The Occupational Philosophers - A not-so-serious business podcast to spark Creativity, Imagination and Curiosity

In this short, sharp inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers do a little bit of time travel and in the process explore:  What an abstract artwork can teach us about how we react to something out of our comfort zone  Why at times it's all too easy to jump to outrage  Why a creative shock can create long-lasting change  What the hell is Blue Poles?  Why a good philosopher will always ask...

In Episode 65, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Dr Jason Fox a wizard-philosopher masquerading as a leadership advisor. His clients include the senior leadership teams of Fortune 500 companies around the world including Microsoft, Toyota, Honda, Sony, Salesforce,  KPMG,  The International Institute of Research (not to mention: financial institutions, universities, telcos, government agencie...

In this short sharp in-betweener episode, the Occupational Philosophers explore the habits of creative door kickers and kick-arse inventors and ponder, "What can we learn from these curious cats?" As it happens, we can learn a hell of a lot such as:  How to find your flow and what works for you Why it's worth packing a pair of swimming trunks if you want a great idea  How Churchill won the war des...

Jemma Enright is a strategic and creative innovator who has an entrepreneurial spirit bigger than Mt Everest.  She takes opportunities from little beans to full Jack and the Beanstalk scenario but with a much friendlier ending with no real Giants dying in the process. She is strongly connected to the startup and innovation community, as well as the media and advertising community. She plays an act...

In this short, sharp Inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers explore ‘Generic Parts Technique’ or GPT. (Not to be confused with chat GPT)  It’s quite hard to explain in words so we think it’s best to just listen really….   FYI: The Inbetweeners episodes are just that - smaller episodes 'in between' the longer format episodes designed to give a little kickstart to enable you to be the mo...

In this short, sharp Inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers, inspired by the banning of hip-hop at Sydney’s Royal Easter Show, turn their attention to wicked problems. In this episode, they explore:  How do you solve a challenge with multiple truths?  What’s the secret sauce when every problem is different?  How can you flourish in a FUCA world....(not VUCA...!)? The importance of refr...

In Episode 60, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Julian Baggini, a philosopher, journalist and the author of over 20 books about philosophy. He is a co-founder of The Philosophers' Magazine and has written for numerous international newspapers and magazines. In addition to writing on the subject of philosophy, he has also written books on atheism, secularism and the nature of national identi...

What would you do if every time you sent an email, a bag of coal would turn up next to your desk? Would it change how you think about emails?  Would you send a few fewer emails to play your role in not crapping on the planet?  Would an ever-expanding collection of coal in your office make you think about how much energy you use? Is it time to do a personal energy audit over where and how you spend...

In this short, sharp Inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers, turn their attention to meditations, or well-known philosophical quotations which may offer some insights into how we work, play and collaborate together. In this episode,  they explore: The quotation attributed to Confucius, “If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room’ How ensuring you have diversi...

In this episode, the Occupational Philosophers (having looked down at their calendar and realised that it's the end of February) thought it may be a good time to revisit what everyone was talking about 8 weeks ago - New Year's Resolutions.  As absolute non-experts in achieving goals and being productive, they thought it may be worthwhile to throw the idea of New Year's Resolutions up in the air an...

In Episode 56, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Dr Samuel West, a licensed psychologist with a PhD in Organisational Psychology. He has explored the psychology of happiness, in particular happiness related to work. He has taught courses on positive psychology, creativity, and organizational science, and in his PhD, in organizational psychology, he focused on how workplace playfulness boosts...

In Episode 55, The Occupational Philosophers again chat with another ‘delight’ of guests, Kathy Taberner and Kirsten Siggins  Mmmm, sounds interesting. Tell me more…. Kathy and Kirsten are the Mother/Daughter Founders of the  Institute Of Curiosity and with a name like that, we just had to have them on the show!!  And a little more information about them both: Kathy Taberner: Coach, Author, Speake...

Is this even an episode? In this 5-minute conversation, (with Simon recording from a cupboard in deep, dark Suffolk - so please excuse the audio), John and Simon talk about what can happen to best-laid plans.....when designing the twelve days of Xmas.  In the spirit of experimenting quickly, they then move on and go straight to what's exciting about 2023 - which is LOADS.  We hope you enjoy the sh...

In this short, sharp festive Inbetweener episode, John and Simon offer their first tasty morsel from the ‘12 Days of Christmas’, a reflection on some of the highlights from 2022, and something to savour in between Mince Pies, Sherry, and Karaoke with Uncle Kevin…. On this first day of Christmas, they explore: The wisdom of Neil Mullarkey and insights from the world of improv How ‘Yes, and’ enables...

In this short, sharp Inbetweener episode, John and Simon explore the rise in interest of companies wishing to employ Chief Philosophy Officers (CPOs) within their organisations, signalling the beginning of a true movement in keeping with the aims of The Occupational Philosophers! Amongst other things, they explore: What is the role of a Chief Philosophy Officer? Why organisations are becoming more...

In this Inbetweeners episode, the Occupational Philosophers explore the true meaning, origin story and get really curious about some of those hackneyed, over-used corporate sayings that really need to pass away and live in the after life.  Really, what does 'circle around' mean?  What is the origin and true meaning of low-hanging fruit? How low is low fruit before it's on the ground? Who is measur...

In Episode 50, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Ian Gilbert, the founder of Independent Thinking, a unique and highly influential organisation in education across the UK.  Independent Thinking seeks to move beyond teaching and learning, into motivation, creativity and leadership, social justice, neuroscience, inclusion, the environment and well-being. He is a prolific author with many books...

In this inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers explore the problem of flying mammals that can exist in organisations, and how they can be one of the biggest innovation killers around (as well as getting stuck in your hair, making a screeching noise and leaving a big mess everywhere)  What the hell are they talking about? Well, you will just have to tune in.  The Occupational Philosophe...

In Episode 48, The Occupational Philosophers chat with a ‘delight’ of guests, Dr Barbara Doran and Rodger Watson.    Mmmm, sound interesting. Tell me more….   Barbara Doran (PhD) specialises in identifying creative opportunities that respond to complex challenges and putting them in action. She is an experienced speaker, mentor, educator, project innovator, and artist who directs her energies to b...

Do you sometimes get out of bed and wonder why you do what you do?  Maybe you're wondering about your 'why' or 'purpose'?  Are you so passionate about what you do that maybe a simple 'why' statement is just not enough?  Well most likely then, it's time to write your Manifesto!!  What's a manifesto?  According to Wikpedia, a manifesto is "A published declaration of the intentions, motives, or views...

In Episode 41, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Dr Vanessa Marcié, an expert on Humour and Leadership, who is the founder and CEO of Leading With Humour , an innovative consulting firm that helps executives to harness the power of humour in their change management strategies. She is a two times TEDx speaker and guest speaker at several top business schools and universities: Cambridge Judge...

In this short, sharp Inbetweener episode, John reflects more on his recent trip to the far-flung reaches of the UK, including Shetland and Orkney Islands. Here he discovered evidence of creativity, imagination, and play amongst the well-preserved Neolithic remains of family life some 5,000 years ago. Amongst other things, the Occupational Philosophers explore: What did Neolithic men and women do w...

In this short, sharp Inbetweener episode, John reflects more on his recent Edinburgh Fringe Festival experience where he saw many performers showcasing a ‘Work in Progress’... something not quite finished, something which needs feedback, and where the expectation from the audience is different than if they were performing a completed set or show. Amongst other things, they explore: How does a ‘Wor...

In episode 43, The Occupational Philosophers explore the life, times, and creative inspiration one of the most enigmatic, admired, and misunderstood artists of all time (possibly but not backed up with quantitative evidence), Vincent Van Gogh.  Mr Van Gogh is maybe the originator of two false myths about art and artists:  Artists don't get famous until you die  All artists are a bit mad  In a repe...

In this short, sharp Inbetweener episode, John reflects more on his recent Wilderness Festival experience as he and Simon ask the question: What can a corporate conference learn from a kick-ass festival experience? (And it's quite a lot as it happens....)  Amongst other things, they explore:  How to create an environment where it's OK to fail at new things (and it's actively encouraged)  Why it's...