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Starts at the Top is about how leaders from all sectors are using digital to navigate uncertainty and forge a path to the future. It’s hosted by Zoe Amar and Paul Thomas.
Episodes
Thursday Sep 21, 2023
Thursday Sep 21, 2023
How The Wildlife Trusts are taking on digital transformation
We chat with Alice Kershaw, Head of Digital Transformation at The Wildlife Trusts
Digital transformation can often feel very project heavy. This week we talk to Alice Kershaw, Head of Digital Transformation at The Wildlife Trusts, who is leading a holistic, root and branch approach to their digital transformation. It’s all about creating sustainable, lasting change.
Alice discusses the digital journey so far at The Wildlife Trusts, along with the knotty topic of how to make decisions about digital in a federated organisation. This involves work with staff who are at early stages on the digital journey, and Alice shares why the energy for digital transformation can come from those working at the grassroots. We also discuss exciting projects she has been involved in such as Nextdoor Nature, and what she wishes she had learned earlier in her career.
Zoe and Paul discuss what the response to the allegations about Russell Brand and Elon Musk’s idea to charge Twitter users tells us about the current state of socila media.
The Wildlife Trusts https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/
Check out their campaigns https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/get-involved/our-campaigns
Paul and Zoe discussed:
The News Agents’ podcast https://youtu.be/Ypnm630R04g?si=8Kz11Ob86NIJfL8S
Starts At The Top interview with Soma Sara https://www.startsatthetop.co.uk/episodes/episode50-toxic-masculinity-workplace-leaders
Elon Musk story from The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/sep/19/elon-musk-twitter-x-subscription-fees-users-posts
We are delighted that this episode of Starts At The Top is sponsored by Arvato CRM Solutions. Arvato CRM Solutions designs and delivers award-winning customer service, business process outsourcing (BPO), and digital and intelligent automation solutions for some of the world’s most respected brands, as well as innovative charity and public sector clients. They partner with clients to help them define their customer experience and transformation strategies by implementing the right technology, people and processes to improve their customer journey, while driving new efficiencies and helping them prepare for the future. To find out more about how Arvato CRM Solutions could help an organisation like yours and to receive a free no-obligation chat visit their website.
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production - Syren Studios with Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.
Thursday Sep 07, 2023
Thursday Sep 07, 2023
Why we need to think 'people-first' in the age of AI
We speak to Ben Williams, CEO and co-founder of AI start-up Loopin
We’re back from our summer break and excited to dive into discussing two of our favourite topics, workplace culture, and AI, with Ben Williams, CEO and co-founder of Loopin.
Ben is a best-selling author and leadership coach, who has worked with the likes of Gareth Southgate’s England football team, Facebook, and Gymshark. With Loopin, Ben is using his commando mindset experience as a former Royal Marine and partnering with real-time AI to help combat burnout and empower managers to promote wellbeing in the workplace.
We talked about empathy in the workplace, how leaders are recalibrating their leadership styles post lockdown, burnout, and how to motivate employees during a challenging year (and the answer isn’t what you think it might be). We also discuss the role that AI can play in improving employees’ well-being and supporting managers. This is a fascinating conversation that will be food for thought for anyone interested in improving organisational culture.
Paul and Zoe also discuss tech news including where Google is at with AI.
More info about Loopin https://letsloopin.com/
Follow Loopin on:
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/lets-loopin/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/letsloopin/?hl=en
Twitter https://twitter.com/letsloopin
Notes
Paul and Zoe discussed Google’s search for an AI future https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66659361
We are delighted that this episode of Starts At The Top is sponsored by Arvato CRM Solutions. Arvato CRM Solutions designs and delivers award-winning customer service, business process outsourcing (BPO), and digital and intelligent automation solutions for some of the world’s most respected brands, as well as innovative charity and public sector clients. They partner with clients to help them define their customer experience and transformation strategies by implementing the right technology, people and processes to improve their customer journey, while driving new efficiencies and helping them prepare for the future. To find out more about how Arvato CRM Solutions could help an organisation like yours and to receive a free no-obligation chat visit their website.
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production - Syren Studios with Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.
Thursday Jul 20, 2023
Thursday Jul 20, 2023
What leaders need to know about the 4 day week
The 4 Day Week has grown in popularity since the pandemic and the rise of hybrid and remote working. Maybe you or your organisation have even tried it. Is it the future of the world of work? Or something that only works for certain roles and responsibilities?
We thought we’d go straight to the source this week by talking to Joe Ryle, Director of the eponymous 4 Day Week Campaign. Joe and his team are campaigning for a four-day, 32 hour working week with no loss of pay. Is the 5 day a week model of work broken? In his discussion with us Joe discusses how the UK works some of the longest hours in Europe, yet it’s not making us more productive, just stressed and burned out.
58% of the British public expected a four-day week to be the normal way of working by 2030, with only 22% believing it would not. We chat through what leaders need to do to get ahead of this trend, and the practical tips they need to implement it. It certainly got us both thinking about how we can move to a 4 day week.
Paul and Zoe discuss their experiences of new social media platform Threads, along with the key stats from the new Charity Digital Skills Report.
Notes
4 Day Week Campaign https://www.4dayweek.co.uk/
The Charity Digital Skills Report
We are delighted that this episode of Starts At The Top is sponsored by Arvato CRM Solutions. Arvato CRM Solutions designs and delivers award-winning customer service, business process outsourcing (BPO), and digital and intelligent automation solutions for some of the world’s most respected brands, as well as innovative charity and public sector clients. They partner with clients to help them define their customer experience and transformation strategies by implementing the right technology, people and processes to improve their customer journey, while driving new efficiencies and helping them prepare for the future. To find out more about how Arvato CRM Solutions could help an organisation like yours and to receive a free no-obligation chat visit their website.
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production - Syren Studios and Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.
Thursday Jul 06, 2023
Thursday Jul 06, 2023
Toxic Masculinity in the Workplace: what every leader needs to Know
We speak with Soma Sara, author, founder, and CEO of Everyone’s Invited
72% of women have either encountered or witnessed inappropriate behaviour from male colleagues at work.
A third (32%) of women say their careers have been affected by sexual harassment.
What’s caused this? And what do leaders need to do about it?
Soma Sara, author, founder, and CEO of Everyone’s Invited joins us to answer these questions. In June 2020, Soma Sara founded Everyone's Invited, an anti-rape movement organisation that allows survivors of rape culture to share their stories through testimonies anonymously on their website and Instagram profile. Soma was included in the BBC 100 global list of inspiring and influential women of 2021 and won the 2021 Harper's Bazaar Activist of the Year award.
Soma shares with us what leaders need to know about misogyny in and outside the workplace and how to tackle it. We discuss the many forms that toxic masculinity can take, including the ones that may be hiding in plain sight. And we talk about the role that we can all, including leaders, play in challenging toxic masculinity, creating safer spaces and more inclusive cultures that not only benefit women but help everyone. All of these themes are explored in Soma’s book, also called Everyone’s Invited, which is out now in paperback.
This is a frank, eye-opening discussion that some may find shocking - but you’ll be glad you listened.
Trigger warning - this episode contains references to themes of sexual assault and rape, which some individuals may find distressing.
Everyone’s Invited https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/
Everyone’s Invited book by Soma Sara https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/book
Stats above are taken from https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1797842/third-womens-careers-affected-sexual-harassment-study-finds
We are delighted that this episode of Starts At The Top is sponsored by Arvato CRM Solutions. Arvato CRM Solutions designs and delivers award-winning customer service, business process outsourcing (BPO), and digital and intelligent automation solutions for some of the world’s most respected brands, as well as innovative charity and public sector clients. They partner with clients to help them define their customer experience and transformation strategies by implementing the right technology, people and processes to improve their customer journey, while driving new efficiencies and helping them prepare for the future. To find out more about how Arvato CRM Solutions could help an organisation like yours and to receive a free no-obligation chat visit their website.
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production from Syren Studios and Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.
Friday Jun 30, 2023
Friday Jun 30, 2023
How emerging tech can supercharge your digital transformation (Digital Leaders Week - Special Episode)
We chat with Wales Air Ambulance Charity and Arvato CRM Solutions about their partnership
Can emerging technologies help your organisation’s digital transformation go further and faster? We attempted to answer this question as part of our live podcast recording at Digital Leaders Week, featuring Wales Air Ambulance Charity and Arvato CRM Solutions.
We discussed how Wales Air Ambulance Charity used automation and AI to improve the donor and supporter experience, saving money and time, improving ways of working and developing staff skills. For example, using automation for new member communications has saved Wales Air Ambulance Charity up to £20,000 annually and is reducing its reliance on paper.
Speakers:
James Stephens Director of Finance & Commercial Services, Wales Air Ambulance Charity
Mark Stevens- Head of Fundraising- Wales Air Ambulance Charity
Mike Stewart- Intelligent Automation Practice Lead Arvato CRM Solutions
We are delighted that this episode of Starts At The Top is sponsored by Arvato CRM Solutions. Arvato CRM Solutions designs and delivers award-winning customer service, business process outsourcing (BPO), and digital and intelligent automation solutions for some of the world’s most respected brands, as well as innovative charity and public sector clients. They partner with clients to help them define their customer experience and transformation strategies by implementing the right technology, people, and processes to improve their customer journey, while driving new efficiencies and helping them prepare for the future. To find out more about how Arvato CRM Solutions could help an organisation like yours and to receive a free no-obligation chat visit their website.
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production - Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Thursday Jun 22, 2023
Thursday Jun 22, 2023
How to build your brand during a cost-of-living crisis
We talk to Donna White, Senior Head of Digital and Youth Marketing at The Prince’s Trust
When times get tough the first thing that gets cut is often the marketing budget. So when we heard that The Prince’s Trust was taking a creative approach to digital marketing during the cost of living crisis we had to find out more.
We first met Donna White, Senior Head of Digital and Youth Marketing at The Prince’s Trust when she gave a brilliant presentation about her team’s work at the Charity Digital conference. So we invited her onto our podcast for a longer chat.
Donna describes how she and her colleagues are using digital to affirm The Prince’s Trust's place as a youth brand, reaching young people as well as older supporters and donors. We discuss her charity’s canny approach to digital marketing during the cost of living crisis, focusing on partnerships, and how they are using data to be as efficient as possible about where they invest their efforts. Donna also shares her advice on the age-old challenge of making the case for marketing as a strategic, not a service function.
We felt really inspired after talking to Donna. Her story shows that it’s possible to build a brand, achieve great results and be creative even when money is tight.
Many thanks to Donna for sharing her insights.
Notes
The Prince’s Trust https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/
We are delighted that this episode of Starts At The Top is sponsored by Arvato CRM Solutions. Arvato CRM Solutions designs and delivers award-winning customer service, business process outsourcing (BPO), and digital and intelligent automation solutions for some of the world’s most respected brands, as well as innovative charity and public sector clients. They partner with clients to help them define their customer experience and transformation strategies by implementing the right technology, people, and processes to improve their customer journey while driving new efficiencies and helping them prepare for the future. To find out more about how Arvato CRM Solutions could help an organisation like yours and to receive a free no-obligation chat visit their website.
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production from Syren Studios and Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts also available through your podcast app.
Wednesday Jun 07, 2023
Wednesday Jun 07, 2023
How to tap into the power of skilled volunteers
It’s Volunteers Week so we wanted to find out how charities and corporates alike can benefit from skilled volunteering programmes.
Kim Perlow is the founder and CEO of Link UP London an organisation that harnesses professional skills for social good through skilled volunteering. Link UP, which started in 2016, is committed to building stronger communities and offering meaningful volunteer opportunities by connecting skilled professionals with charitable organisations, in areas such as legal, finance, human resources, communications, marketing, data, strategy, organisational development and more.
We chat to Kim about volunteering trends, how smart use of volunteering is helping charity leaders to take a step back from delivery to think about strategy and how the way that corporates and charities partner on volunteering initiatives is changing.
Zoe and Paul share another update on what’s going on with AI following the statement from the Center for AI Safety.
Notes
Link UP London would love to hear from anyone interested in volunteering their skills in a meaningful way with London based community organisations or engaging their company in a skilled volunteering event or programme.
You can learn more on their website – www.linkuplondon.org
Find out more about their Corporate Programme - https://linkuplondon.org/corporates/
You can also find them on:
LinkedIn – linkuplondon
Twitter - linkuplondonuk
Instagram - linkuplondonuk
New stories:
Ars Technica story on statement from Center for AI Safety
Rest is Politics podcast AI special
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production from Syren Studios and Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts also available through your podcast app.
Thursday May 25, 2023
Thursday May 25, 2023
How to influence Westminster now
We meet Ian Dunt, author, political journalist and broadcaster
Have you ever wondered what really goes on in Westminster? Maybe you work in policy and are planning how to campaign for change in politically turbulent times? Ian Dunt, author of new bestselling book How Westminster Works…and Why It Doesn’t is here to lift the lid on Westminster and share what he found, and what this tells us about leadership.
As a political journalist and broadcaster, Ian spent several years working in the heart of Westminster. Ian discusses why our political system needs to change, how ministers make decisions, whether politicians getting burned out is a political issue, and how your organisation can influence policy when so much is up in the air. What needs to change about the current system, and how can we make this happen?
This interview will be invaluable for anyone interested in or involved in working with politicians. We’re grateful to Ian for a very thought provoking conversation.
Speaking of politics, Zoe and Paul discuss what’s going on with AI regulation at the start of this episode.
Notes
Find Ian's book here:
How Westminster Works... and Why It Doesn't by Ian Dunt
Follow Ian Dunt on Twitter
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production from Syren Studios and Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts also available through your podcast app.
Thursday May 11, 2023
Thursday May 11, 2023
Why leaders need to rethink resilience
We chat with Bruce Daisley, author of Fortitude, workplace culture expert, and podcaster
We’re thrilled to open season 7 with a brilliant conversation with Bruce Daisley. Many of you will know Bruce as the author of Fortitude: The Myth of Resilience and the Secrets of Inner Strength (out now in paperback) and his previous book The Joy of Work. Bruce is a workplace culture expert and the host of the legendary podcast Eat Sleep Work Repeat.
In Fortitude Bruce challenges the myths we’ve all heard about resilience, and asks if they’re really achieving their desired effect. Organisations invest time and money in resilience training. Schools aim to increase children’s resilience. Yet the data shows that these interventions aren’t always successful. Why is resilience seen as an individual, rather than a collective responsibility? How can leaders really help their teams develop inner strength? Are we doing it right?
In this episode, Bruce explains why we need to flip the concept of resilience on its head and focus on the power of building communities in and outside the workplace. Fortitude is an especially timely read as he also discusses the impact of trauma and how we can help the people around us heal. This is a vital leadership skill given the events of the last 3 years.
A huge thank you to Bruce for sharing his insights into what leaders need to do differently.
Fortitude: The Myth of Resilience and the Secrets of Inner Strength by Bruce Daisley is published by Penguin in paperback.
For more about Fortitude check out https://www.findfortitude.net/
Bruce has an excellent newsletter https://makeworkbetter.substack.com/ and podcast Eat Sleep Work Repeat
You can buy the book on Hive - https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Bruce-Daisley/Fortitude--The-Myth-of-Resilience-and-the-Secrets-of-Inne/27169356
We also have two copies of Bruce’s book Fortitude to give away. To be in with a chance of winning sign up to our newsletter over at https://www.startsatthetop.co.uk/
We are delighted that this episode of Starts At The Top is sponsored by Arvato CRM Solutions.
Arvato CRM Solutions designs and delivers award-winning customer service, business process outsourcing (BPO), and digital and intelligent automation solutions for some of the world’s most respected brands, as well as innovative charity and public sector clients. They partner with clients to help them define their customer experience and transformation strategies by implementing the right technology, people and processes to improve their customer journey, while driving new efficiencies and helping them prepare for the future. To find out more about how Arvato CRM Solutions could help an organisation like yours and to receive a free no-obligation chat visit wwww.arvato.co.uk/WalesAirAmbulance
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production from Syren Studios and Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.
Thursday Mar 16, 2023
Thursday Mar 16, 2023
How to put digital at the heart of your organisation
We chat to Sharon Jones, Head of Digital Innovation at The King’s Fund
We’re closing season 6 by chatting to a charity digital legend about their journey as a leader. Step forward Sharon Jones, Head of Digital Innovation at The King’s Fund.
Sharon has worked as an editor and producer in organisations such as MTV, Sky and among others, the BBC. Before The King’s Fund she also worked at BookTrust. We discuss which of these experiences informed the way she leads and why, the digital challenges and opportunities she is leading on at The King's Fund and her thoughts on digital skills. We also chat through the latest digital trends facing the sector, and where charities are at with inclusion.
Zoe and Paul also discuss what the Gary Lineker story means for how your organisation uses social media. Could your organisation face a staff walkout about a colleague’s tweets in the future?
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production from Syren Studios and Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts also available through your podcast app.