We Not Me

How can high-quality conversations untie the knots holding teams back?

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100

In an increasingly complex, polarised, and fast‑moving world, the ability to have high‑quality conversations may be one of the most important leadership skills we have.

In this episode of We Not Me, Dan Hammond and Pia Lee are joined by Dianna Anderson, founding member of the International Coaching Federation and a pioneer of coaching-based leadership. Together, they explore why conversations are the hidden engine of change — and how curiosity, presence, and shared language can help teams and societies move forward together.

Dianna introduces her framework “Untying the Knot”, offering a practical way to understand what really blocks progress in conversations — and how to shift from argument and polarity to connection, trust, and hope.

🎯 Three Reasons to Listen

Learn a simple framework for navigating difficult conversations
Diana’s Untying the Knot model helps you quickly identify what’s really getting in the way — whether it’s awareness, fear, or skills.
Build confidence to engage across difference
Discover how to stay grounded, curious, and connected — even when values, worldviews, or emotions run high.
Reconnect with hope in a complex world
This episode reframes today’s uncertainty not as collapse, but as fertile ground for meaningful change — starting with how we talk to one another.

✨ Episode Highlights

Why change today is fundamentally different — and why linear conversations no longer work
How our worldviews shape every interaction (often without us realising)
The three types of “knots” that block progress in teams and relationships
Why curiosity is more powerful than persuasion
How to regulate yourself before entering high‑stakes conversations
The link between psychological safety, leadership, and behavioural change
Why hope is not naïve — but a leadership choice
How better questions can completely transform everyday conversations

🔓 The Three Knots That Block Change

Diana explains that when conversations stall, there’s always a knot — and it’s usually one of these:

Do‑Not‑See Knots
Someone isn’t aware of a possibility, assumption, or perspective.
Do‑Not‑Want Knots
Fear, risk, or emotional resistance is holding someone back.
Do‑Not‑Know Knots
A genuine skills or capability gap is creating friction.

Identifying the right knot helps focus the conversation where change can actually happen.

💡 Practical Takeaways

Enter conversations with curiosity, not certainty
Ask open questions like “How does this make sense to you?”
Don’t aim to win — aim to understand
Regulate yourself before engaging others
Start small: connection is success

📚 Recommended by Dianna

📖 Maybe You Should Talk to Someone — Lori Gottlieb
A warm, thoughtful exploration of different human worldviews through the lens of therapy — and a powerful way to build empathy and curiosity.

🔗 Links Mentioned

We Not Me podcast:
👉 https://www.squadify.net
Squadify (podcast supporter):
👉 https://www.squadify.net
Book recommendation:
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
(Available via major book retailers and libraries)
International Coaching Federation (ICF):
👉 https://coachingfederation.org

🎙 About the Guest

Dianna Anderson is a founding member of the International Coaching Federation and a global thought leader in coaching-based leadership and change. With over 30 years of experience, she helps leaders and organisations build shared language for navigating the human side of complexity, transformation, and collaboration.

The family: your first team?

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100

In this episode, Dan and Pia are joined by Danielle DeMarco and Greg Neufeld to explore a powerful idea: the family is the first and most important team we ever belong to. Drawing on their backgrounds in venture capital, startups, and leadership, Danielle and Greg share how they intentionally design family culture using the same principles that underpin high‑performing teams — clarity, shared identity, rituals, and psychological safety.

The conversation spans family values, collective purpose, rites of passage, co‑leadership, and why modern parenting often creates more anxiety than clarity. Along the way, the group surfaces lessons that apply not just at home, but directly to enterprise teams, co‑leaders, and organisations navigating complexity.

Three Reasons to Listen

Reframe family as a team — not a series of individuals
Learn how shared identity, collective incentives, and simple rituals can dramatically strengthen connection and reduce fragmentation at home and at work.
Practical leadership ideas you can apply immediately
From family meetings to co‑leader alignment rituals, this episode offers concrete practices that translate directly into enterprise teams and leadership partnerships.
A refreshing antidote to “perfect parenting” culture
Danielle and Greg challenge fear‑based parenting narratives, replacing them with a zoom‑out, long‑game approach grounded in culture, intention, and compassion.

Show Highlights

Family as the first team: Why the earliest lessons about teamwork, expectations, and belonging are learned at home.
Shared identity in action: The Neufeld family cheer — and how rituals instantly shift five individuals into one collective.
Incentives that unite, not divide: How a shared “super ding ding ding” reward reinforces team behaviour rather than individual competition.
High standards + high support: Lessons from elite investment cultures (including Ken Griffin’s Citadel) applied to family leadership.
Culture lives in the present: Why great culture isn’t built for a distant future — but day by day, moment by moment.
Family meetings done right: Moving beyond logistics and correction toward appreciation, learning, and connection.
Rites of passage and individuation: Helping children climb their own mountains while keeping family as base camp.
Co‑leadership under pressure: How to surface fear beneath non‑negotiables and stay on the same side.
Why things going wrong is not failure: A powerful reframing of mistakes, hit rates, and “winning enough” in families and teams.
Media recommendations with a twist: From the Founders podcast to Real Housewives as an unexpected masterclass in group dynamics.

Useful Links & References

The Most Important Thing Podcast — Danielle DeMarco & Greg Neufeld
Focused on intentional family culture, leadership at home, and raising capable, connected humans.
Bruce Feiler – Happy Families
Referenced for its research on family meetings as a cornerstone of strong family culture.
The Founders Podcast
Recommended by Greg for studying timeless leadership and entrepreneurial mental models.
Real Housewives (Franchise)
Danielle’s unconventional but insightful recommendation for observing group dynamics, power, rupture, and repair.

Q&A: are people in their 60s unemployable?

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Maintaining relevance and purpose as we age requires letting go of entitlement based on experience, embracing genuine curiosity about new things, and focusing our energy on meaningful connections and contributions within our immediate sphere of influence rather than consuming anxiety-inducing information we cannot control.

Three reasons to listen

Explore how to maintain relevance and purpose as you age without falling into entitlement or becoming disconnected from younger generations.
Understand the balance between bringing wisdom from experience and staying curious about new developments in a rapidly changing world.
Rethink what legacy means beyond career achievements, focusing on love, connection, and positive impact on the people directly around you.

Episode highlights

[00:00] Introduction: A Special Episode in New York
[01:35] Hitting the Big 6-0: Expectations vs. Reality
[03:15] Life 6.0 and Finding Comfort in Your Own Skin
[04:45] Navigating Age Discrimination and Bias in Tech
[06:50] The Duty of Curiosity and Learning AI
[08:10] Combating the Fear of Irrelevance at 3:00 AM
[10:20] Neolithic Floods: The Evolutionary Value of Elders
[12:35] Defining Legacy: Family, Capitalism, and Spirit
[15:45] The Power of Love and Connection in Teams
[17:15] Managing Stress: Moving from Global News to Local Influence
[19:30] Closing: Celebrating in New York

Links

AI transformation is a leadership test, not a tech one - with Stephen Hunt

Stephen Hunt, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

AI transformation is fundamentally a human transformation, not a technology project. Success depends on taking deliberate steps to build AI literacy across your entire organisation while managing fear and maintaining team cohesion.

Most companies are still at the beginning of their AI journey. The key is to start with a clear plan that's reviewed regularly, ensure everyone from board level to front desk has basic AI literacy, and create psychological safety by addressing fears about job loss.

Stephen Hunt is serial entrepreneur whose AI journey dates back to 2011, when he used machine learning and neural networks to for ad targeting. He founded the Square Wave initially as a hobby project to help him understand AI, and he now works with clients on AI transformation, providing training and helping organisations develop AI strategies.

Three reasons to listen

Understand the leadership, rather than the technical challenges posed by AI transformation
Start building AI literacy immediately through research, prompting, and training
Reframe AI as an opportunity for humans to be amplified rather than replaced

Episode highlights

[00:12:53] What opportunities is AI presenting right now?
[00:19:46] How to start taking advantage of AI
[00:22:12] Three core AI literacy skills
[00:26:40] Start with clarity
[00:31:12] Where to start
[00:35:52] Steve's media recommendation
[00:38:12] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Connect with Steve via LinkedIn
The Square Wave
Startups Decoded – Steve’s podcast recommendation
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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Q&A: are you a Team in Name Only?

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Many groups calling themselves teams are actually "TINOs" (Teams In Name Only) — collections of individuals focused on their own functional KPIs rather than collective goals. Transforming them into real teams needs three critical elements: a shared goal that transcends individual targets, genuine interdependence through cross-functional strategies, and executing together on making work visible and collaborative.

Three reasons to listen

Identify the telltale signs you’re in a Team in Name Only
Transform TINO behaviour into genuine teamwork
Build psychological safety and interdependence amongst team members so they feel supported rather than isolated

Episode highlights

[00:01:58] What is a TINO?
[00:05:31] Defining a clear team
[00:10:27] The challenges of increased visibility
[00:12:53] You don't need to wait for a crisis

Links

Three hidden patterns that could be holding your team back - with Noj Hinkins

Noj Hinkins, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Teams often struggle with hidden dysfunctions that disguise themselves as positive behaviours, like pretending everything’s fine when it isn't, making decisions in corridors rather than as a team, and heaping blame on a single person rather than addressing systemic issues.

These patterns are particularly insidious because they hide under seemingly good intentions, making them difficult to spot and address.

Noj Hinkins is a team coach and leadership development consultant. He’s been working with senior teams for the past 15-20 years, typically at director level and above, doing one-on-one coaching, team building, and leadership development work. He specialises in identifying dysfunctions that can hold teams back.

Three reasons to listen

Recognise when toxic positivity is preventing your team from addressing real problems and creating a disconnect between team members
Identify and eliminate covert processes that override team decisions
Spot scapegoating patterns where teams blame one person for systemic issues

Episode highlights

[00:12:50] Team patterns in 2026
[00:14:19] Toxic positivity
[00:24:23] Covert process
[00:30:33] Scapegoating
[00:41:39] What to do first if you spot these patterns
[00:43:34] Noj's media recommendation
[00:44:53] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Covert Processes at Work, by Robert Marshak
So Far So Good, by the Blue Moon – Noj’s media recommendation
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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Balancing artificial and human intelligence - with Jon Whittle

Jon Whittle, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In a working world where the conversation is increasingly dominated by AI, we need to consciously prioritise human connection and old-school practices, like face-to-face conversations, physical books, and time for deep thinking, to avoid becoming trapped in a cycle of constant acceleration that ultimately undermines our wellbeing and what makes us fundamentally human.

Jon Whittle is the former CEO of CSIRO's Data61, Australia's national AI research and development centre. He led a team of around 500 scientists, engineers and support staff across Australia. Jon’s working is transitioning to helping organisations understand and adopt AI in an effective, human-centred way, particularly with boards and leadership teams.

Three reasons to listen

To reframe AI adoption around human needs rather than pure efficiency
To discover the risks of outsourcing human connection to AI
Ao learn how to adopt old-school practices that preserve your humanity

Episode highlights

[00:10:24] Leading hundreds of scientists and engineers
[00:13:14] What it means to be human in an AI world
[00:23:25] The danger of sharing problems with AI rather than other humans
[00:31:33] What Jon has learned from classical Indian dance
[00:36:18] AI for Business
[00:39:55] Jon's media recommendation
[00:42:06] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Connect with Jon via LinkedIn
AI for Business – Jon’s book
CSIRO presents: Everyday AI – Jon’s podcast
Turning Down the Noise – Jon’s media recommendation
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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Q&A: how do you lead a team through economic uncertainty?

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Leading through uncertainty means accepting complexity rather than fighting it. The most powerful tool for doing so is clarity.

While conventional wisdom suggests focusing on trust-building and communication skills, Squadify data shows that starting with clarity – specifically around shared goals, processes, and measures of success – is what actually transforms groups of individuals into cohesive teams and drives performance.

Three reasons to listen

Learn to befriend uncertainty and focus on what you can influence
Discover how to build team cohesion through clarity rather than trust exercises
Understand how teams work together as the key performance driver

Episode highlights

[00:02:31] Jamie's question
[00:03:36] Befriending uncertainty
[00:05:38] Are you a team, or a TINO?
[00:08:51] The sixth dysfunction in teams
[00:11:12] The trigger question for high performance
[00:13:42] Doubling down on humanity
[00:16:41] Coming up in 2026

Links

Can you have a leaderless team? With Jon Barnes

Jon Barnes, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Autonomy in teams requires clarity, not chaos. Successful autonomous teams need defined authority over coordination, transparent processes, and intentional facilitation to empower people whilst maintaining alignment and effectiveness.

Jon Barnes is a facilitator, coach, and co-founder of Pala, and he focuses on helping teams and organisations become more autonomous. His approach spans a spectrum from making hierarchies feel less hierarchical, to helping teams operate fundamentally without line management.

Three reasons to listen

Create clarity in team structures by defining authority and decision-making processes upfront
Build psychological safety and engagement through effective facilitation techniques
Balance empowerment with appropriate holding by learning when to let go and when to provide direction

Episode highlights

[00:12:22] the two types of waste in teams
[00:18:10] What does leadership look like away from hierarchy?
[00:21:44] Self-management in highly-pressurised teams
[00:25:37] The myth of self-governance
[00:27:12] Unhelpful self-management patterns
[00:32:47] Jon's biggest two levers
[00:35:32] Jon's media recommendation
[00:36:59] Dan's media recommendation
[00:41:12] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Connect with Jon via LinkedIn
Humankind, by Rutger Bregman
Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry – Jon’s media recommendation
The Ministry of Time, by Kaliane Bradley – Dan’s media recommendation
From the Core, by John Wineland – Pia’s media recommendation
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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Q&A: is it OK to have a big team?

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

There's a scientific basis for understanding optimal team size, including research on connection complexity, social loafing, and performance data that challenges common assumptions about how many people should work together effectively.

In this Q&A episode, Dan and Pia dive into the science and the data, to discover the optimum team size.

Episode highlights

[00:01:27] Is it OK to have a big team?
[00:04:15] The Ringelmann effect
[00:07:22] What's the optimum team size?
[00:08:18] When is a team a group?
[00:10:20] What the Squadify data shows

Links

Humans in the age of AI - with Larry Chao and Suni Lobo

Larry Chao, Sunaina Lobo, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

While AI will dramatically reshape work and careers – potentially displacing entry-level jobs and creating “companies of one” – the true competitive advantage will lie in taking a human-centric approach to AI adoption, where diverse teams maintain creativity, critical thinking and genuine human connection rather than simply automating away people to maximise shareholder returns.

Larry Chao is the founding Chief Strategy and Operations Officer at trustme.ai, a startup building tools for AI governance. He’s also involved with nonprofits like Berkeley Skydeck and the Ethical AI Governance Group, where he helps empower the next generation of innovators to develop AI responsibly.

Sunaina Lobo has been a Chief Human Resources Officer three times over, and is now a strategic advisor to trustme.aiand co-founder of Momentum Global HR, where she does strategic HR consulting with an AI lens.

Three reasons to listen

Understand the trajectory and implications of AI evolution, and what this means for teams and workflows
Navigate the human impact of AI adoption in your organisation
Move beyond AI as a differentiator to focus on human connection and diverse thought as the true sources of organisational strength

Episode highlights

[00:12:47] The evolution of AI
[00:16:55] AI and teams
[00:17:37] Facts emerging from our continued use of AI
[00:29:01] The case for responsible AI
[00:32:15] The case against the "company of one"
[00:41:50] Driving shareholder value while being human-centred
[00:43:43] Suni's media recommendation
[00:44:05] Larry's media recommendation
[00:45:12] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Connect with Larry via LinkedIn
Connect with Sunaina via LinkedIn
TrustMe.ai
Suni’s podcast recommendations:
- Pioneers of AI
- The AII Daily Brief
KPop Demon Hunters – Larry’s recommendation
Humankind, by Rutger Bregman
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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The three things holding back teams today

Susan Asiyanbi, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Successful team performance requires slowing down to achieve alignment before rushing into action. Spending more time upfront ensuring everyone truly understands the problem statement, decision-making roles, and priorities will save significant time, energy, and relationship breakdowns later.

Without this foundational alignment, teams waste enormous amounts of time in ineffective meetings, experience constant breakdowns in execution, and carry baggage from unresolved issues that poisons future decisions. The key is to move with discipline and sophistication rather than mere speed, investing in both the technical frameworks and the relational intelligence needed to bring out the best thinking from diverse perspectives.

Susan Asiyanbi is the founder and CEO of the Olori Network, an executive leadership practice that works with CEOs, executive teams, and boards, specialising in studying what the strongest executive teams and boards do differently.

Three reasons to listen

Identify the hidden costs of misalignment in your team, from wasted meeting time to breakdowns in relationships that drain energy both at work and at home
Apply a disciplined approach to decision-making that balances speed with rigour through five key strands
Reclaim control of your calendar by conducting a time audit that reveals the gap between what you say matters and where you actually spend your energy

Episode highlights

[00:09:18] Alignment, themes, and relationships
[00:11:06] How to get alignment
[00:12:32] What happens when alignment isn't found
[00:15:48] Asking the right questions
[00:17:32] Decision-making is compromised
[00:18:40] The five key components of a decision-making framework
[00:26:17] How to move more slowly
[00:28:41] How will AI affect decision-making?
[00:31:44] What are you prioritising for?
[00:37:23] What to try this
[00:39:57] Susan's media recommendation
[00:40:43] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Connect with Susan via LinkedIn
Team #1, by Patrick Lencioni
AI-Generated “Workslop” Is Destroying Productivity
How to turn a group of strangers into a team – Susan’s media recommendation
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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The business case for social mobility

Arad Reisberg, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Rather than trying to "fix" people or show them rungs on a ladder, social mobility comes from recognising individuals, giving them psychological safety, and allowing them to fulfil their own potential.

Diverse workplaces thrive not because of tokenistic inclusion efforts, but because different voices at the table lead to better outcomes and more successful organisations.

Dan and Pia are joined by Arad Reisberg, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor at Brunel University of London, campaigner for social justice and social mobility, and co-founder of the Social Mobility Leaders Forum.

Three reasons to listen

Reframe your understanding of social mobility as social justice, focusing on creating opportunities for people to fulfil their potential rather than just climbing career ladders
Create an environment where people feel comfortable being their authentic selves by asking powerful questions and actively listening
Build more diverse, successful teams by recognising that different voices at the table lead to better outcomes, challenging conventional thinking about "hiring for fit"

Episode highlights

[00:09:32] What is social mobility?
[00:15:24] How social mobility helps business
[00:18:59] How to implement social mobility in your organisation
[00:26:31] Arad's media recommendation
[00:29:43] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Connect with Arad via LinkedIn
Arad’s media recommendations: the Inward trilogy by Yung Pueblo:
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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Empowering the next generation of leaders in hospitality

Melissa Nuttall, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Restaurant franchises can be powerful environments for leadership development, especially for young people. When managed with intentionality, these seemingly entry-level jobs can provide significant opportunities for personal growth, skill development, and career advancement.

Melissa Nuttall, along with her partner, is the franchisee of a quick service restaurant in New Zealand. In this conversation with Pia and Dan, she lays out how good customer service and continuous training create positive work cycles that benefit both employees and customers.

Three reasons to listen

Achieve broader business goals while reducing cognitive load on staff
Develop young team members into capable leaders through progressive responsibility
Create safe spaces for growth regardless of employees’ long-term career plans

Episode highlights

[00:08:38] Helping the next generation of leaders
[00:14:21] Turning a culture around
[00:18:23] Creating a stable launchpad for new careers
[00:24:38] Leading with kindness and humility
[00:27:58] Be mindful of your leadership shadow
[00:29:20] Mel's media recommendation
[00:30:11] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

You don’t have a trust problem – you have a clarity problem

Juliet Owen, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0100

While many teams focus on building trust to improve performance, it's actually clarity that needs to be addressed first.

Research shows that teams need clear roles, goals and processes before they can effectively build trust and collaborate. This represents a significant shift from traditional thinking about team development, and the data shows that improving clarity drives up trust results, whilst working directly on trust doesn't impact clarity scores.

In this episode, Squadify’s Chief Data Officer, Juliet Owen re-joins Dan and Pia to discuss the role clarity plays in driving team performance.

This episode will help you

Build team trust by first establishing clarity around roles, goals and processes rather than focusing directly on trust-building exercises
Create effective one-page team documents that capture why the team exists, their collective goals, and non-negotiable behaviours
Drive better team performance by shifting from individual KPIs to collective team goals that encourage collaboration rather than competition

Episode highlights

[00:09:34] How teams are coping with change today
[00:15:30] What we mean by trust
[00:20:03] The trust gap
[00:26:29] Case studies on building trust
[00:33:12] What can you do?
[00:34:59] Pia and Juliet's media recommendations
[00:37:24] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, by Patrick Lencioni
You Can’t Ask That – Pia’s mdia recommendation
The Ministry of Time, by Kaliane Bradley
Connect with Juliet via LinkedIn
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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How do we make AI more inclusive?

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Humans are crucial to AI adoption. While AI technology continues to advance, its effective implementation in business depends on people working with it rather than being replaced by it.

Inclusive AI means finding the right balance between technological advancement and human insight, rather than seeing AI as a simple push-button solution to complex knowledge work.

Susi O’Neill is a consultant, author, and speaker on frontier technology. She helps organisations implement AI effectively, analyses AI trends, and distills insights in her newsletter.

Three reasons to listen

To move past the hype and see how humans will continue to be essential in an AI-enhanced workplace
To start implementing an effective approach to AI adoption in your organisation
To develop a more balanced perspective on technological change than the one propagated by Silicon Valley

Episode highlights

[00:05:19] The nebulous nature of AI
[00:11:17] Change is the constant
[00:16:06] The falacy of the competetive advantage
[00:18:16] Inclusive AI
[00:26:18] How do we use AI responsibly?
[00:29:05] Squadify's AI governance
[00:33:06] Take your first step into AI
[00:37:41] Suzi's media recommendations
[00:40:32] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
Leave us a voice note
Connect with Suzi via LinkedIn
Rethinking the Hype Cycle – Suzi’s newsletter
Women Leaders in Tech Outpace Men Counterparts in Generative AI Adoption
Channel 4 Corporate AI Principles
Supremacy, by Parmy Olson
Threads (1984)
Offal

Being respected beats being liked

Robyn Djelassi, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Leaders who are respected are 12x more likely to be seen as effective than those who are simply liked. This is because respect is tied to competence, fairness, and consistency.

Respect in leadership isn't about titles or status, but about treating team members as capable adults rather than children. This helps avoid learned helplessness among teams, and creates environments where people feel safe to take risks, speak up, and even fail without fear of punishment.

Robyn Djelassi is a Chief People Officer, non-executive director, and coach. She runs her own HR consultancy working with organisations across Australia, with a focus on helping organisations achieve business results through their people.

Her approach to HR is a little different from the warm-and-fuzzy cliché that has permeated the industry, but is done with heart.

Robyn’s ADULTS leadership framework

A: Accountability over approval. Don’t lead to be liked; lead to be trusted.
D: Debrief, don’t rescue. When mistakes happen, resist fixing them for your team.
U: Uncomfortable is useful. Don’t smooth the edges; people grow through the stretch.
L: Let go of control. Ask “Have I made it clear what success looks like?”
T: Trust before proof. Trust people before they’ve earned it.
S: Say less, ask more. Use questions to help people think for themselves.

Episode highlights

[00:09:03] What new leaders think leadership is
[00:10:37] The "cool mum" approach to leadership
[00:14:12] What we mean when we talk about respect
[00:15:39] We're getting psychological safety wrong
[00:20:07] Findings from Google's Project Aristotle
[00:23:43] How to garner respect as a new leader
[00:24:39] Robyn's ADULTS framework
[00:30:32] Robyn's media recommendation
[00:31:57] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Connect with Robyn via LinkedIn
We Used to be Journos – Robyn’s podcast recommendation
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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“Best Places to Work” and other half truths

Amy Wilson, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Too many "best places to work" lists focus on performative, low-cost perks like free breakfasts and dog-friendly offices. But they ignore fundamental issues like fair pay, reasonable working hours, and meaningful parental leave.

Companies often use marketing language to make minimal benefits sound impressive, like claiming "enhanced parental leave" when they're barely exceeding the statutory minimum. This creates a disconnect between how organisations present themselves and the actual employee experience.

Amy Wilson is a commercial consultant advisor, with a background in marketing, who helps companies grow and founders focus on what matters. She mentors young and underrepresented founders, and she joins Dan and Pia to discuss her LinkedIn post critiquing The Times’ Best “Places to Work" list.

Three reasons to listen

To be mindful of performative workplace benefits that don't actually improve employee experience
To identify misleading claims about "enhanced" benefits that barely exceed statutory minimums
To understand how organisational silos and conflicting KPIs lead to workplace policies that prioritise appearance over substance

Episode highlights

[00:06:48] What constitutes a good place to work?
[00:10:55] Amy's response to the New York Times Best Business to Work article
[00:17:09] Allies in name only
[00:22:14] Why aren't companies doing the right thing?
[00:25:27] Are things getting worse?
[00:26:39] What can we do about it?
[00:33:20] Amy's media recommendation
[00:36:08] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Connect with Amy via LinkedIn
Amy’s response to the Sunday Times Besst Places to Work article
Halt and Catch Fire – Amy’s TV recommendation
Building a thriving culture from the outside in – Episode 58, with Tom Wedge and Marcus Swalwell
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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Your practical guide to conversations that drive change

Jeffrey Wetherhold, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Effective change management hinges on the quality of our conversations. Asking questions can be an exertion of power, so motivational interviewing seeks to bring clarity and ensure information is shared in a way that respects the recipient's readiness to receive it.

Jeffrey Wetherhold is a change management professional who helps organisations and teams navigate difficult changes. He specialises in motivational interviewing and uses this approach to help teams have more effective conversations during periods of change.

Three reasons to listen

To learn how to structure change-focused conversations
To help you make more effective affirmations instead of offering general praise
To learn how to share information more effectively, to ensure others are ready to receive and engage with it

Episode highlights

[00:07:17] Motivational interviewing
[00:10:28] Making specific affirmations
[00:12:48] Ask, offer, ask
[00:15:26] When to ask questions
[00:19:23] How to become a better listener
[00:21:19] Fitting motivational interviewing into existing skillsets
[00:22:46] Busynesss overriding business
[00:28:22] Guiding, influencing, or leading conversations
[00:31:28] Reflect more, ask less
[00:32:58] Dan's media recommendations
[00:35:11] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Connect with Jeff via LinkedIn
Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, by David Silverman, Stanley McChrystal, Tantum Collins, & Chris Fussell
Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference, by Rutger Bregman
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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The surprising science of hybrid working

Matthew Davis, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100

The “traditional” understanding of hybrid working is being challenged as organisations try to implement more structured approaches, creating friction with employees who developed their own interpretations of what hybrid working means during the pandemic.

Matthew Davis is an associate professor at the University of Leeds. He specialises in organisational and business psychology, with extensive research experience in workplace environments. He researches and consults on hybrid work patterns, and studies how companies are adapting their workspaces and practices.

Three reasons to listen

To understand different generational perspectives on hybrid work, from senior leaders pushing for office returns to younger workers concerned about isolation and development opportunities
To navigate the evolving definition of hybrid work and how it varies across organisations
To better grasp how employee choice and control over both where and when to work has become central to how workers define hybrid arrangements

Episode highlights

[00:11:54] What is"hybrid working"?
[00:17:14] Is hybrid always a positive?
[00:23:39] What do workers want?
[00:24:31] Hybrid's benefits for inclusion
[00:27:28] What hybrid is missing
[00:30:57] Caveats on returning to the office
[00:37:23] Matthew's guiding principle
[00:40:50] Matthew's media recommendation
[00:42:10] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Why civility matters, despite what we see on social media

Dr Chris Turner, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 30 May 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Treating people unkindly at work isn't just a personal issue; it's a systemic problem that affects everyone's performance. The evidence shows that when people understand how behaviour impacts performance, they're more likely to change their own conduct, reducing disrespectful behaviour in the workplace.

Dr Chris Turner is an emergency medicine consultant in the UK, and the cofounder of an organisation called Civility Saves Lives. Chris rose to prominence during a local NHS crisis, where he was recognised in official inquiries for speaking truth to power. His work on workplace behaviour started with one small talk that went viral, eventually leading to TEDx talks and broader recognition.

Three reasons to listen

To understand how poor treatment affects workplace performance
To transform your perspective on workplace behaviour from an individual issue to a collective cultural challenge
To see how even the experts struggle with self-regulation in challenging situations, and what to do when that happens

Episode highlights

[00:10:40] How behaviour impacts performance
[00:14:03] Even the experts get it wrong
[00:18:31] What is univil behaviour?
[00:21:42] Why civility matters in business
[00:23:10] When is it time to change your behaviour?
[00:33:14] The case against hot takes
[00:35:45] What to do next
[00:38:13] Chris' media recommendations
[00:39:27] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Connect with Chris via LinkedIn
Civility Saves Lives
The Culture Code, by Daniel Coylke
You Can't Outrun the Radio, by Jonathan Byrd
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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Is it time to become a “Business Bastard”?

Graham Allcott, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 16 May 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Kindness and productivity are not opposing forces in business. In fact, kindness can be a powerful driver of success when treated as a practical approach rather than just a nice-to-have value.

Shifting from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset, and focusing on collaboration rather than competition, can transform how teams work together.

Graham Allcott is an author and the founder of Think Productive, a global company that helps teams improve their work through productivity and leadership training. He’s written multiple books, including the international bestseller How to be a Productivity Ninja. His latest book, Kind, explores the relationship between kindness and business success.

Three reasons to listen

Shift your thinking to create more opportunities for kindness
Build stronger teams without defaulting to competitive behaviour
Create ripple effects of positive change by understanding how self-kindness and kindfulness influence team dynamics

Episode highlights

[00:11:24] When you're kind, you win
[00:14:05] The scarcity mindset
[00:17:06] How we can develop kindness
[00:19:07] The myth of the business bastard
[00:22:17] Psychological safety in teams
[00:23:20] Case study: Timpson
[00:27:37] How to build an abondance mindset
[00:28:42] Kindness vs niceness
[00:30:10] Case study: Jacinda Ardern
[00:32:04] Kindness and difficult decisions
[00:35:53] Kindness starts with you
[00:37:57] Graham's media recommendations
[00:40:18] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Connect with Graham via LinkedIn
Kind: The Quiet Power of Kindness at Work – Graham’s most recent book
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr Julie Smith
Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference, by Rutger Bregman
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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Why teams need Agile more than ever

Natal Dank, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 02 May 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Traditional ways of working are failing in today's complex world, with global engagement levels dropping and productivity losses reaching $438 billion.

Adopting business agility – not just its tools and processes, but its mindset shifts – helps organisations move beyond outdated approaches and create more effective ways of working.

Joining Dan and Pia is Natal Dank, an HR author, speaker, and consultant specialising in helping businesses become great workplaces. Her work particularly focuses on HR and people teams, bringing business agility principles to organisations.

Three reasons to listen

To understand how business agility can help solve multifaceted problems in uncertain environments
To build effective teams that break down silos and harness diverse skills
To focus on solving real business challenges rather than getting caught up in tools and terminology

Episode highlights

[00:09:16] The Agile mindset
[00:13:46] Misconceptions around Agile
[00:18:19] Agile people teams
[00:23:05] Teams in name only
[00:24:17] The challenges in adopting Agile
[00:27:11] The evidence for Agile
[00:31:58] Common objections to Agile
[00:40:05] Leaders need to embrace complexity
[00:41:26] What does "done" look like?
[00:44:20] Protecting time for deep work
[00:46:10] Where to start
[00:48:58] Natal's media recommendation
[00:50:35] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Connect with Natal via LinkedIn
On the Level – Margaret Heffernan’s Substack newsletter
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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Why We Are Approaching Change All Wrong – And What to Do Instead

Jeffrey Wetherhold, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Most change initiatives fail because they focus solely on technical aspects like planning, roles, and measures, while neglecting the human element – particularly the need for people to understand why changes are happening and to feel heard throughout the process.

Jeffrey Wetherhold is a behavioral scientist who’s built his career around organisational change management. He transitioned from behavioural science to community health, and now runs his own change management consultancy.

This conversation will help you

Better understand why traditional technical change management approaches often fail
Recognise and address the most fundamental barrier to organisational change
Move beyond labels like "resistant" or "averse" and focus on different perspectives

Episode highlights

[00:07:46] Understanding change management
[00:11:21] When change feels weaponised
[00:13:04] Overcoming resistance to change
[00:15:05] Mmotivational interviewing.
[00:17:47] Where to begin having the change conversation
[00:23:12] Caught in the middle
[00:27:01] The hierarchy of needs
[00:30:30] What you can do today
[00:32:44] Jeff's media recommendations
[00:34:23] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Connect with Jeff via LinkedIn
How Minds Change: The New Science of Belief, Opinion and Persuasion, by David McRaney
Build Something Better – The Raw Signal Group newsletter
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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The Spiritual Side of Team Leadership

Yosi Amram, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Spiritual intelligence in leadership goes far beyond simply posting mission statements on walls - it's about cultivating fundamental qualities like purpose, gratitude, humility and presence that create genuinely harmonious and productive workplaces.

Research shows that leaders who embrace these qualities build teams with higher morale, greater commitment, and even better financial results.

Yosi Amram is an expert in spiritual intelligent leadership and a former Silicon Valley entrepreneur, leaving that role to become a clinical psychologist. His research on spiritual intelligence has been cited over a thousand times, proving that spiritual intelligence gets results.

Three reasons to listen

Discover the 22 key qualities that contribute to better leadership and organisational outcomes
Understand practical ways to reduce workplace toxicity and politics
Explore how qualities like gratitude and humility can transform team dynamics and create more harmonious work environments

Episode highlights

[00:11:25] Spiritual intelligence
[00:21:13] Separation of church and state
[00:24:34] Separating from the ego
[00:29:48] Internal family systems
[00:31:32] Overidentifying with the job
[00:33:51] Where to start
[00:37:54] Yosi's media recommendation
[00:39:06] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Spiritually Intelligent Leadership – Yosi‘s book
No Bad Parts, by Richard Schwartz
Take the Spiritual Intelligence assessment
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
Atomic Habits, by James Clear
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Remote Leadership: Game-Changer or Pipe Dream? with Kevin Eikenberry

Kevin Eikenberry, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Effective leadership remains fundamentally the same regardless of location. It's the context that changes, not the core principles. The key is to think “leadership first, location second".

While the physical setting may vary, the essential aspects of human behaviour, interaction, and needs remain constant, making it crucial for leaders to maintain their foundational leadership skills while adapting to new working environments.

Kevin Eikenberry is an author, business owner, speaker, and podcaster. He co-wrote The Long Distance Leader and runs the Remote Leadership Institute. He’s been leading remote teams for about 15 years and specialises in remote and hybrid leadership training.

Three reasons to listen

Learn principles that remain relevant even as workplace dynamics continue evolving
Understand why many leaders push for return-to-office, through a compassionate lens
Discover how the pandemic transformed leadership practices, particularly in developing greater empathy and attention to individual team member circumstances

Episode highlights

[00:07:59] Writing The Long Distance Leader
[00:13:21] Why many leaders prefer to bring people back to the office
[00:18:05] Recapturing the magic
[00:21:57] The shifting social views of work in history
[00:24:35] Mindset and skillset for remote leadership
[00:27:34] The problem with "busy"
[00:30:49] Intention without action
[00:32:04] Flexible Leadership
[00:34:37] Kevin's media recommendations
[00:35:50] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

The Long-Distance Leader: Rules for Remarkable Remote and Hybrid Leadership, by Kevin Eikenberry and Wayne Turmel
Building Confidence in Yourself & Others – Kevin’s free masterclass for podcast listeners
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
Connect with Kevin via LinkedIn
Books by Og Mandino
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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Hacking Team Development: The Insider’s Playbook with Jennifer Dulski

Jennifer Dulski, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Most managers are unprepared for their roles, with 82% having no management training at all. Effective team leadership needs structured, accessible tools to help managers build psychological safety, connection, and engagement with their teams.

Jennifer Dulski is the founder and CEO of Rising Team, a software-guided interactive learning platform for managers to develop their teams. Rising Team helps leaders build insights and deeper connections with their teams through structured development kits and short sessions that can be conducted virtually or in-person.

Three reasons to listen

Learn how software is helping managers develop their teams more effectively
Understand how to measure and improve psychological safety, connection, engagement, and retention in teams
Discover practical tools for team development that work for both office teams and frontline workers

Episode highlights

[00:10:01] Rising Team
[00:21:26] The four Cs of developing leaders
[00:23:20] The increase in overwhelming challenges faced by managers
[00:26:50] "Can every manager really do it?
[00:29:50] Making space for different cognitive styles and skillsets
[00:32:30] Create a personal user manual
[00:34:45] Advice for senior execs
[00:37:21] Jennifer's media recommendation
[00:39:00] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Connect with Jennifer via LinkedIn
6 Lessons All Leaders Can Learn From Maverick
Rising Team
A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity, by Nicholas Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn
Lessons in Chemistry – Jennifer’s TV recommendation
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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The Dark Side of Data: Avoiding Costly Pitfalls with Jenni McNeil

Jenni McNeil, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Engagement surveys and team data are tools for understanding and supporting teams, not targets to achieve or sticks to beat people with.

Simply gathering data for the sake of a good score is counterproductive and potentially disengaging. This information should be used to genuinely understand team dynamics, spot trends, and identify areas where support is needed to build authentic engagement and commitment to the organisation.

Jenni McNeil is the head of Information Security at Contact Energy in New Zealand. She leads a geographically diverse team focused on protecting the cyber resilience of the organisation. Jenni started in sales and became a manager at 25, switching to technology as an IT support technician before pivoting to cybersecurity.

Her current team includes a mix of experience levels, from recent graduates to industry veterans with 25 years of experience, spread across different locations.

Three reasons to listen

Learn how to effectively monitor team dynamics in a remote work environment through digital listening and virtual water-cooler spaces
Understand the true value of engagement surveys as tools for understanding workforce trends and identifying areas for support, not just scoring metrics
Discover strategies for managing geographically dispersed teams while maintaining connection without micromanaging

Episode highlights

[00:08:53] Leading a geographically-spread team
[00:11:21] Pros and cons of engagement surveys
[00:18:24] Ethics of AI in employee engagement
[00:24:17] What to read when gathering data
[00:26:30] Holding the data lightly
[00:29:17] Jenni's media recommendations
[00:30:32] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Connect with Jenni via LinkedIn
A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J Maas
In Pursuit of the Secure Board (Spotify-only show)
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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Organising teams for fast flow with Matthew Skelton

Matthew Skelton, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Organisational effectiveness isn't just about making team members more productive, but properly structuring teams and understanding how they work together.

Small teams with high trust can make decisions quickly and maintain better context of what they're building, while being mindful of the cognitive load placed on members.

Matthew Skelton is the author of Team Topologies. He developed patterns for team organisation and devops that were adopted by companies like Netflix and Accenture. His work focuses on how to structure teams effectively in organisations, particularly looking at concepts like team cognitive load and team interaction modes.

Three reasons to listen

Learn how small teams can achieve faster results and deliver value more effectively to users
Understand the principles behind Amazon's "two pizza team" approach, including how trust enables quick decision-making in small groups
Discover how organisations often lack self-awareness and how this becomes a major obstacle to their success

Episode highlights

[00:11:47] The road to Team Topologies
[00:17:18] Why collaboration is not the only answer
[00:22:05] Creating flow for small teams
[00:23:34] Making work humane
[00:28:10] The Uswith example
[00:30:45] Alternative schools of thought
[00:34:56] Impact on team leaders
[00:37:31] Conway's law
[00:40:48] Decoupling of teams and architecture
[00:46:08] Matthew's media recommendations
[00:48:59] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Team Topologies: Organizing Business and Technology Teams for Fast Flow –Matthew’s book
The jazz ensemble: the ultimate team? – We Not Me
Team Topologies’ Uswitch case study
Conway's law
Empowered Agile Transformation: Beyond the Framework, by Alexandra Stokes
Architecture Modernization, by Nick Tune
Frozen II (2019)
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Can AI coach teams? with special guest ChatGPT

Dan Hammond, Pia Lee, Ian Smith, ChatGPT — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

AI technology has the potential to enhance team dynamics and human relationships… if used thoughtfully. In this episode, Dan and Pia explore how AI can help with team communication and collaboration, while raising questions about finding the right balance between AI assistance and maintaining genuine human connection.

For this episode, Dan and Pia are joined by ChatGPT, using OpenAI's advanced voice technology to participate in the conversation and provide answers to questions. ChatGPT is assisted by Squadify’s Chief Technology Officer Ian Smith.

Three reasons to listen

Explore the challenges of hybrid teams and practical strategies for maintaining effective communication when team members work from different locations
Discover approaches for transforming groups from "Teams in name only" into truly collaborative teams that achieve shared goals
See where ChatGPT excels and falls down when answering questions (and how well it can maintain accents)

Episode highlights

[00:10:41] The challenges faced by hybrid teams
[00:12:42] Teams in name only
[00:15:11] Dealing with difficult team members
[00:19:38] The ideal size of a team
[00:21:07] Challenges faced by cross-functional teams
[00:22:50] Qualities of high-performing leaders
[00:24:18] ChatGPT's book recommendation
[00:25:55] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization, by Jon Katzenbach and Douglas Smith
Research by Richard Hackman
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni
Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, by Stanley McChrystal
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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Should women “lean in”? with Sheela Subramanian

Sheela Subramanian, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Nearly 60% of women are worried about job losses due to AI, but only 22% are actively adopting it. This reflects a broader pattern of workplace inequality, where tech revolutions risk leaving women behind.

The solution lies in leadership, embracing vulnerability and authenticity, focusing on short-term clarity, and not pretending to have all the answers. But does it also lie in Sheryl Sandberg’s “lean in” philosophy, or does this encourage women to behave more like men in order to fit in?

This episode’s guest is Sheela Subramanian, who has had an extensive career in tech leadership, including roles at Google, Slack, and Salesforce. She's the co-author of How the Future Works, a bestselling book about flexible work and teams, focusing on how leaders can navigate change. She's a mother of two young daughters and balances multiple roles including being a wife, mother, daughter, and speaker.

Three reasons to listen

Learn about the gap in AI adoption between men and women
Understand how leaders can navigate workplace uncertainty by embracing vulnerability and acknowledging when they don't have all the answers
Discover perspectives on burnout in the modern workplace, particularly how it affects women trying to fit into systems that weren't built for them

Episode highlights

[00:07:32] How the Future Works
[00:12:45] Life through, and after burnou
[00:18:14] The Personal User Manual
[00:20:20] Team level agreements
[00:21:22] Team rituals
[00:22:40] Self-awareness in leadership
[00:24:07] Non-negotiables for leaders today
[00:26:04] Where to start
[00:28:18] Sheela's media recommendations
[00:29:44] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Connect with Sheela via LinkedIn
How the Future Works: Leading Flexible Teams to Do the Best Work of Their Lives, by Brian Elliott, Sheela Subramanian, and Helen Kupp
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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Helping tech rockstars lead rockstar teams at Cisco with Rob Dinsmore

Rob Dinsmore, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 21:51:51 +0000

Effective leadership in tech means crafting a collaborative culture where growth happens through real-world challenges and strong interpersonal connections – not individual technical accomplishments.

Rob Dinsmore has an extensive background in leadership and team development, particularly in technical organisations like Cisco. He built a highly regarded programme for top engineering talent, helping these specialists expand their leadership skills and integrate them across the company to produce meaningful, business-driven outcomes.

Three reasons to listen

To find out how to enable technical leaders to work effectively as a team
To learn why leadership for technical experts is as much about collaboration and influence as it is about technical proficiency
To hear how Cisco integrated senior technical leaders across departments, forming partnerships that transformed business initiatives

Episode highlights

[00:09:34] Leadership at Cisco
[00:14:39] Global Tech Leader Program
[00:20:26] Using data to save the rhinos
[00:25:27] Helping technical leaders build interpersonal skills
[00:29:42] Learning the business and how to pitch it
[00:32:18] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Teaching teaming with Sara Beckman

Sara Beckman, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Effective teaming requires intentional design and can’t be achieved simply by putting people together on a project.

Teaming by Design emphasises the importance of embedding team effectiveness skills within the context of real work, rather than teaching it as a separate subject.

This approach recognises that valuable teaming skills are often developed through practical experience and reflection, rather than through theoretical instruction alone.

For this episode, Dan and Pia are joined in-person by Sara Beckman, who developed the concept of "teaming by design" while teaching MBA students. Sara works on integrating team effectiveness training into various courses, particularly in innovation, design, and new product development, and has conducted research on team dynamics, including studies at Hewlett Packard.

Three reasons to listen

To discover a unique approach to teaching teamwork called which embeds team effectiveness skills into project-based courses
To explore goal congruence and its critical role in team performance
To learn about the challenges of bringing about psychological safety in teams and how it relates to conflict management

Episode highlights

[00:09:29] Teaming by design
[00:14:42] Teaming in corporate vs academia
[00:19:00] Conflict
[00:19:59] The University of Unlearning
[00:25:59] The importance of shared goals
[00:29:55] How students view leadership
[00:32:11] What is the future of teaming?
[00:36:22] The benefits of teaming by design
[00:38:05] Sara's book recommendation
[00:40:07] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Connect with Sara via LinkedIn
Books by Claire Keegan
Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
Rough Sleepers, by Tracy Kidder
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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Agile for business teams with Nebel Crowhurst

Nebel Crowhurst, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Agile isn’t just for software teams – its principles can be effectively applied to HR and other business teams, offering a pragmatic approach to improving workflow and efficiency.

It goes beyond flexible working or nimble decision-making, representing a philosophy and set of principles for getting work done more effectively.

Nebel Crowhurst is the Chief People Officer at Reward Gateway, and has extensive experience in HR. She’s worked across a variety of industries, helping teams understand and transition to Agile.

Three reasons to listen

For a pragmatic approach to implementing Agile principles in HR and business teams
To discover how Agile can help teams prioritise work, reduce friction, and improve efficiency in meetings
To explore the benefits and potential challenges of applying Agile methodologies outside of traditional software development

Episode highlights

[00:08:46] Revisiting engagement surveys
[00:13:40] What Agile is and is not
[00:17:30] What Agile looks like in practice
[00:22:08] Handling Agile scepticism (including your own)
[00:24:55] Transitioning your team to Agile
[00:31:53] Taking your first steps into Agile
[00:33:17] Nebel's media recommendation
[00:35:51] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

How to succeed in an assignment with Kevin Asher

Kevin Asher, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0100

International assignments in business require careful preparation, adaptability, and a focus on making a positive impact rather than just “making your mark”.

Success in foreign assignments often comes from reinforcing and amplifying existing strengths within an organisation, rather than attempting to overhaul everything.

Kevin Asher is a leader, strategist, and innovator in healthcare. He’s worked primarily in the pharmaceutical industry, including medical communications, data generation, and patient group support. He’s a self-described problem-solver, and he joins Dan and Pia to discuss his recent assignment in Italy.

Three reasons to listen

To learn how to successfully navigate international assignments and make a positive impact
To understand the importance of effective communication and bridging gaps between global and local teams
For new approaches to add value quickly in new, challenging situations – even when facing language barriers or unfamiliar systems

Episode highlights

[00:09:10] Preparing to go on an assignment
[00:12:34] Making your mark
[00:14:36] Improving communication in a restructured team
[00:21:21] What Kevin would do differently
[00:23:07] Finding the right time to make a big decision
[00:25:15] Re-entry
[00:28:53] Kevin's advice for starting a new assignment
[00:30:44] Kevin's media recommendation
[00:33:29] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

The engagement crisis and what to do about it with Juliet Owen

Juliet Owen, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Employee engagement is in crisis, with staggeringly low levels of engagement across the workforce, particularly among younger employees.

This lack of engagement is not only affecting workers' wellbeing, but also has significant economic impact, with an estimated $8.9 trillion lost annually in global GDP due to low engagement.

This week's guest is Juliet Owen, business analyst at Squadify. Juliet has a background in economics and works with a database of 2.5 million data points, analysing engagement and team dynamics.

Three reasons to listen

Discover alarming statistics about the current state of employee engagement, including how it has stalled and declined in recent years.
Learn about the significant financial impact of low engagement on global GDP and various business performance metrics.
Explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected leadership styles and workplace dynamics, leading to shifts in employee engagement.

Episode highlights

[00:08:48] What is an engagement survey?
[00:15:43] The desire for engagement vs its presence
[00:21:14] Some good news on engagement
[00:27:20] Moving from distressed to flourishing
[00:32:50] Juliet's media recommendation
[00:35:01] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Connect with Juliet via LinkedIn
Pivot, with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway
Burn Book, by Kara Swisher
Track and improve your team performance with Squadify
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How to lead teams asynchronously with Liam Martin

Liam Martin, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0100

It’s time for a new approach to teamwork: one that minimises distractions, reduces time-blocking communication, prioritises mental health, and promotes independent and efficient work.

This management style can lead to more productive teams, with fewer managers and more individual contributors, with everyone focused on their core competencies.

Liam Martin is the author of a bestselling book and the founder of a conference focused on remote working, which he believes is crucial for scaling organisations. He advocates for a new management style for remote teams, emphasising the importance of communicating effectively without unnecessary interaction.

Three reasons to listen

Explore asynchronous management and its potential to revolutionise remote work practices
Discover the challenges organisations face when implementing asynchronous management and how to overcome them
Learn about the importance of documentation and effective information sharing in scaling remote teams

Episode highlights

[00:11:55] What is asynchronous management?
[00:17:51] Where companies fail to implement asynchronous management
[00:22:15] Case Study: GitLab
[00:23:30] Entrepreneur operating system
[00:27:53] Be an of your organisation
[00:29:20] Getting the information flowing
[00:32:44] Remote work in 2024
[00:37:43] Try an asynchronous week
[00:39:16] Liam's book recommendation
[00:43:18] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Running Remote: Master the Lessons from the World’s Most Successful Remote-Work Pioneers – Liam’s book
Running Remote on YouTube
The Entrepreneurial Operating System
Slite
Notion AI
Flex Index
Flow: The Psychology of Happiness, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
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Being a specialist in a team with Ash Winter

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0100

To bring specialists into teams with different skill sets takes good communication and a knowledge of the history of the team you’re integrating. Doing this well means everyone can point their skills at solving problems.

Ash Winter is an experienced software tester who has a particular interest in how teams and organisations work. Ash has been a software tester for over 15 years, and has experience as a consultant, helping organisations improve their testing processes.

In his role he’s seen a wide range of team structures and sizes, and he’s particularly focused on the challenges and opportunities of being a specialist within a team.

Three reasons to listen

Understand the unique challenges and opportunities of being a specialist in a cross-functional team
Explore the impact of team history and dynamics on integrating new specialists
Learn about the evolving role of software testers and their influence in modern development teams

Episode highlights

[00:09:14] Testing teams
[00:14:29] The problem with "embedding" into a team
[00:16:30] The Spotify model
[00:19:48] Communities of practice
[00:22:57] Agile methodologies with multidisciplinary teams
[00:28:05] The benefits of a coaching qualification
[00:30:19] Ash's book recommendation
[00:31:42] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Connect with Ash via LinkedIn
Team Topologies: Organizing Business and Technology Teams for Fast Flow, by Matthew Skelton & Pais Manuel
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, by Patrick Lencioni
The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement, by Eliyahu Goldratt
The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win, by Gene Kim
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Rejoining the team after babies with Jessica Heagren

Jess Heagren, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Workplaces need to provide better support and flexibility to parents coming back from having a child. And more needs to be done to redress the imbalance of working mums vs working dads.

Jessica Heagren is the founder of Careers After Babies, and an advocate for gender equality in the workplace, particularly for women coming back after maternity leave. Jess has conducted extensive research on the career impacts of having children and has published a report uncovering some surprising statistics that don’t all make for happy reading.

Three reasons to listen

Explore the challenges and solutions for women returning to work after maternity leave
Understand the impact of traditional gender roles on shared parental leave and workplace dynamics
Learn the importance of empathetic and inclusive line management in supporting working parents

Episode highlights

[00:10:54] The Careers After Babies report
[00:12:07] Gender pay gap
[00:13:57] Why only 15% of couples talk about who works
[00:16:25] The 7 themes from the report
[00:21:57] "Everyone's replaceable"
[00:25:51] What the next generation of parents holds for the worwkplace
[00:27:48] The need for more empathy
[00:33:34] Have the conversation
[00:34:48] Jess' media recommendation
[00:36:15] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Connect with Jessica via LinkedIn
The Equal Parent: Why Sharing the Load Matters, by Paul Morgan-Bentley
The Careers After Babies report
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The 5 things every team should do to be more effective with Professor Peter Hawkins

Professor Peter Hawkins, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Effective leadership means understanding the needs of all stakeholders, not just your team members. When teams broaden their thinking to their customer base, to the wider ecology, and even to future generations, they make more effective decisions.

Professor Peter Hawkins has a lifetime of experience working on systemic team coaching, leadership development, and organisational change. He’s a pioneer in integrating strategic and culture change along with leadership development, and he emphasises the importance of connecting personal, team, organisational, and ecological levels of change.

Three reasons to listen

Learn about systemic team coaching and how to effectively integrate stakeholder perspectives into team dynamics
Understand the importance of collective purpose in team development and how it drives effective collaboration and learning
Explore the concept of the pracademic, and the value they bring to team coaching environments

Episode highlights

[00:07:26] Finding the learning edge
[00:09:42] As practical as a good theory
[00:11:04] Minimum stakeholder map
[00:14:32] Leadership is a team sport
[00:16:21] The 5 disciplines of highly effective teams
[00:19:29] Where does psychological safety fit in?
[00:22:12] What can you uniquely do that the world of tomorrow needs?
[00:24:13] Reframing how we tackle problems and people
[00:25:41] Peter's media recommendation
[00:27:17] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Connect with Professor Peter Hawkins via LinkedIn
Systemic Coaching: Delivering Value Beyond the Individual, by Peter Hawkins and Eve Turner
5 disciplines of high performance teams
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When your business partner has a stroke with Gillian Coutts and Jenny Steadman

Gillian Coutts, Jenny Steadman, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Life-altering events can reveal the strength and resilience of the human spirit, highlight the value of a supportive network, and reveal the power of compassion and understanding.

Both of this episode’s guests have had first-hand experience in this area. Returning to the podcast is Gillian Coutts, who suffered a stroke in 2022 and has been on a long road to recovery. By her side, along with Gillian’s husband Steve and her family, has been Gillian’s business partner, Jenny Steadman, who has dealt with her own serious health concerns.

This 100th episode is a testament to the power of the We Not Me spirit, and demonstrates what the combination of grit and grace can achieve.

Three reasons to listen

Hear a powerful story of resilience and recovery
Learn about the importance of teamwork and support networks during difficult times
Understand the impact of life-altering events on personal and professional relationships

Episode highlights

[00:10:37] Gill's life-changing moment
[00:18:08] What Gill experienced while in a coma
[00:20:20] Gill's journey of recovery
[00:27:03] The role of mindfulness in Gill's recovery
[00:30:07] Strengthening relationships
[00:39:06] A hopeful future
[00:43:47] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Leadership lessons from the pitch and the sidelines with Patrick Skene

Patrick Skene, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Sport is more than just a game. It serves as a unifying force, bringing people together across generations and cultures. It teaches us valuable lessons about leadership, teamwork, and resilience, and it helps build a sense of community and belonging.

Patrick Skene is the Chief Creative Officer at Culture Pulse, where he engages multicultural communities across various sporting events. He’s also a storyteller, writing about sport, exploring its deeper meaning and significance beyond just being a game.

Three reasons to listen

Discover how sport serves as a unifying force, engendering a sense of community, and teaching valuable lessons about leadership and teamwork.
Understand how sport can replace traditional forms of conflict and build positive relationships among diverse communities.
Explore how sport instils respect for elders and promotes intergenerational bonding.

Links

Episode highlights

[00:08:04] Sport as a microcosm of human society
[00:11:37] Why leadership matters
[00:14:54] Why sport matters at a deep cultural level
[00:20:38] The consequences of lack of teamwork
[00:24:59] Engaging different cultures from our own
[00:27:34] One size does not fit all
[00:30:01] Patrick's media recommendation
[00:32:07] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

What isn’t your team telling you? with Jeff Wetzler

Jeff Wetzler, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0100

There’s a wealth of untapped wisdom and information within our teams, but too much goes unspoken. By choosing curiosity, making it safe for others to share, and creating opportunities to ask and listen, we can access these insights, enrich our understanding, and improve our decision-making.

Jeff Wetzler is a human potential and learning expert with a background in business and education. His new book discusses how to tap into the expertise of those around us, and he joins Dan and Pia to share some of the key insights raised through his extensive research into team communication.

Three reasons to listen

Understand how the quality of your questions can impact the effectiveness of problem-solving within a group
Learn about ways to enhance communication and connection within teams
Discover how to tap into the hidden wisdom and expertise of people around you for unexpected breakthroughs

Episode highlights

[00:05:09] What are we thinking but not saying?
[00:08:50] What are people not telling us?
[00:10:25] What holds us back?
[00:14:35] The "Ask" approach
[00:26:36] Shut the heck up
[00:27:34] Three impacts of asking
[00:30:17] Paraphrase and test
[00:32:11] Jeff's book recommendation
[00:33:16] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Boost team empathy & joy in the span of a lunch break with Mette Oscar Pedersen

Mette Oscar Pedersen, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 31 May 2024 00:00:00 +0100

What can you bring into the workplace that can significantly strengthen team bonds, enhance individual self-expression, and contribute to a healthier work environment?

Mette Oscar Pedersen is a facilitator who’s worked with communities, companies, and other groups to bring joy and connection to their work.

In this episode, you’ll

Learn how to increase connection and empathy in the workplace
Understand the benefits of incorporating joy into your daily routine
Discover ways to enhance your relationships with colleagues

Episode highlights

[00:07:36] Breaking down the fear of moving in public
[00:14:25] Strengthening community
[00:19:38] Long-lasting benefits with your colleagues
[00:21:27] Movement begins at home
[00:22:43] Mette's book recommendation
[00:24:38] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Speaking up in meetings with Betina Szkudlarek

Betina Szkudlarek, Dan Hammond, Mark Steadman — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0100

People often don't speak up in meetings out of fear, a sense of futility, a lack of confidence, or because they just can't be bothered. But active participation and speaking up can significantly advance visibility and career prospects. So leaders and participants alike need to take responsibility for making meetings meaningful and encouraging open communication.

Betina Szkudlarek is a professor in International Management at the University of Sydney Business School. Betina has conducted extensive research on why people often do not voice their opinions and what can be done to encourage people to speak up. In this episode, she shares findings from her research, and offers practical steps for both leaders and participants to ensure everyone’s voice is heard…not just the loudest.

Three reasons to listen

Understand the common reasons why people often refrain from speaking up in meetings and how it impacts team dynamics
Learn strategies to encourage active participation and meaningful discussions in meetings
Discover the importance of restructuring meeting formats to facilitate better engagement and contribution from all attendees

Episode highlights

[00:08:13] What Betina found in her research
[00:12:09] Common reasons people don't speak up
[00:15:34] Administrative bloat
[00:17:52] Disengagement in meetings
[00:22:16] Making space for introverts
[00:25:53] What participants can do in meetings
[00:29:55] How family dynamics play out in meetings
[00:32:04] Make just one contribution
[00:33:14] Betina's media recommendation
[00:34:54] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Connect with Betina via LinkedIn
Doing Silence: How Silence Is Produced in Meetings – Betina’s research
The Stupidity Paradox: The Power and Pitfalls of Functional Stupidity at Work, by Mats Alvesson and Andre Spicer
Harnessing the power of silence – Episode 85, with Bastian Overgaard
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Legislating for a safe workplace - can it work? with Ian Bennett

Ian Bennett, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0100

How much responsibility do leaders have for the psychological safety of their teams? Aren’t psychological hazards an HR issue?

Recent changes in Australian law require employers to take steps to ensure not only the physical but also the psychological safety of their employees. This includes identifying and mitigating psychosocial hazards in the workplace, which can have a profound impact on employees' mental health. But what is “reasonable”?

This week's guest is Ian Bennett, a legal expert specialising in employment and safety law. He lends his expertise to discussions on workplace safety, specifically focusing on psychological safety and psychosocial hazards in the workplace.

Three reasons to listen

Understand new legislation that necessitates employers to ensure the physical and psychological safety of their employees, currently in place in Australia, but likely to spread
Learn about the implications of these laws for team leaders and what lessons can be drawn from this approach globally
Discover how to create healthy, productive workplaces where everyone still strives to do their best work

Episode highlights

[00:08:18] Expectations on employers to provide psychological safety
[00:13:40] How is new legislation being implemented?
[00:16:52] The Australian public's reaction
[00:20:29] What leaders should bear in mind
[00:24:57] What employees are entitled to
[00:27:06] Psychological safety in performance management
[00:30:15] The downsides of remote work and "always being on"
[00:32:14] What can leaders do today?
[00:34:43] Ian's media recommendations
[00:37:46] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Imposter syndrome and its effect on teams with Clem Pickering

Dan Hammond, Pia Lee, Clem Pickering — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Imposter syndrome is a common psychological pattern many of us experience. It makes us doubt our achievements, or feel like we’re going to be exposed as a fraud. Imposter syndrome is usually only experienced by high performers, but there are techniques and mindset shifts that can help us, if not “cure” imposter syndrome, then at least manage it.

Clem Pickering is a coach and specialist in the area of imposter syndrome. He has a background in tech, and focuses on supporting leaders in the tech space enhance their people skills and increase their impact. Dan and Pia share their personal experiences with imposter syndrome, and together with Clem explore its prevalence, discuss the impact it has in the workplace, and uncover ways to manage it.

Three reasons to listen

Learn the differences between imposter syndrome and self-doubt
Understand how imposter syndrome affects high-performing people and its prevalence across genders
Discover coping mechanisms and strategies for dealing with imposter syndrome

Episode highlights

[00:08:15] What is imposter syndrome?
[00:13:10] Imposter syndrome vs self-doubt
[00:16:00] Imposter syndrome and gender
[00:18:23] Settling your imposter
[00:22:39] Normalising imposter syndrome within teams
[00:26:31] Competence vs confidence
[00:31:40] First steps you can take
[00:33:03] Clem's media recommendation
[00:34:17] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Leave us a voice note
The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women (And Men): Why Capable People Suffer from Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive In Spite of it, by Valerie Young
The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth, by Amy Edmondson

The state of working from home with Jose Maria Barrero

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The shift to working from home during the pandemic has significantly altered the way businesses operate, with many finding a balance between in-person and remote work. This change seems to be persisting even as lockdowns end, suggesting a long-term shift in our approach to work.

This week, Dan and Pia are joined by Jose Maria Barrero, an assistant professor at ITAM Business School in Mexico City. He leads one of the world's biggest research studies on working from home, and how businesses are reacting to the shift to remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Three reasons to listen

Learn about the evolution of working from home trends over time, as observed through extensive research.
Understand the dynamics and preferences of remote and hybrid work models from both the employee and employer perspectives.
Discover the impact and potential future of working from home on productivity and organisational structure.

Episode highlights

[00:07:18] Working from home in 2020
[00:12:23] Changes in expectation of paid work-from-home days
[00:14:31] Digging into productivity data
[00:18:40] The drivers for returning to the office
[00:21:03] The impact of working-from-home on real estate
[00:23:37] The picture four years from now
[00:26:25] What leaders should consider today
[00:28:38] The extra hour in our days
[00:31:25] Jose's media recommendations
[00:32:16] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Connect with Jose via LinkedIn
Work From Home and the Office Real Estate Apocalypse
Working Remotely? Selection, Treatment, and the Market for Remote Work
Checks and Balance – Podcast from the Economist
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Transitioning to a senior leadership role with Iain Gauld

Iain Gauld, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A successful transition to leadership calls for a significant shift in mindset. Not only do you need to enhance your existing skills, but also adopt new ones and let go of habits that may have earned you you success in the past.

A transitioning leader understands the importance of team dynamics, makes space for collaboration, evolves their leadership style, and embraces continuous learning.

This week, Dan and Pia are joined by Iain Gauld, the Chief Information Officer at Contact Energy in New Zealand. With a background in computer science, Iain started his career in tech with the intention of effecting change. Over time, he transitioned into team leadership and management roles, continuously learning and growing as he did so.

Three reasons to listen

To learn about the transformation process from a technical role to a leadership role in a team
To understand the dynamics of team building beyond technical skills
To discover how to apply principles of Agile approach to enhance leadership skills

Episode highlights

[00:12:22] Moving into leadership
[00:17:31] T-shaped leadership
[00:20:56] Skills emerging leaders need
[00:23:49] The role of psychological safety
[00:28:12] Adapting and evolving as a leader
[00:31:33] Leadership in the next decade
[00:33:20] Iain's media recommendation
[00:34:17] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Connect with Iain via LinkedIn
The Leadership Pipeline: How to Build the Leadership Powered Company, by Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter, and James Noel
Same as Ever: Timeless Lessons on Risk, Opportunity and Living a Good Life, by Morgan Housel
Team #1 by Patrick Lencioni
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Are you focusing on the right things? with Greg Radick and Tom McClelland

Greg Radick, Tom McClelland, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Salience (or what we choose to focus our attention on) has a big impact on our perceptions and actions within a group. Understanding this can help us reconsider what we’re ignoring or overlooking, which can lead to more innovative and inclusive team dynamics.

This week, Dan and Pia are joined by Greg Radick and Tom McClelland, a professor and lecturer respectively, who study the history and philosophy of science. They discuss the concept of salience, which points to the ideas that grab our attention, and how salience impacts scientific enquiry and teams.

In their professional work, they examine how different elements become more salient or important within a community of inquirers, such as a scientific community or a team, shaping what problems are considered relevant and which ones are ignored. They also explore how these patterns of salience influence the directions of research and collaboration.

Three reasons to listen

To learn about the concept of salience and its impact on team performance and problem-solving
To understand how ignoring and attention shapes our professional and personal identities
To discover how the history and philosophy of science can influence our understanding of team dynamics

Episode highlights

[00:05:33] The history and philosophy of science
[00:07:13] What is salience
[00:14:16] Choosing what we ignore
[00:15:42] The importance of pointing in a different direction
[00:19:35] Identifying mavericks and outliers
[00:24:53] Greg's experiment to alter salience patterns
[00:31:09] Creating a more open mindset
[00:34:55] Social media, misinformation, and salience
[00:37:31] Media recommendations
[00:39:54] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Connect with Greg via LinkedIn
Connect with Tom via LinkedIn
Tom’s website
Disputed Inheritance: The Battle over Mendel and the Future of Biology – Greg’s book
Woman First and a Philosopher Second: Relative Attentional Surplus on the Wrong Property, by Ella Whiteley
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, by Thomas Kuhn
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Yes, Chef! Lessons from the professional kitchen with Simon Zatyrka

Simon Zatyrka, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Kitchens – like any professional environment – need effective leadership. This means staying calm, promoting clear communication, and creating a learning environment where team members feel valued and motivated. Professional kitchens run well are the epitome of the We Not Me philosophy.

This week, Dan and Pia are joined by Simon Zatyrka, a former executive chef who’s spent most of his career in professional kitchens around the US. He’s the founder of the Culinary Mechanic, where he coaches chefs on leadership and building a positive culture in the kitchen, offering a mix of on-site and virtual consulting.

Three reasons to listen

To understand the importance of team building and development in high-pressure environments
To learn about the dynamics and leadership strategies used in professional kitchens
To discover how to create a productive and positive culture within a team

Episode highlights

[00:13:55] Inside a professional kitchen
[00:23:56] Having key conversations
[00:25:47] When communication breaks down
[00:28:11] Just so you are aware
[00:29:49] Simon's leadership tip
[00:31:41] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Connect with Simon via LinkedIn
Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect, by Will Guidara
Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, by Stanley McChrystal, David Silverman, Tantum Collins and Chris Fussell
Chef Journeys – Simon’s podcast
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Keeping the peace when taking on a new leadership role with Jon Barnes

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

If you’re taking over as team leader, you need to have open and honest conversations about the change in dynamics. If you’ve previously enjoyed a friendly relationship and you’re transitioning from buddy to boss, or you’re filling someone else’s shoes, it’s time to show humility, honour the past, embrace an uncertain future, and accept feedback from your team.

This week, adaptive organisations consultant Jon Barnes rejoins the podcast. Jon helps organisations shift from rigid hierarchies or bureaucracies towards teams that manage themselves, promoting more autonomy. He’s a fan of working styles where individuals have more freedom but are also more accountable, and he focuses on helping groups collectively nurture the culture they want, together.

Three reasons to listen

Understand how to handle the "buddy to boss" transition by establishing a new social contract with your team
Explore ways to maintain mutual respect and equality in relationships, even when hierarchical structures are in place
Learn specific techniques for scheduling, giving and receiving feedback, in order to shape a constructive leadership style

Episode highlights

[00:07:42] The budy-to-boss problem
[00:18:38] The perils of bringing in an outside team whisperer
[00:30:29] Big shoes to fill
[00:37:43] Jon's recommendation
[00:39:42] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Leave us a voice note
Connect with Jon via LinkedIn
The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World, by Mpho Tutu and Desmond Tutu

How to resolve workplace conflict with Tania Waters

Tania Waters, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Workplace conflicts can arise from the most unexpected things, and can have severe consequences. When conflicts arise, they need to be addressed quickly, with opportunities created for open communication and understanding.

Through effective mediation and a curiosity-driven approach, conflicts between team members can be resolved, ruptures can be repaired, and positive outcomes can be achieved.

This week, Dan and Pia are joined by workplace mediation and conflict resolution consultant, Tania Waters. Tania has extensive experience in helping organisations address workplace conflicts and facilitating mediations between parties.

She provides conflict management coaching, and specialises in creating safe spaces for open dialogue, understanding the perspectives and impacts of each party involved, and guiding them towards finding common ground.

Three reasons to listen

Understand the impact of workplace conflict on teams and their members, from passive-aggressive behaviour to the threat of physical violence
Learn about the importance of timely conflict resolution and the negative consequences of letting things simmer for too long
Discover the role of curiosity in the mediation process and how it can help to break down walls and challenge simplified narratives

Episode highlights

[00:11:51] Where conflict begins
[00:13:25] What conflict looks like
[00:15:37] The cost of conflict
[00:17:37] The conflict resolution process
[00:25:01] Pre-mediation
[00:33:03] Group conflict
[00:36:11] Tania's book recommendation
[00:37:45] Tania's top tip
[00:39:34] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Connect with Tania via LinkedIn
High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out, by Amanda Ripley
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The four key drivers of peak team performance in 2024 with Juliet Hammond

Juliet Hammond, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Teams need to have a deep understanding of how to work together effectively. This means recognising the interdependencies among team members and working towards a common goal rather than operating individually.

Teams also need to actively seek opportunities to collaborate and share knowledge with others. This helps them tap into collective expertise, avoiding duplication of effort, and lets them leverage resources more efficiently.

Teams must also prioritise accountability and ensure they follow through on their promises. This builds trust and credibility, both internally and externally, and fosters a culture of excellence and drives sustained performance.

This week, Dan and Pia are joined by Juliet Hammond to comb through the latest Squadify data, to tease out how teams can perform better.

Three reasons to listen

Discover the key drivers of team performance based on Squadify's extensive data analysis.
Gain valuable insights into the importance of interdependency, proactive collaboration, and delivering against commitments for high-performing teams.
Explore how teams can take control of their performance by understanding how to work together effectively and fostering a psychologically safe environment.

Episode highlights

[00:06:40] What do we mean by "performance"?
[00:11:17] Overview of the latest Squadify findings
[00:19:41] Conditions for success in teams
[00:25:12] Implementing these conditions for success
[00:28:36] Juliet's book recommendation
[00:31:37] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Leave us a voice note
Get a copy of the latest Squadify report
Connect with Julia via LinkedIn
The Age of AI, by Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, and Daniel Huttenlocher
Impromptu: Amplifying Our Humanity Through AI, by Reid Hoffman

How to get more from your team conversations with Chris Ertel

Chris Ertel, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Team conversations are more effective when there’s a safe space for open and honest communication. By creating an environment of trust, where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas, teams can have more productive and meaningful discussions. Building trust and promoting vulnerability are key factors in improving the quality of team conversations, but we have to go beyond lip service and recognise when people are holding back and keeping their true thoughts hidden.

This week, Dan and Pia are joined by Chris Ertel, a strategic conversation designer and a thought leader in how teams work. He has over 27 years of experience as a strategy and innovation consultant. He specialises in facilitating creative problem-solving sessions for teams, and is part of Deloitte Greenhouse, a specialised unit that focuses on designing and delivering strategic conversations.

Three reasons to listen

Learn how to create an environment that encourages team members to share their true thoughts and feelings during conversations
Understand the importance of building trust within teams to facilitate open and honest communication
Hear about the challenges teams face, along with strategies to overcome them in order to have more effective conversations

Episode highlights

[00:07:26] Observing team dynamics
[00:09:34] The importance of humour
[00:11:56] Holding a space for vulnerability
[00:14:43] The fundamentals of trust
[00:21:27] What else is there but teams?
[00:26:43] The four elements of teams
[00:28:02] Team Alchemy
[00:33:49] We all need coaching
[00:36:46] Improving team clarity
[00:41:52] Getting clarity on how a decision is made
[00:44:50] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Connect with Chris via LinkedIn
Patrick Lencioni
The Coach in the Operating Room – Article by Atul Gawande
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Harnessing the power of silence with Bastian Overgaard

Bastian Overgaard, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Silence can have a profound impact on our relationships and productivity. By incorporating moments of silence into our interactions and meetings, we can create a sense of focus, concentration, and psychological safety.

Silence allows us to truly listen to each-other, deepen our understanding, and foster meaningful connections. It’s a powerful tool that can enhance team dynamics and promote effective communication.

This week's guest is Bastian Overgaard, author of the book Noise Free, consultant and teacher with a passion for promoting and facilitating silence in social interactions. Bastian believes that silence can enhance relationships, promote mindfulness, and create psychological safety. He conducts workshops and team-building exercises to help individuals and teams harness the power of silence for improved communication and collaboration.

Three reasons to listen

Discover the surprising benefits of incorporating silence into team dynamics and communication.
Learn how intentional moments of silence can enhance relationships, foster creativity, and improve decision-making.
Explore different types of silence, including restorative, relational, and reflective, and how to apply them in various settings.

Episode highlights

[00:09:07] Discovering the power of silence
[00:19:48] The danger of meetings without silence
[00:23:55] Equal speaking time
[00:29:14] Where and when to add silence to your meetings
[00:33:29] Where silence is being deployed right now
[00:38:10] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Connect with Bastian via LinkedIn
Noise Free: Rethinking How We Talk – Bastian’s book
Leave us a voice note

Detoxifying masculinity with Richie Hardcore

Richie Hardcore, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The world needs healthier models of masculinity. By incorporating diverse perspectives and acknowledging the impact of sociological, biological, and personal factors, we can work towards creating a more inclusive and compassionate understanding of masculinity. This can have a profound impact on the way teams work together.

Richie Hardcore is well known for his contributions to promoting healthier models of masculinity. Richie has a personal journey of healing and unpacking childhood trauma, which has shaped his work in understanding and addressing issues related to masculinity. He works as a speaker, mentor, and advocate, focusing on topics like consent, sexual and domestic violence, and mental health. Richie incorporates his background in combat sports to engage hard-to-reach audiences and facilitate conversations on healthy masculinity. He aims to challenge societal norms and encourage inclusive and compassionate understandings of masculinity.

Three reasons to listen

To understand the sociological, biological, and personal factors that shape our understanding of gender roles
To work towards a more inclusive and compassionate understanding of masculinity for healthier relationships
To learn about the challenges and work being done to address issues like violence against women and girls, mental health, and social dynamics related to masculinity

Episode highlights

[00:10:08] Why are men more prone to violence?
[00:15:57] Male aggression in team settings
[00:20:53] A new model of masculinity
[00:24:56] Multicultural attitudes towards masculinity
[00:28:18] The online push towards toxic masculinity
[00:32:39] Social media's role in division
[00:37:14] Richie's recommendations for change
[00:39:16] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Connect with Richie via LinkedIn
White Ribbon Australia
White Ribbon UK
Testosterone: The story of the hormone that dominates and divides us, by Carole Hooven
Of Boys and Men: Why the modern male is struggling, why it matters, and what to do about it, by Richard Reeves
What About Men?, by Caitlin Moran
Asking for it – Richie’s TV documentary
Leave us a voice note

How to clear an innovation roadblock with Tony Morgan

Tony Morgan, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Teams that embrace challenges and are open to new ideas can develop better solutions and achieve greater success. Innovation is an iterative process that needs resilience and the ability to adapt to change, and students are learning the role of teamwork within innovation today.

Tony Morgan is a professor at Leeds University Business School, within the engineering and physical sciences faculty. He leads a cluster of innovation practice modules where teams of students from different areas across the university work on real-world innovation challenges.

In his conversation with Dan and Pia, he sets out the importance of embracing change and turning problems into opportunities.

Three reasons to listen

To discover the importance of resilience and adaptability in the innovation process through real-world examples and practical techniques
To understand the role of teamwork and effective communication in driving successful innovation projects
To learn how to navigate and embrace change, turning obstacles into opportunities for growth and creativity

Episode highlights

[00:17:25] Dynamics within student innovation teams
[00:19:30] Bringing the introverts into the conversation
[00:26:30] Putting diverging and converging into practice
[00:27:23] The importance of empathy in teamwork
[00:33:52] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Connect with Tony via LinkedIn
Critical teams – Episode 20, with Martin Bromiley
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Contracts for collaboration with Sally Guyer

Sally Guyer, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Contracts are so often focused on preparing for the worst, rather than setting up successful relationships. Effective contracts focus on establishing strong relationships, good communication, and problem-solving. Leading with these principles allows contracts to evolve from being blunt legal instruments to valuable tools for promoting collaboration and navigating uncertainties.

Sally Guyer is the global CEO of World CC and a professor at Durham University. She is passionate about improving the way contracts are structured and managed, focusing on creating successful relationships and driving desired outcomes. She believes that contracts should go beyond just addressing legal aspects and must provide a scaffolding for navigating uncertainty and fostering effective governance.

In her discussion with Dan and Pia, she advocates for a shift towards relational contracting and emphasises the importance of communication and an outcome-focused approach in contract management.

Three reasons to listen

To explore the importance of contracts in business and society, and how they can be improved to drive successful outcomes
To learn about relational contracting and the principles that support strong and effective relationships
To discover how contract management can contribute to the success of organisations

Episode highlights

[00:11:37] What's wrong with contracts now
[00:15:30] How to fix contracts
[00:24:28] What good contracting looks like
[00:33:54] Integrity of relationships
[00:35:30] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Healing toxic workplaces with Glenn Akramoff

Glenn Akramoff, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Toxic workplaces can have a devastating impact on individuals' mental health and wellbeing. Leaders need to create positive and supportive work environments where employees feel valued, heard, and safe.

Building trust, fostering open communication, and addressing any signs of toxicity quickly are key to preventing the harmful effects of a toxic workplace. Empathy and active engagement are key in understanding team members’ needs and concerns. By prioritising the wellbeing of employees, organisations can cultivate a healthier and more productive work environment for everyone.

Glenn Akramoff works on improving toxic workplaces in the public sector in the US. With a background in public works and experience as a city manager, Glenn is passionate about addressing toxic work environments and supporting individuals who are affected by them.

In his conversation with Dan and Pia, Glenn describes how he focuses on building trust and rapport with team members, earning their respect, and creating a positive work culture. Through his work, he aims to heal organisations by helping individuals heal, and fostering a healthier and more productive work environment.

Three reasons to listen

To learn about the impact of toxic workplaces on individuals and the wider organisation
To understand the factors that contribute to the development of a toxic workplace
For practical approaches to healing and transforming toxic workplaces

Episode highlights

[00:08:44] The impact of toxic workplaces
[00:13:12] Unwritten rules
[00:16:54] Getting permission to lead
[00:23:32] Glenn's roadmap for turning toxic teams around
[00:26:26] Toxic homelife to toxic worklife
[00:28:34] Combatting tribalism
[00:32:58] Glenn's practical tips
[00:35:11] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

Meet a psychologically safe, high-performing organisation with Lee Geary and Rebecca Pinkstone

Rebecca Pinkstone, Lee Geary, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Creating a psychologically safe and high-performing organisation means focusing on both performance and wellbeing. Organisations need to foster a culture of learning and development, building strong leadership capabilities, and prioritising psychological safety at all levels. By balancing the delivery of services and outcomes with the support and wellbeing of staff, organisations can make a tangible difference in the lives of their clients while maintaining a positive and productive work environment.

Rebecca Pinkstone is the CEO of Bridge Housing, a community housing provider in Australia. With a background in community development and a passion for providing safe and affordable homes, Beck leads the organisation in its mission to make a tangible difference in people's lives.

Lee Geary is the Executive Director of People, Culture and Brand at Bridge. With a career focused on capacity building and organisational development, Lee is responsible for cultivating a psychologically safe and high-performing culture within the organisation.

Through learning and development initiatives, data-driven decision-making, and leadership development, Bridge ensures that its employees have the skills and support needed to deliver quality services to their residents.

Three reasons to listen

For a refresher on psychological safety and to learn about its place within high-performance teams
For practical insights and strategies for building a psychologically safe work environment
To hear real-life examples and experiences from Beck and Lee on their journey of creating a psychologically safe and high-performing organisation

Episode highlights

[00:02:01] Meeting Rebecca & Lee
[00:11:39] The challenges of social housing
[00:14:26] How Bridge maintains a high sense of wellbeing
[00:18:25] Getting buy-in and engagement from across the team
[00:22:46] Setting values and aligned behaviours
[00:28:32] Legislation around psychosocial hazards
[00:32:02] Challenger safety
[00:37:04] The management operating system
[00:43:54] Practical steps to implementing Bridge's principles
[00:48:36] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

What non-technical teams can learn from developers with Felipe Tabares

Felipe Tabares, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

While there are plenty of stereotypes around software developers, the industry has innovated when it comes to teamwork and project management. Whether it’s methodologies like Agile or Lean, or simply recognising the competitive landscape employers are faced with, non-technical teams can learn a lot from how developers work together to get stuff done.

Felipe Tabares is the head of development at Squadify. He’s held various roles in innovation, engineering, project management, and people management, and teaches passionately from his own mistakes and learning experiences. In his discussion with Dan and Pia, he emphasises the need for teams to have a clear purpose, measurable goals, competent members, and a shared fate.

Three reasons to listen

To understand the challenges faced by development teams in a rapidly changing landscape
To learn about the importance of engagement and skill development in retaining talented developers
To discover strategies for fostering a culture of learning and knowledge sharing within teams

Episode highlights

[00:08:23] What makes development teams different
[00:16:01] How to move quickly in a fast-paced world of change
[00:21:46] Agile and Lean for non-development teams
[00:28:42] Developer to leader
[00:33:53] Creating a high-performing development team
[00:40:52] The importance of vulnerability
[00:43:40] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

How evolution affects groups of animals, including humans with Alex Thornton

Alex Thornton, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The study of animal behaviour and evolution can provide a surprising insight into our own human behaviour and societal structures. By observing and understanding how animals interact with one another, we can learn more about the factors that shape the way we live and work together.

Alex Thornton is a Professor of cognitive evolution at Exeter University in the UK. He conducts experiments on animals – particularly birds of the crow family – to understand how behaviour and intelligence evolve. In his discussion with Dan and Pia, Alex draws some fascinating parallels between human behaviour and that of other animals, including evidence of democracy and compassion.

Three reasons to listen

To explore the evolutionary aspects of animal intelligence and the role of social interactions in shaping behaviour
To dive into research on crows and their complex societies, providing potential insights into human social dynamics
For a discussion on the impact of social media on human thinking and behaviour in the context of global conflicts

Episode highlights

[00:12:03] Introducing the corvid family of bird
[00:13:57] What crows use their large brains for
[00:20:06] Leadership dynamics within corvids
[00:22:06] How crows vote
[00:24:10] Why human culture is cumulative
[00:30:33] The evolutionary benefits of kindness
[00:35:05] Wrapping up
[00:36:28] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

What can we learn from other animals? – Episode 45, with Beki Hooper
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Autonomy: striking the right balance with Jon Barnes

Jon Barnes, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0100

A workplace with autonomy isn’t a utopia where everyone does whatever they want. Autonomy is a journey towards balancing freedom and choice with responsibility and accountability. It needs leaders to facilitate and coaches, and means adopting tools and processes that enable self-regulation.

Jon Barnes is a consultant who has devoted most of his professional life to autonomy and self-managed teams. He helps organisations move towards self-management by coaching teams and working one-on-one with CEOs. For Jon, autonomy is about empowering teams and individuals to make decisions and take ownership of their work while fostering a culture of trust and collaboration.

Three reasons to listen

Gain insights into the concept of autonomy and what it truly means in a workplace setting.
Understand the myths and misconceptions surrounding autonomy and self-management.
Learn about different decision-making processes and their effectiveness in organizations.

Episode highlights

[00:10:57] What is autonomy, and what is it not?
[00:14:18] Who benefits from autonomy?
[00:16:16] What decision-making processes realy work?
[00:19:23] Challenges for autonomous team leaders
[00:22:44] Challenges for autonomous team members
[00:32:50] How our need for agency changes over time
[00:37:27] Getting started with creating an autonomous team
[00:40:07] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Connect with Jon via LinkedIn
Jon’s Inner Management course
Kick Out Your Boss – Ricardo Semler documentary
The ups and downs removing the hierarchy from a team – Episode 65 with Tom McLaughlin
There are no solutions, only trade-offs – Thomas Sowell
The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play it, by Will Storr
Locus of control
Individual identity in teams – Episode 21, with James Prior
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Putting differences aside to improve local democracy with Peter Macfadyen

Peter Macfadyen, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Local activism and community engagement can lead to significant changes in local politics, but such change doesn’t come easy. A paucity of community engagement, a serious lack of trust, the need for diversity – these and many other issues can become barriers to change.

But this week’s guest, Peter Macfadyen, has proven that with perseverance, open communication, and a clear vision for positive change, these challenges can be overcome to create a more effective, participatory and community-driven local government.

Three reasons to listen

To gain insights into the power of local activism and community engagement in driving political change.
To discover the significance of grassroots movements, citizen empowerment, and challenging traditional political structures.
To learn about the transformative potential of creating a more democratic and effective local governance system.

Episode highlights

[00:07:41] British attitudes to death
[00:13:58] The story of Flatpack Democracy
[00:27:12] Mistakes made early on in the transition
[00:31:19] Establishing a lasting change
[00:37:10] Finding hope amid political division
[00:43:43] Bringing people together
[00:48:57] Don't improve the system - build a new one
[00:50:40] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Psychological safety: how are teams doing? with Juliet Hammond

Juliet Hammond, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Lots of teams are struggling when it comes to implementing psychological safety – particularly in areas like straight-talking, listening to each other, and challenger safety. Building psychological safety requires open and honest communication, a willingness to embrace conflict, and a shared understanding of how the team works together. Getting the right balance of healthy conflict and “just being nice” is core to building a safe team.

Joining Dan and Pia this week is Squadify business analyst Juliet Hammond, who breaks down the latest figures from Squadify’s data on team performance.

Three reasons to listen

To gain insights into the concept of psychological safety and how it impacts team performance.
To learn about the different levels of psychological safety and how they contribute to team dynamics.
To understand the importance of challenging and straight-talking within a psychologically safe team environment.

Episode highlights

[00:04:14] What is psychological safety?
[00:09:37] What Squadify measures
[00:11:37] What teams are recognising
[00:17:55] 44% of people experiencing stress
[00:22:12] A leader's role in fostering psychological safety
[00:28:49] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

Connect with Julia via LinkedIn
The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety, by Timothy Clark
Right Kind of Wrong: Why Learning to Fail Can Teach Us to Thrive, by Amy Edmondson
Employee Engagement Strategies: Fixing the World's $8.8 Trillion Problem – from Gallup
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How LADBible became a force for inclusion with Ben Powell-Jones

Ben Powell-Jones, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Working together as a team can help a brand successfully transition and mature. When we stand side-by-side with each-other, supporting each other's success and fostering a collaborative mindset, teams can achieve greater productivity and success.

Ben Powell-Jones is the former creative director of LADBible and the co-founder of Strong Watch Studio. He was involved in building LADBible's original content, coming from a TV career. He also spent time living in Japan, which had a significant cultural impact on his perspective on teamwork and collaboration.

Three reasons to listen

To discover how a cohesive and collaborative team can achieve more than individuals working solely for their own success.
To find out how a brand associated with schoolboy humour transitioned to one that promotes diversity and inclusion.
For a glimpse into the diverse range of stories and conversations Ben teased out, which provided inspiration and a fresh perspective on life for millions of viewers.

Episode highlights

[00:14:59] Extraordinary conversations
[00:28:31] Creating a difficult-conversation survival group
[00:34:30] Idea generation in teams
[00:36:03] Strong Watch Studios
[00:39:34] Key takeaways from Dan dnd Pia

Links

Season 6 review: with a little help from AI! with Dan Hammond and Pia Lee

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Embracing diversity, giving people autonomy, and working towards shared values with clarity – those are essential key ingredients for teams in 2023 and beyond.

Those are among the insights Dan, Pia and their guests uncovered in season 6 of We Not Me. In this, the first episode of season 6, Squadify’s founding team are here to discuss what they learned, and share a little of what we can expect from the next 12 weeks.

Links

What will happen when AI joins your team? – Episode 66, with Benjamin Dehant
Season 6 review – Episode 72 with Matthew Bellringer
What Simon Sinek could learn about irony in teams – Episode 71 with Richard Claydon
The ‘clarity gap’ in teams and how to close it – Episode 63 with Juliet Hammond
The ups and downs of removing hierarchy from teams – Episode 65 with Tom McLoughlin
Diversity and inclusion in West Africa – Episode 68 with Sahera Sumar
Lessons in leadership from Fiji’s COVID response – Episode 69 with Bernadette Welch
Holding your values as you scale – Episode 70
When building a community, shared silence can be golden – Episode 67 with Matt Trinetti
Disaster relief, community engagement and being an asset not a liability – Episode 62 with Gaz Breen
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Agreeing to disagree with Matthew Bellringer

Matthew Bellringer, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Disagreements can quickly escalate into a fight for survival, triggering a limbic response in the brain that can lead to destructive behaviour. But none of us has privileged access to the truth. We all have different perspectives, and so by engaging with the unpredictability and uncertainty of our environment, we can get to a more precise, accurate, and nuanced understanding.

To nurture a culture of healthy disagreement, we need to remember we don't know everything, and that assumptions can be challenged. This takes curiosity and a willingness to change our position and the position of others.

In this second and final part of Dan and Pia’s conversation with Matthew Bellringer, our guest explores ways we can start to disagree agreeably, by being clear about what we don't know, situating our perspective, and sharing why we think a certain way.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Considering other perspectives is essential for positive disagreement and progress, and bringing us further into the group, rather than risking the feeling of banishment.
Making assumptions harms our attention to detail and critical thinking. Truth is often complex, but we can tend to prioritise being right and looking for quick fixes.
If we feel threatened by a differing viewpoint, we can lose our ability to reason at a higher level, and can be compelled to make our point at all costs. We need to find ways to detach from emotions and try to understand our own responses.
Healthy debate should recognise the middle ground, and be able to see both sides. It’s a position of strength, not weakness.

Links

What Simon Sinek could learn about irony in teams with Richard Claydon

Dr Richard Claydon, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0100

There are plenty of leadership “gurus” who can simplify complex topics. But how often do we consider the accuracy of their statements? Lots has been written about the purpose movement, but there’s another approach: embracing the absurdity of our current situations, and holding up a mirror to them.

Irony in teams can give us an interesting perspective on performance and management, and can be a vital bonding agent within teams. Dr Richard Claydon has done extensive research on organisational irony and its role in leadership. He teaches leadership programmes and has developed facilitation techniques to help people learn and develop leadership skills in a practical way. And he challenges some of the received wisdom of “gurus” many hold in high esteem.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Not all of us can find purpose in our work, so we seek it elsewhere. And trying too hard to find purpose in your work – and not following your own intrinsic purpose – can lead to difficulties.
Richard challenges some of the claims and statements Simon Sinek makes – from an academic’s point of view – but the fact that it resonates with so many people can’t be ignored.
When faced with absurdity – or with things being taken too seriously – the key is to face it with a wry smile. Just don’t take it to the point of sarcasm.
There can be comfort in finding people who share your ironic take on things.
Leadership can be dark – it’s not always plain sailing.

Links

Connect with Richard via LinkedIn
Are you a Sinek cynic? – Richard’s LinkedIn post
How Great Leaders Inspire Action – Simon Sinek’s “Golden Circle” TED talk
EQ Lab
The Human Factor
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Holding your values as you scale with Dan Hammond

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0100

There comes a time when a startup moves to a scale-up, where small ideas take off and before you know it, you’ve got a hit on your hands. But with the highs come the responsibilities of leadership. In this episode, Dan shares his experience creating a successful music festival in his hometown of Ilkley, and offers valuable insights on how to make it work.

Defining your values as you grow

Dan and Pia discuss how Ilkley Live’s leadership is evolving, just as it does with any startup. The process looks like this:

Determine your purpose and values
Communicate them clearly to your team and stakeholders
Be open to feedback and make adjustments
Give people autonomy to take ownership
Stay invested in your values, even as the project grows

Losing sight of your core values puts the support of your team at risk, so while they don’t necessarily need to be on paper, they do need to be held.

Links

Leave us a voice note

Lessons in leadership from Fiji’s COVID response with Bernadette Welch

Bernadette Welch, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0100

W\hen you’re managing a crises, you need well-structured governance and communication framework in place. This will ensure all stakeholders are on the same page and working towards the same goal. Empowering team members with knowledge and delegating tasks is key. But we also need to be willing to take charge and get things sorted out when resources or support are needed.

This week’s guest is Bernadette Welch, a retired public servant with a long career in Australia and Fiji. She coordinated Fiji's initial COVID response and organised the largest international meeting the country had ever hosted. She’s been the CEO 6,000-person organisation, and Permanent Secretary for Civil Service and Health in Fiji.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Well-structured governance and communications frameworks are essential when dealing with complex projects.
When you’re clear about your purpose and setup a climate of safety, people find it easier to work together because they can see and identify the boundaries.
“The discipline of the process creates freedom of choice.” – Solid structures allow for autonomy within individuals.
While effective leaders take responsibility, it’s important to strike a balance between protecting your team from distractions, and removing some of their potential agency.

Links

Diversity and inclusion: lessons from West Africa with Sahera Sumar

Sahera Sumar, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Building a diverse and inclusive culture is a complex challenge, especially in a geographically and culturally diverse environment. It takes a common set of values and behaviours to be established across the organisation, as well as a focus on communication, respect, and empowerment.

But while diversity is invaluable, it doesn’t create equity and inclusion. Creating equity means addressing systemic issues and biases that may affect certain groups more than others. And support for people from less advantaged backgrounds needs to be in place to allow them to thrive.

Sahera Sumar is a leadership consultant who specialises in inclusive leadership and building inclusive cultures. She has worked in both the corporate and non-profit sectors and has a passion for understanding and unpacking leadership in different cultural contexts. She currently works with a steel company located in 10 different countries within Africa, where she focuses on diversity and inclusion and strengthening the leadership capacity of the organisation.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Rather than try and understand the myriad and minute differences between various cultures, stick to a simple code of conduct. “Instead of many rules, have one behaviour.”
Central to working with people from different backgrounds is appreciation and acceptance. These are two of Sahera’s five As.
Starting with shared values and behaviours can lead to a long-standing and collaborative team environment.

Links

Connect with Sahera via LinkedIn
Diversity in Teams – We Not Me episode 11
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When building a community, shared silence can be golden with Matt Trinetti

Matt Trinetti, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Creating a community around a shared interest or passion can lead to unexpected outcomes. Matt Trinetti followed the energy of an idea and provided a space for like-minded people to come together and form a community.

The London Writers’ Salon has grown and evolved over time, with daily writing sessions and weekly interviews with writers, and is now a profitable business formed from a simple idea at the start of the UK’s first covid lockdown.

Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Follow the energy in the conversations you’re having, as more often than not, they’ll lead you to more fruitful decisions.
Collaborating virtually or in person gives us a sense of moving forwards. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to hold space.
Matt’s inclusive vision exposes the falsehood that collaboration can and must only happen in the same physical space.

Links

Connect with Matt via LinkedIn
Give, Live, Explore – Matt’s travel blog
Writer’s Hour
Atomic Habits, by James Clear
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What will happen when AI joins your team? with Benjamin Dehant

Benjamin Dehant, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0100

AI has the potential to revolutionise collaboration and teamwork, but it has limitations and potential biases we need to watch out for.

Benjamin Dehant is a specialist with experience using AI in collaboration and teamwork settings. He believes that in the future, every team member will have their own AI assistant that will help us work faster and more efficiently. But with those tools come limitations, and he raises the question of whether we want AI to do everything for us – and make decisions in our best interests – or if we want to maintain the value of doing things ourselves.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Governments may not be adequately prepared for the impact of AI. We need proactive governance and preparedness.
We need to make a conscious choice when implementing AI, taking into consideration the potential benefits and risks, and regulating it in a way that benefits society as a whole.
A general AI that knows everything about an organisation can provide valuable insights and data, joining dots together quicker than humans can. This could fuel more efficient and effective collaboration within teams.
We must remain in charge of desired outcomes and not delegate responsibility to AI, especially given the potential for inaccuracies in AI-generated data.
AI is a useful tool for enhancing human decision-making, but we need to remain vigilant and responsible in the process.

Links

Connect with Benjamin via LinkedIn
Teams in the metaverse – We Not Me episode 16, with Ian Smith
Artificial general intelligence (AGI)
ChatGPT – AI text generation
Midjourney – AI image generation
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The ups and downs removing the hierarchy from a team with Tom McLaughlin

Tom McLoughlin, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Removing hierarchy and implementing self-management in an organisation can be challenging, but it can also lead to positive changes and benefits for businesses willing to take the leap.

Agency founder Tom McLaughlin felt he needed to let go of some control and delegate more as the company grew. He wanted to remove the hierarchy and power dynamics in the organisation, so worked with an expert in the field of self-management, and set about restructuring his company.

Tom’s book recommendations

Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Leaders who put a shell around themselves and are not open to feedback may be immune from criticism, but being open to feedback invites scrutiny and improves the system.
The ultimate accountability for the business falls on the person responsible for the last penny in the bank, and it takes a team of trustworthy individuals to manage tough decisions together.
There's a difference between a role and hierarchical power, so instead of shying away from leadership roles, team members can take ownership and accountability for decisions while still valuing everyone's input.
Team members have the potential to see career opportunities differently in a flat organisation and value the freedom to explore and challenge themselves.

Links

The Push-up Challenge
Find an emergency hotline where you are
Connect with Tom via LinkedIn
SEO Travel
Psychological safety in teams – episode 3 of We Not Me, with Dr Jessica Tonissen
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What your team can learn from neurodiversity with Matthew Bellringer

Matthew Bellringer, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Embracing neurodiversity can bring valuable perspectives, innovation, and organisational endurance to teams. By recognising the strengths that come with neurodivergent conditions, individuals and teams can benefit from a plurality of perspectives and explore new ways of thinking and working together.

Matthew Bellringer is a consultant, practitioner, speaker, and author who focuses on systems engineering, human systems, and ecosystems. They have a background in tech engineering but have always been interested in people more than technology. Matthew has ADHD and an adulthood autism diagnoses, and is a strong advocate for neurodiversity within teams. They are the chair of Neurodiverse IT, a group for neurodivergent IT professionals, and run their own community called Curious Being.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Team leaders must consider not only the individual benefits of diversity and inclusion, but also the significance of having diverse views within organisations. Organisations need to be adaptable and able to change and move with the times, rather than being brittle.
Time constraints can prevent meaningful conversations around neurodivergence from happening. By giving ourselves more time and space, more innovative ideas can be co-created. But in order to achieve this, we need to let go of our egos and be open to different viewpoints.
We can build a new team view from diverse perspectives in order to “go our own way together”. It's not just about having different opinions all the time; it's about using these perspectives to come to a better path as a team.
There may be those who, when under pressure, feel that the last thing they need is a “difficult person” coming up with alternative viewpoints. But those voices must be heard and engaged with.
We can also take the opportunity, and the time, to delve deeper into the assumptions underlying viewpoints, as it’s often at this level where we can resolve issues.

Links

The growing need for clarity with Juliet Owen

Juliet Hammond, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Teams need to prioritise creating and maintaining clarity, especially during times of disruption and uncertainty. While purpose and shared goals have held steady in Squadify’s latest Team Tracker data, the importance and presence of more granular aspects like a clear plan and measures of success have dropped, creating a significant clarity gap.

Juliet Hammond joins Dan and Pia to discuss how teams need to focus on defining short-term priorities, experimenting, and reflecting in order to stay aligned and effective in a rapidly changing environment.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Teams can create a holistic map for their outcomes, by setting a clear purpose and strategy, along with interdependency and prioritisation choices.
By creating a shared purpose, organisation can bring their teams together and avoid burdening senior leaders with the responsibility of coordinating everything.
Most teams are merely groups of people, rather than coordinated units.
Flexibility is important when setting goals, and while clarity is key, goals should be held lightly and be subject to change while still ensuring that everyone knows what they’re working towards.
Being overwhelmed by ambiguity and finding it difficult to land on a goal is a natural human reaction. But it's important to seek clarity by focusing on what is undeniable and to make micro adjustments to avoid sailing down the wrong route for too long.

Links

Disaster relief, community engagement and being an asset not a liability with Gaz Breen

Gaz Breen, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0100

In times of crisis, community collaboration can be a powerful force for relief efforts.

Gaz Breen's coordinated efforts during the 2022 Burringbar floods demonstrated the importance of identifying our strengths and assets to contribute to a larger effort. Pia witnessed the recovery efforts that Gaz organised, and in their conversation, they discussed the significance of being an asset rather than a liability when facing difficult situations.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

In a disaster, every team member's contribution is essential. By recognising and utilising individual strengths, the team can work together more effectively to achieve their goals.
It's essential to ruthlessly exclude anything that doesn't help, and prioritise effectively. By doing this, individual strengths can be recognised and utilised, allowing the team to work together more effectively towards.
All team members have an opportunity, and a responsibility, to match their own skills to the wider needs of the team.
If your higher intent is clear, what some might call disobedience, others would call innovation.
Diverse teams need integration and synergy, not simply combining different people together.

Links

‘Next level destruction’: NSW residents detail the moments floods devastated their homes
Arthur Schopenhauer quote
Will it Make the Boat Go Faster? Olympic-Winning Strategies for Everyday Success, by Harriet Beveridge and Ben Hunt-Davis
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Turning a group into a team – Season 5 review with Dan Hammond and Pia Lee

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0100

With the challenges of hybrid working and resource constraints, team leaders need to create a shared vision and a set of meaningful goals. By putting the team at the centre and leveraging the interdependencies between members, organisations can achieve greater improvements in performance and outcomes.

In this first episode of the season 6, Dan and Pia look back on highlights from season 5, and what these conversations can teach us about collaboration.

Episodes to check out from season 5

Leading teams of volunteers – episode 51 with Jim Goddard
Purpose, people and football – episode 60 with Richard Giles
Building communities: playgrounds for adults – episode 56 with Robin Hutchinson
Can the four-day work week really work? – episode 50 with Joe Ryle
What is the data telling us about psychological safety? – episode 57 with Juliet Hammond
Why “culture fit” may not be what you want – episode 55 with Marsha Ramroop
A boarding school on the water – episode 54 with Jens Lee
Building a thriving culture from the outside in – episode 58 with Marcus Swalwell and Tom Wedge
A team’s guide to Design Thinking – episode 59 with Adam Billing

Purpose, people and football with Richard Giles

Richard Giles, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0100

If you want to build a community asset that promotes teamwork, communication, and resilience, focus on the positives, have a vision, and stick to your values. These are some of the things actuary Richard Giles discovered when taking up the position of Chairman at his local football club, Ilkley Town AFC.

Richard has a growth mindset and the courage to make changes when needed. He believes in promoting good examples and having flexibility in streaming players to achieve the best outcomes for each individual and the team.

Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Tricky calls must be made when coaches don't live by the values and purpose of the club.
Inclusivity and performance can be balanced with an "and" mindset.
Richard has effectively engaged with people and got them to take ownership of the club.
He’s driven by the purpose of promoting teamwork, communication, and resilience.

Links

Bringing teams together around human-centred design with Adam Billing

Adam Billing, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 07 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Innovation is a team sport and design thinking is a team activity. A great team involves multiple disciplines, diversity of perspectives, and a culture of permission to help guide each other towards good behaviours.

Adam Billing is the founder of Treehouse Innovation and Sprintbase, and an expert in how design thinking can be used to fuel innovation. In his conversation with Dan and Pia, he explains the principles of design thinking, which involves deeply understanding what the customer cares about, inviting diverse perspectives to generate ideas, and rapidly moving those ideas towards solutions that are grounded in customer insights.

Adam also talks about the importance of team dynamics and how a diverse team with individuals who have self-awareness, collaboration skills, and humility can make design thinking work effectively.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Design thinking is a team sport and meeds diverse perspectives to generate ideas.
It protects from leading with assumptions and quickly getting attached to ideas.
Design thinking is a slow process that requires psychological safety and co-creation.
Innovation requires letting go of expertise and dealing with your own internal workings to be open.
Curiosity is fundamental to design thinking and can be applied to life.
Don't spend too much time polishing the perfect thing before launching it.

Links

Connect with Adam via LinkedIn
Treehouse Innovation
Why “culture fit” may not be what you want – Episode 55 of We Not Me, with Marsha Ramroop
Designing for Growth: A Design Thinking Tool Kit for Managers, by Jeanne Liedtka and Tim Ogilvie
Experiencing Design: The Innovator's Journey, by Jeanne Liedtka and Karen Hold
DesignKit by Ideo
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Building a thriving culture from the outside in with Marcus Swalwell

Marcus Swalwell, Tom Wedge, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0100

When companies put the customer at the heart of their business and empower employees to improve the customer experience, they form stronger relationships with satisfied customers.

Marcus Swalwell and Tom Wedge worked together at a large optometry firm, owned by Novartis. They transformed the company by putting customers at the heart of the business, using a variety of methods from forming a virtual board of directors made up of customers, to encouraging employees to work in customers’ shops so they could see the business from their perspective.

By implementing these practices, they improved their customer relationships and become the supplier that customers most wanted to do business with.

Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Customer focus can galvanise an organisation from the outside in.
Involving everyone in crafting the vision can lead to a real sense of ownership and accountability.
Metrics can drive employees to achieve customer-centric goals.
A culture of positivity and customer centricity can improve climate.
Personal development can help create a common language and mindset without requiring excessive funding.
Employees are often let down by the conditions behind them, rather than their own competence.

Links

What is the data telling us about psychological safety? with Juliet Owen

Juliet Owen, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 12:00:00 +0000

the latest dataset from Squadify reveals how teams rate psychological safety. Juliet Owen joins Dan and Pia to go through the numbers and add some context.

Carl Rogers defines psychological safety as an individual feeling unconditional worth. This forms the basis of the movement, continued on by Amy Edmondson who defines it as a shared belief held by team members that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. Timothy Clark's model defines four stages of psychological safety: inclusion safety, learner safety, contributor safety, and challenger safety.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Team leaders should recognise that feeling psychologically safe may be biased towards individuals with high status. It's a common mistake to assume everyone can speak their minds freely.
We need to reimagine how to create personal connections within a hybrid environment, both virtually and face-to-face. If we don't, the foundation of psychological safety will be compromised.
Challenger safety might be seen as a momentum killer and a pain. However, it's important for leaders to take on challenges. The comfort levels of the team leader themselves play a big role in creating a sense of safety for their teams. And doing so without being controlling can be difficult.

Links

Connect with Juliet on LinkedIn
Psychological safety in teams – We Not Me episode 3 with Dr Jessica Tonissen
Building psychological safety: a how-to guide – We Not Me episode 41, with Stephan Wiedner
Leave us a voice message

Building communities, the surreal way with Robin Hutchinson

Robin Hutchinson, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

“I don’t fit in”. It’s something everybody feels, at least at some point. We're all struggling to find our place. And if we let systems define us, we'll always be at odds with ourselves. But as Robin Hutchinson discovered, if we identify the situations where we feel more comfortable and can cope better, then we can take ownership of it all.

Robin describes himself as a very lucky person who has had opportunities come his way. His organisation, the Community Brain, creates playgrounds for adults that allow people to reconnect with joy and passion, and to have permission to be brilliant.

Robin believes that the joy of his imaginative events is taking people to a place of absurdity and allowing them to play, which changes their attitude towards where they live and brings communities closer together.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Engagement means that everyone involved is able to write a sentence for themselves in the story of the project at hand.
Robin’s organisation gives people “permission to be brilliant”.
He sets the bar for his team, but knows when to step aside when someone has a skill that can fill a gap.
We are bound together by the fact we all share different and unique challenges.
In any relationship, we must give 100% of ourselves. If we only give 50%, then the other person only gives 50%. We must contribute our whole selves.
Be brilliant, not grey.

Links

Why “culture fit” may not be what you want with Marsha Ramroop

Marsha Ramroop, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Organisations think a lot about culture “fit”. But inclusivity strategist Marsha Ramroop believes people need to think more about “culture add”.

Hiring for culture fit leads to homogenous teams and groupthink. Hiring for "culture add" on the other hand, leads to the creation of diverse and inclusive teams.

Organisations need to be aware of bias in the recruitment process and take steps to mitigate them. This means investing proper time and money in the recruitment process and evaluating it for improvements. Also having conversations with teams to take ownership of the recruitment process and working together to create an optimal culture.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

There’s a crucial difference between culture fit and culture add. That said, it’s important to engage in culture inclusion work with the team before bringing in a new person. This will benefit the team as a whole, leading to a more inclusive environment.
The sense that everyone should want to belong is in itself a bias that can exclude others.
Cultural values can always be a way to exclude people who just want to be a high-performing part of a solid team.
Homogenous teams can operate just fine. But diverse and inclusive teams will always outperform them.
If you’re working with a difficult person you don’t get along with, no amount of cultural intelligence is going to help!

Links

Connect with Marsha on LinkedIn
School Culture Rewired: How to Define, Assess, and Transform it, by Steve Gruenert and Todd Whitaker
Racism at Work: The Danger of Indifference, by Binna Kandola
Reinventing Organisations: A Guide to Creating Organisations Inspired by the Next Stage in Human Consciousness, by Frederic Laloux
How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie
Leave us a voice note

A boarding school on the water – the unique team dynamics of yachting with Jens Lee

Jens Lee, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Whether you’re facing off against pirates or catering for celebrities, life on board a megayacht is about teamwork, reciprocity, and pulling your weight.

Jens Lee is a deck engineer who has spent the last five years working on various large vessels. Jens describes the adventure of a lifetime, including working on everything from small sailing bases to 100-metre megayachts, catering for world leaders and A-list Hollywood stars, and even meeting pirates. He explains that life on board is “like a floating boarding school”, with the captain acting as the headmaster and the crew living together and spending 24 hours in each other's company.

Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Bold choices can lead to exciting new paths.
Reciprocity is a key part of social capital within a team. This can be as simple as holding a door open for someone.
Corporations, small businesses, organisations, teams, even yacht crews face the same fundamental challenges of getting on and facing challenges together.

Links

Atomic Habits, by James Clear
Bringing head and heart to teams – We Not Me episode 6, with Lucy Hovanec

A team approach to health with Tim Arnold and Liz Dean

Tim Arnold, Liz Dean, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Teams need clarity in order to function. Without clear leadership or a shared goal, people can feel unheard and undervalued. This is all the more critical in a hospital setting where patients also need to be heard and valued.

Dr Tim Arnold is a family medicine physician in Northern Minnesota, with 22 years of experience delivering babies, providing care in the ICU, emergency room, clinic, and hospital.

Liz Dean worked for 20 years with Tim at the same organisation, focusing on business development and innovation. Now, she helps leaders in healthcare schools and businesses improve their skills and optimise for greater success.

Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Titles are intriguing but can create issues when they are used to create deferential ranks. Calling Tim by his first name removes a critical barrier without undermining the important work he does involving people's lives and sickness.
Removing rank can simplify things and lead to more authentic human relationships.
Organisations are flattening their structures and finding new approaches to work. Consequently, the fixation on titles is decreasing.
A title can be a form of acknowledgment for our work, but it doesn't necessarily indicate our leadership skills. Genuine leadership is more about relating to people and inspiring them to follow.
We don’t always have control over our environment. But we can control the way we relate to people and collectively think through problems.
When we don't know enough to understand the result of our actions, we end up with complexity and chaos. We must get multiple perspectives, and forget about finding a perfect answer.

Links

Coming back to a team with Serena Savini

Serena Savini, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

We too often prioritise work over our own needs. This is compounded if you have a disability that might take you away from work for a time, if a new baby has entered your life, or if you’re grieving. Serena Savini lives with a chronic illness and had an accident at work that shed light on this realisation.

Serena is an HR expert, coach, and podcaster who believes that those re-entering work need to be supported in every way possible. For her, the most important thing is to create a comfortable environment where everyone is respected and able to be open and honest about their experiences and needs.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Changing over time requires conscious recognition of your identity. it's not just about build habits and ticking boxes.
We don't always know how to deal with change, even when we're aware of it. This can lead to what Serena called a "strange and awkward silence”.
Like the Chinese proverb says, we can't step in the same river twice. As we move on before coming back to a team, so the team itself has changed.
When the legal system in Italy let Serena down, it was her team that was able to provide support, even as the company itself let her down.
Although things have moved on, the price of the human we call an employee seems to be very low right now.

Links

Connect with Serena on LinkedIn
I’m Back! – Serena’s podcast
Atomic Habits, by James Clear

Leading teams of volunteers with Jim Goddard

Jim Goddard, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Real transformation comes from more than just money. Jim Goddard believes that investing time, talent, and treasure into community movements is the key to success. His leadership style reflects this philosophy and encourages volunteers to take an active role in making a difference.

Jim Goddard has dedicated two decades to leading volunteers, transitioning from engineering to purposeful living. He advises leaders and organizations on purposeful, sustainable leadership, focusing on communication, collaboration, and accountability. He works to create a culture of shared mission and purpose, essential for successful volunteer teams.

Content warning: This episode contains a brief mention of suicide.

Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Through stripping back ego and connecting with purpose, we can learn to lead teams of volunteers and do greater good.
Jim clarified purpose and vision for his team, and connected it to each member, inspiring them to work together.
People bring their own intrinsic reasons for wanting to volunteer, which may simply be about connecting with other humans.

Links

The four-day-a-week team with Joe Ryle

Joe Ryle, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

When you don’t have a good work/life balance, you can begin to lose your identity outside of work. Joe Ryle discovered this during his work with the Labour Party, and it was partly this realisation that fuels his work today.

Joe Ryle is the Director of the 4 Day Week Campaign. He believes that a four-day working week provides positive benefits to society, wellbeing, and people’s mental health. And contrary to what many believe, it boosts productivity, rather than hindering it.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

There is a degree of privilege that should be acknowledged. Not everyone can afford to work a four-day week.
We need to break the mould of “x number of hours = y amount of productivity”.
The four-day week is a blunt instrument that can help us think less rigidly and more flexibly about how we use our time.

Links

Connecting together in 2023 with Amy Riley and Stephan Wiedner

Dan Hammond, Pia Lee, Amy Riley, Stephan Wiedner — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Is the balance of power shifting from employee to employer? Is AI in danger of reducing our willingness to connect as humans, or could it give us more opportunities for expression?

Dan and Pia are joined by previous guests Amy Riley and Stephan Wiedner to share their predictions for 2023, and what we can all do to create spaces where people come together to get stuff done.

Predictions from 2023

From Pia: The social fabric of humanity to affect change will become more important.
From Amy: Employees are going to need and expect more flexibility in their environments. This will meet resistance but will shift to acceptance.
From Stephan: Recent tech redundancies will shift the power from the individual back to organisations, who’ll require more in-office work and a reduction in salaries.
From Dan: The shift from remote to in-office working will vary depending on sector, with different sectors having different needs and expectations of how people come together to work.

Tips for facing 2023

From Amy:
- Every person in an organisation needs to be a keeper of the culture.
- We all need to leverage each-other’s strengths: what people are good at and what they’re interested in.
From Stephan:
- Psychological safety is how we make it easier to share, talk about, and learn from mistakes.
- Become a bystander in team conversations so you can look at them from a distance and notice where the team is getting stuck.

Links

Connect with Amy on LinkedIn
Connect with Stephan on LinkedIn
We Not Me episode 47: Creating a movement, with Nick Hudson
We Not Me episode 48: The role of ‘place’, with Doug Shapiro
We Not Me episode 42: Getting outside, with Bart Foster
We Not Me episode 40: How to hybrid: tips from a long-distance team, with Juliet Hammond
We Not Me episode 44: Team leadership at altitude, with Tania Noakes
We Not Me episode 38: Building trust for when you really need it, with Adam Verducci
We Not Me episode 39: Curiosity and the art of dialogue, with Andy Chevis
Open AI’s ChatGPT
We Not Me episode 43: The power of inclusion, with Marsha Ramroop
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The importance of place with Doug Shapiro

Doug Shapiro, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The workplace needs a rebrand. Design lead Doug Shapiro asked himself “If we didn’t feel like we had to drag ourselves to an office, would we feel differently about it?”

Just like those pieces of broccoli our parents made us eat as kids – that most of us later realise is not only good for us, but tasty – a work space can be prepared or presented badly

Takeaways from Pia and Dan

A place can shape how we bring ourselves to work as individuals, and as members of a team.
Work is in a state of flux around place, with the balance of power shifting between employers and employees.
In order to flourish and get things done together, we need to look at our individual needs without becoming too individualistic in our thinking.

Links

Creating a movement with Nick Hudson

Nick Hudson, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 03:51:49 +0000

Communities need a common goal to work towards. And even with that goal in place, how can we galvanise people together to help them achieve it? These are some of the questions this week’s guest, Nick Hudson has had to face while building the phenomenally successful Push-up Challenge.

After challenging some friends to workout regularly, former engineer Nick setup a simple app and website that would expand from a few hundred to over 150,000 participants across Australia. Together they’ve tracked their push-ups, kept in regular contact with each-other, and raised upwards of $26 million for mental health charities.

Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Enrolment is the key focus for building a community.
Nick added meaning to a personal challenge by weaving in mental health statistics.
Starting from experiments – rather than a big hairy audacious goal – allowed Nick to follow the flow of what was working.

Links

Courage of teams with Amy Riley

Amy Riley, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 03:00:00 +0000

When we’re buried in our todo lists, we can lack the courage to take bolder choices. Amy Riley discovered this first-hand through her work helping leaders become more courageous.

Amy is an international best-selling author and keynote speaker who helps leaders fully step into their purpose. Her framework for courageous leaders is based on four pillars:

The courage to be authentically you
The courage to say what needs to be said
The courage to trust your leadership legacy
The courage to be bold and create the extraordinary

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Pressure and stress can drive us to isolate, when what we need to do is come together.
Burnout can lead us to find ways to distract ourselves from the fact we’re burned out.
Connecting and asking for help is difficult, so we tend to revert to more task-orientated work.
Team leaders need to use more active collaboration tools.

Links

Connect with Amy on LinkedIn
The Courage of a Leader: How to Inspire, Engage and Get Extraordinary Results – Amy’s book
Amy’s podcast
Atomic Habits, by James Clear
Leave us a voice note

What can we learn from other animals? with Dr Beki Hooper

Dr Beki Hooper, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000

When Dr Beki Hooper began to study rhesus macaques, she found less-than-flattering similarities between monkey behaviour and human team structure.

In this fascinating discussion, Dr Beki takes us into the habitat of the rhesus macaque, giving us a first-hand glimpse into a hierarchy based on gender and tenure.

Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Many of us have experience in organisations that feel like they were governed in the same way as groups of macaques.
As humans, we should be able to break through these patriarchal, seniority-based structures.
Humans have behaviour equivalent to monkey grooming and preening.
Some of our relationships are built on who can advance us within our social structure.
Additionally, the bonds we build through grooming allow us to gain more information which we can use to advance our social standing, and to keep us safe.

Links

Follow Beki on Google Scholar
Follow @bekihooper on Twitter
Melissa Pavez-Fox on Google Scholar
Social learning in great tits - Lucy Aplin’s research
Leave us a voice message

Team leadership at altitude with Tania Noakes

Tania Noakes, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 11:30:00 +0000

For mountain guide Tania Noakes, leadership isn’t about giving commands, but is about collaborating.

Tania is an adventurer and climber who works with teams to help them tackle some of nature’s biggest challenges. As a group guide, Tania has had to be something of a chameleon, adapting herself to what the team dynamic needs to reach their goal safely.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

A good leader adapts to the team, rather than expecting the team to adapt to them.
Tough times call for clear communication.
If you’re doing something, explain what you’re doing to your team.
Respect of fellow human beings is non-negotiable.

Links

Classic Climbs – Tania’s website
Leave us a voice note

The power of inclusion with Marsha Ramroop

Marsha Ramroop, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000

We all believe diversity, equity and inclusion to be important, but bridging the gap between the intent and the positive outcomes it brings is no easy task. For Marsha Ramroop, that bridge is cultural intelligence, and she joins Pia and Dan to pose vital questions about inclusion that have surprising answers.

After a career in broadcasting spanning 30 years, Marsha discovered the notion of cultural intelligence, and founded a consultancy and worked as Head of Inclusion at RIBA, so she could influence the creation of inclusive spaces.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

“When all you've known is privilege, equality can look like oppression,”
Being in an out group can feel like a constant battle to change the majority mindset, but it’s the majority that needs to make the effort.
Exclusion isn’t only about skin colour, sexuality, or physical disability – it can be about finding differences in the way we think.

Links

Connect with Marsha on LinkedIn
Unheard Voice Consultancy
Strangers to Ourselves: Discovering the Adaptive Unconscious, by Timothy Wilson
School Culture Rewired: How to Define, Assess, and Transform it, by Steve Gruenert and Todd Whitaker
Cultural Intelligence Center
Leave us a voice message

Getting outside with Bart Foster

Bart Foster, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000

What happens when you grow a company from the ground up, and are then asked to leave? For entrepreneur Bart Foster, it meant reassessing his identity, and ultimately redefining himself.

After years spent as an intrapreneur within the corporate world, Bart founded his own health and wellness company and became an entrepreneur. Now he leads a company that helps teams think differently, get out of their comfort zones and into nature.

Key takeaways

Pay attention to the 70% of the bell curve in conversations.
We can make an intentional choice to pick the place we have for our conversations. It doesn’t always have to be in a meeting room.
What feels like a failure might just be a sign of us stretching our comfort zones.
Discomfort can be a good thing to seek.
The quality of the question drives the quality of the conversation.

Links

Connect with Bart on LinkedIn
Business Outside – Bart’s company
BusinessOutside: Discover Your Path Forward - Bart’s book
The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self, by Michael Easter
The Regret Minimisation framework: how Jeff Bezos made decisions
Leave us a voice note

Building psychological safety: a how-to guide with Stephan Wiedner

Stephan Wiedner, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Psychological safety is made up of a number of tiny interactions. Whether they be Slack messages, meetings, or emails, these forms of communication – and their responses – determine how likely someone is to speak up and share their ideas.

Stephan Wiedner is a psychological safety trainer, CEO, and volunteer firefighter. Stephan trains coaches to help create spaces where people feel free to speak up, with the confidence to know they’ll be heard.

Takeaways from Dan ad Pia

Attunement is about making sure everyone is on the right mental frequency, and not just assuming you’re on the “correct” setting and everyone else needs to adjust.
Focus on those micro moments of communication. Because without taking care of those micro interactions, problems can occur in the macro.

Links

How to hybrid: tips from a long-distance team with Juliet Owen

Juliet Owen, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0100

For the first time in over a thousand days of Squadify and forty episodes of the podcast, Dan and Pia are in the same room, and are joined by Juliet Owen, to discuss findings from a recent analysis on Squadify data.

Squadify works by asking team members to fill in a survey at the start and end of a particular period. Participants rate the importance of a series of conditions for team success, and then later return to record the presence of those conditions.

Key findings

Teamwork is a more important condition for hybrid teams than it is for those that work face-to-face.
Hybrid teams tend to be more task and transaction focused.
Not being together is allowing us to become more easily distracted.
Hybrid team communication can sometimes lead to fear of missing out.

What hybrid teams should focus on

Creating psychological safety
Using the right technology to enable better communication and avoid distraction
Keeping communication clear, so that everyone shares the same understanding

Links

Curiosity in teams with Andy Chevis

Andy Chevis, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Effective dialogue is the one thing getting in the way of senior teams. Listening is a fundamental part of team communication, and it begins with curiosity. Without it, leadership can be a lonely pursuit with less diversity of thought.

Before heading up design and research at LIW, Andy Chevis was an HR director and a salesperson, and has taken his curiosity in how we communicate effectively through his career. In this episode, he shares some of the common – and very human – pitfalls we all fall prey to, and how we can bridge those gaps to hold space for fresh ideas.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Curiosity has a place at all levels in the System Team Self model.
Curiosity starts with us.
Ask yourself “what kind of person do you want to be?”

Links

Building trust for when you really need it with Adam Verducci

Adam Verducci, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Community policing runs on trust, no matter the location. That trust flows both ways, and can have its basis in something as simple as a common interest.

New Jersey police officer Adam Verducci and his squad are so well-connected that he knows when a situation is in progress just from the sound of a fellow officer’s voice on the radio. In his conversation with Dan and Pia, Adam walks us through a day in the life of a US police officer serving a relatively small town, where trust and connection come together to keep people safe.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Keeping a cool head can help keep a volatile situation from escalating.
The uniform denotes the job, but doesn’t give the wearer power.

Links

Season 3 review: head, heart and guts with Dan Meek

Dan Meek, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Leadership is equal parts head, heart, and guts. Joining Dan and Pia to look back on an inspirational third season of We Not Me is CEO of LIW, Dan Meek.

Episodes highlighted

Breaking out of the box – neurodiversity and connection, with Ross Fraser
The brain science of teams, with Sue Langley
Teams at the frontline of medicine, with Andy Bocock
Connecting to heal, with James & Kristy Thomas
Teams in disaster relief, with Janet and Reid Boswell
Bringing our baggage to teams, with Mark Steadman
Generative leadership in teams, with Kathleen Curran
Coaching challenging teams, with Jackie Weaver
Leadership for healthy teams, with Stephen Hunt
Happiness in teams, with Matt Phelan

Links

Head, Heart and Guts: How the World's Best Companies Develop Complete Leaders, by David L Dotlich et al
Leave us a voice note

Breaking out of the box – neurodiversity and connection with Ross Fraser

Dan Hammond, Pia Lee, Ross Fraser — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Undiagnosed autism can feel like a constant struggle to understand, and to be understood. For autism campaigner Ross Fraser, this led to him hiding away for decades to avoid continuing to feel like he was doing or saying the wrong thing, without ever being given rules that made sense.

The autism community in the UK includes approximately five million people, and yet in Ross’s experience, most people who live with autism say they’ve felt alone most of their lives.

In his conversation with Dan and Pia, Ross breaks down some of the key differences between neurotypical and neurodivergent minds, and talks openly and emotionally about the impact loneliness and isolation has, which is what fuels his advoacy.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Are we getting worse at connecting together as humans? If so, part of the work of connection means treating each-other as individuals.
Is anyone really “fully” neurotypical?
Any difference needs to be embraced with compassion, care, and curiosity.
If you can be compassionate, you can work with any human.

Links

Emotional intelligence in teams with Sue Langley

Dan Hammond, Pia Lee, Sue Langley — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Human beings are designed to connect. Lockdowns showed us how much we valued connection, but also how vital our habits were to helping us stabilise. But while habits include routine behaviours, they can also include thought patterns that lead to judgements of others.

Sue Langley equips people to be the best they can be. She does this by applying positive psychology, emotional intelligence, and neuroscience. In her conversation with Dan and Pia, she explores how principles applied of positive psychology can help teams get stuff done together.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Put your brain health first.
Build habits
Pay attention and attune to the things that will keep you on your game.

Links

Langley Group
Positive psychology
fusiform gyrus
In Conversation with Professor Marco Iacoboni
Generative leadership in teams – We Not Me episode 30
Self-determination theory
Leave us a voice note

Engaging communities with Becky Malby

Becky Malby, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100

When Becky Malby discovered that her local water provider was dumping raw sewage into the nearby river on a regular basis, she was outraged. So she helped setup a citizen science project to test the local water and found that it was full of dangerous pollutants, contradicting the study the water company had conducted which labeled the river water safe enough to drink.

Becky helps GPs within the NHS understand where the gaps are between those needing primary care and those who are making and getting appointments. As well as discussing bathing water status, Becky also outlines some of the systemic issues with primary care in the UK, and how she’s helping practises address them.

Takeaways from Pia and Dan

If you approach a complex problem with a simple answer, you might end up worsening the situation.
Humans need to connect differently to work against decisions made for the pursuit of shareholder profits.
Adaptive challenges require adaptive leadership.

Links

Theory U: Leading from the Future as It Emerges, by C Otto Scharmer
Diatoms
The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World, by Ronald Heifetz
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Emergency room teams with Andy Boocock

Dan Hammond, Pia Lee, Andy Boocock — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Accident and emergency nursing involves managing and working with ever-shifting teams, with people joining temporarily who bring skill and knowledge, but aren’t familiar with the team’s inner workings. This is one of the challenges facing NHS nurse Andy Boocock.

Andy describes working, not only with his team in A&E, but when teams dovetail in emergency situations.

This conversation involves a discussion on and examples of gallows humour, involving stories of a medical nature.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

We can choose to help people or “mop around them”.
Fear of embarrassment should not stand in the way of us helping someone in need.

Links

Leading healthy teams with Steve Hunt

Steve Hunt, Dan Hammond and Pia Lee — Fri, 08 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Where do you go to half a fast-tracked career and make some quick cash? For Stephen Hunt, the answer turned out to be Internet advertising. But it was only ever a limited-time plan to create enough space for him to explore his real passion: music.

Steve is the co-founder and COO of Music Health, a company improving mental health through music. Inspired by a 2014 film about music’s impact on people with dementia, Steve and his business partner Nick began work on an app that would do for dementia what Headspace and Calm have done for meditation.

Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Rather than list a set of values on the wall, what are the practices that will lead to behaviours?
When trying to work against the failure statistics of startups, it makes sense to prioritise mental and physical health.
Those short-term health choices can lead to longer-term positive consequences.

Links

Alive Inside (2014)
AIM iHub – Australia’s first music incubator
Vera – the music companion for people living with dementia
Radical Candor, by Kim Scott
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Bringing our baggage to teams with Mark Steadman

Dan Hammond, Pia Lee, Mark Steadman — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100

We all carry our psychological histories on our backs, and the weight of those feelings can affect how we work within a team. We Not Me producer Mark Steadman began to understand this as he learned more about how his neurodivergence contributed to team dynamics.

Mark is a podcast producer, consultant, and coach. He works with individuals and small teams to help them access their potential to create impact, using their voice. He started his own community for changemakers and thought-leaders last year, fuelled by his love of connecting with other humans.

Takeaways from Pia and Dan

We can examine our origin stories to understand how they inform our present.
We can try to see ourselves as evolving, rather than set in place.
Rather than wait for the messy parts of life to be over, be can be compassionate towards ourselves and be OK in notbeing OK right now.

Links

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn
Origin, Mark’s consultancy
Podcode, Mark’s podcasting blog and community
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Generative leadership in teams with Kathleen Curran

Dan Hammond, Pia Lee, Kathleen Curran — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0100

There is a void of leadership following the pandemic, and everything feels uncertain. That uncertainty – precarity – is an area of study for generative leadership specialist Kathleen Curran.

Kathleen defines herself as an “explorer with purpose”, and helps people not only bring their whole self to work, but fully inhabit it. She is a co-author on a book about precarity, with her contribution focusing on the word of certainty and normalcy that opened in the wake of the global pandemic.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

The void in leadership opened by the pandemic is still in place today.
It’s sometimes necessary for those without traditional leadership positions to step up, to do the work that needs to be done.
There is a disconnect in the communication of our need for connection, between anecdotal conversations and data collected on teams.

Links

Precarity
Find Kathleen on LinkedIn
Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative
Disasterology: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis, by Samantha Montano
VUCA: Volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity
Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen, by Rita McGrath
Enough Leadership. Time for Communityship, a blog post by Henry Mintzberg
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Happiness in teams with Matt Phelan

Dan Hammond, Pia Lee, Matt Phelan — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0100

If you look after your employees, your customers will be happier, and you’ll make more money. That’s the hypothesis Matt Phelan took, inspired by Richard Branson. But with that hypothesis in place, where’s the data to back it up?

Before founding the Happiness Index, Matt began working with animals, then studied marketing, starting his own digital marketing agency just before the 2008 financial crash. As someone used to tracking the efficacy of digital campaigns, he began to explore how the assumption that happier employees meant more money could be proven.

Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Relationships are the primary driver of happiness.
Humans have set points – almost predetermined levels of happiness we return to, after a peak or a trough.
Bring a happy person into an unhappy team, and that person’s happiness will dip.
To build better relationships, we need to express our emotions.

Links

Connecting to heal with Kristy Thomas and James Thomas

Dan Hammond, Pia Lee, Kristy Thomas & James Thomas — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Husband-and-wife team Kristy and James Thomas have both suffered profound and untimely loss in their lives. But from that grief, they have been able to create a charity that impacts the lives of children all around Australia who are dealing with grief.

The Thomas’ charity Feel the Magic brings children to Disneyland and puts on regular Camp Magic events, providing much-needed respite from and support throughout the grieving process. Their camps focus on four core values of empathy, empowerment, growth, and connection – this last value being something they discovered as they witnessed how mentors not only changed kids’ lives, but vice versa.

Takeaways from Pia and Dan

“Giving” means more than giving money. It may mean giving a piece of yourself, your time, and your energy.
The grieving experience is unique, making individual support all the more important.
Grief is not a team sport.

Links

Coaching challenging teams with Jackie Weaver

Dan Hammond, Pia Lee, Jackie Weaver — Fri, 03 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Jackie Weaver became an Internet sensation in February 2022, when her handling of a parish council meeting – and the councillors’ reaction to it – went viral. But Jackie has decades of experience coaching teams of all sizes, which she shares with Dan and Pia.

Takeaways

It’s easy to overlook the amount of ground we share, when in disagreement.
Sometimes it takes a third party to help us see the common ground.
Experience can bring with it a degree of calmness when approaching difficult situations.
Jackie used her Internet fame as a platform to raise awareness of the work she and people like her do, across the country.

Links

The infamous Handforth Parish Council meeting
You Do Have the Authority Here! – Jackie’s book
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Teams in disaster relief with Janet Boswell and Reid Boswell

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 27 May 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Expertise can allow us to flourish in our comfort zones, but when thrust into a new environment, we have to rely on others. For Janet and Reid Boswell, what started as a parish-wide mission to bring aid to post-earthquake Haiti ended up as a mini industry, delivering medicine and dental care to the people of Haiti.

Takeaways from Pia and Dan

The collaborative mindset was transferred from Haiti back home.
Reid had to let go of his need to control, in order to work within a team.
We need to journey outside of our comfort zones to discover what’s possible.

Links

Leave us a voice message

Season 2 retrospective with Lucy Hovanec

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 20 May 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Dan and Pia kick off season three with a look back at the previous season, with help from special guest Lucy Hovanec. The team discuss

Episode 22 – Data from the heart, with Simon Shephard
Episode 21 – Individual identity in teams, with James Prior
Episode 24 – The Great Retention, with Suni Lobo
Episode 18 – Building the right team culture, with Kevin Brownsey
Episode 14 – The jazz ensemble, with Craig Scott
Episode 20 – Critical teams, with Martin Bromely
Episode 23 – Community teams, with David Burns
Episode 16 – Teams in the Metaverse, with Ian Smith
Episode 17 – Teams in adversity, with Jim Molan
Episode 19 – From the frontline of firefighting, with Sandy Quirinale
Episode 15 – Mental health in teams, with Chuck Anderson

The Great Retention: how teams get people to stay with Suni Lobo

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100

For Chief HR Officer Suni Lobo, psychological safety is key to teams feeling like they belong. It was put to the test during the pandemic, but her company’s ability to create a space where people felt able to do their best work, produced incredible results.

In her conversation with Dan and Pia, Suni discusses employee compensation and the minimal role it plays in job satisfaction when offset against a sense of belonging. Using concrete examples from Silicon Valley, Suni shares how organisations can build trust within teams, and underscores the importance of teammates having each-others’ backs.

Links

Leave us a voice message

Community teams with David Burns

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

If one member of a team isn’t working towards the common goal, they won’t succeed. Social entrepreneur David Burns sees that in the work he does to help strengthen teams, viewed through the prism of sport.

In his conversation with Pia and Dan, David highlights the importance of respecting and honouring people’s cultural values within teams, even at the risk of his work being misinterpreted r met with resistance.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

A challenge can be flipped from something you have to do, to something you get to do.
Seek first to understand.

Links

Data from the heart with Simon Shepard

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

How do we create moments to reset? Just like a Formula 1 car pulling into a pitstop, slowing down and stopping completely in order to win a race – how can we create moments of mental and emotional rest during our working days?

Simon Shepard is the CEO of Optima-life. He helps teams understand themselves better as individuals, and the role their physiologies play in their performance. Simon shares his frameworks for helping people understand the messages their body might be sending them. One of them includes a way to measure the stresses of the last week, by scoring events on a scale of difficulty and multiplying them by the emotional impact they had.

Dan and Pia’s takeaways

A heart rate variability monitor may help you understand what affects your sleep patterns.
Taking a pitstop is more effective than trying to push on through burnout.

Links

The Battle For Balance – Simon’s book
Critical Teams, with Martin Bromiley – episode 20 of We Not Me

Individual identity in teams with James Prior

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Amid various models of team management, it’s important to remember that each of us is an individual player. We bring our own unique perspectives to our teams, and that sense of personal identity can bring tension when offset against the goal of the team.

James Prior, Global Head of Leadership Development at Gilead Pharmaceuticals, joins Dan and Pia to explore the symbiotic relationship between the individual and the team.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

If we’re open to diversity, we can build a richer understanding of how humans work.
Ambiguity needs to be addressed if it’s being ignored in pursuit of certainty.

Links

How to Be a Liberal: The Story of Liberalism and the Fight for Its Life, by Ian Dunt

Critical teams with Martin Bromiley

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Pia and Dan are joined by Martin Bromiley OBE, airline captain, charity trustee, and public speaker whose story of loss has fuelled much of the work he does today.

In 2005, Martin’s wife Elaine was admitted to hospital following an emergency that occurred while she was under anaesthetic. During the investigation into her death, Martin identified that Elaine’s death was due to failures in the way the surgical staff operated as a cohesive team.

Now, using his experience within aviation, he works with organisations to help teams get things right in critical situations.

Links

Takeaways from Pia and Dan

If your team can’t communicate across a hierarchy, you risk fragmentation.
If you can anticipate that there will be challenges, you can help calm your inner chimp.
Asking open questions help you to learn, not just those junior to you.

From the frontline of firefighting with Sandy Quirinale

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Pia and Dan are joined by former corporate worker and now voluntary firefighter Sandy Quirinale.

After her second son became interested in the fire service as a teenager, Sandy decided to sign up. She’s currently the only active female firefighter at her rural New Jersey station, and so brings her insight into diversity and teamwork within this highest-of-pressure situations.

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Diversity allows for us to pick the right person for the job within a team.
That in turn helps people feel less like they need to hold on to a specific task.
Improvising and thinking outside of the box isn’t appropriate in every situation, and for every team. There is benefit to sticking with tried-and-tested methodologies.

Links

We Not Me episode 17: Teams in adversity, with guest Jim Molan

Building the right team culture with Kevin Brownsey

Kevin Brownsey, Dan Hammond and Pia Lee — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Dan and Pia explore creating safe cultures for people to thrive, with consultant Kevin Brownsey.

Kevin is the CEO of Red Pill Consulting, a company that tries to help organisations change their culture. While some organisations strive for a “winning culture”, Kevin defines culture as the “beliefs that underpin the behaviours that drive the outcomes, not the outcomes themselves.”

Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Think about how we set the tone as team members or leaders.
Are you standing by and letting things slip?
“We’re not innately evil, but we do take shortcuts”.
Don’t shy away from discussing questions of culture.
This applies to family as well as work.
Be prepared to make transformations yourself.
Cultural change looks simple, but takes courage.

Teams in adversity: lessons from war and politics with Senator Jim Milan

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Jim Molan spent 40 years in the army from the age of 17. Since retiring from the army in 2008 as a Major General, he has written a book about his time in Iraq, co-authored policy on border-control, and consulted internationally. Jim is now a Senator for the Liberal Party in Australia.

When talking with Dan and Pia about how teams work together, Jim makes the observation that within the military, teams are formed and their work is rehearsed. He sets out his view on leadership within teams, and the importance of decision-making coupled with the ability to take criticism.

Links

Running the War in Iraq, by Jim Molan

Teams in the metaverse with Ian Smith

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

What is the future of remote team collaboration? Do we continue with Zoom meetings and the risk of fatigue they can bring, or is there a new approach we can take?

Dan and Pia explore meetings in the metaverse, with the help of freelance technologist Ian Smith. They discuss virtual avatars, getting together in a 3D space, and examine where it’s appropriate to meet in a space where everyone looks like they’re in The Incredibles, and when it’s not.

Links

Mental health in teams with Chuck Anderson

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000

For over a year Chuck Anderson underwent a battery of tests to find out why he was feeling so physically unwell. After moving from the US to Sydney and still finding no answers, he was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and ADHD.

After cycles of depression and anxiety, Chuck was finally given information on mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), which changed his life dramatically for the better.

Since then, Chuck has co-founded Living to Thrive with his partner, to help organisations build better overall resilience.

Links

The jazz ensemble: the ultimate team? with Craig Scott

Craig Scott, Dan Hammond and Pia Lee — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Professional double-bassist Craig Scott of the Sydney Conservatorium joins Dan and Pia to discuss the ultimate team: the jazz ensemble.

“There’s probably no better example of democracy than a jazz ensemble – individual freedom, but with responsibility to the group,” –Michelle Obama

Jazz improvisation follows a set of rules that enable creativity within a structure, so that out of a predictable pattern can come something different each time it’s performed.

Within an ensemble, each member might get their own moment to lead, by taking on the melody of the piece and expanding on it. The musician in the lead role can then signal, through their solo, that it’s time for another musician to take up that leadership role. This requires all members of the band to be listening, not just to the notes, but for other cues to lead or make space for others.

Links

Season 1 review and the conditions for success in 2022 with Dr Jessica Tonissen

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000

In their first episode of season two, Dan and Pia explore the three Cs needed for success: clarity, climate and competence with the help of Dr Jessica Tonissen.

Download the Three Cs cheat sheet

Dan, Pia, and Jess review some of the key takeaways from season one of the We Not Me podcast:

Three things sales teams need to do to be more effective: episode 4 with Anna Britnor Guest
Bringing head and heart to teams: episode 6, with Lucy Hovanec
Teamwork on set: episode 8, with Erik Thomson
Agile teams: episode 9, with Natalie Peters
Diversity in Teams: episode 11, with Sahera Sumar
What teams can learn from sport: episode 7, with Owen Finegan
Clarity at speed: episode 5, with Todd Schroeder
Customer-centric teams: episode 10, with Stuart Dalziel
Teams in a work from anywhere world: episode 2, with Michelle Zimany
Compassion, Actually: episode 12, with Gillian Coutts

Compassion, Unfiltered: Gillian Coutts on What Teams Really Need

Gillian Coutts, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 26 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

When you help people help, you help people hope. Gillian Coutts, Country Director at Potential Project discovered this when working within her community during Australia's border closing following the COVID outbreak. In her work, she saw teams come together in extraordinary ways, but she also shares findings from a UK study that has been replicated elsewhere, that show how we often see ourselves as having compassion, but not our neighbours.

In her discussion with Pia and Dan, Gillian explores the differences between empathy and compassion, and the importance of self-compassion to resilience.

Links

Humankind: A Hopeful History, by Rutger Bregman
Perceptions Matter: The Common Cause UK Values Survey
Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, by Dr. Kristin Neff
Squadify

Difference Makes the Difference: Sahera Sumar on Real Team Diversity

Sahera Sumar, Dan Hammond, Pia lee — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

For global leadership consultant Sahera Sumar, "diversity is a fact, but inclusion is the mindset", and it's possible for teams to be diverse but not inclusive.

Sahera felt like she denied her heritage in order to feel accepted and fit in at work. Many organisations run programmes to try and combat unconscious bias, but this is only the start of the journey, and there's much more work to do to foster inclusivity within teams.

As part of her work as a leadership consultant, Sahera builds on the foundation of unconscious bias training, and helps move people from a space of judgement to awareness and understanding, and then onto acceptance.

Links

Built to Serve: Stuart Dalziel on Teams That Win with Customers

Stuart Dalziel, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Customer-centric companies are laser-focused on providing great experiences for their customers. For Stuart Dalziel, teams play a pivotal role in bringing experiences that create ease in customers' lives.

Using examples from café chains to high-end hotels, Stuart breaks down how teams share knowledge, roles, and responsibilities, in service of the Peter Drucker axiom: "The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer".

Links

Squadify

Move Fast, Adapt Faster: Agile in Action with Natalie Peters

Natalie Peters, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Every member of a squad is of equal value, regardless of their department, seniority, or pay scale. It's important to check egos at the door when forming a squad and embarking on a new project. Those are some of the principles held by Natalie Peters, change and transformation lead at Australian bank NAB.

After 20 years working in HR, Natalie began exploring the world of agile project management and human-centred design. In this discussion with Pia and Dan, she debunks some of the common myths around agile, and runs through effective structures, which are typically flatter than more traditional or waterfall management styles.

Links

On-Set Synergy with Erik Thomson

Erik Thomson, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Actor Erik Thomson is no stranger to being part of a team, whether that be on the production set of a feature film or TV series. In his conversation with Dan and Pia, Erik discusses the importance of recognising everyone's role in a production, from lighting a scene to walking the red carpet at Cannes.

For Erik, building a solid working team is about breaking social barriers away from work. He emphasises the importance of clearing the eyeline so the actors can work distraction-free, and explores the role of psychological safety on set, especially when the action gets a bit more steamy.

Links

Hard-Hitting Lessons from Sport with Owen Finegan

Owen Finegan, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Sports teams have been evaluating their effectiveness for a long time, with the singular goal of improving performance. This week, Dan and Pia are joined by former Australian rugby player Owen Finegan, to look at the way businesses and not-for-profits can use data in the same way sport has for decades.

Owen played and coached professional rugby for 16 years before moving into the non-profit world, where he now sits as CEO of the Kids' Cancer Project. He took his learnings about honest – sometimes even brutal – feedback from the rugby pitch, and has adapted it to the way he leads teams, encouraging analysis combined with honesty and constructive feedback rather than criticism.

Links

Squadify

Brains & Grit: Unleashing Teams with Lucy Hovanec

Lucy Hovanec, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0100

For civil engineering General Manager Lucy Hovanec, purpose can breathe life into teams, and in order to lead, self-knowledge is crucial.

In this discussion, Lucy shares with Dan and Pia her toolkit for working with teams across cultural divides and around the world, to help them wake up excited to come to work:

Asking questions to make sure everyone is aligned on the task at hand
Assessing the climate of a team and creating conditions for success
Using the Example, Impact, Change model of delivering feedback

Links

Lightning Clarity: Turbocharging Teams with Todd Schroeder

Todd Schroeder, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Google iterates in 30-minute increments, which is part of why this massive company is able to innovate so quickly at scale. This involves making mistakes, but recovering and correcting quickly. The pace at Google is a far cry from the stereotypical image of people lying around on beanbags or playing foosball.

As Managing Director for Global Public Sector Strategy and Sales at Google, Todd Schroeder has to work across multiple teams who are serving markets at different stages along the maturity curve. This means the idea of clarity can change from a traditional sense of certainty into becoming clear that things are uncertain.

In the midst of a global pandemic, the job of leading multiple teams moved from knowing what to do, to finding out what to do.

Dan, Pia and Todd discuss the process a new Google employee (a "noogler") goes through to becoming a full-fledged Googler, and some of the challenges they face along the way.

Sales Teams, Listen Up: 3 Power Moves for Maximum Impact with Anna Britnor Guest

Anna Britnor Guest, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0100

This week, Dan and Pia are joined by Anna Britnor Guest, who has over 30 years of technology sales experience and who now works to develop and coach salespeople within the SaaS industry.

They talk about whether sales "teams" are really teams and not just groups of people, pivoting the mantra of "don't lose alone" to "don't learn alone", and maintaining a common language around the sales process.

Anna also shares three key things teams can do right now to work more effectively to meet the customers' needs, and to meet their own needs.

Links

Psychological Safety: The Secret Weapon of High-Performing Teams with Dr. Jessica Tonissen

Dr Jessica Tonissen, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0100

This week, Pia and Dan discuss psychological safety with Dr Jessica Tonissen, leadership and wellbeing coach, Doctor of Psychology and Associate Director at InLightening in Melbourne.

Dr Tonissen dispels some of the myths and misunderstandings around the term, how psychological safety does not have to come at the expense of performance, and that there's a difference between safety and artificial harmony.

The conversation also touches on our ingrained fear of rejection, and how it stimulates our fight-or-flight response.

Links

Teams Unleashed: Thriving in a Work-From-Anywhere World with Michelle Zimany

Michelle Zimany, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 10:20:34 +0100

Empathic leadership is what's needed in a globally-distributed workforce, and replacing water-cooler moments isn't as simple as organising more mandatory Zoom calls.

This week, Dan and Pia talk remote collaboration with Sydney-based Michelle Zimany, Human Resources leader for the pharmaceutical company Sanofi. They discuss the loss of spontaneity and serendipity in the age where people only meet on Zoom, and missing those moments to have a quick chat while getting a coffee.

Michelle shares some of the events she's running and participating in within her organisation, to help people feel more connected without a feeling of enforced fun. She, Pia and Dan discuss the change in attitudes to work attire, and how rigid corporate thinking has given way to understanding and tolerance, now that so many of us are sharing our homes virtually.

Links

Teams: Why They Make or Break Everything with Rob Metcalfe

Rob Metcalfe, Dan Hammond, Pia Lee — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 14:12:34 +0100

Dan and Pia speak to Rob Metcalfe – a former commando now leadership consultant and team coach – about significant performance challenges, how groups of people need to work proactively together to solve them, and how important social capital can be in fostering team effectiveness.

Links

The Truth About Teams: A Candid Talk with Dan Hammond & Pia Lee

Dan Hammond & Pia Lee — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 15:33:12 +0100

What makes a rockstar team? How can we work from anywhere? What part does connection play in today's world? Welcome to a brand new podcast, all about how humans connect and get stuff done together, presented by friends and colleagues Dan Hammond and Pia Lee.

Pia is the CEO of Squadify. She taught children and then wanted to find out what they did when they grew up, so became a leadership consultant.

After exploring engineering, Squadify Chief Product Officer Dan found analytical and people-focused joy in product management.

Subscribe now to hear new episodes of We Not Me, as soon as they're released.