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How can organisations best engage their people? How do you create connections between colleagues, motivation behind a shared purpose, and a sense of belonging? And how do you equip and motivate people to take the positive actions that help them and their organisation to flourish?
Join host Acteon's Sarah Abramson on the Speak to the Human podcast, as she speaks with leaders, creatives and researchers, exploring how they've created meaningful engagement and connection for people in their work.
Acteon is a communication and learning agency, harnessing behavioural insights to help organisations connect with their people and deliver positive change.
19 Episodes
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How do you help people navigate change at work? The success of any change – large or small – comes down to what people feel, think and do. So, understanding and responding to those human needs and voices is indispensable. In this episode, our host Sarah Abramson talks to Charlotte Bolton, a learning, development and culture consultant and coach, about the human side of transformative change. Charlotte shares insights from her experience leading global L&D initiatives and supporting organi...
Why does the drive for productivity so often miss the point? The relentless focus on rules, compliance and systems risks a disconnect from the experience of real people. In this episode, Sarah is joined by Christine Armstrong of Armstrong and Partners. Christine works with business leaders to help them understand trends in the world of work, within their organisations and beyond, through research and practical strategies. We explore why strategies fail when organisations don’t put people at t...
AI is changing work fast, but the story is still about people. So what are the opportunities for everyone, from personal development to boardroom strategy? And why does imagination, curiosity and play matter more than ever? Sarah is joined by Jeremy (Jez) Bassinder, Partner and GenAI Consulting Lead for UK and Ireland at IBM. Jez is excited by the opportunities that GenAI is opening up, but he’s also clear that the very things that make us human matter more than ever. He shares wh...
What are the implications of GenAI for learning and development? What’s really happening at the moment… and how do we make sense of it, while staying grounded in something that feels like human reality? In this episode, Sarah talks with Ross Stevenson, founder and Chief Learning Strategist of Steal These Thoughts. Ross has spent nearly 20 years in L&D, and helps organisations bridge future skills and new technology adoption. He’s known for his no-nonsense approach, sharp insights and regu...
How do we find and tell stories that capture imagination and shape how we share ideas? And what happens when you try using storytelling in unexpected areas – like academic science? Anna Ploszajski, founder of Storyology, is challenging conventions and helping people communicate with miles more impact. Anna Ploszajski is a materials scientist. She’s also a storyteller, author, podcaster, business founder, stand-up comedian, trumpeter, channel swimmer and more. She’s clearly willing to th...
In pressured situations, human connection is more needed than ever. Military leader and media strategist Lesley Woods excels at forging those connections. In this episode, she shares her experiences of reaching across divides to build bonds, crafting communications to tell the stories of her military colleagues, and how she has learned the leadership skill of lifting up those around her. Lesley Woods is a military leader and media strategist, leading communications for the MoD, as well as a s...
Richard Etienne is a filmmaker and founder of The Introvert Space. His career has been shaped by a genuine passion for telling the stories of other people, and a curiosity about human nature. He was the official videographer at 10 Downing Street for the UK Prime Minister Theresa May, and for the Commonwealth Heads of Government, interviewing numerous heads of state. Despite working in these circles, he brings a calm humility, care, and an eye for noticing the details that reveal the hum...
Illustration is a powerful and engaging form of communication – and visual expression reveals a lot about how we think. Hannah Williams is a live illustrator, and founder of her own business, Scribble Inc. She uses visual storytelling to create illustrations as people speak – a skill that she uses to create illustrations at events and workshops. Hannah’s ability to capture the key ideas from a presentation and turn them into a visual record obviously takes artistic skill – but as you’ll hear,...
What do we mean by ‘speak to the human’? In this episode, Sarah takes the mic inhouse to chat with Acteon partner Owen Rose, exploring a ‘human-centred’ approach – why it matters, what it means, and how to do it. Leading change or communicating effectively depends on connecting with the people we’re trying to engage with. And to do that well, we need to try to understand what shapes their responses, motivations and behaviours. We talk about: How ‘training’ and ...
How does the culture of an organisation affect its ability to survive and thrive? And how is that culture is really created and experienced by colleagues? Ruth Steinholtz helps organisations to build a better understanding of their existing culture, and to evolve values-driven leadership towards ethical practices, focused on more successful outcomes for the long-term business strategy. Ruth is an expert in business ethics and culture. She is an author and speaker and leads her own consu...
Why are we afraid of mistakes, and seek to avoid risks? How do we challenge ourselves outside of our comfort zones? Improviser Heather Urquhart helps us explore our innate fear of failure, and the value of being more open to creative risk. Heather is a talented actor and musician, and uses her skills not only to entertain, but also to open up people’s thinking, their willingness to try new things, to develop ideas, and to get comfortable with mistakes. She is a regular improv actor in S...
How could employers make the painful process of redundancies more sympathetic, thoughtful, supportive, and well… human? Eleanor Gooding shares how she was able to build on foundational work on culture, values and a ‘People Manifesto’, to stay human-centred while managing restructuring and redundancies. In this episode, we’re joined by Eleanor Gooding, People & Culture Director at Boost Drinks. We’re tackling the topic of redundancies and how to manage them well by keeping humans at the he...
Stories are a fundamental part of what makes us human. They help us make sense of the world, remember things, share information, bring ideas to life, and communicate better with others. Stories capture meaning and emotion, reveal injustice or challenge our perspectives in ways which can change our minds or shape our behaviour. And stories bond us together, helping us identify with the groups, tribes or organisations we belong to. In this episode, we’re joined by Anthony Tasgal (kn...
Inspiring young people: double meaning intended. Firstly, young people are inspiring. Gen Z are full of inspiration for employers if we give them space and voice. The energy, fresh ideas and innovative thinking, different attitudes to work, technology, and the diversity of thinking all bring massive potential for organisations to better imagine the future. So how could organisations better harness this potential, and reach and develop that talent? Secondly, how do we inspire young people into...
Why would a puppet work for getting colleagues to pay attention to a new Code of Ethics? And how could we all think differently, creatively, and perhaps more bravely about ways to help people ‘do the right thing’? In this episode we hear from Fraser Simpson about some of the creative campaigns that have broken the mould by taking a totally unexpected and different approach, including Connie the puppet who embodies people’s conscience. Fraser is Associate General Counsel - Ethics, Governance a...
‘Why are we doing it this?’ and ‘How do we know if it’s working?’ are questions that too often go unanswered when organisations roll out a new approach. In this episode, Katryn Wright and James Elfer from MoreThanNow share how they bring a scientific, rigorous approach to behavioural strategies for organisations. They explain how they both became fascinated with behavioural science: helping companies identify the small and concrete behaviours that address real business challenges, and ...
How can we rethink ‘learning and development’ to be more focused on the things people need to do and how best to support them with that? And how can the business case for a different approach be made successfully to leaders? Malcolm Taylor is a pioneer in taking different and often disruptive approaches in learning and development. He is Head of Capability at the UK Health Security Agency, having recently moved from a role as Senior People Development Manager at the Met Office. In this episod...
Why are humans the largest risk facing organisations, and why do the efforts to impose rules and controls on human behaviour often fail? Christian Hunt has wide experience in a range of executive roles, including MD and Head of Behavioural Science at UBS, and now runs Human Risk, a Behavioural Science-led Consultancy. In this episode, Christian brings to life the concept of human risk, and talks about “how to get people to do what you want without pissing them off” with a plethora of ...
How do you use behavioural science to translate boardroom strategies into the actions that people take every day? In our first episode, Sarah talks with Acteon Director and Partner James Woodman, to explore what we mean by ‘speak to the human’: building connections with people, and thinking about the humans at the other end of organisational communications and change initiatives. They discuss how behavioural science can reveal insights that help shape more effective approaches and engage peo...
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