The Culture Builders

With the season of giving fast approaching, many of us are in search of something to give. Often this is a fraught process, as we try and choose something we think ‘they will really want’.

Jane Sparrow has a novel and simple idea, and perhaps one that more people than we realise would appreciate and actually need. The gift of time. Time to listen, to interact and to be present.

Looking for something for that special someone in your professional or personal life? Take a listen to this Burst first.

We are joined on this episode by Ian Chambers – CEO of Mind Candy. His organisation is focusing on how to use devices to help children get a better night’s sleep – an area of growing concern, punctuated by an increasing reliance globally on drugs to help combat sleep issues in young people.

Sleep is a cornerstone of health (and something the Bank of Me emphasises as critical for high performance), and Ian talks about the things that we can all do to improve the quality and consistency of sleep, for our children and ourselves. 

As we look for solutions to sleep issues, we also look for culprits. Devices are being slated as the reason we don’t sleep, but, as Ian and Chris discuss, it’s actually our attitude to them, and a total lack of discipline that create the problems. Ian’s company is working to fix this with their Moshi Twilight world, and there’s plenty that we, as adults, can take from this work.

In this Bank of Me burst, Owen Cook talks about his own experiment in paying forward kindness - bringing some unexpected joy to airline crew and helping create a better experience of flight for everyone.

As he explains, it isn't easy... But the rewards are worthwhile. He also highlights that, whether we like it or not, way pay forward far more than we realise - good and bad.

Education is often accused of being ‘behind the times’ in comparison to the commercial world. However, when it comes to recruitment, there is a great deal that business could learn from academia in terms of the care and consideration placed on hiring senior roles. 

This Bank of Me podcast features Edward Clark – Executive Director, LSC Education. He shares his unique perspective on how schools successfully recruit senior roles. The impact of a poor hire for the organisations he works with is tremendous and the steps taken to prevent this are ones that anybody about to hire would do well to consider. 

Recognising the importance of cultural fit, alignment and shared values are areas, which carry equal importance in the process.

There can be very few people listening that do not know who the Red Arrows are - the world's foremost aerial acrobatic display team. Their in-air shows a breathtaking and seen by millions throughout the world. However, the story of what makes them such high performers is just as enthralling.

This deep-dive podcast features an in-depth interview with Andy Morton - Head of Communications for the Red Arrows. He brings to life the behind-the-scenes work of the team and shares some of the key factors that enable them to perform at their best. As with any successful team, trust, team-work, communication and leadership are all critical factors - even more so when you are flying 500 miles an hour and just six feet apart.

We had the opportunity to spend some time with Pam August, Director, Culture Activaiton, for WestJet. It's a brand that, from day one 22 years ago, has done things differently. They don't have passengers they have guests, they aim to Create A Remarkable Experience (CARE) and they are an organisation full of investors.  The figures for aviation are startling - more than 95 percent of carriers go out of business and the profit margins for flying people a thousand miles struggles to make double figures. Yet WestJet has been a major success - 22 year of profit with only two quarters showing a loss. As they expand and take on more routes their complexity is increasing and this is starting to stress-test the organisation's culture and the ability to retain who they are and how they deliver their service. 

Pam talks through the company's journey and digs into the reasons that their culture is so powerful and their service is so popular. With great insights into the 'ownership' culture and a strong view on what works with their people, she is an incredible source of insight and ideas.

Google's latest email update has added quick messages for response. A great tool to burn through your email inbox, but a terrible one when it comes to showing how you value someone.

Appreciation is not an art, it's a habit that requires effort and thought. In this podcast Chris Preston shares two short stories of appreciation and gives tips on how to ensure your own approach to it is working.

Jane Sparrow asks Darren Childs how he manages and builds his own energy to ensure he is match fit to take on the challenges of the CEO role - exploring the need to plan for the long term and recognise that the most challenging roles often come when our energy starts to dip.

Jane Sparrow talks to Darren Childs about the amazing journey that UKTV has been on over the last seven years - going from niche broadcaster to an audience bigger than Channel 5.

Darren talks candidly about the journey they have been on, the ups and downs and the key factors that helped to get UKTV into the Times Top 100 Companies to work for. The first broadcaster in the UK to ever do this.