TalkWise Podcast

Storytelling is one of the oldest, most enduring and most impactful of all the uses that we make of talk. Stories encourage us to listen, resonate with our felt experiences, and generate both meaning and connections for us. In this episode we explore, with physiotherapist, actor, coach and facilitator, Sue Macmillan, the various and significant roles that storytelling continues to play, in both our interactions and our inner lives, especially during turbulent times.

The way we talk to and about one another can make or break relationships, inter-personal, organisational or societal, so it's important to be conscious, current and considered in how our words land with others. But such in-the-moment awareness requires real attention and effort, when so much of our speech follows unconscious habits and patterns. In this episode of the TalkWise podcast we explore with educationalist Duncan Partridge how to become more alert to micro-aggressions, how to co-create collaborative dialogues and how to use talk in the pursuit of greater equity, diversity and inclusion.

Strings of words arranged in meaningful patterns are central to human communication, so how is the sharing of understanding through the medium of words affected by dyslexia? In this episode we talk to designer, consultant and author, Dr Emma Jefferies, about how she overcomes the difficulties posed by her own dyslexia and uses it in her life and work to generate curiosity, creativity and empathy.For full episode notes click here. 

Talk is potent. It's the principal everyday means through which we humans make things happen. It influences how we and others feel, think and behave. Sometimes its effect is vanishingly slight, while at others it is real but temporary, but sometimes its impact is profound and lasting. In this episode TalkWise podcast host Alan Robertson becomes the interviewee and reflects on some memorable conversations that had formative effects on him and his work during his own career.See the full episode notes here. 

One of the most significant trends in the continuing evolution of executive coaching is the emergence of team coaching with its focus on the performance and dynamics of the whole team as a collective entity. In this episode we speak with team coach Kate Mason-Keaney, who explains some of the distinctive considerations and approaches involved in the process of giving deep and sustained developmental attention to a team over an extended period of time.

Much is said, supposed and written about management and leadership, but what do these big concepts actually require of individuals in practice? Are there really significant differences between management and leadership and, if so what are they and how do you prepare for them? In this episode of the podcast we explore these questions with someone who coaches people to make the transition from manager to leader, accredited master executive coach Helen Mundy.

Selling is one of the most intentional and frequent uses to which we humans put our ability to talk. Whether we're endeavouring to sell products, services or ideas, we consciously want this form of talking to produce a result, and organisations invest more in this area than in any other form of communications training. In this episode we interview sales consultant, lecturer and trainer Andrew Wilcock to explore how patterns of effective Sales Talk have evolved and developed.See the full episode notes here. 

Agile working is an approach to project management developed for a complex, uncertain and dynamic world that calls for the delivery of fast, flexible and progressive solutions. Like all methodologies, its success ultimately depends on people and how they actually behave in practice. In this episode we interview culture architect, consultant and facilitator Marian O'Brien to explore her work and the role that communication plays in creating agile people and organisationsShow notes: https://talk-wise.com/podcast_episodes/agile-people-with-marian-obrien/

Good communication comes not from abstract principles but from actions, from what actually happens when we speak. Our voices too are rooted and carried through our physical bodies and the feelings and experiences that we hold in them. In this episode we interview coach and developer Rachel Harrison and explore how her work helps people to express their authentic, intentional voice with greater ease by reconnecting mind, body and voice through emotion.

The importance of being ready, able and willing to listen as a key element in effective communication has been emphasised over and over again by previous guests on the TalkWise Podcast, irrespective of the particular field in which they work. In this episode we interview Dr Tim Ojo, who describes himself as ‘listening for a living', and explore how he uses listening in his work as a professional psychiatrist, coach, mentor and mediator.

Working at Board level is qualitatively different to other levels of  executive responsibility. Board members need to be able to engage with a  higher degree of complexity and apply their minds and voices to its  challenges in ways which are different and personally demanding. In this episode of the podcast we interview Board Mentor and Coach Rachael Hanley-Browne to discuss the nature of these challenges and how to rise to them.Podcast page: https://talk-wise.com/podcast_episodes/working-at-board-level/

TalkWise: Talk is central to how we communicate, interact with one another and think. Using talk effectively is vital and at the same time beset with practical difficulties. In this episode of the podcast we interview business psychologist and developer Alan Robertson to learn more about VoicePrint, a developmental tool for raising awareness and skill with the nine different voices that contribute to good communication.

Presence is essential for anyone who wants to have influence and make an impact. But what does your voice sound like, how do others feel about it and how can you learn to use it so you can always make it count? In this episode of the podcast we interview voice coach and communications consultant Janie Van Hool and discuss ways of using your voice well to have presence, confidence and personal impact.

Tone of voice can have even more impact than the words we use. Having a deeper appreciation not just of what is said but of how it is being said is a vital aspect of becoming a better communicator, in expressing ourselves and in hearing others. In this episode of the podcast we interview linguistics researcher Professor Silke Paulmann and discuss how tone and other non-verbal factors affect how we interpret, and are interpreted by, others.

Networking has become a fundamental life skill in a world where continuing technological change and rapid economic shifts have such profound impacts, turning many careers into patchworks or portfolios of very different roles. In this episode of the podcast we interview process improvement consultant Howard Wilcox and discuss networking skills and their broader value for working successfully with others in a variety of different contexts.

Difficult conversations are an inevitable feature of life, both at work and outside. Attempting to avoid them only postpones the problem or makes it worse, while proceeding without sufficient care and attention leaves relationships damaged and issues unresolved. In this episode of the podcast we interview senior human resource business partner Liz Atkin to discuss the practicalities of what makes some conversations difficult and how to make them easier and more effective.

Women in executive roles and leadership remains a topic that attracts a surprising amount of special attention even now. It suggests that the underlying problem is that gender bias is still at work, in subtle and not-so-subtle ways, here in the 21st Century.In this episode of the podcast we interview executive coach Liz Palmer and discuss her experience and approach to tackling the challenges facing women in leadership.

Fear is something that we all experience. Too often it limits us, inhibiting, disabling and constraining what we feel able to do or even to attempt. The paradox is that fear draws its power more from what is going on inside us than from external threats as such.In this episode of the podcast we interview original thinker and author Hilary Gallo, and discuss how to turn towards our fears, overcome them and turn them into opportunities for growth.

Innovation has become one of the most sought-after and elusive qualities for corporations and societies alike. Whether in pursuit of competitive advantage or in finding new solutions to sudden and potentially catastrophic problems, true innovation requires more than just blue-sky thinking.In this episode of the podcast we interview organisational consultant Amy Dempsey and discuss ways to build cultures that nurture creativity and deliver innovation.

Employee engagement is essential both for business success and individual well-being. But as many as 70% of employees are reported to be either highly or partially disengaged, costing profitability, productivity, human energy, trust and fulfilment.In this episode of the podcast we interview employee engagement expert Peter Wakefield and discuss ways to improve employee engagement through better conversations.

In this short introductory episode TalkWise creator Alan Robertson outlines the purpose, scope and format of these podcasts, in which experts from different fields share their experience and insights on practical ways to improve how we communicate.