Tech World Human Skills

A tough job market rewards the people who can say, in one sentence, why they, and not the other thousand applicants, should get the role.   This episode turns into a live coaching session. Dr. Kyle Elliott, a tech career and executive coach, walks Ben through the exercise he uses with senior leaders across Silicon Valley: gathering feedback from people who knew you as a child and people who k...

This episode is the second of two conversations with Ron Whitson, and it picks up where part one left off. Ron returns to walk through the remaining four of his seven timeless behaviors for presales and solutions consulting professionals: show empathy, have a conversation, practice humility, and tell a story. Each behavior sounds intuitive on paper. Ron's job, and he does it well, is to show exact...

Most technical professionals can fill a presentation with content. The harder problem is deciding what belongs, what order it goes in, and how to stop the audience forgetting everything before they walk out the door. In this solo episode, Ben unpacks two frameworks he comes back to every time he coaches someone through a high-stakes presentation. One is AOREN, a five-question template that acts as...

This episode looks at why career growth in technology rarely happens by accident, and what people working in tech can actually do to take control of their own progression.   Ben sits down with Jeremy Burns, VP of Platform Engineering at Hawke and author of Earn More Move Up, to dig into the mechanics that decide who gets promoted, who gets paid more, and who quietly stalls. The conversation c...

Buyers in a serious software evaluation sit through between eight and thirteen vendor demos, and most of them blur into the same slick performance, so the sales engineer who actually gets remembered is the one who shows up as a real human. This episode digs into the three timeless behaviours that Ron Whitson has spent twenty-eight years in pre-sales learning the hard way: be authentic, listen acti...

Stories are like mustard on a ham sandwich. A little lifts everything. An inch thick and you lose the room.   Tim Chinchen has spent 30 years in technology, half of that leading pre-sales teams. In this episode he walks through the storytelling habits that move deals and the ones that sink them. Why some cultures expect you to share your life before you share your ask. Why breaking a client's...

How to get better results from your technical team is one of the most searched questions in tech leadership. And the answer is almost never about hiring better people. It is about how you assign work, how you give feedback, and how much oversight you are actually running. In episode 78 of the Tech World Human Skills podcast, Ben Caird joins Ben Pearce for the third episode in a mini-series on lead...

Most technical people get promoted because they're the best at the job. Then they spend the next 18 months quietly struggling. Nobody told them it is a completely different job. Malcolm Murphy has spent his career in technical pre-sales, leading solutions consultant teams across major vendor organisations. His view is blunt: the skills that got you promoted will actively hold you back as a manager...

In this episode, Ben Pearce and Panos Malakoudis discuss the evolving landscape of leadership in the age of AI. They explore the five essential human competencies that modern leaders need: Insight, Integration, Inspiration, Integrity, and Impact.   Panos Malakoudis runs his own company - Citium Solutions.  He spent many years leading Consultancy and Engineering teams at Microsoft. ...

In this episode Ben Pearce and Nic Neate discuss what it's really like to build and be part of an AI native engineering team.  Nic shares his experiences and insights on how AI is fundamentally changing the way software is developed, the skills required for engineers in this new landscape, and the challenges organizations face in adapting to these changes.    Nic Neate is the CTO of...

In this episode of the Tech World Human Skills Podcast, Ben Pearce and Richard Baker discuss the critical topic of managing major incidents in the tech industry. They explore the importance of preparation, communication, and the human element in crisis management. Richard shares real-life experiences and insights on how to effectively lead teams through high-pressure situations.   Richard Bak...

  Leading through change isn't about sending a broadcast email and hoping for the best. In this episode, Ben Caird breaks down why most change initiatives fail and shares the ADKAR framework that actually gets teams moving in the same direction.   Ben Caird is a seasoned professional leader.  He's led teams of all sizes in a variety of tech companies and has years of experience. &nb...

In this episode we delve into the concept of value engineering and explore its significance in the tech industry. Paul explains the importance of understanding both the technology and the business needs of customers.  We cover how to effectively bridge the gap between technical solutions and financial outcomes.   Paul Harris has worked in technical pre-sales for many years.  He is t...

In this episode we talk about ADHD in tech.  We explore what ADHD is, how it shows up in the tech workplace, and provides practical tips for both neurotypical and neurodivergent people to work effectively together.   Our guest Sam Bramwell has been a CEO, Chief of Staff at Microsoft UK and now leads a coaching program for leaders with ADHD.   Show Links Ben Pearce LinkedIn -  h...

In this episode we're asking the question "Will AI eat consultancy jobs?".  There are so many people using their skills to help businesses deploy the latest tech.  So what's the future look like for them.   Steve Chan is the founder of a new company Stealth Labs. He's worked in Digital Intelligence at BAE and been an AI solutions engineer at Microsoft.    Show Links Ben Pe...

In this episode we talk about leadership core skills.  Specifically building trust.  How do you build trust with a team?  We talk through the 5 Ways of Being that help you build trust with a team.   Ben Caird is a seasoned professional leader.  He's led teams of all sizes in a variety of tech companies and has years of experience.   Show Links Ben Pearce LinkedIn -&nb...

In this episode we're talking about being a CTO. People listening might have CTO career aspirations. A lot might report into a CTO, and others might be selling to CTO's. So we talk to David about all things CTO. David Crawford has spent many years as a CTO. He's also been a CTO advisor and non-executive director. He often hosts London Tech Leader panels, and also hosts the "CTO Lens" podcast. Show...

In this episode of the Tech World Human Skills Podcast, Ben Pearce and John Coyle explore the concept of becoming more memorable and the science behind how to do it. John shares insights from his experiences as an Olympic athlete and how understanding the nature of time can enhance our lives.   John is an Olympic silver medallist, best-selling author,  keynote speaker and expert in Chron...

In this episode of the Tech World Human Skills Podcast,  Ben Pearce speak to Felicity Nyan, a Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft.  She shares her journey from being a hesitant public speaker to successfully presenting at SQLBits, one of the largest data conferences in the UK. Felicity discusses why she wanted to  speak at a conference, the challenges she faced, and the valuable l...

In this episode of the Tech World Human Skills podcast, Ben Pearce speaks with Radhika Dutt, a product leader and author of 'Radical Product Thinking.' They discuss the limitations of traditional goal setting and the negative impact of performance metrics on collaboration and motivation. Radhika introduces a new approach.   Show Links Ben Pearce LinkedIn -   https://www.linkedin.com/in/b...

In this episode of the Tech World Human Skills podcast, Ben Pearce and guest Liping Huang discuss the importance of technical folks building rapport and relationships with customers. We chat through practical tips for establishing strong connections, the significance of empathy, effective communication, and that technical skills alone are not enough.   Liping Huang has huge experience working...

In this episode of the Tech World Human Skills Podcast Ben Pearce and Renuka Jhalli discuss the importance of speaking at events, and how to get chosen as a speaker. Renuka shares insights from working with high-profile speakers and offers tips for delivering engaging sessions.   Renuka is  a Senior Content Manager for Tech Show London.  She has produced shows for years and has some...

In this episode, we chat through the challenges and dynamics of building high-performance teams in the tech industry. . Sean shares insights on individual coping strategies, the importance of emotional intelligence, and the necessity of strong relationships within teams. Sean O'Shea is the founder of Craft Your Culture.  He's spent years in the tech industry and now helps organisations build...

In this episode we discuss the reasons behind the failure of digital projects.  James shares his insights from his extensive experience in the NHS and emphasizes the root causes of success and failure. James Freed is the Deputy Director of NHS Digital Academy.  The team he leads exists to help as many health and care teams as possible deliver more value tomorrow than they did today.&nbsp...

In this episode we're talking about the challenge of turning the things you've learnt, into things you actually do.  Moving from  theory, to applied changes in behaviour.  Tim Chinchen is Senior Director of Solutions Consulting at Pager Duty.  He's a seasoned pro in the tech world and shares his experience with us. Show Links Ben Pearce LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/be...