We Not Me

Rather than trying to "fix" people or show them rungs on a ladder, social mobility comes from recognising individuals, giving them psychological safety, and allowing them to fulfil their own potential. Diverse workplaces thrive not because of tokenistic inclusion efforts, but because different voices at the table lead to better outcomes and more successful organisations. Dan and Pia are joined by...

Restaurant franchises can be powerful environments for leadership development, especially for young people. When managed with intentionality, these seemingly entry-level jobs can provide significant opportunities for personal growth, skill development, and career advancement. Melissa Nuttall, along with her partner, is the franchisee of a quick service restaurant in New Zealand. In this conversati...

While many teams focus on building trust to improve performance, it's actually clarity that needs to be addressed first. Research shows that teams need clear roles, goals and processes before they can effectively build trust and collaborate. This represents a significant shift from traditional thinking about team development, and the data shows that improving clarity drives up trust results, whils...

Humans are crucial to AI adoption. While AI technology continues to advance, its effective implementation in business depends on people working with it rather than being replaced by it. Inclusive AI means finding the right balance between technological advancement and human insight, rather than seeing AI as a simple push-button solution to complex knowledge work. Susi O’Neill is a consultant, auth...

Leaders who are respected are 12x more likely to be seen as effective than those who are simply liked. This is because respect is tied to competence, fairness, and consistency. Respect in leadership isn't about titles or status, but about treating team members as capable adults rather than children. This helps avoid learned helplessness among teams, and creates environments where people feel safe...

Too many "best places to work" lists focus on performative, low-cost perks like free breakfasts and dog-friendly offices. But they ignore fundamental issues like fair pay, reasonable working hours, and meaningful parental leave. Companies often use marketing language to make minimal benefits sound impressive, like claiming "enhanced parental leave" when they're barely exceeding the statutory minim...

Effective change management hinges on the quality of our conversations. Asking questions can be an exertion of power, so motivational interviewing seeks to bring clarity and ensure information is shared in a way that respects the recipient's readiness to receive it. Jeffrey Wetherhold is a change management professional who helps organisations and teams navigate difficult changes. He specialises i...

The “traditional” understanding of hybrid working is being challenged as organisations try to implement more structured approaches, creating friction with employees who developed their own interpretations of what hybrid working means during the pandemic. Matthew Davis is an associate professor at the University of Leeds. He specialises in organisational and business psychology, with extensive rese...

Treating people unkindly at work isn't just a personal issue; it's a systemic problem that affects everyone's performance. The evidence shows that when people understand how behaviour impacts performance, they're more likely to change their own conduct, reducing disrespectful behaviour in the workplace. Dr Chris Turner is an emergency medicine consultant in the UK, and the cofounder of an organisa...

Kindness and productivity are not opposing forces in business. In fact, kindness can be a powerful driver of success when treated as a practical approach rather than just a nice-to-have value. Shifting from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset, and focusing on collaboration rather than competition, can transform how teams work together. Graham Allcott is an author and the founder of Think Pr...

Traditional ways of working are failing in today's complex world, with global engagement levels dropping and productivity losses reaching $438 billion. Adopting business agility – not just its tools and processes, but its mindset shifts – helps organisations move beyond outdated approaches and create more effective ways of working. Joining Dan and Pia is Natal Dank, an HR author, speaker, and cons...

Most change initiatives fail because they focus solely on technical aspects like planning, roles, and measures, while neglecting the human element – particularly the need for people to understand why changes are happening and to feel heard throughout the process. Jeffrey Wetherhold is a behavioral scientist who’s built his career around organisational change management. He transitioned from behavi...

Spiritual intelligence in leadership goes far beyond simply posting mission statements on walls - it's about cultivating fundamental qualities like purpose, gratitude, humility and presence that create genuinely harmonious and productive workplaces. Research shows that leaders who embrace these qualities build teams with higher morale, greater commitment, and even better financial results. Yosi Am...

Effective leadership remains fundamentally the same regardless of location. It's the context that changes, not the core principles. The key is to think “leadership first, location second". While the physical setting may vary, the essential aspects of human behaviour, interaction, and needs remain constant, making it crucial for leaders to maintain their foundational leadership skills while adaptin...

Most managers are unprepared for their roles, with 82% having no management training at all. Effective team leadership needs structured, accessible tools to help managers build psychological safety, connection, and engagement with their teams. Jennifer Dulski is the founder and CEO of Rising Team, a software-guided interactive learning platform for managers to develop their teams. Rising Team help...

Engagement surveys and team data are tools for understanding and supporting teams, not targets to achieve or sticks to beat people with. Simply gathering data for the sake of a good score is counterproductive and potentially disengaging. This information should be used to genuinely understand team dynamics, spot trends, and identify areas where support is needed to build authentic engagement and c...

Organisational effectiveness isn't just about making team members more productive, but properly structuring teams and understanding how they work together. Small teams with high trust can make decisions quickly and maintain better context of what they're building, while being mindful of the cognitive load placed on members. Matthew Skelton is the author of Team Topologies. He developed patterns fo...

AI technology has the potential to enhance team dynamics and human relationships… if used thoughtfully. In this episode, Dan and Pia explore how AI can help with team communication and collaboration, while raising questions about finding the right balance between AI assistance and maintaining genuine human connection. For this episode, Dan and Pia are joined by ChatGPT, using OpenAI's advanced voi...

Nearly 60% of women are worried about job losses due to AI, but only 22% are actively adopting it. This reflects a broader pattern of workplace inequality, where tech revolutions risk leaving women behind. The solution lies in leadership, embracing vulnerability and authenticity, focusing on short-term clarity, and not pretending to have all the answers. But does it also lie in Sheryl Sandberg’s “...

Effective leadership in tech means crafting a collaborative culture where growth happens through real-world challenges and strong interpersonal connections – not individual technical accomplishments. Rob Dinsmore has an extensive background in leadership and team development, particularly in technical organisations like Cisco. He built a highly regarded programme for top engineering talent, helpin...

Effective teaming requires intentional design and can’t be achieved simply by putting people together on a project. Teaming by Design emphasises the importance of embedding team effectiveness skills within the context of real work, rather than teaching it as a separate subject. This approach recognises that valuable teaming skills are often developed through practical experience and reflection, ra...

Agile isn’t just for software teams – its principles can be effectively applied to HR and other business teams, offering a pragmatic approach to improving workflow and efficiency. It goes beyond flexible working or nimble decision-making, representing a philosophy and set of principles for getting work done more effectively. Nebel Crowhurst is the Chief People Officer at Reward Gateway, and has ex...

International assignments in business require careful preparation, adaptability, and a focus on making a positive impact rather than just “making your mark”. Success in foreign assignments often comes from reinforcing and amplifying existing strengths within an organisation, rather than attempting to overhaul everything. Kevin Asher is a leader, strategist, and innovator in healthcare. He’s worked...

Employee engagement is in crisis, with staggeringly low levels of engagement across the workforce, particularly among younger employees. This lack of engagement is not only affecting workers' wellbeing, but also has significant economic impact, with an estimated $8.9 trillion lost annually in global GDP due to low engagement. This week's guest is Juliet Owen, business analyst at Squadify. Juliet h...

It’s time for a new approach to teamwork: one that minimises distractions, reduces time-blocking communication, prioritises mental health, and promotes independent and efficient work. This management style can lead to more productive teams, with fewer managers and more individual contributors, with everyone focused on their core competencies. Liam Martin is the author of a bestselling book and the...