In this episode we discuss: Board Relationships. We are joined by Helen Hopper and Joy Harcup, authors of book, The Art and Psychology of Board Relationships.

We chat about the following:

• Unravelling Boardroom Dynamics: What's Really at Stake?
• The Power of Psychological Safety: A Boardroom Imperative?
• Self-Awareness: The Boardroom Game Changer?
• Mastering Conflict Resolution in the Boardroom: Strategies Unveiled
• Trust, Collaboration, Success: The Boardroom Trifecta?

References:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-hopper-h3/
• https://www.hcubed.co.uk/who-we-are
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-harcup-9392352/

Biography:

HELEN HOPPER trained in management consultancy with Accenture, and in occupational psychology with SHL, before co-founding the leadership consulting firm hCubed in 2010, where she is a Partner. h3’s mission is to stimulate growth through learning and Helen pursues this with individuals, teams and organisations as a coach and facilitator. She is an active supporter of mental health charities, most recently as COO of The Listening Place, and Trustee at The Mix.

JOY HARCUP is an executive coach with international coaching firm Praesta LLP, working with individuals, top executive teams and boards. She has 20 years’ leadership coaching experience with clients including the FTSE 100, professional services, public and not-for-profit sectors. Joy was President of the UK Board of the International Coaching Federation. A former lawyer specialising in dispute resolution, she’s also sat on boards in the education and charitable sectors.

To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here.

Summary:

• Bullying in board meetings and its impact on individuals. 0:06
• Bethany Ayers experienced issues with her phone number porting and international roaming, leading to a frustrating conversation with Oh Two customer support.
• Despite being told her case was closed, Bethany was able to get her number back after waiting for a couple of days.
• Bethany acknowledges being a potential bully in the past, recognizing behaviors that could be harmful to others.
• Brandon M. questions the use of the term "bullying," suggesting that it can be subjective and context-dependent.
• Effective board meetings, leadership, and conflict resolution. 5:18
• Brandon M. and Bethany discuss ways to address unhelpful behavior in meetings, including intervening, redirecting, and parking the issue for later discussion.
• Effective chairperson engagement is critical for maintaining a functional board, according to Brandon M. and Bethany.
• Bethany emphasizes the importance of having a pre-agreed contract, such as a team canvas, to establish expectations and prevent conflicts within teams.
• Bethany criticizes traditional board dynamics, citing a lack of modernization and unrealistic expectations of chairs, and argues for more inclusive and empathetic approaches to leadership.
• Effective board meetings, including setting a strong chair, providing clear agendas, and making an ask of the board.

In this episode we discuss: The depths of strategy. We are joined by Steve Spall, Board Advisor.

We chat about the following:

• What are the hallmarks of a good strategy?
• Do complex strategies hinder rather than help?
• How can leaders ensure that every employee understands and aligns with the strategy?
• Can leaders without a natural strategic mindset still drive a company's success through strong execution and team alignment?

References:

• www.linkedin.com/in/stevespall

Biography:

Over the past 15 years, Steven Spall has driven scale-ups through successful exits to FMCG giants, most recently serving as COO at tails.com after his tenure as Group Operations and Strategy Director at innocent drinks. Prior to this, Steven spent a decade in various senior operations, change, and strategy roles at British Gas, Tesco, and Kingfisher. His early career included positions as a supply chain project manager and distribution centre manager at Whitbread Beer Company and as an operations consultant at Ernst & Young.

Steven is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Cardiff Business School in the Logistics and Operations Management Section. He is now focusing on Non-Executive roles within operations-heavy smaller businesses.

Steven has been happily married to his delightful wife Kate for over 30 years. They have a grown-up daughter who creates the special effects for the London Dungeons and a son who is a co-founder of a deep physics tech start-up. In their leisure time, Steven and Kate enjoy travelling across Europe in their VW camper.

To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here.

Summary:

• Work-life balance and happiness in the corporate world. 0:05
• Hosts discuss seasonal affective disorder and London weather.
• Brandon and Bethany discuss the idea that success and happiness are not always directly linked, despite achieving career milestones.
• Strategy development, communication, and adaptability in business. 3:10
• Bethany: Good strategy has a clear purpose, vision, and market problem to solve.
• Brandon M: Strategy should be framed up on paper, adhere to OKRs, and be communicated effectively.
• Strategy should be enduring, but OKRs move faster to adapt to changing market dynamics.
• Brandon and Bethany discuss their company's strategy and OKRs, ensuring alignment and communication across teams.
• They prioritize listening to employees and adjusting the strategy based on market changes and feedback.
• Vision, purpose, mission, and strategy in business. 10:42
• Bethany defines vision as "what the company needs to look like in 5 years" and purpose as "why am I getting up on Monday morning" (12 words)
• Brandon defines strategy as "how the company will solve a problem in the industry to achieve its vision" (14 words)
• Strategy defined as understanding scope, figuring out unique solution, and aligning with values.
• Strategy development, execution, and alignment. 14:33
• Steve: Well-defined success and understanding situation are crucial for effective strategy.
• Identifying a unique solution to overcome...

In this episode, we discuss performance management and getting the most from your teams. We are joined by Jessica Zwaan, Author of the best-selling book, Built for People, and COO of Talentful.

We chat about:

• Can traditional performance reviews truly capture an employee's value?
• Are OKRs just a trendy buzzword or a real strategy for driving company success?
• How can organizational network analysis uncover the real influencers in your team?
• What does it take to measure true employee performance in today's remote work era?

References:

Jessica’s LinkedIn

Website

Biography:

Your company is building three products: A financial instrument, a customer product, and an employee experience. I advocate treating employees as customers purchasing an experience of work, and I encourage us to work like Product Managers in order to iterate and improve on that product. This paradigm shift positions work itself as the focal point of our strive for success, not just optimising the individuals as "human capital". Like the idea? I wrote a book all about it, called "Built for People" which you can buy basically anywhere books are sold.

To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here.

Summary:

• Choosing a life partner and nannies as a "wife hire." 0:05
• Bethany discussed tips for choosing a partner for career success, including finding someone whose mother worked outside the home.
• Bethany values hiring a nanny for the mental load relief and organization.
• Performance management effectiveness and its various components. 4:40
• Brandon and Bethany discuss the ineffectiveness of performance management, with 64% of workers viewing it as a waste of time and 47% considering it a failure in their company.
• Jessica Swann distinguishes between performance assessment and management, highlighting the importance of individualized growth and development in the latter.
• Bethany expresses concerns about goal-measuring and its practicality in the workplace.
• Bethany and Brandon discuss the importance of organizational network analysis and its impact on problem-solving.
• Performance management and leadership development. 10:06
• Bethany suggests rolling out OKRs gently, learning along the way, and avoiding command and control.
• Brandon agrees, emphasizing the importance of measuring marketing and sales performance collectively and connecting it to business outcomes.
• Brandon and Bethany discuss the importance of effective performance management and leadership skills for line managers.
• Bethany questions the feasibility of performance management, citing potential biases and limitations in the process.
• Performance management and assessment in organizations. 15:27
• Jessica emphasizes the importance of understanding employee performance, citing it as the most critical question in HR.
• Bethany agrees, highlighting the need for effective performance management...