The Business of Being Brilliant: Recent Episodes
Helen Beedham
Organisational expert Helen Beedham explores the human side of work and how to create organisations where everyone can flourish.
What does it really mean to be fearless at work and is it about confidence, risk-taking, privilege, or something deeper? In this episode, Helen Beedham sits down with globally recognised tech founder, author, CEO, and World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, Soulaima Gourani, to rethink what it means to dance through life and career challenges, rather than simply climb ladders. Together, they unpack how setbacks, risk, and an authentic sense of self can fuel our most brilliant moves in business and beyond.
Helen and Soulaima explore:
⭐️ How to view life and career as a dance, not a ladder, and turn adversity into unconventional opportunities.
⭐️ The “8% Rule”, where Soulaima says yes to things when she understands just 8% of them, trusting her intuition and energy rather than waiting to be “fully ready.”
⭐️ How to keep imposter syndrome in check by reframing failures and openly sharing challenges.
⭐️ How to be guided by what truly energises you and using that when weighing up big decisions.
⭐️ How to create your own opportunities and networks instead of waiting for invitations, and to avoid measuring your own self-worth against others.
About Soulaima Gourani:
Soulaima Gourani dropped out of school in 7th grade, left home at 13, and grew up in foster care. Today, she’s a globally recognized tech entrepreneur, WEF Young Global Leader, Thinkers50 honoree, and former UN Women’s Advisor. With a background in SaaS sales and jobs at Maersk, Microsoft, and HP, she has since mentored TED Fellows, founded award-winning companies, and been named one of the Top 100 Women in Tech and "40 under 40."
An MBA from CBS and with executive education from Harvard, Wharton, Yale, and 10+ global institutions, Soulaima has lectured at HKS, CBS, LBS, HULT, and more. Currently nominated for Global Tech Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 and 100 Reputable Women of African Descent, she’s on a mission to eliminate barriers and radically improve people's quality of life.
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
What does freedom at work mean to you? Take my short survey here.
Pre-order my new book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free (out Jan 2026) and become a book supporter to gain exclusive book-related invitations and offers.
Follow Soulaima on Linked In.
Happioh’s website.
Loved this episode?
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How is AI impacting our jobs, careers, and sense of purpose at work? Who stands to win or lose as the pace of change accelerates? In this episode Helen Beedham chats to Rob Garlick, author, consultant, and former Head of Innovation & Technology at Citi Global Insights, to unpack how artificial intelligence is reshaping opportunities, job quality, and the very skills we need to succeed, whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned leader.
Together, Helen and Rob explore:
⭐️ How AI is already altering job availability, job quality, who’s most affected and why graduates and tech workers may be the ‘canaries in the coal mine’ for wider workplace shifts;
⭐️ The “conditional optimism” case: why AI’s full benefits might be realised only after navigating painful disruptions;
⭐️ The reality behind the hype around massive productivity gains and job substitution;
⭐️ How younger workers are both disadvantaged and empowered by AI, and why older workers may bring stability and ethical oversight through turbulent times;
⭐️ Practical strategies for pro-human leadership: upskilling and reskilling with purpose, leveraging AI for augmentation (not just substitution), and creating stability and agency at every career stage.
About Rob Garlick:
Rob is an Author, Speaker, Consultant and Coach focused on the implications of AI on work and leadership. His experience includes: 1000’s of meetings with C-suite and top investors globally; a front row seat for most innovation areas in the last 30 years, publishing over 60 papers on innovation topics; and over 100 talks delivered around the world in recent years on the Future of Work. Rob was promoted to Managing Director at Citibank in 2006, and managed, mentored and coached for 20+ years.
With over 30 years of experience in Investment Banking and Fund Management, Robs’ roles included: Head of Innovation & Technology at Citi Global Insights; Head of Citi Research EMEA, leading the team’s (of c.200) rise in the Institutional Investor surveys, from: #7 to #1 in UK, #9 to #2 in Western European, and #7 to #1 globally; Global Product Head at Citi Research; Head of Citi's US Equity Sales desk; TMT sales; Fund Manager. Rob passed the AIIMR (Associate of the Institute of Investment Management & Research) as a prize-winner in Interpretation of Accounts & Corporate Finance. Among other qualifications, Rob holds a BSc (Econ) degree in Accounting and Management, an MSc in Coaching and Behavioural Change and is a qualified Executive Coach.
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
What does freedom at work mean to you? Take my short survey here.
Pre-order my new book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free (out Jan 2026) and become a book supporter to gain exclusive book-related invitations and offers.
Follow Rob Garlick on Linked In here.
Loved this episode?
Follow The Business of Being Brilliant, rate and review the show, and share it with friends and colleagues who care about building brighter, fairer workplaces.
What does “meaningful work” really mean, and why is it so crucial not just for personal fulfilment but for building healthier, higher-performing organisations? In this thought-provoking episode, Helen Beedham is joined by Professor Ying Zhou, Director of the Future of Work Research Centre at the University of Surrey and a leading expert in job quality and employee wellbeing to unpack the latest research, challenge some big myths, and share actionable insights for leaders, managers and anyone curious about cultivating meaning in their working life.
Together, Helen and Ying explore:
⭐️ What meaningful work truly is including both the “self-realisation” (personal fulfilment) and “social justification” (positive societal impact) perspectives and how these ideas differ;
⭐️ The latest UK data on how many of us actually find our work meaningful and where so-called “bullshit jobs” fit into the story;
⭐️ The real drivers of meaningful work, why it’s less about pay, and far more about intrinsic job quality;
⭐ ️ The emerging role of AI and technology: is automation making work more or less meaningful, and how much does it really matter so far?
⭐️ Simple, research-backed advice for managers to boost meaningfulness in their teams, whatever industry you’re in.
Tune in for an evidence-based yet practical episode pulling together robust research, real-world examples, and clear recommendations to help everyone from senior leaders to those just starting out build more meaningful, impactful working lives.
About Professor Ying Zhou
Ying Zhou is Professor of Human Resource Management and Director of the Future of Work Research Centre at the University of Surrey. Her research is focused on job quality, occupation, and employee well-being. She has won research grants from the Economic and Social Research Council, the UK Government, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (with a total of £4.3 million) to analyse job quality and employee well-being in the UK and Europe. Her research has been presented to the UK Cabinet Office, House of Commons, OECD, European Commission, European Council and cited in UK, French, Welsh and EU policy documents. Her research appears in leading academic journals such as the Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Human Resource Management Journal, and the British Journal of Industrial Relations. Ying is a recipient of the Surrey Business School Impact Award and the Academy of Management Overall Best Paper Award. Ying received her MPhil and DPhil in Economic Sociology from Oxford University.
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
What does freedom at work mean to you? Take my short survey here.
Pre-order my new book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free (out Jan 2026) and become a book supporter to gain exclusive book-related invitations and offers.
Follow Professor Ying Zhou on Linked In here.
FInd out more about the Future of Work Research Centre.
Access the 2024 UK Skills Employment Survey.
Loved this episode?
Follow The Business of Being Brilliant, rate and review the show, and share it with friends and colleagues who care about building brighter, fairer workplaces.
What does happiness at work really mean, and how can leaders and managers practically build happier and higher performing teams? In this episode, Helen sits down with Nic Marks, renowned happiness statistician, founder of Friday Pulse, and author of the forthcoming book Happiness is a Serious Business, to debunk myths, share data-led insights, and lay out powerful yet simple actions for improving happiness at work.
Together, they explore:
⭐️ Why happiness isn’t a permanent state or a destination, and how both happiness and unhappiness play valuable, functional roles at work;
⭐️ The “danger” of so-so teams, why feeling just “okay” at work is more risky than temporary unhappiness, and why moving people from "meh" to truly happy is the biggest opportunity for most organisations;
⭐️ The powerful link between regular, weekly happiness check-ins and higher team performance, retention, and lower burnout;
⭐️ The severe underinvestment in people management skills (a staggering 80% of UK managers have never received formal people skills training), and why this is a huge missed opportunity;
⭐️ Simple but transformational weekly habits, like asking three key questions: What went well? Who can you thank? Where are we stuck?—and how these regular practices boost both morale and productivity.
Tune in for a lively, practical, and myth-busting conversation packed with data and tips you can use straight away to make work happier for yourself and those around you.
About Nic Marks - The Happiness Statistician
Nic Marks is a pioneering figure in the field of workplace wellbeing, often described as “The Happiness Statistician” for his unique blend of data and emotional insight. Originally trained in mathematics, statistics, and therapy, he founded the Centre for Wellbeing at the New Economics Foundation, where he developed influential frameworks such as the Happy Planet Index and the Five Ways to Wellbeing. His TED talk on happiness has been viewed millions of times, and he authored one of the first TEDBooks, A Happiness Manifesto.
As founder of Friday Pulse, Nic helps organisations measure and improve team happiness through science-led weekly feedback. His forthcoming book, Happiness is a Serious Business, explores why happy teams perform better—and how leaders can create the conditions for both people and organisations to thrive. He lives near Stonehenge with his wife and is happiest walking chalk paths, listening to music, or occasionally diving into a good dataset.
Links:
Connect with Nic on Nic on LinkedIn
Visit Nic’s website https://nicmarks.org
Find out more about Nic's book Happiness is a Serious Business.
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
What does freedom at work mean to you? Take my short survey here.
Pre-order my new book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free (out Jan 2026) and become a book supporter to gain exclusive book-related invitations and offers.
Loved this episode?
Follow The Business of Being Brilliant, rate and review the show, and share it with friends and colleagues who care about building brighter, fairer workplaces.
Why do so many workplace wellbeing initiatives fall short, and what would it look like if everyone, not just HR or a handful of “champions” were equipped with real wellbeing skills for daily life at work? In this episode, Helen sits down with Thomas Roulet, Professor of Organisational Sociology and Leadership at Cambridge Judge Business School and co-author of the new book Wellbeing Intelligence: Building Better Mental Health at Work, to explore what it truly means to bake wellbeing into the DNA of organisational culture.
Together, they explore:
⭐️ Why leaders often misunderstand the signs of stress and mental health in themselves as just “bodily” symptoms (like tiredness and fidgeting) and why it’s crucial to connect the dots between mind and body
⭐️ The difference between intervention-focused and truly preventative wellbeing strategies at work
⭐️ What “wellbeing intelligence” is and why it should be democratised so everyone can champion mental health, not just a select few
⭐️ How techniques from counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can be simply and practically used by anyone at work, not just professionals
⭐️ The impact of hybrid work, loneliness, and even new workplace technologies like AI on our wellbeing and social connections
⭐️ Culture watch-outs - how even the “best” workplaces can enable burnout when boundaries aren’t protected, and how to spot those early warning signs
⭐️ How to cultivate psychological safety so colleagues feel able to share when their workload is too much (and managers respond with genuine support)
⭐️ Small but mighty actions: from taking real breaks to deleting your email app on holiday, and sharing wellbeing practices with your team
⭐️ Why self-awareness and self-care aren’t ‘nice to haves’, but essential leadership and life skills in an always-on world.
Tune in for a fresh and practical discussion packed with research insights, lived experience, and tips you can use to support your own and others’ wellbeing at work.
About Thomas Roulet
Thomas Roulet is the Professor of Organisational Sociology andLeadership at the Judge Business School, and a Fellow in Psychologyand Behavioural Science at King's College, both at the University ofCambridge.His work focuses on the future of work, mental health in theworkplace, communication and uncertainty management. His comments areregularly featured in the Financial Times, the Economist, Bloomberg,the Telegraph, BBC or Le Monde. He writes a column for Forbes:https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasroulet/ and has a number of papersin the Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review inaddition to his research.In 2024, he was recognised as one of the Young Global Leaders by theWorld Economic Forum, and as an upcoming leadership thinker byThinkers50, MT/Sprout, or Nexxworks. He was made a Mid-Career Fellowof the British Academy in 2023 and Fellow of the Academy of socialsciences in 2025. In 2020, he was named among the 40 Best BusinessSchool Professors below 40, and a Business School Professor to Lookfor by Business Because.
Links:
Connect with Thomas on Linked In.
Discover Thomas’ new book here.
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
What does freedom at work mean to you? Take my short survey here.
Pre-order my new book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free (out Jan 2026) and become a book supporter to gain exclusive book-related invitations and offers.
Loved this episode?
Follow The Business of Being Brilliant, rate and review the show, and share it with friends and colleagues who care about building brighter, fairer workplaces.
How do you create a workplace where company values aren’t just words on a website, but the DNA of how people treat each other and do business every single day? In this episode, Helen talks to David Hutchinson, CEO and Founder of PeopleCheck, a global leader in background screening checks renowned for championing transparency, compliance, and kindness, to uncover what it really takes to build organisations where values come alive in every interaction.
Together, they explore:
⭐️ What genuine, lived values look like beyond the wall posters and marketing blurb
⭐️ Why values aren’t something you work out, but something you build your business around from day one
⭐️ How aligning company and individual values attracts the right people (and deters the wrong fits) at recruitment and beyond
⭐️ Practical ways to embed kindness even in compliance-driven, highly regulated sectors
⭐️ The ‘people glue’ effect: how values enrich every relationship, from employees to suppliers and clients
⭐️ How actions, not words, bring values to life especially in moments of challenge, mistake, or disagreement
⭐️ Building high-trust, highly accountable cultures where transparency and autonomy thrive
⭐️ The role of environment, habit, and leadership in consistently nurturing values,no matter how big or fast you grow
⭐️ Handling ‘value transgressions’, supporting mistakes, and ensuring your standards remain high as teams expand
Make sure you tune into this interesting conversation packed with wisdom, real-life examples, and actionable tips on building organisations where everyone flourishes and where company values are never just an afterthought.
About David Hutchinson
David Hutchinson founded PeopleCheck, a leading digital background screening company that focuses on trust and compliance globally, in 2003. He is an expert in the background screening industry with extensive international experience, having built and led companies in SE Asia, the US and the UK.
David's approach to business emphasizes that every area should be "clear, transparent, meaningful and compliant” – supported by great people, smart technology and a consistent focus of responsiveness, discretion, kindness & a deep understanding of context at every stage of the process.
He is committed to setting best practices and maintaining excellence in quality, processes, smart use of technology and proper compliance.
David has served on the Global Boards of the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) & is also a former Chair of the European PBSA Council.
Under his leadership, PeopleCheck has been "setting the standard and leading the way" in the background screening industry for almost two decades.
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
What does freedom at work mean to you? Take my short survey here.
Pre-order my new book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free (out Jan 2026) and become a book supporter to gain exclusive book-related invitations and offers.
Connect with David on Linked In.
Find out more about People Check here.
Loved this episode?
Follow The Business of Being Brilliant, rate and review the show, and share it with friends and colleagues who care about building brighter, fairer workplaces.
What does it really take to foster genuine critical thinking at work beyond just ‘debate’ or ‘criticism’ and why is it essential in today’s rapidly changing, AI-powered business world? In this episode, Helen talks to Dr. Arlene Egan, CEO of Roffey Park Institute and author of Confidence in Critical Thinking, to unpack how leaders and teams can cultivate curiosity, ask better questions, and build cultures where honest debate, openness, and even vulnerability fuel high performance.
Together, they explore:
⭐️ What ‘critical thinking’ actually means at work and why it’s not the same as being critical or negative
⭐️ Why asking the ‘right’ questions is the crucial starting point for productive thinking and decision-making
⭐️ Practical strategies and meeting tips for teams to surface assumptions, encourage curiosity, and ensure everyone’s solving the same problem;
⭐️ How to move from ‘automatic’ fast thinking to deeper, more effortful reflection, especially when making big decisions
⭐️ The difference between healthy challenge, debate, and unsafe criticism and how leaders can create psychologically safe environments for all perspectives to flourish
⭐️ The impact of generative AI on our capacity (and willingness) to think critically, and why it’s more important than ever to interrogate AI outputs
⭐️ The underrated power of reframing, perspective-switching, and even physically changing your environment to unlock fresh insights
⭐️ Simple tools, question frameworks, and reflection practices you can use right away to strengthen critical thinking in yourself and your team.
Tune in for a thought-provoking, practical discussion about building more open, resilient, and brilliant organisations, one question at a time.
About Dr. Arlene Egan
Arlene has twenty-five years-experience working in leadership and management development. Her experience in delivering development excellence spans executive education, higher education, sport, and local government sectors both in Ireland and internationally. Arlene was awarded a PhD from University College Dublin in Psychology for her work on designing, implementing and evaluating initiatives to enhance critical thinking. This work which built on her MLitt in Sport Psychology provides Arlene with a unique perspective on the link between thinking and performance and provides her with a deep understanding of how thinking can be optimised to promote focused performance.
Arlene has designed and delivered bespoke programmes to enhance leadership practice and organisational function. Her specialist areas include team development, leadership development and performance, motivation, change management, innovation, creativity and critical thinking and has recently released a book aimed at third level educators entitled ‘Confidence in Critical Thinking’. As a consultant, Arlene has worked with Boards, C-Suite, Senior and leadership teams. She specialises in strategic thinking and top team design. She advises on organisational performance and culture and identifies the right learning environment to promote engagement and development within organisations.
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
What does freedom at work mean to you? Take my short survey here.
Pre-order my new book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free (out Jan 2026) and become a book supporter to gain exclusive book-related invitations and offers.
Connect with Arlene on Linked In.
Find out more about Roffey Park here.
Discover Arlene’s book ‘Confidence in Critical Thinking’ here.
Loved this episode?
Follow The Business of Being Brilliant, rate and review the show, and share it with friends and colleagues.
What does it really mean to fuse purpose and performance at work, and why does it matter for both organisations and individuals? In this episode, Helen sits down with Madhavi Bhasin, global HR leader and Head of Purpose-Driven Performance at Udemy, the AI-powered skills development platform, to explore how companies can put employees’ sense of meaning and fulfillment at the heart of high performance without compromising results.
Together, they chat about:
⭐️ What “purpose-driven performance” really means and how to make it more than just a company catchphrase;
⭐️ Practical tools and examples for managers to reframe performance reviews, including powerful questions to put employees’ experiences at the centre;
⭐️ What it takes to change ingrained habits and enable more human conversations at work;
⭐️ The “muscle building” process: how Udemy is iteratively training and supporting managers to master more empathetic, people-focused conversations;
⭐️ How purpose and high performance work hand-in-hand, shifting from compliance-driven reviews to collaborative goal-setting and a shared vision;
⭐️ Real-life feedback and early signals from Udemy’s new system, including rising manager effectiveness scores and greater clarity about goals;
⭐️ Why everyone regardless of industry role or seniority should regularly reflect on their legacy and what makes work truly fulfilling.
Tune in for a fresh, practical take on redesigning performance management that unlocks engagement, clarity, and impact for everyone involved.
About Madhavi Bhasin
Madhavi is a leader in the Human Resources space for over 15 years with experience in leading People Teams, organizational and individual capacity building programs across the globe. In starting her career with academic research and navigating through non-profit and consulting space, Madhavi brings a systems centric view to solving organizational challenges. According to Madhavi, any organization's unique competitive advantage is their talent and thriving teams are the easiest way to achieve organizational goals. She works to ensure that business outcomes are driven by talent strategies and equitable processes. Madhavi was born and raised in India and has lived in the San Francisco Bay for the past 17 years.
Connect with Madhavi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madhavi-bhasin/
Explore Udemy, the AI-powered skills development platform: www.udemy.com
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
What does freedom at work mean to you? Take my short survey here.
Pre-order my new book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free (out Jan 2026) and become a book supporter to gain exclusive book-related invitations and offers.
Loved this episode?
Follow The Business of Being Brilliant, rate and review the show, and share it with friends and colleagues who care about building brighter, fairer workplaces.
What does workplace fairness actually mean and how do we tackle unfairness in practical, evidence-based ways? In this episode, Helen speaks to Siri Chilazi, senior researcher at Harvard Kennedy School's Women and Public Policy Program and co-author of Make Work Fair: Data-Driven Design for Real Results, to get to the heart of how organisations can create truly fair environments where everyone has an equal chance to succeed to their full potential.
Together, they discuss:
⭐️ What “fairness at work” really means, using powerful metaphors and examples.
⭐️ The everyday systems and processes that unintentionally create inequities like biased hiring, promotion gaps, and selective exposure to stretch assignments.
⭐️ Why fairness benefits everyone, not just underrepresented groups.
⭐️ Why traditional “add-on” DE&I programmes (like unconscious bias training) often fall short and how making fairness intrinsic to day-to-day processes is far more effective.
⭐️ Practical, scientific strategies: using data and behavioural science to identify, track, and tackle hidden inequalities.
⭐️ Real-world examples of simple but powerful organisational experiments from standardising interviews to tweaking feedback emails that have measurable impact.
⭐️ What leaders at all levels (not just the C-suite) can do to drive fairness in their own team even if it's just changing the pictures on the wall!
⭐️ How to set targets and measure progress on fairness (and why that clarity matters).
Siri shares personal stories from her own career and highlights from her research, showing how everyone can be an agent for fairer work, no matter your role or seniority. Helen and Siri offer concrete advice and actionable examples for leaders and individuals keen to swap tokenistic programmes for meaningful, systemic change.
Tune in for a lively, myth-busting conversation that will leave you rethinking how to embed fairness practically and sustainably into the heart of your organisation.
About Siri Chilazi
Siri Chilazi is a senior researcher at the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard Kennedy School and an internationally recognised expert in advancing women and promoting gender equity in organisations. As an academic researcher, Siri specialises in identifying practical approaches to close gender gaps at work by de-biasing structures and designing fairer processes. As an advisor and speaker, she collaborates with organisations including start-ups, large multinational companies, top professional services firms, governments, non-profits, and academic institutions to advance gender equity through evidence-based insights. Siri’s work regularly appears in leading media outlets and she has spoken on gender equity at hundreds of large events around the world. Siri is the coauthor, with Iris Bohnet, of Make Work Fair: Data-Driven Design for Real Results (HarperCollins, 2025). She has an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Master in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School, and a BA in Chemistry and Physics from Harvard College.
Learn more at: https://makeworkfair.com
Connect with Siri on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sirichilazi
Link mention: Explore More Than Now, a UK-based behavioural science consultancy helping organisations run internal fairness experiments: https://morethannow.co.uk/
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
What does freedom at work mean to you? Take my short survey here.
Pre-order my new book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free (out Jan 2026) and become a book supporter to gain exclusive book-related invitations and offers.
How do you build a fast-growing, distributed organisation that balances both freedom and consistency and avoids the pitfalls of old-school ‘command and control’ leadership? In this episode, Helen sits down with Amrit Singh, Chief Operating Officer at the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT), to explore exactly what it takes to lead with trust, delegate decision-making and thrive during ambitious, high-speed growth.
Together, they unpack:
⭐️ How the NIoT designed a flexible, regional model with no central “mothership” to attract the best talent nationwide and serve customers better.
⭐️ The reality of merging four distinct organisational cultures whilst launching a startup.
⭐️ Practical strategies for balancing consistency and local autonomy.
⭐️ Why transitioning out of a ‘command and control’ mindset is vital for agility, speed, and well-being.
⭐️What “brilliant failure” looks like in action.
⭐️ Why NIoT is investing in line manager training BEFORE senior leadership programmes.
⭐️ Honest insights into avoiding burnout especially for managers.
Amrit shares candid stories from the NIoT’s whirlwind first years, highlighting what’s worked (and what’s still work-in-progress) in building a distributed, genuinely people-centered organisation from the ground up. You’ll hear actionable advice for any leader who wants to loosen the reins without losing direction and foster a workplace where everyone can flourish.
Tune in for a lively, practical conversation about intentional culture design, making tough choices, and building a culture of trust.
About Amrit Singh
Amrit moved to education in 2020 after a career in financial services, notably as Finance Director for a €500m revenue division at Deutsche Bank. As Chief Operating Officer at the National Institute of Teaching he oversees Professional Services at an organisation that came into being in May 2022 and has just been registered as a Higher Education Institute with the Office for Students. A transformationalist at heart he is enjoying his most fulfilling job in his career to date as the Institute moves from fast-paced startup mode into a maturing organisation.
A brummie by birth, Amrit has lived around the UK in Birmingham, Tunbridge Wells and Chester and had a short stint working in Mumbai, India before moving to a village in South Staffordshire with his young family and cavapoo called Hugo. In his spare time Amrit enjoys a wide range of music and continues a 20-year battle to learn the guitar with his two young daughters now helping him play.
Learn more about the National Institute of Teaching: www.niot.org.uk
Explore the National Institute of Teaching’s research: https://niot.org.uk/research-projects
Connect with Amrit on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amrit-singh/
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
What does freedom at work mean to you? Take my short survey here.
Pre-order my new book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free (out Jan 2026) and become a book supporter to gain exclusive book-related invitations and offers.
Why do seemingly small interactions at work sometimes spark big reactions, and how can understanding our underlying needs transform the way we handle conflict? In this episode, Helen sits down with Alice Sheldon, a psychologist, educator, creator of Needs Understanding, and author of Why Weren’t We Taught This at School? to shine a light on those “fingerprint needs” and the hidden frustrations we all carry with us into the workplace.
Together, they explore:
⭐️ What “needs” really are, not just survival, but purpose, creativity, recognition, and more and why we’re all wired to react when they’re threatened.
⭐️ How our brains often “flip their lid” during conflict or feedback moments, making rational thinking nearly impossible in the heat of the moment.
⭐️ Simple techniques to uncover your own primary needs (and those of your colleagues), recognise when they're getting triggered, and reset before reacting.
⭐️ Why team dynamics often reflect unspoken, unmet needs – plus practical advice for managers and individuals to approach tension more compassionately.
⭐️ The difference between empathy and sympathy (and why true empathy creates space for real change).
Alice shares stories of her own big emotional responses at work, and describes easy, actionable ways to build self-awareness, de-escalate drama, and create genuinely healthier communication at every level in an organisation. Whether you’re a manager, team member, or just someone curious about workplace dynamics, you’ll come away from this episode energised and equipped with a fresh ‘kind lens’ for even your trickiest work relationships.
Tune in for a fascinating conversation about neuroscience, vulnerability, and the messy business of being human at work.
About Alice Sheldon
Alice Sheldon is the creator of Needs Understanding, a transformative approach to communication and relationships that fosters empathy, connection, and empowerment. She shares this work globally through keynotes and workshops, helping individuals and teams thrive.
Her book, Why Weren’t We Taught This at School?, has been translated into eight languages.
Alice holds an MA in Psychology and Neurophysiology from Oxford University. Before founding Needs Understanding, she worked as a secondary school teacher, a barrister, and later led Advocate, the Bar’s national pro bono charity.
Learn more at www.needs-understanding.com.
Connect with Alice on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-sheldon/
Alice’s free fingerprint need guide: https://www.needs-understanding.com/fingerprint-need-guide
Alice’s free list of needs: https://www.needs-understanding.com/essential-lists
Alice’s book: Why Weren’t We Taught This at School?
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
What does freedom at work mean to you? Take my short survey here.
Pre-order my new book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free (out Jan 2026) and become a book supporter to gain exclusive book-related invitations and offers.
How do you deal with a tricky boss and how can you build resilience and thrive if you’re working for one? In this episode, Helen sits down with Eric Charran, technology executive, author, and former leader at Microsoft and Capital One to take a deeper look at why so many of us encounter difficult managers, and most importantly, what we can do about it.
Together, they explore:
⭐️ The typical unhelpful behaviours and archetypes of dysfunctional managers, and why these patterns repeat themselves in the workplace
⭐️ Why managers often lead the way they were led, and how a lack of training or support sets even well-intentioned leaders up for struggle
⭐️ Practical, emotionally intelligent coping strategies to help you shift your working relationship — from using empathy and curiosity to developing “growth” strategies for your managers.
Eric shares stories from his own career (names changed to protect the innocent!), and outlines actionable advice for not just surviving difficult boss dynamics but also helping your boss grow in the process. You'll come away with a fresh, compassionate perspective and a toolkit for navigating difficult workplace relationships.
Tune in for real talk on manager mishaps, emotional intelligence, and becoming your own best advocate at work.
About Eric:
Eric Charran is a visionary technology executive, author, and thought leader with over 25 years of experience in transforming global enterprises through digital innovation, data-driven strategy, and AI-driven solutions at major organisations, including Microsoft and Capital One. His strategic insights and leadership have driven high-impact changes across sectors, optimising performance and fostering resilience in industries from finance to healthcare.
In Have You Ever Had a Boss That…, Charran draws on his extensive leadership experience and his understanding of corporate dynamics to offer readers a guide to navigating workplace challenges, enhancing personal effectiveness, and fostering a balanced, fulfilling career. With insights that resonate across industries, he empowers readers to become more effective leaders and team players. With a career shaped by a commitment to measurable impact and a player-coach leadership style, Charran is a sought-after speaker and advisor on topics of leadership, digital innovation, and organisational change. His work continues to influence leaders and organizations seeking sustainable, innovative solutions in a rapidly evolving world.
Eric’s book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-Ever-Boss-That-Dysfunctional-ebook/dp/B0DJH2YW4S
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
What does freedom at work mean to you? Take my short survey here.
Pre-order my new book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free (out Jan 2026) and become a book supporter to gain exclusive book-related invitations and offers.
How do quick fix solutions impact the way we approach organisational challenges, and what's the alternative? In this episode I chat with Steve Hearsum, an experienced organisational consultant, coach, and author. Together, we explore why quick fixes in the business world are so tempting yet problematic; we also discuss the human side of transformation.
Join us as we explore how to:
⭐️ Recognise the allure of quick fixes while understanding their long-term implications.
⭐️ Equip yourself with the tools for constructive conflict and meaningful dialogue across organisational boundaries.
⭐️ Foster an environment where enquiry and sense-making are at the forefront of addressing complex challenges.
Steve shares compelling examples, such as the pitfalls of top-down transformations and the dysfunctions at board level, highlighting the necessity for collective sense-making. He also provides valuable insights into how individuals can be empowered to speak up in organisations entrenched in quick fix mentalities.
Tune in to discover how understanding the intricacies of quick fixes and embracing discomfort can lead to more sustainable organizational success.
Don’t forget to follow, rate, and share the show, and catch our next episode in two weeks!
About Steve Hearsum:
Steve Hearsum has worked for over 20 years as an organisational consultant, coach and more recently supervisor. He has a keen interest in the human side of change, which in recent years has grown into a fascination with how shame and anxiety drive behaviour in organisations, particularly at senior leadership levels. He supports and challenges clients to find their edge and stretch when what they are after is more than simply ‘better sameness’. and has been described as ‘the right kind of fly in the ointment’.
His work focuses on building change capability in three main ways. Helping leaders develop their practice in terms of how they show up and the impact they have; working with internal and external consultants and organisational change practitioners of many a hue to develop their consulting skills; and culture work more generally. He published his first book, No Silver Bullet: Bursting the bubble of the organisational quick fix, in 2024.
Steve on Linked In: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/stevehearsum
Steve’s websites: https://www.hearsum.com/ and https://www.edgeandstretch.com/
Steve’s book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CZB11C26/
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
What does freedom at work mean to you? Take my short survey here.
Pre-order my new book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free (out Jan 2026) and become a book supporter to gain exclusive book-related invitations and offers.
How can organisational culture shape the language we use and the decisions we make? In this fascinating episode, I chat to Gill Ereaut, researcher, author, and organisational consultant. Together, we explore the intricate world of organisational language and how it reveals deep-seated cultural norms and assumptions.
Join us as we explore how to:
⭐️ Spot language patterns that unveil an organisation's hidden culture and unspoken norms.
⭐️ Encourage individuals to become sleuths of their own work environments, promoting self-awareness and other awareness.
⭐️ Challenge accepted narratives non-confrontationally and empower team-level culture shifts from the ground up.
Gill shares insightful anecdotes, such as how shifting from “driving” to “inviting” language transformed customer relationships, demonstrating the profound impact of subtle linguistic changes. She also provides practical tips on how leaders at all levels can facilitate culture change by listening harder and nurturing curiosity.
Tune in to discover how the way we talk at work reflects and reshapes our organisational culture.
Don’t forget to follow, rate, and share the show, and tune in to our next episode in two weeks.
About Gill Ereaut:
Gill Ereaut is a researcher, author, speaker and organisational consultant. In 2002 she founded the consultancy Linguistic Landscapes, pioneering the commercial application of language sciences – linguistics and discourse analysis – to real organisational issues.
Her recent book "The Way We Talk Around Here: How your organization's culture shows up in your language and why it matters" is an Amazon #1 Bestseller.
She holds degrees in Psychology and Contemporary Cultural Processes and has amassed more than 40 years’ experience in business consulting. She remains insatiably curious about organisations and language and the effects they have on each other.
She lives in Oxford, UK with an oversized whippet and (probably) too many books.
Find out more: Linguistic Landscapes
Gill on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillereaut/
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
What does freedom at work mean to you? Take my short survey here.
Pre-order my new book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free (out Jan 2026) and become a book supporter to gain exclusive book-related invitations and offers.
How can organisations deliver for growth even amidst unending changes and tight deadlines? In this episode, I have a fascinating conversation with Professor Adam Boddison OBE, CEO of the Association for Project Management, who sheds light on the intersection of project management and leadership under pressure.
We explore how organisations can empower their teams to deliver more effectively by:
⭐️ Emphasising the importance of strategic planning and recognising that "projects don't go wrong, they start wrong."
⭐️ Understanding to blend project, product, and change management for more successful execution.
⭐️ Adapting to continuous project delivery rather than traditional BAU models.
Adam also explains why focusing on the project benefits - both intended and unintended - is crucial for societal impact, with examples such as the iconic Sydney Opera House and the Channel Tunnel.
Discover practical strategies to enhance your project success rates and how the Association for Project Management supports individuals and organisations with its competence framework and corporate partnerships.
Don’t forget to follow, rate, and share the show.
About: Prof. Adam Boddison OBE
Prof. Adam Boddison OBE Adam joined APM (Association for Project Management) as CEO in September 2021 having previously held leadership roles in other membership associations, including six years as CEO of the National Association for Special Educational Needs. In addition to his role at APM, Adam has a diverse non-executive director portfolio supporting organisations and projects that benefit society. In 2022, Adam was awarded the OBE for services to children with special educational needs.
Links:
Association for Project Management’s website: https://www.apm.org.uk/
Their competence framework for individuals: https://www.apm.org.uk/resources/find-a-resource/competence-framework/
Association for Project Management on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/association-for-project-management/
Find Adam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamboddison/
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
What does freedom at work mean to you? Take my short survey here.
Pre-order my new book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free (out Jan 2026) and become a book supporter to gain exclusive book-related invitations and offers.
Are you ready to learn how to successfully bridge the knowing-doing gap during change in your organisation? In this episode of The Business of Being Brilliant, join me, Helen Beedham, as I engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Rupert Brown, Chief People Officer and author of the forthcoming leadership book "Mind the Gap." Together, we explore the fascinating world of organisational change and uncover strategies to navigate the complexities of transformation in today's dynamic business landscape.
During our discussion, we discuss:
⭐️ Bridging the knowing-doing gap in leadership to enhance change management success.
⭐️ Understanding the emotional and relational dimensions of change, beyond just the logical aspects.
⭐️ Building change resilience within an organisation and the vital role of empathy and trust in leadership.
Rupert shares his journey and insights from extensive experience in leading major change initiatives across various industries. He emphasises the importance of fostering environments where open conversations, vulnerability, and empathy are prioritised to guide organisations through successful transitions. Listen in for practical advice on closing the gap between knowing what change needs to occur and effectively executing it.
About Rupert Brown:
Rupert Brown is a Chief People Officer with deep organisational change experience including mergers, acquisitions, digital transformation, joint ventures and turnarounds. He has worked across a variety of industries including consumer goods, supply chain, software, telecoms and education with global multinationals like Procter & Gamble, Maersk, Virgin Media O2 as well as smaller, private-equity-backed and family-owned businesses. Rupert now lives in his native England having spent 15 years of his career living overseas in Switzerland, Singapore, Denmark and the United Arab Emirates. Rupert’s first book "Mind the Gap - bridging the knowing-doing gap in leadership during change" is due to be published in the summer of 2025.
Connect with Rubert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rupert-brown-3613361/
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
What does freedom at work mean to you? Take my short survey here.
Pre-order my new book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free (out Jan 2026) and become a book supporter to gain exclusive book-related invitations and offers.
How do you discover what truly motivates people in their careers? In this episode I sat down with Thomas Harwell, Head of Talent Engagement and Diversity Recruiting at Google for Europe, Middle East and Africa. We discuss how understanding personal motivations and creating meaningful career paths can lead to flourishing workplaces.
In this episode we explore:
⭐️ Understanding that careers make sense looking backwards, and encouraging regular reflection on career goals;
⭐️ Promoting transparent conversations between employers and candidates about expectations and workplace culture ;
⭐️ Supporting all talent by recognising that opportunity isn't always equally distributed;
Thomas shares insightful strategies, such as treating job-searching like dating or house-hunting, using the interview process as a two-way street, and helping managers become effective career coaches. He also explains the importance of being intentional about career choices and how organisations can support employees in exploring different paths. Listen now for practical advice on understanding workplace motivations and creating meaningful career journeys.
About Thomas Harwell
Thomas is an experienced talent leader with a passion for fostering inclusive workplaces and empowering individuals in their career journeys. Currently serving as EMEA’s Head of Talent Engagement & Diversity Recruiting at Google London, Thomas has a track record of developing and implementing impactful programmes that support career development and advancement.
Prior to Google,Thomas held roles at Boston University and Boston College, where he provided career coaching and resources, with a focus on individualized career strategies. Thomas’ expertise lies in talent management, recruitment, and programme development.
Thomas´ commitment to career development extends beyond the workplace. As a board member of Spiral Skills, he provides strategic direction to an organization dedicated to supporting youth in South London in pursuing their job related skill development.
Connect with Thomas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasharwell/
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
What does freedom at work mean to you? Take my short survey here.
Pre-order my new book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free (out Jan 2026) and become a book supporter to gain exclusive book-related invitations and offers.
How can we ensure that flexibility in the workplace is accessible and fair for everyone? This week, I am thrilled to dive into an enlightening conversation with Claire Campbell, Chief Executive of the award-winning social enterprise Timewise. We explore the pressing issue of making flexible working arrangements more equitable in our post-pandemic world.
We also discuss how Claire and Timewise are driving positive change by:
⭐️ Exploring innovative solutions such as AI software to create intelligent rosters that consider staff preferences and skills.
⭐️ Highlighting the differences in access to flexibility between office-based, site-based, and shift-based roles.
⭐️ Implementing fairer flexible working practices across various industries, from the NHS to construction and retail.
Claire shares insightful strategies and real-world examples, such as the impact of team-based rostering in the NHS and job-done, knock-off approaches in construction. She also explains the importance of manager support and peer-to-peer learning in fostering a culture that values flexible working. Listen now for some great stories, practical examples, and actionable insights into making flexibility fairer for all employees.
About Claire Campbell
Claire Campbell is a flexible working and job design expert and Chief Executive of social enterprise Timewise. Over the past few years, Claire has worked extensively with local authorities and the NHS, as well as a wide range of private sector and frontline organisations. She has overseen many of Timewise’s larger consultancy projects and innovation programmes and believes that there are ways of improving flexibility and choice in every role.
A former Senior Civil Servant, Claire was an HR Director in two Govt departments where she led on resourcing and talent. She has also previously worked as Director of HR Research and Consulting at the Institute for Employment Studies. She is passionate about using job design to create fairer, healthier and more flexible organisations. Claire has a Masters in Occupational Psychology and is a Fellow of the CIPD.
Email: Claire.campbell@timewise.co.uk
X/Twitter: @clairecampbellj
About Timewise
Timewise is an award-winning, social enterprise and leading expert on flexible working and job design. Over the last 18 years we have worked with many of the UK’s leading employers to improve their approach to flexible working, and with industry bodies and policy makers to undertake research, campaigns and innovative programmes to drive wider change.
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The
Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
What does freedom at work mean to you? Take my short survey here.
Pre-order my new book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free (out Jan 2026) and become a book supporter to gain exclusive book-related invitations and offers.
How can you reduce bad decisions in both personal and professional contexts? This week, I'm thrilled to share a captivating conversation with Adrian Kelly, author of "The Success Complex" and an expert in decision-making under pressure. We explore how intellectual humility and resilience can lead to better decision-making and more effective leadership.
We also discuss how we can:
⭐️ Encourage people to embrace failure as an opportunity for growth and to seek feedback and support.
⭐️ Use historical and real-life examples to highlight the importance of context in decision-making.
⭐️ Advance intellectual humility as a critical skill for recognising and overcoming personal biases.
Adrian shares compelling stories, such as the interactions between Hitler and Stalin during WWII, to illustrate the dangers of ignoring critical information. He also explains practical strategies, including the "5 whys" technique and stress management practices, to navigate high-pressure situations effectively. Join us as we uncover the keys to making smarter, more informed decisions and creating flourishing organisations.
Don’t forget to follow, rate, and share the show! Remember to tune in to our next episode in two weeks, where we’ll be focusing on building brilliant organisations.
About Adrian Kelly
Adrian Kelly is a former solicitor who has transitioned into a role as a business and sports performance coach. His entrepreneurial journey includes co-founding Airsynergy, a rapidly growing renewable energy company, where he played a crucial role from 2008 to 2018. Following this tenure, Adrian has been active as a business advisor and coach, assisting companies across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. His advisory work notably includes supporting businesses impacted by Brexit through a contract with InterTradeIreland. Alongside his team, Adrian worked individually with over 100 businesses, helping them navigate complex issues such as import/export operations.
Having played and coached baseball for the last 10 years, he has a keen interest in promoting sport and wellbeing and is the current Chairman of the multi million euro and award-winning Peace Link Sport Complex Clones, County Monaghan.
Once a struggling student who languished at the bottom of his class, Adrian knows first-hand the sting of failure. Now, three decades later, he brings his experience as a solicitor, entrepreneur and sports coach to challenge common misconceptions about the core skills vital to overcoming challenge. Blending history, behavioural science and a rich tapestry of interviews, in his new book The Success Complex Adrian explores this age-old question in a new light. With examples from Napoleon to the movie and sports stars of today, he examines how even the brightest and best can lose their way when it comes to the application of those skills.
Find out more: https://askmore.ie/
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The
Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Become a book supporter: help Helen shape and launch (in January 2026) her second business book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free.
How do you unlock personal and professional growth? This week, I am thrilled to dive into a conversation with Julie Doleman, a global executive with extensive experience in business expansion and innovation. We explore how creating growth opportunities and fostering accountability can lead to flourishing organisations.
We also discuss how Julie helps individuals to excel by:
⭐️ Encouraging people to step outside their comfort zones for personal and professional growth.
⭐️ Implementing development plans that tie personal development directly to job performance.
⭐️ Promoting a partnership approach to development between individuals, managers, and the organisation.
Julie shares insightful strategies, such as envisioning what you want on your business card at retirement and building actionable development objectives. She also explains the importance of balancing business and development goals, and how organisations can support employees in pursuing diverse interests for greater creativity and innovation.
About Julie Doleman
Julie, a first-generation American, is a dynamic global executive driving revenue growth through innovative strategies and high-performance leadership. Her career spans sales, marketing, and executive roles, consistently delivering results by challenging the status quo. Julie has led $450m+ annual revenue growth, achieved 92% brand awareness, and expanded into 13 countries. She's known for data-driven decision-making, effective negotiation, and fostering innovation. Julie has implemented global programs at companies like Experian and Entain, and led a £1b business turnaround. Passionate about diversity, she mentors female leaders and serves on boards of organizations like Kindred Soul. Despite professional success, Julie considers raising her two teenagers with her husband, Iain, her most important accomplishment.
Connect with Julie: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/juliedoleman
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The
Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Become a book supporter: help Helen shape and launch (in January 2026) her second business book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free.
Hello! Happy 2025, I hope this year is going to be a brilliantone for you. This is just to give you a quick heads up on what’s coming up on the podcast as there’s a few bits of news to share with you.
First up, the podcast will be going out fortnightly from nowon throughout the year, as opposed to being series-based as it was before. That means you get to enjoy a steady flow offresh topics, guests and conversations all year long instead of having a lull between series.
The next episode will air next Monday, 20thJanuary, where I’ll be discussing how we can give people more freedom to grow professionally and personally, with my guest, global executive Julie Doleman. We’ll be chatting about how to encourage others (and ourselves) to step outside ourcomfort zones for personal and professional growth, how we can link personal development more directly to job performance and how to achieve a really good partnershipbetween individuals, managers and the organisation when it comes to development. I hope you can tune in tohear Julie’s insightful advice.
Also coming up in the next few weeks are further conversations on:
-
How to minimise bad decisions with businessleader, coach and author Adrian Kelly;
-
How to make flexibility fairer with Timewise CEOClaire Campbell;
-
Ways to explore people's motivations at work withGoogle EMEA talent leader Thomas Harwell;
-
How to bridge the knowing-doing gap inleadership during change, with former chief people officer Rupert Brown;
-
How we can skill people up to deliver brilliantlyfor growth with Professor Adam Boddison OBE, CEO of the Association for Project Management.
I hope there’s something to whet your appetite and to helpinspire your efforts to build a brilliant team or organisation, and to be brilliant in your own work life.
The other update is that the episodes will no longer bereleased in video on YouTube, sorry if that was your preferred way of enjoying the podcast. The podcast audio is continuing to go out across all major podcasting platforms so you can still access this exactly as you’ve always done. I’m streamlining the production a little this year to free up more time for other ways of sharing news and views about the world of work with you, including completing the manuscript for my secondbusiness book, People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the show so you receive everynew episode as soon as it airs; if you can like it or rate it, that helps other listeners to discover the podcast too. And if you want to take advantage of special offers around talks, workshops and coaching that might benefit you or your team, then subscribe to my mailing list, follow me on Linked In or visit helenbeedham.com. All the links are in the show notes.
That’s it for this week, have a fantastic week and I hopeyou can join me next Monday!
Links:
Follow Helen on Linked In here.
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Join her mailing list here.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The
Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Become a book supporter: help Helen shape and launch (in January 2026) her second business book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free.
To wrap up series 9 of The Business of Being Brilliant 🎙,here is some collective wisdom from all my guests on how to build a strong community at work.Find out:
⭐️ What people are expecting from their work community, and their leaders;
⭐️ How we can make it easier for employees to collaborate across internal boundaries;
⭐️ How we can empower them to try new things and deal with difficult situations.
Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
workculture #careers #leadership #hr #futureofwork #talent #podcast
Hands up if work and life are steady, predictable and neatlycompartmentalised for you?
Me neither.
This week I was delighted to chat with Tom Shaw, Head of Organization Effectiveness at The Economist about how to have a fulfilling career when life and work are deeply intertwined and in a constant state of flux.
We also discuss how he helps colleagues to grow and realise their potential by:
⭐️ Encouraging transparency in career conversationsand pathways.
⭐️ Equipping managers to coach team memberseffectively.
⭐️ Translating talent conversations into activitiesfor people to take advantage of.
Tom’s the author of one of the best books I’ve readthis year: Counterbalance: how to build your career without ruining your life’.All proceeds go to the National Autistic Society, order your copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Counterbalance-build-career-without-ruining/dp/1399994743
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Become a book supporter: help Helen shape and launch (in January 2026) her second business book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free.
Tom on Linked In.
The Economist’s website: https://www.economist.com/
I’ve been speaking with a number of Chief Executives andother business and HR leaders about retention, freedom and work culture as I’m writing People Glue, and I’m delighted to share some of my conversation with Simon Wilson, President at Markel International, in this week’s episode.
It was fascinating to hear Simon talk about how they've built a culture of empowerment and trust at Markel International by:
⭐️ Creating a collective sense of purpose and value;
⭐️ Flattening hierarchies and eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy;
⭐️ Making it easy for people to reach for the 'stupid phone'.
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download aflier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Become a book supporter: help Helen shape and launch (in January 2026) her second business book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free.
Simon on Linked In.
Markel International’s website.
Markel International on Linked In.
I talk with Adolfo Gomez Sanchez, performance mentor toelite athletes and global executives, about what drives exceptional performance.
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity,diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Become a book supporter: help Helen shape and launch (in January 2026) her second business book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free.
Adolfo on Linked In.
GOLD Results website: https://www.gold-results.com/
Adolfo’s book The Optimal Performance Formula.
Email Adolfo: adolfogs@gold-results.com.
I talk with Mark Arian, CEO of Korn Ferry Consulting, aboutthe factors affecting how employees feel about their jobs today and what they want from their relationship with their employer.
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Becomea book supporter: help Helen shape and launch (in 2026) her second business book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free.
Mark on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-arian-a658576/
Korn Ferry’s website: https://www.kornferry.com/
Korn Ferry’s Workforce 24 Global Insights Report: https://www.kornferry.com/insights/featured-topics/workforce-management/workforce-planning-insights
Flatter structures can mean fewer roles for people toprogress into, making it harder to hang on to valued employees. So organisations have to get creative with career paths.
Hannah Rowland, Head of Organisational Development at Henry Boot plc, joins me this week to chat about the challenges of retention when the jobs market is tipped in favour of the employee. We explore:
⭐️ Making the most of group-wide possibilities;
⭐️ Creating a sense of community that people really value;
⭐️ Trusting people to have a go at things they’ve not done before.
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity,diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Become a book supporter: help Helen shape and launch (in 2026) her second business book People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free.
Hannah on Linked In
Henry Boot’s website: https://www.henryboot.co.uk/
About PwC’s My+ technology
Gallup/Workhuman’s research
This week on The Business of Being Brilliant, we’redemystifying innovation. When we’re all short of time, how do we really get people to think creatively, come up with fresh insights and solve complex problems?
I’m joined by innovation leader and adviser Nick Staite who explains:
⭐️ Why it’s hard to be innovative in today’s world of work;
⭐️ What stops people from sharing their ideas;
⭐️ How to make innovation part of the way people work every day.
Plus examples of practical steps, structures and behavioursyou can adopt to help the creative sparks fly!
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Become a book supporter: help Helen shape and launch (in 2026) her second business book People Glue: hold on to your best people by letting go.
Nick on Linked In
Email Nick at nicholasstaite@gmail.com.
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
I talk with Jenn Fenwick, Executive Coach and LeadershipTransition Specialist, about how organisations can best support leaders stepping into new roles.
We discuss the challenges and triumphs that leaders facewhen stepping into new roles and:
- The critical importance of support systems for new leaders;
- The common pitfalls leaders encounter when transitioning into a new role;
- Strategies for organisations to help newly appointed leaders to hit the ground running and stay motivated.
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Jenn on Linked In
Jenn's company website: https://www.jennfenwick.com/
Jenn's podcast 'Chats with leaders'
I talk with Ryan Anderson, VP of Global Research andInsights at MillerKnoll, about how we can design offices more purposefully to facilitate connection, productive working and innovative thinking.
We dive deep into the evolving world of office design andexplore:
⭐️ Why traditional office layouts are falling short of ourneeds today;
⭐️ How to foster stronger connections and a sense of belonging in the workplace;
⭐️ Practical tips for improving office space without a massive budget.
Tune in to discover how thoughtful office design can createan environment where everyone can thrive.
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Become a book supporter: help me shape and launch (in 2026) my second business book People Glue: hold on to your best people by letting go.
Take advantage of my September 1:1 coaching offer.
Ryan on Linked In.
Miller Knoll’s website.
Miller Knoll's About Place podcast.
Excited to be kicking off series 9 of The Business of BeingBrilliant podcast with a great line-up of business leaders and experts. We talk about reimagining the office; seeing problems differently; setting leaders up for success, not boxing people in and more.
This week, Audra jenkins, Global Chief Equity Officer atRandstad, and I cast our eyes over the DEI landscape and dive into some big questions:
👉 Where are we seeing rejection of DEI(diversity, equity, inclusion) agenda and initiatives? Why?
👉 Has DEI ‘had its day’?
👉 How DEI can best add value to thebusiness?
👉 What might DEI look like in the future?
workculture #dei #talent #podcast
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity,diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Getin touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download aflier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Be a People Gluesupporter.
Cal Newport’s Slowproductivity: the lost art of accomplishment without burning out
Audra on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrajenkins/
Audra on X: https://x.com/theaudrajenkins
Randstad’s website: https://www.randstad.com
The Diversity Deep Dive podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/diversity-deep-dive/id1475521780
This wrap-up episode features advice from all my guests inseries 8 on how to avoid hurtling down the wrong path, as individuals and as organisations. They share advice and examples from whistleblowing to wellbeing, meetings to managers and much more.
Tune in to hear how best to
⭐️ Take stock wisely and redirect your efforts.
⭐️ Figure out what to let go of and what to bring with you.
⭐️ Help others understand the shift that is needed.
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity,diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Getin touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download aflier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Read my June newsletter on 'Setting the bar high'
How do you encourage people to be fearless in raisingconcerns about how work is being carried out or sharing a fresh idea? Spot non-compliant or potentially damaging behaviour before it spreads and becomes normalised?
On the pod this week I chat with leaders Sisieta Owen and Britt Johnston about why having great policies and processes isn’t sufficient to manage risk and compliance effectively or spark innovation and why culture is the missing piece. We discuss:
⭐️ How to get people to buy in to ‘doing the right thing’.
⭐️ What the difference is between speaking up andwhistleblowing.
⭐️ How leaders can avoid blindspots and surfacebrilliant ideas
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Read Helen’s June newsletter on ‘Setting the bar high’
Britt and Sisieta on Linked In.
When you run a global business, how do you figure out what aspects of your culture should be consistent globally and what people are free to decide locally?
How do you get agreement to this across the board and bring people with you?
My guest on #TheBusinessOfBeingBrilliant this week Kisha Payton, Chief DE&I Officer and Global Head of Culture, shares how she is leading this work at Escalent by:
⭐️ Holding listening sessions to find out what ‘culture’ means to people
⭐️ Looking at some of the rituals that different locations have
⭐️ Speaking with groups of their ‘culture carriers’
⭐️ Encouraging a sense of curiosity among colleagues by asking ‘who’s missing?’
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity,diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
My Linked In post about conversations with CEOs.
My June newsletter on 'Setting the bar high'
Kisha on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kishapayton/
Escalent’s website: https://escalent.co/
Anthro-Vision by Gillian Tett
How do you get the most out of each individual at work?
By understanding what makes them tick.
And to do that, you have to ask great questions and look atthe whole person.
On the pod this week I’m joined by Carolyn Stebbings, ChiefOperating & Inclusion Officer at RAPP, who shares 3 questions to ask your team members and colleagues plus some practical ways that RAPP encourage individuality to flourish across the whole organisation.
Tune in to find out:
👉 How to explore individuality during the hiring process;
👉 How to avoid individuals feeling unseen, unheard and ‘written off’;
👉 What to do if your managers don’t shine at peoplemanagement.
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Read her June blog on the value of reflecting.
Connect with Carolyn on Linked In
RAPP’s website: https://www.rapp.com/work/https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynestebbings/
Is your meeting culture grinding you down?
Find out how to unleash your team's full potential in thisweek’s podcast conversation with Alison Coward, founder of Bracket and author of the brilliant "Workshop Culture." With clients like Google and Meta, Alison shares insights from her 20 years of experience in fostering creativity, productivity, and collaboration.
We discuss:
- Why we’re sleepwalking through meetings.
- How to create motivating meetings that generate momentum.
- How to change the way that people interact with each other and transform your team’s performance.
Plus some tips you can implement today for designing andleading effective workshops.
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Alison on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisoncoward/
Bracket Creative’s website: www.bracketcreative.co.uk
For more on Workshop Culture: www.workshopculture.co.uk
I talk with Anna Campagna, formerly Senior Global SalesDirector at Heineken, about leaving a familiar role and ‘stepping into the unknown’ to start a new career chapter.
As Anna puts it, this isn’t about the ‘plug and play’ careermove, i.e. more of the same somewhere new. This is about nerve-jangling, scary-but-exciting endings in order to figure out a new beginning that isn’t yet fully formed.
Anna shares her wonderful wisdom on:
- How we know we’re ready for a big change
- How fear helps us and hinders us when we’re contemplating a change
- How to be adventurous when we have responsibilities
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join Helen's mailing list here.
Anna on Linked In.
I talk with Gwen Stirling-Wilkie, future of work expert andaward-winning author, about the key trends shaping our world of work and how to build connected, collaborative teams and organisations.
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Gwen on Linked In
Gwen’s website: www.omni-working.com
Gwen’s book: Omni-working: Work Effectively in All Ways from All Places
Omni-working YouTube channel
I talk with Khushboo Patel, an expert in workplace cultureand wellbeing who previously led on these topics at Metro Bank.
Got a wellbeing strategy and programmes? Great stuff.
But how do you create a culture of wellbeing? That’sa tougher nut to crack.
Khushboo & I discuss:
discuss:
- What we’re seeing today in terms of wellbeing at work.
- How social expectations and definitions of success impactour wellbeing.
- What to focus on if you want to foster a culture ofwellbeing.
- Who’s responsible for what when it comes to wellbeing.
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download aflier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Connect with Khushboo on Linked In.
I talk with Mark Bateman, executive coach, CEO of WeQual and author of Disruptive Leadership, about how best to manage our time and energy to avoid burning out.
Mark shares two powerful questions to ask ourselves:
-
How are you spending your energy and your time?
-
How are you gaining energy and time?
Tune in – even if you’re not a leader - to hear Mark’sperspectives on why we ignore the signs of impending burnout, how to navigate the slippery tightrope of work vs rest and how to recharge effectively.
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity,diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Getin touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Mark on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/batemanmark/
Mark’s personal website: www.markbateman.com
WeQual’s website: www.wequal.com
Mark’s book Disruptive Leadership: Using Fire to DrivePurposeful Change.
I talk about people, skills and jobs with Helen Alkin and Jennifer Goldsmith, who job-share as Head of Early Careers and Recruitment Strategy Lead at accountancy firm BDO.
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen's Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join Helen's mailing list here.
Read Helen’s April blog post on ‘Not working’.
Connect with Helen (Alkin) and Jen on Linked In.
BDO’s website: https://www.bdo.co.uk/en-gb/home
Get a sneak peak of the topics and conversations coming up on series 8, launching Tuesday 7th May.
To wrap up series 7, here is advice from all my guests in on how to step outside our comfort zones and move forwards in our career.
- What is the mindset that helps us say yes to a dauntingopportunity?
- Who can we call on for support, and how can they support us?
- How do we find out who’s stuck and help them unlock their career potential?
With thanks to:
Simon Reichwald, Chief Progression Officer at Connectr
Sharon Spice, Chief Marketing and Value Officer at GreenPark consultancy
Brian Elliott, Senior Adviser at BCG, former CEO, & Co-Founder of Future Forum
Verena Hefti MBE, CEO of Leaders Plus
Phil Burgess, Co-founder of WITHIN
Dami Patel, Interim Chair & Group HR Director at Taylor& Francis
Richard Rowntree, Managing Director of Mortgages at Paragon Bank
Ruth Handcock, CEO of Octopus Money
Anthony Painter, Director of Policy & External Affairs, Chartered Management Institute
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
I talk with Anthony Painter, Director of Policy & External Affairs at the Chartered Management Institute, about the critical role of managers and how to improve manager capability.
Weekly news update starts at 1m 16s.
Interview starts at 5m 6s.
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity,diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Register for Helen’s free half hour webinar on ‘Rechargeyour talent’ on Thursday 14th March 2024 at 12 noon GMT. https://mailchi.mp/8f373fdff1f2/d06nebhehu
Join her mailing list here.
Anthony on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-painter-6382873a/
The Chartered Management Institute’s website: https://www.managers.org.uk/
The CMI’s ‘Better managers’ report https://www.managers.org.uk/knowledge-and-insights/research/better-management-report-take-responsibility-take-action/
The CMI’s ‘Management and UK 2030’ report https://www.managers.org.uk/knowledge-and-insights/research/uk-management-2030/
The CMI’s podcast The Leading Issue https://www.managers.org.uk/knowledge-and-insights/video-webinar/
I talk with Ruth Handcock, CEO of Octopus Money, about collecting competencies, embracing discomfort, and making money coaching accessible to millions.
Tune in to hear how:
🏆 Octopus Money combine clever tech with empathetic people skills.
💡 They’ve redesigned frontline customer-facing roles to focus on human connection
⭐️ They offer a personalised service at scale.
🎯 Offering financial coaching supports your DE&I efforts
💪 Ruth weighs up career decisions and steps outside her comfort zone.
Weekly news update starts at 1m 25s
Interview starts at 4m 0s
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity,diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Getin touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Register for Helen’s free webinar on Recharge your Talent, 14 March 2024.
Ruth on Linked In
Octopus Money’s website
I talk with Richard Rowntree, Managing Director of Mortgages and Exec Sponsor for DEI at Paragon Bank, about why talented people get stuck at middle management level and how to help them progress into top leadership roles.
We talk about:
⛔️ The barriers middle managers often face in advancing their careers
😖 How historical ways of ‘growing’ leaders are falling short
And
🐏 What it’s like to herd sheep across London Bridge.
Weekly news update starts at 1m 25s
Interview starts at 4m
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity,diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download aflier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Helen’s February blog on Just one thing and her Linked Invideo post
Richard on Linked In
Progress Together’s website
Paragon Bank’s website
How do you balance employees’ needs with business objectives? Navigate organizational changes while fostering a positive work environment?
I delved into these questions and more in this week’s podcasting conversation with Dami Patel, interim Chair of the supervisory trio and Group HR Director at Taylor & Francis, part of Informa Group.
Tune in to hear how Dami and her team
📣 ensure that people feel heard and valued during times of change
🚀 are providing exciting career growth opportunities for T&F employees
📚 are launching an innovative "Saturday Club" initiative for school-age individuals.
And how Dami has grown her own authentic leadership style during her career to date.
Interview starts at 5m 12s after Helen's brief weekly update.
Links:
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity,diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Get in touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download a flier here.
Join her mailing list here.
The Star Hotel at Alfriston
Dami on Linked In
Informa’s website: https://www.informa.com/
I talk with Phil Burgess, Co-founder of WITHIN, about re-humanising organizations so people can thrive and the business succeed.
We discuss why ‘relationships are the source of results’ and how to:
🌟 combat siloed thinking and reduced collaborationbetween functions
🌟 navigate different perspectives onsensitive topics
🌟 ensure rapid business change doesn’treduce employee morale
🌟 address greater loneliness, isolation,and burnout among employees post-pandemic.
Plus find out more about ‘plogging’ and WITHIN’s free workshops.Enjoy!
Interview starts at 4m 44s.
Visit Helen’s website www.helenbeedham.com.
Check out Helen's award-winning business book: TheFuture of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity,diversity and wellbeing.
Leave a book review on Amazon here.
Getin touch about Helen’s Time-Intelligent Teams workshops or view/download aflier here.
Join her mailing list here.
Phil on Linked In
WITHIN’s website: https://www.within.business/
On the pod this week I chat to Verena Hefti MBE, CEO ofLeadersPlus, about how parents of young children can advance more successfully into senior leadership roles. We discuss promotable vs non-promotable tasks, micro-learning experiments and why your choice of life partner makes a difference to your pay.
If you’re a working parent or you manage working parents,then tune in to find out:
- Why informal flexibility becomes a barrier to progression
- How job adverts discourage working parents from applying
- How to more easily open the doors you want to be knocking on, as a working parent
- Why accepting imperfection is a great place to start.
Interview starts at 5m 17s.
Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
podcast #working parents #leaders #careers
I talk with Brian Elliott, former CEO, co-founder of FutureForum, and the author of the best selling ‘How the Future Works’ about how best to reshape work and working patterns to meet the needs of the organisation and its people.
We delve into:
- The challenges of engaging remote teams and building trust.
- The power of asynchronous work and team-level agreements.
- Redefining productivity beyond traditional metrics.
- Connecting the needs of people with the needs of theorganisation
- Inspiring companies leading the way in reshaping workculture
Interview starts at 4m 50s.
Links:
My free webinar on ‘Fewer hours, better results’ on Thursday 8th February.
My Time-Intelligent Teams workshops
Brian on Linked In.
How the future works by Brian Elliott, SheelaSubramanian and Helen Kupp.
I talk with Sharon Spice, Chief Marketing and Value Officerat Green Park People Consultancy about resilience, adaptability and a love of learning.
Find out how to:
- Get comfortable with discomfort
- Overcome psychological barriers
- Prepare for the unexpected
- Adapt to new social norms
- Embrace the possibility of failure
Links:
My January offer: help your teams deliver more in 2024 https://mailchi.mp/7212e2427f2e/tqteamsoffer-jan24
Click here for details of my Time-Intelligent Teams workshops.
Green Park people consultancy: https://www.green-park.co.uk/
Sharon on Linked In
I talk with Simon Reichwald, Chief Progression Officer atConnectr and Fellow of the Institute of Student Employers, about how to hire undiscovered talent including early careers, lateral hires, returners and over 50's.
Tune in to find out all this and more:
-
What impact the circles you move in has on yourcareer progression
-
What is meant by ‘early talent’ and how apprenticeships are being offered today
-
Why hiring employers are focusing on skills notqualifications
-
How to make mentoring more widely available toemployees
-
How leading organisations are tracking theiremployees’ career progression
Links:
My January offer to help your teams deliver more in 2024: https://mailchi.mp/7212e2427f2e/tqteamsoffer-jan24
An overview of my Time-Intelligent Teams workshops
My free half hour webinar on Fewer, better meetings, 12pm GMT Weds 17 Jan ‘24: https://mailchi.mp/4bd5ffc9156d/tq-fbm
My award-winning business book The Future of Time: how 're-working' time can help you boost productivity, diversity and wellbeingwww.helenbeedham.com/book
Connectr.com: https://www.connectr.com/
Simon on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonreichwald/
Reimagine Law podcast: https://www.re-imaginelaw.org.uk/
Collective wisdom on balancing today with tomorrow.
To wrap up this series you get to hear a little bitfrom all of my guests on the question of how we enjoy today whilst keeping an eye out for tomorrow. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Helen Beurier, HR leader and author-to-be of anew book (working title: Peoplematics) about what we all want from work, why she’s made some bold career choices and how a bit of thrill seeking is the key to a healthy, happy life. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Sophie Hulm, CEO of Progress Together, about theclass barriers preventing people from getting to top roles in financial services, the cost to employers of wasted talent and the quirky games we used to play as children. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Professor Robin Dunbar of Oxford University, originator of ‘Dunbar’s number’ and a leading expert in the psychology of high-performing groups. We chat about optimimum group sizes for different tasks and why investing in social time at work yields the greatest returns. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
On the pod this week I talk with Pippa Begg and Jennifer Sundberg about being co-CEO’s at Board Intelligence, how to tap into the combined brainpower of your employees, and their new book ‘Collective Intelligence: how to build a business that’s smarter than you’. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Sandra Burley, marketing and communications leader, about avoiding tunnel vision, managing information overload and why she loves the 4 day work week. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Sam Smith, former finnCAP Group CEO now entrepreneur, NED and scale-up adviser, about how to encourage entrepreneurship inchildren, get your team to buy into your vision and turbocharge your business with empathetic leadership. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Hal Hershfield, Professor of Marketing, Behavioural Decision Making and Psychology at UCLA's Anderson School of Management, about how mental time travel can help us to procrastinate less, make better decisions and become the person we want to be. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Dr Lucy Ryan about why so many women are exiting the world of work at midlife, those ‘midlife myths’ that don’t stack up, andhow employers can hang on to this valuable talent pool better. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Kate Adams, Director at The Forward Institute, about what drives her career choices, what ‘leading responsibly’ means and how she aims to enjoy today to the full. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
Here are nuggets of wisdom from all my guests in series 5, along with questions to prompt some summer insights. Think of it as a carefully selected ‘pick and mix’ to brighten your day and inspire your work. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Professor Vijay Pereira of NEOMA Business School, France, about the astonishing impact on productivity, wellbeing, engagement and performance that results from introducing company-wide meeting-free days. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
1m 3s my news update
5m 44s conversation with Vijay starts
I speak with Dr Ajit Menon, Head of People & Organisation at Investec plc, about looking beneath the surface of organisational life and how they’ve established a strong and unique work culture based on dialogue, empathy and trust. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
1m 4s - my weekly news and offers
6m - conversation with Ajit starts
I talk with Joy Burnford, gender equality expert and author of ‘Don’t Fix Women’, about how organisations can dismantle the structural barriers holding women – and men - back in their careers. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Kevin Hogarth, Non-Executive Director, former Chief People Officer and award-winning Diversity & Inclusion advocate, about how to keep our career options open and how to increase social mobility in organisations. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Deborah Gray, co-founder and Director of Totum Partners about how to successfully bring in the executive level talent you really want. Find out how our world of work is evolving, what experienced candidates and hiring employers are prioritising today, and what persuades good people to stay. Transcript and show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
This week’s conversation is all about crafting a job or career that we love. HR, Talent and L&D consultant Beth Stallwood, author of WorkJoy, explains what to do when we find ourselves stuck in ‘work gloom’ and how to actively pursue a more joyful, rewarding work life. Transcript and show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
Welcome back to the podcast and this week I’m thrilled to be talking with Yael Schonbrun PhD, clinical psychologist, author and Brown University assistant professor about how to thrive as a working parent. Finding the work/home juggle exhausting? Pulled in too many different directions atonce? Yael explains how we can adopt some proven psychological strategies to solve these and many other challenges of working parenthood. I just wish I’d had this conversation 11 years ago! Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
Series 5 of the podcast launches on Monday 8th May - here's a sneak preview from my conversation with my first guest. All the podcast episodes and show notes are at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
What are the best ways to stay motivated at work and help others to do the same?
For this series 4 wrap-up episode, I've picked out some highlights from my conversations with all my brilliant guests over the last few weeks. Discover how our motivations at work generally have evolved since the pandemic and how to build team of people who love what they do. Find out how workplace collaborations can affect our motivation, how to overcome setbacks positively and how to weigh up 'stick or quit' decisions.
Season 5 will be back in May; see you then!
Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com.
I talk with Eileen Burbidge MBE, tech venture capitalist and CEO of Fertifa, the reproductive and hormonal wellbeing provider for employers, about what gives her the confidence to start something new, how employee wellbeing support is evolving and how to grow a new venture – or a whole industry - successfully. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Joe O’Connor, co-founder of the world's first Centre of Excellence in Work Time Reduction and former CEO of 4 Day Week Global, about the recent UK pilot and how to adopt a shorter working week in a way that feels fair and beneficial to everyone. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast. Got a question you'd like answered? Tweet it to @helenbeedham.
This week I’m getting the lowdown from D&I leaders Julie Humphreys and Natasha Whitehurst on how Diversity & Inclusion is evolving, how to prove its value to the business and how they’re opening up uncomfortable conversations on their podcast D&I Spy: Inclusion Uncovered. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Jonathan Bond, Global HR & Learning Director at international law firm Pinsent Masons about how they are creating - with their clients - new and better ways of managing their work, their time and their wellbeing. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com.
To mark the halfway point in this series I’m sharing 5 interesting developments in our world of work and 5 brilliant business books that argue persuasively for cultivating patience in one form or another. So grab a cuppa or the dog lead and tune in! Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com.
I talk with Alison Jones, founder of Practical Inspiration Publishing and author of ‘Exploratory Writing’, about how putting pen to paper for just 6 minutes can help us think, communicate, innovate and collaborate better. Grab your pen and paper and tune in! Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Alastair Douglas, CEO of TotallyMoney, the fintech business that is helping people to move on up. We chat about the 5 organisational themes he focuses on to build a business where people really care about the customer. And how to have a hit single! Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Jim Detert, Professor of Business Administration and Public Policy at the University of Virginia and the author of ‘Choosing Courage: the everyday guide to being brave at work’. We discuss his extensive research into acts of workplace courage, why superheros don’t exist and how we can be more ‘competently courageous’ in our own work lives. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Dr. Debra Mashek, social psychologist, expert on the science of close relationships and author of Collabor(h)ate: how to build incredibly collaborative relationships at work even if you'd rather work alone. Collaboration might sound a familiar concept but in practice it can be at best a mystery and at worst a minefield that trips us and our businesses up with costly and lasting consequences. Here’s how to get it right.
Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
Series 4 of The Business of Being Brilliant kicks off later this month and my brilliant guests include Deb Mashek, Dr Julie Humphreys, Natasha Whitehurst, Alastair Douglas, Eileen Burbidge, Alison Jones and more! To whet your appetite, here's a short clip where I put 3 questions to social psychologist Deb Mashek about workplace collaboration and her wisdom-packed new book 'Collabor(h)ate', launching on 23 Jan. Enjoy 🥳
What are the critical things people need in order to want to stay in their organisation? For this final podcast episode of series 3, my guests share 8 wise answers to this question. Use them to reflect on your own career, or if you’re leading a business, these could make the difference between a retention strategy that works and one that doesn’t. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com.
I talk with Victoria Livingstone, EMEA Chief People Officer for Dentsu International, about growing a commercially-focused HR career and leading business transformations. Victoria explains why there’s no such thing as a bad career move and how to make sure your change programme doesn’t fail. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
1m 3 weekly news
6m 30s conversation with Victoria starts
I talk with Rob Hatch, coach to business owners and author of Attention! the power of simple decisions in a distracted world.He explains how we can slow down our brains, regain control over our attention and focus more on the important work. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com.
1m 4s weekly news
6m 32s conversation with Rob starts
I talk with Geraldine Gallacher, CEO of the Executive Coaching Consultancy, about her own career, her new book Coaching Women: Changing the system not the person, and how our outdated office cultures need to catch up with today’s workplace policies. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com.
1m 3s weekly news
6m 4s conversation with Geraldine starts
To mark the half way point, instead of chatting to a guest I’m sharing six book recommendations from my 2022 reading challenge Reclaim Time To Read, comprising three business or other non-fiction books and three novels. Show notes are at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
4m 53s - Book 1, The Lonely Century by Noreena Hertz
8m 29s - Book 2, The Culture Code: the secrets of highly successful groups by Daniel Coyle
11m 42s - Book 3, Four Seconds by Peter Bregman
18m 5s - Book 4, Machines like me, by Ian McEwan
20m 11s - Book 5, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
24m 8s - Book 6, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carré
I talk with Jacqueline Taiwo, private equity lawyer and Chair/CEO of Black Women in Asset Management, about taking the uncomfortable path, creating community and helping others succeed. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
1m 4s weekly news
6m 20s conversation with Jackie starts
I talk with Jane van Zyl, CEO of the national charity Working Families, about National Work Life Week, how workplace flexibility is evolving and what forward-thinking employers are doing post-pandemic to help employees work at their best. Show notes are at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
1m 5s weekly update
5m 56s conversation with Jane starts
I talk with Ariel White-Tsimikalis, corporate finance lawyer, ESG specialist and partner at the global law firm Goodwin Proctor. We talk about how to find your passion within a corporate role and how to use our inner dialogue to help us develop a sustainable, rewarding career. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
1m 4s weekly update
5m 14s guest interview
I talk with Susan Room, former business leader and now a voice and executive coach, about her path onto the Executive Committee, her mid-career transition and how to ‘move mountains’ at work whilst managing our own boundaries. Audio, video and show notes are at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
1m3s weekly update
5m34s guest interview
I talk with Dr Randall S.Peterson, Professor of Or ganisational Behaviour at London Business School and founding Director of the School's Leadership Institute, about how to ‘create the magic’ at work so people want to stay and how to prevent corporate disasters from happening. Find the show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
1m 3s – latest news
5m 45s – interview starts
It’s the season finale, where we hear some nuggets of collective wisdom from all my guests on series 2 about how we can help our colleagues to be brilliant. Transcript and show notes are at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Jennifer Halliday, Finance Director of CF Fertilisers and chair of the Northwest Productivity Forum, about trusting people to deliver and why productivity is about much more than just the numbers. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Andrew Wallace, co-founder and Managing Partner at Leathwaite, executive search and leadership talent specialists, about building a successful people business and embracing the new without losing sight of your core values. Show notes at helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Ben Higgins, Managing Director and UK Head of Human Resources at Société Générale about becoming an HR leader, making best use of our time and staying close to teams. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
This week I’m sharing a few nuggets from the series so far to inspire your work and your thinking. I’m also doing a deeper dive into my 2022 Reading Challenge and picking out 3 business books and 3 novels to whet your reading appetite. Shownotes are at helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Patricia Galloway, global HR leader, Non-Executive Director and executive coach, about building credibility quickly, getting a seat at the table and focusing on the end goal. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Leonard Ng, one of the City’s most influential lawyers, about saying yes to opportunities, drawing your boundaries and being more than a number. Show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with communication expert, author and executive coach Janie van Hool about tuning in, unravelling problems and creating a listening culture. Find the show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
In this first episode of series 2, I chat with Ama Ocansey, UK Head of Diversity and Inclusion for BNP Paribas about how she made the shift from corporate lawyer to D&I leader, how to be talked about for all the right reasons, and why it pays to put relationships first. Find the show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
Collective wisdom from my guests in series 1 about how they manage their time at work. This is the finale of series 1.
I talk with Alison Trauttmansdorff, CHRO of Alvarium Investments Ltd, about developing others, rethinking performance management and being economic with our time.
I talk with Diversity and Inclusion leader Mitra Janes about focusing on the priorities, experiencing setbacks and treating our mind as a muscle. Audio, video and show notes are at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with international benefits transition leader Michelle Newton about stepping up, being ourselves and sharing our time habits. Find the show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with business leader and international finance lawyer SunHee Park about being a ‘knowledge omnivore’, avoiding stereotypes and shifting to healthier ways of working. Find the show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with business leader and Chairman Gerry McQuade about 'leaning in' to challenges, finding new tools in our toolbox and thinking differently.
I talk with Professor Connson Locke of the London School of Economics, author of ‘Making your voice heard’, about ‘being a bridge’, managing difficult emotions at work and the power of uninterrupted time. Grab your calendar and your headphones and join us! You’ll find the show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
I talk with Winnie Doeswijk, global Organisation Development leader, about not getting in our own way and coping with those ‘oh sh*t!’ moments at work. You’ll find the show notes at www.helenbeedham.com/podcast.
Coming soon! In ‘The Business of Being Brilliant’ which launches in January 2022, I'll be exploring the human side of work. I'll be talking to business leaders, academics, authors, workplace experts and other professionals about when they’ve worked at their best and when they’ve floundered. We'll be finding out how to change organisations for the better so that everyone can flourish.
I’m your host, Helen Beedham, organisational expert, speaker and author of the forthcoming business book The Future of Time which you can pre-order now. In this first series, my guests and I will be delving into the question of how we manage our time at work, from coping with time pressure to reclaiming time for the things that really matter. Join us in January for a dose of honesty and positivity to help you and your organisation succeed.