People Soup

Most of us have a way of managing our time. A diary. A calendar. A to-do list. But how often do we give the same attention to our energy? In this Quick Spoon , chartered coaching psychologist Dr Rose Aghdami shares a simple but powerful idea: if we think of energy as a limited resource, perhaps it deserves managing just as carefully as our time. This Quick Spoon is taken from my full conversation...

Sometimes the signs that we're running low on resilience aren't dramatic. We're still turning up. Still getting through the to-do list. Still appearing to cope. But underneath, something feels different. In this Quick Spoon , chartered coaching psychologist Dr Rose Aghdami shares some of the subtle warning signs that we might be running on empty, and invites us to ask a simple but powerful questio...

Sometimes the questions that shape our careers don't come from research papers or textbooks. They come from the people we meet. In this Quick Spoon , chartered coaching psychologist Dr Rose Aghdami shares the client conversation that transformed the direction of her work. After hearing a client ask, "So you mean work can make you ill?" , Rose found herself asking another question: If work can cont...

What does resilience really mean? For many of us, the word has become associated with pushing through, staying strong and simply carrying on, whatever life throws at us. In this Quick Spoon , chartered coaching psychologist Dr Rose Aghdami offers a different perspective. Rather than seeing resilience as suppressing difficult emotions, Rose suggests that resilience starts with acknowledging them. F...

What does resilience really mean? For many people, the word has become associated with simply pushing through, coping no matter what, or carrying on regardless. But what if resilience isn't about becoming tougher at all? In this episode I'm joined by chartered coaching psychologist Dr Rose Aghdami , author of How to FUEL Your Resilience . Together we explore why resilience has developed such a mix...

We often assume that if we're not taking action, the problem must be motivation. But what if there's more to it than that? In this Quick Spoon , Ross reflects on a practical framework shared by organisational psychologist Dr Joe Gray, based on the work of Professor Sharon Parker. Before judging ourselves for not following through, Joe suggests asking three simple questions: Can I do it? Do I have...

What does it really mean to be proactive? In this Quick Spoon , Ross reflects on a key insight from his conversation with business psychologist and author, Dr Joanne Gray. Many organisations say they want proactive employees, but we often confuse proactivity with simply being helpful or saying yes to every request. Jo explains that real proactivity is different. It's about spotting opportunities t...

Sometimes the people closest to us can see things we've become blind to. In this Quick Spoon , Ross reflects on a powerful moment from his conversation with organisational psychologist Dr Joanne Gray. After years in a demanding corporate role, Joe made the decision to leave. When she shared the news with her Dad, his response was immediate: "Thank God for that." Those four words revealed something...

What happens when your body starts telling you something you don't want to hear? In this Quick Spoon , Ross reflects on a moment from his conversation with business psychologist, consultant and author, Dr Joe Gray. While working in a demanding corporate role, Jo began experiencing a persistent "flicky eye". What seemed like a minor irritation turned out to be a sign that something deeper was going...

What happens when success no longer feels quite right? In this episode of People Soup , Ross speaks with organisational psychologist, consultant and author Dr Joanne Gray. Joe shares the story of a major career transition that took her from a senior corporate leadership role into the world of business psychology and consulting. Along the way, she reflects on the warning signs she experienced, the...

Pressure has a way of revealing patterns we'd rather not see. Defensiveness. Control. Avoidance. Reactivity. But these experiences aren't signs that we've failed. They're opportunities to notice what's driving our behaviour. In this Quick Spoon , Ross explores one of the central ideas behind psychological flexibility: once we notice what's running us, we create the possibility of choosing differen...

Starting a new role, joining a new team or entering a different culture can be unsettling. The expectations feel different. The responses you receive aren't what you expected. And sometimes, without realising it, you start holding back. In this Quick Spoon , Ross explores a common misunderstanding about adaptability. It's not about becoming smaller or suppressing what matters to you. It's about fi...

Avoidance Rarely Feels Like Avoidance Most workplace avoidance isn't dramatic. It's the difficult conversation that gets pushed into next week. And then the week after. In this Quick Spoon , Ross explores one of the most common patterns he sees in leadership and the workplace: avoiding discomfort while convincing ourselves we're waiting for the right moment, more information or greater certainty....

Success doesn't always feel like success. In this Quick Spoon , Ross reflects on a coaching conversation with someone who appeared to have everything going for them: successful, respected and on track for a remarkable career. Yet something wasn't right. As they explored what mattered most, a powerful pattern emerged. Many of their decisions weren't moving them towards what they valued. Instead, th...

You can't lead beyond what you notice and awareness often begins with a metaphorical itch. A feeling that something isn't quite right. Something isn't fitting. Something needs attention. In this Quick Spoon , Ross reflects on a question that changed what he started paying attention to and explores why awareness can be uncomfortable, but essential for growth and leadership. Reflection Question - Wh...

We're encouraged to be quick, responsive and always on. But what happens when urgency becomes identity, reaction becomes leadership and speed becomes a virtue? In this Quick Spoon, Ross reflects on why he believes the pause is becoming an unfashionable leadership skill—and why that might be a problem. Discover why the pause sits at the heart of Ross's leadership framework and a simple practice to...

Why do good people do things they later regret? It's a question that's fascinated me for years. Before I became a coach, studied organisational psychology, or discovered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), I spent years in HR leadership. One of my roles was leading the Conduct and Discipline Team in a large government department in the UK Civil Service. In that job I became increasingly curio...

In this Quick Spoon , Ross explores the fourth skill in the McIntosh Leadership Framework: Adaptability . Inspired by a candid reflection from Gabriella Braun , this episode explores what happens when leadership becomes uncertain, messy, political, and deeply human. So many leadership books promise certainty, control, and easy answers. But real leadership often starts feeling difficult at exactly...

In this Quick Spoon , Ross explores the third skill in the McIntosh Leadership Framework: Authentic Action . Inspired by a powerful insight from Gabriella Braun , this episode looks at the tension leaders face between acting from fear… or acting from what matters most. Gabriella describes how every workplace contains both constructive and destructive forces — and how leadership often involves help...

In this Quick Spoon , Ross explores the second skill in the McIntosh Leadership Framework: Awareness . Inspired by a reflection from Gabriella Braun , this episode looks at the leadership power of noticing what’s happening beneath the surface — in ourselves, in teams, and in the wider system around us. So often, leaders feel pressure to speak quickly, solve problems, and drive action. But what if...

In this Quick Spoon , Ross explores the first skill in the McIntosh Leadership Framework: Pause . Inspired by a powerful reflection from Gabriella Braun, this episode looks at those moments when our reactions feel immediate, emotional, and difficult to control. Why does one comment roll off our backs… while another lingers all day? And what might change if, instead of reacting automatically, we pa...

Every workplace seems to have one. The difficult colleague. The challenging client. The person who pushes your buttons before they’ve even opened their mouth. In this Quick Spoon from my conversation with Dr Eric Goodman, we explore a different way of responding to difficult people at work. Not by excusing behaviour. Not by pretending it’s easy. But by asking a different question: What if compassi...

In this episode of People Soup , Ross is joined by consultant, psychoanalytic thinker, and author Gabriella Braun for a deeply human conversation about why work can feel so personal. Drawing on her remarkable book All That We Are , Gabriella explores what really happens beneath the surface in teams, organisations, and leadership. Together, Ross and Gabriella explore: Why we can’t simply “leave our...

What do you do when anxiety shows up… right when something matters? A networking event. A room full of strangers. A voice in your head saying: “Your Spanish isn’t good enough.” In this Quick Spoon , I share a very real moment from a networking event for psychologists in Seville—where social anxiety showed up… and so did the urge to run. But instead of waiting to feel confident… I tried something s...

What do you do in those moments when emotions are running high? An awkward conversation. A difficult email. A family disagreement. A colleague who’s pushing your buttons. In this Quick Spoon from my conversation with Dr Eric Goodman, we explore one simple question that can create a little more space… and a little more choice: “If I was at my absolute best right now… what would I want to do?” Not…...