The Culture Builders

We wholly support the increased focus on personal, team and organisational wellbeing. Supporting individuals to work and live their lives in ways that deposit into their personal bank account (keeping them in the ‘black’ in our terms) creates cultures that sustainably achieve business targets, are amazing places to work and attract the best talent. But it’s also a confusing area – what is and isn’...

Rapid international growth is a major challenge for many young organisations. Aside from the inevitable logistics, one of the most frequent issues (or indeed opportunities) is the cultural differences that are encountered as companies move into new markets and territories. This has been the case for DAZN – the first OTT live sports broadcaster – as it seeks to rapidly build a global brand from a U...

Passion today, passion tomorrow, energy from people – Jane Sparrow shares the three questions she encourages the leaders and teams to consider when they are facing long-term challenges and change. During these times it’s easy for things to grind us down, to lose sight of the positives and to be drained by the tasks at hand. In this short podcast Jane gives some practical tips on fuelling your ‘Ban...

For this episode Jane is joined by Steve Thorn, Executive Director, Digital at Civica. We’ve been wanting to feature him on a podcast for some time – he’s long been a source of inspiration for us and his experience and approach to his career is something we are always keen to share. Steve has the most amazing tips and stories on leadership – from the names and roles of 272 people aboard a Royal Na...

The struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle alongside the ever growing demands of our jobs is real and common. Following some recent conversations with clients on this challenge, we asked our colleague Owen Cook to sit down with Beccy Matthews - the head of our physiological faculty - to discuss the links and impact between our physical health and our overall performance. Beccy draws on her 15 ye...

Listening in on a colleague delivering a webinar on mindfulness was the inspiration and motivation I needed to do something that’s been on my list for some time. Like most people, I’m guilty of doing far too much and paying way too little attention to the things that absolutely need my focus. Pausing isn’t easy in an always-on ever-demanding world. But, at 4am, I found the time and the peace to tr...

The phrase ‘work-life-balance’ has become clichéd and now seen as a negative term by many. The idea of balance is a challenging one to many of us, who face multiple draws on our time and have little spare capacity to do the things that are personally important. In this Burst Jane shares her view on how we should be looking at our lives – understanding and integrating what’s important, rather than...

The ‘theatre’ of surgery is one that fascinates us all. It’s seen as a place of drama, tension and crisis. However, taking a deeper dive into this complex world, this episode features Simon Watts – ENT Consultant and facial plastic surgeon – who talks in detail about how the medical profession has, over the last ten years, made some small but highly significant changes to the way they communicate,...

In this burst episode we are joined by the Head of Technology & Delivery at Dabbl Invest, a company that, in their own words, is ‘democratising investing’. They have a unique perspective on the investment world, as they seek to engage and include a new generation of investors. What’s becoming evident is that, with a higher awareness and expectation on a company’s ethical and sustainable position,...

Grace Hannah – Director of People for Communicorp UK – joins us down the line to talk about the cultural journey that her company has been on since she joined in 2014. In this Deep Dive she talks about the importance of teams living the company’s values – through daily activity, development and performance. Her experience of alignment at the most senior level is testament to the fact that culture...

With the season of giving fast approaching, many of us are in search of something to give. Often this is a fraught process, as we try and choose something we think ‘they will really want’. Jane Sparrow has a novel and simple idea, and perhaps one that more people than we realise would appreciate and actually need. The gift of time. Time to listen, to interact and to be present. Looking for somethi...

We are joined on this episode by Ian Chambers – CEO of Mind Candy. His organisation is focusing on how to use devices to help children get a better night’s sleep – an area of growing concern, punctuated by an increasing reliance globally on drugs to help combat sleep issues in young people. Sleep is a cornerstone of health (and something the Bank of Me emphasises as critical for high performance),...

In this Bank of Me burst, Owen Cook talks about his own experiment in paying forward kindness - bringing some unexpected joy to airline crew and helping create a better experience of flight for everyone. As he explains, it isn't easy... But the rewards are worthwhile. He also highlights that, whether we like it or not, way pay forward far more than we realise - good and bad.

Education is often accused of being ‘behind the times’ in comparison to the commercial world. However, when it comes to recruitment, there is a great deal that business could learn from academia in terms of the care and consideration placed on hiring senior roles.  This Bank of Me podcast features Edward Clark – Executive Director, LSC Education. He shares his unique perspective on how schools suc...

There can be very few people listening that do not know who the Red Arrows are - the world's foremost aerial acrobatic display team. Their in-air shows a breathtaking and seen by millions throughout the world. However, the story of what makes them such high performers is just as enthralling. This deep-dive podcast features an in-depth interview with Andy Morton - Head of Communications for the Red...

We had the opportunity to spend some time with Pam August, Director, Culture Activaiton, for WestJet. It's a brand that, from day one 22 years ago, has done things differently. They don't have passengers they have guests, they aim to Create A Remarkable Experience (CARE) and they are an organisation full of investors.  The figures for aviation are startling - more than 95 percent of carriers go ou...

Google's latest email update has added quick messages for response. A great tool to burn through your email inbox, but a terrible one when it comes to showing how you value someone. Appreciation is not an art, it's a habit that requires effort and thought. In this podcast Chris Preston shares two short stories of appreciation and gives tips on how to ensure your own approach to it is working.

Jane Sparrow asks Darren Childs how he manages and builds his own energy to ensure he is match fit to take on the challenges of the CEO role - exploring the need to plan for the long term and recognise that the most challenging roles often come when our energy starts to dip.

Jane Sparrow talks to Darren Childs about the amazing journey that UKTV has been on over the last seven years - going from niche broadcaster to an audience bigger than Channel 5. Darren talks candidly about the journey they have been on, the ups and downs and the key factors that helped to get UKTV into the Times Top 100 Companies to work for. The first broadcaster in the UK to ever do this.