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Handling tricky people continues to be a hot topic, particularly if you are working in a hybrid setting where misunderstandings can arise due to judgements and perceptions. So this week we dip into the brilliant bestseller 'Surrounded By Idiots' written Thomas Erikson in 2014.

It offers a simple method for assessing the personalities of people we communicate with - in and out of the office - based on four personality types (Red, Blue, Green and Yellow), and provides insights into how we can adjust the way(s) we speak and share information. As well as a quick digest of the book, we share practical tools and strategies for applying these in our everyday working life and is a useful refresher for those looking to increase tolerance and productivity with people.

This is the first in our Mindful Manager Book Club series - a skills refresher for busy people. Whether you are a formal manager or not, we all need to manage our relationships whether in our professional or personal lives. Learning keeps us fresh and open-minded, so be inspired by an amazing book per week to spark your thinking and boost your confidence.

Fancy a deeper dive? check out these relevant episodes from our library:

Ep126 Empower With Everyday Curious Conversations - examples of structure and questions

Ep111 Accountability for Communication - Who's Responsible? - enabling lean and clean conversations that get understood

Ep95 Positive Impact and Influence - core foundations for great relationships and your reputation

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In the second of our 4-part 'time to think' mini-series, we focus on the element that has a huge impact on our performance wellbeing at work: the relationship with our boss. According to Gallup, managers (more than any other factor) influence team engagement and performance. 70% of the variance in team engagement is determined solely by the manager (Gallup, 2021) but not all managers are easy to engage with!

We are thrilled to be joined by Jill Walker, author of the 2007 book Is Your Boss Mad? Jill is passionate about teaching people to deal with bosses who are bullies or who let us down. She shares tips to identify, from the interview process onwards, what sort of boss we may be letting ourselves in for.

Always practical, she shares some great tips to improve communication skills, boundary management and actions which are useful to reset an inappropriate power dynamic. Bosses are humans too, so this also has some great tips to focus on getting the best out of a challenging boss who may be under pressure themselves. A useful and uplifting listen for anyone who is finding leadership dynamics a challenge at the moment. Bringing this to the modern realities of AI, hybrid working and intergenerational differences, through understanding what might be going on beneath 'mad boss' behaviours we can reclaim our power and take steps to redress the power balance.

You can find Jill's wildly entertaining (as well as empoweringly practical) ‘Is Your Boss Mad?’ book here

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Welcome to our latest 4-part mini-series where we invite you to 'take time' to think about 4 important topics that underpin a thriving work-life in the 2020s. In this episode we explore the essential need for us to prioritise our mind health - for our own personal wellness as well as collectively as part of a thriving workplace culture. (PLEASE NOTE: This episode has references to suicide)

We are honoured to be joined by Professor Tim Marsh (author of ‘Talking Safety’, ‘Handbook of Organised Wellbeing’ and other books) who shares the stark research demonstrating the very real impact that poor mental health is having on the workplace. Tim was one of the team leaders of the original UK research into behavioural safety in the early 1990s and has played a significant role in making workplaces safer over the last 30 years.

We explore the realities, challenges and opportunities surrounding mind health in this decade and why it is so important to take time to prioritise this topic. We also discuss the impact of gender and generational differences and what this means for how we approach this topic with colleagues. A powerful listen, as Tim says 'you never know that you might have prevented' by having a kind word.

(PLEASE NOTE: This episode has references to suicide)

You can connect with Tim via his LinkedIn profile here

He is the co-founder of Anker & Marsh (providing a full series of safety, health and wellbeing training, assessment and consultancy services) alongside Jason Anker

You can purchase the book he mentions here

Details about the life-changing On Trial event that we discuss can be found in Tim's write up here and by contacting P2BS

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In the final episode of our 4-part series exploring how to reduce drama in our work lives, we explore the how to work well with people who have an opposite approach to how they work to yourself. Those who prefer detail vs big picture, who needs facts vs stories, who appreciate advanced thinking time vs enjoy brainstorming in the moment. As nature reminds us, there are huge advantages by balancing the yin to the yang, and as sure as day becomes night, being able to work across these differences is a useful skill that leads to collaboration as well as harmonious relationships.

A useful listen for anyone who knows they have an 'opposite' in their team and wants to benefit from this in the year ahead (rather than 'cope' with it!)

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In the third of our 4-part series exploring how to reduce drama in our work lives, we explore the difference between negative and positive team friction and the skills to address friction in a positive way. Using practical examples from the world of workplace mediation we highlight the language, tone and intent that can help shift friction from a negative (leaving a mark) to a positive (creating a spark).

It can be tempting to use 'battle' language to describe frictions between people, but this can lead to a sense of not wanting to 'back down' and so engaging a conversation may bring with it a sense of defeat or giving in. We explore the impact it can have reframing this as a chance to 'step up' and be an act of courage and strength to want to engage and resolve frictions and challenges.

A useful listen for anyone who is sensing that frictions are rumbling between people and wants to shift things on before it becomes irreparable. It is human to experience conflicts, and unpleasant as it can feel in the moment - can lead to the greatest working relationships through the bond that is created when its worked through.

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In the second of our 4-part series exploring how to reduce drama in our work lives, we focus on identifying and handling saboteurs around us. We are joined once again by the inspirational Lindsey Thompson who simplifies the complicated world of organisational ‘scripts’. From the moment someone joins an organisation they can’t help but be subconsciously influenced by the script (eg ‘it’s hard to sell around here’ or ‘we are busy’) which underpins the culture (deflated, pressured).

She shares tips for spotting saboteurs and to not mis-label people who are ‘wounded’, worried around change or inhibited by power politics playing around them. It also might be a genuine ‘saboteur’ but actually a really healthy challenge to hold a mirror up to a culture. So this is a good listen for those wanting to change things in their everyday workplace practices but doesn’t want to be branded negative or ‘saboteur’.

Is your organisation ‘anxious’ as a collective? Lindsey shares practical tips for understanding what might lie beneath surface behaviours and the organisational script which may limit success and engagement. It’s an optimistic reminder that anyone can change, things can be made better - with awareness as the enabler.

NB: Lindsey refers to ‘scripts’ which are our unconscious beliefs around how to be in the world in order to keep us safe and successful. She also uses the term ‘strokes’ which are the moments where we experience validation, acknowledgment and reassurance. And ‘games’ refer to the unconscious behaviour patterns with an intended outcome.

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As January 29th marks the new Chinese Year of The Snake, this new 4-part series explores how to reduce drama in our work lives. The Snake is celebrated for being the spirit of transformation and charm - with the gift for shedding old habits to make way for new ones. Is it time to step up and away from the drama or games in your work?

In this first episode we take a big picture look at drama at work - how to spot it, how to avoid playing a role in it and most importantly: practical tips for not getting caught up in the gameplay. Lots of transferable examples to refresh your intention for the year ahead, plus useful ideas to share with others if you can see drama taking up too much time when there is much to do.

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In this fourth and final episode in our latest mini-series looking at the essence of success in 4 specific areas, this one is all about leadership. Whether with a 'big L' ie you have leadership in your job title, or 'little l' -the million small acts of leadership that happen every day in both work and personal lives. People ask you for advice, help, support or guidance? You're a leader my friend!

Having been in-room with over 1,700 leaders in 2024, we can summarise what sets the successful leaders apart from the rest: the ability to create and sustain effective relationships. Dialling up emotional intelligence in those moments where it would be so easy to vent, rage, process externally or unsettle people with passing wobbles - being able to take a breath and be intentional about the desired impact is what makes the difference.

We discuss the fine line between authenticity and carelessness and practical tips for taking the lead in the big and small areas of life. An ideal listen for anyone debating to take a leadership role and needs a bit of reassurance how leaders come in all shapes and sizes. And you don't need to have the word leader in your job title to be a successful leader. People ask you to help organise events? You're a leader my friend!

This is the final episode of 2024, we are hugely grateful for your support and love. We are taking a week off and will be back in action from Fri 10th Jan 2025 with brand new topics and guests to support and cheer you along the ever-evolving world of work.