Beyond The Water Cooler

Did you know that the Social Metrics Commission found the current rate of poverty in the UK to be higher than at any other point in the 21st Century? A staggering 24% (nearly one in four) people in the UK are now judged to be in poverty. 

That statistic means the impact of the financial crisis is likely to be closer to home than you may originally have thought. And with personal finances being an uncomfortable subject to talk about, the consequences can be significant. Distraction, anxiety and depression are all too common when people have money-worries. 

So like anything, start with asking your employees what will help them. That's just one tip from Sophie Lodge of Eight Wealth Management who joins me to discuss a practical approach to financial wellbeing. 

It's easy to fall into the trap of having the ideal 'support' mapped out, guessing what provision will be most impactful. But that approach can miss the mark. Sophie encourages us to think differently. Here she shares advice about how to reduce the stigma that surrounds money-talk and increase help that makes a real difference. 

Listen or watch, and plan how you're going to ease a potentially stressful time for your workforce.

Sophie Lodge is your big sister in finance, helping you feel comfortable and confident with your finances.

LinkedIn:

Sophie Lodge

Eight Wealth Management

Instagram: @sophie_financialadviser

Facebook: Eight Wealth Management Marlow

Website: Eight Wealth Management Marlow

Tackling Anxiety Collectively - A Team Discussion Framework (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Stress Mapping (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Never Just a Survey - Kieran Innes, Stribe (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Leadership Labs | It's Time for Change (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Social Metrics Commission 2024 Report (socialmetricscommission.org.uk)

The Money Pizza by Fleur Iannazzo

Watch this episode on YouTube

For free resources that you can use for yourself or your team, check out: itstimeforchange.co.uk/category/resources

To be on the receiving end of new, free, downloadable resources, join the club here: itstimeforchange.co.uk/jointheclub

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Ever been accused of being a bully? Or of being terrifying? Maybe not. But maybe you have experienced feedback that has shocked you because it was not what you intended. 

The void between what we want to communicate and how our communication lands can be enormous. Most of us haven't had the opportunity to learn about how we feedback and challenge. And when this vital part of developing communication skills is missing, it's left to chance that our ability to engage with others matches what we want.

Now imagine you're the person lower down the hierarchy trying to give feedback to that person with power. Whether we like it or not, hierarchies exist and they often become barriers to people speaking up. In this conversation with Miranda Williams we explore how to reduce those walls. We unpick strategies for both bosses to reduce their sense of authority, and those in their teams to step up and and use their own power. 

In this episode of the Beyond the Water Cooler podcast, Miranda shares many stories from her own experience, identifying times she has got it wrong, how she has put it right, and what she has learnt on her journey to becoming the self-aware person she is today. 

Miranda's stories will resonate - they're about being human and navigating the uncertain and uncomfortable territory of challenging conversations. 

How actively are you embracing the opportunity to develop your practice and to empower those around you? 

If you want to continue the conversation, reach out to us. 

Miranda Williams has 20+ years of leadership and management experience in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry, with a strong focus on process improvement within Supply Chain Operations. She is a trained executive coach, and now runs her own coaching and consultancy practice. Miranda specialises in empowering individuals and teams to enhance their development, with particular focus in building confidence, fostering team dynamics, and improving influence and relationships within organisations.

LinkedIn: Miranda Williams

Leadership Labs | It's Time for Change (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Team discussion frameworks to help some conversations happen more easily:

itstimeforchange.co.uk/team-discussion-framework

itstimeforchange.co.uk/stress-mapping

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, Third Edition Hardcover – 18 Nov. 2021 (amazon.co.uk)

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For free resources that you can use for yourself or your team, check out: itstimeforchange.co.uk/category/resources

To be on the receiving end of new, free, downloadable resources, join the club here: itstimeforchange.co.uk/jointheclub

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lisapsychology

Website: itstimeforchange.co.uk

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Email: [email protected]

Fear.

Fatigue. 

Are you stuck in a rut that is littered with surveys? It's often the go-to channel for getting to know what employees think, but there also barriers that can get in the way of these being effective. 

Fatigue is just one of them. 

Fear is another. The brave face doesn't simply disappear when presented with written questions to provide our opinions.

And that can be a BIG problem, especially for men. November is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month, and that prompted Kieran Innes of Stribe and I to have this conversation.

We talk about the barriers to feedback approaches. And Kieran shares a number of different methods that provide the opportunity to capture everyone's voice. 

Unless we use a range of ways to hear what people have to say, we fail to demonstrate the importance of people being heard. That intention simply becomes empty words.

Are you really finding the best ways to put the feedback experience where your mouth is? 

Kieran Innes is the Founder and CEO of Stribe and Tootoot, two platforms dedicated to empowering voices in workplaces and schools. Stribe has transformed employee engagement with accessible anonymous surveys, while Tootoot gives thousands of children a safe anonymous way to report bullying and other worries directly to their schools.

LinkedIn:

Kieran Innes

stribehq

Website: stribehq.com

Instagram: @stribehq

X: @stribehq

Leadership Labs | It's Time for Change (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Failure to Succeed: A Leader’s View – with Mike Brennan (the other half of Tootoot and Stribe) (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Men's Mental Wellbeing Resources | It's Time for Change (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Data Driven Decisions: Shaping the Future of Employee Mental Health (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Watch this episode on YouTube

For free resources that you can use for yourself or your team, check out: itstimeforchange.co.uk/category/resources

To be on the receiving end of new, free, downloadable resources, join the club here: itstimeforchange.co.uk/jointheclub

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lisapsychology

Website: itstimeforchange.co.uk

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Contact me: itstimeforchange.co.uk/contact

Email: [email protected]

I love Tammy's phrase about wellbeing running through the veins of an organisation. When you achieve that, you are equipped to deal with any conversation that arises. And all because you start by putting people first. 

That means being vulnerable and stepping into their space to learn about what someone else is experiencing and what they need.

18th October is menopause awareness day. It's a great time to remind you about the impact of menopause on women in leadership positions in your organisation. 

And it's an even better time to remember the golden rule at work which is simply to demonstrate that you care. 

Regardless of how people show up, being able to ask 2 questions can be a game changer...

1️⃣ What does someone's experience mean for them in terms of how it feels and impacts?

2️⃣ What do they need from you/the workplace to help them show up in the best way possible, in their circumstances?

Listen to the practical advice in this episode of the podcast to increase your confidence about speaking up and enabling others to have their voice heard.

Thank you Tammy Gee 😉

Good old 'getting people right to get business right'.

Tammy Gee, is a BANT registered Nutritional Therapist (DipION, mBANT, CNHC) specialising in perimenopause and menopause, on a mission to increase conversation and education around hormone health in the workplace.

"The conversation is important not just in the private clinic setting but also within the corporate setting"

Tammy works with HR, Diversity & Inclusion, and Communication teams to produce support guides, policies, and strategies relating to menopause and menstrual health in the workplace. Tammy also offers a range of educational workshops, support sessions and wellbeing content for any organisations looking to support women's health in the workplace.

LinkedIn: tammygee

Website: www.sevencoloursofnutrition.co.uk

Facebook: sevencoloursofnutrition

Instagram: @sevencoloursofnutrition

Leadership Labs | It's Time for Change (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Watch this episode on YouTube

Menopause and the Workplace (www.themenopausecharity.org)

69% [women in menopause] experienced difficulties with anxiety and depression - Landmark Study: Menopausal Women let down by Employers and Healthcare Providers - Fawcett Society

1 in 10 women leave their job due to menopause  symptoms - Menopause and the Workplace report by the Fawcett Society and Channel 4, which polled 4,000 women aged 45-55.

For free resources that you can use for yourself or your team, check out: itstimeforchange.co.uk/category/resources

To be on the receiving end of new, free, downloadable resources, join the club here: itstimeforchange.co.uk/jointheclub

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Website: itstimeforchange.co.uk

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Email: [email protected]

"We not only need to work happy, we need to work at being happy." I love that quote by Shawn Achor.

So how are you working at that? 

The Alliance of Independent Agencies have teamed up with Google to host an event that is dedicated to culture and high performance. 

They recognise that leaders are navigating a rapid pace of change; the way people work has fundamentally changed. That's not just about where and when we work, but the types of activities that are ultimately draining our energy and sense of wellbeing. 

And that presents a challenge for leaders and managers looking to engage their people. 

Their Festival of Happiness is all about creating the right culture for high performance through a focus on happy people. And that's what Isabel Odlin and I discuss today. 

Find out more about the festival and book your place here: Festival of Happiness

I'll be one of the live podcasters and part of a panel discussion on the day, so come and say hello! 

In the meantime, tune into this conversation with Isy and consider how you are working to increase happiness in your workplace. 

Isabel Odlin is the Chief People Officer at Hub, a marketing and live-streaming agency, and an ILM Level 7 senior coach. She has crafted people strategies, led change management programmes, and developed innovative learning and development plans for businesses in the private and third sectors. As a certified Facet5 practitioner, she helps individuals understand their personalities and working styles. She is also a qualified Mental Health First Aider, workplace wellbeing advocate, and a Chartered CIPD member. Additionally, Isy chairs the Alliance of Independent Agencies’ Wellbeing Action Group, fostering collaboration on agency culture and wellbeing.

LinkedIn: Isabel Odlin

Websites:

allindependentagencies.org

www.hubagency.co.uk

Festival of Happiness (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Are you making the most of the Happiness Advantage (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Alliance of Independent Agencies: Festival of Happiness

Leadership Labs | It's Time for Change (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Watch this episode on YouTube

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lisapsychology

Website: itstimeforchange.co.uk

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Contact me: itstimeforchange.co.uk/contact

Email: [email protected]

This was a first and it was hilarious (just watch the outtake next week!).

Susan Ní Chríodáin and I got to record this episode of the podcast outside in the beautiful gardens at Lady Margaret Hall at the University of Oxford, courtesy of Andrew Dickinson.

After some shenanigans we got to dive into her recently-published book, Leading Beyond the Numbers, which is all about how accounting for emotions tips the balance at work.

Who would have thought that my explanation of how imagination is our most misused resource would have made it into the book?!! You can listen to that conversation on Susan's podcast, Beyond the Numbers, here: Beyond The Numbers - Realise Your Vision (beyond-thenumbers.com)

Today, we explore what human beings and being human is all about and how that impacts on us at work. Susan explains the need to account for emotions, how we must reconcile the brain, body and behaviour, how we need to be rational AND emotional, and business sensibility via emotional regulation and integration. 

The book is super easy to read, understand and apply. It is written in a way that is like listening to Susan telling us all about it during our conversation. I can almost hear her fabulous accent coming through the words. If you like what she has to say in the podcast, you'll love the book.

🎟️ Enter the draw to receive a free copy 📖 (UK only) by answering this question: 

When we talk about being human and the importance of 'just being you', what causes a distraction to our recording?

The 7th person to send their correct answer to me via this link Get in Touch | It's time for Change (itstimeforchange.co.uk) will get a free copy in the post!!

In the meantime, listen to the sound advice that links emotions and organisational performance, or watch us in the best podcast setting here.

Susan Ní Chríodáin sits at the nexus of business and emotion. She founded her bespoke consulting, facilitation and coaching practice, Beyond the Numbers, to revolutionise workplaces so everyone can be at their best. Her career spans three continents and a range of diverse leadership positions. She is the author of the bestselling Leading Beyond the Numbers where she reveals how to reintroduce humanity into the workplace, for improved engagement and fulfilment, benefiting both individuals and organisations. She believes in the transformative power of in-depth, honest conversations that lead to aligned actions and meaningful change that delivers results. And she hosts the popular podcast, Life Beyond the Numbers that invites listeners to discover insights on how to have a more fulfilling work-life.

LinkedIn: Susan Ní Chríodáin

Instagram: @susan.ni.chriodain

X: @S_Ni_C

Website: www.beyond-thenumbers.com

Watch this episode on YouTube

Leadership Labs | It's Time for Change (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Leading Beyond the Numbers by Susan Ni Chriodain

Life Beyond The Numbers Podcast

Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain by Lisa Feldman Barrett 

Permission to Feel by Professor Marc Brackett

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lisapsychology

Website: itstimeforchange.co.uk

Sign up to be kept in the loop: itstimeforchange.co.uk/jointheclub

Contact me: itstimeforchange.co.uk/contact

Email: [email protected]

Gregg Brown doesn't hold back!!

We took a different approach on this episode of the podcast. Instead of the where-the-conversation-goes-nobody-knows conversation I usually have with guests, Gregg and I discussed a number of statements.

⚠️ Everyone wants to know what the future of work is.

⚠️ Disruption is necessary for work to evolve.

⚠️ Taking action requires the right mindset.

⚠️ We need to get out of our comfort zone.

⚠️ Leadership is something that we can measure.

⚠️ Psychological safety is not a business term.

What do you think? 

Our responses might not be what you believe they would or should be. 

This conversation is about these important topics that we must understand and consciously engage with if we want organisations to be future ready. 

Those of you who know me will know that I'm a fan of taking statements like these, putting them on the table with your team and unpicking what they mean to you. It's a great place to start to increase clarity and alignment in your practice going forward.

We dive into concepts such as disruptive empathy, communities of understanding and PhDs in self-awareness!

Listen to or watch the episode and then send us a message to let us know what resonates, or where you have a different opinion. As you'll be able to tell, we love to talk in a down-to-earth way that simplifies the important stuff. 

I recommend you reach out to Gregg, Change and Future of Work Strategist, Speaker, Author, and Founder of Change Ready Leadership Solutions. Take a look at his resources and subscribe to his newsletter. And connect with me if you're interested in finding out more about how to lead engaging, healthy, high-performing workplaces.

Gregg Brown is an internationally sought-after consultant and speaker on building future ready organizations. Gregg was recently recognized as one of the Top 50 Global Thought Leaders change management. Starting out in a well known coffee business, over his 30-year career he has thrived in multiple leading roles in the healthcare, education, non-profit, and private sectors. With a graduate degree from the University of Leicester and as an associate member of the American Psychological Association, Gregg's keynotes and workshops have engaged thousands of people at Fortune 500 companies, governments, and humanitarian organizations worldwide to increase their impact and create positive change.

LinkedIn: Gregg Brown

Facebook: GreggBrownTO

Instagram: @greggbrownto

X: @GreggBrownTO

Website: www.BeChangeReady.com

Watch this episode on YouTube

Leadership Labs | It's Time for Change (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Future Ready by Experimentation - with Gemma Ellison | Beyond the Water Cooler

Talent: The Other 8 Boxes - Duncan Targett | Beyond the Water Cooler

Gregg Brown: Articles, Videos, Podcasts... oh my!

Gregg Brown: Future of Work Toolkit

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lisapsychology

Website: itstimeforchange.co.uk

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Email: [email protected]

Purpose-driven businesses have become much more the norm in terms of what people seek. 

Companies know that to attract employees they need to provide opportunities that are meaningful and engaging.

However, retaining your workforce over time is a different challenge.

In this episode of the podcast, Rachel Steele of Huddle joins me to discuss how to engage a workforce so that they stay. That means getting some key factors right, including:

⭐ personal brand

⭐ promotion, progression and recognition

⭐ when bringing our whole-self to work is required

⭐ the need for versatility in an increasingly AI world

⭐ the need for employers to give permission

If you're thinking about how to recruit awesome people and how to keep them engaged, this is for you. Rachel provides some great advice about how to achieve this, starting from a different place to traditional practice. 

And if YOU are someone thinking about new opportunities, check out what you should be asking potential employers to feel confident they have your best engagement interests at heart. 

Imagine the difference that would make to how you show up at work?!

To find out more, give Rachel a shout....

To dive into the practicalities of creating and leading organisations fit for the future, talk with me.

Rachel works in career development for people and their teams, with a person-centred approach to identifying and actioning progression in their work life.

Her own journey has taken in silversmithing and sculptural metalwork, recruitment and head-hunting in marketing and communications, running return-to-work and personal development programmes, and coaching people through many important career decisions.

With over 15 years’ experience in recruiting, head hunting and career advice, for diverse clients including Virgin Trains, Vice Media, Marks & Spencer, Heathrow, Cadbury / Mondelez International, and Magic Light Pictures, she started her own business in 2016 to offer a more holistic approach to career development and building award-winning teams. She offers 1:1 coaching, workshops and recruitment to support clients throughout their career journeys.

Rachel is a Relational Dynamics 1st certified coach (ILM 7 equivalent), and member of the Association of Coaching.

LinkedIn:

Rachel Steele

Huddle 

Website: www.the-huddle.co.uk

Watch this episode on YouTube

Employee Engagement Guide For Managers - It's Time for Change (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Engagement Action Plans - It's Time for Change (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Leadership Labs | It's Time for Change (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

The Squiggly Career by Helen Taper & Sarah Ellis (www.amazingif.com)

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lisapsychology

Website: itstimeforchange.co.uk

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Email: [email protected]

Are you looking to develop tomorrow's leaders to be able to take the business into a different place from where it is today? Or, are you looking for future leaders who most closely resemble those in leadership positions now? 

That's a great question that Duncan Targett, my guest on this episode of the podcast, asks when we discuss talent.

And who can resist talking with someone whose surname lends itself so brilliantly to the name of his company, On Targett Consulting?!!

The conversation is spot on, helping listeners think about how your company sets itself apart from others. 

We dive into the much maligned 9-box grid to map talent, and Duncan explains how the bedrock of company success is not found in the box that you might think!

He also asks us to consider the all important question: Do people want to develop? It sounds obvious but when did you last ask that of your people? Are opportunities in your organisation based on assumptions? Or are those opportunities even present?

If you're anything to do with talent development, business planning, strategy, L&D, management or leadership, this is for you! 

Duncan Targett is a Talent Development expert who has worked internationally and consulted at C-level, across multiple industries for the world’s biggest global brands (PepsiCo, Disney, Sportradar and dunnhumby) and has the rare combination of HR and commercial experience.

He works with organisations to develop Talent Development strategies that drive high-performance, enable talent & succession planning and focused L&D.

LinkedIn: Duncan Targett

Website: www.ontargettconsulting.com

Watch this episode on YouTube

To develop your people based on the specific needs identified in your organisation, find out more about our Manager and Leadership Labs: Leadership & Manager Labs (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Brought to you Inhouse, they provide a development opportunity to unpick your specific challenges, learn practical approaches to address them, shape experiments to test changes in practice, and evaluate the impact of new ways of working, all customised to your specific context.

Our next open Lab starts in September 2024 and brings people together from different organisations to share and learn from each other, as challenges are explored and solutions shaped, based on your data. 

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lisapsychology

Website: www.itstimeforchange.co.uk

Sign up to be kept in the loop: www.itstimeforchange.co.uk/jointheclub

Email: [email protected]

Martin Drake ripped up the rule book and invited the "dynamic duo" that is Gemma Ellison and myself onto his podcast, Is This Room Free?

We're not HR.

But we are all about people. 

In particular, we're focused on enabling people to be and experience their best self.

And enabling them to develop in a way that provides most value to the organisation. All this whilst creating the most engaging experience that means we feel good about what we do.

So in this conversation, we unpick leadership development at its best, which is what we've created with Leadership Labs.

This is about a process for honesty, collaboration, peer support and experiential learning.

That might now sound mainstream but we push the boundaries.

We empower leaders to design experiments that drive positive change in their businesses.

Are you interested in a different way to develop the skills, confidence and ability to problem solve that is required of leaders today?

Whether you're at the top of an organisation or leading a team of people in a managerial role... Leadership Labs will help you.

Get in touch to find out more and benefit from the summer booking discount for our next Open Lab starting in September.

Martin Drake is founder of Higher - a recruitment agency specialising in the HR and Marketing professions. Over 20 years recruitment experience, including 6 years as a HR Business Partner, his own experience with recruiters led him back to setting up his own recruitment business to give people the level of service and support they want and expect.

LinkedIn:

Martin Drake 

Higher

HR and Marketing recruitment: www.higherwithus.com

Is This Room Free? - the HR careers podcast

Watch this episode on YouTube

Leadership & Manager Labs (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Future Ready by Experimentation – with Gemma Ellison - It's Time for Change (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

Leaders Tell Us: A Unique Approach to Development - It's Time for Change (itstimeforchange.co.uk)

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lisapsychology

Website: www.itstimeforchange.co.uk

Sign up to be kept in the loop: www.itstimeforchange.co.uk/jointheclub

Email: [email protected]