The Culture Builders

Listening in on a colleague delivering a webinar on mindfulness was the inspiration and motivation I needed to do something that’s been on my list for some time.
Like most people, I’m guilty of doing far too much and paying way too little attention to the things that absolutely need my focus. Pausing isn’t easy in an always-on ever-demanding world. But, at 4am, I found the time and the peace to try a mindfulness exercise.
This is a slow episode. Most of the audio invites you to take time out, listen, be mindful about what you are hearing and truly enjoy something wonderful. A gift from us – enjoy the dawn chorus and the little sparrow that started it all.

The phrase ‘work-life-balance’ has become clichéd and now seen as a negative term by many. The idea of balance is a challenging one to many of us, who face multiple draws on our time and have little spare capacity to do the things that are personally important.
In this Burst Jane shares her view on how we should be looking at our lives – understanding and integrating what’s important, rather than trying to segment everything into two neat buckets. For her, it all starts with how we are, and the real answer to ‘how are you?’

The ‘theatre’ of surgery is one that fascinates us all. It’s seen as a place of drama, tension and crisis. However, taking a deeper dive into this complex world, this episode features Simon Watts – ENT Consultant and facial plastic surgeon – who talks in detail about how the medical profession has, over the last ten years, made some small but highly significant changes to the way they communicate, collaborate and challenge each other.
 Simon details the important factors for a modern theatre – surprisingly simple ones, such as chatter, questioning and feedback. To expedite these strengths, teams across the world have been using the World Health Organisation ‘Checklist’ (the story of which can be found in Atul Gawande’s book of the same name). There are some powerful learnings in this podcast and a fascinating delve into the process of surgery.
We also asked Simon about the use of music during surgery – his answer was an inspiring, lovely perspective on how we can all be better at what we do.

In this burst episode we are joined by the Head of Technology & Delivery at Dabbl Invest, a company that, in their own words, is ‘democratising investing’. They have a unique perspective on the investment world, as they seek to engage and include a new generation of investors.
What’s becoming evident is that, with a higher awareness and expectation on a company’s ethical and sustainable position, younger investors are placing as much emphasis on the perception of the brand they are buying as they do on its financial performance. This change will need organisations to focus far more on how they inform and include investors in key decisions.
In our work as the Bank of Me we talk about ‘investors’ as a shorthand for people who truly believe in the organisations they work for. This idea now applies to actual share ownership – where investors are increasingly looking at organisations as a whole: their culture, their offerings and how they, as owners, can be involved more closely. The idea of shareholder benefits has never been stronger, and it is technology that can realise this ask.

Grace Hannah – Director of People for Communicorp UK – joins us down the line to talk about the cultural journey that her company has been on since she joined in 2014. In this Deep Dive she talks about the importance of teams living the company’s values – through daily activity, development and performance. Her experience of alignment at the most senior level is testament to the fact that culture has to be owned top to bottom in an organisation.
Communicorp UK is home to some of the most exciting brands in UK radio including Capital networks in Scotland and South Wales, Heart Networks in Yorkshire and North Wales, Smooth Radio networks in the North East, North West and East Midlands as well as XS Manchester.
The company prides itself on being ‘radio people who make a difference’. Every day they strive to make a positive difference to listeners’ lives, their customers’ business and the communities they broadcast to.

With the season of giving fast approaching, many of us are in search of something to give. Often this is a fraught process, as we try and choose something we think ‘they will really want’.
Jane Sparrow has a novel and simple idea, and perhaps one that more people than we realise would appreciate and actually need. The gift of time. Time to listen, to interact and to be present.
Looking for something for that special someone in your professional or personal life? Take a listen to this Burst first.

We are joined on this episode by Ian Chambers – CEO of Mind Candy. His organisation is focusing on how to use devices to help children get a better night’s sleep – an area of growing concern, punctuated by an increasing reliance globally on drugs to help combat sleep issues in young people.
Sleep is a cornerstone of health (and something the Bank of Me emphasises as critical for high performance), and Ian talks about the things that we can all do to improve the quality and consistency of sleep, for our children and ourselves. 
As we look for solutions to sleep issues, we also look for culprits. Devices are being slated as the reason we don’t sleep, but, as Ian and Chris discuss, it’s actually our attitude to them, and a total lack of discipline that create the problems. Ian’s company is working to fix this with their Moshi Twilight world, and there’s plenty that we, as adults, can take from this work.

In this Bank of Me burst, Owen Cook talks about his own experiment in paying forward kindness - bringing some unexpected joy to airline crew and helping create a better experience of flight for everyone.
As he explains, it isn't easy... But the rewards are worthwhile. He also highlights that, whether we like it or not, way pay forward far more than we realise - good and bad.

Education is often accused of being ‘behind the times’ in comparison to the commercial world. However, when it comes to recruitment, there is a great deal that business could learn from academia in terms of the care and consideration placed on hiring senior roles. 
This Bank of Me podcast features Edward Clark – Executive Director, LSC Education. He shares his unique perspective on how schools successfully recruit senior roles. The impact of a poor hire for the organisations he works with is tremendous and the steps taken to prevent this are ones that anybody about to hire would do well to consider. 
Recognising the importance of cultural fit, alignment and shared values are areas, which carry equal importance in the process.

There can be very few people listening that do not know who the Red Arrows are - the world's foremost aerial acrobatic display team. Their in-air shows a breathtaking and seen by millions throughout the world. However, the story of what makes them such high performers is just as enthralling.
This deep-dive podcast features an in-depth interview with Andy Morton - Head of Communications for the Red Arrows. He brings to life the behind-the-scenes work of the team and shares some of the key factors that enable them to perform at their best. As with any successful team, trust, team-work, communication and leadership are all critical factors - even more so when you are flying 500 miles an hour and just six feet apart.