Building Better Cultures

Inspiring Change
  • 5.0 (23)
  • Management

Hosted by Scott McInnes, founder of Inspiring Change, we talk to guests about how really good internal comms, engagement and leadership all contribute to 'Building Better Cultures'. We tend to shy away from theory and focus more on really practical advice, great stories and best-practice. About Inspiring Change At Inspiring Change we help our clients to connect their people to their strategies, their change programmes, their purposes and to each other. We do that by focusing on strategic internal communications, employee engagement and leadership. For more, see www.inspiringchange.ie ** IF YOU'VE ENJOYED THIS, PLEASE LEAVE A SHORT REVIEW**

  1. 6 days ago

    BBC Best Bits | Ep 4 | How We Work Now

    How We Work Now (Best Bits) Office, home, hybrid. Are we any clearer on how it actually works? In this best-bits episode of Building Better Cultures, Scott McInnes goes back to Episodes 71 and 37 with Chris Dyer and Jane Sparrow to hear how organisational culture is evolving as we work out how we'll probably be working for the next century. And that comes down to finding a happy balance between what employers need and what employees want. Chris Dyer starts with a definition worth stealing: culture is the norms. It is the way we work, the things people pick up in their first week, seen and unseen. From there he walks through the seven pillars he found repeated across the best organisations, from transparency and positive leadership to celebrating what makes people different rather than what makes them the same. He is especially good on mistakes, using the Post-it note, which began life as a failed glue, to make the point that how you respond to a mistake tells people whether it is safe to try anything. Then he gets specific about transparency: sharing goals across teams so people aren't unknowingly competing with each other, and sharing the numbers every month, good news or bad, including how long the company could keep going before layoffs. Jane Sparrow picks up the space in between. The third culture is neither home nor office but a new place that leaders have to shape deliberately, and she is clear that scrambling for the right tech and tools is the easy part. What takes work is the conversations, because everyone's situation is different. She closes on something worth sitting with: information from the centre, the comms team or HR, only really lands when a leader translates it into what it means for us. The common thread? This is less about where we work and more about whether culture survives the shift. Neither guest thinks it happens on its own. Key Takeaways Culture is the norms, not the posters. It is what people learn in their first week about how things actually get done, including the unwritten bits. Great cultures are consistent, not identical. The same pillars show up across very different organisations, each expressed in its own way. Celebrate what makes people unique, not what makes them the same. Organisations put real effort into differentiating themselves to customers, then ask their people to blend in. How you handle mistakes sets the ceiling on ambition. Punish them and people stop trying things. The Post-it note exists because someone documented a glue that failed. A mistake and an error are not the same thing. Getting something consistently wrong that training should have covered points at bad process, stress or multitasking. Trying something new and misjudging it is worth talking about, not punishing. Transparency starts with goals. If teams cannot see each other's objectives, organisations end up creating competition nobody intended. Share the numbers, including the bad ones. Telling people how long the company can keep going is uncomfortable, and it is also what trust looks like under pressure. The third culture has to be built on purpose. The space between home and office is new, and leaders shaping it deliberately is the difference between a culture and a vacuum. Tools are the easy part. Getting the right tech was the scramble. The harder, more valuable work is the conversations around it, because every person's situation is different. Information needs a translator. A message from HR or the comms team becomes real when a line leader explains what it means for this team, and asks what we start, stop and continue doing. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction: less about where we work, more about how culture survives the shift 00:31 – Chris Dyer: culture is the norms, seen and unseen 01:41 – The seven pillars found across great company cultures 02:23 – Transparency, positive leadership, listening and celebrating what makes people unique 02:51 – Recognition that actually works 03:19 – What you do when someone makes a mistake 03:47 – The Post-it note, and the failure it came from 04:30 – Transparency in practice: shared goals, and why teams end up competing by accident 05:33 – Sharing the numbers every month, good news or bad 05:51 – Jane Sparrow: the third culture, and why tools alone won't build it 08:23 – Managing vs leading, and the leader's role when people are under strain 09:56 – Building connection deliberately, and mixing up how you do it 10:56 – Why information only lands when a leader translates it 11:20 – Wrap-up Hear the full conversations EP071 – Chris Dyer: Listen here EP037 – Jane Sparrow: Listen Here Connect with us LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram Connect with Scott McInnes: LinkedIn

  2. 13 Aug

    BBC Best Bits | Ep 3 | Empathy Isn't Soft

    Empathy Isn't Soft  When did you last ask someone how they actually were, and really listen? Everyone says empathy matters. Nobody actually teaches it. In this best-bits episode of Building Better Cultures, Scott McInnes goes back to two conversations about why that needs to change: Rob Volpe (EP092) on empathy as a practical leadership tool, and Niamh Fitzpatrick (EP084) on the emotional aftermath of the pandemic. Rob Volpe starts by taking apart the definition most of us use. Walking in someone else's shoes is only half the job, and the half everyone skips is taking your own shoes off first, setting down your judgement and your own perspective before you step into theirs. He makes the business case without flinching: empathy is the secret ingredient in communication, decisions, problem solving and trust, and the organisations that have it see more loyalty, more innovation and a stronger sense of belonging. He also names the trap leaders fall into, worrying that being empathetic will cost them respect, and the stereotype of the strong leader that keeps the whole thing stuck. Niamh Fitzpatrick comes at it from psychology. She talks about tribe, why belonging is something you find rather than something you are assigned, and the people she deliberately gravitates towards: the ones who acknowledge how they feel. Then she answers the question of why it took a global pandemic to put mental health into everyday conversation. The common thread? Empathy is a skill, not a personality trait. It can be learned, and it is doing real work whether or not anyone names it. Key Takeaways Take your own shoes off first. Empathy is not just imagining someone else's position, it is setting down your own judgement and perspective long enough to understand theirs properly. There is more than one kind of empathy. Cognitive empathy is perspective taking, not emotion, and it is the one most of us need at work. Confusing it with feeling other people's feelings is why so many leaders back away from it. Empathy is a data point, not a distraction. If you are making decisions without understanding how they land on people, you are working with incomplete information. Self-awareness is the missing ingredient, and calendars have squeezed it out. Back-to-back calls removed the breathing space between stimulus and response, and scrolling in the two minutes you do get is not a reset. Leaders are stuck between knowing and fearing. Most accept that building empathy is part of their job, most find it hard, and many quietly worry that showing it will cost them respect. The opposite is true. Empathy is not new, it just stopped being championed. Henry Ford wrote in 1918 that the secret of success lies in seeing the other person's point of view as well as your own. It got squashed out of us since, and it is time to bring it back. Your tribe is more dispersed than you think. Family, friends, colleagues, even people you have never met online. Knowing what you value is what lets you find them. Work can absolutely be a tribe, and there is nothing wrong with that. Belonging at work is not a lesser form of belonging. We lost the things that were quietly holding us up. When life changed overnight, the props that kept people's mental health going, sport, gatherings, a walk somewhere further than two kilometres away, were taken away. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction: empathy keeps coming up, but nobody teaches it 00:28 – Rob Volpe: what empathy actually is, and why "walking in their shoes" is only half of it 02:35 – Self-awareness, and the breathing space we lost between meetings 04:12 – Why empathy is the secret ingredient at work 05:02 – The business case: loyalty, innovation, belonging and the empathy gap 06:45 – Cognitive vs emotional empathy, the strong-leader stereotype, and Henry Ford in 1918 07:55 – Niamh Fitzpatrick: tribe, belonging and finding your people 12:32 – Why it took a global pandemic to put mental health on the table 13:20 – Wrap-up Hear the full conversations EP092 Rob Volpe: https://inspiringchange.libsyn.com/107-empathy-compassion-in-organisational-culture-rob-volpe EP084 Niamh Fitzpatrick: https://inspiringchange.libsyn.com/99-the-pandemic-pushed-mental-health-out-of-the-workplace-shadows-niamh-fitzpatrick Resources & Links Download our new Research: Bridging the Connection Gap Connect with us LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram Connect with Scott McInnes: LinkedIn Tags empathy, empathetic leadership, leadership, workplace culture, psychological safety, belonging, tribe, mental health at work, wellbeing, emotional intelligence, cognitive empathy, self-awareness, employee retention, employee engagement, internal communications, pandemic recovery, Rob Volpe, Niamh Fitzpatrick, Scott McInnes, Building Better Cultures, Inspiring Change, best bits, podcast compilation

  3. 30 Jul

    BBC Best Bits | Ep 2 | Tell Me a Story

    Data convinces. Stories move people. So why do we still lead with the spreadsheet? In this best-bits episode of Building Better Cultures, Scott McInnes goes back to two conversations about the power of narrative at work: Richard Newman (EP108) on the neuroscience of emotional engagement, and Alison Esse (EP012) on purpose-led storytelling at scale. Richard Newman explains what actually happens in the brain when you open with a chart instead of a story. Spreadsheets speak to the logical mind, but the emotional brain decides first and it decides whether anything gets through at all. He walks through the leadership retreat where nobody could remember a single decision three months later, why "cognitive fatigue" is a better diagnosis than screen fatigue, and the line that sums up the whole problem: we treat people like human doings rather than human beings. Alison Esse picks up the organisational side: the corporate narrative, the red thread that has to run from the frontline to the CEO, and why leaders are so often the worst people at telling their own stories. The common thread? Engage people emotionally first, logically second. Do it the other way round and nothing sticks. Key Takeaways The emotional brain gets there first. Every input passes through it before the logical mind sees it, so if you open with data you have already lost the room. Data convinces, stories move. Being right is not the same as being understood, and it is definitely not the same as being acted on. If nobody can repeat it, it did not land. People remember stories and quote lines from them. Nobody quotes a slide. It is cognitive fatigue, not screen fatigue. People will happily binge four hours of Netflix after a long week, so the screen is not the problem, being engaged logically all day with no emotional connection is. Storytelling is misunderstood, not soft. It is not anecdotes about your weekend, and it does not need the hero's journey. It is sharing information in the way the brain wants to receive it. Every organisation needs a red thread. A narrative that connects the frontline to the CEO gives people something to believe in and repeat. Leaders are often worst at telling their own story. The people with the most to share are usually the most reluctant, which is why story champions matter. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction: why we still lead with the spreadsheet 00:30 – Richard Newman: how stories help leaders influence, and the retreat nobody remembered 04:00 – Inception, and why a story goes deeper than a slide 05:00 – Cognitive fatigue vs screen fatigue 05:38 – "Human doings, not human beings": engage emotionally first, logically second 05:47 – Alison Esse: corporate narrative, purpose and the red thread from frontline to CEO 10:16 – Wrap-up: what story is your organisation telling right now? Hear the full conversations EP108 – Richard Newman: https://inspiringchange.libsyn.com/108-the-science-of-storytelling-how-it-works-richard-newman EP012 – Alison Esse: https://inspiringchange.libsyn.com/ep12-alison-esse-co-founder-the-storytellers Resources & Links Download our new Research: Bridging the Connection Gap Connect with us LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram Connect with Scott McInnes: LinkedIn Tags storytelling, business storytelling, communication, leadership communication, neuroscience, emotional engagement, cognitive fatigue, corporate narrative, purpose, internal communications, employee engagement, workplace culture, influence, presentation skills, Richard Newman, Alison Esse, Scott McInnes, Building Better Cultures, Inspiring Change, best bits, podcast compilation

  4. 16 Jul ·  Bonus

    BBC Best Bits | Ep 1 | Lessons from the Locker Room.

    Lessons from the Locker Room (BBC Best Bits Ep1) What do a rugby coach, a rugby captain and an RAF pilot have in common? Turns out, they all know quite a lot about leadership. In our first 'Best Bits' episode, Scott McInnes revisits three standout conversations with leaders who've performed under real pressure: Stuart Lancaster, Jamie Heaslip and Peter Docker. Stuart Lancaster explains why psychological safety and mutual trust sit at the heart of every high-performance culture, and why great leadership is built on relationships, not titles. Jamie Heaslip takes on vulnerability, the most talked-about leadership trait of all, and makes the case that purpose, psychological safety and the freedom to fail are what actually unlock performance. And Peter Docker shares the story of a 2002 mid-air emergency, and what the most experienced pilot on board did in those first two critical seconds: absolutely nothing. The common thread running through it all? Great leaders know when not to act. Key Takeaways Psychological safety isn't a nice-to-have. If people can't challenge their leaders honestly, you don't have a high-performance culture, you have compliance. Great leadership is built on relationships. Trust between people, built deliberately over time, is the foundation everything else stands on. Vulnerability is a strength. Leaders who are open about what they don't know give their teams permission to do the same. People need purpose and the freedom to fail. When teams connect to why they do what they do, and aren't afraid to get things wrong, performance follows. Sometimes the strongest thing a leader can do is nothing. Calm is contagious, and preparing your people so well that you don't need to step in is the real mark of leadership. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 00:31 – Stuart Lancaster: psychological safety, trust and relationships 04:41 – Jamie Heaslip: vulnerability, purpose and the freedom to fail 09:32 – Peter Docker: the 2002 cockpit emergency and the power of doing nothing 13:36 – Wrap-up Hear the full conversations EP072 – Stuart Lancaster: Click Here EP048 – Jamie Heaslip: Click Here EP087 – Peter Docker: Click Here Download our new report: Bridging The Connection Gap Connect with us LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram | Website | TikTok  Connect with Scott McInnes: LinkedIn

  5. 25 Jun

    156 | Inside Disconnection at Work: Bridging the Connection Gap Report | Scott McInnes & Sadhbh O'Flaherty

    In this episode, Scott McInnes is joined once again by Inspiring Change's Sadhbh O'Flaherty to dig into their latest research, Bridging the Connection Gap. Building on last year's Mind the Gap study, where CPOs and CEOs identified disconnection as one of the top barriers to a strong, aligned culture, Scott and Sadhbh went deeper, speaking one-on-one with senior leaders to understand what's really getting in the way of human connection at work today.  Six clear themes emerged from those conversations: busyness, hybrid working, silos, leadership influence, digital overload, and generational differences. Throughout the episode, Scott and Sadhbh unpack each theme with real examples, personal experience, and practical suggestions for how organisations, leaders, and individuals can respond.   The common thread running through it all? Intentionality.   Connection at work doesn't happen by accident, it has to be actively and deliberately built.  Key Takeaways  Culture is infrastructure, not decoration. Connection underpins trust, performance, wellbeing, innovation, and resilience, and its absence is felt even if it can't always be measured.  Busyness has become a badge of honour. Many people feel they need to appear constantly busy to seem productive, which squeezes out time for genuine connection.  Hybrid isn't broken, it's just not intentional. The real issue isn't where people work, but whether teams are deliberate about how, when, and why they connect.  Team commitments matter more than blanket policies. A one-size-fits-all approach to hybrid rarely works; teams need the flexibility to define what connection looks like for them.  Silos aren't inherently bad, deep expertise is valuable, but they need active bridges (empathy, communication, shared touchpoints) to avoid isolation and misalignment.  Leaders have an outsized influence on connection. Connection across a team or organisation is often only as strong as its leadership, but leaders also need empathy, support, and realistic expectations, since they're stretched thin too.  Digital tools haven't delivered better connection, just more channels. Increased digital connectivity often comes at the cost of the human cues (tone, body language, energy) that build real understanding between people.  Generational differences mean different connection needs. With up to five generations now in the workplace, a single approach to connection won't resonate with everyone, open conversations about what people actually want are essential.  Small, consistent steps beat big overnight change. Building connection back into work doesn't require a complete overhaul, just intentional, incremental shifts in how teams already operate.  Timestamps  00:00 – Introduction and episode overview  00:47 – Backstory: the Mind the Gap research and why Inspiring Change revisited disconnection  03:45 – Why culture is "the infrastructure that holds an organization together"  05:17 – How the Bridging the Connection Gap research was conducted and the six themes uncovered  06:41 – Challenge 1: Busyness, the "busy badge of honour" and its impact on connection  12:02 – Challenge 2: Hybrid working, why hybrid isn't the problem, intentionality is  17:43 – The power of team commitments and team-level flexibility  19:20 – Challenge 3: Silos, the value of expertise vs. the need to bridge across teams  24:58 – Challenge 4: Leadership influence, why connection is only as strong as your leaders  28:02 – Clarifying "leaders" as people managers, not just the executive team  31:11 – Challenge 5: Digital, being more "connected" but less genuinely close  37:52 – Challenge 6: Generational differences, five generations, different connection needs  44:11 – Closing thoughts and where to find the full Bridging the Connections Gap report    Resources & Links:  Bridging the Connections Gap Report  Mind the Gap Report     Connect with us:  LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Instagram      Connect with Scott McInnes:  LinkedIn  Connect with Sadhbh O'Flaherty:  LinkedIn

    156 | Inside Disconnection at Work: Bridging the Connection Gap Report | Scott McInnes & Sadhbh O'Flaherty

  6. 18 Jun

    155 | The Overlooked Art of Building Connection at Work | Scott McInnes with Christine Armstrong

    In this week's episode, Scott McInnes sits down with Christine Armstrong, to dive deep into the critical importance of connection in the workplace. Together they explore how workplace trends have eroded relationships and the role of intentionality in creating a thriving organisational culture.  Christine offers practical strategies to rebuild trust at work and really nurture those vital human connections.    Key Takeaways:  Connection is a deliberate act, not a happy accident  Hierarchical and operational policies inadvertently undermine trust  Connection thrives on small, frequent interactions, not grand initiatives  Trust is the foundation for difficult conversations and authentic connection  The middle layer of work relationships has been lost to societal and organisational shifts  Organisations should design work around human needs, not assumptions of tradition  Simple listening and positive reinforcement are the most cost-effective trust builders    Timestamps:  00:00 Introduction to Connection in the Workplace  02:20 The Importance of Connection  05:20 Impact of COVID on Workplace Connections  08:09 Rebuilding Connections: Strategies and Initiatives  11:39 Creating Learning Moments and Engagement  14:12 Responsibility for Connection in the Workplace  19:50 Navigating Difficult Conversations  23:46 Assuming Positive Intent in Communication  27:02 Meeting Diverse Needs in the Workplace  30:40 Consequences of Weak Connections  35:06 The Power of Listening to Rebuild Connections       Connect with us:  LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Instagram     Connect with Christine:  LinkedIn |  Website

    155 | The Overlooked Art of Building Connection at Work | Scott McInnes with Christine Armstrong

  7. 11 Jun

    154 | Why Leaders Still Struggle to Foster Psychological Safety | Scott McInnes with Minette Norman & Karolin Helbig

    In this week's episode, Scott is joined by authors Minette Norman and Karolin Helbig as they delve into practical strategies for fostering trust, vulnerability, and inclusion in organisations, and explore the nuances of psychological safety. This episode reveals how small changes can lead to profound shifts in workplace culture. In this episode, you'll discover: ·       The definition and emotional experience of psychological safety ·       The importance of vulnerability and courageous communication for leaders ·       How default behaviours and default settings impact team inclusivity ·       The role of self-awareness in changing organisational culture ·       Micro habits and deliberate experimentation to embed safety practices ·       Managing reactions and emotional responses in high-stakes interactions ·       The connection between risk-taking, failure, and innovation ·       Designing inclusive rituals and meetings to foster belonging ·       Practical tips for leaders to create psychologically safe teams today Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to psychological safety and why it matters 02:26 - Defining psychological safety and its emotional impact 03:01 - The visceral feelings of safety versus threat 10:00 - Turning awareness into default behaviors to reduce exhaustion 13:02 - The role of self-awareness in behavior change 17:15 - The responsibility of senior leaders in setting cultural tone 22:08 - Balancing expertise with vulnerability for authentic leadership 26:36 - Creating space for understanding and curiosity in conversations 32:16 - Embracing risk and failure as catalysts for growth 37:39 - Designing meetings intentionally to foster participation and belonging 40:00 - Closing thoughts and resources Resources & Links: ·       Psychological Safety Playbook   Connect with us: LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Instagram     Connect with Minette & Karolin: Karolin Helbig on LinkedIn |  Minette Norman on LinkedIn

    154 | Why Leaders Still Struggle to Foster Psychological Safety | Scott McInnes with Minette Norman & Karolin Helbig

  8. 4 Jun

    153 | Neurodiversity Recognition at Work | Scott McInnes & Alan Stracey

    In this episode of Building Better Cultures, Scott McInnes talks to Alan Stracey, a certified ADHD Coach and Founder of WhereFocusGoes, to explore the nuanced world of neurodiversity. They discuss how understanding and accommodating neurodivergent conditions can transform workplace culture and unlock individual potential.  In this episode, you'll discover:  What is neurodiversity and how do neurodiverse conditions manifest?  The importance of language and perception around neurodiversity in workplaces  Practical strategies for supporting neurodiverse colleagues and leaders  The role of coaching, especially ADHD coaching, in empowering high performers  Legal protections and Disclosure: When and how to share a diagnosis  The Manual of Me: A tool for fostering understanding across teams  Timestamps:  00:00 - Welcome & the importance of audience engagement  02:49 - Alan's background and journey to neurodiversity advocacy  04:14 - Personal impact of ADHD diagnosis and newfound understanding  09:15 - Defining neurodiversity and common conditions  10:40 - Social versus medical models of neurodiversity  11:33 - The situational nature of neurodiverse experiences  14:02 - Language and workplace perceptions around neurodiversity  15:35 - Challenges in disclosure and reducing stigma  16:46 - Legal protections and practical steps for disclosure  18:09 - Supporting neurodiverse colleagues: practical tips  20:37 - The Manual of Me: empowering inclusive teams  21:32 - Common misconceptions about coaching and ADHD coaching approach  28:19 - How coaching helps neurodiverse individuals rediscover their brilliance  35:59 - The power of space and time for reflection in coaching  36:20 - Supporting colleagues with neurodiverse conditions and the importance of understanding  Resources:  Blog for seeking a diagnosis  Blog about reasonable adjustments in the workplace  The Manual of Me   Connect with us:  LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Instagram    Connect with Alan Stracey:  LinkedIn |  Website

    153 | Neurodiversity Recognition at Work | Scott McInnes & Alan Stracey
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5
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About

Hosted by Scott McInnes, founder of Inspiring Change, we talk to guests about how really good internal comms, engagement and leadership all contribute to 'Building Better Cultures'. We tend to shy away from theory and focus more on really practical advice, great stories and best-practice. About Inspiring Change At Inspiring Change we help our clients to connect their people to their strategies, their change programmes, their purposes and to each other. We do that by focusing on strategic internal communications, employee engagement and leadership. For more, see www.inspiringchange.ie ** IF YOU'VE ENJOYED THIS, PLEASE LEAVE A SHORT REVIEW**

Information

  • Creator
    Inspiring Change
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    160
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Inspiring Change 2021
  • Show Website
    Building Better Cultures

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