Sheep Dip with Raising the Baa

What struck ewe most from this episode - and why?

 In this first episode of our new season we're delighted to welcome not one but two guests. 

Both are consultants at Talogy, which combines psychology and technology to help organisations such as M&S and BBC to develop their talent.

Business psychologists Sally Tanski and Shahani Jayesinghe have extensive experience of guiding companies and coaching their people for optimum performance and well-being.

We discuss:

* How individuality matters. For sheep too - yes really 🐑 
* Self-awareness and taking accountability for your own wellness
* The need for companies to create the right conditions and initiatives
* Interrupting behaviour patterns through intuition - being adaptive
* Subtle influencing through leading by example

And we hear some great examples of low and no-cost initiatives from Talogy themselves, including the delightfully entitled 'random rendezvous'. 

As you would expect, Head Shepherd and co-founder of Raising the Baa chimes in with analogies from the world of sheep and sheep-dogs - bringing some surprising insights to Sally and Shahani!

See links below for free access to Talogy's insightful recent article and webinar on the theme of Social Capital, as discussed in this episode.

And here's Shahani's book recommendation: Atomic Habits by James Clear

Questions?  We love 'em!  Simply message us through any of our social channels or email [email protected] and we'll ensure it is answered in a future episode or privately by one of our guest experts whichever is most suitable.

Enjoy - and thank ewe for listening 😊🎧

FREE resources:

'How Can Leaders Rebuild Social Capital?' article written by Sally and Shahani
'Reconnecting with Social Capital' webinar presented by Shahani


Connect with the speakers via LinkedIn:
Sally Tanski - Managing Consultant, Talogy
Shahani Jayesinghe - Principal Consultant, Talogy
Caroline Palmer - Top Dog and co-founder, Raising the Baa
Chris Farnsworth - Head Shepherd and co-founder, Raising the Baa

What are your main team challenges and desires?  Maybe we can help?
Book in a 15-minute Exploratory Call now and let's see.

What struck ewe most from this episode - and why?

Good Mental Health is Good Business.

So says the brochure of Aurora Wellness Group, co-founded by culture change strategist Ngozi Weller with psychologist and behavioural change specialist Obehi Alofoje.

Ngozi had a truly compelling reason for launching Aurora and she opens up this episode by telling us her impactful and at times heart-wrenching story. 

We go on to discuss:
- why looking after people is a win-win for ALL companies and how it impacts the bottom line
- practical ways to support line managers, the front line in looking after your teams
- who looks after the HR crew (and the shepherds!)

Ngozi's thoughts and tips are, as always, interspersed with analogies to the world of shepherding brought alive by Chris, Head Shepherd and co-founder of Raising the Baa.

Questions?  We love 'em!  Simply message us through any of our social channels or email [email protected] and we'll ensure it is answered either ourselves or by one of our guest experts, whichever is most suitable.

Enjoy - and thank ewe for listening 😊🎧


FREE resources:
Rise of the New Leader - white paper produced by Aurora
The Wellbeing Rebellion - Aurora's podcast
Aurora Wellbeing Toolkit - find out how to start changing your corporate culture, for good.

Sheep, Shepherd or Dog - which one are ewe? Take our personality quiz and find out.

Connect with the speakers via LinkedIn:
Ngozi  Weller - Director and co-founder, Aurora Wellness Group
Caroline Palmer - Top Dog and co-founder, Raising the Baa
Chris Farnsworth - Head Shepherd and co-founder, Raising the Baa & author of 'Sheep Shepherd Dog - Building a Magnificent Team Around You'

What are your main team challenges and desires?  Maybe we can help?
Book in a 15-minute Exploratory Call now and let's see.

What struck ewe most from this episode - and why?

Two big themes come through loud and clear to us in our interview with this week's guest:

PURPOSE and ASKING

Michelle Reid is Director of Performance Culture and Delivery at the Edinburgh-based Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM). 

Having progressed within her 7 years at IOM from HR Manager to a seat on the Board, Michelle is clearly an utterly authentic 'people person'.   

We loved the way she doesn't just talk theory.  Practically all her points are illustrated, sensitively, by real-life stories from life at IOM.

Upon joining the IOM, Michelle asked every member of staff (around 100 at the time) just FOUR questions.  They may be simple but their answers were like gold-dust.  The answers provided the IOM's first people plan.  And they could create yours' too.

Michelle's thoughts and tips are, as always, interspersed with analogies to the world of shepherding brought alive by Chris, Head Shepherd and co-founder of Raising the Baa.

Questions?  We love 'em!  Simply message us through any of our social channels or email [email protected] and we'll ensure it is answered in a future episode or privately by one of our guest experts whichever is most suitable.

Enjoy - and thank ewe for listening 😊🎧

Connect with the speakers via LinkedIn:
Michelle Reid - Director of Performance Culture and Delivery, Institute of Occupational Medicine
Caroline Palmer - Top Dog and co-founder, Raising the Baa
Chris Farnsworth - Head Shepherd and co-founder, Raising the Baa & author of 'Sheep Shepherd Dog - Building a Magnificent Team Around You'

What are your main team challenges and desires?  Maybe we can help?
Book in a 15-minute Exploratory Call now and let's see.

What struck ewe most from this episode - and why?

Having left her corporate HRD career in 2020, Carolyn Hobdey is passionate about improving workplace culture - or community as she prefers to call it - through human-centred leadership.

Carolyn is achieving this through her Midlife Mistress platform, making your (mid)life matter and more recently as co-founder of BEing HUMAN at the Farm Club, a rural leadership wellbeing space.

In our conversation with Carolyn, learn about:
- our personal micro-climate
- how to save time and money by asking your team members the right questions
- thinking holistically - become a corporate athlete
- the 6 SIMPLE strategies for No More People Problems [*free* download in Resources section below]

Carolyn's words of wisdom will be interspersed with analogies to the world of shepherding brought alive by Chris, Head Shepherd and co-founder of Raising the Baa. 

Questions?  We love 'em!  Simply message us through any of our social channels or email [email protected] and we'll ensure it is answered in a future episode or privately by one of our guest experts whichever is most suitable.

Enjoy - and thank ewe for listening 😊🎧

Free resources:
Carolyn's whitepaper: 6 SIMPLE strategies for No More People Problems

FREE resource:
Sheep, Shepherd or Dog - which one are ewe? Take our personality quiz and find out.

Connect with the speakers via LinkedIn:
Carolyn Hobdey - Consultant, Educator, Speaker and Author / The Midlife Mistress
Caroline Palmer - Top Dog and co-founder, Raising the Baa
Chris Farnsworth - Head Shepherd and co-founder, Raising the Baa & author of 'Sheep Shepherd Dog - Building a Magnificent Team Around You'

What are your main team challenges and desires?  Maybe we can help?
Book in a 15-minute Exploratory Call now and let's see.

What struck ewe most from this episode - and why?

Welcome back to this season of SheepDip - themed Workplace Wellness.

With a different expert on each show, you will be inspired by their insights and walk away with practical advice on how to create a healthy, sustainable culture for teams to thrive.

Our second guest is Flick Wileman, Global Wellbeing & Engagement Lead at Reckitt, which pursues a cleaner, healthier world through brands such as as Dettol, Vanish and Nurofen.

Hear Flick's incredible journey from a fascinating, and different, childhood, through quitting university after 6 months to a senior global role at a household name company employing over 40,000 people.

Flick's passion for equality, diversity and inclusion comes through loud and clear throughout the interview and she shares truly practical advice on steps to take for your teams' wellbeing. 

Purpose is central to all of Flick's strategies.  And, it all starts, every time, with WHY.

She may have left her first degree course within the first year, but she is now somehow studying, in her own time and through self investment, a BSc in Business Psychology.  She runs to feed her body and mind, since she listens to a podcast whilst doing so. 

🎧 Here are some of Flick's go-to podcasts:
 
Diary of a CEO - Steve Bartlett
Jake Humphrey - The High Performance Podcast
Dr Amanda Potter - The Chief Psychology Officer
 
📚 And the books which have had a major impact on Flick's life:

Start with Why - Simon Sinek
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway - Susan Jeffers
How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
Growth Mindset - Carol Dweck

Questions?  We love 'em!  Simply message us through any of our social channels or email [email protected] and we'll ensure it is answered in a future episode or privately by one of our guest experts whichever is most suitable.

Enjoy - and thank ewe for listening 😊🎧

Connect with the speakers via LinkedIn:
Flick Wileman, Global Wellbeing & Engagement Lead at Reckitt
Caroline Palmer - Top Dog and co-founder, Raising the Baa
Chris Farnsworth - Head Shepherd and co-founder, Raising the Baa & author of 'Sheep Shepherd Dog - Building a Magnificent Team Around You'

What are your main team challenges and desires?  Maybe we can help?
Book in a 15-minute Exploratory Call now and let's see.

What struck ewe most from this episode - and why?

Welcome to the 7th season of SheepDip - themed Workplace Wellness.

With a different expert on each show, you will be inspired by their insights and walk away with practical advice on how to create a healthy, sustainable culture for teams to thrive.

Our first guest is Anastasia Vinnikova, Head of Workplace Wellbeing at MindForward Alliance UK about which you will learn in the show.  With personal experience, as she openly shares, of mental health issues, Anastasia also volunteers much of her precious spare time as a trustee of InspireUK and a Lived Experience Advisor at Samaritans.

Since Anastasia's career background is in early careers we discuss particularly the impact of, for example, hybrid or remote working on those starting out in their careers.  And importantly how to create an environment in which they can grow and feel a sense of belonging from the outset. 

There are two downloads on this topic in the free resources section below.

If this episode prompts any questions, message us through any of our social channels or email [email protected] and we'll ensure it is answered in a future episode or privately by one of our guest experts whichever is most suitable.

Enjoy - and thank ewe for listening :-)

FREE resources (mentioned in the show):

Thriving from the Start - an open mental health network to those in their early careers (or in education and thinking about those first steps into the workforce)

The Time to Act report - into the mental health of young professionals

Connect with the speakers via LinkedIn:
Anastasia Vinnikova - Head of Workplace Wellbeing, City Mental Health Alliance
Caroline Palmer - Top Dog and co-founder, Raising the Baa
Chris Farnsworth - Head Shepherd and co-founder, Raising the Baa & author of 'Sheep Shepherd Dog - Building a Magnificent Team Around You'

What are your main team challenges and desires?  Maybe we can help?
Book in a 15-minute Exploratory Call now and let's see.

What struck ewe most from this episode - and why?

The final episode in our series, The A-Z of Team Building, covers topics beginning with X (ish), Y or Z - all rolled into one show as you might imagine.

We've had a blast with this series which was inspired by the many lessons learned by our clients following their experience of Raising the Baa.  And naturally the learnings have prompted analogies from the world of sheep and dogs, thanks to Head Shepherd & Founder of Raising the Baa, Chris Farnsworth, in these short and lively conversations with Paul Warriner, our Lead Facilitator.

We sincerely hope it's made you think about aspects of team building which might not have come to mind before.  The key of course is to take just one learning and put it into action - so which one will you take?

Enjoy - and thank ewe for listening 😊

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COMPETITION TIME - LAST CHANCE TO ENTER!

In the final draw of the year, the prize is a hand-made sheep's wool hot water bottle cover - to keep ewe snuggly warm in an eco-friendly and ecological way :-)

To enter simply answer this question:

Which X, Y or Z topic is the most craved by team leaders?

Email your response to [email protected], with Sheep Dip in the subject box please.

The draw closes at 23.59 on 31 December 2024 and we'll email the winners the following working day.  One entry per episode. Open to UK residents only.

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FREE resource:
Sheep, Shepherd or Dog - which one are ewe? Take our personality quiz and find out.

Connect with the Speakers via LinkedIn:
Paul Warriner - The Recognition Coach and Associate Facilitator, Raising the Baa
Chris Farnsworth - Head Shepherd and Co-Founder, Raising the Baa

What are your main team challenges and desires?  Maybe we can help?
Book in a 15-minute Exploratory Call now and let's see.

What struck ewe most from this episode - and why?

The penultimate episode in our series, The A-Z of Team Building, covers topics beginning with W relating to the importance of:
- all members of a team being supported
- creating a judgement-free environment
- including everyone in the fold (as it were)
- personal growth and development essential to wider team success
- enthusiasm sometimes needing to be managed
 
This series was inspired by the many lessons learned by our clients following their experience of Raising the Baa. And we punctuate it with a few insights of our own too.

Expect plenty of analogies from the world of sheep and dogs from Head Shepherd & Founder of Raising the Baa, Chris Farnsworth, in these short and lively conversations with Paul Warriner, our Lead Facilitator.

Enjoy - and thank ewe for listening 😊

--------------------------------------------------------
COMPETITION TIME!
In the final draw of the year, the prize is a hand-made sheep's wool hot water bottle cover - to keep ewe snuggly warm in an eco-friendly and ecological way :-)

To enter simply answer this question:

Which W topic is strongly accompanied by its polar opposite, awareness of both being essential?

Email your response to [email protected], with Sheep Dip in the subject box please.

The draw closes at 23.59 on 31 December 2022 and we'll email the winners the following working day.  One entry per episode. Open to UK residents only.

----------------------------------------------------------
FREE resource:
Sheep, Shepherd or Dog - which one are ewe? Take our personality quiz and find out.

Connect with the Speakers via LinkedIn:
Paul Warriner - The Recognition Coach and Lead Facilitator, Raising the Baa
Chris Farnsworth - Head Shepherd and Co-Founder, Raising the Baa

What are your main team challenges and desires?  Maybe we can help?
Book in a 15-minute Exploratory Call now and let's see.

What struck ewe most from this episode - and why?

Our series, The A-Z of Team Building, continues with topics beginning with V including:
- one of THE greatest influencers on the development of a team and its journey to success
- different perspectives being essential for so many reasons
- the optimum use of talent and resources

This series was inspired by the many lessons learned by our clients following their experience of Raising the Baa. And we punctuate it with a few insights of our own too.

Expect plenty of analogies from the world of sheep and dogs from Head Shepherd & Founder of Raising the Baa, Chris Farnsworth, in these short and lively conversations with Paul Warriner, our Lead Facilitator.

Enjoy - and thank ewe for listening 😊

--------------------------------------------------------
COMPETITION TIME!
In the final draw of the year, the prize is a hand-made sheep's wool hot water bottle cover - to keep ewe snuggly warm in an eco-friendly and ecological way :-)

To enter simply answer this question:

Which V topic is featured in both its singular and plural form?

Email your response to [email protected], with Sheep Dip in the subject box please.

The draw closes at 23.59 on 31 December 2022 and we'll email the winners the following working day.  One entry per episode. Open to UK residents only.

----------------------------------------------------------
FREE resource:
Sheep, Shepherd or Dog - which one are ewe? Take our personality quiz and find out.

Connect with the Speakers via LinkedIn:
Paul Warriner - The Recognition Coach and Lead Facilitator, Raising the Baa
Chris Farnsworth - Head Shepherd and Co-Founder, Raising the Baa

What are your main team challenges and desires?  Maybe we can help?
Book in a 15-minute Exploratory Call now and let's see.

What struck ewe most from this episode - and why?

In the shepherding world and at Raising the Baa we find U a perplexing letter to use, as its pronunciation describes a female sheep.  And for those who are familiar with our communications it is apparent that we substitute EWE for U more often than not!
And we love it when people start using it when conversing back since we reckon we've got a real fan 😊

Continuing our series, The A-Z of Team Building, the following topics are unpacked:
- one of the absolute basics underpinning every aspect of a team and its dynamics
- the impact and reasons for change - which elements can last the course
- consequences of one action on another and the importance of communicating them
 
This series was inspired by the many lessons learned by our clients following their experience of Raising the Baa. And we punctuate it with a few insights of our own too.

Expect plenty of analogies from the world of sheep and dogs from Head Shepherd & Founder of Raising the Baa, Chris Farnsworth, in these short and lively conversations with Paul Warriner, our Lead Facilitator.

Enjoy - and thank ewe for listening 😊

--------------------------------------------------------
COMPETITION TIME!
In the final draw of the year, the prize is a hand-made sheep's wool hot water bottle cover - to keep ewe snuggly warm in an eco-friendly and ecological way :-)

To enter simply answer this question:

Which U word might have described Paul, according to Chris at one point during this episode?

Email your response to [email protected], with Sheep Dip in the subject box please.

The draw closes at 23.59 on 31 December 2022 and we'll email the winners the following working day.  One entry per episode. Open to UK residents only.

----------------------------------------------------------
FREE resource:
Sheep, Shepherd or Dog - which one are ewe? Take our personality quiz and find out.

Connect with the Speakers via LinkedIn:
Paul Warriner - The Recognition Coach and Lead Facilitator, Raising the Baa
Chris Farnsworth - Head Shepherd and Co-Founder, Raising the Baa

What are your main team challenges and desires?  Maybe we can help?
Book in a 15-minute Exploratory Call now and let's see.