The Culture Builders TheCultureBuilders

Kicking off our series of Change Leadership Lessons, Jane Sparrow is joined by Phil Rumbol 
Phil is a Non Exec Director and advisor who has held many Senior Marketing and Commercial roles within Cadbury, Whitbread, Bahlsen, AB InBev. 
Listen now to hear some of the lessons and strategies learnt from leading change and Phils valuable advice to others who are about to embark on their own change journey.
Phil talks about the need for a ‘clear narrative about what you're doing, the change you’re trying to drive and why you are doing it,’ and keeping in mind that ‘whether it’s 10 people, 100 people or 1000 people, different people need different things during change’

Over the coming weeks we will be sharing a series of podcasts from some of the most progressive leaders in the UK and wider world - people that have built successful paths through change, and possess a wealth of knowledge around the practical, personal and leadership skills needed to help people during some of the toughest moments in their career.
Watch out for the first episode, landing soon, along with a rich mix of content to give you ideas and practical steer on how you can take your own team and organisation through change.

Another year tucked under our belts, and a whole heap of challenges, successes and growth. Like most people, we’ve forgotten most of it… and it took some time to recall enough to pull our last 2023 podcast together! Chris and Jane muse on the ups and downs for the company, and the big learnings that the year has produced.
Late trains, difficult conversations, bees, workloads and collaboration (lack thereof) are all topics, along with a dose of personal reflection on what the year has meant. We loved doing it, we think it’s important for other to do the same, and would urge you all to find time before the year ends to remind yourselves of just how much you have done.

Jane managed to fulfil a personal objective for 2023 – just under the wire as the year ends. Ever since meeting Paula Carnell - Environmental Consultant of the Year - at a ‘honey tasting’ event, she has wanted to find an opportunity to interview her on our podcast channel. Why? Because her experiences and views on the importance of bees and honey for the health and wellbeing of humans is becoming a huge topic.
At the very forefront of this is Paula. She came to beekeeping later in her life, following a period of prolonged illness. Through her own experiences she came to understand the vital role that honey plays in our healthy lives. Jane and her talk through this fascinating area, exploring the history of honey and bees, and the clear benefits that they bring to us. It directly connects to our Bank of Me concept, and the need to nurture our physiological wellbeing.
More broadly, Paula talks about the analogy of the ‘health hive’ and the need to cultivate a healthy culture within the bees. There’s some lovely parallels between bee culture and our own work/life culture.
The guidance and lessons in this podcast will have you dashing out for honey, giving our little furry, buzzy friends, more respect and looking at your workplace in a whole new way

A fortuitous review of Leanne Mair’s new book: Closing the Gap, led to not one, but two podcasts with the author. The book is an in-depth look at the disparity that black women face in the working world - despite being a group identified as some of the most hard-working, professional and well educated people we have the opportunity to recruit.
Leanne has a wealth of experience and insight (more than a book’s worth) to share, and does it in a way that, without diminishing the issue, makes it feel like a positive and action focused content. She chatted to Chris Preston about the topic, and brought to the conversation a blend of stories, views and statements that bring the situation to life. 
If you are committed to building an equitable organisation, then Leanne’s wisdom is compulsory for you. We need to hear what’s being said, and recognise that it’s not the challenge for the person, it’s the imperative of the organisation. If we are to help black women gain equity, then we need to stop making it their problem.

As part of our support for ADHD awareness month, Jane Sparrow interviewed Samantha Hiew, PhD – an acknowledged expert on the subject, and someone who has a wealth of experience and advice for people with ADHD and those working and living alongside them.
 
The podcast is full of practical examples of how a person with ADHD navigates the world, how they best operate and the ideal ways that leaders can engage with them and harness what is, in many ways, a super power.
 
Compulsive listening if you are working in a team that has a broad neuro-spread.