The Waggle Room

Episode Overview Mick sits down with Ed Pike — behaviouralist, applied scientist, and founder of Irrational Change — for a sharp, unfiltered conversation about why humans are predictably irrational at work, and what that means for leaders, change agents, and organisations trying to actually get things done. Drawing on 30 years inside large corporates, Ed makes a compelling case that safety — not p...

Ellen Kay, Founder of Neuro8, joins Mick for a remarkable conversation that spans thought-controlled drones, neuroscience, defence trials, and the inner workings of human performance. From a Special Forces Defence Expo coffee conversation to a live US military trial flying drones by thought alone, Ellen reveals why lasting change — in people and organisations — is always an inside job. ## Key Topi...

## Episode Overview Mick is joined by Philip Atkinson — founder of Hive-Logic, executive coach, beekeeper, and author of BeeWise: 12 Leadership Lessons from a Busy Hive . Together they explore what bees can teach us about communication, continuous learning, team design, and the underrated art of ending things well. This is one episode where no bee metaphor needs forcing — it's baked in from the st...

Susie Palmer-Trew, founder of Everyday Change and author of 'The Everyday Change Playbook (because change doesn't need to be shit)', joins Mick for a refreshing conversation about making change work for real humans. From her background as a student union president to building a business that champions everyday change over transformation theatre, Susie brings a grounded, no-nonsense perspective to...

Mark 'Moose' McGrath has dedicated his career to preserving and building upon John Boyd's authentic work, rescuing it from the simplified 'circle diagrams' pushed by those who may not know it's true meaning. In this episode, we explore the real depth of Boyd's thinking, from Destruction and Creation to the OODA 'loop' sketch, and how it applies to modern challenges including AI adoption. ## Key To...

Steve Hearsum joins Mick to explore why organisations and leaders repeatedly reach for silver bullet solutions, despite knowing they don't work. Steve unpacks the powerful forces of shame, anxiety, and what he calls 'functional collusion' that drive our collective search for certainty in an uncertain world. This conversation reveals the uncomfortable truths about why change fails and what practice...

Former Navy captain and fighter pilot Brian 'Ponch' Rivera delves deep into John Boyd's OODA loop, revealing how it connects to complex adaptive systems, the free energy principle, and organisational performance. From the archives of Boyd's work to practical applications in modern teams, Ponch shares insights on flow states, AI's limitations, and why most consultancies miss the true power of distr...

Nick De Voil brings a unique perspective to business analysis, combining his background in Russian, computer science, and human-centred design. This conversation explores the hidden communication channels in organisations - what Nick calls the 'service tunnels' alongside the main channels. We discuss why consensus is often an illusion, the power of metaphor in understanding complex systems, and wh...

Neuroscientist Dr Delia McCabe challenges the pseudoscience plaguing organisations and reveals the real impact of nutrition, technology, and stress on our brains. From the developing brain's vulnerability to social media to why leaders overlook the most basic question about their teams' cognitive capacity, this episode is a wake-up call. Delia explains modern burnout beyond work-related stress and...

Mike Jones, Strategic Advisor at LBI Consulting and host of Strategy Meets Reality, challenges the conventional approach to strategy. From his military background to studying cognitive psychology, Mike reveals why most organisational strategies fail and how leaders can adopt a continuous, adaptive approach to strategic thinking. This conversation explores the gap between strategy documents and str...

Erika Clegg, founder of Larkenby and author of 'Junk Values', challenges the corporate values industry with refreshing honesty. Drawing from her background running a brand consultancy, Erika argues that 99.5% of values work is performative nonsense that actually damages trust rather than building it. ## Key Topics - Why values workshops and Post-it note exercises miss the point entirely - The thre...

Mick sits down with Marcus Dimbleby, founder of Effective Direction, to explore the shocking reality of workforce disengagement and what leaders can do about it. With UK engagement at just 10% globally, Marcus reveals why traditional approaches are failing and how critical thinking can transform organisations. ## Key Topics - UK workforce engagement sits at just 10% - the lowest globally - Why pro...

In this episode, Tricia Kennedy, co-author of 'Changed Myths', explores why outdated change models persist and how we can apply critical thinking to organisational change. From debunking the change curve to questioning ADKAR, Tricia advocates for attacking ideas rather than people whilst maintaining intellectual honesty in our practice. ## Key Topics - Why change myths become embedded as 'sacred c...

Nigel Thurlow brings decades of experience from Toyota, complexity thinking, and organisational transformation to a conversation that challenges how we think about leadership, tools, and the future of work. From the Toyota Production System to the dangers of abdicating decision-making to AI, Nigel unpacks why most organisational change fails—and what leaders are missing. ## Key Topics - Why Toyota...

Dr Carrie Goucher joins Mick to explore why meetings haven't improved in 50 years—and what we're getting fundamentally wrong. Drawing on her PhD in systems thinking and meeting culture and 25 years helping organisations shift from industrial-era hierarchies to faster, more agile ways of working, Carrie unpacks the hidden systems driving meeting dysfunction, from collabureaucracy to the parent-chil...

Former commando engineer Chris Marren joins Mick to explore how military principles translate into modern leadership. From mission command and patrol lanes to the importance of specific timings and clear communication, Chris shares practical frameworks for creating clarity in complex environments. The conversation moves through the power of observation over feedback, the lost art of sensing freque...

We pour billions into training, change programmes, and leadership frameworks. Most of it doesn't stick. In this episode, Mick Brian sits down with Paul Gibbons — CAIO Advisor, author, keynote speaker, and one of the sharpest critical thinkers in organisational change and AI — to ask why. Paul has spent 30 years challenging the comfortable stories organisations tell themselves. The ones that oversi...

The Waggle Room podcast explores the concept of finding signals in work, organizations, and personal life, inspired by the waggle dance of bees. Mark Green, founder of Change Rebellion, shares his insights on change management, humour, and the industry. The conversation delves into the challenges of change management, the need for empathy and critical thinking, and the limitations of traditional m...

Dave Snowden on Cynefin, Chaos, Swarm Intelligence and the Signals We’re Missing What if confusion isn’t failure — but the starting point? In this episode of The Waggle Room, I’m joined by Dave Snowden , creator of the Cynefin framework , to explore how we actually make decisions in uncertainty. We dive into: Why “fire the sycophants, promote the cynics” is more than a throwaway line Why chaos is...

The next guest on The Waggle Room is Daniel Hulme — and having someone of this calibre on the podcast still feels a bit mind-blowing to me. Daniel is CEO of Satalia, Chief AI Officer at WPP, a founder of Faculty AI, and Founder & CEO of Conscium, focused on understanding machine consciousness. The conversation delves into the intersection of AI and human decision making, exploring the value of...

SummaryIn this conversation, Paul Sweeney discusses his book 'Magnetic Nonsense' and explores the pervasive issues of critical thinking, organizational culture, and the impact of power dynamics in leadership. He emphasizes the importance of autonomy and critical thinking in organizations, critiques the illusion of control in planning, and examines the role of AI in modern workplaces. Sweeney also...

In the latest episode of The Waggle Room podcast, host Mick engages with Mark Proctor, a leadership expert with a unique perspective on what leadership truly means. Their conversation dives deep into the essence of leadership, the often-overlooked concept of followership, and how personal experiences shape our understanding of these crucial roles. **The Journey into Leadership** Mark Proctor begin...