The Chirp Podcast: Clearer is Faster

Innovative, passionate and whipsmart, Katie Careless is one of those leaders who really lives and breathes her values. We discuss what first sparked her interest in systematic innovation, how she’s embraced lean startup to help organisations innovate with purpose and clarity, and her the key tools she’s developed to drive that clarity. Katie also shares a story of what goes wrong when clarity goes out the window. Katie Careless is an Innovation Consultant who helps organisations thrive in uncertainty. She is an experienced coach, and loves helping leaders to build strategic innovation portfolios and innovators to get from idea to impact. As co-Founding Partner of Yellow Cat, Katie applies her combined experience of corporate transformation and knowledge of innovation approaches to help people build innovation at scale in their organisations. You can tweet Katie @Optimisticorca. More about Katie: Yellow Cat: https://www.yellow-cat.co.uk/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Optimisticorca LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-careless-bb7780143/ Tweet us @chirp_song or drop Kamala a line directly for more about Chirp.

In this enlivening chat with Spencer Holt we explore why clarity of vision is so critical for leaders, their teams and their organisations. We discuss how to ensure that clarity continues, why strategic priorities play such a critical role, and how helping your team feel the essence of your vision can energise them to shape the future. We explore how resistance can offer valuable data, and Spencer shares a story about how even the best intentions can fall short without clarity of vision and priorities. Dr Spencer Holt is an experimenter and thought leader with endless passion for helping people to reach beyond their potential, both personally and professionally. An expert in learning and development, he is Head of the Commercial Learning Innovation Centre at AstraZeneca, and host of the popular leadership podcast, Small Things Make A Big Difference. Tweet us @chirp_song or drop Kamala a line directly for more about Chirp.

We explore clarity of personal and professional ambition with learning and development expert Jodie Lowe. We hear how Jodie's own non-linear experiences have shaped her approach to personal development at MoneySuperMarket Group, and discuss how we can gain greater clarity on what really matters to us, why we need to think about progression rather than just promotion, and how learning and development teams can support people to be more fulfilled professionally and personally. Jodie is a leader in Learning and Development. She currently works with MoneySuperMarket Group where her groundbreaking approach has helped to put employees in control of their own development. Jodie is passionate about giving people the freedom to explore their personal strengths and interests both inside and outside work. She is also a qualified coach, a Strengthscope practitioner and loves to use positive psychology to help people to be their best. More about Jodie: http://linkedin.com/in/jodie-lowe-77924114 Tweet us @chirp_song or drop Kamala a line directly for more about Chirp.

Courageous, inspiring and enlivening are just some of the words we’d use to describe theatre director and arts leader, Abdul Shayek. We recorded this episode of Clearer is Faster at the height of urgent demands for racial justice, a pandemic and a looming crisis for the arts. So it felt even more prescient to learn how clarity of conviction has continued to shape and drive Abdul as an individual, an artist and as a leader for his industry. We talk about how Abdul’s personal life has created clarity in his work, why it’s more important to clarify what matters than how you’ll achieve it, and how clarity of conviction can help you navigate extremely choppy waters. (Listen out for some evocative seafaring analogies!) Abdul Shayek is the newly appointed Artistic Director & Joint CEO of Tara Arts. Founded in 1977, Tara Arts was the first Asian, Black and ethnically diverse-led theatre company in the UK, and has an award-winning theatre in Wandsworth. Tara Arts delivers world-class productions and works with a range of partners, from the grassroots to cultural powerhouses. Abdul was previously founding Artistic Director & CEO of Fio, where he directed productions like Swarm to critical acclaim. Most recently, Abdul directed and toured The Orchard of Lost Souls, Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman, and Athol Fugard's The Island. Abdul is also an opera director with the ENO and WNO, a Clore Fellow, and sits on several boards and steering groups for cultural institutions. In 2020 Abdul co-founded the Wales Race and Culture Task Force to address systemic racism in the Welsh arts sector. More about Abdul: Twitter: @abdul_shayek Instagram: @abdul.shayek Facebook: abdul shayek More about Tara Arts: Website: https://www.tara-arts.com/ Twitter: @Tara_Arts Instagram: @taraarts Facebook: @TaraArts More about the Wales Race and Culture Task Force: Twitter: @WalesRace_TF Tweet us @chirp_song or drop Kamala a line directly for more about Chirp.

In the latest episode of Clearer is Faster we talk about creating clarity in innovation with Sheri Hussain and Emily Reilly Vale. Sheri and Emily live and breathe innovation every day in their work at the cutting edge of clinical practice and medical oncology for a global biopharmaceuticals company. We explore why innovation thrives on clarity rather than certainty, how to hold on to your vision while innovating at pace, and how failure creates a fantastic opportunity to gain clarity. Emily and Sheri also share a few tips on how individuals, teams and organisation can instil greater clarity into their approach to innovation. Sheri Hussain has a PhD in cancer therapeutics, and started off in men’s health before focusing on lung cancer. She now works on the cutting edge of medicine, and thrives on the in-depth scientific discussions that are part of her role, as well as the impact of life-changing medicines. Emily Reilly Vale is a pharmacist who, in addition to her passion for oncology, has a keen interest in organisational psychology and bringing about creative solutions. She’s currently undertaking a MBA to strengthen not only her knowledge and skills in business and leadership, but also her creative and innovative practice. Tweet us @chirp_song or drop Kamala a line directly for more about Chirp.

We chat to the ever-invigorating Eve Poole, author of Leadersmithing, about why crafting clarity is essential in a VUCA world. We explore how we can craft clarity even in uncertainty, why it's a neverending process, and why leaders are made and not born. Our conversation took place in the midst of UK lockdown, and we also reflect on clarity (or the lack thereof) in the Covid-19 crisis. Dr Eve Poole is the Third Church Estates Commissioner for England, and Chairman of the Board of Governors at Gordonstoun. She has a BA from Durham, an MBA from Edinburgh, and a PhD in theology and capitalism from Cambridge. Her recent books are Leadersmithing, Capitalism’s Toxic Assumptions and Buying God. More about Eve: @evepoole http://evepoole.com/about/ Tweet us @chirp_song or drop Kamala a line (kamala[at]chirp[dot]org[dot]uk) for more about Chirp.

Jennifer Allen and Sofia Liasi are more than just a team. Together, they’ve created the culture and structures that enable teams to work with clarity, transparency and unity while enabling each member to bring their whole self to work. In this episode of Clearer is Faster, we explore: Sofia Liasi and Jennifer Allen are changing what leadership looks and feels like at one of the largest multinationals in their industry. They also deploy this entrepreneurial streak beyond the day job through their own ventures. As friends, colleagues and now business partners they think, live and breathe teamwork that's grounded in clarity – whether it's between themselves or in the teams they've co-developed. Tweet us @chirp_song or drop Kamala a line directly via kamala[at]chirp[dot]org[dot]uk for more about Chirp.

Carrie Bedingfield develops and tests ways of working that match the complex ways we work in the 21st century and helps companies break out of ‘command and control’ and industrial era though her company Onefish. She specifically works on things like meetings, email, how budgets are made and other infrastructure that our working culture is engrained in. She’s doing a PhD in systems engineering at Cambridge University exploring meetings in particular, and Clean Communication is one of the first principles she developed. More about Carrie: @cebdingfield @onefishcomms @lomomeetings www.onefishcomms.co.uk Tweet us @chirp_song or drop Kamala a line directly for more about Chirp.

Morgan Holt is business and leadership coach at thecoach.co, helping leaders clarify their style to build an effective business and culture. He is also global chief strategy officer and managing director at FITCH, the experience design agency behind some of the world’s most ambitious brands. Find out more about Morgan at thecoach.co and drop him a line on Twitter @morgan_holt. ChirpCast is hosted by Kamala Katbamna. Tweet us @chirp_song or drop Kamala a line directly.

Sarah is a writer and lecturer whose work explores ideas of home, belonging, identity, family, and urban landscapes. Her first two novels, Ten Things I’ve Learnt About Love and Before The Fire, were published in the UK and internationally. Sarah is currently a CHASE Scholar in Creative Writing at the Open University and lectures in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her new novel, Jack and Bet, will be published in Spring 2020. Twitter @SarahButler100 ChirpCast is hosted by Kamala Katbamna. Tweet us @chirp_song or drop Kamala a line directly.

After a biology degree Matt worked in media, and management consultancy roles for seven years, before retraining to study medicine. He is currently a GP at an innovative practice focussing on holistic patient care. In his spare time he can often be found on his allotment.

Amy Cuddy on power poses https://bit.ly/342nQ31 Doubts about power poses https://bit.ly/2t2FB5F Cuddy’s response to those doubts https://bit.ly/2P58l6p Simon Sinek’s TEDx talk https://bit.ly/358NkNQ Amy Cuddy on competence and warmth https://bit.ly/2P3HE1O Sir Ken Robinson’s TED talk https://bit.ly/2PAiA1I Patsy Rodenburg on the Second Circle https://bit.ly/2PvV8lY More about Paul Paul has worked as an actor for over 25 years in theatre, TV and film. Driven by curiosity, a fascination with human behaviour, and countless hours of research into what makes a great communicator, Paul uses his skills as a theatre practitioner to help business leaders become the best version of themselves and realise their full potential. Paul is the MD of Activation Business Theatre – http://www.activation.co.uk/. For more about Chirp tweet us @chirp_song or drop Kamala a line directly at kamala@chirp.org.uk.

Nick Parker runs an agency called That Explains Things. They help brands of all sizes find their voice, tell their stories – and explain their things. He’s also the creator of Voicebox – a method to help brands and businesses sort out their 'tone of voice'. (Yes, it comes in a box.) He runs workshops all over the world, and once wrote a book in praise of toast. www.thatexplainsthings.com Twitter @nickparker ChirpCast is hosted by Kamala Katbamna. Tweet us @chirp_song or drop Kamala a line directly.

Lee Bryant is a technologist and organisational designer driven by a strong belief in the empowering potential of connected networks and systems. He consults and collaborates with leading organisations around digital transformation, organisational development, agility and learning through his new company Postshift. More about Lee Twitter @leebryant Website https://postshift.com/about-us/ ChirpCast is hosted by Kamala Katbamna. Tweet us @chirp_song or drop Kamala a line directly.

In our first episode of the ‘Clearer is Faster’ series we explore collaboration with founder of The Collaboration Practice, Britta Posner. + What collaboration really means and why it’s not always the answer + Why clarity is at the heart of collaboration and how you can recreate it when it’s got lost + Tips to collaborate more effectively + And one of Britta's best experiences of collaboration... which didn't turn out quite as expected Find out more about Britta Posner on Twitter @BrittaPosner, Insta @thecollaborationpractice, on LinkedIn or Xing. The Chirp Podcast is for people who want to create more courageous and human organisations and is hosted by Kamala Katbamna. Tweet us @chirp_song or contact Kamala directly at kamala@chirp.org.uk.