Face Forward - Communications, Engagement & Leadership.

Summary  In this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott McInnes speaks with Lorna McAdoo, head of ESG at Version One, about the importance of organizational culture, the role of ESG in shaping that culture, and strategies for enhancing employee engagement, especially in a post-COVID world. They discuss the significance of listening to employees, integrating ESG into daily operations, and the potential of neurodiversity in the workplace. Lorna emphasizes the need for organizations to be flexible and proactive in creating an inclusive environment that fosters connection and collaboration among employees.    Key Points Culture is hugely important for organizational success.  Engagement and culture start from the ground up.  ESG initiatives can enhance employee engagement.  Creating real reasons for employees to come to the office is essential.  Flexibility in work arrangements can tap into diverse talent pools.  Listening to employees is key to building a supportive culture.  ESG can be a powerful tool for culture building.  Organizations need to think outside the box for talent acquisition.  The integration of ESG into daily operations is crucial.  Neurodiversity should be embraced as a valuable talent pool.    Chapters  00:00 Introduction to Building Better Cultures Podcast  02:26 Understanding Organizational Culture  06:41 The Role of ESG in Organizations  12:45 Engagement Strategies Post-COVID  18:38 Integrating ESG into Daily Operations  24:53 The Importance of Neurodiversity in the Workplace   

Summary  In this engaging conversation, the speakers delve into the importance of non-verbal communication in leadership, the journey of a brain hacker, the power of subconscious storytelling, the role of empathy in communication, and the science behind influence through mirroring and rapport. They emphasize that effective leadership requires understanding and harnessing these elements to create a positive organizational culture. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the intricacies of influence, decision-making, resilience, and leadership. They explore how to effectively negotiate by understanding body language and the importance of gut instincts in decision-making. The discussion also emphasizes the need for mental resilience through acceptance and positivity, especially in challenging times. Finally, the speakers highlight the significance of authenticity in leadership, advocating for genuine connections with team members.    Takeaways  99.9999% of leaders leave communication skills on the table.  Leadership is a mindset, not a position.  Cultural leadership involves leading teams effectively.  Subconscious behaviors drive our actions and decisions.  Storytelling is crucial for effective communication.  Empathy is essential in today's volatile world.  Tactical empathy can enhance leadership effectiveness.  Understanding non-verbal communication is vital for leaders.  Influence is built on trust and rapport.  Effective storytelling involves hooks, tension, and payoffs. Influence can be achieved through understanding and mirroring body language.  Trusting your gut instinct can lead to better decision-making.  Life is messy, and accepting that can lead to personal growth.    Chapters  00:00 Unlocking Non-Verbal Communication in Leadership  05:07 The Journey of a Brain Hacker  09:49 The Power of Subconscious Storytelling  14:59 Empathy and Communication in Leadership  20:01 Influence Through Mirroring and Rapport  21:30 The Art of Influence and Negotiation  23:12 Trusting Your Gut: The Role of Instinct in Decision-Making  28:42 Building an Unbreakable Mind: Acceptance and Positivity  37:53 Authenticity in Leadership: The Key to Connection 

Summary  In this episode, the conversation delves into the intricacies of workplace culture, emphasizing the importance of leadership, purpose, and employee wellbeing. The speakers discuss how culture is shaped by the behaviours tolerated within an organization and the critical role leaders play in modelling desired behaviours. They explore the challenges faced by middle management and the necessity of empowering employees to take charge of their wellbeing. The discussion highlights the need for intentionality in fostering connections and trust within teams, ultimately leading to a stronger organizational culture.    Takeaways  Your culture is defined by the worst behaviour you tolerate. Purpose should be central to organizational culture. Leaders play a crucial role but are not the sole influencers of culture. Middle management faces unique challenges in today's work environment. Wellbeing initiatives must be integrated into the organizational culture. Building trust is essential for effective communication. Employees should be empowered to lead wellbeing initiatives. Intentionality in interactions fosters better connections. Storytelling can enhance the understanding of purpose in work. Giving employees a voice is key to building a strong culture.      Chapters  00:00 Understanding Workplace Culture 03:07 The Role of Purpose in Organizations 06:03 Leadership and Culture Dynamics 09:00 Middle Management Challenges 11:51 Wellbeing in the Workplace 14:47 Building Trust and Connection 18:11 Empowering Employees for Wellbeing 21:04 Creating a Strong Organizational Culture 

When 20 senior leaders from 9 countries gathered in the heart of Mumbai, the lessons weren't found in PowerPoint decks—they were found in the streets, in conversation, and in shared moments of discomfort and growth. In this episode, Scott McInnes reflects on his experience with the Common Purpose Senior Leader Programme, exploring how a city of contrasts challenged his assumptions, highlighted the power of diversity, and deepened his understanding of bias and empathy. A story about leadership that unfolds not in loud declarations—but in quiet, meaningful shifts.

Episode Summary  In this episode of Building Better Cultures, Scott McInnes sits down with Jonathan Reed, CEO of Paddy and Scott's Coffee, to discuss the company's incredible transformation over the past three years. Jonathan shares his journey from employee to owner through a management buyout (MBO) and the challenges he faced in reshaping the organisation's leadership and culture.  With a strong focus on communication, trust, and a people-first approach, Jonathan highlights how visibility, vulnerability, and fun play crucial roles in creating an engaged and motivated workforce. He also delves into the company's commitment to social impact, ensuring that business success translates into meaningful contributions to coffee-growing communities.  This episode is packed with insights on leadership, resilience, and the power of responsible commerce to create real change.    Key Takeaways  Transitioning from employee to owner is a profound leadership shift.  The MBO process is challenging but ultimately rewarding.  Clear communication and trust-building are crucial for a successful transition.  Leaders must be visible, present, and engaged with their teams.  A great workplace culture includes fun as a key performance indicator.  People—not just coffee—are at the heart of Paddy and Scott's business.  Strategic planning should involve and empower employees.  Vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness, in leadership.  Businesses have a responsibility to make a positive social impact.  The future of Paddy and Scott's is built on responsible commerce and community support.    Chapters   00:00 Introduction and Background   08:54 Impact of MBO on Leadership and Culture   19:45 Emphasizing People Over Profit   34:52 Future Vision and Social Impact  

EPISODE SUMMARY In this episode of Building Better Cultures, Scott McInnes sits down with Jenni Field, CEO of Redefining Communications, to discuss her new book Nobody Believes You and the critical role of credibility in leadership. They explore the eight interconnected practices that define credible leadership and examine how leaders can navigate post-pandemic organisational challenges with empathy, integrity, and self-awareness.  Jenni shares research-backed insights on how leaders can build trust, foster a supportive culture, and adapt their communication styles to strengthen their credibility. From balancing vulnerability with professionalism to embracing feedback as a tool for growth, this conversation offers practical strategies for leaders looking to inspire confidence and drive meaningful change.    KEY POINTS Credibility is the foundation of leadership—without it, leaders struggle to gain trust and influence.  Post-COVID leadership requires a shift towards empathy, integrity, and adaptability.  The eight practices of credible leadership work together—leaders must develop all of them to be truly effective.  Leaders must be intentional about communication, self-awareness, and feedback to maintain credibility.  A strong organisational culture is built through supportive leadership and a clear vision.  Empathy is not just an inherent trait—it's a skill that can be developed and strengthened.    ABOUT JENNI FIELD Jenni Field is an international speaker, author, podcaster, researcher, and business communications strategist. She specializes in helping teams and leaders use communication to take people and organisations from chaos to calm.   From Canada to Slovenia, you'll find her talking about credible leadership, relationships at work, and how to be more impactful with your communication.   A well-respected thought-leader in the communications industry, she is known for her optimistic outlook, energy, and honesty on any stage she is speaking on.   Jenni's podcast, Redefining Communications with Jenni Field, provides short 15-minute episodes focusing on different business topics and providing advice to help organizations go from chaos to calm.   In 2021 published her first book Influential Internal Communication.    Jenni has led several research projects to help organisations tackle some of their biggest challenges; In 2019 she carried out the only research into communication with deskless workers, repeating it in 2023 to see the impact of the pandemic on frontline teams.    Her research in 2021 explored the role of line managers and in 2023 she researched the different practices that make a leader credible – leading to the publication of Nobody Believes You; Become a Leader People Will Follow.      SOCIAL LINKS Redefining Communications website Jenni's LinkedIn Instagram: @Jennifield X: @mrsjennifield     REFERENCE LINKS Books by Jenni Redefining Comms Research Reports  Redefining Communications Podcast

Episode Summary:  In this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott McInnes interviews Eimear Marrinan, VP of People Experience at HubSpot, about how HubSpot has built and maintained a thriving corporate culture.   The conversation explores the challenges and opportunities of hybrid work, the role of feedback and transparency, and the importance of intentionality in fostering meaningful employee engagement. Eimear shares practical advice and insights into aligning company values with the needs of employees and customers alike.  Key Takeaways:  HubSpot's culture code acts as a guiding principle for hiring, management, and decision-making.  Constructive, candid feedback fosters personal and organisational growth.  Remote and hybrid work require intentional strategies for communication, engagement, and productivity.  Managers need upskilling and support to lead effectively in dynamic work environments.  Culture is an evolving product shaped by data, feedback, and leadership alignment.  Aligning leadership around core principles enhances company mission and employee connection.  Challenges faced by Big Tech reveal the need to balance employee well-being with business priorities.    Chapters:  00:00 Introduction to Building Better Cultures Podcast  07:01 HubSpot's Culture Code and Its Importance  12:05 Feedback and Transparency in Organisational Culture  20:04 Intentionality in Communication and Management  25:44 The Importance of Intentionality in Management  36:01 Balancing Family Culture with Business Needs   

EPISODE SUMMARY In this episode, Scott discusses the power of storytelling in organisations with Des Moore and Shelly Hayward from The Cumberland Building Society. They explore the importance of a common narrative during transformation, the co-creation process that engaged employees, and the significance of events like Cumberland Calling in celebrating the organisation's story. The conversation emphasises the need for authenticity, emotional connection, and the ongoing evolution of the narrative as the organisation continues its journey. KEY TAKEAWAYS Storytelling is critical for effective communication in organisations. A common narrative helps unify employees during transformation. Co-creation of the story fosters ownership and engagement. Emotional connection is key to engaging employees. Leadership involvement ensures authenticity and inspires trust. TIME STAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Storytelling in Organisations 02:19 Transformation Journey at Cumberland Building Society 07:10 The Importance of a Common Narrative 10:34 Co-Creation of the Cumberland Story 16:47 Cumberland Calling: Celebrating the Story 21:52 Engaging Leaders and Customers in the Narrative 27:15 The Positivity: Celebrating Pride in the Organisation 32:17 Continuing the Story: Future Directions

In this powerful episode, Scott McInnes sits down with Emma Connolly, People and Culture Director at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), to discuss the organisation's journey through a cultural crisis. Triggered by serious allegations against leadership, the crisis shook the foundation of the organisation, leaving employees and stakeholders grappling with shock and uncertainty. Emma takes us behind the scenes, sharing how the CBI responded, from holding transparent town halls to engaging with members and implementing a transformative cultural program. Discover the steps taken to rebuild trust and integrity, including co-creating new organizational values, introducing the Speak Up app, and prioritising leadership training. This candid conversation explores the challenges and triumphs of navigating a cultural reset and the ongoing commitment to embedding respect, courage, and brilliance into the workplace. Tune in for a masterclass in cultural transformation, crisis management, and leadership. Key Takeaways: Transparency is crucial in crisis management: The CBI held town halls to openly communicate with employees and stakeholders. New values reflect the organisation's aspirations: Integrity, respect, courage, and brilliance were co-created with employees. Tools encourage accountability: The Speak Up app was launched to empower employees to report concerns. Leadership shapes culture: Training for line managers became a priority to drive meaningful change. Long-term transformation takes commitment: Cultural change requires ongoing focus, even after the initial crisis response. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to the Crisis at CBI 09:17 Organisational Response and Support Measures 17:32 Engaging with Members and Stakeholders 25:09 Implementing Change: Actions Taken 33:32 Measuring Cultural Change and Future Focus

Episode Summary  In this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott McInnes welcomes Tim Threipland from FranklinCovey to discuss the critical role of trust in organisational culture and leadership. They explore how trust impacts performance, the effects of the pandemic on work culture, and the importance of intentionality in building high-trust environments. The conversation highlights the need for leaders to extend trust, create psychological safety, and navigate the complexities of hybrid work. Tim emphasises that trust is not just a soft skill but a vital component of business success, urging leaders to focus on measurable outcomes and engage employees in the process of building a trusting culture.  Key Takeaways Trust is the cornerstone of effective leadership and thriving organisational cultures. High-trust cultures foster agility, leading to faster decision-making and improved performance metrics. Trust is not just a soft skill—it's a measurable and critical business outcome. The pandemic has spotlighted vulnerabilities in organisational cultures, offering opportunities for growth. Fear-driven, control-oriented leadership erodes trust and limits organisational potential. Psychological safety is the foundation of trust and must be intentionally nurtured within teams. Leaders must actively design and sustain cultures that prioritise trust to achieve long-term success. Employees play a vital role in trust-building by clearly communicating their needs, contributions, and feedback. Trust flourishes through consistent, transparent communication and alignment of expectations. Extending trust as the default approach empowers teams and reinforces a culture of mutual respect. Chapters  00:00 Introduction and Welcome Back 05:02 Understanding Trust in Organizations 11:53 The Impact of the Pandemic on Work Culture 18:01 Navigating Fear and Control in Leadership 25:10 Building High Trust Cultures 29:52 Key Takeaways and Closing Thoughts 

Have you ever witnessed patterns of communication that didn't seem helpful or productive in your teams? Leadership and communication go hand in hand, and who better to unravel this intricate relationship than Marsha Acker. As the CEO of Team Catapult, Marsha understands that there is more to leadership than just technical prowess; it's about understanding people dynamics and creating a safe environment for open and honest communication.  Throughout the episode, Marsha dives into the complexities of leadership and effective communication within teams, self-awareness challenges and discusses the significant shift from individual to systemic thinking, shedding light on the growing popularity of team coaching. Key discussions include: 1.     A self-leadership quest: How to work with other humans 2.     An insight into communication dynamics and the four speech acts 3.     Communication patterns in teams and organisations 4.     The principle of bringing offline conversations into the room 5.     Are leaders holding back from being vulnerable at work? 6.     The edge of leaders in navigating fast-paced business environments 7.     Change management: The importance of explaining the why   8.     The evolution of team coaching and the benefits of coaching as a system 9.     Recommendations for leaders navigating change Plus lots more! With a focus on the evolving nature of leadership in today's fast-paced environment, Marsha emphasises the importance of embracing vulnerability and diverse perspectives. This episode will help leaders drive positive change, improve communication, and build better organisational cultures by understanding speech acts, introducing shared language, and focusing on team dynamics. “It's impossible, I think, for any one person to be able to have all the answers anymore. But yet, I think that's an edge. I think it's leftover from what we believe we think about leaders and what they're supposed to be able to do, to what they need to do today.” – Marsha Acker. ABOUT MARSHA ACKER LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marsha-acker-3486a72/ Book: https://buildyourmodel.com/ Work: https://teamcatapult.com/ ABOUT SCOTT McINNES:  Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.  ABOUT WORKVIVO:   If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!  This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com

Can clear communication and the power of the pen have a transformative impact on your business? Absolutely! Get ready to discover all the 'write stuff' as we explore the influence of intentional communication with the founder of High-Value Writing, Erin Lebaqz. In this episode, Erin takes an in-depth look at how leaders can foster trust, respect, and belonging through thoughtful and deliberate writing, creating an environment where people feel supported and acknowledged. Being a good writer isn't solely about getting your message across; it's also about understanding your audience. Erin emphasizes the importance of considering different cultures and generations in your writing and unveils the role of emotion, including the surprising credibility boost that can come from emojis. Key discussions include: The power of writing and the cost of miscommunication Clarity: The key to confusion-free communication Effective communication in a post-pandemic work environment Leadership Models: Can written communication impact organisational culture? Write like a leader: Tips on mastering intentional writing The rising role of emotion in writing Writing for you VS writing for others The key to unlocking your writing confidence  Plus lots more! Erin provides all the tips for avoiding the high cost of miscommunication and shares the secret to boosting your writing confidence, reminding us that writing is situational, which we are all experts on. So, hit play now and get ready to build better cultures through the written word! "The biggest connection in today's world between writing and business success is employee retention. People leave workplaces when they don't feel happy or appreciated or their growth is cared about. And where do we get those messages, through communication." – Erin Lebaqz. ABOUT ERIN LEBAQZ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinlebacqz/ Work: https://www.highvaluewriting.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@HighValueWriting   Get the High-Value Writing book: https://www.amazon.com/High-Value-Writing-Real-Strategies-Real-World/dp/1667805517 ABOUT SCOTT McINNES:  Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.  ABOUT WORKVIVO:   If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!  This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com  

How does the saying go? Is the glass half full, or is it half empty? Now, apply this to DEI in the workplace, and you'll see our guests, Christiane Bisanzio and Aleksandar Damchevski, challenge this very notion. In this episode, Aleks and Christi delve into the evolving landscape of DEI, highlighting the progress made and the work that still needs to be done. This episode revolves around their insightful book, The Other 364 Days, and the profound idea that DEI should not be merely a day-long celebration but a year-round commitment in every workplace. Throughout the discussion, we hear how organisations prioritise external appearances over internal actions, the responsibility of leadership in fostering diversity and inclusion, and the crucial part of setting precise and measurable inclusion goals. Aleks and Christi also reflect on common oversights made during event celebrations like Pride Week and International Women's Day. Key discussions include: The glass half full: A reflection on the progression of DEI Are workplaces becoming more divided or more diverse? Risk VS Opportunity: The two approaches to DEI Who is responsible for driving diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces? The importance of understanding and addressing internal biases and behaviours to create a more inclusive culture Key pitfalls hindering the success of organisational DEI Initiatives How authenticity can create more hope and drive change Is unconscious bias training ineffective? The flourishing link between DEI and ESG The one simple change that will transform your workplace "DEI is never a destination. It's always a journey. So this is never ending, it never stops, you have new trends, new topics, new themes coming up, but the overall importance of DEI remains." - Christiane Bisanzio. ABOUT CHRISTIANE BISANZIO AND ALEKSANDAR DAMCHEVSKI LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianebisanzio/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleks-damchevski-he-she-they-b5589b20/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/OTHER-364-DAYS-DIVERSITY-INCLUSION/dp/2839939290 ABOUT SCOTT McINNES:  Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.  ABOUT WORKVIVO:   If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!  This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com

Workplace culture is as strong as the communication it thrives on and as fragile as a string of miscommunications. Internal communications is the lifeblood of organisations, holding the power to inspire, inform and engage employees. This week, leading internal communications expert and author of ‘Me, Myself and IC', Emily Hecker, joins Scott to dive right into its indispensable role in shaping organisational culture and unveiling how communication barriers can stunt growth. This episode is packed to the brim with wisdom as Emily reveals how to gain buy-in from senior leaders and master the art of storytelling to drive your business forward. Emily also shares her advice on making internal comms a core business priority, highlighting the need for clear communication expectations within organisations. Key discussions include: Falling in love with the process of storytelling and creating narratives. How to master internal communications. The role of internal communication in shaping organisational culture. The three tiers of communicators within an organisation.  The key to empowering employees to become better communicators. Identifying what effective communication looks like. The impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on internal communications. Don'y shy away from success: The importance of showcasing successes to prove value. and gain leadership buy-in. How to provide support to leaders to become effective communicators. The three critical elements of effective communication.   Plus lots more! Emily is the embodiment of the power of storytelling, weaving her journey from a writing enthusiast to a corporate communication maestro. This episode is a masterclass on how communication can make or break your workplace culture. So, If you are ready to take the first step towards a more robust, interconnected, and engaged workplace culture, this is a must-listen for you! “Internal communication is the lifeblood of organisations. Many studies show how it influences productivity, performance and satisfaction, all of which are key components to shaping culture.“ – Emily Hecker. ABOUT EMILY HECKER: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyhecker/ Work: https://www.emily-hecker.com/ Book: https://www.emily-hecker.com/book ABOUT SCOTT McINNES:  Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.  ABOUT WORKVIVO:   If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!  This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com  

Get ready to blast your workplace culture into new heights with the valuable guidance of this week's special guest, Eric Stone. Eric is the founder of Clear Path Ventures and an acclaimed author who promises to enlighten your understanding of aligning organisational behaviour with values.  Throughout the discussion, Eric lays out the five pillars of employee engagement and reveals the correlation between increased employee engagement levels and customer loyalty. Eric also tackles the challenge of maintaining a vibrant culture in remote work settings, emphasising the importance of open communication, ongoing training, and recognition. This episode is an invaluable resource for anyone keen on cultivating a thriving and sustainable culture within their organisations. Key discussions include: A non-complicated rundown of workplace culture Five factors to foster a high-performing culture  The hiring process: What a character test can reveal Measuring organisation culture: An introduction to the six-point inspection How employee empowerment can lead to a sustained and unique culture The power of sharing stories within an organisation  Are your employees performing in sync with company values? Is organisational culture maintainable in a hybrid working world? The consequences of mandatory office returns The importance of being intentional in designing and communicating culture Plus lots more! “Any time you have shared values and beliefs, that tends to create really good behaviours. Excellent behaviours over a consistent period of time lead to desirable outcomes.” – Eric Stone. ABOUT ERIC STONE: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-stone-clear-path/ Work: https://clearpathventures.com/   EPISODE RESOURCES: Book: Jumpstart Your Workplace Culture by Eric Stone https://www.ericdstone.com/ ABOUT SCOTT McINNES:  Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.  ABOUT WORKVIVO:   If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!  This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com  

Are you ready to transform your workplace into a haven of well-being? If so, buckle up as Brian Crooke, founder of Workplace Well-being Ireland and Course Director of the Postgrad Certificate in Workplace Wellness at Dublin's Trinity College, guides us through the ever-evolving landscape of workplace well-being.  From his journey as a ‘recovering' management consultant to becoming a well-being advocate, Brian reveals the power of understanding and implementing well-being at the workplace and how it is intrinsically linked to an organisation's vision and business objectives. Brian also delves into the magic of storytelling, the importance of leaders role-modelling healthy behaviours and creating a culture of permission. Key discussions include: 1.     Workplace health promotion: Your well-being goes beyond physical health 2.     The three pillars of well-being 3.     The importance of aligning well-being initiatives with an organisation's vision and objectives 4.     Building a culture of health: Connecting hard data with human stories 5.     CEOs leading the way: How leaders are fostering supportive working environments 6.     How to set up a well-being champion network for continued success 7.     Incentivising and recognising change agents to drive business performance 8.     A spotlight on Irish businesses promoting and sustaining well-being 9.     How you can start improving workplace well-being Plus lots more! This episode is your essential roadmap to transform your workplace into a well-being hub. Brian generously shares invaluable advice on how to kick-start your well-being journey, offers his blueprint for establishing champion networks destined for success and reveals the inspiring Irish businesses leading the way. “Start with why. Why is this important to you and your organisation? I always try and align what an organisation is doing, from a well-being perspective with their organisation's vision, and business objectives.” – Brian Crooke. ABOUT BRIAN CROOKE: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briancrooke Work: https://www.workwellireland.ie/   EPISODE RESOURCES: Article: Harry Goddard, CEO of Deloitte Ireland https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/i-didnt-have-call-read-email-from-work-2-months-harry-goddard/ See Change - Irish organisation dedicated to ending mental health stigma https://seechange.ie/ ABOUT SCOTT McINNES:  Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.  ABOUT SINÉAD EGAN: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sineadegan ABOUT WORKVIVO:   If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!  This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com  

Ever wondered what the secret sauce is for enhancing performance and productivity? Well, wonder no more as culture change catalyst, author and leadership coach Lily Woi is here to unveil how to drive change and boost your working environment. Lily is no stranger to working with multinational companies to drive change and transformation and believes that creating an environment that fosters high performance and productivity requires a people-centred approach. Throughout this discussion, Lily highlights the importance of focusing on people and acknowledging that they are the core of an organisation's success, creating a unified vision for organisational success and building bridges of trust. Key discussions include: 1.     An introduction to Lily Woi 2.     Striking a balance between high-performance and people-centred organisations 3.     Business transformation: the top-down and bottom-up approach 4.     Vulnerability in leadership: the benefits and the risks of being a vulnerable leader 5.     The key to setting up a culture of alignment and the crucial role of internal communications 6.     The value of autonomy, empowerment and accountability in the workplace 7.     How to avoid the cycle of failure 8.     Ways to become a more transparent leader Plus lots more! Lily's leadership and organisational transformation expertise provide a wealth of knowledge for any business looking to improve its culture. Hit play now to learn how to empower, engage and excel from Lily's valuable experience and insights. "Creating a more human-centred approach is often the key to enhancing performance and productivity. You are not able to have a high-performing organisation if you don't focus on your people. They are core to your success."– Lily Woi. ABOUT LILY WOI: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilywoi/ Work: https://lilywoicoaching.com/ ABOUT SCOTT:  Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.  ABOUT WORKVIVO:   If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!  This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com  

Are you striving to become a more courageous leader, challenge the status quo and drive innovation? If so, this latest episode with Joanna Howes, International Coach of the Year and founder of The Change Creators, is for you as we delve into leading with courage, igniting your self-awareness, unlocking high performance and empowering others. We understand that knowing where to turn for guidance can be challenging if you're in a leadership role and feeling overwhelmed, and that's why Joanna is here to help. Joanna dives deep into the attributes of courageous leadership, from empowering others and being vulnerable to taking action and creating clarity. Key discussions include: An introduction to Joanna Howes Courageous leadership: stepping into the courageous zone  What does a courageous leader look like?  The relationship with yourself and the importance of looking within  The role of courage when driving change in an organisation  Unlocking strength through vulnerability and setting clear expectations  Leadership 101: the art of communication and listening Is there a difference between high-performance and high achievers?  The value of a growth mindset and why protecting your energy is vital  How you can become more courageous today Plus lots more! With the right mindset and guidance, any leader can learn to be brave and create a better culture in their workplace. Hit play now and get ready to learn how you can transition from a reliant leader to an effective one and get the insights you need to grow and become a courageous leader. “So many leaders think everyone can read their mind and see the world. When you accept they can't, it's your responsibility as a leader to paint the picture for them and understand them so they can move forward with you. It takes more time, but it does mean you'll get the results.” - Joanna Howes. ABOUT JOANNA HOWES: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/ Work: https://thechangecreators.com/ ABOUT SCOTT:  Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.  ABOUT WORKVIVO:   If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!  This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com  

Are leaders blaming employees for their own failures? In today's rapidly changing corporate landscape, establishing a strong company culture is more important than ever. Companies that fail to create a sense of purpose and passion risk losing talented employees and alienating consumers. That's where Sonya Shelton comes in. As the CEO and founder of Executive Leadership Consulting, Sonya helps fast-growth companies connect their business strategy with their company culture to maintain growth. In this episode, Sonya provides practical insights into the importance of empowering employees, promoting collaboration, and clarifying internal communications and shares the leadership model that all leaders should be aware of, the Red Thread model. Key discussions include: An introduction to Sonya Shelton The triangle of culture, leadership and strategy How leaders can help employees align with business strategies The pandemic wake-up call: the connection to purpose The five P's of the Red Thread Leadership Model The power of collaboration within a company How decision-making can impact teams and individuals within an organisation The key to creating intentionality and a positive workplace culture Leadership problems: What leaders need to stop doing right now How to help people align to strategy Plus lots more! Sonya's expertise and guidance are invaluable for any company striving to build a better culture. Tune in now to discover how to make meaningful connections between your business strategy and company culture and how to empower your employees to be passionate about the company's purpose. “Helping people understand why they're doing what they're doing, and how it's going to help them in their job and help the company ultimately, they'll be on board. If you're putting rules in place, just for the sake of it, and they don't really see the point, they're either not going to do it, or they're not going to be engaged.”– Sonya Shelton. ABOUT SONYA SHELTON: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceosonyashelton/ Work: https://executiveleader.com/sonya-shelton/ ABOUT SCOTT:  Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.  ABOUT WORKVIVO:   If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!  This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com  

Have you ever wondered how we can approach life as an adventure? In the world of work, a sense of adventure can mean embracing change and uncertainty, taking risks, and being open to new experiences and opportunities. Joining Scott this week to delve into the adventure of leadership and unleashing your inner explorer is Polar explorer and executive coach Sue Stockdale.  With a focus on self-awareness, adaptability, grounding and resilience, Sue emphasises the importance of an adventurous mindset, being comfortable with discomfort and risk-taking, and inspiring teams to drive positive change. Key discussions include:  An introduction to Sue Stockdale  Why you should never be a psychological slasher  Fostering a sense of adventure in the working environment   The characteristics of an adventurous mindset   The importance of self-awareness in business   How to navigate through change in the workplace   The power of honesty and vulnerability   The telling signs of overconfidence  The elastic band of resilience    Plus lots more! Whether you are a leader navigating change or an individual seeking personal growth, this episode offers valuable insights and actionable tips for achieving your goals and building better cultures.  “Inspiration is often an underutilised skill that leaders are not using best to inspire people to change. When our leader is there supporting and encouraging us and sharing and recognising the belief in our potential, that inspires you to want to up your game and do your best for your leader..” – Sue Stockdale.   ABOUT SUE STOCKDALE:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suestockdale/ Work: https://suestockdale.com/    ABOUT SCOTT:   Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.   ABOUT WORKVIVO:    If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.   If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!   This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com    

Have you ever had to deal with miscommunications in the workplace?  Are you struggling to keep up with the sheer number of emails you receive daily? Joining Scott this week is communication expert Kim Arnold to shed light on how to connect more effectively.   Kim delves into the world of email communication, explores the impact of poor email etiquette, and shares insights on the use of concise language, tone of voice, accuracy, and the increasing use of emojis in emails. Keep an ear out for Kim's must-know tips on creating a more human tone that fosters connections and relationships. Key discussions include:  An introduction to Kim Arnold The problems poor email etiquette is creating in business today The impact of COVID-19 on business communication  The overlooked skill of effective writing  The importance of embracing feedback   Generational approaches to communication Do emojis belong in business communications?  Top tips for mastering your work emails   And more!   “We tend to move into formal posh, I've got my top button done up, I've got my jacket on, and I'm not going to crack a smile here. And people are starting to realise that that doesn't always create relationships. It doesn't create connections. It doesn't build bridges with people because we sound like robots.” – Kim Arnold.   ABOUT KIM ARNOLD: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karnoldcomms/ Work: https://www.kimarnold.co.uk/    ABOUT SCOTT:   Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.   ABOUT WORKVIVO:    If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.   If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!   This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with Podlad.com    

We've all heard that knowledge is power—but in the age of the internet, is knowledge still enough? Special guest Katja Schleicher, founder of Impact Communications Coaching, is here to teach us more about the shift from knowledge to emotional selling proposition and the importance of communication in an age of digital media. Get ready to find out how to make your message stand out in the sea of noise and learn techniques for crafting effective communication.   Key discussions include:  An introduction to Katja Schleicher Why effective communication in leadership is essential The biggest barriers to communicating effectively  The art of saying extraordinary things with ordinary words Creating space for psychological safety  The importance of storytelling in business  The key to measuring the effectiveness of communication  How to ignite your communication skills today!   Plus, lots more!  Katja's advice is essential for any leader looking to build better cultures and connect with their audience more deeply. Listen for practical tips on improving your communication skills and making a lasting impact in your organisation.  "Knowledge is not an advantage anymore. Knowledge is a commonality. The difference between success and being mediocre as a company is how you get your message across." – Katja Schleicher.    ABOUT KATJA SCHLEICHER:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/interviewtraining/  Work: https://www.interview-training.eu/en/ | https://www.katjaschleicher.com/   ABOUT SCOTT:   Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.   ABOUT WORKVIVO:    If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.   If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!   This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com 

Do you strive to create an open and honest workplace culture? Author, leadership expert and communication coach Jay Williams is here to share his insights on building a culture of open, honest, and timely communication through the powerful feedback loop. Jay emphasises the importance of emotional engagement and alignment in organisations and offers strategies for developing a solid core in middle management.   Key discussions include:  An introduction to Jay Williams A career shift: When a super worker becomes a supervisor Engagement in the workplace and the role of employee alignment The key components to leaders driving alignment within an organisation How feedback is imperative for success The power of a thought leader within an organisation The framework for receiving effective feedback   Plus, lots more!  This episode offers solutions for executives looking to improve their communication and management skills. So if you are ready to create a more peaceful, collaborative, and productive workplace culture, hit play now!  "I think there is a conversation to be had with your people about how they define success and moving up in the organisation. Because there's a direct correlation between how happy they will be and a happy employee equals a more productive employee." – Jay Williams.    ABOUT JAY WILLIAMS:  https://www.jaywilliamsco.com/  https://www.jaywilliamsco.com/books    ABOUT SCOTT:   Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.   ABOUT WORKVIVO:    If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.   If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!   This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com 

Are you aware of the three employee archetypes? The Keeper, the Leaper, and the Sleeper? If not, prepare to learn about them and how best to engage them. Greg Offner Jr. – speaker, coach and consultant is here to share his fascinating insights on the psychology of change in organizations and how to disrupt the norm to create sustainable change.   Drawing on his experience as a duelling piano performer, Gregory intertwines principles used in the world of piano bars with the business world to make work more enjoyable. Gregory shares the importance of prioritizing skill development and the need for a culture shift that starts from the top but is endorsed and expected at all company levels.   Key discussions include:  Taking the irk out of work! The importance of disrupting the norm in business How to become the organization that everyone wants on their resume Employee advocacy and the rise of boomerang employees The power of incentives in the workplace   Plus, lots more!  If you are eager to learn how to create a culture of engagement and enjoyment while improving your organization's bottom line, this episode is a must-listen for you!   "Work is eight hours if we're lucky of our life every day. And not everybody gets to do something they love. But couldn't you at least like it? I mean, what's wrong with trying to make work a little more likable? And so that's what I do." – Gregory Offner Jr.   ABOUT GREGORY OFFNER JR:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregoryoffnerjr/ Work: https://www.gregoryoffner.com/   ABOUT SCOTT:   Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.   ABOUT WORKVIVO:    If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.   If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!   This podcast was proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com 

Is your organisation drowning in a sea of Human Resources policies? Are you tired of the stagnant work culture norms? Is this war of talent and high employee turnover era worrying you? If so, this episode is for you! Corporate culture and engagement specialist Paul Ter Wal is here to guide you on creating a positive culture, making your organisation a wonderful place to work and succeed.    Paul Ter Wal is the managing partner of Andare Consulting and is a celebrated international speaker specialising in culture and engagement. In this episode, Paul serves you invaluable advice on creating a culture of care. He unveils the power of purpose and core values, the benefits of investing in listening and trust and reveals why shareholders must make short-term sacrifices for long-term success. Key discussions include:  An introduction to Paul Ter Wal Is customer experience overshadowing employee experience? Language matters: it's time to stop using the term human resources. The importance of infusing core values when onboarding employees. Belonging in the workplace and the elastic band of resilience. Integrating sustainability into your business.   Plus lots more!   Are you ready to learn how to improve employee engagement, foster resilience, and create a workplace where employees want to stay? Well, go ahead and hit play now!   “We need to change our perspective, from the short term of gaining a lot of money to a longer period of time, and invest in trust and then engagement, and then see that the productivity will go up.” – Paul Ter Wal.   ABOUT PAUL TER WAL:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulterwal/ Work: https://www.paulterwal.nl/ | https://team-andare.com/    ABOUT SCOTT:   Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.   ABOUT WORKVIVO:    If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.   If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!    

Is your organisation on a mission to achieve true inclusion and belonging but struggling to know where to begin? If so, this episode is for you!   Joining Scott to discuss inclusive leadership and the secret to transformational change is special guest Sophia Kristjansson. Sophia is a US-based with UK university roots, founder of Lexicon Lens, A DEI people development and change professional, and author. Throughout the discussion, Sophia offers valuable advice and practical tips that you can implement today to build more inclusive cultures. Sophia also explores the power of uniqueness,  the importance of gaining bias awareness, and the role of values within inclusive cultures.   Key discussions include: The equation to building a sense of belonging in the workplace How people leaders are a catalyst for businesses Diversity and inclusion: is there a difference between the two? How leaders and teams can discover unconscious biases in the workplace Building inclusive cultures: The role of values within an organisation   Plus lots more!  This enlightening discussion will teach you the secret recipe to a more inclusive and diverse workplace. Hit that play button now to learn how to empower your employees and drive your organisation's success!   “If you don't have diverse perspectives, if you don't have different kinds of people in all layers of your business, you are basically leaving money on the table and saying, I really don't care about that.” - Sophia Kristjansson.   ABOUT SOPHIA KRISTJANSSON:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiakristjansson   Book: https://www.transformationalchangebook.com/buy-book   Work: http://lexiconleadership.com/    ABOUT SCOTT:   Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by click here.   ABOUT WORKVIVO:    If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.   If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!   This podcast is produced in partnership with podlad.com 

On our latest episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, we speak to Dan Sodergren. Dan is the Co-Founder of YourFLOCK. This SaaS platform helps teams to grow by finding the best-fit candidates and maximising their value to your unique team based on culture. In this episode, we talk about organizational culture, employee engagement, and remote vs hybrid work.  Key discussions: 1. How leaders can use culture as a tool to drive employee engagement and productivity.  2. Effective strategies and best practices for improving engagement among your employees.  3. What you should do to avoid common challenges to achieve high levels of engagement in the workplace. And lots more! Whether you're a business owner, People Leader, HR professional, or employee, this episode will give listeners a deeper understanding of culture's role in the modern workplace. DAN'S LINKS:  Company: https://yourflock.co.uk/ TEDx Talk: The Future Of Work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=uiZJkod7h-4&feature=emb_title  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-sodergren-futureofwork/    ABOUT SCOTT:  Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.      ABOUT WORKVIVO:   If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.    If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it! 

EPISODE SUMMARY: Do you think storytelling has no place at work? That it's just a fluffy exercise that doesn't deliver results? Then, the latest guest on the Building Better Culture podcast, Richard Newman, the Founder and CEO of BodyTalk, says, “You're missing the point!” Richard shares that for a millennia, the human brain has learned to sequence and process information delivered as a story, but HOW that story is told makes all the DIFFERENCE. We learn about the neuroscience behind effective communication to yield actionable results and fully engage your people. You'll learn how to blast through denial, overcome the brain's resistance to change and avoid “non-verbal leakage.” It transforms workplace cultures by delivering information in ways our brains can receive process, and act upon – with the kinds of epic outcomes your corporate leaders will doubtless remember. Heroic journeys start in small daily interactions, and Richard is here to share some of the tools most critical tools set that stage.  KEY INSIGHTS: >>> Focus on storytelling as a vehicle for connection.  >>> It's critical to understand how the logical and emotional minds differ when it comes to interacting with information, depending on how its delivered.  >>> Stories that fail? They are stories that make you, your company, product or service the hero.   >>> Stories that succeed? Those that deliver a compelling hero's journey through the eyes of the listeners – the recipients of your intended message.   >>> Non-Verbal Leakage: Body language, tone and words need to be in complete alignment. If they are incongruent, the effect is inauthentic and can generate distrust. Humans respond viscerally to energy and subtext.  >>> Start Small: The quickest way to break down resistance to storytelling in the workplace is to integrate it into every daily interaction. It's not a heroic tale, but a framework to deliver information in ways that the brains of others can accept, process and act upon.  FURTHER RESOURCES: >>> "Thinking Fast and Slow," by Daniel Kahneman.  ABOUT RICHARD:  Company: https://ukbodytalk.com/ Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/191645920X  Podcast: LIFT with Richard Newman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardnewmanspeaks/  ABOUT SCOTT: Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.  ABOUT WORKVIVO:  If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it! 

On this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, we drill down on the pivotal role that empathy plays in the workplace – especially in this time of remote work and back-to-back-to-back Zoom interactions. It's about understanding someone else's perspective, yes. But equally important is the ability to fully and non-judgmentally inhabit another person's shoes, then communicate back in ways that create meaningful connection.  Our guest Rob Volpe, CEO of Ignite 360, is an “empathy activist” who consults with businesses struggling to weave understanding and compassion into workplace cultures. With his Five Steps to Build + Apply Empathy at Work, Rob shows leaders how to integrate simple – but transformational – practices to embody your brand and build self-awareness among teams across the enterprise. Studies show that organisations that prioritise empathy generate more loyalty, innovation and inclusivity among employees. You'll come away from this episode with a keen understanding of how to listen with full awareness as well as specific exercises to build your empathy muscle and invite authentic communication at every level of your business.  KEY INSIGHTS:  1. The Empathy Crisis: Many leaders find it difficult to connect with personal perspectives and are untrained in the art of leveraging the power of storytelling in the workplace.   2. Leaders who promote empathy in the workplace see significant increases in loyalty, innovation and inclusivity among team members.  3. There is a difference between emotional empathy and cognitive empathy – one that many old-school leaders don't fully understand, resulting in unfounded fears about losing respect.  4. Rob's Macro-Level Framework:  - Bring self-awareness in deciding how to show up.  - Have the courage to practice empathy.  - Adopt The Five Steps, which require practice and inevitable stumbles.  - Offer yourself grace and forgiveness.    5. Rob's Five Steps to Empathy:  - Dismantle judgment: Notice negativity and resist casting aspersion. - Reframe Questions: Skip “why” – with its negative, closed associations and undertones.  - Listen Actively: Be present and use all your senses to take in what others are saying. - Integrate Understanding: Stay open to and curious about divergent points of view. - Use Solution Imagination: Take what you've heard to advance the conversation, closing the gap between knowledge and action.   >>> Rob's Top Tip: Be courageous. Empathy is acquired one step at a time!  LINKS:  Company: https://www.ignite-360.com Book: https://www.5stepstoempathy.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmvolpe/  ABOUT SCOTT:  Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.     ABOUT WORKVIVO:   If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it! 

In this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, we learn about the principles of Raw Leadership, how to lean into your authentic power as a leader and how to create better organisational cultures that your employees want to participate in. Our guest is Colleen Bashar, is the Senior VP of Global Solution Sales for Guidewire Software; a cloud-based service that efficiently combines digital, core, analytics, and AI to deliver results to clients. Colleen walks us through her 16-year journey at the company, where she started as a sales consultant, to her current position as a people leader and how she effectively manages a team of over 150 people. KEY INSIGHTS: >>> What ‘Raw Leadership' is, and its three core values: Curiosity, Authenticity and Vulnerability. >>> The importance of investing and reflecting on yourself as a leader to help you lean into your authentic self. >>> Why practicing self-awareness is incredibly powerful. LINKS: GuideWire LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/guidewire-software/  Colleen's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenscott/  ABOUT SCOTT: Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here. ABOUT OUR SPONSOR - WORKVIVO: If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.

Celebrating Success and Building Pride​:  We're doing some focus groups for a new client, and an attendee said, "We used to hear stories of the difference we made, and we don't hear about it anymore. It'd be nice to get that back.​" ​ Why is it important?  ​ Because it helps to celebrate your purpose – Why you exist – through the difference you make, and that's at the very core of the culture you want to create​. Stories bring strategy to life: Strategy is boring – stories bring it to life and show the difference people can make. The halo effect is people seeing examples of the difference they can make​. Aligned with your strategy, it highlights the difference everyone can make​ They create a sense of belonging and a reason to stay – we know from research that people will move jobs for a mere 5-10% pay rise, so we need to do something more to get them to stay – pride is EMOTIVE and powerful​. ​ So how can you find and tell them?​ Proactively look for them – get your senior leaders or internal communications staff out into the business, talking to people and asking, 'Tell me a story about a time when you or someone on the team made a difference.'​ Create feedback channels for your front-line staff to provide feedback on the stories they see and hear. And turn it into a recognition programme or reward your people when they submit a story. ​ Using Your Stories: Bring them to life at staff events, turn them into short internal podcasts or videos on your intranet - even email as a last resort​ Keep it local – ask leaders at team meetings to spend 10 mins asking teams about what's made them proud. About Scott (Your host): Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

Episode Summary:  On this episode of Building Better Cultures we're checking in with Kevin Empey, Managing Director of WorkMatters, who first shared thoughts about pandemic fall-out back in March 2021 (Ep 61)   Kevin details various models going forward and where the priorities must lie for leaders invested in cultivating agility as well as sustainability. The need for onsite collaboration and innovation is real, but so are the advantages virtual workers have seen in skipping their commutes. Are hybrid solutions a brilliant compromise or the source of confusing mixed messages? Finding the right balance will require leaders to develop experiential metrics as well as communications that resonate with the hearts and minds of employees. “We have an opportunity to reset workplace culture and reaffirm it,” says Kevin. “And also maybe to lose some of those values that we said were important, but in fact actually are not.” Employee experience and servant leadership loom large on the new Work 4.0 horizon – one ideally based in fulsome, authentic values and transparency. What signals is your workplace culture sending in this time of transition?   Key Takeaways:  Pandemic overnight transformed old, arguably broken models of workplace culture.  What's coming next? Organisational culture has been infused with a complexity of choice, modes of operation, challenges and opportunities.  Should leaders embrace flexibility or prioritize certainty? Kevin advocates for “freedom within a frame,” providing guardrails while preserving a critical measure of flexibility.  Workplace culture has been forever redefined by the upsides that employees have experienced in working remotely. There is an element of questioning that makes directives less easily rolled out than in the past.  Change management today requires more intentionality than ever, with leadership mapping communications to employee hearts and minds.   Office productivity and meaningful collaboration have a bar to meet. Employees no longer want to default to long commutes just to check the box.  What's does Work 4.0 look like? Kevin sees two intersecting horizons:  The 2022 Agenda: Helping leaders and managers navigate the transition to new work models that are sustainable and effective today.  The Long-Term Agenda: Visioning objectives, strategies and cultural values that will drive greater adaptivity and agility moving into the future.  Kevin believes several factors that will be determinative of corporate fates:  Whether flexible, forward-looking models for performance management, rewards, development, recruitment and succession are adopted.  Whether leaders put in place processes adapted to new workplace cultures.  Whether Future of Work strategy is leveraged to examine and redefine who, how, why and whether certain workplace processes remain viable.    Whether agile cultural, leadership and employee experience strategies are established and sustainable in the long term.  Advice for maximizing organizational opportunity at this juncture: Implement coaching and HR support to foster servant leadership. Adopt strategies that thoughtfully reflect corporate values and culture. Acknowledge and address leadership vulnerability in the face of unknown variables and change. Balance open communications and a human-centered approach with a more directive, command-and-control leadership style where indicated.  Moving ahead cultural values are center stage, revealing truths and challenging received wisdom about what works and doesn't for employees across demographics.  Leaders are faced with a unique opportunity to undertake a robust assessment of the values that underpin their cultures and will shape workplace health going into the future.  About Kevin Empey:  Kevin is the founder of WorkMatters, a leadership and organisation development consulting firm focused on supporting business leaders, HR leaders and their employees prepare for the changing world of work. Follow Kevin:  Website: https://workmatters.ie  WorkMatters @LinkedIn  Kevin @LinkedIn  Kevin @Twitter    About Scott: Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.  About Workvivo:  If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration. 

Episode Summary:  Organisations of all sizes are trying to define parameters for today's new workplace cultures – whether remote, on-site or in-between. Host, Scott McInnes, invites a people management expert Andrew Bartlow, the Founder and Managing Partner at the People Leader Accelerator, to share his 25+ years of expertise. Andrew shares practical tips and tools leaders can implement when establishing healthy workplace cultures. He dives into detail on a critical strategy –– clarity –– and its importance in engaging and motivating your organization to pursue corporate goals.  Thank you to our sponsor, Workvivo, the communications and collaboration platform that provides seamless digital integration for your hybrid or traditional workplace.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!  Key Takeaways:  1. Leaders need to stay flexible and iterative with new workplace models while at the same time communicating solid, dependable plans.  2. Change management via tiny steps can be disruptive. Andrew advises "ripping off the bandage" and carefully considering decisions to accelerate adoption and minimize fatigue.  3. Internal communications are the core much that happens within organizations, but rather than dropping by a desk, it's about dropping in on chat or Slack.  4. Determine the best modes of communication. What works most effectively at each level of the organization?  5. Learning through listening (and osmosis) isn't gone. It's just moved from the hallway or cafeteria to social media platforms.  6. Create dedicated corporate retreat spaces where "planful" human interaction occurs.  7. Execute meaningful, consistent communications and check-ins at all levels.  8. Andrew sees new mediums as potentially impactful alternatives to the written word: Podcasts, short audios, and video messaging.   9. To retain and recruit talent in a highly competitive market, organizations must offer remote options, fair compensation, and competent and humane management.  10. Andrew believes the No. 1 thing to build a thriving workplace culture is clarity, including well-defined organizational priorities and comprehensive and comprehensible messaging.   About Andrew:  Andrew helps organisations design people-management practices that support success. Leveraging 25+ years of Human Resources and Talent experience within the most highly regarded HR functions globally, he provides organisational advisory services and mentoring for HR leaders.   Website: www.peopleleaderaccelerator.com Andrew @LinkedIn  About Scott:  Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.  About Workvivo:  If you're struggling with communications in new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration. 

Episode Summary:  Darren Murph is an organisational architect who specialises in and knows what works – and what doesn't. Based on 15 years at GitLab, most recently as Head of Remote, he has all kinds of concrete advice for organisations trying to figure out the correct configuration for their individually distributed workplace models.   Some C-suiters are reluctant to abandon old office-based operations, emphasizing proximity over business results. But looking ahead at the role and impacts of organisational design, Darren believes the forward-thinking, progressive leaders (and ultimately the most successful enterprises) will embrace flexibility, learning and a healthy redefinition of what it means to … build better cultures.  You can check out GitLab's playbook, filled with information about all things remote, here.   If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate, review and follow it!    Key Takeaways:  GitLab was founded as an all-remote company and today has 1,500 team members in more than 67+ countries with no brick-and-mortar offices.    What to keep in mind when getting started with a remote work design:    Shift your mindset from where people work to how people work.    Actively implement programs that combat proximity bias. Leadership can communicate that there is no advantage in working at the office by themselves working from home.    Audit workflows across your organisation and ask: Will this work if everyone is distributed, or do they need to be in an office? Then build out a changelog based on those jobs that require an office and reconceive them.    Making remote work viable across the enterprise builds resiliency.    All-remote or all co-located workplace environments are the easiest to administer because the playing field is even. Hybrid, by contrast, can quickly devolve into the worst of all scenarios with proximity bias and jockeying.    The easiest way to hedge against proximity bias is to keep senior leaders outside the office by default. Remote work is a top-down proposition and requires conviction.    Agility is key, and the ability to test, learn, and iterate. People and operations can be modulated based on proactive experimentation.    Darren references research compiled by the workplace communications platform Slack that reveals interesting insights into the impacts on middle management of the overnight adoption of remote work and the current lack of response on the part of leadership.    Writers Take Note: The most important thing a company can do is ensure that all employees have strong written communication skills. Effective storytelling will be far more influential in remote environments that don't rely on or reward charisma and talk. Scott recommends some related reading from a previous guest, John Simmons, author of "We, Me, Them and It."    On Diversity: Hire a diverse group of recruiters, watch your staffing demographic shift, and broaden by extension.    Parting thoughts for leaders at companies of all sizes:  Build the right workplace culture and ethics into your business model.  Fully embrace a people-first orientation that recognizes the power of uplifting employees with empathy and flexibility.  Take advantage of the journey and opportunity to get honest, embracing the importance of values fit – not just a culture fit.  About Darren:  Named an “oracle of remote work” by CNBC, Darren serves as GitLab's Head of Remote. He is a visionary in organisational design, leading at the intersection of people, culture, operations, inclusivity, marketing, employer branding and communication.  Contact/Follow Darren:  About Darren/GitLab  @LinkedIn  @Twitter  About Scott: Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here. About Workvivo: If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration. 

Episode Summary    Big corporate initiatives designed to transform workplace cultures are often top-down affairs, this week's guest has taken a different approach to integrate sustainability across Swiss Re, a global financial services provider. James Hartley, a global HR Leader at Swiss Re, shares with us the nuts and bolts of their CO2NetZero programme, a rallying point for climate activism that has ignited ongoing interest and creativity among employees around the world.     James has maintained the momentum by staying communicative and open to changes as well as by fostering storytelling that resonates on a personal level. The results? Many measurable quantitative and qualitative impacts, large and small, as well as an interactive app that more than 4,000 employees have downloaded to track, learn about and better understand the ways in which environmental healing starts with the kind of individual daily efforts we can all make — if we know how.     Key Takeaways    James unpacks Swiss Re's corporate DNA, which fuels a commitment to sustainability:  A purpose-led culture whose core mission includes empowering employees to help make the world more resilient. Climate change and reaching a net-zero footprint is a central corporate value.  Does micro-change make an actual difference? Absolutely — when people band together to take individual actions that build community and truly add up through sheer volume.  Swiss Re's CO2NetZero programme is iterative — meant to be co-created, fluid and responsive to feedback from across the enterprise.  Inviting employees at every level of the organisation to participate not just in the execution but the conception of an ESG programme is key. By building cross-functional teams, staging workshops and taking ongoing feedback, leadership secured tremendous buy-in.  Internal champions play an important role by spreading the word and engaging others.  Narrative Benefits: Out of Swiss Re's company-wide commitment to sustainability has come a wealth of anecdotes, both emotional and practical, that connect to the “why.”  Sharing personal stories opens up emotional connections in even “right-brained” financial services types, reinforcing the overall corporate commitment to climate activism.  Swiss Re's sustainability programme is built on trust, not micromanagement. James believes employees feel deputized and motivated to take action independently.    Bottom Line Stats:   130,000 individual acts of climate activism.  1,500 tonnes of direct removal through carbon certificates.  A cumulative direct removal of thousands of tonnes globally.    Maintaining Momentum:   James fosters ongoing engagement by cultivating connections, very often through constantly refreshed shared stories and interactive tools on the app.  The platform is constantly refreshed with new series of challenges, education and information.   Regional champions are deputized to run with locally relevant ideas.    Recommended first steps for companies of any size that want to make a concerted commitment to sustainability:   Start a conversation. Don't be intimidated by being the need to be something big, shiny and already fully formed.  Create a space for individuals to bring their ideas and express their creativity through action.  No matter the size of your organisation, recognize that every single action contributes to a joint movement that drives bigger global change.    If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review it!    About Scott    Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.   About James    A transformational and purpose-led People & Culture Executive, James has extensive global HR experience.     James on LinkedIn -  @LinkedIn  Website - About Swiss Re's Sustainability Programme    About Workvivo    If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration. 

Episode Summary: Are you ready to integrate a values-based component into your corporate ethos? It's a big commitment, but one with tremendous ROI at every level. On this episode of Building Better Cultures, Scott talks with Sandy Cross, CPO in the Professional Golf Association of America (PGA).     But for it to work, the effort must be for real. Without buy-in from top leadership – a deep understanding and commitment to sustained change – don't bother, says Sandy. The PGA's working group based its program on feedback from up and down the organization, and leaders have deployed it without equivocation. Learn what elements are key to upping your DEI game and how your workplace culture's frame of mind benefits when a clearly articulated corporate values set is kept front of mind.     Key Takeaways  Mission-driven to values-based: The PGA culture embraced its mission deeply but Sandy advocated for more attention to the “how” of executing that agenda.     The PGA developed a playbook to support four people-centered pillar values – each of which includes visible, observable behaviours:   Have each other's back.  Practice gratitude. Get better every day. Start with clarity. Sandy's initiatives have bolstered retention by fostering the flexible, culturally connected hybrid workplace that Millennials (especially) demand.   The PGA used a bottom-up approach to define values, based on the outcome of a working group of nine employees selected by peers.     Keeping It Real: Sandy's values-driven agenda emphasizes measurable, behaviors and actions. Having well-defined values gives a chance for difficult conversations because they provide a shared language, foundation and understanding.    Committed Deployment: The PGA's approach is holistic, using values as a lens starting at the hiring process through onboarding and annual values-based (as separate from performance-based) evaluations.    Opportunity for Growth: Team members who “get it” can serve as coaches, mentoring and encouraging open communication among team members.     Watch Out for Weaponization: There can be friction because values-based culture doesn't promise that everyone gets what they want every time.    Powerful Goal-Setting: Each PGA individual on an annual basis must identify one of the shared values they intend to prioritize for improvement and articulate what success would look like. What's the desired behavior or outcome? The best first steps for organizations undertaking a “values journey”:  Talk to the leadership team. Are they ready on every level to embark on – and stay committed to – the journey?  Support and embody the mission throughout the enterprise.  The program has to be embedded across the full employee lifecycle. If it's not going to be a deep, sustained commitment, say Sandy, skip it. False starts, shallow or hollow efforts are definitively a step in the wrong direction.    About Scott  Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.   About Sandy  As Chief People Officer for the PGA of American with responsibility for DEI, Sandy's career journey has been about building purpose-driven, values-based and people-centric cultures.  Learn more here:    Website: www.pga.com  Sandy @Twitter  Sandy @LinkedIn    About Workvivo  If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration. 

Episode SummaryIf we didn't already know it, the pandemic laid bare the fact that, as humans, we inevitably bring our whole selves to our jobs - including a range of emotions. This episode of Building Better Cultures focuses on mental health, which has taken center stage in the workplace and softened the separation between personal and professional.  Our guest, Niamh Fitzpatrick, a psychologist who works with business and sportspeople alike  The pandemic deprived us of the ability to congregate among our favourite tribes (sports, entertainment, extended family, volunteer activities) but it also delivered a critical pause — a chance to get honest with ourselves and assess our priorities.   Our workplaces can be a source of the safety and acceptance on which humans thrive, particularly when leaders (themselves humans in need of support) foster cultures of openness and psychological safety.  This episode offers advice about how to recognize and respond to workers in distress; the role of communication and empathy in fostering healthy, productive workplace cultures; and how to bring out the best in teams by seeing, accepting and supporting the very real impacts of mental health.  Key Takeaways Humans are tribal by nature and we seek out professional, social and familial groups with which to identify, share values and protection as well as create accountability. Why the pandemic has deeply impacted mental health: Daily tribal connections (sports, entertainment, social networks and other diversions/rituals) were suddenly completely shut down. Covid19 produced heightened emotions and vulnerability in people across the spectrum. The pause induced by lockdown afforded people a chance to notice feelings.  Because we are humans first, we bring mental health challenges with us into the workplace; or we pay the price for suppressing them.   Teams do not perform to their highest capacity when mental health is being denied or ignored. Successful leaders encourage their teams to express feelings within the workplace context. Executives, too, are humans impacted psychologically by the same stresses with which they are helping employees cope.   Leaders who want to be alert and astute about mental health impacts should: Tune in and determine their employees' psychological baseline (even if only via Zoom): Are individual workers typically late, harried, prepared, unprepared or overwhelmed? Dial-up managerial skills and take note of the status quo. Watch for any changes in effect and then follow up with questions and concerns. Four pillars to protect leaders from burnout: (1) Sleep/rest (2) fresh air/movement (3) nutrition/hydration and (4) connection.  Effective leaders give workers permission to process their emotions. Niamh's Top Takeaway: An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behaviour. The sooner authentic mental health challenges are validated, the sooner we can process emotions and take steps to move on.  About Scott Learn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here. About NiamhNiamh Fitzpatrick is a psychologist who works in the area of peak performance in sport and business, helping sportspeople and business leaders with performing under pressure, confidence in business, resilience in the face of setbacks, team cohesion and corporate wellness. She also works with people around loss and grief and wrote ‘Tell Me the Truth About Loss,' following the tragic death of her sister, Daire Fitzpatrick, an Irish Coastguard pilot in 2017.     Website: http://www.niamhfitzpatrickpsychology.ie Twitter: @NFitzPsychology  About Workvivo If you're struggling with communications in this time of new hybrid workplace conditions, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration. 

There's been a recent trend towards hiring for culture or values fit. It seems sensible in principle - hire people who share a similar working ethos and they should fit in and get going more quickly - but, in doing so, what might you be missing?   How can hiring people with similar value sets help to create more diverse workforces? Or create that bit of tension and challenge that often results in bringing the best out in your people?    So maybe it's not about hiring for cultural fit, but about hiring for cultural add or cultural stretch?   ----------------------------------------- 'Shorts by Building Better Cultures' is a short-form podcast in which we share our tuppenceworth on subjects in the areas of leadership, employee engagement, organisational culture and internal communications.  #BuildingBetterCultures #BBCShorts #InspiringChange #CreatingConnections

Summary:   In this episode of Building Better Cultures, we hear from a top virtual-speaking specialist who sees a golden opportunity in the virtual world. Peter Hopwood, a global executive speaker coach, believes the most reticent public speakers can emerge as stronger, more engaging communicators than ever before.     There are ways to leverage your online environment and actually take pleasure in an ability to control the stage. Peter highlights the many variables (from sound to lighting to backdrop to gesticulation) that can be modulated to our advantage. He also explains other new factors to consider, such as the imperative to develop disciplined, compelling messaging that quickly captures – and then holds – people's interest.    To learn more about the Building Better Cultures podcast and related services, visit www.BuildingBetterCultures.com. You can also find out more about Scott's coaching and consultancy by visiting Inspiring Change's website.    If you're struggling with communications in this time of hybrid workplace, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.        Key Takeaways:   Some of the changes and challenges that leaders in our new hybrid face:  In a virtual world we lack all the usual sense-based indicators and cues.  Screens requires that we amplify (or minimize) our expressions, gestures and actions so that they read remotely.  Factors like sound, lighting, voice, concision, air time all impact how we come across online.  Attention spans are shorter and harder to marshal remotely when so many competing apps are there to distract.  Stay conscious at all times of how you're showing up, whether you're connecting and how brief the amount of time to engage really is.  Many leaders are lagging behind in awareness, oblivious that what worked in boardrooms doesn't translate to Zoom, WebEx or whatever other online platform.  When you're appearing onscreen, capitalize on the upside! You're 100% in control and can manage how you project and what kind of background you present.  What storytelling is for Peter and why it matters: Stories about what has happened to us and the attendant emotions define us as humans and create the bridges through which we connect. Emotional connection = Power of storytelling.  Emblematic words in a post-cubicle hybrid workplace where people show up differently – Empathy, Gratitude and Community  Advice from Peter for leaders who wish to become better communicators: Be curious and show curiosity; and tell stories      Key Quotes:   "I help teams and professionals find their stories and deliver them in a way that connects in a way that people will remember for the right reasons."  "Screens are almost more intimate than face to face so the key is really being aware of how we're coming across."  "We really have to make sure that the things we share (onscreen) are more concise, more to the point, get people feeling engaged and connected."  "If you can do well and get chemistry going (onscreen) it can only help you when it comes to going back to or building on your in-person communications skills."  "If we can connect with emotion and get people to feel that emotion and connect it with the message we want to share, then to me that is the power of storytelling and how to use it."      About Peter:  British Global Speaker Coach, Virtual Speaking Specialist & TEDx Coach, Storytelling for Sales Trainer, Worldwide Corporate Events MC & Speaker - lived in 7 countries, worked in 42, currently based in Croatia, working worldwide on Zoom! Storytelling strategist, confidence-booster & connector, I help professionals and global teams define, craft and deliver stronger stories, connect with their audiences and customers and take control of their messages, storyline & speaking impact.      Follow Our Guest:  Website: www.peter-hopwood.com  Peter @LinkedIn (lots of tips and resources)      About Scott McInnes:  Learn more about Scott McInnes, founder and director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.      About Workvivo Discover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, here.

Summary:  This episode of Building Better Cultures throws a spotlight on mental health and well-being as we tentatively re-enter workplace cultures forever changed by the pandemic. Scott's guest, Donna Reilly, is an expert in the development of corporate wellness programs. She reflects on Covid19's long-term impacts on organisations and the adjustments leaders will have to make in light of employees awakened to the importance of work-life balance. In this new reality, everyone has seen that remote offices can and do work. What does it mean when employees refuse to return to business as usual? Will there indeed be a “Great Resignation” or will corporate teams come together to evolve new methods for collaboration?  Donna offers concrete advice for leaders and employees alike – as well as a special shout out for managers in the middle, who have been in many companies the advocates and protectors of employee health and wellbeing. Now, says Donna, it's time for people at every level of the enterprise to take deep breaths and invest in self-care.   Since a hybrid workplace model appears to be here to stay, Donna proposes that enlightened leadership undertake initiatives designed to protect corporate mental health and enhance overall well-being, collectively and individually, as move into a new era.    Key Takeaways:  There are multiple elements and experiences at play when it comes to people's wants and needs in today's workplace, which only empathy and communication can bridge.  About “The Great Resignation” – Donna believes it has been what she prefers to term a “Great Awakening,” a result of the world's pause, time in which people were able to reevaluate their quality of life and status quo.  Organisations have some catching up to do now that workers have experienced flexible conditions  Donna outlines some of the health and wellness issues that are likely to arise as the result of new hybrid work environments: FOR LEADERS: The one-size-fits-all model no longer applies. Employees are more self-aware and will require bespoke approaches to qualify of life. FOR EMPLOYEES: Health and safety procedures will be top of mind as will adjusting to more live interactions and less control over their work-life balance. Donna suggests some tactics for leaders seeking to smooth the transition: Survey employees both formally and informally, put champions on the ground and clearly establish what they want and need. LISTEN to feedback and concerns.  Invest financially to establish the supportive tools indicated. Take a long-term approach to investing in employee health and wellness strategies, which have documented ROI.  Donna suggests some tactics for employees seeking to smooth the transition: Don't return to the office without taking time to prepare (logistics like child care, commuting, changes to morning/evening routines). Take a few deep breaths to calm yourself as you go. Employees have a responsibility to contribute to their own mental health and well-being, for which Donna can provide tools and support. But at the end of the day, the effort and commitment rests with individuals themselves.  PARTING WORDS OF ADVICE FOR EMPLOYERS: Truly stop, listen and commit to long-term employee mental health and wellness “because that's where you'll get the biggest dividend.”  PARTING WORDS OF ADVICE FOR EMPLOYEES: Don't forget about your “self.” You know you best. Take baby steps every day, doing something you love in order to reinvest in and re-energize yourself.   To learn more about the Building Better Cultures podcast and related services, visit www.BuildingBetterCultures.com. You can also find out more about Scott's coaching and consultancy by visiting Inspiring Change's website.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider clicking here to rate and review!  If you're struggling with communications in this time of hybrid workplace, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.  Key Quotes:   “Although the restrictions are lifted, a lot of organisations are taking their time … You're going to have different policies and procedures depending on where you work.” (Donna)   “Instead of calling it ‘The Great Resignation,' Why don't we call it ‘The Great Awakening' or ‘The Great Realization' or ‘The Great Rejuvenation' or “The Great Evaluation'?” (Donna)  “Self-reflection and what that can lead to is definitely a catalyst for ‘The Great Resignation' and from an organisational perspective, they're learning too.” (Donna)  “The (employer-employee) balance of power has somewhat shifted. People have had the time to go, ‘What do I really want?' ” (Scott)  “What we often forget is that people leaders are also people. We put all this pressure on them …but don't spend enough time necessarily thinking about them as a group.” (Scott)  "(Middle managers) need support from above in terms of who is there for them, but also a gentle reminder that you don't have to be a solver of everybody's problems. You've got a lot of internal and external help in that space.” (Donna)  “The role of the organisation is to supply whatever might be needed in terms of people to go to for support, different initiatives or programs … but (employees) have to want to support and build their own well-being.”  “I don't think we'll see the (mental health) impact until we're fully at the end. We are still in that bit of survival mode, even as restrictions are lifting. People are still having that tense feeling. I don't think we're fully relaxed.” (Donna)  “I don't think it's until we've come out the other side and allowed ourselves a sense of relaxation that we're really going to be able to assess the damage.” (Donna)  “If all that came out of Covid is that we talk about (sensitive issues) more openly, then that's a win. That's an absolute win!” (Scott)  “Listen to what (your employees) want and take a long-term approach in terms of investment because that's when you'll get the biggest dividend.” (Donna)  “When you start to feel stress levels rise, do something just for you! … People forget to take the time to check in on themselves and their energy levels. So take time for you.” (Donna)  About Donna:  Donna is an experienced wellness coach, trainer, facilitator and consultant. Her goal is to help people discover their true passion in life and work with them to reach their full potential. An experienced Senior HR Business Partner, she has worked in people functions across financial services for more than 16 years. Donna has a proven ability to work with stakeholders to executive team level and uses her energetic, creative, positive personality to help empower others and develop strong relationship with clients   Follow Our Guest:  Website: www.donnareillywellness.ie Donna @LinkedIn   About Scott McInnes:  Learn more about Scott McInnes, founder and director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.  About WorkvivoTo discover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

Not only is meaningful, sustainable cultural change possible in the workplace, but it's also something that can be mapped and measured. In this episode of Building Better Cultures, Karen Jones spells out the many elements of the gold standard diagnostic model she deploys as a Managing Director at Denison Consulting. The inquiry starts with a survey of 12 key cultural measures, but those results are not an endpoint. On the contrary, they are meant as a starting place for critical conversations about what's working within a workplace culture – and what most clearly is not.  The kind of diagnostic consulting that Karen does depends on tremendous buy-in. While her initial point of entry is most often through Human Resources, the work can't fully succeed unless support comes from the top echelons of leadership. That ownership and willingness to be accountable are what fosters the atmosphere of trust required for employees throughout the ranks. The Denison process depends on candid, vulnerable feedback from team members at every level of the enterprise and, says Karen, that will never happen if they don't feel safe to speak out. And once they do share thoughts? It's on corporate leadership to take real, meaningful steps towards adopting solutions. Failure to put evident muscle behind the outcome of a cultural survey will only leave employees dispirited, if not cynical, about the entire process.  Learn how high-performance culture can go to the next level when a concrete methodology, open communication and leadership integrity converge. It's a conversation timelier and more important than ever for companies adapting to today's quickly evolving hybrid workplace.    An overview of Denison's model is available here along with other resources  To learn more about the Building Better Cultures podcast and related services, visit www.BuildingBetterCultures.com. You can also find out more about Scott's coaching and consultancy by visiting Inspiring Change's website.   If you're struggling with communications, especially within the context of the hybrid workplace, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.    Key Takeaways:   The path through medicine, psychology and research ultimately brought Karen to where she is today, working as a coach and expert on organisational culture.  Karen believes culture isn't something that can be summed up quickly, but that can – with the right tools – be measured and modeled. This requires balancing mission in the market and systems/processes to enable desired results.  Diagnostic measures assess beliefs and assumptions that people are making in their organisational context – which originate from their own personal context.  Throwing terms and affirmations up on a wall or into corporate literature will only breed cynicism if leadership has not committed to putting infrastructure and sustained support around those professed values.  The very real impacts of having a toxic team member, even one who is highly successful, and at what point they must be asked to move on. And, if the employee is invited to leave, will leadership make clear that it was a values-based decision?  Setting the Bar: Communicating values and systems in support of a high-performance culture will inspire specific conversation about the strengths and challenges to getting there.  Culture is Business: It doesn't matter what strategies or innovations leadership tries to implement, it will fail if team members aren't fully bought in. Denison's focus is on ensuring adoption, which requires thoughtful strategic mapping.  It's essential to establish an open climate of trust in which behaviors can be discussed and members of the enterprise at all levels feel safe to speak candidly about conditions on the ground.  Culture most often sits with HR, but the owner should be the CEO along with the entire senior management team. If the effort is compartmentalized in HR, that's a red flag. It needs to be adopted from the top-down, bottom-up and everywhere in between.  Karen's thoughts about the single most impactful thing that leaders can do today to improve their culture: Be curious. Ask your teams how they are feeling, what they need, what they don't have. Set clear expectations and stay open.      Key Quotes:   “In order to really understand your current state of culture you have to have a mechanism that starts to elevate those beliefs and assumptions that are driving people's perceptions of the business.”  “I believe people want to come to work to be their best. They get distracted when systems, processes or indeed people bring them down in motivation or emotionally or tap into fears.”  “We have failed as a consulting firm if culture is a separate piece that people do when they have a bit of capacity. Knowing your culture, understanding, diagnosing, discussing it on a daily basis with your teams is really doing culture work.”  “You can't create trust. Trust is an outcome of reliability, keeping promises.”  “If we've done the strategy mapping, all the leaders understand their contribution to the culture. It's also the responsibility of every single person; every individual creates and impacts culture.”  “We have the quantitative number on the measure but after diagnostics, for us, comes honest conversation. The number isn't the be-all, end-all. It's significant, but what really matters is teams sitting down and sharing the story (behind the numbers).”  “We like to assume we leave our emotions at the door when we go to work. We absolutely do not. We're human. It's about the being, not the doing.”   “Sometimes leadership teams might need to do some work themselves before they're ready for this level of exposure.”     About Karen:  Karen works closely with clients and certified partners to turn what is often ambiguous and intangible into something energising and productive. She helps organisations define the high-performance culture they are seeking to create in order to drive their business results, through aligning people to their strategy and ensuring they are able to deliver the promises they make to their customers. Working in the board room and the shop floor to align corporate culture and leadership climate, Karen aligns with teams to build their strategic clarity and create an environment that builds commitment.     Follow Our Guest Website: www.denisonconsulting.com Email: kjones@denisoncultureeurope.com @LinkedIn About WorkvivoDiscover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here. About Scott McInnesLearn more about Scott McInnes, founder and director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here. 

Our latest BBC shorts is about Creating Boundaries. The pandemic has accelerated the idea of home / remote working and it's here to stay. It's given us the flexibility to create a more blended approach to our work and home lives, like bringing the kids to school, doing a load of laundry, grabbing a coffee or going to a doctor's appointment.  BUT… We're missing the downtime commuting gave us. We need to take that time back and do something we enjoy, like read a book, call someone up on the phone, listen to a podcast or just chill out! AND… We've not been great at creating and maintaining boundaries. A lot of us are working more hours, but are we being effective by doing so?  When you finish work for the day, actually STOP. Decide a time that your workday ends and leave it there – no laptop, phone, email, chat, you get the picture. Turn the notifications OFF.   Make time for yourself – Schedule in (YOUR CALENDAR) some time for you. The time you will use to rest, process and recharge.  And, hey, you're allowed to relax. You don't need to feel guilty about it. You'll be a better person and more energized to take on challenges and roadblocks.  Work-wise do the same; Agree on a schedule with your team — When do we turn on? When do we switch off? There need to be guidelines but they need to be respected - you will be a more productive colleague for it.  And if you're a boss, lead by example. Change doesn't just happen — YOU need to make it happen, for yourself, your colleagues or your team. So what will you commit to doing differently today? ----------------------------------------- 'Shorts by Building Better Cultures' is a short-form podcast in which we share our tuppenceworth on subjects in the areas of leadership, employee engagement, organisational culture and internal communications.  #buildingbettercultures #BBCShorts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

Summary:  The Building Better Cultures podcast starts out the new year with a lively conversation featuring Ray Walsh, a communications and internal localization consultant whose professional background and years of living in various European markets have given him unique insights into the power and nuance behind effective messaging. The author of “Localizing Employee Communications: A Handbook” shares thoughts about the challenges unique to global organizations that want uniformity of messaging but not at the expense of effective penetration among the employees those internal corporate communications must reach.   Ray reflects on the responsibility of leaders to collaborate and co-create communications by taking an active role in the process. The most effective internal communications understand and incorporate local culture. English works as the global language of business to a large degree, but not in all instances, which is why Ray has developed a framework for tackling the thorny problem of reaching across business units and teams in markets of varying sizes and cultures with variable norms. This podcast offers concrete tips for building (and co-creating) compelling content that will resonate among individuals while preserving central corporate culture and messaging.   Click here to read more about Ray's approach through his handbook, “Localizing Employee Communications.”   To learn more about the Building Better Cultures podcast and related services, visit www.buildingbettercultures.com  If you're struggling with communications while adapting to a hybrid workplace model, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.  Key Takeaways:  About the perennial challenges in Global (and global – small “g”) Communications:   Differences in language and culture.  Comms materials not written in the local language (or taking into consideration other workplace differentiators) are less compelling, effective and inclusive.  Lack of comms leaders with skills to translate, personalize and make more accessible internal marketing materials is a problem within many corporations.   Ray shares thoughts on the cascade approach, in particular internationally - when management across functions is asked to share information but not provided language support, it leads to fragmentary duplication of effort and puts the enterprise at risk for error or inconsistency.  Co-creation of communications requires thoughtful briefings, including:  Who's the audience?  What's the desired outcome?   Is there anything you need to measure and why?  Consider presentations that take specific approaches (co-created, translated, versus cascaded as-is).  Ray finds it helpful to group markets into tiers:  Tier 1: Large markets that merit co-creation of materials.  Tier 2: Mid-sized markets in which materials are simply translated word for word.  Tier 3: Smaller markets in which content might simply be passed on as-is.  Irrespective of tiers, it's important to be collaborative in developing communications and work with those who are most engaged and able to make messages accessible for employees downstream.  The Power of Storytelling: Most leaders still don't fully understand what it truly is, the kinds of color available to all of us or the many low-stress ways in which life experience can be personalized and incorporated in presentations.  Ray believes it's advantageous to produce internal communications materials in the local culture's native tongue when the objective is to resonate on a deeper emotional level.   Ray offers his best advice for companies looking to improve communications: Rather than centralizing, identify local stakeholders, consult with them often, given them time to co-create, translate if necessary and use their advice as you produce global materials in English for smaller markets.  Key Quotes:   “In regional offices here in Europe I see physically that we have gaps – gaps in understanding, gaps in motivation, business conditions, culture. More of us that work in home offices need to know that we have these gaps.”  “People are more likely to act on content that speaks to them.”   “We have to rely on (a cascade approach) a lot and I think we should. Unfortunately information isn't like water. It doesn't flow naturally like a cascade, so it has its problems.”  “I don't think we can simply put out a campaign and say, ‘Let's cascade this' and just assume that they're going to do it effectively and in a fully engaged way.”   “If you're going into too much detail, you're underestimating what your mature communicators can do for you. And if you don't give enough detail, then you're really encouraging … just flipping it forward.”  “It's really important wherever possible to connect communications with (leadership's) desired local outcomes.”   “Anything that connects abstract, global concepts to local examples, we consider a story; anything that grounds lofty concepts into the specifics of the workday.”  “When we're trying to motivate or persuade, that's where I think it's much more effective to speak to (local employees') guts; to use their mother tongue, to make it easier for them.”  “If you want to change behavior – or, more likely, prevent misbehavior – trainings coming from us in the Anglosphere may not be so effective.”  “We have to from the very beginning build a mindset for global-ready content. Global readiness, I believe, should be built into almost everything we produce.”  About Ray:  Ray Walsh is an American communications consultant based in Prague. For 20 years he has supported global clients in a variety of industries and managed employee communications in-house for companies including UPS and DXC Technology. He has lived in his native US, and in Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic.  Follow Our Guest:  Website: www.raywalsh.net @LinkedIn  About WorkvivoTo discover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here. About Scott McInnes:  Learn more about Scott McInnes, founder and director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here. 

It's the end of the year and a time to think about what we've achieved this year and perhaps start to think about what lies ahead. But taking time to reflect on achievements isn't something I've ever been very good at, and I don't think others are either.  But it is really important to take stock and celebrate our achievements.  If we don't it can often be the case that no-one else will either  So take some time to think about the three or four amazing things you've achieved this year - no matter how big or small. ----------------------------------------- 'Shorts by Building Better Cultures' is a short-form podcast in which we share our tuppenceworth on subjects in the areas of leadership, employee engagement, organisational culture and internal communications.  #buildingbettercultures #BBCShorts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

The world is no longer linear, and yet old command-and-control management structures persist. In this episode of Building Better Cultures, international management consultant Gill Kernick shares powerful insights about why it is that C-Suite executives sometimes lack the leadership skills necessary to support healthy workplace cultures. Internal communications, policies and best intentions go only so far when it comes to shifting paradigms. Gill offers thoughts on why it is that some companies get stuck, their leadership mired in old-school thinking. Agile workplace structures give members of the team at all levels of the enterprise an opportunity to speak up and the confidence that their voices will actually be heard. Gill explains why it's so critically important to create an environment grounded in authentic care and respect.  It unleashes great performances and sets up a safe landing when – as inevitability happens – failures occur. There are concrete measures that leaders can take to empower employees to communicate now – rather than later when it's very possibly too late. Invite bad news. Look for red flags. When leaders speak honestly and with compassion, they provide the entire workplace culture permission to act with courage and conviction.   Among the suggestions Gill has for enlightened leaders:  Ask proactively for the bad news, then welcome it!  Assign and rotate the role of designated challenger among various team members. Make mistakes a source of learning, not blame; opportunity, not failure. Tell the truth. If something is amiss, just own it – with grace and an attitude that encourages others facing risks or failures of their own.     Click here to learn more about Gill's new book, "Catastrophe and Systemic Change: Learning from the Grenfell Tower Fire and Other Disasters."  Key Takeaways:   Gill shares a little of her background, including a lifelong fascination (starting in her formative years in South Africa) with human potential and the influence organisations can bring to bear in the contexts of equity and justice in the workplace and beyond.  Catastrophic events often share a single commonality: Concerns were raised and dismissed. Liabilities tend to go completely unnoticed because they don't fit into traditional, outmoded paradigms in an increasingly complex world   Intelligence from the front lines is critically important. Enlightened leaders understand that the healthiest workplace cultures remove barriers and free up the flow of communication.  Organisational cultures depend on fresh thinking and the safety to foster systemic change. But before change can happen, there has to be an intentional approach that focuses not on piecemeal fixes but rather a sustained platform to support meaningful evolution.  Planks in the Platform: Critical ingredients to effecting change.  A willingness to engage with dissonance (and outright resistance) and dig into the gaps that no amount of documentation or policy-making can fill or reorder.  Internal communications that directly address the changes and micro-changes that need to occur and hold space for those charged with executing them.  Disbelief will persist as long as systemic change remains an abstraction (i.e. trainings, handbooks) rather than an actual, measurable human behavior that exists in real time.    Leaders must demonstrate that they value feedback, that all voices are welcome and that mechanisms have been established to support them.  Risk-taking has to be balanced against unintended consequences, taking into account the many variables – not least low probability events with high-consequence implications. It's a multidisciplinary pursuit that requires data analysis and feedback from all stakeholders.  Diversity is the single biggest protection against bias, but workplace cultures have some distance to go before integrating not just the look of diversity but the actual voices and points of view represented by those from different backgrounds, orientations and experiences.  Time is often the enemy of complex, sustained cultural change. Meaningful paradigm shifts require intention, grappling in gray areas and the dedication of ongoing resources.  Averting negative consequences – catastrophic or more run of the mill – requires a workplace culture in which team members can bring their whole selves to the table. Innovative thinking, as well, demands a true openness and safe space for challenge.   Leaders have it within their power to set the stage for healthy communication and collaboration, through tactics such as:  Ask proactively for the bad news, then welcome it!  Assign and rotate the role of designated challenger among various team members.  Make mistakes a source of learning, not blame; opportunity, not failure.  Tell the truth. If something is amiss, just own it – with grace and an attitude that encourages others facing risks or failures of their own.  Gill's Top Tip: The single most important thing organisations can do to capture and apply the lessons of failures would be to search for bad news. Challenge the green and embrace the red!  About Gill:  Gill is a Strategic Consultant with a global track record of producing results through Development, Intellectual Property Design and C-Suite Culture Change Strategy Delivery. A sought-after author and speaker specialising in Safety, Culture and Leadership, she is an agile, strategic thinker with the ability to operate at all levels of an organisation and across diverse cultures. Gill partners with major Multi-National Corporations to create sustainable change, focusing on building leadership and management capabilities in complex, high-risk environments.   Follow Our Guest:  Gill's Book: "Catastrophe and Systemic Change: Learning from the Grenfell Tower Fire and Other Disasters."  Companion Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/catastrophe/episodes  @LinkedIn @Twitter  To learn more about the Building Better Cultures podcast and related services, visit www.buildingbettercultures.com  If you're struggling with communications in this time of hybrid workplace, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.  About ScottLearn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here. About WorkvivoTo discover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

Peter Senge, the American systems scientist and author said, "People don't resist change; they resist being changed."  And we've all heard the McKinsey '70% of change programmes fail' stat hundreds of times (largely because of a lack of buy-in from people and leaders). Most corporate 'big change' is agreed by CEOs and senior teams and then pushed down through the organisation from the top, often without sufficient explanation or 'linking and labelling' back to purpose or strategy.  So what about if we turned that on its head? What if we drove change from the bottom up, by empowering people across organisations to make hundreds of micro-changes that, when rolled up, result in that big change the organisation was trying to create all along? Yes, you'd need to ensure that everyone knew where you were going, why and how you're going there.  And you'd need to ensure that everyone was pulling in the same direction by having: A strategy but making it more compelling by turning it into a narrative that talks to head and heart. A really emotive WHY - what's your purpose and is it compelling enough. Lived values that are celebrated when they're live and people held to account for when they aren't. Engaging Leaders that support and clear roadblocks and can contextualise and translate strategy. Really clear objectives that cascade from organisation --> division --> teams --> individuals. Something to just mull over perhaps? 'Shorts by Building Better Cultures' is a short-form podcast in which we share our tuppenceworth on subjects in the areas of leadership, employee engagement, organisational culture and internal communications.  #buildingbettercultures #BBCShorts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

Summary:   Host Scott McInnes' guest on this episode of Building Better Cultures exemplifies the passion she prescribes for strong leadership. Zana Goic Petricevic, founder and managing director of Bold Leadership Culture, brings a uniquely compelling brand of coaching and transformational approach to empowering workplace cultures. Her new book, “Bold Reinvented: Leading with Courage, Consciousness and Conviction,” lays out foundational steps that leaders can take to inspire the best in their teams.  Communication is key, and it starts with setting the right tone and vision. The strongest leaders, says Zana, are constantly learning. They're able to hear all kinds of perspectives and embrace a broad spectrum of viewpoints. In other words, they are learners (the No. 1 trait Zana believes the strongest leaders share). There is an infectious energy communicated when corporate decision-makers are unafraid to do the digging, entertain the feedback and explore new, potentially better paths.   Zana shares with us a powerful model for corporate self-actualization with the acronym SOUL, Self, Other, Universe and Legacy. In this episode she spells out each of these four elements, providing personal examples and a challenge to leaders who are stuck in a “check-the-box” mentality. She wants all of us to ask – at work and in life – are we leaving it all on the field? Are we approaching the world from a place of fear or love? Passion is contagious and the visionaries who bring it transfuse everything and everyone around them.   Zana gives a shout-out to a book that has informed her thinking. Click here to learn more about “Radical Wholeness: The Embodied Present and the Ordinary Grace of Being,” by Philip Shepherd.   You can discover more about the Building Better Cultures podcast and related services, by visiting www.buildingbettercultures.com If you're struggling with communications in this time of hybrid workplace, click here to explore Workvivo, a collaboration platform that offers seamless digital integration.  Key Takeaways:   Originally from Croatia, Zana introduces herself as a coach and consultant, as well as an author who understands ways in which conversations can be valuable tools for dissecting and improving leadership styles.  Different cultures and a global orientation are integral to Zana's approach.  The single word that for Zana embodies the best leaders? Learners. They share a common ability to stop and think, understand, raise their own awareness and grow.  Another core competency prevalent among strong leaders? Decisiveness. Interestingly, it correlates back to being a learner. Doing your homework and pausing to reflect enables clear, decisive decision-making.  Shifting perspective about what constitutes development can be powerful. Beyond the classroom, it can occur in myriad unexpected places, even among difficult colleagues.  Does everyone have the potential to be a competent leader? Zana unequivocally says, “Yes!” It all depends on whether we actually choose to engage those innate abilities.  About Zana's model and the four things she believes are key to sound leadership, which all require that we bring a strong sense of soul to the mission. Those elements are:  S: Self. The journey begins with raising our own self-awareness and confronting ourselves honestly as to our beliefs, preconceptions and blind spots.   O: Other. Leadership doesn't occur in isolation. When we lean into each other and bring compassion, we are strengthening a message of trust that builds strong cultures.  U: Universe. On the leadership journey, there comes an inevitable point of adjusting to the larger atmosphere we're co-creating around us. What are we doing to impact and shape our overarching culture? We are part of a whole.  L: Legacy. Great leaders bring a passion. They see the value and meaning in the work they are doing, and that commitment to honoring purpose is contagious.  How do you know if you're laboring under an unconscious bias? We need to tune in and receive the feedback. We cannot grow ourselves alone, and devoid of how we're impacting those around us. It can be a calling “forth” rather than a calling “out.”  Zana shares thoughts on the subject of trust, which she believes has three faces that are inextricably intertwined:  Trusting ourselves: You need to believe that what you are bringing is worthy and unapologetically embrace it, as well as take responsibility for your impact.   Trusting others: It comes down to a decision to invest in a relationship, allow mistakes and provide a safe space to grow a mutual bond.  Trusting something bigger than ourselves: We must come to terms with the fact that not everything is under our control, much as we would like it to be.  It all comes down in the end to impact. Are you being the leader you are meant to be and bringing to each day a commitment to eliciting your best self in every endeavor?  Zana's #1 Leadership Gamechanger: Ask yourself whether you're playing to win, or playing not to lose. These are two drastically different approaches that determine whether you're doing things from a place of fear or a place of love. Are you staying silent and safe or speaking up? Are you taking risks to create what's missing or are you hanging back?  About Zana: More information about Zana's new book, “Bold Reinvented: Next Level Leading with Courage, Consciousness and Conviction,” is available here.  Website: www.boldleadership-culture.com Zana @LinkedIn  About ScottLearn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here. About WorkvivoTo discover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

It sometimes feels like Employee Engagement has been superseded by the new, best thing in leadership thinking - purpose, values, leading in a hybrid world etc.  But, for me, it's about getting the fundamentals of work right so that workplaces are the best they can be to allow people to be the best they can be David Macleod and Nita Clarke published Engage for Success in 2010 and the four enablers of EE are as true today than they ever have been: 1. An emotive corporate story 2. Engaging Leaders 3. Employee Voice 4. Integrity Scott spoke to David and Nita in Ep 43 of the Building Better Cultures podcast and you can find their work at www.engageforsuccess.org #internalcommunications #creatingconnections #employeeengagement #culture #leadership #recognition #values #purpose ---------------------------------------------- 'Shorts by Building Better Cultures' is a short-form podcast in which we share our tuppenceworth on subjects in the areas of leadership, employee engagement, organisational culture and internal communications.  #buildingbettercultures #BBCShorts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

Summary: While it may seem counter-intuitive at first, there is wisdom in the concept of leading from behind. This episode of Building Better Cultures deconstructs team dynamics and the long-term impact of providing individuals the space to contribute. Host Scott McInnes invites Peter Docker, the popular motivational speaker and author of multiple books, to share his unique take on human collaboration and the tools he's developed to put theory into practice. Learn about the three pillars that Peter details in his new book, "Leading from the Jumpseat: How to Create Extraordinary Opportunities by Handing Over Control." Together they provide the mutually reinforced scaffolding for fostering healthy cultures – wherever people are working together and accountable to one another. Those three key ingredients include: Commitment Humble Confidence Belonging From his years as a pilot and respected mentor in the Royal Air Force – as well as his transition into the private sector and beyond – Peter has derived an approach that empowers individuals and opens the way for the kind of leadership that inspires loyalty, drive and authentic pride of purpose. The conversation wraps up with reflections on legacy. What do we wish to be remembered for – and why? For Peter, it's a question to be examined carefully. What may appear on the surface like the thing you wish to be remembered for could actually be far less important than what you have achieved just below the surface; sometimes the most penetrating impacts ripple out slowly over time. Key Takeaways: A bit about Peter's eclectic professional journey, from his career as a pilot with the Royal Air Force to his more recent success as an author and speaker. What “Leading from the Jumpseat” means and why this book is important not only for leaders of the largest companies but also within a single family unit. Peter shares the origin story that sparked the idea for “Leading from the Jumpseat.” Leadership as Human Connection: Leaders are tasked with nurturing a sense of belonging because it fosters responsibility. People will tend to step up by choice more easily than they are willing to be held accountable. The secret ingredient: Caring. There is nothing “soft” about caring. Leaders who support and cultivate are nurturing a level of commitment not unlike that which military leaders elicit from their troops. Making the right moves: How leaders can promote a workplace culture that holds space for employees to contribute and shine. It starts at the top of the organization with clarity about priorities and goals. Once those guard rails are in place, the stage is set for what Peter calls “humble confidence.” It's not about ego but clarity and purpose. What constitutes “humble confidence”: We are able to listen and welcome input from others. We see the world as a place of purpose and opportunity, rather than scarcity and fear. We're thinking of others around us, rather than just ourselves. We're resolute in where we're going, even when we aren't sure of how we'll get there. On Commitment: The difference between a position and a stand: Peter explains the way in which a stand is clear and clearly moving forward. Once a stand is established, the commitment follows and a plan of action can be put in place. Peter offers some concrete exercises for leaders who want to build a better culture: Commitment: Rather than a position against, figure out the stand “for” that sits underneath it. Humble Confidence: Take a situation at home or at work for which you know a solution. Rather than going straight to problem-solving mode, enjoin those around you to suggest what they might do. The willingness to create that opportunity requires humble confidence. Belonging: Send a text to someone you've been out of touch with for a while or reach out to someone on your team with a call out of the blue just to find out how things are going and what you can do to be of support. This is the human connection that underpins everything else. Peter explains why the concept of legacy is so important in his view. It's about being the pebble in the pond, and not knowing where those ripples will go. Holding space for those unknown effects is critical because we don't know what amazing things may derive downstream. About Peter: Click here to check out options for purchasing “Leading from the Jumpseat: How to Create Extraordinary Opportunities by Handing Over Control.” Website: https://www.leadingfromthejumpseat.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterdocker/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/peterdocker Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peterdocker/ About ScottLearn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here. About WorkvivoTo discover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

Summary: Startups are known for being fluid, nimble and open to experimentation. In this episode of Building Better Cultures, Host Scott McInnes' guest is someone uniquely positioned to explain the mindset and best practices under which these ventures thrive. Chief Marketing Officer for MUSH, a Chicago-based food company that has experienced phenomenal growth, Jo shares not only her from-the-front observations in the start-up world but also links them back to some of the leadership experiences she has gleaned while at Fortune 500 companies such as PepsiCo. It turns out that early-stage companies and established enterprises alike have hard-earned lessons to learn – and to teach. Startups done right embrace healthy workplace practices immediately out of the gate, even well before any formal HR function has been codified. Cultures that prioritize psychological safety, practice empathetic leadership and value internal communication set themselves up for the smoothest possible transition to maturity and scalability. Jo offers strategies for fostering employee engagement and building brand good will. She also describes the importance of building a “fine to fail” workplace environment in which leaders not only permit but encourage experimentation, risk and missteps. Jo and Scott also get granular about exactly when the time is right to introduce a more formal HR function into the start-up structure. It's a transition that can be tough to make, but less so if leaders are equipped with the wisdom and perspective Jo has developed over her highly successful career across enterprises of all sizes and styles. Enjoy this lively, informative conversation! Key Takeaways: Scott opens the conversation by eliciting some of Jo's origin story. After many years working at established companies, like PepsiCo, Jo has found the high-growth startup environment at MUSH creative and exciting. What does an employee-obsessed culture look like? Leadership and vision set the stage. People want to be involved with MUSH because of the sense of community that is central to the workplace and fosters the organic way in which partnerships are formed. Bigger organizations versus small: Does size matter when it comes to employee engagement? Not necessarily, if the right principles and practices are deployed. Some ways Jo sees that employee engagement can be improved: Employee ownership – Adopt a cooperative model. Employee longevity: Commit and stay close to the consumer. Empower employees to do the right thing (even to the point of creating a P&L line item to underwrite acts of kindness to customers). How does Jo translate customer obsession to the back-office functions? Make sure that – regardless of role – all employees spend time on the front lines with the consumers. Integrating with customers is both fun and it generates passion for the business. Leaders need to understand who their consumers are and then empower employees to deliver on that promise. Scott shares an anecdote about Haagen Dazs that encapsulates the power of customer touch and good will. Jeff Bezos's Day 1 Concept: It's essential to keep thinking like a startup because it keeps enterprises agile, experimental and hungry. Does Jo agree? Yes, and here are three reasons why: Beginners' mindset: Drawn from the Buddhist concept of “shoshin,” it refers to an attitude of openness, eagerness and a blank slate. Failure as Data Acquisition: When leaders embrace mistakes, they open a path for creative problem-solving and advancement throughout the workplace culture. Even if you don't know how, just start: Successful startups keep moving forward. Jo believes that when an employee is not a good internal fit – and for whatever reason not carrying their weight plus some – it's incumbent upon leaders to act swiftly and decisively. Startups don't have values-driven recruiting because they don't yet have an HR manual at all. Rather, it's about building an initial core A team. Start-up growth at some point depends on building out from the central players, which requires a concept Jo learned from this management article: Give Away Your Legos. At what point in the transition from startup to mature business do questions of shared values, workplace culture and internal communications come into play? Jo shares some basic parameters: When your staff grows beyond 20 employees. When you're no longer able to turn around and get quick answers from the collective hive, it's time to start writing things down. When you get to about 150 in staffing, a robust HR function become essential. What can organizations and leaders within more established companies do to promote psychological safety in the workplace? It has to start from the top! Leadership sets the stage. Build moments of gratitude and solidarity into the week. Always have curiosity. Openness breeds vital, collaborative workplace cultures. Test before you invest. In addition to being nimble, startups have to be smart, which means trying small-batch products before committing to the large. Experimentation means giving employees permission to innovate, fail and try again. Jo's best advice for how astute leaders can best help their people to shine: Understand who your employees are, what motivates and excites them. Locate the right person for the right job. Reassure managers in a rapidly scaling enterprise that it's okay to share tasks and delegate roles. Reinforce that there is room to fail and recover. Share the load: Let team members in on challenges. It offers them an opportunity to take ownership – and buy-in breeds loyalty and commitment. We all get to the summit – but it's the hardness, the toughness and grit – that make for the most satisfying result. About Jo:Jo @LinkedIn and @camillab on twitter Company Website: www.eatmush.com  MUSH on Instagram: @MUSH; on Twitter @MUSHFoods; and on Facebook @MushFoods About ScottLearn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here. About WorkvivoTo discover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

Summary: Culture in the workplace is often assumed to be human-to-human contact in the office environment, so the concept of culture in a solely remote business, on the surface, seems irrelevant. On this episode of Building Better Cultures, Scott discusses the importance of culture within a remote-only business framework with Camilla Boyer, an experienced speaker and Head of Internal Communications and Culture at Hopin. Camilla shares her extensive background in public speaking and communication and reveals that promoting positive culture is not only possible in the remote setting, but also necessary for the success of the company. A key term that she uses throughout this episode is ‘deliberate' – being more deliberate helps effectively shape a culture within companies, and this starts from the top down. Camilla breaks the barriers of any preconceived notions one might have regarding culture in the virtual realm. Find out the advantages and disadvantages of remote-first business models in relation to culture, the interplay of values and why they should be promoted in the workplace, and how businesses moving forward should be advancing towards a hybrid- or remote-based workplace system. Key Takeaways: The common thread that has tied Camilla's career is her effectiveness as a storyteller. The main benefit of being remote-first when hiring is the ability to hire purely based on talent without any proximal constraint, which allows much more freedom to hire anyone around the world Camilla looks for a few qualities when she hires people: Someone who aligns with the company's values. Someone who desires a remote job rather than simply tolerating one. Someone who is self-directed and knows when to work and when not to work. The importance of the transparency of values within a company and how they can be promoted is two-fold: on the employee side, creating a common language internally is essential for coworkers to uphold values; and on the management side, guiding behaviour and making sure employees adhere to the rules. The downsides to remote hires are the inability to regulate employees' work-life balance – those who might be prone to over-working which can potentially lead to burnout, and the difficulty of ensuring everyone has sufficient information to effectively do their job. Onboarding at Hopin is a week-long event that helps incorporate real-world onboarding sessions on a virtual platform. Camilla addresses a couple different ways in which she is deliberate in fostering positive culture at Hopin: How you talk about your culture and that comes through in the values – she received input from a representative sample of the company and formed values from their feedback, and incorporated those values in the hiring process and product decisions How you enact your values – Hopin provides various seminars to bring people together Tools and resources within the company can help mitigate siloing – Camilla admits this is still a work in progress. At Hopin, there is a forum to match people from different sectors in the company to chat for 15 minutes. Often, the way in which a message is written may be misconstrued – Camilla addresses the importance of conveying the message so that it comes across in the way in which it was intended. Camilla is a strong advocate for moving forward and evolving with the times – it is foolish to believe that companies need to be in-person to thrive. Management within companies are realising that their employees are just as efficient remotely as they are in the office. The demise of some companies will be their requirement of working in-person – workers are recognising the flexibility and freedom that comes from working remotely. The schism of remote-first versus remote-forced mentalities boils down to a positive versus negative attitude. The focus should be shifted from adaptability to evolution – Camilla suggests companies pursue a remote-focused model, whether it is fully remote or hybrid. In remote systems, the importance of working with leaders to be more deliberate about how they communicate with their teams and how they are representing themselves, and the ability for the leaders to trust their teams requires hiring the correct people for the job. The ‘watercooler moment' is a fallacy – it is a manufactured moment in a physical environment. Creating this in a virtual sense is difficult, yet possible. Remote-first doesn't mean contact is discouraged – when in-person contact does occur however, it becomes more valuable and more impactful. Equality of experience is a huge factor that must always be considered in remote or hybrid work models. If an opportunity is available, it must be equally available for everyone – this is the main hurtle for hybrid companies to overcome. About Camila:Camila @LinkedIn and @camillab on twitter Company Website: www.hopin.com  Hopin on Instagram: @HopinHQ and on Twitter: @hopin    About ScottLearn more about Scott McInnes, your host and the Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here. About WorkvivoTo discover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.