The DNA of Work
62 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingChanging the way your organisation works is challenging. You may be trying to make sense of hybrid working, wondering how you can keep teams connected and motivated in a hybrid world or how you can strengthen your virtual leadership skills. This podcast from AWA tackles the challenges and resolves many of the confusions that can often happen. If you’re responsible for delivering exceptional work experiences, then whether you’re in HR, CRE, FM, IT or Operations, we can give you clear guidance to help you make positive changes to the way you’re working. Our show is relaxed and informal, we share expert insights, the latest research, real life examples and ways to get started. If you want to understand or adapt your DNA of work, this is the podcast for you.
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Episodes
Unravelling the mysteries of the brain part 2
February 06, 2024 08:00 - 25 minutes - 17.2 MBPrepare to have your mind stretched as we navigate the human brain with the esteemed neuroscientist and psychologist, Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett. In this captivating discussion, we explore how social media is rewiring our brains, why the parent's role is critical in helping a child's brain develop, and what the challenges of puberty mean for cognitive development. Dr. Barrett offers unique insights into the delicate art of knowing when to step in and when to step back, helping our children han...
Unravelling the mysteries of the brain with Dr Lisa Feldman Barrett - part 1
January 16, 2024 08:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MBAre your everyday experiences really a true reflection of how your brain works? Our guest for this episode, acclaimed neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, sheds light on this thought-provoking question. Dr. Barrett takes us through the compelling world of neuroscience, revealing the ingenious manner in which our brains regulate our bodies. She explains how our brain is a master of deception, constantly predicting and preparing based on past experience rather than just reacting to the wor...
A look back at 2023 and forward to 2024
December 28, 2023 08:00 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MBAs we approach the end of another eventful year, what were the highlights for you in the world or work and workplace? Andrew Mawson, AWA's Founder and Managing Director shares his views on the significant developments that really caught his attention - including AI, which has been through a transformative phase in 2023. This year also seems to have seen a lot of consolidation around hybrid working - leading to an excess of office space being carried by a lot of organisations. And we see an ...
How can you build talent and plan succession in a hybrid working world?
December 05, 2023 08:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MBPicture this: you're navigating the intricate paths of hybrid working - what bearing does this have on talent and succession planning in your organization? That's the meaty conversation we're sinking our teeth into in this episode. We explore the key facets of finding, fostering, and future-proofing strong leadership within organisations. Take a moment to think about your role, your ambition, and how your organisation is supporting you and your colleagues. We consider how succession plannin...
As India's economy expands, is a boom in office construction inevitable?
November 14, 2023 08:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBGet ready to supercharge your understanding of India's booming office space market with AWA's Shashi Sharma and Director of Corporate Real Estate for Carelon Global Solutions in India, Sanjeev Tullicherry. We ask whether India's economic growth can be balanced with environmental sustainability by adopting strategies like refurbishing existing buildings instead of constructing new ones? We delve into the heart of commercial real estate's environmental sustainability, extracting insights fro...
Should we be licensed to work from home?
November 01, 2023 11:00 - 26 minutes - 18.5 MBEver imagined a world where trust, openness, and virtuality are the norm in the workplace? Buckle up as we dig deep into the seismic shift from an office-centric model to the hybrid work norm, all thanks to an unprecedented global pandemic. We have as our guests Andrew Mawson, Founder and Managing Director of AWA, and Brad Taylor, AWA's Director of Consulting, to provide a bird's eye view on this transitional phase and the friction it's sparking between senior leadership and employees. Now...
Evolving the employment contract for hybrid working
October 19, 2023 07:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBAs hybrid working becomes the new normal, we know you're asking: how do we formalize this? Do we need to review our employment contracts? What about our duty of care for home workers? How do we balance individual needs with organizational efficiency? This episode looks at what needs to change, and what doesn't. We dig into the detail of employment contracts and relationships in the wake of COVID-19, exploring the benefits of putting more rigor in place to safeguard employee health and wel...
Beyond green - is net zero part of your organisation's culture?
October 03, 2023 07:00 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBUnlock the secrets of transforming good intentions into actionable plans in the face of climate crisis with our special guest, Richard Lupo, managing director of Shift Environment and author of Happiness by Numbers. Lupo shares his insights on the UK's march towards achieving net zero and how climate change influences our day-to-day lives. AWA's Lara Al Ansari and Brad Taylor also join us, fresh from the AWA Institute's event, 'Beyond Green', sharing their thoughts on making net zero a part ...
Navigating and Overcoming Toxicity in Workplace Culture
September 26, 2023 07:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBEver thought about the deep-seated toxicity lurking in your workplace? Hold your breath as we navigate this uncharted terrain with consultant psychologist Linda Doe, who brings to the table her vast experience in business psychology. We dissect the meaning of a toxic office culture, the tell-tale signs to look out for, and the devastating impacts it leaves in its wake, including poor mental wellbeing and sometimes alarming rates of staff turnover. But that's not all! We peel back the layers...
Exploring the Future of Work in the Metaverse
September 05, 2023 07:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MBAre you prepared for the future of work? Will you be at the forefront of a revolutionary shift, or will you be left behind, much like Kodak when digital photography rose to prominence? In this engaging episode, we converse with Henry Massey and Andrew Mawson, experts on the brave new world of the Metaverse and its potential implications for our working lives. We unpick the vibrant tapestry of the Metaverse, contemplating an immersive, inclusive, and story-driven hybrid working environment th...
Global trends in hybrid working: AWA's Hybrid Working Index separates facts from hype
August 15, 2023 07:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBCurious about how hybrid working is transforming organisations around the world? AWA’s Hybrid Working Index reveals the truth about what’s really going on. We look at different types of hybrid working policies, the volumes of people coming into office, the impact on the usage of workspace and the ultimate decisions being taken to resize real estate. The most recent results reflect a population of 150,000 people across 15 sectors and 22 countries. We reveal the latest findings and the trend...
Demystifying Artificial Intelligence: what you need to know now
August 01, 2023 07:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBEver wondered if we should fear a malevolent AI takeover? Reconsider what you know about artificial intelligence (AI) as we host a riveting conversation with Dr. Mike Jackson. As a renowned expert in the field, Dr. Jackson clears the air on misconceptions surrounding AI while shedding light on its potential and the importance of unbiased data and decision making. We also debunk the Hollywood-inspired myth of evil AI entities commanding the world. We don't stop there but shift gears to disc...
Exploring the Future of Hybrid Work in India: Insights from Industry Experts
July 18, 2023 07:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MBToday we're taking a compelling journey into the heart of the hybrid work model in India to discover how the pandemic has radically transformed the workspace and encouraged innovative solutions to retain productivity and enhance employee satisfaction. So, buckle up and prepare to delve deep into the intricacies of remote work, office occupancy measurement, and the challenges of policy framing in large tech companies - which provide much of the current workplace narrative in India! Jagvinder...
What Gen Z want from the workplace: they squash the myths and share their priorities
June 27, 2023 07:00 - 30 minutes - 21.1 MBEver wondered what really matters to the Gen Z workforce? Join us as we engage in an eye-opening conversation with six Gen Z professionals, including Danielle Farage, a top voice for Gen Z and a Top 10 Future of Work Influencer. Gain valuable insights into the priorities and values that drive this generation, from flexibility and development to a strong emphasis on workplace culture. We're debunking myths and shedding light on the unique career paths many Gen Zers are taking. Hear firsthand...
How is your organisation embracing the future of skills development?
June 06, 2023 07:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MBThe way we acquire the skills we need is changing - accelerated by the pandemic and the ready availability of guidance and knowledge on social media and through Google searches and YouTube videos. People want to teach themselves and choose the methods that suit them, rather than having their organisation dictate what they should learn. Furthermore everyone seems time starved when it comes to most activities, particularly training, so whatever they do really needs to be specific to their need...
Why you need the workplace management framework
May 16, 2023 07:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBOrganizations are finding it increasingly difficult to attract and retain the right skills and talent – in the face of rising employee expectations and fierce competition. Under these conditions, the experience people have at work is critical – leaving this to chance is foolish and wastes an enormous opportunity to ensure people have what they need to deliver for your organization. Delivering the best workplace experiences requires you to carefully manage the workplace (whether that’s an of...
What should we do with our space?
April 25, 2023 07:00 - 33 minutes - 22.9 MBAs organizations continue to figure out their approach to hybrid working, many are finding that they have more space than they need. While some are holding onto that space, in the belief that people will gradually return to working in the office, others are looking for ways to offload it. And there is also a need to ensure that the space that is provided works well - generating confidence that it will fulfil the needs that they have when they come into the office to work with colleagues. ...
Just how do you lead a hybrid organization?
April 04, 2023 07:00 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MBLeadership is leadership - if leaders and managers struggled pre pandemic, it's likely they're struggling now - unless they've upskilled. Hybrid is shining a bright light on management and leadership skills - exacerbating shortcomings and causing some to return to pre pandemic ways of working - to what's easier for them (not easier for their people). This is a dangerous, slippery slope that will see people quit because they know how it feels to determine and control they way they work and ...
Inside Bupa: how hybrid models are helping them thrive
March 14, 2023 08:00 - 31 minutes - 21.8 MBBupa is a great example of aligning ways of working to a strategic vision of what the company needs to be. Senior leaders had already set Bupa on an agile journey before the pandemic and plans were well advanced - helping them adapt quickly when the pandemic struck. There have been many challenges, as for all organisations, but there are ambitious plans for the future. And we'll hear about how the data AWA gathers from staff surveys helps to inform the design and planning of effective offic...
Workplace experiences aren't a one-time fix
February 21, 2023 08:00 - 32 minutes - 22 MBThis is part two of our exploration of workplace experiences - thinking about how to deliver them day in, day out and adapting them to changing circumstances - so they continue to be relevant and to satisfy the needs of individuals, teams and the organization as a whole. Covid was a big test for everyone's ability to adapt and ensure that people's experiences of work continued to serve each organisation's purpose, and hybrid is the next opportunity to fine tune and refine the degree to whi...
Why is everyone talking about workplace experiences?
January 31, 2023 08:00 - 34 minutes - 23.4 MBWe all have "workplace experiences" every day - but whether they are left to chance or consciously thought about and curated can make a world of difference to how we absorb our organisation's vision, brand and values. Writing values on the walls and expecting that to do the job won't cut it. If the lived experience of the organisation (in the office, at home, and culturally) is filled with jarring disconnects from the story it tells about what it values, then the level of friction and lack...
Workplace capacity - it's not what it was!
January 10, 2023 08:00 - 31 minutes - 21.8 MBOnce upon a time - workplace capacity was calculated by taking the number of people to be accommodated, assigning a desk to each person and adding some other spaces. But with hybrid working, when people don't need a desk every day or even when they come into our building, how should we be determining how much space we need, and what facilities and types of space to provide? And how can we ensure we create holistic workplace experiences by working across disciplines (HR, CRE, IT, FM)? This ...
Hybrid highlights of 2022
December 27, 2022 08:00 - 28 minutes - 19.4 MB2022 seems to have been the year that hybrid working really got into its stride. We've covered many aspects of hybrid and other ways of working topics during this year. This episode is a look back at some of the highlights! Here's a quick overview of the topics in this episode: A test and learn approach to hybrid (from 3 AWA clients) (02:21) Changing our approach to meetings and wellbeing (07:38) Hybrid in different industry sectors (energy, insurance, tech, life sciences, charitable ...
What's the news from AWA's hybrid working index?
December 13, 2022 08:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBHere are the latest results from AWA's worldwide Hybrid Working Index, tracking office attendance, desk usage and the hybrid working policies of 62 organisations across 220 offices and nearly a quarter of a million people within those offices. Use of the office is falling, calling for a different approach to how we deliver and manage the workplace. Here's a quick overview of the discussion points in this episode: What is the hybrid working index? (01:30) The latest results (08:19) We ...
A strategy for true hybrid working
November 29, 2022 08:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MBThere is a wealth of advice and guidance available to organisations looking to implement or refine their hybrid working approach. Helping organisations change the way they work has been AWA's bread and butter for the last 30 years, so we know a thing or two about this - albeit that the Covid pandemic accelerated the journey for us as well as our clients. Hearing real life experiences from clients who have gone through a change journey is very powerful. In this episode we hear from the Brit...
The rise of the employee consumer
November 08, 2022 08:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBOrganisations put a lot of effort into creating appealing and powerful customer experiences. But how much effort goes into the creation of employee experiences - whether in the office or away from it? Do organisations see their employees as consumers of the organisation? Do they consider how employees' experiences can trigger emotional responses and memories, or create attachment and commitment to the brand and its values - all things that can promote either loyalty and longevity, or fast...
Doing your bit for the circular economy
October 18, 2022 07:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBWhat is the circular economy? Is it just recycling? What do we have to do differently? What does it mean for the workplace? Will it cost more? Why do we have to do things differently? How can we get started? What are some simple examples I can use to start meaningful conversations in my organization? So many questions, for which we have some straightforward answers and inspiring examples of what can be achieved. There's no time to lose - we have to start thinking differently and acting di...
How is work evolving in higher education?
September 27, 2022 07:00 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MBUniversities and colleges are complex organisations - in many ways quite different to other businesses in sectors such as finance, insurance and technology. With their mix of students, academics, researchers and professional services staff, there are a many needs to be met. So how are they managing after 2 years of the COVID pandemic, where many more people started working away from their offices and students and lecturers began a journey of online learning? Many academics and researchers w...
Will purpose sustain the charity sector?
September 06, 2022 07:00 - 32 minutes - 22.5 MBCovid has prompted many of us to question what we’re doing with our lives – and what we’re doing at work. Many are asking whether they and their organisation have a clear purpose – and not getting a clear, satisfactory answer. Charities have potentially had the upper hand here – the desire to do good in the world has given them an advantage in recruiting employees who feel passionately about their cause, or who are drawn to the non profit sector in general. But what now - when commercial o...
Re-imagining work @ 10 Downing Street
August 16, 2022 07:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBThere's been so much talk over the last 2 years about how we are working - in offices, remotely, hybrid. At the same time, in the UK we've been treated to lots of adverse publicity about the workings of the Prime Minister's office, 10 Downing Street. Is this office still fit for purpose? Is the West Wing any better? How would we go about redesigning the working experience for the incoming Prime Minister? Here's a quick overview of the discussion points in this episode: The 'workplace' iss...
Tracking hybrid working
July 26, 2022 07:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MBHybrid working is certainly a phrase that most people seem to have heard. But there isn’t a common understanding about what it is, and what it means for the way people are working or managing. Many organisations are still working out what the best options for them, what this means for the amount of space they need and how it’s used. AWA's new Hybrid Working Index will provide key insights into how things are going. Here's a quick overview of the discussion points in this episode: The hybr...
What's happening in the life sciences sector?
July 12, 2022 07:00 - 30 minutes - 21.1 MBWe hear a lot about collaboration and innovation potentially suffering when people work in a hybrid way - spending more time apart than physically together. While innovation might be the icing on the cake for some companies - for others, like those in life sciences, innovation is at the core of their business. So how are they adapting to hybrid ways of working? Here's a quick overview of the discussions: Adam Hoy: Key challenges in the life sciences sector (1:30) Managing space require...
What's happening in the tech sector?
June 28, 2022 07:00 - 33 minutes - 23.1 MBWhile it’s the company bosses that typically hit the headlines with their pronouncements about where people will be working – “everyone in the office or else!”, we like to look behind the scenes to find out what’s going on, and this time we look at the Tech sector. How are companies evolving and managing in their new normal ways of working? Here's a quick overview of the discussions: Anne Balle & Clark Elliott: Key challenges in the tech sector (1:58) Hybrid working – figuring out as we ...
Strategizing wellbeing
June 14, 2022 07:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MBIn a return to the subject of wellbeing, we pose the question – is it sufficient to run a campaign and regard wellbeing as a nice to have? Is it worth the money, the time and the effort? If a focus on wellbeing is to pay off, what does it take and where do you start? Here's a quick overview of the discussion: What do we mean by wellbeing? (1:45) Why should organizations care about wellbeing? (4:52) Why make it part of organizational strategy? (08:37) How to implement well and avoid the ...
Keeping an eye on insurance
May 31, 2022 07:00 - 29 minutes - 20.4 MBThis is a focus on the insurance sector - the big organisational / sector drivers and how they're influencing the way people work, the opportunities opening up as the industry embraces digitisation, personalisation, automation and artificial intelligence. The sector is experiencing post pandemic growth and like other sectors is caught up in the war for talent as it repositions itself to attract the skills that it needs to fulfil its future potential. Insurance sector guest Brian Marcha...
Keeping an eye on energy
May 17, 2022 07:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MBThis is a focus on the energy sector - the big business / sector drivers and how they're influencing the way people work in those sectors, the opportunities opening up as the industry repositions itself in light of the climate emergency, and the impact on recruitment and retention of talent . The transition away from fossil fuels and the need to secure independent energy supplies mean organisations are shifting their focus, collaborating with competitors and moving to protect the skills an...
Drunk at work?
May 03, 2022 07:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBEver been drunk at work? Research shows that disrupted sleep, dehydration, distraction and uncomfortable working environments impair our ability to take in information, recognize patterns and make decisions. That impairment can reach the same effective level as being over the UK blood alcohol limit for driving. If we don't get these things right, either by looking after ourselves or as organisations by creating the right conditions at work, both physical and cultural, we could effectively ...
Being irresistible
April 19, 2022 07:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBAs we are emerging from the pandemic, we are faced with the next challenges – a shortage of good candidates to recruit, and more demands from existing people who know more about what they want, and how to get it. Although these may be challenges, they are also opportunities to be seized and it’s time to be planning and executing strategies to be irresistible to current and future ‘talent’, offering options and choices and embracing more #hybrid ways of working. Here we take a look at what’...
How we changed our world of work
April 05, 2022 07:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MBWe’ve all lived through two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. Undoubtedly it has done untold amounts of damage to people’s lives and to many businesses. That said, some organisations seized the opportunity to make changes – and as we’ve seen in other podcast episodes, the pandemic has been used as a catalyst for that change. For some organisations, the pandemic allowed them to implement things within a year that might otherwise have taken many years. Market intelligence agency Mintel (a much ...
Has hybrid changed your culture?
March 22, 2022 08:00 - 30 minutes - 20.6 MBOrganisations are changing and adapting their working styles following the pandemic and the periods of time everyone spent working remotely. Many are embracing hybrid working, so how is this affecting the way they work, and is it affecting their culture? Hear this first-hand account of how the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Manchester is adapting, using a pilot of new ways of working to learn what works best and how this is impacting its culture. We also explore t...
Are meetings still driving us mad?
March 08, 2022 08:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBAre you still plagued by meetings you’d rather not attend? Do you wonder why you were invited or what you’re expected to contribute? Do meetings drain your energy and rob you of the time that you need to “do the real work”? We discuss these issues and share what we're doing with clients to help them break those patterns of behaviour by tackling the real issues underlying our reliance on meetings. This is far from a quick fix, if you’re going to do it properly, but nevertheless there are thi...
Are you wired for hybrid?
February 22, 2022 08:00 - 25 minutes - 17.7 MBDo you have good technology solutions for hybrid working? Many organisations had to scramble to get the right solutions in place when everyone was instructed to work from home in March 2020, but however those were addressed, we now have different challenges. To ensure that people feel they are having a good and effective working experience wherever they are working, we need to have equity in terms of online collaborations. If people connecting remotely have a different experience to those...
Ambiguity or clarity?
February 08, 2022 08:00 - 26 minutes - 18.1 MBIn 2021 we had to cope with a lot of uncertainty and ambiguity. Leaders weren’t able to make and communicate clear decisions about the future ways in which their people would be able to work. Many opted to be honest about the uncertainty and difficulty of seeing a clear path forward. But as time wore on, the lack of clear decisions started to prove difficult for staff who wanted to know what they were going to be able to do – carry on working from home, return to the office, relocate their...
Leaders are a team too
January 25, 2022 08:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MBMany teams have never explicitly agreed the things that they can and can’t do in terms of how they work together. Therein lies the root of a lot of miscommunication, misunderstanding, tension and wasted effort. So at a time when organisations are deciding how they want to work - we now have an opportunity – a catalyst for having conversations and agreeing what’s ok and what isn’t. This is a way to understand each other better, have greater cooperation, more openness and willingness to exper...
Where are you going?
January 11, 2022 08:00 - 33 minutes - 22.9 MBTo kick off 2022, we share one organisation’s ongoing journey to establish a hybrid way of working. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is a major UK charity and has been a much valued AWA client over the years. Executive Director of People & Organisational Development Kerry Smith and Head of Organisational Change Sarah Cousins share their story – from before the pandemic hit in 2020, to their plans and expectations for 2022. Covid-19 has, as for many organisations, changed the way BHF oper...
We've come a long way
December 28, 2021 08:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBIn keeping with tradition, this is our look back over 2021, reflecting on how the world of work is changing. We have gathered a collection of highlights, insights, inspiration and advice from the wonderful guests that appeared on the podcast - change managers, workplace strategists, people experts, tax and employment law specialists, workplace transformation experts and business leaders. We look at aspects ranging from climate change to the vital role that managers play in the operation of ...
Let's hack the workplace
December 21, 2021 08:00 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBAfter 20 months of Covid, and looking back on the mediocre workplaces that we’ve all experienced, what does the future hold? The balance of power certainly seems to have changed, and people feel empowered to make choices about where they work on any given day. Many are opting to work more of the week from home than in the office. This is causing some consternation in organisations. There is anxiety about the loss of culture, socialisation, collaboration and innovation through not having pe...
Doing hybrid legally
December 07, 2021 08:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MBAs working arrangements start to settle down (Omicron variant notwithstanding!), what do employers and employees need to be aware of from a contractual point of view? Every contract of employment in the UK needs to state the “place of employment” – so if an organisation is embracing hybrid working, do those contracts need to change? What about if an organisation does, or does not want to encourage employees to come into the office – how do both parties stand legally? If they want to reduce...
Teaching old dogs new tricks
November 23, 2021 08:00 - 25 minutes - 17.7 MB“If you’re a manager, then managing people is the most important thing you do" says our guest at the start of this episode, which looks at some of the things that managers can do to up their game when navigating current changes in the world of work. Adjusting to new ways of working has been difficult for many (old dogs and new ones!), and plenty of managers have found themselves a little adrift, lacking the fully developed skills they need to manage in a hybrid world. We explore some tip...
Can we really work anywhere?
November 09, 2021 08:00 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MBIn pre-Covid times, many organisations had very informal arrangements with employees who worked some or all of their time away from the office. Often, managers were the only ones that knew who was working remotely – HR departments had no need to record details or keep track of arrangements. However, some employees now want to work remotely in a different country from the one in which their employer is based. Some apparently don’t even tell their employer before they leave the country! This...