Start The Week With Lorna & Lottie

Episode 37: Delivering Better Off-sites

Death by powerpoint, building structures out of spaghetti, and drenching employees in the Thames. These are just some of the things organisations try when attempting to get their teams inspired on the too-often-dreaded company away day.
Lorna and Lottie get under the hood of how to create amazing team days. Lottie applies lessons from the world of communications to give you 3 principles you can apply immediately and Lorna takes her cues from the world of theatre to make your presentations unforgettable (in a good way).
If you're struggling to get your employees engaged with your organisation's mission, feeling energised and more collaborative, this episode is a must-listen for you.
Two authors referenced:
Vanessa Van Edwards - Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication (2022)
Amy Cuddy - Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges (2015)

Episode 36: 2024 Get in the Bin

As we enter the new year, Lorna and Lottie use the opportunity to cast an occasionally irreverent but always insightful eye back on the business-world phenomena of 2024 that they definitely don't want to see again in 2025. 
What would you put on your Get in the Bin list?

Episode 35: The Art of Feedback pt.2

Following the last episode on giving and receiving feedback as an individual, Lottie returns to the fold as she and Lorna expound and expand on making feedback work more widely for your organisation. The traditional end-of-year survey is possibly down but certainly not out - its success entirely depends on your ability as an organisation to make giving, receiving and acting on feedback part of your DNA. 
If your organisation doesn't have a deeply embedded listening and feedback culture, where do you start? Or have you begun to think such a thing may be an urban myth? Listen on for the answers.

Episode 34: The Art of Feedback pt.1

It's the most wonderful time of the year - employee survey season of course! While good will to all is hopefully brewing in the air wherever you are, it is also true that a good deal of misunderstanding and, worse, hurt can fester whether you are either giving or receiving feedback where you work.
Lorna flies solo this week to open your eyes and ears to the real gift that feedback can be with a simple to grasp (but takes practice to get good at) three-step process to take the potential sting out of feedback and get you harnessing it like a pro - whether for your own personal performance or that of your wider business.

Episode 33: 60 Elephants, 6 Sharks, and a Rabbit

When the going gets tough what happens to your organisational values?
This week’s episode comes live from the Big Apple where Lorna and Lottie reflect on a week spent working with their clients’ US teams in the aftermath of the election. A time where our own values of Compassion, Courage and Creativity were needed more than ever. Find out how we did this, what happened as a result, and why your own organisational values should be your north star in everything you do. 

Thought Paper: From C-Z, bridging the divide

Entire industries and businesses will rise and fall in the wake of Generation Z. Yet few industries or organisations seem to be ready for it. Are you? 
Armed with their smartphones, memes, and an unwavering desire to challenge the norm, Gen Z are redefining the meaning of work. Fear not dear leaders, we are here to demystify – perhaps Gen Z are giving the boardroom the shot of courage they’ve always needed to do things differently?

Episode 32: From C to Z

Entire industries and businesses will rise and fall in the wake of Generation Z. Yet few industries or organisations seem to be ready for it. Are you? 
Lorna and Lottie discuss this pressing issue with tonnes of practical advice and clarifying insights to empower you to harness this dynamic and much-misunderstood generation.
For more in-depth coverage, read the brand new thought paper at https://woodreed.com/woodreed-thinking/from-c-z/ and the referenced Edelman Trust Barometer at https://www.edelman.com/trust/2023/trust-barometer.

Episode 31: How to Escape the Pressure Cycle

Under pressure? (Queen or Vanilla Ice, pick your side). Yep, join the rest of the working world for whom busyness has become the proverbial badge of honour. Chasing it. Glorifying it. Celebrating it. Measuring success by it.
 
How do we start to climb off the hamster wheel of the seemingly endless pressure we put ourselves under at work and move into a place where we feel like we’ve got more control?
 
We look at some Health and Safety Executive research as a lens for what we can actually control at work to help relieve some of our work pressure and offer tips for how managers and leaders can manage their own pressure and in turn that of their teams.
HSE link: https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/causes.htm

Episode 30: The Grenfell Report

Not ones to shy away from the hard topics, we talk today about the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the report published at the start of the month. Of course, we have opinions. Get your (almost) weekly fix of deep insights, learnings for organisations, and raw emotions as we unflinchingly take on one of the biggest scandals of the century so far.

Episode 29: Has Lorna Gone Bananas?

Another solo flight for Lorna as Lottie takes a well earned break. Frankly this may be her last as Lorna manages to fill nearly fifteen minutes with her favourite allegory about Monkeys and Bananas and Organisational Culture. Good luck listeners!