-pressed to make the argument now because we’ve proven that it works during the pandemic. They’d have to have a strong case for why those roles can’t be filled remotely. One key thing I want to emphasize is that we need to squash presence privilege because it’s unjust and it’s a big threat to the hybrid model. My concern is that people will miss that and it will hurt our ability to fully capitalize on the culture change.

Kevin: We know that some people are nervous to come back, so many should embrace phases or waves of returning. And it should be stated that employees are wise to the problem of presence privilege, too. We are actually using technology to capture everything on a common canvas, so no one is disenfranchised. There’s no doubt that these tools will help us.

Denise: A lot of people are asking about the deadlines, but my advice is to make the most of your day if you’re going to go in.

Scott: Denise, how do you generate psychological safety within an organization?

Denise: It’s intrinsically linked to the leadership in an organization. No matter what level you’re at, the pandemic acted as an equalizer. And I think this helped us to see each other as equals again. I think psychological safety is something you have to work on as a team.

Scott: I think it was you, Denise, who shared with me the acronym “F.A.I.L.”—if it’s not a failure, it’s a first attempt in learning. Denise, do you have anything to add to that?

Denise: We kept the comms as transparent as possible, which I think built a lot of trust in the organization. We need to involve the members of our teams as frequently as possible.

Kevin: It’s that trust piece. It’s fundamental to the relationship piece, too. There’s also a stretch element to this next phase because there’s an element to psychological safety that requires more trust-building. And leadership needs to set that tone.

Scott: What do you all think about the question of gender equality in the hybrid work place? Denise, I might throw that one to you.

Denise: It’s actually quite topical. Promotions tend to be very Belfast-centered—but now we know that that doesn't have to be the case in a hybrid model. I think this is going to help make the workplace more equitable by leveling the playing field in that sense.

Gillian: I see a lot of concern about this because many women dropped out of the workforce because of stresses of home life and so on—

Kevin: We just need to watch that the hybrid model doesn’t get skewed so far as to be associated with the different genders or presenteeism and so on. It’s really important that our promotion and development programs are agnostic as well.

Scott: To close, what’s the most important thing that companies should be doing to reap the benefits of the future of work.

Denise: They need to start the conversation.

Kevin: Leadership needs to be involving team members in the conversation rather than forcing it on them top-down. Also, you need to make sure the technology is there to boost employee engagement. Try as best as you can to create what is as close as possible to a “normal” work environment.

Scott: For me, the jigsaw piece in the middle is that we should tell people really obviously that we have made decisions in response to your feedback.

Gillian: They need to provide flexibility or employees will leave. And they need to make sure everyone is treated equally. There’s nothing more important.

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If it were up to Stuart Lancaster, he’d make emotional intelligence, communication and leadership core subjects starting early on in school. The nationally recognized rugby coach and high-performance leadership expert shares his experience and insights -- on and off the field -- in this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast.

Vision and purpose are the starting point for Stuart, whose online master class distills years of learning gleaned from navigating highly competitive environments. He has observed that the most successful leaders take focused time to know themselves and, with that self-awareness, are able to communicate authentically. That vulnerability, says Stuart, is more than anything else what compels and inspires people to give 110% to whatever team effort.

But where do leaders come from? How are they made? Based on his own observations as a coach, Stuart believes age and seniority in no way guarantee the ability to empower and drive teams. Organizations depend on clearly articulated goals and a culture of safety in which everyone – from the novice to the veteran – feels respected and heard.

Enjoy this lively exchange of ideas and candid look at what it takes to build a healthy team environment in which everyone thrives – whether on the rugby pitch, at the highest echelons of commerce or in everyday life.

Learn more about Stuart’s six-module online master class, which includes bonus material and resources, by clicking here.

To learn more about the Building Better Cultures podcast and related services, visit www.buildingbettercultures.com

Key Takeaways:

About Stuart’s formative years on a farm and his eventual move to boarding school and university studies that taught him early leadership lessons.
Rugby started as an athletic pursuit for Stuart but, following an injury, wound up putting him on the path to coaching and ultimately becoming a sought-after expert on leadership strategies for high-performance cultures.
How Stuart defines and measures for environments that are healthy, diverse and inclusive.
The role of psychological safety in workplace cultures and the purpose it serves as far as empowering and inspiring teams.
Genuine diversity of opinion and fresh ideas can’t happen without everyone – from top leadership on down – feeling confident that their voice will be respected and heard.
Investing in young people and growing leadership from within is a core value for Stuart that he believes translates across all kinds of organizations.
Big personalities will by default become dominant leaders – when in fact the loudest voices don’t necessarily make the best leaders.
Seniority doesn’t always equate with visionary leadership. To the contrary!
Purpose-driven training and vision are key elements in the development of leaders in any team culture.
Before identifying a leader it’s critically important to have a process and understand the nature of the role as well as a candidate’s skill set.
Why authenticity is so important to cultivating a successful leadership style.
Growth mentality requires curiosity, hunger to learn more and the ability to receive constructive criticism as a gift.
High-performance cultures start early, cultivating the basics that Stuart believes are essential (and the sooner the better): emotional intelligence, communication and leadership skills.
Vision: Where we’re going. Purpose: Why we’re doing it. Stuart shares thoughts on how to use internal communications to inspire organizations and create aspirational energy.
Parting Thought: Inspiring leadership is more important than ever and requires time to get quiet, reflect on values and dig deep for the vulnerability that will resonate with and motivate others.

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Some thoughts in this episode on the power of linking and labelling. It’s something that we often don’t focus on enough when it comes to internal communications and it's REALLY powerful!

Key takeaways:

➡️ What linking and labelling is and why it’s important
➡️ How it can turbocharge engagement around your survey results
➡️ How it's critical in showing your team their role in delivering your business strategy

#buildingbettercultures #BBCShorts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

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Summary:

Words matter -- whether the goal is to promote buy-in among staff, save time on internal communications or create a more inclusive workplace culture.

In this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott McInnes invites Charli Nordone, group creative director at The Writer, to take a deep dive into the power of language. It has never been more important to be intentional and disciplined in choosing the right tone of voice, along with words that communicate with precision. Great writing produces positive results across the enterprise – from creating engaging internal HR documents to building a big-budget advertising campaign to producing a coherent annual report that can be digested quickly and easily. Flabby, unfocused or cliched language can have just the opposite effect.

A decade ago, Charli had difficulty persuading clients to consider using the word “use” rather than “utilise.” Few people understood the value of word choice and the power of clarity. Not so anymore. She explains why leaders today are demanding higher quality communications – and the value proposition smart writing represents. Effective branding is dependent on compelling language. Productive internal communications depend on the right choice of voice and disciplined messaging. And in an era of heightened sensitivity and commitment to inclusivity, poorly or insensitively chosen words can have an unintentional, and unnecessarily alienating effect.

Simply put, wherever you look within a company’s culture, words matter.

Charli shares with Scott strategies for defining and putting into practice a company-wide “tone of voice.” She also explains how her team at The Writer helps companies develop writing strategies to turbo-charge brand messaging, cut through counter-productive jargon and inspire engagement, whether among employees or prospective customers. Their conversation covers real-world use cases and demonstrates how clearly conceived, crisply written documents pay off with higher response rates and fewer incidents of miscommunication.

Check out The Writer’s readability checker mentioned at the end of the podcast here.

More information about the Dixons Carphone case Scott references can be found here.

Key Takeaways:

What “tone of voice” means and why is it so essential to clear, effective messaging.
Learning any new skill takes time, support and permission to try with impunity.
Remember when you’re writing: It’s all about the reader.
Choice of tone is similar in some ways to using a color palette. There are gradients to consider and options to deploy that are specific to circumstance.
Flexibility is critical to implementing the most effective “tone of voice.”
The (important) role of language in fostering inclusion and embracing diversity.
“Hi Guys” and the varying interpretations to consider.
When in doubt, be brave and ask. It shows that you’re interested in getting pronouns, pronunciation or other variables right.
Practical suggestions for those looking to improve leadership and cultural sensitivity around issues of inclusivity.
- Understand “business speak” (acronyms and arcane terminology) and the way it can be inherently off-putting or exclusive.
- Deploy gender decoder tools such as Microsoft Word’s inclusive language checker.
- Always run whatever you’ve written past a fresh pair of eyes, particularly those whose perspective is other than your own.
- Dig deep into internal and external policy documents to understand where default language is either alienating or exclusive.
Clarity enhances marketing language, optimizes internal communications.
Metrics are available to measure the ROI that comes with intentionally conceived, well-considered, disciplined writing.
Senior leaders and board members are less and less tolerant of the time sink associated with windy, ineffective writing. Brevity is king.

Thanks to our sponsor

To learn more about Workvivo, a workplace communication platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

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This week a couple of thoughts on the idea that 'Awareness Precedes Action' - that if we don't take the time to realise that we can change the way we do things, nothing will ever change.

3 key takeaways:

➡️ Why it's important to take time to reflect.
➡️ Using your company values as a lens for decisions
➡️ Cultivating a culture of honest and open feedback

#buildingbettercultures #BBCShorts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

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Summary:

In this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott welcomes Gihan Hyde, CEO and founder of Communique, a London-based social enterprise start-up specializing in communication strategies in ESG and sustainability.

According to Gihan, Communique is an “ESG social enterprise communications start-up.” Her company is unique in that it recruits its associates from underdeveloped countries and underrepresented communities. The mission of Communique is to help companies start their ESG journey, place them with the right experts who can help them implement the strategies, and then communicate those strategies effectively to all their stakeholders.

Gihan defines sustainability and ESG, explains the role that internal communicators play in ESG, and proposes specific strategies for broadcasting sustainability initiatives. She and Scott discuss what it means to create champions and the importance of personal relationships. Gihan also shares several examples of employees whose stories she had the privilege of highlighting, which in turn generated the credit they deserved for the positive changes they made in their organizations.

Key Takeaways:

A bit about the podcast’s new sponsor, Workvivo, an internal communications platform connecting people to their organizations all around the world. Learn more about Workvivo
The podcast opens with some background about Gihan and Communique.
- Gihan explains that Communique is a start-up that specializes in communicating environmental, social, and governance strategies.
- Her work at Communique has impacted more than 150,000 customers and 200,000 employees, and has yielded 300 million pounds.
Gihan states, “We help companies who are not clear on how to start their ESG journey and introduce them to the right experts who will embed these initiatives, strategies, and policies; and then take this amazing work that the ESG experts have conducted and communicate it effectively so that it can land with the investors, customers, and employees and explain to each of them what role they play in bringing the ESG story to life.”
Scott asks Gihan what makes her “ESG social enterprise communications start-up” different.
- Gihan responds that her purpose in life is to make people feel valued and heard and that Communique is her gateway for doing that.
- The experts and associates who help her deliver the work to her clients are mainly from undeveloped countries and underrepresented communities.
- Gihan introduces the associates to the developed world, to the work of Communique, and once they build their portfolio, they can “flock the nest” or stay and become part of the Communique team.
- So far they have eight associates around the world, including a web designer, content creators, animator, etc.
Scott asks Gihan how ESG relates to sustainability and whether or not they are the same thing.
- Gihan responds that they are not the same thing and the terms should not be used interchangeably.
- She defines sustainability as “doing well by doing good”, whereas ESG is the collection of “physical factors that investors, and only investors, use when they are determining which companies they would like to invest in.”
- Gihan credits Greta Thunberg and Gen Z for the rise in the use and familiarity of the ESG.
- Gihan says that Covid has caused investors to reflect on the data that compares the profit margins of companies who are “living and breathing” ESG which are at 28% with the profit margins of those who don’t at 14%.
- As a result, 84% of these investors are only investing in ESG-focused companies.
Scott says that he thinks there are companies around the world who are already running some ESG-aligned initiatives but are not communicating them to their employees.
- Gihan concurs and says that this is especially true in large organizations (5,000 or more).
- She ascribes this breakdown in communication to the complexity of the organizations and to the lack of understanding of the topic.
- Gihan defines ESG:
- - Environmental – How is the company impacting the environment?
  - Social – What is the relationship between the company and its employees, community, and customers?
  - Governance – How is the company being governed internally?
- She says that sustainability experts in large companies need to communicate their passion and get the rest of the company on board.
- She shares an example of about a group of employees at a company who were passionate about the environmental aspect who convinced leadership to employ a plastic-free initiative, but their initiative didn’t get the attention it deserved until Gihan highlighted it to the functional team.
Scott asks Gihan how can leaders and internal communications teams do a better job of broadcasting sustainability initiatives within their companies.
- Gihan states, “Internal comms is the glue that holds the organization together. We are the ones who have the access to employees that no one else has. It up to us to help employees live and breathe ESG.”
She shares this example of PG Tips, the tea manufacturer: A factory worker suggested to the manager to reduce a seal by 3 mm, and proved that by doing that they were saving 15 reels of paper, equating to 20,000 tons of paper, and saving PG Tips 47,000 euros. This story was brought to life by internal comms.
Gihan says, “We (internal comms) are the voice of the employees, and we need to act like one. We need to go out, stop sitting at our desks, and we need to start asking and encouraging people.”
She gives another example: Six employees in India in a Unilever factory who wanted to train the women in their communities to use the beauty products so that they could become the champions of Unilever. To date, 800 women have been trained; 600 of them have opened their own businesses and are Unilever’s sole suppliers in rural areas of India.
Scott suggests that the important conversations about ESG are happening on the front lines, and he wants to know to help employees see their role in making ESG and sustainability happen.
- Gihan breaks down what the E in ESG means for employees using a cake analogy, with the environment as the first layer of the cake, society as the second, and the economy as the third. Communications is the tray that holds the cake.
- The role of Comms is to marry all of the elements of the Personal Compact between between employees and employers, the three components of which are:
  - Formal compact (job description, contracts, and performance)
  - Psychological compact (rewards, recognition, expectations, and commitment)
  - Social Compact (perception of the company, culture, and values)
- Gihan suggests that internal communicators can accomplish this by:
  - Helping the leadership team define the company’s long-term purpose and articulate it clearly.
  - Helping the leadership team spell out the economical case for ESG.
  - Creating ESG as part of your employee experience touchpoints, beginning at the recruiting process.
  - Making everyone a sustainability champion.
  - Encouraging healthy competition.
- Scott argues that being a champion should be a separate job description in each organization.
  - Gihan agrees that this is the ideal situation, but she admits that in her career she has depended on personal relationships with employees who have taken it upon themselves to be champions in addition to their regular job.
  - Gihan stresses the importance of holding up these champions as heroes.
- Scott asks Gihan if there are any resources she would recommend for his listeners who like to learn more about ESG.
  - Gihan recommends her company blog and newsletter found at communique.global.
  - For listeners who are interested in the data, she recommends the following resources:
    - MSCI
    - Deloitte
    - McKinsey
    - PwC

More information about Gihan and Communique is available at:

www.communique.global or @LinkedIn

Learn more about Scott McInnes, Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

To discover Workvivo, a workplace communication platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

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Lived values are the foundation of a successful culture. In this episode, we take a look at : * Why they're important? * How you create a set of values that people can buy into? * 5 ways you can bring them to life for your people? Please like and share this if you found it useful or interesting (or both!) -------------------------------------

#buildingbettercultures #BBCShorts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

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In this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott welcomes Pritesh Shah, Chief Commercial Officer at the oncology company Novocure. When it comes to the bio-science space, Novocure leads the way with an emphasis on empathy – not just for patients confronting cancer but also for employees tasked with driving breakthrough science. Pritesh explains how Novocure’s workplace emphasis on employee engagement and strong internal connection are critical components to its workplace ethic and overall corporate vision.

With its patient-forward focus, Novocure offers a new treatment modality featuring Tumor Treating Fields, a proprietary therapy that disrupts cell division in cancer tumors. In addition to empathy, purpose and vision are two other key pillars within the company’s business model. Pritesh shares with Scott the ways in which healthy and vital workplace communication enables employees to be most effective in serving patients confronting life-altering health challenges.

For a workplace environment heavily dependent on sensitive personal interactions, Covid-19 lockdown initially handed Novocure some daunting challenges. Spontaneous brainstorming and creative problem-solving were core components of their workplace culture and adapting to a Zoom world required intentional efforts to keep everyone engaged. Corporate leaders like Pritesh have had to reconsider what worked and didn’t within the virtual context and what the post-pandemic era’s hybrid workplaces will need in order to thrive. Whether in bio-sciences or any other sector, going forward the most successful workplaces will require openness, intentionality, adaptability and a clear commitment to communication from leadership throughout the enterprise.

Key Takeaways:

Scott offers a big thanks for last month’s record number of downloads and ongoing social media support.
A bit about the podcast’s new sponsor, Workvivo, an internal communications platform connecting people to their organizations all around the world. Learn more about Workvivo
The podcast opens with some background about Novocure, an online platform whose mission is to help patients by providing critical, cutting-edge information.
Pritesh’s academic and professional background as a pharmacist provide a unique perspective on the science as well as ability to communicate critical life sciences information.
Novocure is an investigational device that leverages physics to fight cancer with an alternative approach that deploys electrical Tumor Treating Fields to disrupt cell division.
The company’s cultural orientation is 100% patient-forward at every juncture along individual cancer journeys.
Empathy as a front-and-center core value at Novocure and how it shows up in the company’s day-to-day interactions with clients and co-workers alike.
How Covid-19 isolated people from one another and challenged Novocure’s ethic of empathy. (Short answer: Creative leadership was key.)
Measures Novocure encouraged to ensure empathy internally despite the pandemic’s impact and limitations on face-to-face contact:
- Carve out time to create a space (such as virtual “coffee hours”) for individuals to connect without a business agenda.
- Connect on a peer level by staying open and organically sharing personal experiences and information (about pastimes or coping strategies or favorite digital media sites, for example).
- Using audio rather than video as a different avenue to cultivate deeper connection and focused communication.
Innovation as central to Novocure’s leadership objective and cultural value set.
Limited options and other constraints (such as an inability to communicate face to face) can sometimes yield more tangible results than wide-open playing fields.
Workplace cultures that sanction “failure” foster out-of-the-box ideas and innovation.
Internal communications and a culture of psychological trust are critical to nurturing long-term organizational growth.
Debrief sessions and what they reveal through surveys, qualitative interviews, summary booklets and sharing sessions across different groups and internal functions.
Internal communications are critical to cultivating knowledge sharing and employee engagement.
Looking ahead: The future model for organizations based on research coming out versus reality on the ground.
Novocure places a high priority on productivity – both in terms of work product and ways in which employees engage internally and communicate to stakeholders outside the organization.
The importance of defining new parameters for the flexible workplace and establishing the best fit for any given situation.
- Working virtually can increase focus, decrease stress and commute time.
- Valuable problem-solving and bonding that occur with spontaneous, unscheduled conversation are not to be underestimated.
Thoughts on leadership in the context of distributed work environments – the skills, ability and time to manage. Key aspects to consider:
- Well-defined vision and purpose as powerful drivers of employee engagement and motivation.
- Creating a space for all team members within the constraints of hybrid platforms that are neither all-virtual nor all-live.
- Ensuring frequent, high-quality connections and internal communication among leadership, teams and individual employees.
When it comes to the workplace, the post-pandemic future will be iterative and individualized based on leadership and overall corporate cultural values.

More information about Pritesh and Novocure is available at:

www.novocure.com or @Pritesh Shah on LinkedIn

Learn more about Scott McInnes, founder and director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

To discover Workvivo, a workplace communication platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here..

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There's real power in doing something nice for someone else - someone in work, a relative or a friend. But, like many things, we often don't take the time to stop and take action. What we forget is that those actions only take a few minutes but could really make someone's day.

So what will you do to be nice to someone today? Yep, go on, right now! :-)

'Scott's Thoughts' is a new short-form podcast in which Scott gives his tuppenceworth on subjects in the areas of leadership, employee engagement, organisational culture and internal communications.

#buildingbettercultures #scottsthoughts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

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On this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott welcomes guest Jen Grogono to talk all things internal communications and why Jen believes every organization should start an internal podcast. Jen is the president and CEO of uStudio, an internal communications company that began as a video streaming platform. But with the launch of their app in 2018, uStudio took off to become the premier platform for organizations wanting to communicate more effectively with their workforce. Now over 100 large enterprises use uStudio’s services every day, including Nike, Morgan Stanley, Boston Consulting Group, and others.

With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the typical modes of internal communication: in-person meetings, email, and conference calls were disrupted, as more and more teams turned to things like Zoom to retain that modicum of communication. uStudio’s push for organizations to create podcasts to internally communicate when other modes of communication were no longer an option took off. Although individuals may still be wary of communicating via video, the audio of podcasts is highly accessible to everyone, no matter their role in an organization. Scott and Jen discuss the benefits of adding an internal podcast to your internal communications channel mix , and why it’s primarily a matter of overcoming fear and doubt that keeps team members from pulling the trigger and “just doing it” when it comes to starting an internal podcast.

Scott and Jen’s conversation then shifts to introduce uStudio’s 6 P’s of podcasting and why they’re each important for individuals to remember when starting an internal podcast. The 6 P’s are:

People
Programming
Production
Publishing
Promotion
Performance

Each P is essential for a successful podcast, Jen said, but programming, or creating the show episode framework, is the trump card when it comes to creating a podcast that your people will not only listen to, but also enjoy. Second to programming is people, Jen said, and making sure the people involved are all on board with this new communication venture, especially your company’s IT staff.

Scott and Jen wrap up their conversation by telling listeners the first step to get going with an internal podcast: getting the people aligned. Once everyone is on board with the podcast, the mechanics behind it become secondary.

Find out more about the 6 P’s of Podcasting here.

Check out uStudio and the variety of services they offer to businesses here.

Our Partners

We're proud to say that we've partnered with Workvivo to bring you the Building Better Cultures Podcast. Workvivo has built an employee communication platform that combines the power of a social network, intranet, and employee app into one familiar digital experience that employees love. For more see www.workvivo.com

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A key part of #internalcomms success is knowing what people want and if what you're doing is meeting their (and your) needs.

And the best way to find that out is to ask them.

In this ep of 'Scott's Thoughts', he talks about considering how effective your communications are from three perspectives - company, team and individual.

'Scott's Thoughts' is a new short-form podcast in which Scott gives his tuppenceworth on subjects in the areas of leadership, employee engagement, organisational culture and internal communications.

#buildingbettercultures #scottsthoughts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

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In this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott explores the Five Pillars for a Human Workplace with his guest, Dr. Jerry Gule, who has devoted a rich human resources career to working in multiple capacities towards creating healthy, inclusive workplace cultures. As CEO of the Institute of People Management in Johannesburg, South Africa, Jerry has had a front seat on the huge challenges and transformations that have occurred since apartheid ended a quarter century ago. He has helped managers proactively enfranchise workers and invite honest exchanges. He explains exactly how effective internal communications reflect enlightened leadership and transmit a message of inclusion, purpose and safety that resonates among personnel at every level.

Over the course of a remarkable career he has evolved Five Pillars for creating an environment in which the overarching culture is a unified and affirming: Yes! The ultimate goal is to inspire cultural changes in which all boats rise together.

Jerry walks us through his Five Pillars, sharing in detail his personal experience as well as what he sees globally in terms of evolving leadership approaches and constantly improving internal communications. Listen as he lays out his basic tenets for ensuring a humane workplace, which include:

Be sociable.
Psychological safety.
Have a sharing culture.
Have structures.
Have spiritual connection/a sense of purpose.

More information about Dr. Jerry Gule’s lecture at the Working Places Inspirathon mentioned in the podcast is available here.

The Institute of People Management supports HR professionals through continuous professional development workshops, mentorship and conference opportunities. For more information visit: Institute of People Management

Key Takeaways:

A big thank-you to listeners who have now lifted us past 20,000 downloads.
An introduction to Jerry and how Scott first encountered his work.
Jerry provides some background on his 30-year human resources career – from the 1980s, when he first joined the Institute of People Management as a member to taking on his current executive role in 2017.
Jerry reflects on the end of apartheid and subsequent social/workplace change.
The significance of the question: What kind of colleague do you want to be?
Values must be embedded in the hearts of people up and down the business.
The message behind the Zulu phrase: “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu.” – I am because you are
Pandemic drove home our interconnectedness as humans and within the workplace. We are all in the same boat, and need/desire to row together.
Jerry shares his Five Pillars for creating humane workplaces:
- Be sociable. (Even, or especially, when working remotely.)
- Psychological safety. (Without an atmosphere that is inclusive, trusting and open, employees will never be able to bring their A Game.)
- Have a sharing culture. (A give-and-take that promotes teamwork, leverages people’s strengths and creates a sense of abundance.)
- Have structures. (Boundaries ironically foster fluidity, offering individuals a container within which they can experiment, explore and create together.)
- Have spiritual connection/a sense of purpose. (Just as star athletes leave their hearts on the field, the most fulfilled workers go 100% each day.)

Jerry’s defines his view of success and highlights the benefits that will accrue to those who cultivate a workplace (regardless sector) built upon his Five Pillars.

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Along with Zoom, email usage has grown exponentially as billions of people globally have been forced to work remotely. Sadly, it's not all good email - too long, too short, too abrubt, unclear what the ask is, too many CCs, and so on and so forth.

So in this episode a few hints and tips to ensure your emails hit the mark (and not the delete key!)

'Scott's Thoughts' is a new short podcast format in which Scott gives his tuppenceworth on subjects in the areas of leadership, employee engagement, organisational culture and internal communications.

#buildingbettercultures #scottsthoughts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

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In this inaugural episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott invites listeners to consider the brave new world that has suddenly arrived, thanks to Covid19. While pandemic upended lives around the globe, it also has presented myriad opportunities on every level of society – and perhaps most especially among information and other workers whose “new normal” offers all kinds of positive change.

Featuring Kevin Embrey, the visionary behind the leadership and organisational consulting firm WorkMatters, this episode deconstructs the good, the not-so-good and the abundantly possible that await us in a post-pandemic world. Flexible hybrid workplaces, increased empathy and internal communication across silos; creative approaches to differing styles of work and a new openness to hiring across geographic barriers – these are just a few of the topics discussed. Kevin and Scott devote considerable time to challenges at the fore for HR Directors and Chief People Officers, who are right now working out how to manage expectations, optimize employee engagement and promote the candid conversations that will need to happen as managers and employees transition into work cultures whose stories have not yet been written. Awareness, agility and even vulnerability are critical to making the most of this burgeoning world -- and dependent in large part on leaders who are open to new modes of thinking, working and reckoning with the fact that the old models and modes may not serve going forward.

Key Takeaways:

A bit about Kevin’s route to founding WorkMatters, including work in the IT sector and management training that introduced him to concepts around leadership.
Kevin started to notice a significant shift in the world of work about a decade ago, including ever quicker cycles of change and disruption.
Lessons learned over the past 12 months of pandemic about how we work and which best practices are there to bring forward.
Covid19 and the mandate to work at home counterintuitively brought co-workers closer together through the power of resilience, empathy and vulnerability.
What are the corporate implications and individual ramifications of a post-pandemic world?
People are asking themselves post-pandemic about their individual journey and what it means for organisations in terms of change and adaptation.
New business models that are starting to emerge: Free-form culture on one end and completely office-based culture on the other – and many companies trying to find a place somewhere in the middle.
Experimentation will go hand-in-hand with developing new ways of working and incorporating flexibility as well as full employee engagement.
The essence of agility for more traditional workplace models is about distinguishing what actually works and is valid while also staying open to the growth mindset.
Staying open is a critical trait for effective leaders, who have the opportunity to embrace new ideas and cultural change.
Pandemic offered leaders the chance to pause, consider, review their effectiveness and perhaps consider a reset.
Expectation Management: Breaking the traditional power struggle that often goes on in performance-based conversations.
Best Practices for the future and getting through a period of transition requires fearless reckoning and vulnerability in addressing inevitable. Steps to consider:
- Candid conversations that enfranchise the opinions and engage the imagination of employees.
- Realistically scoping the core elements of the experimental phase and getting focused on achievable goals.
- Be ready for challenges and empower employees so they can remain agile and resilient through the transition period.
In a new world of work that is going to be much more fully distributed, there will be a learning curve for those who haven’t had previous experience with managing a hybrid workforce.
Benefits that organisations can expect going forward:
- Engagement and a sense of stake-holding among teams of employees.
- New adaptive skills applicable to whatever next workplace context.
- “Future-proofing” workplaces for inevitable disruptions down the line.
- Freedom from old assumptions that constrained free access to resources rather than owning in-house skills.
Risks to organisations post-pandemic: Unrelenting erosion of boundaries between work and personal life.

There’s a lot more to flexing work than “where.” There will have to be a reexamination of “when” and “how” work gets done.

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After 12 months of Covid, Zoom and Teams have become the go-to comms channel for many companies. It isn't always the right answer but, when it is, Scott outlines some best practice for both organisers and attendees on calls.

A new short podcast format in which Scott gives his tuppenceworth on subjects in the areas of leadership, employee engagement, organisational culture and internal communications.

#buildingbettercultures #scottsthoughts #inspiringchange #creating connections

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First up in this new series of short pods is the hot topic of hybrid working and a few thoughts on what Scott believes are key building blocks for success - cultures based on trust, agreed working practices to ensure good work-life balance and human leaders.

A new short podcast format in which Scott gives his tuppenceworth on subjects in the areas of leadership, employee engagement, organisational culture and internal communications.

#buildingbettercultures #scottsthoughts #inspiringchange #creating connections

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This episode of Inspiring Change takes on a topic that is top of mind for businesses around the world: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Scott welcomes three women who are at the forefront of the conversation, offering insights on making people of all backgrounds feel welcome – and valuable – in the workplace. Hosts of the Calm Edged Rebels podcast, Advita Patel, Trudy Lewis and Jenni Field, share their expertise, experience and ideas.

The conversation covers challenges associated with educating and inspiring genuine commitment on the part of leaders, changing workplace culture and engaging employees. The guests share insights on what makes for meaningful change. The process is not straightforward. It requires clear priorities, fearless and frank conversation and a program to roll out real, sustainable change. But, as Scott’s guests explain, there are common hurdles: generational assumptions, laziness, fear and awkwardness when it comes to tackling learned behaviors. By bringing awareness, however, internal communications professionals can set the stage for transformation.

Scott wraps up the episode with questions about the bottom-line benefits DEI brings, according to myriad reports and studies. Advita, Jenni and Trudy also tease out some of the ancillary benefits, such as employee retention and fresh perspectives. They also share concrete places to establish meaningful change by ensuring diverse representation in board rooms, at conferences, among interview participants and through training and development materials. After listening to this podcast, you’ll understand the “say-do gap” and how making a commitment to meaningful DEI measures translates into enlightened leadership, employee engagement, enhanced profitability and changes in the workplace that will pay huge cultural dividends for generations to come.

Additional episodes of Inspiring Change are available here.

Key Takeaways:

DEI – diversity, equity and inclusion – is clearly definable and important.
Diversity and inclusivity stall for a number of (mostly non-malicious) reasons.
Is entrenched racism and bias at the root of intransigence when it comes to changing workplace cultures?
The goal isn’t for people to assert that they aren’t racist. It’s for everyone to enjoin in being anti-racist.
Statements of intent are not the same thing as meaningful change. Are businesses making actual, tangible commitments to DEI? Unfortunately, there are “say-do” gaps.
Exemplary organizations are out there – and reaping concrete business benefits.
There are demonstrable, empirical financial benefits to implementing DEI.
In addition to benefiting the bottom line, DEI also enriches the workplace culture.
Better retention is a huge value-add for companies that institute meaningful DEI.
Practical ways in which organizations are implementing change, including creating safe spaces and increasing intentionality about participants in interviews, conferences and meetings.
The role of leadership: “Glocal” requires not just organization-wide alignment but also committed, visionary leadership.
Closing thoughts on critical first steps.

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Summary:

In the post-pandemic, work-from-home world, it can be especially hard to feel like your small tasks are having any impact on the overall strategic mission of your company. But this is where alignment comes in. The brands who make an investment in ensuring their workforce is in alignment—or on the same page, strategically—can ultimately bring about better cohesion of vision. To be in alignment is for everyone to be working towards the same goal, and to understand that their place matters. And Zora Artis happens to be an expert on alignment.

On this episode of the Inspiring Change podcast, Scott talks with Zora Artis about how a concrete grasp of strategic alignment can help everyone in your organization to see the “red thread” that connects all parts of the business. Alignment, Zora says, can help empower even those at the very frontlines to see the value of their day-to-day grind. It gives people the opportunity to buy into the story of the brand, and to own it for themselves.

Zora explains the various components of alignment, which include the culture, the structure, and all the things that will cascade and ultimately impact the rollout. But how do you actually do this? Zora says that there are several steps to alignment, but one she digs into is “knowing your enemy.” It’s ultimately about asking the right questions and figuring out how to connect the dots.

The episode concludes with Zora talking about buy-in from the top. She insists that you must have executive buy-in if you want to see alignment really gel. You want to develop a narrative around where you are, where you want to be, and how you’re going to get there. Using the storytelling piece connects back to the brand. Make sure everyone knows what the brand is really about.

Key Takeaways:

It helps to look for knowledge beyond the area where you’re playing.
You need to understand how to create the right business case if you want to get executive buy-in.
Alignment is about getting everyone on the same page.
Go back to your core. Understand why you exist in the first place.
The articulation of your purpose needs to mean something to your people.
It’s important to make the comms personal—be a good storyteller.
Perhaps it’s the role of everybody to make sure they’re aligned.

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Summary:

Inspiring change in a field like accountancy might seem like an insurmountable task. We often think of accountants as boring individuals who prefer to work in gray-walled basements, refusing to interact with anyone unless they have to. But Cooper Parry’s chief people officer, April Bembridge, thinks differently, and so does Cooper Perry.

On this episode of the Inspiring Change podcast, Scott talks with April all about how Cooper Parry, a Midlands- based accountancy firm, is disrupting the industry, in the best way. Throughout their conversation, April hits on how Cooper Parry’s culture has evolved in recent years to accommodate and promote diversity of thought and values, create a more creative and flexible work environment for their people, and get away from the idea that all UK companies have to be based in London to be considered relevant.

The episode concludes with an in-depth look at some of Coop Parry’s company values—how these values were collaboratively created with employees over a series of months, and why living out those values is a shared experience that not only enriches the lives of Cooper Parry’s clients, but also the lives of those who work in the firm’s offices. For April, culture is about those shared values, not having employees who are robots and simply exist to produce a product and think the same way. The way Cooper Parry has promoted a change in the field of accountancy is inspiring, and a trend we hope to see lived out in other companies across a variety of fields.

Key Takeaways:

A healthy company culture is good for people and good for business
“Color” in accountancy adds humanity to all relationships involved
It’s not about location, it’s about the people you have
Healthy culture lets people be themselves and celebrate those differences
Disruption and shaking things up creates positive change in the world
The value of “making life count” involves spending time in service and playing to individual’s strengths
Asking questions of your people leads to being able to serve and know them better
Lived out values make them stick in your company
The value of “keep learning” is about becoming more self-aware as a person
Lived out values are self-policing when they’re not actually lived out
Culture is about shared values, not being a robot

Links:

CooperParry.com

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Jim Egan always knew he wanted to be in communications to connect with and inspire people. As he says, he wanted to be Julie McCoy character in the TV Series ‘The Love Boat’ 😊. He started work in the agency world and has been with Kerry since 2005, working in both internal and external comms roles.

Today Jim is Regional Corporate comms lead for Kerry North America

Show Notes:

4.00 – A bit about Jim – 6.45 – What makes amazing change comms – 8.20 – How do we make change personal – change stories – 10.20 – Making execs more personable - 17.30 – Leaders need to inspire change – 19.20 – Know it, believe it, own it, lead it – 27.40 – Advice for small business owners going through a change - 33.30 – The power of ‘I don’t know’ – 35.00 – The power of creating connections.

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Chuck has over 20 years of experience in the internal communications world and is the self-confessed cheerleader of Internal Comms. By his own admission, he’s about helping communicators to strengthen communications, engage with employees and change businesses for the better.

He has worked with brands like General Motors and Rolls-Royce where he has seen the benefit that really good internal communications can have on business performance. He’s currently a Senior Advisor with SocialChorus - where he focuses on digital employee experience - and he’s also the host of the Culture, Comms and Cocktails podcast.

Show Notes:

2.40 – A bit about Chuck – 5.00 – The importance of purpose – 7.30 – Culture is an interesting and moving feast – 10.00 – Focus is key to success - 17.30 – How can internal comms help to maintain cultures – 20.00 - The role of leaders and checking in on people – 24.00 – We’re starved of connection to co-workers - 28.00 – Internal Comms in small businesses - 36.30 – Making onboarding more human and creative – 45.00 – Maintaining connection in 2021 – Social activism and mental health?

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Covid Christmas Craker Podcast episode 2-part series.

This is part 2 of 2. It has been a wild year with many ups and downs. And, while times have often been tough, there are silver linings on many of those clouds.

We wanted to give you an early Christmas present - some REALLY practical leadership, internal comms and engagement ideas that you can take and apply in your businesses.

Our guests range from large to small organisations and commercial to not-for-profit.

I asked them; From a leadership, engagement and internal comms perspective, how they maintained connection, motivation, productivity and empowerment since March.

TELL me what you are planning to do in 2021 within your business below️?

Shout out to our guests:

Pedro Angulo, Head of Performance
Brendan Foley, Managing Director
Dennis Doolan, Chief of Organizational Excellence
Margot Slattery, Global Diversity and Inclusion Officer
Leontia Fannin, Head of Corporate Affairs & Communications
Carmel Doyle, CEO of the Jack and Jill Foundation
Denise Black, Executive Director of Human Resources
Lisa Melody, Head of Talent & HR Transformation

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Covid Christmas Craker Podcast episode 2-part series.

This is part 1 of 2. It has been a wild year with many ups and downs. And, while times have often been tough, there are silver linings on many of those clouds.

We wanted to give you an early Christmas present - some REALLY practical leadership, internal comms and engagement ideas that you can take and apply in your businesses.

Our guests range from large to small organisations and commercial to not-for-profit.

I asked them; From a leadership, engagement and internal comms perspective, how they maintained connection, motivation, productivity and empowered since March.

TELL me what you are planning to do in 2021 within your business below️?

Shout out to our guests:

Pedro Angulo, Head of Performance
Brendan Foley, Managing Director
Dennis Doolan, Chief of Organizational Excellence
Margot Slattery, Global Diversity and Inclusion Officer
Leontia Fannin, Head of Corporate Affairs & Communications
Carmel Doyle, CEO of the Jack and Jill Foundation
Denise Black, Executive Director of Human Resources
Lisa Melody, Head of Talent & HR Transformation

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Jenni started her career, not in internal communications but, having studies marketing at uni, went into more public sector communications roles. She then moved into media relations and realised quickly that what she was missing was seeing the true impact of what she was doing - PR wasn’t fulfilling enough. And so came the move into internal communications which started when she was working in an internal communications agency, got totally immersed in the industry and could see the impact that great internal communications have on people.

Jenni now runs Redefining Communications, is a founding member of the IC Crowd and is currently President of the CIPR.

Show notes:

3.30 – A passion for IC – 5.20 – What’s really good internal communications? – 8.00 – Challenges of communicating in Covid – 10.30 – Creating magic moments with leaders - 13.30 – The power of purpose – 16.30 – Values and behaviours - 20.00 – The importance of internal audience segmentation - 26.00 – The benefits of diagnosing communications problems – 33.30 –Who’s best placed to fix the issues – 42.00 – Examples of great internal communications during Covid. Links

Simon Sinek’s ‘Start with Why’ TED Talk

Ross Edgley - Art of resilience

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Gillian French has a passion for people and for scaling indigenous Irish start-ups. She is Chief People Officer at Cubic Telecom an indigenous Irish tech firm with 200 employees. Gillian is responsible for people strategy – ensuring that the business has the right people in the right jobs doing the right things in order to deliver Cubic’s business strategy.

Prior to joining Cubic Telecom, Gillian was CPO at Car Trawler where she grew the business from 25 to 600 people.

Show Notes:

3.00 – Gillian and Cubic – 5.00 – A growing passion for people - 7.30 – Are leaders born or made? – 10.15 – Leadership IS a job! - 13.30 – Things get in the way of us being our best – 16.00 – Dealing with poor leadership behaviour - 19.30 – Everyone has a role in creating culture - 25.00 – Mind your people leaders – 30.00 – The power of communications during COVID – 33.00 – Good communications is about connecting people - 36.30 – What benefits might the COVID experience bring to business? – 40.00 – Where does Gillian go for inspiration?

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Zoë Routh is a Canadian-Australian leadership expert specialising in the people stuff. She shows leaders and teams struggling with office politics and silos how to work better together. From the wild rivers of northern Ontario to the remote regions of Australia, Zoë has spent the last thirty years showing teams how to navigate the wilderness of people stuff.

Zoë is the author of four books and the producer of the Zoë Routh Leadership Podcast, dedicated to exploring perspective in people stuff.

Show Notes:

3.00 – Zoë’s background – 6.20 – The challenges of getting to the people stuff - 9.00 – It’s hard to find the work/leadership balance – 13.00 – Trust is a huge issue right now - 21.40 – The paradox of power –30.30 – Asking for feedback is key for growth - 35.00 – Elders, Mary Robinson and the practice of perspective - 41.10 – When good Elders go bad – Adam Neumann – 32.00 – Three things to avoid hubris – humility, curiosity and care – 46.30 – ‘People Stuff – beyond personality problems’

You can find Zoë’s podcast here and details of her 2020 book, ‘People Stuff’ here.

Find ‘The paradox of power’ on Amazon here.

People Stuff - Beyond Personality Problems: An Advanced Handbook for Leadership

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If you live in Ireland and follow the sport, Jamie Heaslip is a household name and one that’s synonymous with Ireland’s rugby success over the past 15 years. As well as having earned 95 caps for Ireland and played 230 matches for Leinster, he was also part of two British and Irish Lions Tours.

Due to injury, Jamie had to retire from rugby in 2018. He’s since carved out a very successful career for himself, investing in and setting up a business; and, more recently, a high-performance coach, supporting executives and their teams to be the best they can be.

Show Notes:

4.00 – Jamie, rugby and where he is now – 10.00 – High-performance leadership is highly individual - 13.00 – In sport, your mid-year results are every week! – 15.40 – Purpose and success - 18.10 – Jamie’s leadership traits – 24.30 – Joe Schmidt’s leadership traits - 27.10 – Healthy conflict is positive - 29.30 – What you measure matters – 32.00 – Emotional intelligence and authenticity – 34.30 – Compassionate leadership - 36.00 - The challenges (and benefits!) of remote working – 43.40 – How can leaders build belief – 49.45 – Helping local businesses in tough times

You can find Jamie’s new podcast here and details of his 2019 book here

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‘How are you feeling and why?’. That's the question Matt Stephens uses when he's measuring wellbeing and how engaged people are at work.

Starting his career as a coder in Aviva, Matt was ‘found’ by the Head of Internal Communications and that put him on a new career trajectory. After a number of years in Aviva, he moved into performance coaching and NLP working with senior execs across a range of organisations before founding Quest Agency with a focus on leadership, culture and engagement.

In 2015 he founded Inpulse, a new way of measuring how employees are feeling by asking them just that – ‘How are you feeling and why?’. His customers include Unilever and Asos.

In this episode, he and Scott talk about putting more of a focus on people's wellbeing, why organisations struggle with emotions and why purpose is so important when it comes to creating great places to work. Matt runs Inpulse and his clients include Rolls-Royce, Asos, Zurich Insurance and Heathrow Airport Links: Matt’s book – The Power of Emotion is available on Amazon

Show Notes:

2.45 – A bit about Matt – 10.00 – Is employee engagement having a renaissance? - 12.50 – An increased focus on Wellbeing – 16.30 – The critical role of leaders - 20.50 – Putting purpose into practice – 22.45 – Driving action from surveys - 29.20 – Why do organisations struggle with emotions? - 34.40 – What success will emotional engagement bring? – 37.40 – A bit about Inpulse

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With a background in marketing and PR, it was when Lindsay went into internal comms in a large Dutch oil and gas company. She soon realised that communications within large firms were complex and surrounded by a sea of fog. This resulted in their people not being on the same page and feeling a sense of ambiguity.

This desire to create clarity, confidence and community in organisations led her to create MirrorMirror.

Show Notes:

2.30 – Lindsay and MirrorMirror – 05.00 – Defining misalignment - 8.45 - Culture and alignment – which drives which? – 13.00 – The role of leaders in aligning teams – 15.00 –Internal communicators have a key part to play - 21.00 – We need to better translate key messages – 25.20 – Alignment and remote working - 29.00 – Today’s remote working tools get in the way - 32.00 – Practical things teams can do to drive alignment – 34.20 – Alignment in a changing landscape – 37.30 – A bit about MirrorMirror

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A marketeer by trade, James worked as CEO and CMO in a number of large multinationals including fashion brand Anthropology, VisitLondon and Selfridges, where he oversaw the incredible turnaround of that business in the early noughties.

Buying Springwise – a global crowdsourcing movement for innovative ideas - in 2015 was the catalyst for James’s innovation journey. In 2017, inspired by Springwise, he co-founded Re_Set – a strategy consultancy focused on helping their clients in the areas of innovation, disruption and sustainability.

Show Notes:

2.30 – James, Springwise and Re_Set – 06.50 – The benefits of being a B Corporation - 10.05 - Brands will fail if they don’t have purpose – 13.15 – Aligning people with purpose is about leadership – 17.05 –Success is about leading across the organisation - 18.30 – Best practice in bringing people on a change journey – 23.20 – Building a culture where it’s OK to fail - 28.00 – The role of internal communications - 33.00 – The turnaround of Selfridges – 25.10 – To drive innovation, become a B Corporation.

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Brendan didn’t come from training or HR but started in advertising and marketing – but it was ‘why do people do what they do?’ that fascinated him. Coming from a competitive sailing background he saw the power of chemistry and leadership when it came to bringing together teams. He started SeachangeNow in 2006 to help leaders to be the most effective, human and impactful they can be.

In this episode, he and Scott talk about empathy and how many senior leaders are disconnected from their people and change starting with everyone in the business.

Show Notes:

2.30 – Brendan’s background – 8.20 – Senior leaders are disconnected from their teams – 10.15 –People have less time to talk about how they’re feeling – 11.40 – Empathy - SMEs are more tuned in – 13.15 – An opportunity for CEOs to make a difference - 15.50 – The role of culture during change – 16.30 – Organisations are having a culture crisis - 19.00 – Cultural rebirth is underway - 20.55 – The COVID opportunity – 25.10 – But how do you make that change? – 28.10 – Reframing your thinking is key – 30.40 – The criticality of people leaders – 34.00 – Doing the right things attracts the best talent – 35.40 – Change starts with individuals

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Coming from backgrounds in workplace relations and global marketing, David Macleod and Nita Clarke seemed like the perfect team to undertake a research project on behalf of Peter Mandelsen, the then UK Secretary of State. They knew there was a better way to improve productivity in the UK workforce.

In 2009, David Macleod and Nita Clarke published their findings as ‘Engage for Success’.

Since then they created a movement to raise the profile of Employee Engagement and shine a light on good practice and the significant benefits it can bring to organisations and their people.

Show Notes:

2.50 – A bit of David and Nita’s background – 7.00 – Why was the report commissioned? – 8.40 – Four ways to improve business – 10.40 – Most companies are still in command/control – 12.45 – Put your people first - 16.00 – Enabler 1 – Strong Narrative – 20.30 – Enabler 2 – Engaging Leaders – 23.50 – Recognise good behaviour! - 26.00 – Enabler 3 – Employee Voice – 31.00 –Enabler 4 – Act with Integrity – 35.30 – Why is global disengagement so high? – 39.00 – The people agenda is in the boardroom now – 42.30 – Success is about the people, stupid – 47.30 – What has COVID-19 taught us? – 50.30 – Learn more about Engage for Success

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Pedro Angulo (not a Kerry name as he reminds us!) is Head of Leadership Development in AIB.

As he told us in his first appearance on this podcast (Ep8), his focus is on helping leaders to be the best they can be and ensuring they “show up” in a way that’s engaging, respectful and caring.

In this episode, we focused heavily on the past few months of COVID lockdown, what has set leaders apart and some of the things we’ve learned that businesses should be looking to retain. Outside of AIB, Pedro is Programme Director in the IMI and is a former President of the Irish Chapter of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC).

Show Notes:

2.30 – People and leaders in times of change – 4.40 – The impact on how leaders lead? – 5.40 – Key stages of crisis leadership – 8.30 – Flexing leadership styles – 10.15 – Reflecting and self-awareness - 12.15 – Firefighting the ‘urgent-important’ – 15.00 – Good leadership is about direction and energy – 17.40 – We need to challenge assumptions more - 19.00 – Trust, leadership and flexi-working – 23.00 – Practical tips for successful flexi-working – 30.00 – Culture – rewarding what’s right – 32.00 – Purpose and values to grow culture – 32.30 – Culture change takes time – PERSIST – 35.15 – How do we grow from this? – 39.40 – Retaining positive practices

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By her own admission, Carole Ann’s career is a bit of mixed bag.

From a degree in Applied Languages and Business to the Diageo Graduate Programme and on to a number of sales and marketing roles. A spate in ad agencies followed before Carole Ann moved to Coca-Cola where she headed up experiential marketing before becoming Head of Digital.

She left Coca-Cola in 2013, having become unwell herself, and turned instead to leadership coaching and then to mental health and wellbeing coaching. In 2018 she founded I am Here to help organisations put people and mental health at the heart of their cultures. She's also a former Irish Rugby Captain.

Show Notes:

2.40 – A bit about Carole Ann – 6.00 – I am Here – 12.00 – The power of values – 13.40 – Conscious leadership and the rise of the mental health agenda – 15.00 – Looking after your staff is just good business - 17.00 – We’ve learned a lot about leadership from Covid – 21.05 – How do leaders create safe team cultures – 27.00 – Tools to help build resilience through change – 34.00 – The lower of listening as a leader – 36.40 – Empowering vs telling – 38.40 – Leaders need to learn from Covid – 39.00 – If only I’d known 10 years ago… ‘Get you know yourself’

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With over 70 years of IC experience between them, Katie Macauley, Chuck Gose and Mike Klein joined me for this episode. We discussed what the world will look like for IC Teams post-Covid, the role of leaders as communicators and much more.

Katie is a 30-year Internal Communications veteran. She is the founder of AB, one of the UK’s longest-standing internal communications agencies and the host of The Internal Comms Podcast.

Chuck previously produced the ICology podcast and, more recently, Culture, Comms & Cocktails podcast. He’s worked for brands including GM and Rolls-Royce and is currently Senior Strategic Advisor at Social Chorus.

Mike runs a Netherlands-based internal communications consultancy, Changing the Terms. He’s worked in internal comms for 20 years before which he managed political campaigns in the US. Links:

Film I referenced re Marriott Hotels – CEO Arne Sorenson -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SprFgoU6aO0&t=11s

Show Notes:

3.20 – A bit about Katie, Chuck and Mike – 6.50 – Ambiguity, uncertainty, precariousness and progress – 8.40 – Friction in our future plans. 11.40 – New constants will have an impact on workplaces – 14.55 – Companies that are true values-led will thrive – 16.00 – The rise in employee activism – 18.00 – Building stronger cultures in remote workforces – 25.00 – The future impact on IC Teams – 26.30 – Don’t tear up the rule book! – 28.00 – Get better at listening – 29.30 – A crisis brings out the IC Heroes – 31.00 – To listen more closely, ditch the annual survey – 33.20 – The role of people leaders during change – be authentic, contextualise and be the truth-tellers - 40.00 – In a crisis, people want honesty from leaders, not authenticity or transparency – 42.00 - What’s the one thing you’d do as Head of IC in a new company?

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"Adversity becomes a learning opportunity if you know how to process it"

Ryan had a love of flying from a young age and, at the age of 17 he decided he wanted to be the youngest person to fly a single-engine aircraft around the world, something he achieved two years later.

When he was 21, another aircraft-related incident changed his life. He crashed a vintage bi-plane shortly after take-off, had to be cut from the wreckage, was flown to a hospital and, when he woke up he had no feeling below the waist – he’d broken his back.

What followed was six months in hospital and 18 months in rehab as he learned to walk again.

Show Notes:

2.00 - A bit on Ryan’s backstories – 12.50 – A life-changing plane crash – 14.45 – ‘Things happen for a reason, right? – 16.40 – Why are people resistant to change – 18.40 – We spend a lot of time worrying about things we can’t control - 20.00 – Ryan’s checklist for navigating change – 22.30 – Step One - Gratitude – 25.00 – Step Two - Confidence – 26.15 – Step Three - Resilience – 28.00 – Getting into a more change and challenge ready mindset – 29.30 – Where does empathy fit it? – 31.40 – Change and challenge is personal, adversity isn’t a competition – 35.50 – A bit about what Ryan does – 38.00 – If only I’d known 10 years ago…

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"Every company needs their people to be advocates for that business"

Aisling went straight into her career in 1987, when she chose, rather than going to university, to join AIB. By her own admission her education, knowledge, growth and expertise came from the school of life and work.

She worked at AIB for 29 years during which time she held leadership roles in branch banking, business banking, retail banking operations, strategy and transformation.

In 2016, she joined Danske Bank UK, Northern Ireland’s largest bank as Head of Branch Banking where she leads a team of up to 400 people.

Show Notes:

1.47 - A bit on Aislings career – 5.00 – Culture in retail banking – 9.50 – Culture and collaboration through co-working – 11.30 – What’s a leaders role in driving great culture – 13.50 – A leader’s language is key - 17.00 – Leaders’ roles in driving customer experience – 20.00 – Values, behaviours and recognition are key – 22.30 – Maintaining motivation during change is about WHY – 27.10 – Leaders need to translate key messages – 28.00 – Aisling’s leadership role models – 31.00 – Aisling’s advice for your 20-year-old self.

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"People aren’t after more communication, they’re after more connection"

Jane started her career in the corporate world where she held roles in a number of large organisations including IBM and Sony, where she was Director of Engagement and Change.

She founded The Culture Builders in 2011 and has since worked with companies around the world, helping them to put greater emphasis on their culture, people and performance.

She's also a published author in the area of people and culture - The Culture Builders (2012) and Bank of Me (2018). Most recently she published ‘Bank of me – a remote working special edition’ (2020).

Show Notes:

2.40 - A delve into Jane’s background – 4.42 – The remote working trap – what is it? – 5.10 - The three pillars of culture – what we believe; how we behave; and what we use – 6.50 – What are leaders doing differently? – 9.00 – How can leaders support teams emotionally?– 10.30 – Connection is more important than ever - 11.55 – Equipping middle managers is critical - 14.40 – Repetition is key – 16.00 – Find out how your people feel – 17.50 – This is the time to bring training to life – 19.10 – Practical hints and tips – 30.00 – Recognise what you’re learning – 31.30 –There’s learning at home too – 34.00 – There is a silver lining to this cloud?

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"People with more power cast longer shadows and have a greater ability to shape culture"

Will's career started in sales where he made 100 cold calls a day!. But it was while he was in that role that he found his true calling, gazing across the office at the marketing team “where people were having fun”. So he took some courses and so began a long career in marketing.

But deep down, he knew that he wanted to make his own mark on the world and, in 2002, following a chance meeting with Tom Nixon, the two founded the social media consultancy, NixonMcInnes. During that period he wrote Culture Shock, a practical guide on how companies can create more effective cultures for the digital age.

In 2013 he joined Brandwatch as Chief Marketing Officer and has been there since.

Show Notes:

1.20 - A delve into Mary’s background – 7.40 – What makes a great people leader? – 9.30 - The power of diversity in work – 13.00 –The key role of leaders during change - 16.05 – Trust is key – 16.30 – Celebrate achievements (and failures!) honestly – 17.36 – People can grow through change - 18.30 – Using a story to drive change – 24.55 – The importance of effective culture – 29.30 – How can leaders shape culture – 34.00 – Be yourself, not someone else - 39.30 – Mary’s advice for her younger self – ‘Be your authentic self’

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"Being your authentic self and helping others to bring theirs is key to leadership"

Mary comes from an academic background in finance and a career that started in the Central Bank of Ireland where she held a number of roles including Consumer Director and Acting Chief Executive. She also held roles at the IMF and in the World Bank before joining the Institute of Banking as CEO in 2018.

With 34,000 members the IOB is Ireland’s largest professional membership body and is also a college of University College Dublin (UCD). They are currently undergoing significant change as they digitise processes, procedures and their approach to learning. This will ensure that the IOB remains as relevant as possible to their growing customer base in banking, funds management and further afield in financial services.

Show Notes:

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In October we ran a live event in partnership with AIB. Entitled 'Exploring the Power of Purpose', Pedro Angulo, AIB's Head of Leadership Development, opened the event with exploration and explanation of the purpose journey AIB has been on over the past few months.

Scott then hosted a panel discussion with a number of C-Suite execs from a mix of global organisations - Denis Doolan, Special Olympics; Alice Mansergh, Google, Tara O'Sullivan, Skillsoft (formerly) and Margot Slattery, Sodexo - each of whom brought their own unique perspectives on what purpose meant to them and their organisations.

The feedback on the event was so positive that we thought we'd release the panel discussion as a podcast episode - here it is!

Show Notes:

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“If you’re going to use words, you might as well use the best ones you can”

John Simmons, has had many roles over his career but they all had one thing in common - a deep-seated passion for the 'joy of language’, as he puts it. Starting his career in the UK's National Economic Development office, John soon moved into the agency world. During that period he worked on many ‘visual identity projects but he always wondered if there was space too for ‘verbal identity? And so the idea of Tone of Voice was born and became a key part of the brand programmes he worked on.

He left the agency in 2004 to work with a range of organisations, helping them to define their tone of voice and has written a number of books on the subject. He’s also written a number of fictional novels and is a member of the Dark Angels collective.

Links:

John's Book, Dark Angels – www.dark-angels.org.uk

Show Notes:

2.00 - A delve into John’s background – 7.40 – What is Tone of Voice? – 10.05 - TOV and internal comms – 11.00 – Tone of Voice, culture and customer experience – 12.40 – Connecting internal and external voice in WHSmith – 15.00 – Closing the gap between the spoken and written word – 18.53 – ToV is about getting the message across effectively – 19.33 – How does a company define its TOV? - 23.10 – Defining tone isn’t about stifling creativity – 24.50 – Using TOV to change the culture in AIB - 30.00 – Bringing together internal and external TOV – 35.00 – Simple steps to a better tone of voice – clarity, personal pronouns and active verbs – 39.30 – Where to go for more on TOV -

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"The mushroom theory of 'feed them $&*% and keep them in the dark' is gone"

Orlaith has had a number of different careers within a career. She started her career as a journalist in local radio and then with RTE before co-founding Gavin Duffy and Associates. Her focus was very much on media relations training, coaching and supporting thousands of business and political leaders. In latter years, however, that naturally broadened out into leadership development, talent development and leadership coaching.

Today, Orlaith is a coach and leadership consultant, spending much of her time coaching leaders and helping businesses to cope with the changing world of work - from working with Millennials and GenZs to maximizing retention, creating purpose and driving career ownership.

Links:

Orlaith's book on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perform-Leader-skills-strategies-where/dp/0993289207/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=orlaith+carmody&qid=1567432991&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Show Notes:

2.00 - A bit about Orlaith – 4.00 – How people feel during transformation is key – 5.40 - What makes a great leader – ‘emotional intelligence and authenticity – 7.05 – The impact of leaders of customer experience – 10.20 – Defining mission, vision, values and purpose isn’t enough – 13.15 – Some thoughts on culture – 16.40 – Leader as a coach (not commander) to engage millennials and GenZ – 19.30 – Practical thoughts on coaching leadership – 22.00 – Getting buy-in to culture change - 28.30 – Authenticity and self-awareness – 42.20 – Orlaith’s advice for himself – ‘You’re capable of so much more that you’ll ever imagine – believe in yourself!’

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"Don’t fall in love with your wins – positively seek out what might kill you next"

If you want to hear from someone with a varied, wide-ranging and interesting career, you need to look no further than Gavin Bate. He's travelled thousands of miles around the world, summited the seven highest summits on the planet, walked across the Sahara (solo!), driven aid trucks in Africa and taught in Kenya's slum schools. And that's only the half of it!

Today, Gavin is an International Mountain Leader, runs Adventure Alternative, which he started in 1991, and is the founder of Moving Mountains Trust, an international charity working with disadvantaged children and communities primarily in Kenya, Tanzania and Nepal. He is also an experienced speaker and lecturer on leadership and leadership psychology, much of the context for which he takes from his experiences in the mountains.

Show Notes:

2.40 - A bit about Gavin – 6.30 – Leadership through climbing – 8.45 - Mindfulness, mental health and getting off the grid – 11.50 – What makes a great leader – ‘know thyself’ – 15.10 – The changing focus on Mountain Guide training – 17.40 – Managing the psychology of men and women and optimal compromise – 19.05 – Transformational leadership and leading from the middle – 21.20 – Hierarchy kills progress – 24.40 – The danger of generational stereotypes – 26.50 – A leader’s role in change – IQ vs EQ vs AQ (adaptability) - 29.00 – Adaptability – ‘What if’ scenario planning - 31.20 – The power of unlearning and heuristic traps – 35.35 – Exploration vs exploitation 38.50 – Silos get in the way of transparency and communication. – 42.20 – Gavin’s advice for himself – ‘Get off your high horse!’

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"If you don’t continually learn how can you grow as a leader?"

Joyce is a career banker with over 20 years of experience in the sector. Deciding that college wasn't for her, she took a role in the Bank of Ireland from school and spent 14 years there before moving to Ulster Bank in 2003. Within a year she became an Area Manager, a role she held for four years before she was asked to set up an Academy for retail staff, her first foray into L&D. A role as Head of Learning for the bank followed in 2009.

In 2018, having spent 10 years evolving the learning offer in Ulster Bank, Joyce became Head of Leadership & Talent. In 2019 she won the Irish Institute of Training and Development's award for Outstanding Individual Contribution.

Show Notes:

2.20 - A bit about Joyce – 7.50 – What makes a leader a great leader – 12.15 - Are leaders born or made – 18.50 – Career playgrounds and lateral moves – 19.50 – The role of L&D in creating great cultures – 20.45 – Culture is a big focus in Irish Financial Services – 22.46 – L&D as a strategic enabler – 23.45 – Chief Meaning Officers and translating strategy – 25.40 – Role of leaders in creating engaging workplaces – 28.00 – A leader’s role in change - 30.00 – How can organisations create strong L&D strategies? FOCUS! 32.30 – Partnership with the business is key to success – 34.00 – You need to ask, ‘How are we building capability? 36.05 – Joyce’s advice for herself – ‘Get up, dress up, show up and never give up.’

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“Anything is possible but not everything is possible”

Straight out of college, Josh fell into accounting (because that's what you did, right?). However, very quickly, he realised that it wasn't for him and it was during those two years that he realised, for many people, work was just not enjoyable. But, having seen and experienced a few moments when people were in their element (or what he refers to as 'having that 'tingly feeling''), he knew there was more that companies and individuals could be doing to get the most from each other.

So his career took a major turn and, today, Josh is an author (with three books under his belt), a speaker and a coach. In this episode, I talked to him about his most recent book, '5 days to your best work yet, a very practical guide and workbook designed to help readers identify what they can do to get more out of work.

Show Notes:

3.20 - A bit about Josh and his background – 8.57 – Josh’s consulting and speaking roles – 10.37 – A bit on the book – 14.30 – Step 1 – ‘What are you best at?’ – 16.40 – We have lots of negative thoughts – 19.25 – ‘Step 2 – What’s your tingly feeling’ – 22.10 – Purpose, engagement and meaningful work – 25.00 – Good work releases good chemicals – 31.00 – Step 3 – ‘Who are you becoming?’ – focus on your efforts – 34.10 – Using the book to take a step back – 36.05 – Josh’s advice for himself – ‘Anything is possible but not everything is possible.’

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Having been exposed to the hospitality sector from a young age (her mother worked in a local Co Limerick hotel), Margot trained initially as a chef before taking a sideways step into hotel and catering management. She spent a number of years working for a contract catering company which was acquired by Sodexo.

She has been at Sodexo ever since, during which time she’s held a number of positions across the company from Operations Manager to Account Director. In 2015 she became Country President, responsible for Sodexo’s 4,000 employees in Ireland and NI. She’s a passionate advocate of the diversity and inclusion agenda, is a member of Sodexo's global LGBT network leadership team, and was the founding chair of Sodexo’s Women Work network.

Show Notes:

2.10 - A bit about Margot and her background – 4.50 – What makes a leader a great leader? – 6.40 – Bringing your whole self to work – 7.40 – The role of diversity in the workplace – 10.30 – Creating conditions for D&I success – 12.40 – Things leaders can do to create inclusive cultures – 15.00 – The importance of defending company values – 18.40 – Diversity is more than just gender – 23.00 – How do leaders keep the plates spinning? – 25.00 – The power of self-awareness – 27.30 – Diversity on boards - 34.30 – Practical advice for building more diverse teams – 36.10 – Margot’s advice for herself – be brave.

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Compared to many, Denis's career has been wide-ranging. It started in London in 1994 where he worked in tech PR before "falling into event management" for the Sydney Olympics. Returning to Ireland in 2001, he continued in that vein before setting up his own consultancy, running strategic planning, project management and leadership development programmes for a range of commercial and non-profit clients. When Denis was offered the chance to become interim MD of the Special Olympics Europe-Eurasia region in 2011, he seized the opportunity.

He has since gone on to take a global role with responsibility for operational and leadership development. The Leadership Academy he and his team set up has been recognized by a number of bodies and his current focus is looking at the role leadership plays in sustainability, inclusion and driving change.

Show Notes:

2.30 - A bit about Denis and his career – 5.35 – Creating a focus on Leadership development - 9.50 –What makes a leader a great leader? – 14.30 – The importance of humility – 16.30 – Inclusive leadership and creating more diverse leaders - 22.25 – Organisations can benefit significantly from more inclusive environments – 25.10 – The role of leaders during change, listening and the power of visibility - 28.14 – Consistent leadership in tough times is key – 30.00 – Being clear during change – Mandela and Trump – 33.00 - Are you a hub or a bridge? Hermione Ibarra – 34.55 – Dan Pink and the power of ‘endings’ – 36.30 – More inclusion and sustainable leadership is the future - 39.50 - Denis’s Leadership role models – 42.10 – Denis’s advice for himself – focus on personal styles

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Born in County Down, Julie’s career in business started early in life. Her father was a poultry farmer and retailer and, in many ways, that started to shape her views of business from an early age. She studied business in Ulster University before moving to Dublin in the late seventies, a time when things in Northern Ireland were pretty lean but foreign direct investment in the Republic was beginning to build.

Since then, she has spent 30 years in the Irish Development Authority and Enterprise Ireland, both semi-state government agencies. She has been CEO at the latter since 2013 during which time the agency has supported hundreds of indigenous Irish companies, creating tens of thousands of jobs. Julie is a strong supporter of initiatives that drive diversity and is a champion for women engaging at all levels in the public and private sectors.

Show Notes:

1.50 – Julie’s start in life, the family business and supporting Irish business – 4.40 – What does Enterprise Ireland’s support look like? – 5.13 – Supporting clients through leadership development – 6.30 – The challenges of Brexit for business – 8.30 – What makes a great leader - vision, ambition, energy, passion and purpose– 11.35 – Irish companies are coming out of the shadow of multinationals – 15.30 – A leader’s role during change – 17.55 – Milestones during change are key - We need to rethink the purpose and HOW of virtual meetings

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A lecturer in his early career, Nick’s first foray into ‘practical communications’ was as a speechwriter for the Governor of Virginia. In 1997 he went on to found Public Words, a consultancy with a mission to improve the world of professional communication in which he has worked with CEOs from most of the Fortune Top 50, a number of Heads of State and a US President or two (he wouldn't tell us who!)

I met Nick at the launch of his newest book 'Can you hear me? : How to connect with people in a virtual world'. As the use of smartphones, teleconference, video conference and email continues to explode in business, Nick explores the impact that's having on the quality and impact of our communications. He shares the top five challenges he identified in his research and offers some ideas on how to mitigate them.

Show Notes:

2.24 – Nick’s background – 4.40 – …and his commercial experience – 5.40 – Why he wrote the book – 7.35 – Challenge 1 – lack of feedback in digital communication – 10.05 – Not noticing a Brazilian earthquake! – 12.05 – The brain processes Why before How/What – 12.35 – Recipients need to provide feedback, but it’s tough at first – 14.00 – We need to rethink purpose and HOW of virtual meetings – 15.40 – Challenge 2 – lack of feedback = lack of empathy - 18.20 – actively increasing feedback can help to avoid hostility – 20.24 – Trust is very fragile in the virtual world, we’re quick to judge – 25.30 – Challenge 3 – lack of control over your persona – 29.10 - Challenge 4 – Lack of emotion (which makes it hard to make good decisions) – 35.00 - We have to get better at expressing intent to be better understood – 36.24 - Challenge 5 – Lack of connection – means relationships are more fragile – 37.25 - How do we address these issues? - 37.45 – Get better at storytelling, be authentic and vulnerable – 40.30 – Find out how people feel - 43.10 – Use emojis and emoticons to introduce ‘body language’! – 46.00 – Nick’s advice to himself – ‘find your own way’

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Having started her career at Dermot Desmond's NCB stockbrokers, Carmel very quickly moved through the ranks before moving out of research and into PR. Over the next 12 years, she worked her way through the Irish PR scene with stints in Edelman, Text 100 and Keatings. In 2001 she set up her own consultancy - Gemini Consulting.

It was then that she met Jonathan Irwin, founder of the Jack and Jill Foundation. The foundation supports families who have children with suffer severe intellectual and physical disability to be able to keep their children at home. Today they support 350 families across Ireland. Following a period as interim CEO, Carmel took up the role on a permanent basis in January 2019. You can find out more at www.jackandjill.ie

Show Notes:

0.00 – Charity in the Irish context - 2.10 – Carmel and NCB stockbrokers – 4.30 – From research to PR – 10.51 – Gemini Consulting and work-life blend – 13.15 – An intro to Jonathan Irwin and Jack & Jill – 16.15 – Having a strong purpose and making a difference – 22.30 – Balancing fundraising with nursing – 26.50 – The impact of emotional stories – 33.00 – Humility and vulnerability in leaders - 34.30 – Carmel’s role models – 31.55 – Carmel’s advice to herself

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By her own admission, Jeni’s career journey has been a meandering one. Following an Arts degree from University College Dublin she completed a Masters in European Studies. Her career started in the voluntary sector before a move into IBEC - Ireland's largest business lobby group - a role "that was a real apprenticeship". It was in that role that she started to think about HR and how businesses can drive success through their people.

She held a number of HR positions before joining Openet in 2015 where she is responsible for looking at how structures, systems and people can support and deliver on the company's overall vision and purpose.

Show Notes:

2.35 – Jeni, her career and Openet – 7.30 – Bringing culture to life through change – 11.20 – Values, behaviours and culture – 14.15 – Leading change – behaviours vs tasks – 13.50 – Carrots or sticks to motivate change– 18.00 – Leadership’s contextual - not everyone is a leader all the time – 23.18 – the purpose of leadership is to grow leaders – 24.00 – Leaders must have opinion and conviction - 24.30 – Forging leaders – 25.00 – it’s easy to overthink ‘leading’ – 26.54 – A leader’s role during change – 31.55 – Jeni’s advice to herself

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Helen started her career as a primary school teacher. However, with a class of 43 four-year-old boys, she realized pretty quickly that perhaps that wasn't the career for her! So, she went back to college to study computer science before going on to work in a number of software firms. And it was there that she found HR, "before there were really careers in HR".

Helen has now worked in HR for over 20 years with brands including GE, Andal Fujitsu, Dell and Oracle before she joined Google in 2010. As Director of People Operations, Helen is responsible for both Dublin's 8,000 employees and the Finance team across all of EMEA, roles she moves between on a daily basis.

Show Notes:

1.45 – Helen’s Career and a bit about Google – 4.00 – 15 years of Google in Ireland – 4.50 – The cultural melting pot – 9.40 – What make a leader in Google – 13.50 – Individual contributors vs people leaders – 16.00 – Engaging staff and providing feedback is key – 19.15 – Thoughts on millennials – 23.30 – A leader’s role during change – 26.53 – Helen’s leadership role models – 34.45 – Advice Helen would give herself.

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Over his 30 year career in consumer marketing, Colin worked across a range of sectors from alcohol and tobacco to healthcare and soft drinks. He is a Board member of Bord Bia’s (The Irish Food Board) Consumer Foods Board.

For the past 13 years, he has been CEO of Glanbia Consumer Foods, Ireland's largest food producer. The company boasts some of Ireland's best-known food brands including Avonmore and Kilmeaden cheese and sells close to 2.5m items per day. He lives for marketing and sales and is a strong believer in the power of storytelling and aligning staff with the overall strategy. I spoke to him just before Christmas, a busy time for cream it appeared!

Show Notes:

3.20s – Colin’s background, marketing and Glanbia – 10.00 – What makes a Glanbia Leader great – 11.35 – Define your strategy and stick to it – 14.30 – The role of leaders in communicating strategy – 18.40 – Engagement and celebration are key – 20.15 – Ensuring all staff are aligned is key – regardless of their location – 22.00 – The importance of the ACTUAL customer – 25.40 – Staff or customer first? – 27.15 – The importance of trust – 29.00 - Colin’s role models – 34.45 – Colin’s advice to his 20-year-old self – ‘spend more time educating yourself'

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Des has worked in financial services for over 30 years, "both as a banker and leader" as he puts it. Having spent most of his career working in Ireland, his more recent experience is in the UK, as MD of First Trust Bank (AIB's Northern Irish subsidiary) and, more recently, as CEO of Cumberland Building Society in NW England.

He is someone that relishes the challenge of change and, in this episode, we spoke to Des at the start of Cumberland's change journey - a journey made somewhat trickier by the fact that there was no obvious 'burning platform'. We'll talk to Des again later in 2019 to see how his change plan is progressing and what he's learned along the way.

Show Notes:

2.00s – Des’s background and a bit on Cumberland – 3.22 – Purpose and values matter – 5.00 – Listening to Cumberland’s people – 7.10 – Where’s the business today? – 11.30 – What does the change journey look like? – 14.20 – Creating a case for change in a healthy company – 19.00 – Communicating to get people comfortable with change – 20.40 – Being transparent – literally! – 22.30 – Looking at leadership outside the office – 24.30 – The role of people leaders during change – 23.00 – the roles of leaders during change is fundamental – 29.00 – What’s gone wrong so far? – 31.30 –Des’ role models – 34.45 – Des’ advice to his 20-year-old self – ‘nobody gives you self-confidence’

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Over a 25 year career in PermanentTSB, Ger worked his way from bank teller to the role of HR Director. This was the first time in its 200 year history that the bank appointed an HR Director from a non-HR background.

His commercial background allowed him to open doors to parts of the organisation that, previously, HR hadn't felt equipped or confident to approach. And it gave him an understanding of the business that allows the HR team to connect enable and build capability that connects with people across the organisation in a much more meaningful way.

Show Notes:

1.20s – Ger’s career history – 2.40 – Bringing the voice of the customer inside – 5.00 – developing a strong leadership culture through the business – 6.28 – Line managers’ role in Big HR – 8.40 – Character, Competence and Connection make a great leader - 11.50 – Some thoughts on listening – 14.10 – Balancing the past, with today and the future – 15.00 – Customers don’t and shouldn’t care about siloes – 18.00 – Fear and being inquisitive – 20.00 – Cognitive diversity and creating psychological safety – 23.00 – the roles of leaders during change is fundamental – 25.50 – Permanent TBS’s changing model – 27.20 – Responsibility for culture sits with Executive and Leadership Teams – 28.50 – Ger’s role models – 30.10 – Ger’s advice to his 20-year-old self – ‘understand yourself’

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Between them, Anth and Ollie have over 30 years of experience helping large organisations to create more compelling and human cultures by focusing on internal communications, employee engagement and leadership.

They met when both were working for RSA and, in late 2015, founded Intelligent Emotion to help organisations humanize workplaces for the digital age. They fundamentally believe that tapping into people's emotions at work, providing purpose and supporting that with great leaders, increases pride, drives innovation and, in turn, generates better and more sustainable business results.

Show Notes:

1.35s – A bit of career history and Intelligent Emotion – 3.50 – Bringing human to a digital world – 6.15 – Leaders need to ask for help – 7.30 – Vulnerable leadership – 9.00 – Great leaders - 10.35 – Balancing directive and inclusive leadership – 11.38 – Jazz hands and connecting people to strategy – 13.40 – Start with people’s current reality – 14.40 – Great leaders are curious and open to learning – 16.25 – Defining ‘leader’ and their role in engagement – 17.30 – The Leadership Pie – 19.00 – Is ‘leadership’ noticed as a deliverable? – 19.30 – Engagement isn’t about pizzas, parties and mars bars – 21.05 – The power of objective setting – 21.40 – Shifting from ‘engagement’ being a thing – 24.00 – Using storytelling to show what good looks like - 26.17 – Internal Comms isn’t just for Internal Comms teams! – 31.40 – Leadership role models - 35.50 – ‘Chief Good News Officer’ syndrome – 37.10 – Advice for your 20-year-old selves.

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"Sometimes, your job as a leader is to illuminate corners that people aren’t looking in"

Two years ago Jeff, and his wife Mindi, co-founded Caselden Consulting to focus on the people side of the business, something they're both passionate about. Today they work with companies large and small, in Ireland and further afield, to coach leaders and help teams to be the best they can be.

Prior to this, Jeff spent 18 years in Amazon where he worked in a number of different divisions before coming to Ireland in 2008. In the years since then, he worked in a number of roles, most recently as General Manager where he grew the business from 300 to 1,300 employees.

Key Points:

Trust, Openness, Honesty
It's not about having all the answers
Vulnerability, failure and taking risks
Nurturing culture during growth

Show Notes:

50s – A bit about Jeff and his career – 6.20 – Trust, Openness, Honesty are central to great leaders – 8.10 – Being great isn’t about having all the answers – 9.00 – Diversity is key and the challenge is GOOD – 9.50 – Vulnerability, failure and taking risks - 12.30 – Protecting culture during growth – Amazon Leadership principles – 16.40 – Baking values, principles, purpose and vision into everything is key – 17.30 – Five things leaders need to do during change – 21.50 – Importance of communications and listening – 22.40 – Thoughts on Leaders’ role in engagement – 24.30 – Big surveys with no actions just piss people off – 25.50 – Is too much dialogue a risk? – 28.10 – Jeff’s leadership role models – 32.50 – Jeff’s Leadership advice for himself

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Paul has worked in internal communications for over 20 years - by his own admission, "that was back when internal communications was still a new thing".

He started his career in Barclays where he worked in a number of roles before continuing his career in the Insurance sector with the Prudential, and in mobile telecoms with T-Mobil / EE. He then returned to financial services with RBS to work for the general insurance business before it was floated on the stock market as Direct Line Insurance.

Most recently he was with Rolls-Royce, with a brief to unify people under a new narrative, vision and strategy.

Show Notes:

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Sean held a number of positions at Smurfitt Graduate School of business over his 20-year career there. Most recently he was Director of Marketing, a role he held for 11 years until he retired in 2015. Prior to joining Smurfitt he was Director of Marketing at BUPA Ireland where he was involved in its launch in 1996. He also had significant experience in the food sector having served as a GM and Marketing Director in Waterford Foods (now Glanbia).

When it comes to leadership, he saw the good, the bad and the ugly through his 50-year career.

Show Notes:

1.02 – Sean and his career journey – 1.56 – Good and great leaders – 2.41 – Clarity of purpose is critical – 4.36 – Education is creating better (but perhaps inexperienced) leaders – 5.31 – Leaders sometimes have to make tough calls – 8.41 – Your people know more about customers than you do – 10.01 - Connection to strategy and strategic planning – 12.16 – Creating engaging teams – 13.22 – Management by walking about – 15.41 – Don’t tell lies! – 18.11 – Avoiding reputational impact – 20.11 – Leading through change –23.31 – Sean’s leadership role models – 26.46 –Sean’s advice for his 20-year-old self – know what you don’t know.

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Tom has worked in communications for over 20 years. He started his career in PR working with brands like Microsoft, Intel and Gateway before, in the late 1990s with the advent of the Irish tech boom, turning his attention to tech startups, working in Iona, Marrakech and Cape Clear.

In 2005 he joined Microsoft Ireland before moving to HQ in Seattle in 2009. He's worked in a number of roles in PR and CSR and, more recently, in internal communications, where he's played a key role in driving global change for 15,000 staff across 140 countries in Microsoft Services.

For more on Tom's career, see his LinkedIn profile here.

Show Notes:

58s – A bit about Tom and his career journey – 3.33 – Getting people involved in change – 4.35 – We will use AI but there’s always a role for people – 6.00 – Managing change for 15,000 people – 7.35 – Case for change, over-communicating and vision – 9.40 – Getting your people on board – 10.50 Change is a journey, not a straight A to B – 12.50 – Handling uncertainty – 13.30 – The role of leaders – 15.15 – Upskilling leaders in communications – 16.30 – Being a people manager is hard work! – 17.50 – Planning comms during long term change – 19.00 – Involving people shows they have a voice – 20.00 – The power of storytelling during change – 24.00 – Tom’s leadership role models – 26.35 –Tom’s advice for his 20-year-old self – keep learning and look at things differently

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Orlagh has worked in HR and organisational change for more years than she cared to admit to in this week's interview :-). She started her career in Retail and FMCG before moving into Financial Services as Group HRD in RSA. She then returned to Ireland to become Chief People Officer in AIB and, more recently, interim HRD in Virgin Media Ireland.

She set up Human Leadership in 2018 to help organisations thrive in the changing world of work by focusing on leadership and the role of human qualities in the digital era.

For more on Orlagh and on Human Leadership see her website - www.human-leadership.com

Show Notes:

58s – A bit about Orlagh her work, clients, kids and a crazy dog! – 2.20 – Human Leadership – 5.52 –Everybody in business wants to feel as though they’re playing a part – 3.57 – There are opportunities for human characteristics in the digital age – 5.50 – The changing nature of the world of work – 6.20 – What makes a leader a great leader – 12.00 – The education system needs to support a new way of learning – 13.15 – How does a leader create an engaging workplace? – 17.30 – The role of leader as a communicator during change – 19.40 – The power of connection and purpose – 21.30 – Helping leaders to translate strategy – 23.50 – Unearthing compelling stories in RSA – 24.50 – An Post getting stories to postal staff – 26.00 – Stories build pride – 26.30 – Orlagh’s leadership role models – 28.00 – We’re all works in progress and just need to be the best version of ourselves. – 29.50 – Orlagh’s advice for her 20-year-old self – You don’t need to do it all.

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15 years ago, around her kitchen table, Alison co-founded The Storytellers with a plan to help organisations communicate their strategy and vision in a more emotionally compelling way. Since then, they've applied their storytelling framework to over 170 multi-nationals across the globe. Alison and her team have seen the power of a great story and, when it's supported by emotionally engaging leaders and continuous reinforcement through real-life stories, the positive impact it can have on business performance.

To find out more about Alison you can view her profile on LinkedIn.

Show Notes:

1.07s – The Storytellers, Cromwell Place, Lavery, Collins, Churchill and the Anglo-Irish Agreement – 3.12 – A bit about The Storytellers and bringing strategy to life emotionally – 5.52 –Everybody in business wants to feel as though they’re playing a part – 8.02 – Leaders struggle to understand why and how strategy is relevant to them – 9.22 – Stories and strong leadership are key drivers of engagement – 9.57 – Building authenticity and credibility – 11.07 – Bringing your whole self to work and hiding behind language – 12.42 – Storytelling takes courage and guidance but it’s in us – 13.52 – How do you create a narrative - 16.22 – Structure is key – beginning, middle and end; how what and why – 18.52 – It shouldn’t be pages and pages of content – 19.57 – How do you bring it to life through an organisation. Leaders are key – 22.02 – Using champions to get the story out – 23.32 – The comms team has an important part to play – 24.22 – Stories help to identify unsung heroes – 26.12 – Kerry Foods – keeping the story alive – 30.52 – To be credible, processes need to be aligned to your story.

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Harry has worked with words for many years. He started life as an editor before joining London-based agency 'The Writer' in response to an advert that called out their mission 'to stop the tyranny of linguistic mediocrity'. Six months ago he became Monzo Bank's writer though, as he says himself, "Everyone here is a writer, I've just got the job title".

To find out more about Harry you can view his profile on Linkedin. To have a look at Monzo's tone of voice and to read more about 'active language monkeys', see www.monzo.com/toneofvoice.

Show Notes:

0.00 – Strong parallels between leadership in sport and business – 50s – A bit about Mike over 20 years – 1.50 – Coaching, winning and Welsh Valleys – 3.05 –A career-changing injury and a move into coaching – 4.05 – A course doesn’t mean you know everything – 4.20 – Vision is fine but alignment and communication is key to success – 6.30 – A focus on what to maintain and what to work on – 6.59 – “I’m going to coach Wales”, declare your intentions to the universe – 9.50 – Looking to your team for answers – 11.00 – Sometimes the answers come from the least expected places – 16.35 – Formal vs informal leaders – 17.35 – Recognising talent in your team – 18.20 – Respect, recognition and unity – 21.20 – The tiny things make a difference – 22.40 – Creating team vision and aligning practices to it W.A.L.E.S – 27.40 - Attitude. What are your trademarks? - 30.00 – Mike’s advice for his 20-year-old self – Just be you and 'bouncebackability’!

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Harry has worked with words for many years. He started life as an editor before joining the London-based agency 'The Writer' in response to an advert that called out their mission 'to stop the tyranny of linguistic mediocrity'. Six months ago he became Monzo Bank's writer though, as he says himself, "Everyone here is a writer, I've just got the job title".

To find out more about Harry you can view his profile on Linkedin. To have a look at Monzo's tone of voice and to read more about 'active language monkeys', see www.monzo.com/toneofvoice.

Show Notes:

1.07 – A bit about Harry – 3.30 – Monzo – the digital bank that lives in your phone – 5.00 – Why does a company need to define the tone of voice – 8.30 –Tone of voice isn’t about turning the staff into automatons – 10.18 – Tone of voice guidelines vs rules – 11.43 – Creating Monzo’s tone of voice - 15.40 – Monkeys and avoiding the passive voice – 18.35 – The ‘read aloud and listen’ test – 19.35 – We should write as we speak – 20.50 – The problem with ‘professional’ writing - 21.55 – Building trust through human writing – 22.55 – Embedding tone of voice across your business – 24.17 – Giving people skills and confidence – 26.37 – Making it real through examples – 27.50 – Prove it works – 28.40 - Going public with the tone of voice – 29.45 – The benefits (and pitfalls) of lifting another’s the tone of voice

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Tara has over 25 years of experience in tech marketing, Today, at Skillsoft, the world's largest e-learning company, she has a diverse portfolio including branding, corporate marketing, communications and product marketing.

She's also a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

For more on Tara's experience click here to view her profile on Linkedin. Tara also talked about Google's 'Just not Sorry' plugin for Chrome - there's a bit more on that here.

Key Points:

Leaders with authenticity and focus
What you love doing maybe it isn’t here.
Gender imbalance, Starbucks and conscious bias
Cementing recall with stories
Sponsors vs mentors
Cheryl Sandberg, Plan B and pivoting in life

Show Notes:

1.15 – A bit of background on Skillsoft – 2.35 – Internal communications to enable sales– 4.00 – Authenticity, focus and knowing when to offer support – 6.07 – The problem with office politics – 7.50 People should love what they do – maybe it isn’t here. – 9.10 – A leader’s role is to clear a path - 10.40 – addressing gender imbalance, Starbucks and conscious bias – 17.30 – The changing role of learning in business to increase learning and recall – 13.45 – Cementing recall with stories – 17.40 – Providing specific learning for female High Potentials - 22.50 – Personal development, your interests and a focus on ‘making you a better you’ – 24.38 – Democratisation of leadership and training at the moment of need – 27.30 – Sponsors vs mentors – 28.50 – Cheryl Sandberg, Plan B and pivoting in life – 30.50 – Jack Welsh and efficiency - 31.14 - ‘You are enough’ – confidence and doing it your own way.

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By his own admission, Pedro's purpose throughout his career- or his 'set of experiences' as he describes them - has been to help people to grow, develop and become the very best that they can be.

In his role in AIB, Pedro is responsible for Leadership Development, something he says companies aren't just talking about now, but are actually focused on. Outside of AIB, he is President of the Irish Chapter of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council).

Click here for more on Pedro's career and experience or read his Irresistible Leaders post.

Show Notes:

1.30 – Pedro on his purpose and career – 3.00 – There’s a clear trend towards a focus on developing leaders – 4.28 – Focusing on staff to get the most for customers – 5.15 – ‘Irresistible Leaders’, emotional bonds and empowerment – 8.45 – ‘Inspirare’ – breathing life into teams – 10.30 – Leadership is easy, the ‘practice’ of leadership is the hard bit – 12.20 – Being happy failing and failing quickly - 16.30 – Don’t just look for process followers, look for problem solvers – 17.45 – Bring customer experience to life in the day-to-day - 18.30 – Leader’s role in creating an engaging workplace – 23.00 – Stories, culture and purpose – 24.15 – Staff bringing purpose to life in Disney – 26.10 – Great leaders are great storytellers – 26.40 – Change, Rosabeth Moss Kanter and communication – 28.40 – The 4P’s of change – 30.00 – Lack of clarity impacts performance – 31.08 – Pedro’s advice for his 20-year-old self.

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Throughout his career, Eric has worked in tech roles both in startups and in large multinationals. He has worked for brands including TomTom, Gilt Groupe and, most recently, Zalando, the German online fashion retailer. In Zalando, Eric, along with his 500-strong tech team, is responsible for tech infrastructure and systems across the business.

As someone who started his career with little respect for 'management', Eric is now an advocate of strong, human leadership.

Show Notes:

1.25 – Eric talking about Montana, the SIMMS, respect for management and GILT Group – 4.10 – Moving from being a specialist to being a leader – 4.33 – In tech start-ups, profitability and delivery is key but leadership’s critical– 6.08 – Great leaders are human, great at simplifying and communicating – 9.18 – ‘Junior leaders need to have basic comms skills – 10.14 – Zalando’s Tech Constitution – rethinking how individuals, teams and the company should behave – 12.14 – Creating a culture where its OK to say ‘you’re wrong’, Ford’s Pinto and Intel’s repositioning – 15.55 – Creating cultures and environments where you fail and learn – 16.40 - It’s important to take the right risks in order to grow – 18.10 – when failure does happen they’re asked to teach others how to ensure it doesn’t happen again - 19.10 – being comfortable sharing stories of success and failure to make the company better – 20.25 – Leader’s role is to help bring their people through their change curves - 22.30 – communicate, communicate, communicate during change – 23.15 – Finding early adopters who can support the team – 24.28 – successful change can bring people together – 25.20 – Eric’s leadership role models, learning, humour and psychological safety – 29.05 – Respect leadership sooner but don’t get into it sooner! Learn ‘just in case’ not ‘just in time’.

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Michael started his marketing career in the US working with brands like GE, Harley Davidson, American Airlines and FAO Schwarz. He founded Dialogue Group in 1990 and, 12 months ago, with a renewed focus on his customer experience roots, transitioned Dialogue into The CX Company. The CX Company runs an annual customer experience survey and works with Irish-based companies to improve their own levels of customer service.

For more - and to download their CX reports - go to www.thecxcompany.com.

Show Notes:

1.45 – Michael’s career, GE, Harley-Davison and FAO Schwartz – 2.16 – Dialogue and the evolution into customer experience (CX) – 3.50 – 2017 results and what differentiates top from the bottom – 7.10 – The role of leaders in building CX culture (the CEO is key!) – 8.20 – ‘The customer is #1’ – a disconnect in organisations – 9.40 – Biggest blocker to excellent CX is politics – 12.40 - Geoff Bezos and the ‘customer’ chair in the boardroom – 13.30 – Richard Branson’s ‘staff first, not the customer’ – 19.10 - Really great companies hire people who give a damn! – 20.14 – Zappos Culture School – 20.30 – The impact of poor customer experience – 22.55 – Customer experience vs customer service – 24.50 – Customer expectation dictates customer experience – 25.55 – High expectations of a consistent CX – 27.10 – Involving your people is central to CX culture – 29.57 – The impact of emotion – 32.30 – Leading with respect and being brave.

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Feargal Quinn founded the Superquinn supermarket chain in Ireland and has spent his life championing customer service.

He was an Irish Senator, worked in television and has written a number of internationally published books. His 1992 book 'Crowning the Customer' has sold more than 50,000 copies and been translated into French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, and a host of other languages.

Show Notes:

1.10 - Red Island and the start of a customer service journey – 3.37 - Keep them coming back, the Boomerang Principle - 4.30 - Self-service supermarkets and basket ‘theft’ – 7.00 – The Dundalk Cornflake War - 10.20 - People, service culture an having fun – 11.40 – An elephant in Sutton – 12.50 – hiring for attitude, not experience - 16.52 - The power of words, ‘support office’ and ‘colleagues’ - 18.15 - Leadership and visibility are key - 19.20 - Stand-up meetings - 21.20 - Building pride and connecting staff to the company - 23.15 - Going the extra mile - 24.20 - Leadership isn’t just from above - 25.10 - Mentoring in Superquinn, not rules but ethos – 26.40 - Holding up a mirror to bad behaviour – 30.00 The tough job of telling family and colleagues about the sale of Superquinn - 33.34 - Feargal’s role models - 36.14 - Feargal’s advice for his 20-year-old self

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Since 2005, Fionnuala has worked in Google's Dublin office. And as she says herself, at the beginning of Google's Irish journey, that meant her working 'wherever I needed to be' - in project management, telecoms and learning & development.

Today Fionnuala is VP EMEA in Google Marketing Solutions, helping SMEs and agencies to 'stay ahead of the curve in online'. She is also Site Lead in Dublin, tasked with creating a strategy to ensure that the staff feel connected to each other, to US colleagues and to the local community.

As promised in the audio, here's the view from Fionnuala's window! :-)

Show Notes:

1.01 - Tell me a bit about you and about Google – 01.43 – Eventually settled into Google Marketing Solutions - 02.15 – working with SMEs to help them stay ahead of the curve in online – 03.15 – Took on the site lead role a year ago, how do we stay connected as a site – 04.01 – Adwords – what’s it all about? - 05.30 – What makes Google such an aspirational brand to work for? – 06.20 – a relentless focus on Google’s mission – 07.30 – A huge amount of data drives what its like to work in Google - 08.40 – A good manager in Google is based on very specific traits – 09.13 – Psychological safety – 10.30 – Leaders as communicators – 11.15 – Cascading works! – 13.17 – Leaders need to own the cascade and listen – 14.40 – ‘Millenials’ are a ‘thing’ - there are similarities to other generations – 16.20 - …but leaders have to work harder and be more emotional – 17.25 – Managing millennials is harder in older organisations – 18.40 – Managing multi-generational teams – 19.28 – Leadership here is a privileged role – 20.30 – Advice for organisations with multi-generational workforces, consistency is key – 22.10 – Involve millennials in problem-solving and listen to them – 23.56 – Employee Engagement – we still have to work at it - 25.00 – Consistency in messaging is important – 26.40 – I don’t role model people, but values – 29.00 What are Fionnuala’s values? – 30.15 – What Leadership advice would Fionnuala give her 20-year-old self.

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"It's OK for you to tell your team how you're feeling as you’re going through change"

Lisa has worked in HR for nearly 25 years during which time she has spent time in the telecoms, financial services and food sectors.

She has worked with Nortel, the Canadian telecoms company and went through the good and the bad times with AIB. 18 months ago, Lisa joined Ornua, the Irish food and ingredients company as Head of Talent Acquisition & Development, as it goes on an ambitious journey to become a €3bn company by 2021.

Getting the right people in the right roles doing the right things is a key deliverable on that journey.

Show Notes:

00.39 - Tell me a bit about Ornua - 01.36 ...and a bit about you Lisa - 02.30 - Irish food industry is an interesting place to be at the moment - 03.12 - What makes a great leader? - 04.10 - Leaders who lead from behind - 05.00- What can a good leader do to promote entrepreneurialism? - 05.50 - Trust is key - but commitment is expected, and the bar is high - 06.35 - Our customer dynamic is a bit strange - competitors could also be customers or suppliers - 08.30 - What do leaders need to do to create an engaging place to work? Clarity direction and stretch - 09.30 - Leadership and engagement is a journey (without an end!) - 11.00 - David Duffy - I don't have all the answers but I have people who do - 12.50 - Role of the leader as a communicator, particularly during change - 14.10 - Storytelling - it's a skill - not many leaders do it naturally - 15.15 - Change must be a combination of big picture strategic comms AND local leader interpretation to bring relevance - 17.00 - Challenges of dispersed staff groups and how you communicate with them - 19.06 - Building pride among your staff - 19.50 - 'With heart' - The power of culture and corporate values - 22.15 - How do you bring Values to life in Ornua? - 24.38 - Who are your leadership role models? - 25.30 - CEO is critical in shaping the culture in an organisation - 27.10 - Advice for your 20-year-old self - it's not just about you, it's worth thinking before jumping and you can always learn from others

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Declan is a 20-year finance sector veteran who has worked in many roles in the UK, Japan and, most recently, in Ireland where he's the MD of IG Ireland, Founded in 1974 and now, with offices in 14 countries and over 1000 staff, IG is a global leader in online trading.

The 11 years he spent living and working in Japan as MD of Nichiai KK - a consultancy with extensive experience in helpdesk and graphic design/marketing operations - gave him a unique insight into Japanese culture and business.

In this edition of Inspiring Change Podcast, among other themes Declan Bourke, MD of IG Ireland touches on:

Company values, how IG Ireland created its values and how leaders are bringing them to life for teams around the world.

The importance of communication and how, that can (and should) be both top-down and bottom-up The critical role of leaders during times of change - and that's not just hierarchical leaders - "you don't need a title to be a leader", says Declan.

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