Episode 105: Spotting and Eliminating Toxic Micro-Cultures in an otherwise Positive Organisation

Have you noticed how much easier it is to deal with the challenges of work when you come back from holiday as opposed to how you felt before you left? Nothing else changes except the mindset we bring to our work. When we get a chance to reflect and recuperate, it can have a massive impact on our outlook and our resilience. Mindset is the secret ingredient that allows us to make the most of opportunities and to help us be more optimistic. How do you develop your mindset to help you achieve more at work? Join Amrit for this week's episode of our podcast: The Power of Mindset.

We hear so often how the world is more VUCA/ BANI/TUNA/ RUPT - take your pick, but the point is that it's far more complicated to allow organisations to embrace a deliberate strategic approach, resulting in confusion over the long-term direction. It's now harder than ever to think beyond 12 months, with the changing environment around us. If established organisations are now having to go back to embracing an emergent strategic approach, shouldn't we be looking to develop the skills of leaders and managers to also develop a more entrepreneurial mindset, allowing them to work like start-ups? Do start-ups have the upper hand as they have the mindsets to make the most of opportunities? Join Amrit for this week's podcast - Episode 107: Developing Entrepreneurial Skills and Mindsets.

Have you ever experienced a moment in your life where you knew what the outcome was going to be, you could see it, taste it, and you were in no doubt what it would become? Having such a strong power of conviction allows us to move forward from the natural state of fearing change, fearing uncertainty, and fearing losing what we have as we strive to achieve more. Sometimes, our internal narrative can be our biggest blocker. When we develop such clarity over what we're looking to achieve, it can sometimes be impossible not to make it happen! Join Amrit for this week's podcast on the Power of Conviction!

A company reputation matters. Those organisations that have a reputation for a great culture will attract people because of that culture. But that reputation could blind us to the toxic micro-cultures that may exist, resulting in people suffering in what should be a great culture. What can leaders do to uncover these toxic micro-cultures? What causes these cultures to develop in the first place? Join Amrit as he explores this topic in this week's podcast.

This week we're facing into the hard truth of whether senior leaders and CEOs are motivated enough to improve productivity and performance across organisations. Doing nothing can actually pay off. Many senior leaders will get their bonuses, and one could argue, they are almost being incentivised to maintain the status quo. But across every organisation, everyone knows those areas that need improvement or require attention, which will improve productivity and performance, but nothing is being done about them. No one is motivated enough to rock the boat and deal with the big issues. Could this be the reason why the UKs productivity is stuck? Join Amrit as he shares his thoughts of how we could improve what everyone claims they want.

Welcome back! Now that the summer is over, and we hope you have enjoyed time with family and friends, having rested, we hit September with the enthusiasm of starting the new year like we do after a Christmas break. This quarter is critical to many businesses so it's important that we are being as effective as we can possibly be. A specific request from a listener this week about a manager who is making her feel alienated from the team, and managing poorly. She has sent through a request for Amrit to see how he might deal with this situation. Listen in and then share your views of what you might do!

How much are we relying on data to make important decisions? Data is critical, but in our quest to process data at an exponential rate, to the extent that we need to rely on AI to provide us with insights, are we missing a critical human component? What ever happened to 'gut feel' or instincts? Have you ever had a moment when the data all pointed one way, but your gut told you to go another? What information did your brain have to make you consider the alternative path? Join Amrit as he explores the relevance of intuition in making decisions at work.

Details of Oliver Burkeman and his book: https://www.oliverburkeman.com/Details of out YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@and-evolve/videos 

Here at &Evolve, we've been running our podcast over the last three years, hoping to provoke thought, to consider how we can improve the world of work and improve the lives of everyone, whilst at the same time improving performance and productivity. With our special 100th episode, we wanted to do something different. This week Amy Billings, and Carole Castle from the &Evolve team who help support our clients, will be guests to share their thoughts all about leadership and cultures, sharing their own experiences and outlooks.

We have a real treat for you this week. To support you in your quest to develop greater wisdom, we have our accompanying digital Reflective Practice Journal which you can download immediately after the podcast, using the following link:DIGITAL REFLECTIVE JOURNAL