Helping Organisations Thrive with Julian Roberts

*** Trigger warning - mentions of suicide ***   The analogies between endurance racing and mental health have often been cited. In this fascinating podcast Sally Orange draws comparisons between her extreme physical adventures and her challenges with severe depression, suicidal tendencies and crippling anxiety.    Sally has completed over 8 Ironman triathlons, 71 marathons, along with events such as Ride Across America. She is the only person to have run a marathon on every continent dressed as a piece of fruit. Her creativity when taking part in such events is all to raise awareness and money for mental health charities.    Sally describes how any big challenge needs breaking down into achievable parts, whether that is getting through the next minute/hour without attempting suicide, or completing the Marathon Des Sables. Setting and working towards a goal is helpful for her mental health, and she is committed to both supporting charities and raising awareness.    When in Antarctica to run a marathon, Sally found the 24hrs of daylight hard, and found that as in life, we need a balance between the good times and the hard times, the light and the darkness, in order to fully live and fulfill our own potential.      Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snQ12N2QP7I   Connect with Sally: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-orange-95948741/ Website: https://www.sallyorange.com/ Email: sally_orange@hotmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sally0range/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sally0range     Helping SME’s build resilient, high performing teams and businesses, quickly, so they can innovate, deliver, and thrive.   The SME’s I work with typically struggle/suffer/ with one or more of these challenges: - no clear strategy - dysfunctional team dynamics - not knowing their vision or mission - feeling stuck and procrastinating - business not growing - leadership challenges   If you want support in helping your organisation thrive, do get in contact with me: https://www.julianrobertsconsulting.com

How to empower and equip your team to manage their own stress.  As a GP of 20 years, Rebecca saw a multitude of variations of the harm caused by stress, with most people coming to her at crisis point, when it was hard to disentangle what might be causing the physical and mental health symptoms she was presented with. This led Rebecca to start her own business, Williams Stress Management. She now helps people manage their own stress levels by recognising symptoms and putting in effective boundaries. Rebecca explains how some physiological systems are suppressed when we're under acute or chronic stress, such as the immune system, gut health, and sexual and reproductive health.. Chronic stress can also affect processes in the brain leading to mental health issues.   Organisations would benefit from education within the workplace to help people identify potential stressors in their lives, and develop strategies to manage this, understanding how stress might be affecting them physically, mentally and emotionally. Employees experiencing acute or chronic stress have a prefrontal cortex which is less active, leading them to be less able to concentrate and more prone to memory lapses, as well as having difficulties making decisions and planning. This can lead to more anxiety, loss of confidence, and a general downward spiral ensues. Rebecca explains simple tools to help us manage our own stress, work more productively, and generally enjoy life more.   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8z2azDv5_s   Connect with Rebecca: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamsstressmanagement/ Website: https://williamsstressmanagement.co.uk/ Email: rw@williamsstressmanagement.co.uk     Helping SME’s build resilient, high performing teams and businesses, quickly, so they can innovate, deliver, and thrive.   The SME’s I work with typically struggle/suffer/ with one or more of these challenges: - no clear strategy - dysfunctional team dynamics - not knowing their vision or mission - feeling stuck and procrastinating - business not growing - leadership challenges   If you want support in helping your organisation thrive, do get in contact with me: https://www.julianrobertsconsulting.com

How to support wellness when your organisation works remotely? The opportunities and challenges facing managers who want to provide holistic support for employees' well-being are discussed in this fascinating podcast with Tarin Calmeyer. Tarin describes wellness as a way of looking at your whole life - financial, social, physical, spiritual etc, and describes wellness as an optimal state of thriving. Tarin also shares about the, now more widely known but possibly not so widely practised, science of breathing. The breath is the single most important way to bring yourself into a state of productivity and creativity, because it takes you out of your head and into your body; into your rest, digest and destress parasympathetic nervous system. Breathing brings us into the now, and out of living mentally in the past or the future, being driven by our fight or flight sympathetic nervous system. Tarin shares examples of the impact her online wellness sessions have had on organisations, and why wellness should be an intrinsic part of work culture, whether we are office-based or work remotely.   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftsLyj9OzBA   Connect with Tarin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarincalmeyer/ Website: https://remoteteamwellness.com/ Email: tarin@remoteteamwellness.com     Helping SME’s build resilient, high performing teams and businesses, quickly, so they can innovate, deliver, and thrive.   The SME’s I work with typically struggle/suffer/ with one or more of these challenges: - no clear strategy - dysfunctional team dynamics - not knowing their vision or mission - feeling stuck and procrastinating - business not growing - leadership challenges   If you want support in helping your organisation thrive, do get in contact with me: https://www.julianrobertsconsulting.com

How to turn your team into an ideas factory, giving you a modern engine of innovation to drive ROI.  CEO and Co-founder of Leg Up Tom Finn talks about how to achieve the balance between kindness and accountability within servant leadership, and explores reasons behind the turnover tsunami of the current Great Resignation. The importance of having a growth mindset is nothing new, but Tom explains how to move people from the fear that causes a fixed mindset, into the freedom of a psychologically safe workplace, making the most of the talented individuals that we have employed. Tom explains servant leadership, and how to create a psychologically safe workplace; along with how to work as a leader with your own potentially autocratic boss - adjusting your style when you manage up, but being a filter for the communication coming down to your team. Tom's six ways of creating psychological safety can be used just as effectively in the boardroom or round the kitchen table at home with your family.     Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z9QzKgqBMI   Connect with Tom: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomfinnleggup/ Website: http://www.leggup.com/ Email: tom.finn@leggup.com  Twitter: https://twitter.com/_TomFinn     Helping SME’s build resilient, high performing teams and businesses, quickly, so they can innovate, deliver, and thrive.   The SME’s I work with typically struggle/suffer/ with one or more of these challenges: - no clear strategy - dysfunctional team dynamics - not knowing their vision or mission - feeling stuck and procrastinating - business not growing - leadership challenges   If you want support in helping your organisation thrive, do get in contact with me: https://www.julianrobertsconsulting.com

In this podcast Corina discusses how to identify and then support emerging and front line leaders. She prioritises "coach-ability" as the number one trait to look for when identify future leaders; and advises organisations to consider having two different leadership tracks - one for business/technical leadership, and one for people leadership.  Corina advises companies to give any employee the chance to practice leadership skills in a low risk environment, and gives examples of this.  New leaders need supporting in their role - knowing how to have a difficult conversation is a skill set that can be learned, and, like giving effective feedback, is something which a new leader can learn and practice in training.   The managers of these new leaders also need to know (or to receive training on) how best to support the new leaders they are responsible for. Corina discusses how to create an environment within your organisation allowing and encouraging people to show emerging leadership skills or potential. Corina is a business owner, certified coach, and author of The Engaged Employee.     Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCR9TRaLKhk   Connect with Corina: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corinawalsh/ Website: http://www.shiftpd.com/ Email: corina@shiftpd.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/corinawalsh     Helping SME’s build resilient, high performing teams and businesses, quickly, so they can innovate, deliver, and thrive.   The SME’s I work with typically struggle/suffer/ with one or more of these challenges: - no clear strategy - dysfunctional team dynamics - not knowing their vision or mission - feeling stuck and procrastinating - business not growing - leadership challenges   If you want support in helping your organisation thrive, do get in contact with me: https://www.julianrobertsconsulting.com

Seeing sales in a new light: Ex global business director Gillian Selby talks about the impact of taking a collaborative approach to sales, and elevating your business as one unit, rather than seeing sales as a stand alone entity. She explores the value of having a service mindset approach, as opposed to a company seeing themselves as the experts and expecting clients to come to them. She explains the longer term value of wanting to be of service to people; going out and meeting them where they are; listening first to establish the needs they may have. This may mean a slightly slower take off in terms of sales, but will lead to much higher revenue and return. The cost of client acquisition is high, and Gillian looks at how a business can increase the sustainability of their client relationships, looking for a longer term investment in clients, rather than the "sales-driven" approach, which may be quicker but is less sustainable in terms of client relationships. The entire company needs to be included in this type of approach, and the sales team need to be involved in more than just selling.   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO-_NWAqePU   Connect with Gillian: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillian-selby/ Website: http://www.gunnmcqueen.com/ Email: gillian@gunnmcqueen.com     Helping SME’s build resilient, high performing teams and businesses, quickly, so they can innovate, deliver, and thrive.   The SME’s I work with typically struggle/suffer/ with one or more of these challenges: - no clear strategy - dysfunctional team dynamics - not knowing their vision or mission - feeling stuck and procrastinating - business not growing - leadership challenges   If you want support in helping your organisation thrive, do get in contact with me: https://www.julianrobertsconsulting.com

CEO and Principal of East Sussex College Group, Rebecca Conroy talks about maintaining value driven leadership through difficult financial seasons.    Rebecca explains how she makes tough decisions relating to significant funding cuts, and how she leads her team in prioritising listening, then talking to people. She takes time to understand how decisions like potential redundancies would impact the individual, then works with those individuals to see if she and her team can support them, so that redundancy becomes a positive change in their lives, rather than a negative.    Rebecca clearly lives and breathes her values, staying true to her beliefs as she navigates large organisations through challenging times.    Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEN0B4Kaexg   Connect with Rebecca: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-conroy-6985a21a5/ Website: https://www.escg.ac.uk/ Email: rebecca.conroy@escg.ac.uk     Helping SME’s build resilient, high performing teams and businesses, quickly, so they can innovate, deliver, and thrive.   The SME’s I work with typically struggle/suffer/ with one or more of these challenges: - no clear strategy - dysfunctional team dynamics - not knowing their vision or mission - feeling stuck and procrastinating - business not growing - leadership challenges   If you want support in helping your organisation thrive, do get in contact with me: https://www.julianrobertsconsulting.com

Intent on changing the way people interact, author Patrick Aylward is having a global impact with his ideas on collaboration. He shares how collaboration leads to opportunities and innovation; whereas mediation, debate and conflict resolution close down this potential to innovate and grow. Where conflict resolution is inherently reactive, collaboration is proactive.    Patrick is a former litigation lawyer, and author of The Collaborative Path. He defines collaboration as the pursuit of dual outcomes, creating solutions to situations and building stronger human relationships: "What's different in my approach to collaboration compared to conflict resolution or 'getting to yes' is that I address where conflict comes from, and what we can do to prevent it, whereas the field addresses what to do after conflict arises. Getting to 'yes' becomes about how to negotiate after negotiations have broken down. Conflict doesn't arise from differences, conflict arises from the fact that we use the debate model to discuss the differences."   Patrick talks about the importance of having a curious approach, rather than one of judgement, and to consider the opportunities that may be in the differences. He explains that perspectives are often presented as truth, which is not the case; and that debate slows innovation as it always favours the status quo. "We can't debate without being judgemental, in the same way we can't collaborate without being curious."       Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAXR6tMqTzQ   Connect with Patrick: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-aylward01/ Website: https://www.collaborativepath.ca/ Email: Patrick@collaborativepath.ca      Helping SME’s build resilient, high performing teams and businesses, quickly, so they can innovate, deliver, and thrive.   The SME’s I work with typically struggle/suffer/ with one or more of these challenges: - no clear strategy - dysfunctional team dynamics - not knowing their vision or mission - feeling stuck and procrastinating - business not growing - leadership challenges   If you want support in helping your organisation thrive, do get in contact with me: https://www.julianrobertsconsulting.com

Eco-adventurer, Geoscientist and expedition leader Isaac Kenyon talks about the mental toughness needed to row for 3 days and 10 hrs on an indoor rowing machine with no sleep (gaining a world record); and the success of using meta-cognition for this event.   Growing up, Isaac was not always safe outside or in school, and therefore spent a lot of time indoors as a teenager. Camping and fishing trips with his dad opened up a whole new world, but not one that he embraced until he was older. University coincided with the digital revolution which had an impact on Isaac's mental health and he found that just being outside "wiped the overfull whiteboard of his mind".   Isaac combined his love of sports and being outside to help navigate mental health issues, taking on challenges that were even more about the process than the end result. Isaac developed an awareness and understanding of his own thought processes and used meta-cognition to help him through difficult situations. He broke difficult challenges down into smaller chunks - like he did with his world record indoor row, he mentally divided into 15 minute segments of time.   Isaac spoke at the United Nations COP26 and has made an internationally recognised award-winning film. He enjoys finding new adventures to challenge himself physically, mentally and spiritually - ones that give him a purpose much greater than just completing the challenge. Isaac is a Science Communicator, a TED talk speaker, and a trustee of Mind in Hertfordshire. He is always trying to find the balance of combining sport and being outdoors with digital working.        Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtAvXdQ30is   Connect with Isaac: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaackenyon/ Website: https://www.isaackenyon.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kenyon_isaac Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isaac_kenyon/ Email: HELLO@isaackenyon.com      Helping SME’s build resilient, high performing teams and businesses, quickly, so they can innovate, deliver, and thrive.   The SME’s I work with typically struggle/suffer/ with one or more of these challenges: - no clear strategy - dysfunctional team dynamics - not knowing their vision or mission - feeling stuck and procrastinating - business not growing - leadership challenges   If you want support in helping your organisation thrive, do get in contact with me: https://www.julianrobertsconsulting.com

Is there a correlation between employee happiness and customer happiness? Can emotions be translated into data to show the relationship between engagement in the workplace and the top 4 happiness drivers?   The Happiness Index co-founder Matt Phelan discusses how to analyse data on employee happiness, engagement and productivity from a neuroscience perspective, coaching his clients to use data to make effective decisions for their businesses.    Matt believes people are the future of technology, and explains what it takes for an organisation to thrive. He correlates a thriving business with a high happiness score on the Index, along with a high engagement score. Matt shows how a low happiness score even with high engagement does not lead to a culture of thriving; and he brings neuroscience into the workplace to make sense of the data.   The Happiness Index data shows the current "Great Resignation" in the UK to be emotionally driven, not rationally driven. Psychological safety; freedom to take opportunities; feelings of acknowledgement; and positive relationships are shown to be the top four happiness drivers in the workplace. Matt states that although the order of importance of some of these happiness drivers differs culturally -  across the world the number one factor affecting employee happiness is having positive relationships in the workplace.    Matt is the author of Freedom to be Happy.   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et14son4N5M   Connect with Matt: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewphelan/ Website: http://www.thehappinessindex.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Matthewphelan Email: matt@thehappinessindex.com     Helping SME’s build resilient, high performing teams and businesses, quickly, so they can innovate, deliver, and thrive.   The SME’s I work with typically struggle/suffer/ with one or more of these challenges: - no clear strategy - dysfunctional team dynamics - not knowing their vision or mission - feeling stuck and procrastinating - business not growing - leadership challenges   If you want support in helping your organisation thrive, do get in contact with me: https://www.julianrobertsconsulting.com