In this episode of Culture Crush, host Dan Dowman interviews Zoë Regent about her journey in the field of innovation and leadership, from her early career at Sky TV to her current role at &Us. They discuss the challenges and strategies for fostering innovation and strong organisational culture in a hybrid work environment.

Zoë shares insights on building trust, maintaining team cohesion, and the importance of social connections in promoting a learning culture. The episode also delves into practical tips for leaders on asking questions and avoiding assumptions to enhance team dynamics and drive innovation.

Culture Crushes
🧡 &Us: For its shared sense of community, freedom, and possibility.

Takeaways
✅ Building trust and strong relationships is essential in a remote or hybrid working environment.
✅ Experiment with different ways of working together and be clear about the results.
✅ Encourage random conversations at work to foster innovation and learning.
✅ Consider the impact of social connections on the overall culture and success of the organization.
✅ Move from making assumptions to asking questions to gain new insights and perspectives.

Sound Bites
📢 “I think that's a good proxy for culture because if you can see some really incredible original work, then you know that there's challenge going on in that organisation.”
📢 “People have to be in their learning zone and that's when you get that beautiful sweet spot between challenge and safety.”
📢 “There's something to be said about encouraging more random conversations at work."

Chapters:
00:00  Introduction to Culture Crush
00:16  Meet Zoë Regent
04:05  The &Us Mission
08:01  Challenges of Growing a Team
11:30 Zoë’s Culture Crush: &Us
15:44  Hybrid Working Challenges
18:52  Practical Solutions for Hybrid Work
24:26  Final Thoughts and Takeaways
29:08  Conclusion and Wrap-Up