It’s been a while since I revisited a conversation on offices and how our physical workspaces are evolving. Disruption has made the property business hugely raise their games. With 20-25% of Gen Z workers self reporting having issues of neurodivergency the office is trying to prove that it's still the centre of great workplace cultures.I chatted to Susan Carruth, a partner a 3XN, an architecture firm who is pioneering thinking about the needs of occupants and Mike Wiseman Head of Campuses at British land.For more details on the 2FA project mentioned and British Land's campuses.As discussed: 12% of US mortgage backed office deals are 'delinquent' right now Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Last month the FInancial Times published an article by John Burn Murdoch in the form of an analysis of personality data, specifically looking at what are styled the Big Five personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.Typically these five factors are regarded as a statistically reliable way to measure personality. Unlike approaches like Myers Briggs these factors prove consistent over time and psychologists took a view that much of the variance of human personality can be understood using these factors. Interestingly these factors also prove predictive for other outcomes. Conscientiousness for example predicts academic success and job performance, neuroticism can predict mental health issues.To discuss it I'm joined by Nick McClelland, Nick is the CEO of Byrne DeanThe original article by John Burn Murdoch (archive version)Newsletter discussion on the dataDiscussion between John Burn Murdoch and Derek ThompsonChristopher Ferguson questions the effect sizeJay Van Bavel talks about the effect size of the dataAlex Haslam points out the questions that lead to the conscientiousness scores Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sign up for the newsletterA couple of years ago, I was surrounded with so many happy Spurs fans that I bought into the euphoric buzz they were giving off.Ange Postecoglou had brought the smile back to Tottenham supporters. I chatted to Charlie Eccleshare from The Athletic about the cultural reinvention that the Australian manager that enacted.Reader, the Big Ange story didn't end well as a result a lot of fans of other clubs regularly message me asking about the episode, or my opinion of Postecoglou's demise. It was while I was joking about this one time that today's guest got in touch.Dan Jackson is a former Aussie Rules footballer who now acts as General Manager at Adelaide Football Club. He got in touch suggesting that I might be unfair backtracking on the support of Ange, challenging me to reflect on 'how the world's premier football competition has such little respect for building genuine high-performance culture?'He said 'I'm sure you'd agree it takes time and a lot of focused effort to change and build a good culture - two things that don't appear to be given any focus in most EPL teams'.I loved the pushback and immediately got in touch to have a conversation with him. We talk both about Postecoglou (and whether we did him dirty) but also about how he is part of a team that tries to build strong long-term culture in his team. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
I’m often asked asked which company cultures I admire, especially as I tend to be critical of the culture inside tech firms. It’s easy to have good vibes in small firms but organisations who manage to deliver good culture at scale are the ones I’m most interested in. I often call out Nando’s or Octopus Energy.I was delighted to get the chance to talk to the CEO of Octopus Energy Group, Greg Jackson. I’ve often reflected that the best cultures seem to be codified and made explicit, but Octopus’s culture isn’t really defined by formal values, Jackson doesn’t pin it down to three or four words. Instead the culture has a vivid feeling but is loosely articulated, a tangible mix of trust, autonomy and a shared mission.Cultures are often defined by what they’re against as much as what they are for. Many companies give a laundry list of desirable attributes they strive for. There’s an organisation at the end of my street that has ‘excellence’ and ‘respect’ on its windows, but would any business claim to be built on mediocrity or disrespect? Aren’t they just given? Sometimes these things are called the Pillars of Character. Yes, we have integrity here, but how does that help you work here?For businesses these pillars are useless for creating differentiation. Jackson’s approach at Octopus stands apart from that, he takes issue with common norms elsewhere. Researching for the conversation I listened to one interview where Jackson talked about the absence of back-to-back meetings in his day. He said:First of one thing I do that I think is unusual is I don't pack my day with meetings. I'm religious about having lots of time outside meetings because in the one hour that someone wants to have a meeting, I can make 10 phone calls or I could drop by the desks of half a dozen team members and I can be available for people to deal with what's going on that day. So one thing for me is your time is far too precious to let it get soaked up on other people's meeting requests. It's quite funny when I got a new PA, she came from a very large software company and I said, ‘I've got a lot of meetings tomorrow’. And she said, well, where I used to work, my job was to pack from 8 AM to 5 PM every day, hour by hour by hour. And I was like, Whoa, how does that person get any thinking time? How does it get any, any time to reset? And how does it get to do anything proactive that changes the world?After the conversation, which was recorded live on stage near Guildford, someone came up to me. ‘My son works at Octopus,’ he said. Here we go, I thought. ‘Every single word he said up there is true. He says he wishes he’d joined there years ago’.Links:Greg on High Performance podcastTranscriptMake Work Better newsletterTake a listen, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is the second episode this month about AI and the implications for our jobs.Two weeks ago I went along to a huge event run by Workday down in North Greenwich. Workday, their partners and their customers took to the stage to talk about applications of AI that are coming to their platform. As part of the event I was able to run a discussion with a couple of voices from the company who are helping businesses navigate the challenges that AI presents to us. Sign up for the newsletterMore about Workday ElevateI was joined by Jerry Ting. Jerry is the founder of Evisort and now teaches at Harvard Law School and is a senior leader at Workday. And the other contributor was Angelique de Vries Schipperijn, she's the EMEA president for Workday. The conversation was fascinating for me in a few ways, firstly we can be so daunted about what AI represents in our jobs and this seemed simple and easy to understand, but secondly because as I mentioned last week the conversations I got from the audience suggested that there’s a lot of businesses who have barely started their own journeys.Look, here’s the challenge of the moment, I think the conversation at the event described a future that we have the agency to participate in. It seems real and like something we can connect with, but also everyone who came up to me afterwards anxiously told me that their organisations are doing nothing at all. That’s why I got so much value from this conversation. I think inverted commas “doing AI” feels scary and huge whereas incorporating it into some of the things we’re already going feels possible and easily achievable. I need to declare that this is a promoted episode in the sense that Workday is a client that I was working with at this event and have worked with before, but critically it was a conversation that I’m delighted to be sharing here. I want to give a shout out to Hollie Benneyworth at Workday who has worked so hard to make this happen.You can find a full transcript for this on the website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sign up to the newsletterFirst of two episodes going deep on how AI is going to impact work - and therefore workplace culture and dynamics.This week is with Alexia Cambon from Microsoft. Alexia is Head of Research on Copilot & Future of Work. Last month her team released the Work Trend Index Annual Report. It’s one of the most important pieces of insight into how our jobs will change. Their previous reports have been interesting going deep into how people are experimenting with AI but this year’s is different. It articulates a version of work that most of us aren’t yet ready for.P&G research: Having an AI assistant doubles a worker’s output, proving as effective as having a real teammateAlexia mentioned that the research was performed by Karim R. Lakhani. The paper itself.Conor GrennanJaime TeevanMore about marathoner Katherine Switzer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
"There's this concept called inbox zero, where everyone tries to get to their inbox down to zero. But I would suggest that a more noble pursuit is that of calendar zero".I chatted to Howard Lerman this week. I was blown away by this discussion - it captured exactly what is wrong about current work, and why back-to-back meetings are going to lead to many organisations missing the opportunity of this vital moment.This is an essential listen - about where work is imminently going and how Howard's philosophy is building his fascinating new product Roam to serve the company of the future.Explore Roam, follow Howard.Read all about the way that work is about to change in the newsletterThe AI 2027 predictions are the wake up call we didn't know we neededMicrosoft explains why we need to ready ourselves for the reinvention of workKonstantine Buhler on 'always on' Full transcript on the website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When Zach Mercurio’s new book, The Power of Mattering, arrived on my desk I devoured it. It’s the most essential book about workplace culture that I’ve read in a couple of years.Read a full transcript and notes on the website.Read more : Wall Street Journal: The Power of Mattering at WorkOrder the book: The Power of Mattering Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The next two podcasts I see as a piece with each other, today is about meaning the next one is about mattering. Collectively I feel they present serious substance about the foundations of good culture.Read Meaningful Work Read the latest newsletterThere’s some overlap - the authors today,Tamara Myles and Wes Adams, have done research with next week’s guest Zach Mercurio. One of today’s guests Tamara Myles said one of the most powerful questions you can ask to measure engagement at work is to ask ‘does your manager care about what is going on in your life?’Today is about meaning, and I feel it gets to grips with questions of purpose. Why sometimes purpose doesn’t seem to create an impact in an organisation - and other times really makes it hum.The authors describe meaningful work as work that provides community, helps us contribute to something that matters, and challenges us to learn and grow.For full show notes go to the website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sign up for the newsletterSomeone posted on LinkedIn that the podcast had died. Or I had died. But he is risen! I'm back with a great discussion, powerful in its simplicity.Psychologists Dr. Patricia Grabarek and Dr. Katina Sawyer have created a guidebook for anyone who wants to make things better for their teams. In it they suggest that managers need to set the tone for our colleagues. Yes, of course I hear you say but it's so often something that the hectic buzz of work distracts us from.As workplace wellness is in decline they suggest that it's time for managers to step up and be the creators of great culture, even if that might be pushing against the tide.Leading for Wellness is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Join 100,000 other workplace culture enthusiasts by signing up for the Make Work Better newsletterInterested in how skills could enhance your business? Check out the short film I made with the Department for Education.Get in touch with BruceWhat do your typos say about you?What's the right medium to build connection with your colleagues?How did Shopify and Netflix reinvent their communication?How can any of us navigate a bulging calendar and overloaded inbox?Professor Andrew Brodsky gives us a field guide to communications and tells how we should be rethinking how we message.Andrew's new book Ping is out in February. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Interested in how skills could enhance your business? Check out the short film I made with the Department for Education.Sign up for the newsletterToday's episode is an Avengers Assembled of podcasts about work. I join host Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis from the Squiggly Careers podcast, as well as Isabel Berwick from the FT's Working It and Jimmy McCloughlin from Jimmy's Jobs.We talk AI, asking payrises, RTO and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Michael Morris's book Tribal covers the codes that bond humans together. It has been shortlisted for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year award 2024. It came runner-up to 'Supremacy' by Parmy Olson.He explains that humans are inspired by peer codes, human codes and ancestor codes when it comes to their behaviour - and he gives plenty of insight of how we could build more tightly bonded groups in our own teams.Make Work Better: Resisting the Enshittification of Work in 2024 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Everywhere we look we see someone who is outraged - and plenty of that anger makes its way to the workplace. The last time President Trump was in power it led to employees becoming more active - who knows if the same will happen in 2025.Karthik Ramanna talks us through the way to deal with outrage - and the actions that any leader can take to make the workplace a better place. His new book is out now.More about the Edelman Trust index Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sign up for the newsletterTiffany Gaskell outlines coaching as a route to transformational leadershipTiffany Gaskell is the co-author of Coaching for Performance, the top-selling guide to coaching first published by Sir John Whitmore the inventor of the discipline.It's curious to consider that there was a founder of coaching, and Tiffany takes me through the history of the practice, how it took hold and where it is today.There's a key consideration about the modern manager given to us by the Gallup Global Workplace Report, 80% of those who are engaged with their jobs say they've received direct feedback from their manager in the last week.This is a powerful insight but also poses a huge challenge - how can any of us find the time to observe and then feedback to every worker in our team. Tiffany explains that this is where a culture of coaching comes in, transferring the burden of observation from the manager to facilitating a socratic questioning approach. You can follow Tiffany on LinkedIn and the book is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Subscribe to the free Make Work Better newsletterBrigid Schulte is a journalist and writer who brings a reporter's ear for stories to her exploration of modern work.Over the course of a decade Schulte has talked to people about the impact their jobs has on their lives - and has explored any hope that we might be able to make this better.Her new book, Over Work and paints a hopeful image of how we might fix the toxic elements of our jobs.One of the examples is about Intel, who in 2013 experimented with a new initiative styled Freelance Nation to bring some of the upsides of gig work to a professional knowledge work environment. It proved hugely successful and yet they decided to scrap it.Buy Over Work Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Colin Ellis is a consultant and author who spends his time working with organisations to improve their culture. He's turned his attention to why some companies go bad in a new book Detox Your Culture. He talked me through what has gone wrong at the likes of ITV's This Morning, the CBI, The Ellen Show and Boeing.Sign up for the newsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sign up for the newsletterHow can any of us build a more effective team?Owen Eastwood is one of the world’s most in demand performance coaches, with a focus on team culture & leading. Owen has worked with some of the most successful sporting sides in the world. He also works with corporate teams wrestling with similar themes.Last year I talked to Owen about his work on belonging and identity but I wanted to pick his brains on the biggest challenge for modern leaders - how to build a stronger team.Buy BelongingFollow Owen on LinkedInOwen talks me through his step-by-step approach to building better teams - starting with the toughest starter question that most teams never tackle.takeawaysDetermine whether a team is necessary for the desired outcomeClearly define roles and expectations within the teamRecruit talented individuals who can contribute to the team's successEstablish effective communication channels within the teamConsider the challenges of being part of multiple teams in the corporate world Individuals have a choice in shaping the team's identity and should be selfless and committed to the team's purpose and desired outcome.A high-performing team is one where individuals consistently perform at their best and have a culture of excellence.The environment plays a crucial role in enabling or disabling team success, and teams should create an environment that fosters innovation and energizes individuals.Teams should regularly reflect on their environment and identify and eliminate factors that hinder performance.For a full transcript see the website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sign up for the Make Work Better newsletterHow important is a happy workforce? According to Mark Price, the former boss of Waitrose, it's the main thing that leaders should be thinking about. Make your workforce happy and the profits will follow. Mark's new book is Happy Economics.To prove it Mark cites his experience running the supermarket chain, when with a goal of workers happiness he made it the fastest-growing, most profitable supermarket in the UK.The original purpose of the John Lewis Partnership, as laid out by the very same John Lewis , was to uphold the happiness of the people who worked inside the organisation.Mark's new book is Happiness Economics. Mark's book makes the assertion that the quickest way to business success is to focus on creating happy employees.This is genuinely a brilliant listen - and one that you might benefit from reading the transcript of - you can get the transcript here.While I got real value from the book, I actually found the conversation even more enlightening. It challenged some things I believed and I found myself reflecting on it for the day afterwards. I think there’s a clarity in the conversation that the book lacks at times - I think it’s the challenge of books to be honest. We’re so used to ideas being visually backed up that when we’re paging through 200 pages of words the emphasis is often lost. Maybe they work best together.Mark has a clear 6 stage framework for making a happy, productive workforce laid out in his compelling new book Happiness Economics.Reward and recognitionInformation sharingEmpowermentWellbeingA sense of pride& Job satisfactionMark's company is WorkL. You can take their surveys and see their data on that link.Key takeawaysThe happiness of employees is crucial for driving productivity and increasing profitsManagers play a vital role in creating a positive work environment and should focus on training, recognition, and coachingLeadership should involve setting a clear plan, making employees feel valued and important, and maintaining optimism about the future.Well-being initiatives should go beyond tokenistic measures and address underlying issues in the work culture. Employee happiness is crucial for workplace culture and productivity.The six key drivers of happiness at work are reward and recognition, empowerment, sense of pride, line management, career development, and job satisfaction.Implementing these drivers effectively can lead to improved well-being, productivity, and business performance.Building a positive culture is essential, and companies should focus on measuring and improving employee happiness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This episode is part of the Presence project: Presence: Fixing culture starts with your calendar, not your officeIn the 2000s a book called Fish! A remarkable way to boost morale and improve results became a bestseller. A small book, it was often used by companies accompanying a video of the same name. Together the two told a story of the culture of the fish market in Seattle, a noisy, bombastic place, but a place that was filled with joy. I first encountered Fish when a firm came to pitch to me when I was working in publishing. They told me that their culture was Fish. There are a few things that stood out from it. The idea of intentionally designing culture isn’t new but this seemed to be explicitly linking culture, emotion and mood. There were 4 principles of FishPlaybe theremake their daychoose your attitude Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Edward Smithwick
Absolute belter of a podcast, get on it
Tracy Walsh
The media.com strategy of people telling their mental health stories is the right one. we've done this at my firm and it is transformative. But we need to hear from more senior men. On emotions, LOVE the idea of a smile file... and she's bang on the money when it comes to selective vulnerability.
David Willans
This is a brilliant podcast for anyone wanting to improve work. It's more challenging than the Talent Angle and more focused than Tim Ferris's if you want to learn about the work most of us do.
Nana Yaa Osei
Mr. Daisley. I'm sorry but I didn't hear as much of Mr Godin as I would have wanted to. You completely took over and your questions narrowed his answers way too much. Please work on that. Thanks.
Jussie
how insightful. I'm so grateful to have heard this. thanks @jeffreypfeffer