The Culture Builders: Recent Episodes
TheCultureBuilders
(Formerly known as Bank of Me) A mix of interviews, advice, articles and stories that look at how we create high performing teams and strong cultures within our organisations
In this episode, host Owen Cook, Head of Programmes at The Culture Builders, sits down with inspirational former Chico State head men's basketball coach and motivational speaker, Greg Clink. Drawing on 30 years of collegiate coaching experience, he unpacks what it takes to build championship cultures.
He and Owen explore how these high-performance principles translate directly into workplace culture and organisational leadership and they dive into the secrets of effective team building, from vetting for the “right character and team fit” over pure basketball skills, to driving the stubborn, relentless consistency required to establish a truly high-performing culture.
Greg also reveals how leaders can navigate tough conversations by "confronting the snowball" early, foster player-led accountability, and help every team member buy into and relish their specific role. Tune in for an energising conversation packed with practical insights on character, connection, and community to help you elevate your team's performance.
Following on from our recent podcasts looking at our work with ASOS - supporting them to build and sustain a High Performance Culture - we thought it high time to explore the concept more. We talk a great deal about the HPC, which gives a fundamental plan for the creation of an effective culture… But what is it?
Our Head of Programmes, Owen Cook, explored the concept with Chris Preston, Co-Founder of The Culture Builders. Putting these two together is always a sure fire way to create a roving and rich discussion. Both are natural storytellers, and they leverage this skill fully on this podcast. Examples, stories and metaphors are littered throughout.
Fundamentally, the conversation hinges around two key components (the spools of a cassette tape, to use their language) - the Pillars of Culture, and the High Performance Culture structure. Together they outline how we think about cultures and what should be built within them to create lasting success.
You may want a pen and paper ready for this one!
What does it take to navigate the balance between people and performance in a fast-moving, high-pressure digital fashion giant? In our latest podcast episode, Emma Boswell, Senior Consultant at The Culture Builders, and Ras Vaghjiani, Executive Vice President of People Experience at ASOS, explore what a true high performance culture looks like when it is built from the bottom up. They share the insights from their work on balancing people and performance to drive transformation whilst ensuring people thrive at work. Reflecting on the path to the C-suite, Ras shares the pivotal moments that taught her that leadership isn't about being the ultimate expert, but about removing roadblocks and holding the space for others to grow.
Ras and Emma dive into developing the practical toolkit ASOS uses to raise the bar, from aligning teams through OKRs to the power of a shared ‘leadership compass’. Ras also opens up about navigating today's biggest workplace disruptions, including how she is building a brand-new enablement team to get thousands of employees ‘AI-ready’ for the future.
Whether you are looking to tackle a fear of feedback within your team or wanting top tips on how to model culture of continuous learning from the very top, listen in to find out why a truly thriving culture is a marathon, not a sprint.
Written and read by Chris Preston, this podcast shares a recent article from The Culture Builders that looks at one of the biggest leadership questions facing organisations today: how do we embrace AI and automation without stripping away the human connections that make culture thrive? Drawing on real examples from leadership sessions and client conversations, Chris examines the hidden cultural costs of automation, including the loss of interaction, authenticity, creativity through mistakes, and the ability to problem solve when systems become black boxes.
Rather than positioning AI as a threat, the podcast argues that it is an extraordinary opportunity. AI is already transforming the speed, complexity, and quality of work, and the organisations that succeed will be the ones that redesign themselves around it intelligently. But the warning is clear: if leaders simply automate processes without intentionally rebuilding human connection, organisations risk becoming efficient but emotionally hollow places to work.
At its core, this is a leadership conversation. The future will belong to organisations that use the time and space created by AI to deepen relationships, strengthen culture, and increase meaningful human interaction. Chris explores why people managers now play a critical role in protecting humanity within increasingly automated workplaces, and why the decisions leaders make today will shape whether AI accelerates culture or slowly erodes it.
What happens to our professional performance when our biology begins to shift? In this episode, Emma Boswell, Senior Consultant at The Culture Builders, sits down with Jacqui Mayes, a Nutritional Therapist with more than 15 years of experience, to unpack the often-ignored link between menopause and work. Jacqui dives deep into the physiological shifts of perimenopause, from the "brain energy" dip caused by fluctuating oestrogen to the cognitive toll of brain fog and fatigue.
Building on standard medical advice, this conversation focuses on "feeding your next phase". Jacqui offers practical, accessible strategies to reclaim clarity and energy, exploring how the power of phytoestrogens, "eating the rainbow" for gut health, and managing the stress-symptom cycle can transform your wellbeing. This episode is essential listening for any leader looking to navigate hormonal changes with intention, compassion, and sustained performance.
In this episode, Emma Boswell - Senior Consultant at The Culture Builders - and Nutritionist Jacqui Mayes explore how nutrition serves as a fundamental pillar for sustaining performance as part of the "Bank of Me" concept that we use to support Performance, Growth and Wellbeing. Jacqui shares her personal journey from a high-pressure career in television production to becoming a nutritionist, illustrating how poor dietary habits and high stress can lead to physical depletion.
They discuss the "hidden costs" of common workplace habits, such as relying on caffeine and skipping meals, which can result in poor cognitive function and fatigue. The conversation also provides practical, small-scale shifts that any professional can implement to improve their physiological state.
Ultimately, the episode encourages listeners to take ownership of their energy and treat their health with the same strategic planning they apply to their professional projects.
What does it take to lose 40kg while navigating the high-pressure world of civil engineering? In this episode, Lee Piper, a senior leader at Costain, joins us to share his incredible journey from burnout to reclaiming his health. Lee candidly discusses the physical and emotional toll of site life, from the camaraderie of late-night team sessions in Cornwall to the isolation of living in away from home. As well as the specific "trigger" that led him to prioritise his well-being in the run up to retirement.
This conversation is a must-listen for any leader feeling the weight of their role as they approach the later stages of a career. Lee and Chris unpack the concept of being "fit to retire," moving beyond financial planning to focus on physical and mental longevity. From hitting a 15,000-step daily goal to navigating social pressures around alcohol, Lee offers practical, lived-in advice on how to tune out the external noise and invest in your own "Bank of Me".
Join us for an insightful conversation with Abida Lalani, Strategy and Transformation Director. Having worked with Jane Sparrow for several years, the two of them sit down and discuss her wealth of experience in navigating and leading significant change. Abida brings a grounded and practical perspective to the often complex world of transformation.
In this episode, Abida takes us on a journey through her career, from her early experiences in financial services during the financial crisis to her most recent and current roles driving changes. She candidly recounts her personal evolution in embracing change, moving from initial resistance to actively seeking out its challenges and rewards. Sharing key lessons learned along the way, highlighting the crucial role of communication and storytelling, and the importance of understanding the human element in successful transformations. Jane and Abida recount their experiences of guiding people through a change, share their practical insights into coaching people as leaders and talk about just how to foster a clear vision, and adapt with agility in the face of evolving circumstances.
This is a must-listen for anyone involved in leading or experiencing change, offering valuable takeaways on mindset, strategy, and the power of human connection in shaping the future.
Chris has recently been speaking to a number of experts on the subject of the 50-60 year sprint for professionals in business. Following on from his conversion with Joanna Lockwood, he has reconnected with regular TCB Podcast contributor Steve Butler - author of a number of books, the most relevant of which covers exactly this topic - The Midlife Review.
They highlight the new obstacles that arise in the 50-60 phase, such as family requirements, health and one's own commitment to a career that may well have peaked.
Steve and Chris also cover how important it is to give those in this phase space to air the needs that stem from the changes - the role of the employer to step into the conversation about changing needs, and how they can best support the person. But, in counterpoint to this, the discussion also covers the phenomenon of “ accidental managers” within many organisations, who have not been given the tools or development to manage such a complex scenario.
This an area of interest for you? If so, we highly recommend you to grab a copy of The Midlife Review, which details the conversation about what employees want out of the second half of their career, and how to help them achieve it.
Using his own recent experience of hitting the '50s doldrums' Chris has reached out to two experts in the area of managing age diversity to seek their thoughts and advice on how organisations can properly support their senior talent as it passes through a very complex decade of life. First up is one of Chris' LinkedIn heroes - Joanne Lockwood - a highly respected expert and thought leader on inclusion and belonging. As a transgender woman in her early 60s, Joanne embodies the essence of transformative change, bringing authenticity and lived experience to her work in diversity, equity, and inclusion. With Chris on a quest to survive and thrive in the next phase of life, talking to Joanne is both of personal benefit to him and to anyone who is either going through the same life journey and/or is part of the support process within organisations. Joanne is candid, funny and insightful. It's a must-listen for many of us.
Chris recently spoke at a HR Network conference in Scotland - sharing the outputs from our research around the future trends for leaders, and the impact of the unintended consequences that the many wellbeing, inclusion, care and support initiatives are having on managers and leaders. With so much now to contend with, and a rightful focus on employees living sustainable lives, we've pushed so much into the role of a people manager.
Grace Orr, Director of People for CommuniCorp UK, joined Chris on the stage, to bring to life the situation, with examples, stories and actions that demonstrate how she, and her team, are meeting this new challenge. Grace literally built the culture for her organisation from scratch, and, as she says, when it comes to people: "her name is above the door."
Her input underscores the key messages that Chris shared - the headlines of the content from The Culture Builders' next business book - The Guide. Due out in Summer 2025, the book brings the situation to life, and shares the five most fundamental elements that leaders can focus on to prepare themselves to manage in this new paradigm.
They've teamed back up to record this podcast - capturing the essence of the keynote from the conference, and giving more people a chance to hear the content, the stories and the thinking from the upcoming book.
At the end of 2024, Jane and Chris - co-founders of The Culture Builders - took time to reflect on the seismic shift that's taken place over the last ten years. Many organisations have successfully built employee care and wellbeing programmes that encourage people to bring their whole selves to the business, and provide them with a wealth of support options to tackle issues of health, stress, inclusion and life events. We wholly support this, and long may it continue. However, we are also seeing how these new, high levels of employee care and support are impacting those expected to enact them. Managers and leaders. They are groaning under the weight of the increased responsibilities, and many feel they simply do not have the time, knowledge or experience to cope successfully. In this podcast, the hosts bring this topic to life, looking at the impacts, but also the solutions to ensure people can stay 'In the Black' and manage their wellbeing and work as teams to use the support on offer to create understanding and activity that supports everyone. There's no simple answer, but there are plenty of simple steps - hear more about The Bank of Me.
In this episode, Jane and Andrew talk about the impact of taking care of yourself, using your support network, and leading with trust, openness and clarity during transformation. They reflect on the lessons learnt throughout the years and discuss the importance of taking people with you on a journey of discovery and belief.
With a diverse career working with organisations such as Nike and PepsiCo before joining the BBC 11 years ago, Andrew has experienced change at many levels from restructuring, growth transitions and efficiency based changes.
He and Jane share stories and experiences from throughout their careers, discuss the journey from middle manager to CEO and the importance of nourishing yourself properly - for your health and sanity! Andrew also shares his advice to his 20 year old self, his biggest learning from his career, and the one thing he believes people should lead with.
For episode eight of our Change Maker podcast series Jane Sparrow and Steve Thorn are sharing their tips and advice for navigating and leading change.
Talking intentionality around tone, language used and managing pace - for yourself and those around you - Steve and Jane draw on their shared experiences and leave you with a whole host of tools and tips to guide you on your change journey too.
They discuss the need for a flexible mindset vs a fixed one, the importance of having a network of change agents, and the different responses people have to change and how to approach them.
Packed with advice, this is not one to be missed.
In our latest podcast episode, Jane Sparrow is in conversations with Pip Smith, Director of Strategic Change & Portfolio at @ Currys, to talk about all things change leadership. Talking lessons and moments from their combined experiences of leading change.
Pip shares her top lessons from 17 years experience in transformation; the importance of linking to the vision, sharing proof points and trophy moments along the way, and understanding the differences between the people within your organisation.
Listen now to hear stories of successful change, and a time when it’s not gone so well. Learn from Pip and Jane’’s experience, with top tips to take you through your next transformation programme.
As part of our in-depth change maker podcast series Jane Sparrow speaks to Andy McGoff, Director of Finance and Operations at Edinburgh Napier University.
With a rich bank of knowledge and involvement in all levels of change from start up scale to large scale, he stresses the importance of keeping a golden thread of trust throughout, investing time in your teams and creating an environment where you can be honest with one another (even if it’s not necessarily what they want to hear!).
Andy and Jane explore lessons learnt from his diverse career and the work they’ve done together. They discuss the importance of leading with honesty and unpack his top learning from past experiences.
In this episode, Jane Sparrow discusses all things transformation with Asha Amster. She has a rich career, working in various transformation and business roles, for a range of multinational companies, largely in TV and Entertainment.
Asha talks about the importance of the sector, how many people escape through entertainment during change, and the value of joy and immersion during your down time.
Jane and Asha share insightful tips and lessons learned and reflects on the leadership qualities and skills that help Asha to lead during change. Spoiler - emotional intelligence, vulnerability and active listening are top of the list!
Sam Tewungwa, Managing Director at UKTV and President, UK Region BBC Studios, joins Jane Sparrow for the latest Change Maker podcast. Sam is currently leading the UKTV Digital transformation and has a wealth of experience leading change throughout his rich career.
In this episode, they talk about their shared passion for remembering the human side of change, the importance of looking for feedback from all across the business and ensuring alignment throughout the change process.
Listen now to hear Sams top three leadership learnings.
Jane Sparrow is joined by Charlotte Eaton, CPO & Customer Experience at OVO Energy, for the next instalment of our change maker series to reflect on her key change leadership lessons through her sparkling career.
Charlotte covers the importance of investing in relationships, connection and intentionality when leading change. Find out how she got her fingers burned and listened to some tough feedback that has shaped how she understands the context of others and manages her own human Bank of Me. And, hear her killer change lesson toward the end! We love our work with OVO and so are thrilled to share Charlotte’s insights.
Episode two of our Change maker podcast series - Jane Sparrow is joined by Chief People Officer at at EXA Infrastructure, Carrie Cushing.
Carrie and Jane discuss the need for connecting change to your day to day life and your stakeholders. Carrie shares how she's learned the power of connecting change to each individual's context and taking the time to help people make sense of it. She's seen a better reaction that way - all lessons we advocate through our work too.
Listen now to hear more on Carrie's personal change journey and lessons from leading change throughout her career. There's some wonderful nuggets within!
Kicking off our series of Change Leadership Lessons, Jane Sparrow is joined by Phil Rumbol
Phil is a Non Exec Director and advisor who has held many Senior Marketing and Commercial roles within Cadbury, Whitbread, Bahlsen, AB InBev.
Listen now to hear some of the lessons and strategies learnt from leading change and Phils valuable advice to others who are about to embark on their own change journey.
Phil talks about the need for a ‘clear narrative about what you're doing, the change you’re trying to drive and why you are doing it,’ and keeping in mind that ‘whether it’s 10 people, 100 people or 1000 people, different people need different things during change’
Over the coming weeks we will be sharing a series of podcasts from some of the most progressive leaders in the UK and wider world - people that have built successful paths through change, and possess a wealth of knowledge around the practical, personal and leadership skills needed to help people during some of the toughest moments in their career.
Watch out for the first episode, landing soon, along with a rich mix of content to give you ideas and practical steer on how you can take your own team and organisation through change.
Another year tucked under our belts, and a whole heap of challenges, successes and growth. Like most people, we’ve forgotten most of it… and it took some time to recall enough to pull our last 2023 podcast together! Chris and Jane muse on the ups and downs for the company, and the big learnings that the year has produced.
Late trains, difficult conversations, bees, workloads and collaboration (lack thereof) are all topics, along with a dose of personal reflection on what the year has meant. We loved doing it, we think it’s important for other to do the same, and would urge you all to find time before the year ends to remind yourselves of just how much you have done.
Jane managed to fulfil a personal objective for 2023 – just under the wire as the year ends. Ever since meeting Paula Carnell - Environmental Consultant of the Year - at a ‘honey tasting’ event, she has wanted to find an opportunity to interview her on our podcast channel. Why? Because her experiences and views on the importance of bees and honey for the health and wellbeing of humans is becoming a huge topic.
At the very forefront of this is Paula. She came to beekeeping later in her life, following a period of prolonged illness. Through her own experiences she came to understand the vital role that honey plays in our healthy lives. Jane and her talk through this fascinating area, exploring the history of honey and bees, and the clear benefits that they bring to us. It directly connects to our Bank of Me concept, and the need to nurture our physiological wellbeing.
More broadly, Paula talks about the analogy of the ‘health hive’ and the need to cultivate a healthy culture within the bees. There’s some lovely parallels between bee culture and our own work/life culture.
The guidance and lessons in this podcast will have you dashing out for honey, giving our little furry, buzzy friends, more respect and looking at your workplace in a whole new way
A fortuitous review of Leanne Mair’s new book: Closing the Gap, led to not one, but two podcasts with the author. The book is an in-depth look at the disparity that black women face in the working world - despite being a group identified as some of the most hard-working, professional and well educated people we have the opportunity to recruit.
Leanne has a wealth of experience and insight (more than a book’s worth) to share, and does it in a way that, without diminishing the issue, makes it feel like a positive and action focused content. She chatted to Chris Preston about the topic, and brought to the conversation a blend of stories, views and statements that bring the situation to life.
If you are committed to building an equitable organisation, then Leanne’s wisdom is compulsory for you. We need to hear what’s being said, and recognise that it’s not the challenge for the person, it’s the imperative of the organisation. If we are to help black women gain equity, then we need to stop making it their problem.
As part of our support for ADHD awareness month, Jane Sparrow interviewed Samantha Hiew, PhD – an acknowledged expert on the subject, and someone who has a wealth of experience and advice for people with ADHD and those working and living alongside them.
The podcast is full of practical examples of how a person with ADHD navigates the world, how they best operate and the ideal ways that leaders can engage with them and harness what is, in many ways, a super power.
Compulsive listening if you are working in a team that has a broad neuro-spread.
Regular listeners will recognise the name - John Tusa has previously appeared on our podcast, talking about his book 'On Board' - a rich insight into the Boards of many public institutions. At the time, we didn't get a chance to talk about his role in the BBC World Service.
However, a chance comment from a colleague, concerning the famous 'Tusa-grams' sent us right back to John, with a plea to talk more about his role leading the World Service, and how he curated the organisation during a time of significant change. We also got a chance to hear about his latest book - Bright Sparks, which features seven stories of innovation, bravery, tenacity and audacity. Pop on a pair of headphones and be ready to sit back and listen to John sharing some of those stories. The book is out soon. We advise you pre-order it.
When a book lands on your desk titled: "The Eagle That Drank Hummingbird Nectar" you know it's going to be something different from the norm. Aneace Haddad is a coach and advisor to a range of C-level leaders, who draws on his own journey to a senior role to help others to articulate and overcome the challenges they face 'at the top'.
Chris got a chance to interview Aneace, and had a broad-ranging, stimulating conversation about what it means to be the one that 'the buck stops at'. He talks candidly about how lonely it can be in a senior role, and the need for leaders to make people the number one priority. They also discussed the need for empowerment, and how many leaders are unaware of the 'gaps' that exist in their assumptions.
Aneace has taken all of this experience and knowledge and crafted the book - its an allegorical tale that's part business book, part novel and spiced with a good dose of coaching and mentoring for those in similar roles. Listen to the podcast, read the book... take part in the nectar.
Sun, sand and strategic thinking? At the time of recording, many leaders are turning on the out-of-office note and heading for a well-earned holiday. But they are departing from professional lives that are busier, more complex and stressful than ever. With a myriad of new factors to contend with, the question ‘who would want to be a boss?’ rings truer than ever.
Jane and Chris dip their toe into the waters of leadership life on this podcast – taking a short look at the three big challenges that leaders face – empowerment, strategic thinking and burn out. All three are linked, and they each bring with them a specific set of needs and mindful actions to ensure you enable, achieve or avoid each one.
Plenty of practical tips, as you would expect, with some sound advice on what to do to make the space and build the trust. If you are about to turn off, tune in and get some holiday inspiration to mull over as you take your well-earned R&R.
Want to be part of a really strong, positive and supportive culture? It’s going to cost you – the price of a swim in freezing cold water… But it’s worth it, as that action buys you entry into a rapidly growing network of people, mainly women, who are part of the Bluetits Chill Swimmers club.
Sounds extreme, but for the 80,000+ people in the network, it’s a way to build courage and overcome their fears & self-assumptions. Founded by Sian Richardson, the Bluetits encourages people to safely swim in open water in the UK – all year round. It’s freezing cold, it’s scary and asks people to uncover their bodies with a mix of people. But it’s also a celebratory, supportive culture within which people bring their true, vulnerable selves to the swims.
The ethos, as Sian explains to Jane Sparrow, is to simply say well done to those that turn up. Even if they never get wet (remaining dry tits) they are part of the club, and valued for their contribution. It’s a powerful, shared experience – the magical moments of post-swim celebration and connection, powered by adrenalin, help to connect and fuel people’s sense of inclusion.
It doesn’t take much imagination to think how the principles that Sian shares could easily be extended to a professional world.
What can beer theft (or lack of) teach us about how to bring values to life in an organisation? Or what does it mean to be Daring at 4am in the loading bay of a warehouse? Listen in as Owen and Chris talk about their experience with values and the ways in which organisations bring them to life.
You'll be asking tough questions of your own organisational values - are they static, active or progressive? Do they encourage action, or simply make people feel good?
Values live or die based on how people bring them into their day to day work. Chris and Owen talk about examples of where this happens, and the pitfalls of the opposite being the case... prison for some. If you are about to craft a new set then listen carefully, and value every word. Then, take your values for a spin
- It was Keats BTW, not Byron or Shelley
Psychological Safety is a phrase we all bandy about, and more - it's big business and a major focus for many organisations that genuinely want to ensure it exists in strength within their teams. But, as most people to define it and we stumble - it's not a simple thing to grasp (or indeed create) and many of us end up talking about trust and safety to speak up.
Which, yes, it is both. But it's also so much more. Jane took time with one of our team members - Janine Roberts - to bring the subject to life, and open up what it means, the power it brings to us all, and some simple starting points on how to ensure it's a key factor in your team. If you want to better articulate the concept, then listen no further, as the two bounce around ideas on how to do this and ways in which you can engage people in this critical topic.
This episode is a cautionary tale of linguistic privilege. What? You say. Listen on and find out, as Chris interviews Heather Hansen – a Global Communication Expert and author of the book ‘Unmuted’. She spends a great deal of her professional life helping people to feel more confident speaking in a second language (in particular, English). But, as she explains, the main root problems lie with the native speaker, not the person trying to improve.
Listening to this is a cold-shower wake up for native English speakers – challenging us to rethink how we communicate with our global community, and to use language and stories that others will understand. As Heather explains, so many good conversations and sources of insight and innovation are stifled when we fail to account for the people that have had the bravery to learn our language. And, as all good teachers do, Heather’s got some great tips, advice and sources of learning to help everyone improve their global communication.
Jane is joined by our Head of Consulting - Tyson Matheson - to talk through the 'five languages of appreciation' - sharing tips, stories and ideas that can help to build a stronger culture within any organisation.
Find time to listen and think about how you prefer to demonstrate it, and the reasons why you want to show appreciation (hint: It's not to receive it back). Jane and Tyson share some ideas on how to use the thinking in your daily professional life, and how to start a 'movement' in your team that sees this being a core skill for everyone.
From an audience of fruit flies, to a global one numbering in the billions, Nicki Sheard, President, Brands & Licensing for BBC Studios, has had a highly varied career that's led to her current role. She's worked in FMCG, Fashion and Gaming sectors, and has held a number of roles across the BBC group.
Jane got the chance to talk to Nicki about her experiences across this diverse portfolio and share them on our latest podcast. The singles biggest differentiator in each role has, for Nicki, been the culture. She has drawn learnings from every experience, good and bad - helping her to understand the key levers to focus on and how to create a positive, effective team that enables people to challenge, learn and grow. For Nicki, the podcast was a great exercise around reflection - helping her to work through the experiences she's had, and how it has shaped her approach to building a strong culture within her BBC team.
It’s mere days before we hear the strains of Auld Lang Syne played across the globe, as we say goodbye to a challenging 2022, and step into an uncertain 2023. Jane and Chris’s advice is simple – have a word ready to set the tone.
Over the last few years The Culture Builders’ team has made it a habit to choose a personal word each year that helps them find new and more productive ways of working and thriving. Jane and Chris share their previous words and, as an exclusive sneak-peek, share their next year’s ones now. The question is… What’s yours going to be?
Over the last two years the pressure of work has simply grown and grown – phrases such as ‘The Great Resignation,’ ‘Quiet Quitting,’ and ‘Husk Workers’ have all sprung up as we all find the professional life more challenging than ever, and leaving us to ask the tough question of ‘why’.
On this podcast, Chris and Jane talk through the key factors that led them to creating the Bank of Me app – a tool aimed at helping busy professionals to stay well, focused and productive in a very tough environment. Burn-out is the word of the moment, and the impact for organisations is huge. More than ever there’s a need to provide support and advice to those struggling with the daily grind.
Four years ago we launched the book on this podcast, and now it's the turn of our app!
Jane Sparrow, speaks with designer and maker Stephen Bailey - who shares his story behind being self-employed and working alone, as well as the experience of taking part in an 'impact of work' study and how it made himself more aware of his mental wellbeing, particularly during the pandemic.
Lots of ideas, tips and inspiration to help us all move forwards with our health.
Jane Sparrow speaks with Kirstin Furber, People Director at Channel 4 - who shares her advice on how to tackle Sunday night blues, as well as tips on workplace wellbeing. Her organisation has recently placed a great emphasis on making Monday the highlight of the week, rather than the lowlight.
Lots of ideas, tips and inspiration to help us all move forwards with our health.
Organisations, quite rightly, are very proactive in providing mental wellbeing support to their employees. Perhaps less so with physical wellbeing… but even worse when it comes to financial wellbeing. On this note, as we enter the ‘Talk Money’ week and there’s a raised focus on this area, Jane caught up with one of the UK’s leading financial wellbeing consultants – Emma Waller – to look at how organisations can make money-sense a cultural differentiator.
Emma is a Financial Wellbeing Consultant with extensive experience in developing financial content across private, public and voluntary sectors, designing and delivering financial wellbeing programmes for commercial clients and charities. Her steer for how organisations can support their people when it comes to money matters hits the perfect note – balancing the need for frugality and sensible planning, with the importance of reward and ‘spending to save’.
Her view is that this needs to be an area that more organisations take an active approach to – talking to their teams about money, giving advice and making it a shared activity – something Emma makes good use of when she contributes to Tuddl.
Jane caught up with our Head of Programmes, Owen Cook, who recently delivered a taster webinar to share our latest thinking around the hugely topic of flex working. On this podcast he shares an overall structure for developing a consistent, sustainable road-map for an organisation's way forward.
Plenty of practical ideas to get you thinking and open up wider conversations within your organisation to progress your own future of work planning.
Jane caught up with our Head of Programmes, Owen Cook, who recently delivered a taster webinar to share our latest thinking around the hugely topic of flex working. On this podcast he shares an overall structure for developing a consistent, sustainable road-map for an organisation's way forward.
Plenty of practical ideas to get you thinking and open up wider conversations within your organisation to progress your own future of work planning.
“Four day working week ahead” shout all the headlines at the moment. But, as many are finding out, the reality of a truncated working pattern is far from easy. Jane got a chance to talk to David Taylor, the Group Commercial Director for Costain, who shared with her his experience of changing from a five to a four day week.
The move was part of his search for a ‘quality of life upgrade’ but, when he trialled it, David found it was anything but – working a four day week just shifted the work into the weekend and pressurised the rest of the working week. It took a more fundamental change from David to get on track – using the muscle of Trust, and the skill of effective delegation to make appropriate space.
On the podcast, he talks about the need to correctly message people about the intent, to manage expectations, and for the individual to deliver the proof that it can work. It’s a privilege, not a right, for David. He also shares the side benefit for others - how stepping back actually gives others a chance to step in and take more responsibility and grab learning opportunities. A great listen for anyone thinking of moving to a shorter working week.
There is, without a doubt, a huge, global desire to remove the nine to five working patterns. But, to be balanced, it’s been on the way out for a number of years… but slowly and with great effort by a few determined people.
In that vein, meet Emma Cleary – Founder of Flexibility Matters, an organisation that’s been specialising in placing candidates that are looking for flexible working patterns. In Emma’s own words, it’s been a tough sell for many years. But, for her, the rollercoaster cart has reached the top of the climb, and now is hurtling along the tracks.
Why? Because we’ve all proved, conclusively, that flex working… works. We got some time with Emma recently to talk more about this, and get her views on the benefits (which have always been evident to some) of employing people that don’t adhere to the traditional patterns. Also, linked to this, is the trawl for talent and the attraction factors that an organisation needs to demonstrate.
In short, it’s a rich conversation between her and Chris!
During the early autumn of 2021, The Culture Builders commissioned an independent research project to look at the impact of the pandemic on organisations across the UK, and beyond. The aim was to identify the key factors that have been impacted (positively and negatively by the Lockdown and restrictions, and to chart out how this impact differs across organisations.
The inevitable results demonstrated that areas such as engagement, talent development and culture have all been impacted (but more deeply than first thought). But the research told a story of two situations – smaller companies have been harder hit, but are more ready for the next phase, whereas larger organisations feel less impacted, but are still very much in the planning and exploration stage of their response.
In this Burst episode, Chris Preston shares the top line summary, and his take on the findings – plus he shares the key factors that HR professionals believe will be the must-have traits for leaders taking people forward in this new post-pandemic poly-working world.
You can get a copy of the White Paper here.
Since Jane and Chris developed the thinking behind the concept of Poly Working, the team has been inundated with requests for conversations, support and ideas. The notion of a multi-faceted approach to the return to work, and beyond, is a compelling call to action that challenges the overly simplistic remote working structures that some organisations are looking to implement.
In this podcast, they open up the idea, and share how organisations are finding success as they find their way in the new world of work. There’s no one easy solution, and the guidance focuses more on conversations, connections and complexity. If we are to succeed in building a more balanced working life for everyone then we need to plan carefully as we release the pressure from the ‘elastic stretched taut’ that has been all our lives for the last 18 months. As ever, it’s a podcast that’s full of stories, advice and lessons learnt.
You can also access the White Paper on poly-working HERE.
Selina Hales, founder of Glasgow-based Charity, Refuweegee talks to Owen Cook about managing, leading and looking after staff, volunteers, and yourself in a high-purpose environment, where people pour themselves into their work.
The conversation brings lessons in working towards unachievable goals and developing a symbiotic relationship with your people in order to continue to perform under difficult circumstances. If this one doesn't give you goosebumps at some point, we don't know what will.
This was recorded pre-pandemic.
In this episode, our Head of Programmes, Owen Cook, talks with Diana Jupp, the CEO at Pancreatic Cancer UK - the Charity leading on raising awareness of this type of cancer and providing support to patients and families affected by it. Diana talks about the challenges that working in a charity so closely linked to loss brings to her and the team.
During the course of the conversation Diana shares her insights on maintaining culture whilst growing an organisation, the difficulty of finding the right balance between investment and delivery when you have limited resources, and what to watch out for in your people when they are driven by purpose, possibly to the point of burnout.
This podcast was recorded pre the pandemic.
How do you maintain culture, connection and performance in your organisation when you add talent? In this episode, Hilary Wells - HR Director for Hawkeye - talks to Owen about managing and developing people to achieve high-performance.
Hilary shares her insights on recruiting people during phases of rapid growth, in contexts ranging from family-owned, to truly global businesses and dealing with the resulting shifting dynamics.
Kellie McSorley, Founder of SILK Search and The SET joins Jane Sparrow to discuss the current and emerging talent landscape that organisations are experiencing. Her insight is both deep and broad – bringing in a number of perspectives that point to the emerging direction that organisations will be taking as they look for the next wave of senior leaders.
In a pandemic and hopefully post-pandemic world, new skills are going to be critical as companies look to on-board people who bring a strong mix of ‘soft skills’ that enable them to effectively manage a rapidly evolving workplace. Placed as she is in the thick of the search for talent, Kellie talks fluently about the immediate Executive talent needs and what is being seen on the horizon. A compelling listen.
Jane and Chris both take time on this episode to interview Peter Davies – a man whose vast experience and knowledge of the aviation industry and its unique leadership challenges needs two interviewers to do justice to! He’s a turn-around specialist who has rekindled the passion, and passenger numbers in a number of airlines and aviation-related organisations. But he’s not your average trouble-shooter.
To give you an insight into this, he devotes five minutes of this podcast talking about fixing toilets. It’s not as trivial as it seems, and it’s something that typifies Peter’s style – caring about the small elements that make an organisation successful. And, critically, caring about its people. He talks about the head and the heart of organisations, and where they sit for him. You’ll be surprised and fascinated by his answers. He’s a positive challenger or, as he calls himself, ‘a fixed disruptor’. His industry insight is fascinating, and his wider leadership approach is inspirational.
Sir John Tusa’s board experience reads like a top ten list for the UK arts world. He’s been part of the governance process for organisations such as The British Museum, The English National Opera and the National Portrait Gallery. This, on top of a career that’s seen him running the BBC World Service, co-founding Newsnight and managing London’s Barbican Centre. So, when John writes a book about Boards, you know it’s going to be good.
Chris recently reviewed John’s new book – On Board – and was compelled to talk to him about how an organisation’s culture is impacted by governance, and the people who are trusted with it. What he got was a podcast that is packed with stories that draw from four decades of practical experience, both as a senior leader and as a senior Board member. You’ll want your pen ready for this one – it’s littered with advice and insight that everyone will value.
Libby Townsend – Group People Director at OVO Group – joins Jane Sparrow to discuss her experiences in a range of corporates, and what she sees as the deeper factors that create a ‘magnetic culture’ for organisations – drawing in and keeping bright people as we enter the new year and a range of new challenges and possibilities
She shares her journey and learning points around the creation and maintenance of strong cultures - such as her tent-in-a-field induction with Virgin Mobile and how it demonstrated the power of fun in an organisation. Libby also talks about the difficulty of ‘retro-fitting’ purpose in organisations, and the challenge of trying to motivate a ‘stale’ culture.
Currently, Libby feels that the organisations weathering the current situation most successfully are those that have a clear, lived purpose, and are actively encouraging dialogue and communication that is based on it. She sees managers as the vital success factor, and believes that organisations should be placing a great deal of emphasis and support on this group – something based on her own experience of being a mentor and remaining connected to those she has supported as they have grown.
From March 2020 to today we have all been living and working on a rollercoaster – the initial stages filled us with fear and trepidation, but also with a keen sense of humour and shared laughter. Over time, fear has become resignation and humour has faded. But, with the change in seasons, steps ‘back’ around lockdown and people feeling at a low ebb, we need it more than ever.
In this quick burst episode, Chris takes a dip into this surprisingly complex subject and highlights its importance (and risk) in creating a strong team culture. He also lays down the challenge of bringing it back – dialling back up the ‘funnies’ and finding ways to share humour. We all need to smile right now, and it’s not something we should leave to chance.
With statistics right now indicating that two thirds of us are facing issues with burn-out, it’s vital that we start taking on board the idea that ‘unplugging’ is a critical factor for sustainable working, and to give use a fighting change of making it through this most difficult, prolonged period of uncertainty. No one is taking the right amount of time off at the moment, and people are working longer and harder than ever. But it will end badly if we don’t make some changes now.
Jane and Chris, on this Burst podcast, share some very practical ways of building in the ‘pauses’ and the permission to stop – even short moments that give us back the energy and focus that we need. They encourage listeners to think about ‘structured’ and ‘unstructured’ unplugging – either things we plan for and implement in a planned way, or those ‘happy interruptions’ that give us a pause and a change of pace. Their tips, as ever, range from the easy to the extreme – this time, it’s dogs and broken legs.
September will be a significant turning point for many of us – as the critical situation created by COVID19 will become a chronic situation that we are learning to live with. The change of the season and the return to school/work for many is a signal that a change is hopefully coming. We have an opportunity to define the next stage of our strange 2020 world, and it’s important that we don’t sleepwalk through it and miss the opportunity. Cultures are fluid, people are looking for change and, with the right pace, great things can happen.
Jane and Chris share three areas of focus and consideration for anyone thinking about how to tackle the next few months – how to take ownership of the direction of travel and use the situation to move the culture of your organisation forwards. There’s a reminder of just how far we’ve come, how much new ‘muscle’ people have developed over the last few months – and how we harness this growth-under-pressure. As Chris says, there’s no blueprint for the future of work, so we either sit and wait for it to appear, or we create it ourselves.
How do you capture and maintain what makes your company culture fantastic when your growth trajectory brings in a slew of new people who have the potential to dilute that culture? This was the problem faced by Paul Knight when he joined the People Function in the rapidly-growing Perform Media Group seven years ago.
Under his guidance, the organisation went from 750 people to more than 3,000 in less than four years, culminating in a necessary de-merger of the two parts (into Perform and DAZN) of the company to allow future growth. Throughout this time, Paul and the team were highly aware of the unique culture that had made Perform successful, and how their work should help curate it rather than remove it.
Necessary systems and processes had to be ‘tuned’ to the right tone and levels of control to ensure they supported a highly commercial, casual and progressive organisation. In his own words, it wasn’t easy but, for Paul, it was the journey of a lifetime. Take a listen into that story.
“The current situation is only accelerating what’s been happening for a while with AI,” believes Greg Orme, award-winning author of The Human Edge. He joins Chris on this podcast to discuss how this now-pervasive technology is changing the landscape of work for everyone, and how we should positively use the opportunity to ‘remove tasks, not jobs’ as part of its implementation.
Greg brings a fascinating insight into how we, as a professional society, are responding to AI – where it’s being harnessed to help improve lives and where it’s disrupting traditional approaches for those less comfortable with its emergence. It’s a powerful tool, as Greg states, but one that we have full control over and, if we are mindful, can positively shape the impact it has on our organisational cultures. Ultimately, it’s down to the trust we place in both it and the leadership that encourages us to innovate around it. Right now, with the urgent need for new tools to help build the as-yet unclear future of work, AI is one tool we would do well to plan for. Sit back and enjoy a front-row seat as Greg and Chris muse about the ‘mess’ that will save us and the happy-loss of video recorders. It all makes sense upon listening!
Just a few short months into his tenure as CEO of BBC Studioworks, Andrew Moultrie faced the prospect of leading his organisation through the COVID19 crisis and resultant restrictions for broadcasters. The company, a subsidiary of the BBC, provides facilities for the filming and production of some of the most popular TV shows in this country and beyond – Eastenders and Strictly being just two of a wide range of outputs.
The first tool he reached for? Emotional intelligence. Andrew credits any success of his leadership to this factor – far more so than models, process or structure. As he says himself: “Being an emotional kid in the 80s and 90s did not work for me – but now it’s a superpower.”
Jane and the rest of the team have been working closely with Andrew and the wider BBC Studioworks team to implement a new approach to values and behaviours – fuelled by his desire to focus on creating a strong culture within the organisation. You can hear more of his initial leadership journey, how he approached being a ‘lockdown leader’, and his view on he importance of emotions for senior leaders on this podcast episode.
Wellbeing has long been on the fringes of business - yes, it's important, but it's long been sat in the corner, adding value 'as and when'. But now, with the new landscape of a pandemic-hit world, we are seeing it rise to the top of the list of priorities.
Jane and Chris share their thoughts on this, and talk about how the 'permission' to take advantage of wellbeing offerings and to be more open about using them are some of the unexpected benefits of the current lockdown situation. More than ever, we need people to be focused, sustainable and well.
Back for part two, Andrew Keith, President of Lane Crawford, builds on his views around how the virus has been a catalyst for necessary but also desired change in the fashion industry. Since the 23rd of January his organisation has been surviving in a lockdown world, and he shares his views on how they have coped, the things he has done as a leader to ensure he remains a visible, connected leader, and the impact that the values and culture work has had in preparing them for this situation.
He shares examples of where his retail team has become far more inventive in solving the blockers that lockdown presented – Zooming customers to show products and creating new routes to the communities that they work with. With Hong Kong now emerging from lockdown, he also talks about the excitement and uncertainty that he is seeing as people come back to work physically. He recognises the staggered nature of the return, and the importance of including everyone in this process. But most of all, he talks about the renewed sense of purpose, and how people in the company are looking ahead at the positive changes that the virus has encouraged and enabled them to make.
In short, Andrew paints a blueprint for the future that we can all start to follow.
A number of leading figures in the fashion industry have taken the bold step of challenging the traditional seasonal model that dominates the market currently. It’s wasteful, frustrating and unnecessary. But it takes a brave voice to rock the boat so drastically. But that’s exactly what our guest this week, Andrew Keith – President, Lane Crawford – did recently. He, and a number of leading industry figures joined forces to call out the current situation and lay the groundwork for a new way of retailing.
But the story starts three years earlier, when Lane Crawford (Asia’s leading luxury fashion retailer) undertook a root and branch re-think of its culture – defining a new purpose and ‘reason for being’ and working intensely to re-engineer the core tenets of the organisation. It was, as Andrew explains, the foundation for the change and challenge to the industry. He joins Jane Sparrow to talk about the drivers behind his challenge to the industry and how (with our help!) he moved a 170-year-old culture forward one big step.
Mike Ling is one of the flying team with the Blades Aerobatic Team – a place earnt through a spectacular military flying career, that concluded with him taking one of the lead pilot roles in the world renowned Red Arrows. He spoke to us recently to share more of his story and put into context some of our work and thinking around areas such as emotional management during stressful situations and the criticality of physiological management.
His story is nothing short of heart-stopping, in the interview he talks about a near-fatal crash that nearly ended his flying career, and how he found new depths of resilience and determination during his long road to recovery. We’ve always had the utmost admiration for the Red Arrows pilots, and Mike demonstrates exactly why – calm, humble and a total professional. There’s a great deal of his story and thinking that translates into the wider business culture – flying has taught him a great deal, and he’s very happy to share his wisdom.
"The necessity of presence is over-rated – I’m far more focused on output and productivity, rather than the number of hours you’re sat in the office,” states Joel Krutz, former CFO of Viacom CBS International and this episode’s guest. He has, for many years worked with a team that spans the globe, so when he talks about remote working and remote teams, you sit back and listen!
You’ll need your notepads ready for this one, as Jane and Joel chat about the reality of a workforce upon which the sun never sets and how to both deliver your best and get the same out of others when time and distance are major factors. Joel talks passionately about the importance of ‘knowing the reality of the individual’ in order to work with them effectively. The factor that comes across strongly during the interview is his view that working with an international team requires a great deal of proactivity – success doesn’t come by chance. If you want some clear, practical thinking on how remote working can impact your talent pool, help you build a different approach to judging how people add value and the ways in which communication can be used with dispersed teams, Joel is your man.
Our guest this episode describes the current (April 2020) remote working situation as ‘taking off one pair of slippers and putting on different ones. Since 2016, when a leukemia diagnosis forced Frank Cunnane to re-think his work patterns, he’s been re-shaping his working patterns to take into account the new reality for him.
We asked him to share his learnings from this experience, to talk about the changes he made and the new attitudes he developed to enable him to still be an effective leader. His role as Vice President & Regional CIO EMEA for Sony Pictures Entertainment requires a great deal of him, which he sustainably delivers from his home base. Jane worked with Frank for many years, and it’s with a real delight that she got some time with him on the line to share his story and his growth during that tough time.
James Skinner, Director of Digital Technology for Specsavers has a number of keen perspectives on how an organisation can develop its remote working culture. James joins Jane Sparrow to talk about what it means to build a remote-working focused culture and the attitudes that leaders need to foster authentically if they are to make the transition to a more fluid working approach a success.
His experience in companies such as Dyson and Specsavers and the different ways they approach this area are highly illuminating. One area he raises on the podcast is the link between flexible work patterns and talent attraction – the first has to be on offer to attract the second. Trust is also high on his list – James sees it as the cornerstone of success when leading a team. Ultimately, it’s about what people do and the output they create, rather than the way they do this.
Continuing our remote working focus, Jane is joined by Jonathan Hood - Business Development Manager – Coloplast is no stranger to remote working, having worked as a field rep for the company. He shares with Jane his experiences of the highs and lows of remote working and the learnings he’s taken from the journey (metaphorical and physical) of transitioning into the role.
One of the key stand-outs is the opportunity to use the time and the experience to learn. Jonathan uses his journeys as a way of adding to his knowledge bank and catching up on stimulating content. He’s also developed a keen eye for detailed planning to ensure he maximises his time. Alongside the planning and development, it’s also important for him to maintain a healthy lifestyle – avoiding the pitfalls of poor diet choices that a life on the road can offer.
We are joined on this episode by Steve Butler, author of Managing the Gap – a highly practical look at inter-generational working and how to get the best out of an age-diverse workforce. This area has become a key factor for remote working, with the focus turning on the under 25s as they struggle the most with this extraordinary environment.
Steve talks about his experience managing a diverse age group through the current challenges – how he’s seeing the differences manifest and the activities he’s putting in place to ensure people are included and supported. As ever, Steve takes the positive practical approach, seeing learning and growth opportunities for his workforce and for himself.
When we say ‘people are’ we totally lose the individuality that makes our workforce so varied, vibrant, robust and challenging. Right now, with the challenges of remote working near the top of every organisation’s list, it’s critical that we continue to think about people as unique individuals, who each need a specific plan to ensure they can be successful, remain positive and stay healthy (you included).
So, meet Frankie, Drew, Charlie and Remi – four characters that bring to life the challenges that we are all facing – distractions, stress, worry, dislocation and boredom. In this episode, Jane and Chris bring these people to life, and talk through the ways that we can support them and ensure we factor in what they need and mitigate what we need – forging that third culture that’s so critical for success.
Finally, we launched our latest book this week! It’s chapter two of the Bank of Me – the Remote Working Edition. Packed full of ideas, tips and actions to keep everyone focused and motivated when working remotely. Grab the ebook off Amazon now.
It's World Sleep Day today so, in this short Burst Episode, Owen taps Beccy - the head of our Physiological Faculty - for her top five tips on Sleep. While there's bound to be a couple you've heard before in there (that doesn't make them wrong - go do something about them), there are also a couple that we'd hope are new to you including thinking about how the way you get up in the morning might make a difference to your sleep at night... Hopefully that's enough to peak your curiosity. That said, we're always curious about what works for other people, so feel free to get in touch and tell us!
When asked to describe remote working, we talk about a high-stress environment. Unless you are adept at working at home, it can be one of the hardest environments to be effective in – new distractions, lack of resources and, as we explore in this podcast, something that can make people feel isolated.
Jane and Chris explore more ideas around how to make a success of remote working – staying connected, being proactive in relationships and ensuring your social sphere doesn’t shrink down to the few people that you absolutely need to connect with.
Also, don’t forget the upcoming podcast on Friday 13th of March at 9.am UK-time – lots more ideas around how to be effective and remote work like a pro. Sign up here.
Right now, many companies are facing up to the challenge of temporarily changing how their people work – putting in place travel bans and remote working requirements as part of their efforts to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
Like a snow-day, the novelty of the situation soon wears off, and people across the globe (particularly in China and Hong Kong, where people have been facing this situation far longer) are struggling to make the situation work. Put simply, most of us just don’t know how to work effectively outside of the office.
We’ve dedicated this week’s podcast (and some of our wider sharing with the business community) to this area – Jane, Chris and the team have been producing support materials for organisations wanting to help people remain connected, positive and effective. In this burst we share some quick tips and thinking to get people into the right mindset for remote working and virtual collaboration.
There’s more to come on this – we are determined to do our bit and help people in this difficult period. Keep an eye on our social feeds for more tips and tools, and take a moment to sign up to our upcoming web-cast on this topic.
2020 has made a dramatic entrance, with a number of world events putting the issues of global warming, climate change and carbon reduction at the very front of all of our minds. The changes needed run through every culture – local, national, global and, critically, organisational. To make lasting shifts that will slow global warming, we need organisations to take significant action.
We got the opportunity to find out how one company – Standard Chartered Bank – is driving this change with its shifting focus onto ethical investment. Samantha Bramley, Director, Environmental and Social Risk Management, joined us on our latest Deep-Dive podcast to talk about how the bank is re-focusing on ethical issues and the impact this is having on the organisation.
Samantha draws out a story of change that it compelling and cause for hope. The impact of her and the wider team’s work is major, both for the organisations they fund and for the culture of the bank. They’ve started a positive movement that is changing the way people think and act. And that can only be a good thing.
How do you prepare to step into a new leadership role? What can you do before the move to make sure you're at your best for it? What do you need to do, for yourself and others, during the first 60-90 days in role to get off to the best start? In this episode Jane gets to talk to Seb Monk - Chief Experience Officer at property tech and shared living start-up, Lyvly - about how he prepared for the move and what he's been doing in his early days in post. Seb shares learning from the environments and transitions across his career, including moves from the armed forces into corporate law, on to retail with Waitrose, into Dyson and now to Lyvly. He draws our attention to the things he's kept and tried to repeat, and the things he's done differently this time around.
As we all wind down to the end of 2019, to the end of a decade and enter what will no doubt be a very interesting period, we wanted to share five things you can do for yourself and those around you. They are small things to help prepare for the festive period and to set yourself on the right track for 2020.
Chris and Jane share their five top tips for you – they are easy, positive and ones you can involve others in. Simple ideas around staying hydrated, saying thank you and getting your 2020 To Do list off to a flying start.
Enjoy them, try them and have a great festive season.
The Bank of Me team
Heather Golding is the founder of TonyG – a company that has created branding and campaign materials for some of the world’s biggest retail brands. Every listener will have experienced their outputs in some way, their work with global brands appears on our high streets and in stores across the world.
We took some time to talk to Heather in her Warwickshire office and, helped by the local birdlife, we asked her to share views on creating creative cultures. Her take on this hard-to-grasp area is as surprising as it is practical. It’s not about slides, music or targets, it’s about trust, playfulness and great leadership.
To get you started, Heather shares her three tips on building creative organisations, and how to bring in people not normally given the ‘creative’ label. She’s a delight to talk and listen to – we loved recording this, and think you will love listening to it
It’s Stress Awareness Day, and there are many conversations and ideas around the topic – causes, symptoms and (critically) cures. Inevitably the majority of this will focus on the workplace. It’s a sad state that stress in our careers has become such a presence – there’s no doubt that it has only increased in the last decade.
However, it’s also heartening that it’s a topic we are more comfortable talking about (as with mental health, which is a close conspirator with stress). It’s something we constantly raise through our work, taking about the causes and the cost, but also how, in an adult way, we can tackle it. We will never have a stress-free world, but managing what stress we do allow in our lives is an important coping factor. In this Burst, Jane shares thinking and practical ideas on this pertinent topic.
We wholly support the increased focus on personal, team and organisational wellbeing. Supporting individuals to work and live their lives in ways that deposit into their personal bank account (keeping them in the ‘black’ in our terms) creates cultures that sustainably achieve business targets, are amazing places to work and attract the best talent.
But it’s also a confusing area – what is and isn’t ‘in scope’ for wellbeing, and where to begin? Jane Sparrow shares how we outline wellbeing, and the areas we see as critical to focus on. As we say, ‘it’s not rocket science, it’s people science’. And we can all do it.
Rapid international growth is a major challenge for many young organisations. Aside from the inevitable logistics, one of the most frequent issues (or indeed opportunities) is the cultural differences that are encountered as companies move into new markets and territories.
This has been the case for DAZN – the first OTT live sports broadcaster – as it seeks to rapidly build a global brand from a UK base. Joining us on the Bank of Me podcast this episode is their SVP of Talent and Resourcing, Suzana Thurston. She has been at the sharp-end of this growth – sourcing and developing a 3,000 strong workforce – and has seen first-hand how the blend of Asian, European and American cultures has developed.
Owen, who has been working with DAZN to help managers work through the complexity of international-management, took some time with Suzana to talk through the journey and challenges and successes that the company has experienced.
Passion today, passion tomorrow, energy from people – Jane Sparrow shares the three questions she encourages the leaders and teams to consider when they are facing long-term challenges and change.
During these times it’s easy for things to grind us down, to lose sight of the positives and to be drained by the tasks at hand. In this short podcast Jane gives some practical tips on fuelling your ‘Bank Account’ and finishing a challenging work thinking ‘I learnt and grew’.
For this episode Jane is joined by Steve Thorn, Executive Director, Digital at Civica. We’ve been wanting to feature him on a podcast for some time – he’s long been a source of inspiration for us and his experience and approach to his career is something we are always keen to share.
Steve has the most amazing tips and stories on leadership – from the names and roles of 272 people aboard a Royal Navy ship to the ’25 names game’ – his approach to managing and growing people helps him, and others, overcome the challenges we all face when working in large teams. In particular, he shares his ideas on ensuring virtual teams work well together – many of his pieces of advice will have you slapping your forehead at your own lack of ingenuity to think up the things Steve puts forwards.
There’s a reason why we’ve featured him in both books, and there’s a reason why you will love every minute of this podcast. So, sit back and let Steve share some of the best advice you will ever be given.
The struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle alongside the ever growing demands of our jobs is real and common. Following some recent conversations with clients on this challenge, we asked our colleague Owen Cook to sit down with Beccy Matthews - the head of our physiological faculty - to discuss the links and impact between our physical health and our overall performance.
Beccy draws on her 15 years of experience in the fitness and nutrition industries: outlining the three key areas of our physiological well-being that we should all focus on - using the analogy of a three-legged stool to stress the importance of them in balance. She talks about how the choices we make create knock on effects, both good and bad across our lives, depositing in or withdrawing from our 'human bank accounts' - giving practical advice on how to think about these different, but interconnected facets; small tips to help, even when you're under pressure; and ideas for those who are already doing well but want to maximise the benefits of their efforts.
Listening in on a colleague delivering a webinar on mindfulness was the inspiration and motivation I needed to do something that’s been on my list for some time.
Like most people, I’m guilty of doing far too much and paying way too little attention to the things that absolutely need my focus. Pausing isn’t easy in an always-on ever-demanding world. But, at 4am, I found the time and the peace to try a mindfulness exercise.
This is a slow episode. Most of the audio invites you to take time out, listen, be mindful about what you are hearing and truly enjoy something wonderful. A gift from us – enjoy the dawn chorus and the little sparrow that started it all.
The phrase ‘work-life-balance’ has become clichéd and now seen as a negative term by many. The idea of balance is a challenging one to many of us, who face multiple draws on our time and have little spare capacity to do the things that are personally important.
In this Burst Jane shares her view on how we should be looking at our lives – understanding and integrating what’s important, rather than trying to segment everything into two neat buckets. For her, it all starts with how we are, and the real answer to ‘how are you?’
The ‘theatre’ of surgery is one that fascinates us all. It’s seen as a place of drama, tension and crisis. However, taking a deeper dive into this complex world, this episode features Simon Watts – ENT Consultant and facial plastic surgeon – who talks in detail about how the medical profession has, over the last ten years, made some small but highly significant changes to the way they communicate, collaborate and challenge each other.
Simon details the important factors for a modern theatre – surprisingly simple ones, such as chatter, questioning and feedback. To expedite these strengths, teams across the world have been using the World Health Organisation ‘Checklist’ (the story of which can be found in Atul Gawande’s book of the same name). There are some powerful learnings in this podcast and a fascinating delve into the process of surgery.
We also asked Simon about the use of music during surgery – his answer was an inspiring, lovely perspective on how we can all be better at what we do.
In this burst episode we are joined by the Head of Technology & Delivery at Dabbl Invest, a company that, in their own words, is ‘democratising investing’. They have a unique perspective on the investment world, as they seek to engage and include a new generation of investors.
What’s becoming evident is that, with a higher awareness and expectation on a company’s ethical and sustainable position, younger investors are placing as much emphasis on the perception of the brand they are buying as they do on its financial performance. This change will need organisations to focus far more on how they inform and include investors in key decisions.
In our work as the Bank of Me we talk about ‘investors’ as a shorthand for people who truly believe in the organisations they work for. This idea now applies to actual share ownership – where investors are increasingly looking at organisations as a whole: their culture, their offerings and how they, as owners, can be involved more closely. The idea of shareholder benefits has never been stronger, and it is technology that can realise this ask.
Grace Hannah – Director of People for Communicorp UK – joins us down the line to talk about the cultural journey that her company has been on since she joined in 2014. In this Deep Dive she talks about the importance of teams living the company’s values – through daily activity, development and performance. Her experience of alignment at the most senior level is testament to the fact that culture has to be owned top to bottom in an organisation.
Communicorp UK is home to some of the most exciting brands in UK radio including Capital networks in Scotland and South Wales, Heart Networks in Yorkshire and North Wales, Smooth Radio networks in the North East, North West and East Midlands as well as XS Manchester.
The company prides itself on being ‘radio people who make a difference’. Every day they strive to make a positive difference to listeners’ lives, their customers’ business and the communities they broadcast to.
With the season of giving fast approaching, many of us are in search of something to give. Often this is a fraught process, as we try and choose something we think ‘they will really want’.
Jane Sparrow has a novel and simple idea, and perhaps one that more people than we realise would appreciate and actually need. The gift of time. Time to listen, to interact and to be present.
Looking for something for that special someone in your professional or personal life? Take a listen to this Burst first.
We are joined on this episode by Ian Chambers – CEO of Mind Candy. His organisation is focusing on how to use devices to help children get a better night’s sleep – an area of growing concern, punctuated by an increasing reliance globally on drugs to help combat sleep issues in young people.
Sleep is a cornerstone of health (and something the Bank of Me emphasises as critical for high performance), and Ian talks about the things that we can all do to improve the quality and consistency of sleep, for our children and ourselves.
As we look for solutions to sleep issues, we also look for culprits. Devices are being slated as the reason we don’t sleep, but, as Ian and Chris discuss, it’s actually our attitude to them, and a total lack of discipline that create the problems. Ian’s company is working to fix this with their Moshi Twilight world, and there’s plenty that we, as adults, can take from this work.
In this Bank of Me burst, Owen Cook talks about his own experiment in paying forward kindness - bringing some unexpected joy to airline crew and helping create a better experience of flight for everyone.
As he explains, it isn't easy... But the rewards are worthwhile. He also highlights that, whether we like it or not, way pay forward far more than we realise - good and bad.
Education is often accused of being ‘behind the times’ in comparison to the commercial world. However, when it comes to recruitment, there is a great deal that business could learn from academia in terms of the care and consideration placed on hiring senior roles.
This Bank of Me podcast features Edward Clark – Executive Director, LSC Education. He shares his unique perspective on how schools successfully recruit senior roles. The impact of a poor hire for the organisations he works with is tremendous and the steps taken to prevent this are ones that anybody about to hire would do well to consider.
Recognising the importance of cultural fit, alignment and shared values are areas, which carry equal importance in the process.
There can be very few people listening that do not know who the Red Arrows are - the world's foremost aerial acrobatic display team. Their in-air shows a breathtaking and seen by millions throughout the world. However, the story of what makes them such high performers is just as enthralling.
This deep-dive podcast features an in-depth interview with Andy Morton - Head of Communications for the Red Arrows. He brings to life the behind-the-scenes work of the team and shares some of the key factors that enable them to perform at their best. As with any successful team, trust, team-work, communication and leadership are all critical factors - even more so when you are flying 500 miles an hour and just six feet apart.
We had the opportunity to spend some time with Pam August, Director, Culture Activaiton, for WestJet. It's a brand that, from day one 22 years ago, has done things differently. They don't have passengers they have guests, they aim to Create A Remarkable Experience (CARE) and they are an organisation full of investors. The figures for aviation are startling - more than 95 percent of carriers go out of business and the profit margins for flying people a thousand miles struggles to make double figures. Yet WestJet has been a major success - 22 year of profit with only two quarters showing a loss. As they expand and take on more routes their complexity is increasing and this is starting to stress-test the organisation's culture and the ability to retain who they are and how they deliver their service.
Pam talks through the company's journey and digs into the reasons that their culture is so powerful and their service is so popular. With great insights into the 'ownership' culture and a strong view on what works with their people, she is an incredible source of insight and ideas.
Google's latest email update has added quick messages for response. A great tool to burn through your email inbox, but a terrible one when it comes to showing how you value someone.
Appreciation is not an art, it's a habit that requires effort and thought. In this podcast Chris Preston shares two short stories of appreciation and gives tips on how to ensure your own approach to it is working.
Jane Sparrow asks Darren Childs how he manages and builds his own energy to ensure he is match fit to take on the challenges of the CEO role - exploring the need to plan for the long term and recognise that the most challenging roles often come when our energy starts to dip.
Jane Sparrow talks to Darren Childs about the amazing journey that UKTV has been on over the last seven years - going from niche broadcaster to an audience bigger than Channel 5.
Darren talks candidly about the journey they have been on, the ups and downs and the key factors that helped to get UKTV into the Times Top 100 Companies to work for. The first broadcaster in the UK to ever do this.