World Changers: Exploring the future of work

The business world is full of terms like ESG and sustainability right now but ambiguity about what they mean, too much talk and not enough action, and decades long time scales that feel out of reach mean it can be hard for businesses and people to take meaningful actions towards sustainability goals savvy companies will seize collective awareness and energy- and use it as a force for good.

One of our directors of consultancy Alastair Atkinson chose this theme as his world changer. Our host Elle Bradley-Cox sat down with Alastair and consultant Harry Grout to talk about the progress that's been made in this last year.

Later in this episode Elle talks with Chris Maloney, global head of content and channels at Rolls-Royce on the great work they have been doing to increase awareness about their own drive for sustainability.

Want more? 

Watch our Cop27 Roundtable Reflections https://scarlettabbott.co.uk/topic/webinar-cop27-roundtable-reflections 

Are the bots taking over? Frankly, no. They’ll never be able to do the tasks that humans can perform with such, well, humanity. But businesses need to embrace AI to free up people to do more meaningful work. And humans need to be able to trust AI to work ethically so they can stop resenting it and start co-operating with it.

Dr Alex Gapud chose this theme as his World Changer for our 2022 report. Later in this episode, we chat with Neil Fogarty, Co-Founder and CEO of Human – a deep tech enterprise specialising in psycholinguistic AI to get his take on how virtual colleagues are revolutionising the employee engagement space.

But, before that, Elle caught up with Alex, and head of digital Tony Stewart, to put bots and beings head-to-head.

There's no such thing as a job for life anymore. But you'll certainly remember what it was like to work for your former employer long after you've left. 

Now, will you look back with fond nostaligia? Or shudder at the toxic culture you endured? 

Alumni networks offer a rich seam of advocacy when companies get the employee experience right. 

Lisa Hawksworth chose this theme as her World Changer for our 2022 report. In this episode, Elle Bradley-Cox speaks with Lisa and our colleague, cultural anthropologist and former lecturer, Dr. Alex Gapud to find out about harnessing the power of the alumni network.

All hail digital, the saviour of remote working.

When the world turned upside down, we embraced digital fast, too fast! Many organisations didn't deliver it well. And now digital has a real image problem. But if we look at digital as an experience, instead of just another set of channels, it has the potential to revolutionise how we network and collaborate at work.

Or head of digital Tony Stewart chose this theme as his World Changer for 2022 report. In this episode, Elle, Tony and Lydia Edwards-Massie explore how we can move from a beta to a better online experience and Elle chats with Rob Fawkes, Head of Sales and Marketing at Community Engagement agency Standing on Giants, about the parallels of internal  and external communities.Want to skip to a specific section? Here‘s what we talked about:

00:00 Intro the session and roundtable with Elle, Tony and Lydia

01:25 Tony, what are you observing in the digital post-pandemic workplace?

05:05  Lydia, you've been working with British Transport Police to launch Yammer. What were the priorities and goals in that project?

06:33 Tony, you've just produced a video called '7 pillars to digital success', tell us about that.

07:77 We're being told that community lives back in the office. What do you think?

09:53 Let's talk about Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri. What does his recent video to the insta-community teach us?

16:19  Lydia, tell us some tips and tricks we can take from your project management expertise to create a superb digital experience.

18:46 Tony, are there any new platforms really exciting you right now?

21:55 Interview with Rob Fawkes, head of sales and marketing at Standing on Giants

22:26 Standing on Giants' work has historically involved external customer communities. But it's recently started to shift into internal ones. Talk to me about that.

26:09 Let's talk about the power of active listening

28:50 Tell us about the similarities and differences you've notices between internal and external communities

33:04 We talk about measurement a lot here. What does that look like in your world?

35:42 What are some of the pitfalls clients make when setting up an online community?

40:28 Rob, who do you nominate as your 2022 World Changer?

LINKS

Tony's 7 Pillars to Digital Success

Ever looked at your job and felt like it wasn’t enough? That you want  more? As more of us take time after the pandemic to reconsider the kind  of work we do – almost half in fact, according to McKinsey – it raises  the question: What if corporate decision-making could embrace the  possibilities and realise the benefits of the side hustle?

Our marketing manager Kate Went chose this theme as her World Changer for our 2022 report. Later in this episode, we chat with Bradley  Barlow, Communications Officer and D&I Partner at SGN about his  passion projects and how he feels IC teams can help highlight the  stories of our side hustles.

But, before that, Elle spoke with Kate, and a few more of our  scarlettabbott team mates to find out what lights their fire, outside  the 9-5.

In the past year, video has become the most influential global communication medium, thanks in no small part to the meteoric rise of TikTok. Leaders and brands that relied on carefully copywritten statements and artfully curated PR stunts are being challenged to show a more authentic voice, on camera, to prove they really practice what they preach.

So, what does this mean for communication teams?

Russ Norton chose this theme as World Changer for our 2022 report. Later in this episode, we chat with Max Mukhin, diversity, equity, and inclusion business partner at Deliveroo. But, before that, Russ and Elle got together with colleague, senior consultant William Carnegie to explore how TikTok killed the tickbox.

00:00 Intro to the session and internal roundtable with Elle Bradley-Cox, Russ Norton and William Carnegie

01:17 Russ, why do you love TikTok so much?

02:44 Is TikTok just a place for hot takes and outrage?

06:25 What are the crossover opportunities for internal comms?

08:47 What advice would you give to a leader looking to emulate the TikTok style of comms?

12:32 What are the risks of this approach to communicating?

18:55 What barriers get in the way of being more open about our diversities in the workplace?

27:53 Interview with Max Mukhin, diversity, equity and inclusion business partner, Deliveroo. 

29:02 We're seeing more job roles in the D&I space - what's driving it?

33:50 Is just recruiting a D&I person enough? What's it really going take to drive some more meaningful change?

42:10 It's the time of year when companies change their logos to rainbows - how do you feel about this?

44:01 How can leaders be better allies?

48.29 Who do you nominate as your 2022 World Changer?

Interested in exploring the topic further with us? Join our webinar on 30 June or watch the recording back 

It’s not about more information. It’s about better.

The news should be there to serve democracy and help people make informed, rational decisions. But nothing grabs our attention more than sensationalised news and emotionally charged political opinions. The problem is that when political language seeps into the stories and opinions we consume, we’re driven to ignore the facts and believe what we want to.

The same principles apply to internal communication. In its most basic sense, it’s there to serve the people and inform them about their busines so they make good decisions based on a shared purpose and vision. But pay me a pound for every time I’ve heard that IC is spin by a fancier name and I could quit my day job.

So, how do we strike a balance between the two worlds of information and entertainment and create better content for sceptical audiences that gets consumed?

Host Elle Bradley-Cox chose this theme as her World Changer for the 2022 report. Later in this episode, we chat with Ulrik Haagerup from The Constructive Institute. But, before that, Elle got together with colleagues and fellow writers Connor Faulkner and Lucy Chapham to surface the story. 

Want to skip to a section?

00:00 Intro to the episode

01:42 What do we mean by 'constructive journalism'?

03:31 How can we find a middle ground in our comms that isn't overly worthy and also isn't antagonistic?

09:55 Is there another way to approach the 'TLDR'?

10:40 'If nobody gets mad, it's not journalism, it's advertising' Yes or no?

11:36 Let's talk about the power of colleague opinion. When does it work brilliantly?

15:50 What types of media are you consuming now?

22:11 What kinds of conversations are you having with IC teams about content planning now?

25:14 What principles of constructive journalism are key for IC teams to take away from this conversation?

30:18 Interview with Ulrik Haagerup, CEP of The Constructive Institute

31:07 You've just returned from the International Journalism Conference - what was the mood in the room?

38:16 How does it feel to see theories of constructive journalism playing out in the media?

43:26 Are you finding more readers are turning the news off because there's too much noise?

45:22 Who are the people really agitating for change in journalism?

50:37 Has anything really surprised you since you started following the path of constructive journalism?

53:17 Who would you nominate as your 2022 World Changer?

Delving in to our World Changer on flexible working, our podcast host Elle Bradley-Cox explores part time pioneers

What does your working day look like now? I’ll bet you a breakroom  brew and a biscuit that it’s quite different to your pre-pandemic  schedule.

For many of us, the office-based 9-5, as we knew it, is well and  truly a thing of the past. As hybrid working ushers in the potential to  design our days, first by necessity, then by normalisation, there’s an  expectation that this flexibility will help us to better balance our  work and life commitments.

So, does a more fluid way of working help banish burnout? Does less  physical presence lead to less trust from leaders? And will flexibility  for all finally begin to stop the stigma that surrounds parents who go  part-time?

Matt Manners, chief inspiration officer, Inspiring Workplaces

01:19 Roundtable with Elle, Lu and Patrick

14:01 Interview with Matt Manners, Inspiring Workplaces

World Changers report

Join us for 'Let's talk about flex' 

Delving in to our World Changer on neurodiversity, our podcast host Elle Bradley-Cox explores some Beautiful Minds

Whether it’s driven by the business case or the moral case,  neurodivergent people are finally beginning to be valued by the  mainstream, as several high-profile corporate announcements in 2021  show. But, to make sure this isn’t just a token moment, we need to  disrupt hiring policies and change mindsets for the long term.

In this episode, we chat with Anthony Friel, who sits on the board of  Neurodiversity in Business as chief community officer. He’s also a  senior consultant at Deloitte, bringing his business expertise and  insights to the charity. But, before that, Hester Lonergan, Russell  Norton and Elle Bradley-Cox get together to explore some beautiful minds

Anthony Friel, senior consultant at Deloitte.

00:00 Intro to the episode.

01:03 Roundtable with Elle, Hester and Russ

24:41 Interview with Anthony Friel, senior consultant at Deloitte

Join our webinar:

We'll be sharing practical tips and in-house experiences on how to nurture neurodiversity:

Sign up: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6665633533839043596

Welcome back to season two of the World Changers podcast, a companion to our 2022 report. If you haven't read it yet, dive in here: https://scarlettabbott.co.uk/world-changers-2022

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War. Famine. Plagues. Natural disasters. Humanity has had its fair share of tumultuous times and disruptive events. How can we harness the lessons of the past so that we’re not doomed to repeat them?

If 2020 was the year of reaction, and 2021, the year of reflection, then 2022 is most definitely the year of action. A time to put into practice the things we’ve learned. Where do we start?

Our lead behavioural scientist Lindsay Kohler chose this theme as her World Changer for our 2022 report. Later in this episode, we chat with Kevin Chappel, Communications Business Partner at Electrocomponents about workplace 5.0. But, before that, Lindsay and I got together with our cultural anthropologist Dr Alex Gapud to take some lessons from the past ...

SKIP TO A SECTION

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Join us for our Back to the Future webinar. 

4pm Thursday 24 February

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2362872898825210894