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Wouldn’t it be fantastic if everyone who had a great idea that they really loved created a flexible, do-able plan and then went for it – un-self-consciously, unapologetically and with the mindset of simply making the idea become as amazing as it can be? This is what my podcast is all about. Helping you, your team and your business create your own legacies that you didn’t even imagine were possible through innovation, co-creation and entrepreneurial thinking. I’m here to cheer you on and walk alongside you, an independent thinker, who wants to pioneer, create more and regurgitate less, and blast through gloss and BS to get into the substance of what really matters and really works. Let’s trust in ourselves and listen to our own intuition. We’ll consult others, learn, listen to views, then take our stand and unapologetically do us. Bring on the ideas...
Episodes
Thursday May 11, 2023
Thursday May 11, 2023
Welcome to Data Pioneers: A Digital Innovation Case Study, featuring Simon Jefferson from Catsurveys! In this episode, we're shifting the spotlight from big brands to small and medium-sized B2B companies that are trailblazing their way to innovation success.
Joining us today is Simon Jefferson, who will share how Catsurveys has masterfully introduced a game-changing, data-driven digital innovation alongside their existing business model.
We'll dive into topics that are crucial for businesses seeking to innovate, including:
- Collaborating with customers across various industries from traditional sectors to more progressive ones, as they embrace innovation
- Fostering an innovative culture and nurturing a dynamic workplace that drives innovation success
- Seamlessly integrating innovation into the company's core DNA, rather than treating it as an add-on to everyday tasks
Tune in and uncover invaluable insights from Simon's experience in driving Catsurveys towards innovation excellence!
About Catsurveys:
Catsurveys, an award-winning multidisciplinary surveying company, specializes in delivering comprehensive data solutions for large-scale infrastructure projects across the UK. With a focus on underground utility detection, they play a vital role in the successful execution of critical national infrastructure developments, earning their clients' trust and confidence. By merging top-tier talent, a dedication to quality and continuous improvement, and state-of-the-art technology, Catsurveys offers detailed data for both above and below ground environments. This enables customers to design, plan, and complete construction projects safely and sustainably, ensuring optimal outcomes for significant infrastructure endeavors.
About Simon:
Simon has 20 years’ experience in the utilities sector holding senior commercial roles across both regulated and non-regulated businesses, developing successful commercial strategies in a variety of markets. Simon is responsible for the commercial oversight of the business ensuring that all Catsurveys’ activity is commercially viable and underpins the strategic direction of the business. Simon’s also accountable for developing new business opportunities and expanding Catsurveys’ brand into new markets and sectors ensuring that the business has a robust commercial strategy that supports growth. A passionate advocate of innovation and positive disruption Simon is focused on how Catsurveys can maximise the value of innovative new technologies and digital solutions, collaborating with customers to introduce these in a positive way that delivers real value.
In his spare time Simon tries to find time between a busy family life to run a little bit, preferably in the hills.
Contact Simon
Monday May 01, 2023
Monday May 01, 2023
Are you looking to enhance your organization's understanding of the customer perspective and provide a better customer experience? If yes, then a customer journey mapping workshop is just what you need.
Int his podcast, I will guide you through the fundamentals of customer journey mapping, share how to facilitate a successful workshop, and create insightful before-and-after customer journey maps.
Here's what I cover:
- What is Customer Journey Mapping and why it's invaluable for all types of businesses
- Key steps to creating an effective Customer Journey Map
- Examples of successful Customer Journey Maps
- Preparation for your Customer Journey Mapping Workshop
- Co-creating a Customer Journey Map with real customers
- Customer Journey Mapping Workshop agenda and activities
- Validating your new Customer Journey
- Examples of Customer Journey Mapping software tools
- Useful references and resources
Please do share your questions, comments, and ideas on LinkedIn. I'll respond to each one of them.
Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your organization's customer experience and become even more customer-centric.
Thursday Apr 27, 2023
Thursday Apr 27, 2023
Lead Productive, Effective, and Fun Retrospective Meetings
How are your retrospective, or ‘lessons learned’, meetings going? 🤔
Are they full of energy, actionable insights for your future projects, or have they become a bit stale and same-y?
Are you even doing them at all? Or have they never even started or fallen by the wayside because everyone is “too busy”?
Retrospectives are workshop-style meetings that take place after key phases of project activity, innovation, events, or sprints. They are designed to give you and your team light bulb moments about your success, and how to replicate it, as well as the root cause of things that didn’t go so well, so you can learn from that too.
💡💡💡💡💡
Effective retrospectives drive continuous improvement and are a fundamental part of how high performing teams achieve their goals faster, with less risk and better outcomes.
In this live episode, I’ll share a comprehensive guide to leading productive and effective retrospective meetings. I’ve designed the content for leaders who want to facilitate open and honest discussions that drive real results.
I’ll cover:
- The importance of retrospective meetings
- What makes a great retrospective
- Practical tips for leading a successful retrospective meeting, from preparation to facilitation and follow-up
- How to handle difficult situations
- Different retrospective activities, along with example agendas
- How to create a culture of feedback and continuous improvement
Whether you're new to leading retrospective meetings or looking to improve your existing approach, my aim is that this show will give you the tools and knowledge you need to succeed.
As always, please share your questions, comments, and ideas whether you’re watching live or on replay. I’ll respond to every single one.
Tuesday Apr 25, 2023
Tuesday Apr 25, 2023
20 times published author, international speaker and facilitator Paul Sloane is my guest on this episode of the Idea Time Innovation Podcast.
Paul Sloane is an author and speaker on lateral thinking, creativity, and the leadership of innovation. He has written over 20 books on these subjects. The latest, published by Kogan Page, is Lateral Thinking for Every Day. He gives talks and workshops and his corporate clients include Nike, Microsoft, Bayer and Unilever. His most recent online course on Udemy is entitled, How to be a Brilliant Thinker.
Topics we cover in the episode include:
- What lateral thinking is, and why it’s important for business, even in challenging times
- How to avoid over-conformity and group think
- How to build and lead workplace innovation and build a more creative culture
- Strategies for low cost, low risk innovation
- Creative facilitation tools, activities and techniques that get teams thinking more innovatively in brainstorming sessions to generate more, even better ideas
- Real examples of lateral thinking and innovative growth in organizations
For my articles and tips on Innovation Culture:
Ten Steps to an Innovation Culture
How to build an Innovative Culture in 2023 - 8 top tips
Paul and I would love to hear what you think. Do please let us know in the comments.
Follow Paul on Twitter @paulsloane;
Contact Paul on Linkedin
Thursday Apr 20, 2023
Thursday Apr 20, 2023
Paul Slater from the change shed is today's podcast guest.
Paul's an expert on change culture and transformation. In this episode we focus on how to build an innovative culture in your organisation. We talk about what an innovative culture is, what it means in practice, what it means for leaders, and speculate on the future of AI and its interaction with employee creativity.
Topics include:
- What is an innovative culture?
- Why is it important to build an innovation culture in organizations?
- The essential ingredients of a positive innovation culture
- Practical steps that leaders and senior managers can take to build an innovative culture, with real examples.
- The role of internal innovation ecosystems in creating intellectual capital in organizations.
- How AI might complement and extend employee creativity
Articles and tips on Innovation Culture:
Ten Steps to an Innovation Culture
8 Top Tips for Building an Innovative Culture in 2023
Paul Slater’s Biography
Paul is an accomplished facilitator and management consultant with a wealth of experience in helping companies innovate, change, and grow. His mission is to help businesses become more valuable, enjoyable, and future proof. Paul helps leaders develop growth cultures by focusing on clarity of purpose, vision, values, and aligning them with performance and operating models. His systems thinking approach spans multiple dimensions of growth and innovation, from strategy to process and technology. Paul is passionate about enabling people to develop themselves and their businesses in a sustainable and scalable way.
Paul has worked with many household names including General Motors. He enjoys translating his big company experience into meaningful strategies for smaller businesses and start-ups/scale-ups. He spent the early part of his career at Accenture before joining Oakland Consulting, where he led their People and Change service line as a Partner. For the last 7 years, he has been MD at The Change Shed Ltd.
Thursday Apr 13, 2023
Thursday Apr 13, 2023
This episode focuses on harnessing AI, technology, and innovation in online learning. I'm joined by Taryn Haynes-Smart, Head of Product Development at the Digital Campus in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Taryn is a creative innovator who loves to use AI, technology, and innovation to create fantastic learning experiences for people participating in online University programmes.
We talk about online learning and some of the tools and approaches that Taryn takes uses. We also explore what the impact of technology such as AI means for the future of learning and development, and how we can work with it and incorporate it in a healthy way into what we do.
Taryn and I would love to hear what you think. Do please let us know in the comments.
Taryn Haynes-Smart Biography:
As an innovator and creator, Taryn Haynes-Smart fuses intelligence and creativity to craft unique experiences that ignite the imagination. With a passion for exploring the world through digital tools, AI, and data, Taryn brings a wealth of expertise and experience to the table across multiple domains. With a background in learning and development, product management, and content creation, Taryn has a proven track record of success in a variety of fields.
Whether creating innovative learning solutions, management product development from ideation to launch, or crafting engaging content that resonates with audiences, Taryn brings a unique perspective to every project she tackles. From sharing personal stories of creative inspiration, discussing best practices, or exploring the intersection of technology, knowledge, and creativity, Taryn’s dynamic and visionary approach to problem-solving and solution design is sure to engage, educate, and inspire audiences.
Links:
AI video creation platform, Synthesia
Contact options for Taryn Haynes-Smart:
#artificialintelligence #innovation #onlinelearning #digitalcourses #facilitation
Thursday Apr 13, 2023
Thursday Apr 13, 2023
In this podcast episode about knowledge exchange and innovation, I'm joined by my guest Amanda Selvaratnam, Associate Director of Research and Enterprise at the University of York in the UK.
Key topics we cover are:
- What is Knowledge Exchange and why does it matter?
- Collaborative Learning: Strategies for Effective Knowledge Exchange
- From Theory to Practice: How to Implement Knowledge Exchange in Real Projects
- Building Strong Networks for Effective Knowledge Exchange
- Maximising the Impact of Knowledge Exchange: Tips and Techniques
- The Future of Knowledge Exchange: Trends and Innovation
Amanda is an expert on commercialising innovation and getting research out there being used in the community for real by communities, businesses, and organizations so that it can make impact. She shares some great examples.
We talk about how businesses and other organisations can connect with universities for knowledge exchange and innovation to access and optimize research opportunity.
It really is a value-packed episode, thanks to Amanda's insight and the generosity of her sharing her experience.
I'm sure you're going to enjoy it and get lots from it.
Amanda and I would love to hear what you think. Do please let us know in the comments.
More about Amanda Selvaratnam:
Amanda Selvaratnam, Associate Director Research Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (Impact), University of York
Following a scientific career in research and industry, Amanda moved into business intelligence with GlaxoSmithKline prior to joining the University of York in 1999. Amanda is responsible for the engagement of the University with business with a focus on impact through the development and delivery of professional development and executive education courses, technology transfer and regional economic development.
Amanda is also the Founder and Director of the Training Gateway, an organisation that supports UK training and education organisations to win training and education contracts and develop partnerships overseas. Working extensively in the Gulf and South East Asia, Amanda has led over 30 trade missions and supported dozens of UK training and education organisations develop international business partnerships.
The links we mention in the episode are:
- Amanda Selvaratnam on LinkedIn
- Business and working with the University of York: business@york.ac.uk
- Praxis Auril Knowledge Exchange organisation and conference
- University video knowledge Exchange
- StreetLife Video
- StreetLife Video 2
- York City Video
#enterprise #innovation #highereducation #commercialisation #knowledgeexchange
Friday Feb 24, 2023
Friday Feb 24, 2023
Problems are simply the gaps between where you want your business to be and where it currently is.
And of course, helping customers with their problems is what we are all in business to do.
In innovation terms, some business problems are “messy”, that is, they are connected to other problems.
Or they might be “wicked” problems, meaning they’re unclear and keep changing and evolving.
Just a few examples are:
- Creating a new marketing campaign that works
- Bringing diverse stakeholders together to collaborate on a joint plan
- Formulating work-winning solutions for new business proposals, bids, or tenders
- Working on a more sustainable business model
- Social or community challenges and opportunities…
So, wouldn’t it be fantastic if you could tap directly into the collective wisdom, experience, and skills of the people in your organisation to access more useful, creative solutions to some of your messy or wicked problems?
In this episode, I’ll share evidence-based tools for creative problem solving for business. I’ll also give you a step-by-step guide to facilitating problem-solving workshops that will generate fresh thinking, stronger collaboration, and more productive results.
Friday Feb 10, 2023
Friday Feb 10, 2023
Are you excited by your business goals for 2023? Have you got clear plans in place to achieve them, with contingencies mapped out in case other things get in the way?
In this live episode I’ll be sharing evidence-based insights, tools, and approaches on how to facilitate a goal achievement workshop for your business, or a mini “retreat” if you’re working on your own.
I hope you’ll join me, either live or on replay, to de-risk your important business goals falling by the wayside as the year progresses!
I’ll help you to act smarter, build and maintain momentum over weeks and months, and identify strategies for likely obstacles before they happen.
You’ll get a full agenda and activities for a time-efficient team workshop or individual away day that will give you clarity and greater motivation for sustained action.
Friday Feb 03, 2023
Friday Feb 03, 2023
Are you thinking about working with your team to regroup, reset and refocus for a healthy, enjoyable, and high performing year ahead?
In this episode, I share evidence-based insights, tools, and approaches for facilitating a High Performing Team Reset and Refocus Workshop.
The definition of ‘High Performance’ I use is about achieving sustainably and well, over the long term. Wellbeing, connection, purpose, values, individual and team strengths are integral to true success.
I also share:
- Research, and practical ways you can use that research, to help your team to perform at an even higher level
- An example of a focused agenda for your High Performing Team Workshop, along with purposeful, engaging, interactive activities you can use – activities that apply directly to your business and lead to agreed actions and commitments
- Tips and techniques for opening up constructive, progressive conversations within the team