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Ever wondered what propels a high-performance team? Vic is on this special Amplified only podcast, with co-host Pippa Hutchinson to give you an insider's view.  

We dig deep into the dynamics of highly productive teams, who are not just aligned and collaborative, but also exhibit a strong sense of belonging. 

If you’re struggling with team productivity,  being asked to do more with less or even flat headcount.  Then we have some answers.

We explore how the tech industry measures speed of execution, the new metric for  differentiation and introduce you to a tool that's revolutionizing team dynamics: the Speed Check.

This tool measures your team's execution prowess across four key pillars: purpose, trust, clarity, and simplicity. We also dissect common red flags like high clarity and low trust, and the deceptive phenomenon of artificial harmony. Prepare to shift your perspective as we underscore the importance of simplicity as a mindset and the power of every voice being heard. Buckle up for an enlightening ride into the heart of team performance.

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What a thought provoking session Sam and I had with the highly engaging and incredibly energising Ben Pearce.

Ben has two decades of tech go to market under his belt with Microsoft. The later 10 years, as a leader he realised he didn’t need to coach his team on the tech stuff, but the critical human skills needed to influence both internal stakeholders and customers.

Packed with practical tips on key point retention, next step strategies, and the art of storytelling. Ben walks us through his super simple AOREN framework (which btw we are now putting into practice already at Amplified Group 😃)

You can down load it here 

This episode is a treasure trove of insights for anyone looking to master communication and leadership in the tech industry. If you're ready to take your tech skills to the next level, this is the episode for you.

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How do we make space in our work life for everyone to have a voice? What better person to speak to than Mark Murphy, Director of Global Partner Marketing at Cisco.


Mark shares his experience of fostering and supporting a culture of inclusivity at Cisco. One of Mark’s many great roles involved co-leading the Cisco Pride and LGBTQ+ global community. His story is not just about leadership, but also about fostering respect, truth-telling, and positive intent in the workplace.


We love the analogy of using our elbows to make space – about using our voices and clearing space so that everyone can be heard and feel valued.


The conversation moves on to discuss how we all have to move fast in the tech industry, every single day. It’s a team sport – all the way to the customer. Mark shares how his experiences have shaped his approach to teamwork and collaboration. Inclusivity is the key to driving effectiveness in this fast-paced industry.


It’s a positivity fuelled episode. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we clearly did recording it!

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How do you cope with stress in the workplace?  Do you ever feel like your stress is managing you rather than the other way around? 


​We came across a wonderful sketchnote by Dr Hayley Lewis and knew we had to get her back for a chat on Get Amplified to delve into this some more.​

​Stress can affect all of us at different times. Hayley is quick to point out that not all stress is bad and that we should recognise sometimes it is good - it gives us adrenaline when we need it.​

​There isn't one size fits all when it comes to stress. Hayley highlights how we need to understand the root causes and to put interventions in place when needed. ​

​
One of the differentiators in high performance teams is that team members really know each other and have found ways to complement and compromise with each other.​


If you do nothing else, be curious about your colleagues and your team. Ask questions – people don't have to share if they don't want to, but if someone knows you care, that means something. As human beings we are geared towards human connection and belonging. ​

​

Hayley leaves us with these key takeaways:​​

• Stress is nothing to feel ashamed of. It shows you are human.​
• Reach out for help that feels safe to you. Might be a manager, coach, mentor, friend, colleague. ‘a problem shared is a problem halved. Get it out of your head.​
• Look for the root causes. Don’t deal with the symptoms. Put in interventions that deal with that.​

Hayley references some great tools and information which we will share in an upcoming blog.​

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How strategic is HR within your organisation? 

In this episode, Chris Woodward, a workforce transformation consultant,  joins  the conversation  with Sam and Vic around moving from a resource-based view of managers to a talent-based view where everybody has potential. 

We need to ensure the value of strategic HR is known. We need to think about how to maximise the potential of people. And that takes leadership.

Chris discusses that leadership is the game changing area to focus on. It's not just about those at the top - leadership is for everybody.

There is so much in this podcast. Here's a peek at the key takeaways:

• Discretionary effort from your people and teams genuinely has potential for game changing results.
• Talent. There’s an opportunity to support HR to support you. Help HR be more strategic. Be more innovative in how you attract and retain talent.
• Really value the importance of trust and collaboration in your organisation. This underpins a high performing team and results for your organisation.

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After a Get Amplified break we're back with a flurry of exciting new guests. We kick off September by looking outside of the tech industry to see what we can learn from the Pharma industry. 

Not only are both industries affected by high attrition, particularly through Covid, but both share the same challenges of time to market – of people being pulled in different directions, with too much workload and less people to do it. 

Ian shares with us his fascinating experience particularly around decision making and the importance of bringing together a cross functional team of people to successfully manage projects.

With only 1 in 100 drugs making it through to a successful registration process and 1 in 4 making back the investment, it's a 7-12 year investment timeframe. A fascinating contrast to the speed of technology development and expected return.

Ian tells us how projects involve 3 key constraints which have to be managed effectively if you want a successful outcome. These are: time, quality, cost. If you reduce time, you increase cost. 

It's a fascinating insight into managing a triangle of competing needs.

#podcast #pharma #leadership #projectmanagement #crossfunctional #team #clinicaltrials

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We had such fun recording this podcast, it is relevant for everyone. Andy Hunt gives us a sneak peek into the conversations and insights he focuses on as a CEO coach. The lessons Andy shares are not just for CEOs, but for any leader or aspiring leader. 

We touch on a wealth of topics such as:

1) How the best leaders are coaches.
2) Why culture is a vehicle for scale (it's a magnet).
3) The difference between a manager and a leader.  
4) Be humble, be curious. You don't need to have all the answers.
5) Know your blind spots and what to do about them.

Andy talks passionately about the importance of having a coach. "Wherever you are in your career, get a coach. It was life changing for me." 

Enjoy listening. An episode not to be missed!

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We’re writing a book! We have the structure and contents – we just need some real-life stories to support each of the chapters to bring the book to life. 

And that’s where you come in . . . we’d love you to be part of what we’re doing. 

About the book

Title: Finding your TeamX™ - Why leave teamwork to chance when there is a proven process? 

If only there was a way to take all the best bits of how we work together as a team and make it sustainable all the time – wouldn’t that be great? Read on…   

You’ve just stepped up to lead a team. You’re going to be unstoppable together. You dream of great collaboration, of team members not hesitating to help each other. Your team members can’t imagine working anywhere else. Together you’re a leading light in your organisation. 

So where do you start?   

When we learn about business we are taught about organisational structure, finance, go-to-market strategy, and sales, but we are not taught the process of building a strong team. 

Should it just be down to luck?

We don’t think so. We think this should be taught, which is why we’ve created this book about building great team experience (we call it TeamX™). We want you to know what we wish we’d known 20 years ago.   

Discover a pragmatic operating system that can help any team work more effectively together.   

When we enjoy what we do and feel supported, both the people and the business benefit.  After all, you are the best asset your business has!   

Chapter Contents

If you think you have a story that fits with any of the titles below, good, bad, or ugly, we would love to hear from you! 

Part 1 – Purpose 

Chapter 1: Find your purpose beyond the numbers 

Chapter 2: Take off your functional hat - The importance of having a joint purpose 

Chapter 3: Point to your North Star 

Part 2 – Trust 

Chapter 4: Understand your team dynamics  

Chapter 5: Gain psychological safety 

Chapter 6: Hire based on values 

Part 3 – Clarity 

Chapter 7: Build guard rails 

Chapter 8: Gain alignment 

Chapter 9: Enable accountability 

Part 4 – Simplicity 

Chapter 10: Order your priorities 

Chapter 11: Agree what you are stopping 

Chapter 12: Build simplicity as a habit  

Book Recommendation

Here’s a link to the Steve Jobs eBook that Vic referenced:

Make Something Wonderful | a book from the Steve Jobs Archive

How to get in touch

Drop us a message: [email protected]

Message us via LinkedIn

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Diversity - hot topic or over used word? Whatever your view on this, so many of us are guilty of hiring who we know. It’s hard to disagree with Lee when he says we all need to build more diverse networks.  

Lee Higgins, Founder of Diverse Talent Networks, shares with us why we should think ‘culture add’ instead of ‘culture fit’ and why thinking value aligned will allow for more diversity of thought - a topic we are very passionate about at the Amplified Group.

Here’s the key takeaways and book recommendation:

Key takeaways

·        Widen your circle and diversify your network

·        Be proactive so when it is hiring time you are starting with a more diverse pool of talent

·        Think about culture add – even if hiring through traditional means. Who’s adding to that culture?

·        Recognise that you have more influence than you think

We like Lee’s comment, “Make change happen for good” with actions instead of window dressing.

Find out more about Diverse Talent Networks
https://www.diversetalentnetworks.com/

Follow them on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/diverse-talent-networks/

Book Recommendation:

 Alex Budak - Becoming a Changemaker

Becoming a Changemaker: An Actionable, Inclusive Guide to Leading Positive Change at Any Level (Audio Download): Alex Budak, Alex Budak, Balance: Amazon.co.uk: Books

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We are constantly being asked if it is possible to build trust in teams that are not in the office together. The short answer is YES! 

But don’t hear it from us, in this episode of Get Amplified, Sam and Vic are joined by Tony Roberts a Customer Success Leader at Okta who shares how investing in time to not only introduce his team to the Five Behaviours but how turning into team muscle has really paid off. 

The conversation starts by asking why teams are struggling to build trust and why trust is so important. Tony tells us about finding the magic when realising he’d created a team of mentors. As people take the time to get to know each other, they are building bonds - people are much more willing to step in and help each other without being asked.

This is a great podcast to hear how by putting the foundations in place to build a healthy team, the results come more easily.

Book Recommendation

Tony recommends the book, The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate the Three Essential Virtues: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni

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