Join us for an insightful conversation with Abida Lalani, Strategy and Transformation Director. Having worked with Jane Sparrow for several years, the two of them sit down and discuss her wealth of experience in navigating and leading significant change. Abida brings a grounded and practical perspective to the often complex world of transformation. In this episode, Abida takes us on a journey through her career, from her early experiences in financial services during the financial crisis to her most recent and current roles driving changes. She candidly recounts her personal evolution in embracing change, moving from initial resistance to actively seeking out its challenges and rewards. Sharing key lessons learned along the way, highlighting the crucial role of communication and storytelling, and the importance of understanding the human element in successful transformations. Jane and Abida recount their experiences of guiding  people through a change, share their practical insights into coaching people as leaders and talk about just how to foster a clear vision, and adapt with agility in the face of evolving circumstances. This is a must-listen for anyone involved in leading or experiencing change, offering valuable takeaways on mindset, strategy, and the power of human connection in shaping the future.

Chris has recently been speaking to a number of experts on the subject of the 50-60 year sprint for professionals in business. Following on from his conversion with Joanna Lockwood, he has reconnected with regular TCB Podcast contributor Steve Butler - author of a number of books, the most relevant of which covers exactly this topic - The Midlife Review. They highlight the new obstacles that arise in the 50-60 phase, such as family requirements, health and one's own commitment to a career that may well have peaked.  Steve and Chris also cover how important it is to give those in this phase space to air the needs that stem from the changes - the role of the employer to step into the conversation about changing needs, and how they can best support the person. But, in counterpoint to this,  the discussion also covers the phenomenon of  “ accidental managers” within many organisations, who have not been given the tools or development to manage such a complex scenario. This an area of interest for you? If so, we highly recommend you to grab a copy of The Midlife Review, which details the conversation about what employees want out of the second half of their career, and how to help them achieve it. 

Using his own recent experience of hitting the '50s doldrums' Chris has reached out to two experts in the area of managing age diversity to seek their thoughts and advice on how organisations can properly support their senior talent as it passes through a very complex decade of life.   First up is one of Chris' LinkedIn heroes - Joanne Lockwood - a highly respected expert and thought leader on inclusion and belonging. As a transgender woman in her early 60s, Joanne embodies the essence of transformative change, bringing authenticity and lived experience to her work in diversity, equity, and inclusion.    With Chris on a quest to survive and thrive in the next phase of life, talking to Joanne is both of personal benefit to him and to anyone who is either going through the same life journey and/or is part of the support process within organisations.    Joanne is candid, funny and insightful. It's a must-listen for many of us.

Chris recently spoke at a HR Network conference in Scotland - sharing the outputs from our research around the future trends for leaders, and the impact of the unintended consequences that the many wellbeing, inclusion, care and support initiatives are having on managers and leaders. With so much now to contend with, and a rightful focus on employees living sustainable lives, we've pushed so much into the role of a people manager. Grace Orr, Director of People for CommuniCorp UK, joined Chris on the stage, to bring to life the situation, with examples, stories and actions that demonstrate how she, and her team, are meeting this new challenge. Grace literally built the culture for her organisation from scratch, and, as she says, when it comes to people: "her name is above the door." Her input underscores the key messages that Chris shared - the headlines of the content from The Culture Builders' next business book - The Guide. Due out in Summer 2025, the book brings the situation to life, and shares the five most fundamental elements that leaders can focus on to prepare themselves to manage in this new paradigm. They've teamed back up to record this podcast - capturing the essence of the keynote from the conference, and giving more people a chance to hear the content, the stories and the thinking from the upcoming book.

At the end of 2024, Jane and Chris - co-founders of The Culture Builders - took time to reflect on the seismic shift that's taken place over the last ten years. Many organisations have successfully built employee care and wellbeing programmes that encourage people to bring their whole selves to the business, and provide them with a wealth of support options to tackle issues of health, stress, inclusion and life events.   We wholly support this, and long may it continue. However, we are also seeing how these new, high levels of employee care and support are impacting those expected to enact them. Managers and leaders. They are groaning under the weight of the increased responsibilities, and many feel they simply do not have the time, knowledge or experience to cope successfully.   In this podcast, the hosts bring this topic to life, looking at the impacts, but also the solutions to ensure people can stay 'In the Black' and manage their wellbeing and work as teams to use the support on offer to create understanding and activity that supports everyone. There's no simple answer, but there are plenty of simple steps - hear more about The Bank of Me.

In this episode, Jane and Andrew talk about the impact of taking care of yourself, using your support network, and leading with trust, openness and clarity during transformation. They reflect on the lessons learnt throughout the years and discuss the importance of taking people with you on a journey of discovery and belief.  With a diverse career working with organisations such as Nike and PepsiCo before joining the BBC 11 years ago, Andrew has experienced change at many levels from restructuring, growth transitions and efficiency based changes.  He and Jane share stories and experiences from throughout their careers, discuss the journey from middle manager to CEO and the importance of nourishing yourself properly - for your health and sanity! Andrew also shares his advice to his 20 year old self, his biggest learning from his career, and the one thing he believes people should lead with.

For episode eight of our Change Maker podcast series Jane Sparrow and Steve Thorn are sharing their tips and advice for navigating and leading change.  Talking intentionality around tone, language used and managing pace - for yourself and those around you - Steve and Jane draw on their shared experiences and leave you with a whole host of tools and tips to guide you on your change journey too.  They discuss the need for a flexible mindset vs a fixed one, the importance of having a network of change agents, and the different responses people have to change and how to approach them.  Packed with advice, this is not one to be missed.

In our latest podcast episode, Jane Sparrow is in conversations with Pip Smith, Director of Strategic Change & Portfolio at @ Currys, to talk about all things change leadership. Talking lessons and moments from their combined experiences of leading change. Pip shares her top lessons from 17 years experience in transformation; the importance of linking to the vision, sharing proof points and trophy moments along the way, and understanding the differences between the people within your organisation.  Listen now to hear stories of successful change, and a time when it’s not gone so well.  Learn from Pip and Jane’’s experience, with top tips to take you through your next transformation programme.

As part of our in-depth change maker podcast series Jane Sparrow speaks to Andy McGoff, Director of Finance and Operations at Edinburgh Napier University. With a rich bank of knowledge and involvement in all levels of change from start up scale to large scale, he stresses the importance of keeping a golden thread of trust throughout, investing time in your teams and creating an environment where you can be honest with one another (even if it’s not necessarily what they want to hear!).  Andy and Jane explore lessons learnt from his diverse career and the work they’ve done together.  They discuss the importance of leading with honesty and unpack his top learning from past experiences.

In this episode, Jane Sparrow discusses all things transformation with Asha Amster. She has a rich career, working in various transformation and business roles, for a range of multinational companies, largely in TV and Entertainment. Asha talks about the importance of the sector, how many people escape through entertainment during change, and the value of joy and immersion during your down time.  Jane and Asha share insightful tips and lessons learned and reflects on the leadership qualities and skills that help Asha to lead during change. Spoiler - emotional intelligence, vulnerability and active listening are top of the list!

Sam Tewungwa, Managing Director at UKTV and President, UK Region BBC Studios, joins Jane Sparrow for the latest Change Maker podcast. Sam is currently leading the UKTV Digital transformation and has a wealth of experience leading change throughout his rich career.  In this episode, they talk about their shared passion for remembering the human side of change, the importance of looking for feedback from all across the business and ensuring alignment throughout the change process.  Listen now to hear Sams top three leadership learnings.

Jane Sparrow is joined by Charlotte Eaton, CPO & Customer Experience at OVO Energy, for the next instalment of our change maker series to reflect on her key change leadership lessons through her sparkling career. Charlotte covers the importance of investing in relationships, connection and intentionality when leading change. Find out how she got her fingers burned and listened to some tough feedback that has shaped how she understands the context of others and manages her own human Bank of Me. And, hear her killer change lesson toward the end!  We love our work with OVO and so are thrilled to share Charlotte’s insights. 

Episode two of our Change maker podcast series - Jane Sparrow is joined by Chief People Officer at at EXA Infrastructure, Carrie Cushing.  Carrie and Jane discuss the need for connecting change to your day to day life and your stakeholders. Carrie shares how she's learned the power of connecting change to each individual's context and taking the time to help people make sense of it. She's seen a better reaction that way - all lessons we advocate through our work too.   Listen now to hear more on Carrie's personal change journey and lessons from leading change throughout her career. There's some wonderful nuggets within!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Regular listeners will recognise the name - John Tusa has previously appeared on our podcast, talking about his book 'On Board' - a rich insight into the Boards of many public institutions. At the time, we didn't get a chance to talk about his role in the BBC World Service.  However, a chance comment from a colleague, concerning the famous 'Tusa-grams' sent us right back to John, with a plea to talk more about his role leading the World Service, and how he curated the organisation during a time of significant change. We also got a chance to hear about his latest book - Bright Sparks, which features seven stories of innovation, bravery, tenacity and audacity. Pop on a pair of headphones and be ready to sit back and listen to John sharing some of those stories. The book is out soon. We advise you pre-order it.