The question is

In this shorter-than-usual episode of the podcast, Paul heads back to one of our early podcasts (no 84) that looked at the well-known RACI model.  This model helps people understand the different roles in decision-making and task allocation. Paul thinks the Consulted and Informed roles, and how sometimes the Accountable person has to manage the emotions and expectations of these groups, so that th...

Why do so many sales conversations grind to a halt… even when both sides want the same outcome? If you've ever found yourself stuck arguing over the detail — pricing, features, process, targets — this episode explains   what's really going wrong   and how to fix it. In complex B2B sales, disagreements rarely happen because people want different things. They happen because the conversation has drop...

In this short podcast, Graham revisits one of our old podcasts on change.  When change at work happens it can create an emotional responce, especially when the change is done to us, not by us. Graham looks back on a podcast from May 2023 that explores the different ways that we react to change, asking how much do we, as leaders, really understand the people around us, and take that into account wh...

Why do sales conversations so often end up stuck on price? Because the moment your product becomes the centre of the conversation, comparison is inevitable — and value gets lost. In this episode, we explore   value-led selling   and why buyers don't want products — they want   confidence in outcomes . We unpack: Why focusing on your solution pushes buyers into risk mode How complex buying decision...

Another look back into our podcast library, Richard heads back to when we asked the question, How can I improve my confidence.   Richard explores how our confidence changes over time, especially when working on something big or important to us, and that can lead to confidence wobbles, yet with a small amount of planning ahead of time, we can handle these low points and power through to achieve our...

Ever had a deal that felt " done"…  only for someone to appear out of nowhere and derail it?   In this episode, Richard and Ricky explore one of the most common — and costly — mistakes in complex sales:   assuming one strong champion is enough . Having a supporter  doesn't  mean  you've  sold the deal. It often means  you've  only sold   part of the story .   We break down the   four buyer types i...

In this short episode of The Question Is, Ricky delves back into the library to revisit one of his favourite episodes, which also happens to be one of our most-played ever. There are lots of slightly different versions of the meanings of the five areas in SMART goals, but the one that comes up most often with the people we work with is the 'R': Realistic (can you do it) or Relevant (should you do...

In this last podcast in our series on common thinking errors, Richard and Graham look at how we assign labels to ourselves and to others and then act as if these made-up labels are true. While labels can help us to understand the world by generalising things into simple to understand categories, often we assign labels about our abilities, experiences, identity and personality that are more of a re...

We have a habit of only seeing the evidence that supports our view of the world.  When stuff happens we can focus on the bits that help us to confirm what we already believe, regardless of how much the evidence is stacked against us.  When this perspective collides with unhelpful beliefs or negative self-image, then we start to Discount The Positives, another common thinking error that many of us...

As we continue to explore the common thinking errors, the little trip-ups in the way that we think, our episode this time explores Personalisation.  Personalisation happens when we blame ourselves for things that are really outside our control.  We did not plan this episode for our Christmas one, but what a lucky coincidence, as you may experience a little of this over the next few days, so it mig...

One of the common thinking errors we encounter revolves around 'should' and 'must' statements that we say to ourselves, creating high demands on how the world needs to be, when the world has not agreed to our demands. Often, we don't need to operate anywhere near that level to be successful. If you carry around the invisible rule book of your own standards, ticking off each day where you fail to l...

As we continue our series of podcasts on common thinking errors, in this podcast, Ricky and Richard make up stuff.  Well, to be honest, I just made that up because this is a great podcast and I was not part of it!  This is emotional reasoning, and if you listen to this podcast, they will introduce you to this common thinking error that we can all make from time to time. Emotional Reasoning is wher...

As we continue our series on common Thinking Errors, this episode considers the way that sometimes we jump to conclusions with minimal evidence and no facts. Ricky and Paul explore the different ways we see this playing out, taking examples from sport where commentators take stats from 20 years ago to tell us who is going to win, without anyone pointing out that there are very few sportspeople who...

If you have ever had one bad thing happen, and suddenly cannot remember everything good that happened before, then this podcast is for you.  In this episode, Graham asks Paul about he common thinking error, Mental Filtering.    Our brains are designed to sort through all of the information presented to us quickly and then focus on the areas that present danger or risk.  It is doing its primary job...

In our series on thinking errors, this podcast explores catastrophising, with Richard and Graham sharing their own personal experience of this cognitive trick our mind can play, as well as examining why it happens and how to deal with it. If you have ever turned a paper cut into a medical emergency, or a problem at work starts to feel like the first step toward unemployability, then this podcast w...

Now, I don't know about you, but based just on the first 30 seconds of this podcast, this is going to be the best podcast you have ever heard...   As we continue our series on Thinking Errors, this episode explores overgeneralisation.  Richard talks Ricky through the risks associated with over-generalising, making broad-brush connections about events, people and situations based on the specifics o...

Over the next few months, we will be running a new mini-series within 'The Question Is...' that explores the most common Thinking Errors.  Thinking Errors are cognitive distortions that alter our thinking, distorting the way we see the world and can impact performance and mood. In this first episode, Ricky talks to Paul about 'All-or-Nothing' thinking.  This way of seeing situations as simple, Bla...

Wouldn't it be nice if change just happened, all at once, and then things went back to being stable for a while?  The reality is that change in the workplace is rarely a simple one-off event, more often change is delivered in waves, often iterated to allow the change to best reflect the environment. It is easy to imagine the worst when change happens, assuming job losses, less rewards and more wor...

When we change how we work, however much planning and training we put in place up front, we still need to allow a period when things will get worse before they get better.  We may need time to adapt to new processes, systems, or unlearn old ways of doing things. Who wants to get worse at their job?  Instead of embracing the discomfort of change, most of us cling to the old ways we understand, hopi...

In this episode of The Question, Ricky and Graham continue from episode 147, exploring the impact of constant change on teams. The modern world of work is one of constant evolution, which, for some, can be a great opportunity.  Still, for many, it feels relentless, risking creating change fatigue in the people you rely on to make the change work. Change is a mixture of practical and people outcome...

Sometimes, it feels like the workplace has become a place of constant change, with technology, economics and societal changes driving the need for teams to adapt how they work to meet changing needs constantly.  Leaders who can help their teams embrace new ideas and working practices can drive the performance of their teams while at the same time protecting those they work with from the stress we...

In this podcast, Richard and Ricky explore some practical things you can do to build the culture in your organisation. Org Culture is a big topic, and often you can get lost in the plethora of models and ideas.  Culture feels big and something the most senior people have to take action on.  Yet there are some simple, practical steps that any of us can take to improve the culture, even if it is jus...

What can I do to build rapport quickly? Rapport is a key skill when building relationships, when influencing others, and when collaborating, in fact, any time you want or need to engage with someone.  Ricky asks our resident psychologist, Paul, about practical ways to instantly build rapport. Together, they explore crucial elements to make rapport-building easy and impactful and get your connectio...

We like to think that all the teams in our organisation are aligned, collaborating effectively, and working in harmony. In an ideal world, all of our teams' passion and energy would be combined against the external world, beating competitors and solving problems that get in the way. In reality, under pressure, we often turn on the groups closest to us.  Not because they are the problem but because...

When different opinions appear in the decision, the easy answer is to push the decision up. Let the boss decide. There are two issues with this strategy.  Firstly, while the boss will probably engage with the process, they will also hate it.  They have enough to do without having to make decisions for warring teams. Plus, it never reflects well on those asking.  The bigger issue is when the team i...