Building Better Cultures

In this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott welcomes Pritesh Shah, Chief Commercial Officer at the oncology company Novocure. When it comes to the bio-science space, Novocure leads the way with an emphasis on empathy – not just for patients confronting cancer but also for employees tasked with driving breakthrough science. Pritesh explains how Novocure's workplace emphasis on employee engagement and strong internal connection are critical components to its workplace ethic and overall corporate vision.

With its patient-forward focus, Novocure offers a new treatment modality featuring Tumor Treating Fields, a proprietary therapy that disrupts cell division in cancer tumors. In addition to empathy, purpose and vision are two other key pillars within the company's business model. Pritesh shares with Scott the ways in which healthy and vital workplace communication enables employees to be most effective in serving patients confronting life-altering health challenges.

For a workplace environment heavily dependent on sensitive personal interactions, Covid-19 lockdown initially handed Novocure some daunting challenges. Spontaneous brainstorming and creative problem-solving were core components of their workplace culture and adapting to a Zoom world required intentional efforts to keep everyone engaged. Corporate leaders like Pritesh have had to reconsider what worked and didn't within the virtual context and what the post-pandemic era's hybrid workplaces will need in order to thrive. Whether in bio-sciences or any other sector, going forward the most successful workplaces will require openness, intentionality, adaptability and a clear commitment to communication from leadership throughout the enterprise.

Key Takeaways:

• Scott offers a big thanks for last month's record number of downloads and ongoing social media support.

• A bit about the podcast's new sponsor, Workvivo, an internal communications platform connecting people to their organizations all around the world. Learn more about Workvivo

• The podcast opens with some background about Novocure, an online platform whose mission is to help patients by providing critical, cutting-edge information.
• Pritesh's academic and professional background as a pharmacist provide a unique perspective on the science as well as ability to communicate critical life sciences information.
• Novocure is an investigational device that leverages physics to fight cancer with an alternative approach that deploys electrical Tumor Treating Fields to disrupt cell division.
• The company's cultural orientation is 100% patient-forward at every juncture along individual cancer journeys.
• Empathy as a front-and-center core value at Novocure and how it shows up in the company's day-to-day interactions with clients and co-workers alike.
• How Covid-19 isolated people from one another and challenged Novocure's ethic of empathy. (Short answer: Creative leadership was key.)
• Measures Novocure encouraged to ensure empathy internally despite the pandemic's impact and limitations on face-to-face contact:
• • Carve out time to create a space (such as virtual "coffee hours") for individuals to connect without a business agenda.
  • Connect on a peer level by staying open and organically sharing personal experiences and information (about pastimes or coping strategies or favorite digital media sites, for example).
  • Using audio rather than video as a different avenue to cultivate deeper connection and focused communication.
• Innovation as central to Novocure's leadership objective and cultural value set.
• Limited options and other constraints (such as an inability to communicate face to face) can sometimes yield more tangible results than wide-open playing fields.
• Workplace cultures that sanction "failure" foster out-of-the-box ideas and innovation.
• Internal communications and a culture of psychological trust are critical to nurturing long-term organizational growth.
• Debrief sessions and what they reveal through surveys, qualitative interviews, summary booklets and sharing sessions across different groups and internal functions.
• Internal communications are critical to cultivating knowledge sharing and employee engagement.
• Looking ahead: The future model for organizations based on research coming out versus reality on the ground.
• Novocure places a high priority on productivity – both in terms of work product and ways in which employees engage internally and communicate to stakeholders outside the organization.
• The importance of defining new parameters for the flexible workplace and establishing the best fit for any given situation.
• • Working virtually can increase focus, decrease stress and commute time.
  • Valuable problem-solving and bonding that occur with spontaneous, unscheduled conversation are not to be underestimated.
• Thoughts on leadership in the context of distributed work environments – the skills, ability and time to manage. Key aspects to consider:
• • Well-defined vision and purpose as powerful drivers of employee engagement and motivation.
  • Creating a space for all team members within the constraints of hybrid platforms that are neither all-virtual nor all-live.
  • Ensuring frequent, high-quality connections and internal communication among leadership, teams and individual employees.
• When it comes to the workplace, the post-pandemic future will be iterative and individualized based on leadership and overall corporate cultural values.

More information about Pritesh and Novocure is available at:

www.novocure.com or @Pritesh Shah on LinkedIn

Learn more about Scott McInnes, founder and director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

To discover Workvivo, a workplace communication platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here..

There's real power in doing something nice for someone else - someone in work, a relative or a friend. But, like many things, we often don't take the time to stop and take action. What we forget is that those actions only take a few minutes but could really make someone's day.

So what will you do to be nice to someone today? Yep, go on, right now! :-)

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'Scott's Thoughts' is a new short-form podcast in which Scott gives his tuppenceworth on subjects in the areas of leadership, employee engagement, organisational culture and internal communications.

#buildingbettercultures #scottsthoughts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

On this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott welcomes guest Jen Grogono to talk all things internal communications and why Jen believes every organization should start an internal podcast. Jen is the president and CEO of uStudio, an internal communications company that began as a video streaming platform. But with the launch of their app in 2018, uStudio took off to become the premier platform for organizations wanting to communicate more effectively with their workforce. Now over 100 large enterprises use uStudio's services every day, including Nike, Morgan Stanley, Boston Consulting Group, and others.

With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the typical modes of internal communication: in-person meetings, email, and conference calls were disrupted, as more and more teams turned to things like Zoom to retain that modicum of communication. uStudio's push for organizations to create podcasts to internally communicate when other modes of communication were no longer an option took off. Although individuals may still be wary of communicating via video, the audio of podcasts is highly accessible to everyone, no matter their role in an organization. Scott and Jen discuss the benefits of adding an internal podcast to your internal communications channel mix , and why it's primarily a matter of overcoming fear and doubt that keeps team members from pulling the trigger and "just doing it" when it comes to starting an internal podcast.

Scott and Jen's conversation then shifts to introduce uStudio's 6 P's of podcasting and why they're each important for individuals to remember when starting an internal podcast. The 6 P's are:

• People
• Programming
• Production
• Publishing
• Promotion
• Performance

Each P is essential for a successful podcast, Jen said, but programming, or creating the show episode framework, is the trump card when it comes to creating a podcast that your people will not only listen to, but also enjoy. Second to programming is people, Jen said, and making sure the people involved are all on board with this new communication venture, especially your company's IT staff.

Scott and Jen wrap up their conversation by telling listeners the first step to get going with an internal podcast: getting the people aligned. Once everyone is on board with the podcast, the mechanics behind it become secondary.

Find out more about the 6 P's of Podcasting here.

Check out uStudio and the variety of services they offer to businesses here.

Our Partners

We're proud to say that we've partnered with Workvivo to bring you the Building Better Cultures Podcast. Workvivo has built an employee communication platform that combines the power of a social network, intranet, and employee app into one familiar digital experience that employees love. For more see www.workvivo.com

A key part of #internalcomms success is knowing what people want and if what you're doing is meeting their (and your) needs.

And the best way to find that out is to ask them. In this ep of 'Scott's Thoughts', he talks about considering how effective your communications are from three perspectives - company, team and individual.

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'Scott's Thoughts' is a new short-form podcast in which Scott gives his tuppenceworth on subjects in the areas of leadership, employee engagement, organisational culture and internal communications.

#buildingbettercultures #scottsthoughts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

In this episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott explores the Five Pillars for a Human Workplace with his guest, Dr. Jerry Gule, who has devoted a rich human resources career to working in multiple capacities towards creating healthy, inclusive workplace cultures. As CEO of the Institute of People Management in Johannesburg, South Africa, Jerry has had a front seat on the huge challenges and transformations that have occurred since apartheid ended a quarter century ago. He has helped managers proactively enfranchise workers and invite honest exchanges. He explains exactly how effective internal communications reflect enlightened leadership and transmit a message of inclusion, purpose and safety that resonates among personnel at every level.

Over the course of a remarkable career he has evolved Five Pillars for creating an environment in which the overarching culture is a unified and affirming: Yes! The ultimate goal is to inspire cultural changes in which all boats rise together.

Jerry walks us through his Five Pillars, sharing in detail his personal experience as well as what he sees globally in terms of evolving leadership approaches and constantly improving internal communications. Listen as he lays out his basic tenets for ensuring a humane workplace, which include:

• Be sociable.
• Psychological safety.
• Have a sharing culture.
• Have structures.
• Have spiritual connection/a sense of purpose.

More information about Dr. Jerry Gule's lecture at the Working Places Inspirathon mentioned in the podcast is available here.

The Institute of People Management supports HR professionals through continuous professional development workshops, mentorship and conference opportunities. For more information visit: Institute of People Management

Key Takeaways:

• A big thank-you to listeners who have now lifted us past 20,000 downloads.
• An introduction to Jerry and how Scott first encountered his work.
• Jerry provides some background on his 30-year human resources career – from the 1980s, when he first joined the Institute of People Management as a member to taking on his current executive role in 2017.
• Jerry reflects on the end of apartheid and subsequent social/workplace change.
• The significance of the question: What kind of colleague do you want to be?
• Values must be embedded in the hearts of people up and down the business.
• The message behind the Zulu phrase: "Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu." – I am because you are
• Pandemic drove home our interconnectedness as humans and within the workplace. We are all in the same boat, and need/desire to row together.
• Jerry shares his Five Pillars for creating humane workplaces:
  • Be sociable. (Even, or especially, when working remotely.)
  • Psychological safety. (Without an atmosphere that is inclusive, trusting and open, employees will never be able to bring their A Game.)
  • Have a sharing culture. (A give-and-take that promotes teamwork, leverages people's strengths and creates a sense of abundance.)
  • Have structures. (Boundaries ironically foster fluidity, offering individuals a container within which they can experiment, explore and create together.)
  • Have spiritual connection/a sense of purpose. (Just as star athletes leave their hearts on the field, the most fulfilled workers go 100% each day.)

Jerry's defines his view of success and highlights the benefits that will accrue to those who cultivate a workplace (regardless sector) built upon his Five Pillars.

Along with Zoom, email usage has grown exponentially as billions of people globally have been forced to work remotely. Sadly, it's not all good email - too long, too short, too abrubt, unclear what the ask is, too many CCs, and so on and so forth.

So in this episode a few hints and tips to ensure your emails hit the mark (and not the delete key!)

'Scott's Thoughts' is a new short podcast format in which Scott gives his tuppenceworth on subjects in the areas of leadership, employee engagement, organisational culture and internal communications.

#buildingbettercultures #scottsthoughts #inspiringchange #creatingconnections

In this inaugural episode of the Building Better Cultures podcast, Scott invites listeners to consider the brave new world that has suddenly arrived, thanks to Covid19. While pandemic upended lives around the globe, it also has presented myriad opportunities on every level of society – and perhaps most especially among information and other workers whose "new normal" offers all kinds of positive change.

Featuring Kevin Empey, the visionary behind the leadership and organisational consulting firm WorkMatters, this episode deconstructs the good, the not-so-good and the abundantly possible that await us in a post-pandemic world. Flexible hybrid workplaces, increased empathy and internal communication across silos; creative approaches to differing styles of work and a new openness to hiring across geographic barriers – these are just a few of the topics discussed. Kevin and Scott devote considerable time to challenges at the fore for HR Directors and Chief People Officers, who are right now working out how to manage expectations, optimize employee engagement and promote the candid conversations that will need to happen as managers and employees transition into work cultures whose stories have not yet been written. Awareness, agility and even vulnerability are critical to making the most of this burgeoning world -- and dependent in large part on leaders who are open to new modes of thinking, working and reckoning with the fact that the old models and modes may not serve going forward.

Key Takeaways:

• A bit about Kevin's route to founding WorkMatters, including work in the IT sector and management training that introduced him to concepts around leadership.
• Kevin started to notice a significant shift in the world of work about a decade ago, including ever quicker cycles of change and disruption.
• Lessons learned over the past 12 months of pandemic about how we work and which best practices are there to bring forward.
• Covid19 and the mandate to work at home counterintuitively brought co-workers closer together through the power of resilience, empathy and vulnerability.
• What are the corporate implications and individual ramifications of a post-pandemic world?
• People are asking themselves post-pandemic about their individual journey and what it means for organisations in terms of change and adaptation.
• New business models that are starting to emerge: Free-form culture on one end and completely office-based culture on the other – and many companies trying to find a place somewhere in the middle.
• Experimentation will go hand-in-hand with developing new ways of working and incorporating flexibility as well as full employee engagement.
• The essence of agility for more traditional workplace models is about distinguishing what actually works and is valid while also staying open to the growth mindset.
• Staying open is a critical trait for effective leaders, who have the opportunity to embrace new ideas and cultural change.
• Pandemic offered leaders the chance to pause, consider, review their effectiveness and perhaps consider a reset.
• Expectation Management: Breaking the traditional power struggle that often goes on in performance-based conversations.
• Best Practices for the future and getting through a period of transition requires fearless reckoning and vulnerability in addressing inevitable. Steps to consider:
  • Candid conversations that enfranchise the opinions and engage the imagination of employees.
  • Realistically scoping the core elements of the experimental phase and getting focused on achievable goals.
  • Be ready for challenges and empower employees so they can remain agile and resilient through the transition period.
• In a new world of work that is going to be much more fully distributed, there will be a learning curve for those who haven't had previous experience with managing a hybrid workforce.
• Benefits that organisations can expect going forward:
  • Engagement and a sense of stake-holding among teams of employees.
  • New adaptive skills applicable to whatever next workplace context.
  • "Future-proofing" workplaces for inevitable disruptions down the line.
  • Freedom from old assumptions that constrained free access to resources rather than owning in-house skills.
• Risks to organisations post-pandemic: Unrelenting erosion of boundaries between work and personal life.

There's a lot more to flexing work than "where." There will have to be a reexamination of "when" and "how" work gets done.

After 12 months of Covid, Zoom and Teams have become the go-to comms channel for many companies. It isn't always the right answer but, when it is, Scott outlines some best practice for both organisers and attendees on calls.

A new short podcast format in which Scott gives his tuppenceworth on subjects in the areas of leadership, employee engagement, organisational culture and internal communications.

#buildingbettercultures #scottsthoughts #inspiringchange #creating connections

First up in this new series of short pods is the hot topic of hybrid working and a few thoughts on what Scott believes are key building blocks for success - cultures based on trust, agreed working practices to ensure good work-life balance and human leaders.

A new short podcast format in which Scott gives his tuppenceworth on subjects in the areas of leadership, employee engagement, organisational culture and internal communications.

#buildingbettercultures #scottsthoughts #inspiringchange #creating connections

This episode of Inspiring Change takes on a topic that is top of mind for businesses around the world: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Scott welcomes three women who are at the forefront of the conversation, offering insights on making people of all backgrounds feel welcome – and valuable – in the workplace. Hosts of the Calm Edged Rebels podcast, Advita Patel, Trudy Lewis and Jenni Field, share their expertise, experience and ideas.

The conversation covers challenges associated with educating and inspiring genuine commitment on the part of leaders, changing workplace culture and engaging employees. The guests share insights on what makes for meaningful change. The process is not straightforward. It requires clear priorities, fearless and frank conversation and a program to roll out real, sustainable change. But, as Scott's guests explain, there are common hurdles: generational assumptions, laziness, fear and awkwardness when it comes to tackling learned behaviors. By bringing awareness, however, internal communications professionals can set the stage for transformation.

Scott wraps up the episode with questions about the bottom-line benefits DEI brings, according to myriad reports and studies. Advita, Jenni and Trudy also tease out some of the ancillary benefits, such as employee retention and fresh perspectives. They also share concrete places to establish meaningful change by ensuring diverse representation in board rooms, at conferences, among interview participants and through training and development materials. After listening to this podcast, you'll understand the "say-do gap" and how making a commitment to meaningful DEI measures translates into enlightened leadership, employee engagement, enhanced profitability and changes in the workplace that will pay huge cultural dividends for generations to come.

Additional episodes of Inspiring Change are available here.

Key Takeaways:

• DEI – diversity, equity and inclusion – is clearly definable and important.
• Diversity and inclusivity stall for a number of (mostly non-malicious) reasons.
• Is entrenched racism and bias at the root of intransigence when it comes to changing workplace cultures?
• The goal isn't for people to assert that they aren't racist. It's for everyone to enjoin in being anti-racist.
• Statements of intent are not the same thing as meaningful change. Are businesses making actual, tangible commitments to DEI? Unfortunately, there are "say-do" gaps.
• Exemplary organizations are out there – and reaping concrete business benefits.
• There are demonstrable, empirical financial benefits to implementing DEI.
• In addition to benefiting the bottom line, DEI also enriches the workplace culture.
• Better retention is a huge value-add for companies that institute meaningful DEI.
• Practical ways in which organizations are implementing change, including creating safe spaces and increasing intentionality about participants in interviews, conferences and meetings.
• The role of leadership: "Glocal" requires not just organization-wide alignment but also committed, visionary leadership.
• Closing thoughts on critical first steps.