The vision of one person led to a nation-wide business success which still reflects its founder’s values, 65 years later.

Engineering consultancy Curtins started in the home of founder Bill Curtin and now has 14 offices around the UK and Ireland. 

Curtins' Director of Engagement and Culture Rhiannon Carss explains how Bill’s socialist approach to supporting disadvantaged communities ultimately led the business to becoming employee-owned. The company is also a member of the Purpose Coalition, a network of organisations who are committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity, chaired by former Secretary of State for Education Justine Greening.

Useful links: 

Curtins: https://www.curtins.com/

Engineering Change: Curtins and The Purpose Coalition Lead the Way in Breaking Down Barriers to Opportunity https://www.purpose-coalition.org/impact-reports/curtins

Mastering clear communication about needs and boundaries in the bedroom builds transferrable skills for workplace conversations in the boardroom.  

So says our Culture Reset guest Kanica Saphan, who joined the podcast from her home in Montreal, Canada. Kanica is an unusual executive coach, having trained as a sexologist before adapting her coaching skills to help business leaders to overcome barriers to success.

She explains why her coaching works – and shares tips on how to achieve a better sex life through conversation and simple actions before entering the bedroom. 

Kanica was in conversation with hosts Juliette Kumar and Caroline Kenyon.

Useful resources:

Guided conversation about sex: https://www.kanica.ca/tools/guidedconversationsex

CEOs Often Feel Lonely. Here’s How They Can Cope. Harvard Business Review article here.

The Gottman Institute blog: Six hours a week to a better relationship 

A healthy workplace helps to create a healthy culture – and vice versa, according to our Culture Reset guest Jean-Jacques Sillito.

Jean-Jacques, or JJ as he’s known, is Health Intervention Officer at Liverpool City Council where he is part of the authority’s organisation development team, focussed on support for individuals while building a healthy culture.

The Council’s Chief Operator Officer Jacqui McKinlay, a previous guest on Culture Reset, adds her views on JJ’s pioneering approach and how it fits in with the bigger plan for the organisation.

Useful links:

Sickness absence and health in the workplace: understanding employer behaviour and practice

State of health in the city: Liverpool 2040

What is a Marmot place?

Sarah Clein helps knackered public sector women create enough midlife mojo to lead better - or leave well.

From 30 years in the thick of public sector life to becoming a coach who truly gets it, Sarah shares her raw and honest journey. If you're frantically juggling meetings, family life, and an ever-growing inbox while wondering what fresh menopausal surprise awaits - this one's for you.

We chat about:

• That moment when you realise you're properly knackered and something's got to give

• Navigating the perfect storm of peak career + menopause + life admin

• How to find your mojo when you're running on empty

• Making the leap from public sector to building her own consultancy

Sarah's story will resonate with anyone wondering if this is really 'it' for the next 15-20 years. Whether you're thinking about leading better or leaving well, this episode is packed with proper, practical wisdom from someone who's been there.

Find out more about Sarah Clein by visiting her website www.sarahclein.co.uk and Linktree https://linktr.ee/sarahclein

Resources:

Menopause 

 https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/

 https://www.balance-menopause.com/balance-app/

 Movement 

 Weights  https://www.youtube.com/c/carolinegirvan

 Yoga https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene

 Qigong https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGAs_7W0Ka4

 Mind 

 Mel Robbins – Let Them Theory  https://www.melrobbins.com/podcasts/episode-70

Russell Kennedy - Anxiety - https://drchatterjee.com/a-new-model-for-solving-anxiety-with-dr-russell-kennedy-re-release/

 Intentionology by Lauren Runion - Yoga Nidre for Deep Healing Rest  

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1972081/episodes/16200670-30-minute-yoga-nidra-for-deep-healing-rest?t=0

 Creativity 

 Elizabeth Gilbert – Big Magic 

 Julia Cameron – The Artists Way 

 Street Wisdom – unlock creative thinking (45 mins) (online, audio, walking)

 https://www.streetwisdom.org/audio-walkshop-english

Evidence shows that where structural racism exists, there is a ripple effect of harm that spreads across social groups, patients, staff, communities, populations and organisations.

In the words of our Culture Reset guest Taira Shaffi, tackling racism should be managed in the same way we manage any clinical incident, zero event or harm in healthcare – with the same rigour, attention and momentum.

Taira is Associate Director of Organisational Design and Development for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside; she was in conversation with hosts Caroline Kenyon and Juliette Kumar.

Useful links:

BAME COVID-19 DEATHS – What do we know? Rapid Data & Evidence Review | The Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine 

https://www.cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk/posts/all-together-fairer-our-health-and-care-partnership-plan-2024-2029/

Not-racist v anti-racist: what’s the difference? - BBC Bitesize

What is white privilege? - BBC Bitesize

Social Inequalities Explained in a $100 Race - Please Watch to the End. Thanks. (youtube.com)

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story | TED (youtube.com)

It’s no secret that Liverpool City Council has been through turbulent times in the last few years, with criminal investigations and poorly managed services leading to Government intervention. 

Things are now on the up and the last report from the commissioners sent in to support the Council, showed significant improvement. 

Our guest Jacqui McKinlay joined as Chief Operating Officer in January 2022; she describes the changes that have happened since then; the impact on the 5,000 staff; and the ambition to deliver the best services in the country to a population of a quarter of a million residents. 

In conversation with Juliette Kumar and Caroline Kenyon. 

Intervention at Liverpool City Council: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/inspection-into-the-governance-of-liverpool-city-council

When organisations are in the grip of budget pressures, good intentions can go out of the window. 

In this first episode of Culture Reset podcast, we hear from award winning John Herring, Director of Organisational Development and Culture, NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care 

He shares his insights into how to create a healthy workplace culture within an organisation and across a multi-sector system. And he offers strategies on how to manage behaviours when the pressure is on – and the going gets tough.

John is in conversation with Juliette Kumar and Caroline Kenyon. 

Podcast produced by Kenyons & Co.