Why do most organisational change programmes fail?

In this thought‑provoking episode of The Independent Minds, host Michael Millwardand Swedish technology and transformation leader Helena Hörnebrant unpack one of the most misunderstood aspects of organisational development: the difference between change and transformation.

Drawing on her global career across CIO, CDO, MD and project leadership roles, Helena explains why organisations often focus on systems, processes, and structures; but overlook the only element that can truly transform a business: people.

Michael and Helena explore:

• Why traditional change programmes often “do change to people” rather than enabling them to transform for themselves
• How leaders must evolve their style as organisations mature, scale, and face the “never normal” pace of change
• The role of ego, curiosity, and psychological safety in helping teams adopt new ways of working
• Why transformation requires orchestration, not command‑and‑control management
• How cross‑functional collaboration and shared accountability create sustainable, self‑driven improvement
• The growing impact of AI on leadership, employee empowerment, and organisational adaptability

This conversation is rich with practical insight, reflective moments, and real‑world experience. Whether you’re a leader, HR professional, change practitioner, or simply curious about how work is evolving, this episode will challenge your assumptions and expand your thinking.

Discover more about Helena and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

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Keywords

Organisational transformation, change management, leadership development, behavioural change, digital transformation, AI and leadership, cross‑functional teams, workplace culture, employee engagement, modern management, transformation strategy, continuous improvement, business transformation podcast.

Explore what resilience really means at work,

In this episode of Independent Minds, host Michael Millward and leadership trainer, coach, and author Sarah Turner explore one of today’s most talked‑about workplace skills: resilience.

Drawing on her contribution to the anthology Joy at Work and her certification in the Hardiness Resilience Gauge, Sarah breaks down what resilience truly is, why it matters, and how anyone can strengthen it.

Sarah uses the three core components of hardiness:

• Challenge,
• Control, and
• Commitment

To explain how resilience is more that toughing it out and how these factors shape the way we respond to stress, change, and everyday workplace curveballs.

Sarah shares real‑life examples, including how “picking your battles” can transform both your mindset and your relationships at work and at home.

Michael and Sarah explore

• The impact of low resilience on teams and culture,
• How resilience links to emotional intelligence, and
• Why adaptability is just as important as bouncing back.
• How organisations can identify resilience during recruitment

Whether you’re a leader, HR professional, or simply someone navigating modern work, this conversation offers practical insights into building resilience, creating joy at work, and shaping healthier, more productive workplace cultures.

Discover more about Sarah Turner and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The 39-health marker Annual Health Test from York Test; conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance

Visit York Test and use this discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

Keywords

resilience at work, workplace resilience, hardiness resilience gauge, emotional intelligence, leadership development, challenge control commitment, joy at work, Sarah Turner, Michael Millward, Independent Minds podcast, adaptability at work, employee wellbeing, workplace culture, HR insights, recruitment resilience questions

Why honesty, emotional intelligence, and genuine service are the secrets of future sales success

Host Michael Millwardand Jeanne Omlor a Florida‑based specialist in maximizing profits and impact, discuss how selling is evolving.

Jeanne only started to be successful in business when she discovered that most barriers to success are emotional not technical.

Michael and Jeanne explore how modern buyers are becoming more sophisticated, more informed, and far less tolerant of traditional sales tactics.

You will learn why

• Traditional sales techniques based on manipulation are dying out
• There is a growing trend towards transparency in sales.
• A sales person’s reputation is key to their success.
• Understanding a prospect’s marketing awareness using the five levels of buyer sophistication model helps you tailor communication without becoming fake or formulaic.
• The ‘boxes of communication’ model works to help you adapt while remaining authentically yourself.
• The future of sales is #Unfake. Jeanne’s core message: stop performing, stop manipulating, and start serving. Selling should be serving people.

This conversation challenges long‑held assumptions about selling and offers a refreshing, human‑centred alternative. If you’re a leader, entrepreneur, or anyone who needs to influence others ethically, Jeanne’s insights will help you rethink how you show up, communicate, and build trust.

This episode of The Independent Minds is perfect for listeners who enjoy:

• Modern sales psychology
• Ethical business practices
• Emotional intelligence in leadership
• AI‑driven shifts in customer behaviour
• Conversations that make you think — not tell you what to think

Discover more about Jeanne Omlor and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance

Visit York Test and use this discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

When your marketing is working, leads are flowing, and new customers are signing up… yet sales stubbornly refuse to grow, something deeper is going on.

In this thought‑provoking episode of The Independent Minds, host Michael Millward chats with Tamara Ceman, the Practical Marketeer and author of The DIY Marketing Playbook, to explore what really causes a growth plateau, and how you can break through it.

Drawing on 17 years of hands‑on marketing leadership, Tamara explains why plateaus rarely have a single cause. Instead, they emerge from hidden misalignments across acquisition, activation, retention, and most critically positioning. As she puts it in the conversation: “The initial sale is very far from the end of the story. It’s just the beginning.”

Michael and Tamara unpack:

• Why companies often panic and widen the top of the funnel — only to attract poor‑fit leads that churn quickly.
• How sales‑led organisations can unintentionally distort product‑market fit.
• The four common causes of growth plateaus, from dried‑up acquisition channels to “hope‑and‑vibes” retention.
• Why shedding assumptions, egos, and past glories is essential for diagnosing the real problem.
• Practical steps any team can take — even without external consultants — to start uncovering the truth behind stalled growth.

Tamara’s “scout mindset” approach is a refreshing, practical framework for leaders who want to understand why their growth has stalled and what to do next.

This is an episode packed with insight, honesty, and actionable guidance for SaaS founders, marketers, sales leaders, and anyone navigating the messy reality of scaling a business.

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The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, the all-in-one podcasting platform, that really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Fit For Work – The Annual Health Test from York Test; assesses 39-health markers.

Use discount code MIND25.

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Working With and Supporting Employees with Addiction

In this thought‑provoking episode of The Independent Minds, host Michael Millward speaks with Jeff Jones of thefamilyrecoverysolution.com to explore one of the workplace’s most uncomfortable realities: addiction.

Drawing on his personal history and professional experience as a therapist, Jeff explains why addiction is rarely a simple, individual problem. As he puts it, “families are on the front lines… they see this first,” and employers often become the next crucial part of the support system.

Together, Michael and Jeff examine how addiction develops, why behavioural changes at work matter, and how workplace culture can either reduce risks or unintentionally amplify them.

The conversation challenges black‑and‑white thinking and instead encourages employers to recognise the “shades of grey” that define each person’s relationship with addiction. Jeff outlines what a truly supportive employer looks like—one who focuses on whole‑person wellbeing, builds trust, avoids harmful cultural norms, and creates systems that help employees recover rather than fall further.

Whether you’re an HR professional, a leader, or simply someone interested in healthier workplaces, this episode will make you think differently about addiction, support, and the role work plays in recovery.

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, the all-in-one podcasting platform, that really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Fit For Work – The Annual Health Test from York Test; assesses 39-health markers.

Use discount code MIND25.

Being a Guest

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We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

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Why Your Marketing Data Is Letting You Down

Dive into one of the most persistent, and costly, marketing challenges: businesses are making decisions with data that is incomplete, misunderstood, or simply wrong.

Michael Millward speaks with TJ Kelly, a digital sales and marketing practitioner who was with Tier Eleven at the time of recording, but now works with Wicked.

TJ explains, the explosion of devices, platforms, privacy rules, and competing tech ecosystems has fragmented the data marketers rely on. The result? Organisations confidently make decisions based on numbers that only tell half the story.

Michael and TJ explore:

• Why intuition-led marketing still dominates—and why it’s dangerous
• How big tech platforms limit what businesses can see
• The difference between new visitors and truly new customers
• Why attribution is outdated, and contribution is the future
• How anonymised tracking protects users while empowering businesses
• The critical importance of knowing your true cost of customer acquisition

This episode is a must‑listen for anyone involved in marketing, sales, digital strategy, or business growth. It won’t tell you what to think—but it will make you rethink what you think you know about your data.

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, the all-in-one podcasting platform, that really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Visit Threefor information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Fit For Work – The Annual Health Test from York Test; assesses 39-health markers. 

Use discount code MIND25.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training available from WPLC.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

Inner Conflict, Ambition, and the Psychology of Work

In this thought‑provoking episode of The Independent Minds, host Michael Millward sits down with author, hypnotist, veteran, and former intelligence officer Ryan Christensen, the Belief Engineer to explore why so many people struggle internally even while striving externally — and how understanding the mind can transform the way we work.

Drawing on insights from his book Winner Peace: How to End Inner Conflict and Make Success Inevitable, Ryan explains how subconscious patterns, insecure attachment styles, and early life experiences shape our adult behaviour; especially in the workplace.

Ryan introduces two powerful concepts: the Cage, where self‑doubt keeps people from reaching their potential, and the Treadmill, where high performers run endlessly in pursuit of validation.

Together, Michael and Ryan:

• how managers can distinguish genuine ambition from performance driven by insecurity,
• why some employees thrive while others burn out, and
• how leaders can better understand the motivations, strengths, and vulnerabilities of their teams.

They discuss the difference between working to build a life and working to prove a self, the role of ego in workplace politics, and the subtle signs that reveal whether someone is driven by inspiration or fear.

This conversation blends psychology, leadership, personal development, and lived experience, offering managers, HR professionals, and curious employees a fresh lens on human behaviour at work.

As always, The Independent Minds doesn’t tell you what to think, but it certainly gives you plenty to think about.

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, the all-in-one podcasting platform, that really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Visit Threefor information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Fit For Work – The Annual Health Test from York Test; assesses 39-health markers.

Use discount code MIND25.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training available from WPLC.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

Exploring the role of managers and leaders in change management

In this thought‑provoking episode of The Independent Minds Michael Millward meet leadership expert, author, and long‑time educator Paul Thornton to explore a simple idea: improving the status quo.

Drawing on over 20 years in corporate America and two decades teaching leadership and management, Paul shares how small, continuous improvements—and the mindset behind them—can transform teams, organisations, and individual careers.

Michael and Paul

• Unpack the subtle but powerful distinction between managingand leading,
• Examine why many workplaces still operate with expectations rooted in the Industrial Revolution, and
• Explore why shifting from command‑and‑control to collaboration requires both managers and employees to unlearn deeply ingrained behaviours.

Paul explains his “three Ds” of leadership—Directing, Discussing, and Delegating—and how these approaches help people think for themselves, solve problems independently, and ultimately contribute to a healthier, more adaptive organisation.

Rich with practical advice for leaders, managers, and anyone navigating incremental or transformational change, this is a conversation about developing people, evolving processes, and creating workplaces where improvement becomes a natural part of everyday work.

If you’re interested in leadership, organisational culture, or simply making things better without blowing everything up, this episode will make you think—exactly as The Independent Minds intends.

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, the all-in-one podcasting platform, that really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Fit For Work – The Annual Health Test from York Test; assesses 39-health markers. Use discount code MIND25.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training available from WPLC.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

Exploring the often overlooked essential first steps

This episode of The Independent Minds dives into the real, often unseen challenges of taking a founder‑led business beyond its home borders. Michael Millward speaks with international growth specialist Nadia Pace, whose career has been dedicated to helping organisations in Malta, Greece, Cyprus, the UK, Africa and Asia navigate the complex journey of expanding into new jurisdictions.

Drawing directly from the conversation “Internationalization can be very costly, especially for small, medium-sized enterprises” and “having a trusted local partner can facilitate a great deal” this episode explores:

• Why founders’ emotional attachment to their business can both drive and complicate international growth
• How to choose the right market based on data, sustainability and future potential
• The importance of cultural alignment, political stability and economic context
• Why partnerships, joint ventures and acquisitions can accelerate expansion
• The hidden pitfalls: currency restrictions, time‑zone strain, employment law surprises, and the realities of starting from zero in a new country
• The value of independent advisors who can spot blind spots founders may miss

Nadia shares candid insights from her work with SMEs and founder‑managed organisations, highlighting the delicate balance between ambition, practicality and organisational readiness. Michael brings his HR and compliance expertise to the discussion, adding real‑world examples of how seemingly small details; like marital status or local employment norms; can derail international expansion plans.

This is a thoughtful, experience‑rich conversation for founders, leaders and anyone curious about what it really takes to grow a business internationally.

As always, The Independent Minds doesn’t tell you what to think, but it certainly aims to make you think.

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, the all-in-one podcasting platform, that really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Fit For Work – The Annual Health Test from York Test; assesses 39-health markers.

Use discount code MIND25.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training available from WPLC.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

Creativity, Process, and the Future of Recruitment

In this thought‑provoking episode of Independent Minds, host Michael Millward meets Darren Tompkins,  founder and CEO of Veda Ray Companies. Together they explore the often‑misunderstood relationship between creativity and process—and why getting that balance right matters more than ever in today’s workplace.

Drawing on a career that spans the US military, oil and gas, executive recruitment, and even film production, Darren shares how structure shaped his early professional life and how creativity became the essential counterweight. As he puts it, “Variety is the spice of life and creativity is too.”

Michael and Darren dig into some of the most pressing challenges in modern recruitment:

• Why the post‑COVID world has shifted from an employer’s market to a candidate‑driven market
• How cultural fit now matters as much as technical skill
• The dangers of “creative” CVs that cross the line into fiction
• Why honesty, authenticity, and understanding personal motivators are becoming the real differentiators
• How employers can—and must—be more imaginative in how they attract and retain talent

Darren illustrates these points with memorable real‑world examples, including the warehouse manager role where candidates must be comfortable working alongside “two giant dogs… a Cane Corso and a big Dobrin.”

This episode is rich with practical insights for employers, HR professionals, recruiters, and job seekers alike. It challenges traditional thinking, encourages more human‑centred hiring, and highlights how creativity—used responsibly—can transform recruitment outcomes.

As always, The Independent Minds doesn’t tell you what to think, but it certainly aims to make you think.

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, the all-in-one podcasting platform, that really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Fit For Work – The Annual Health Test from York Test; assesses 39-health markers.

Use discount code MIND25.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training available from WPLC.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.