Have you ever wondered what it would take to tackle some of humanity's most urgent challenges such as climate change, social inequality, armed conflicts or economic disparity? If you have, you’re not alone. But not all of us think that THE institution with the highest capacity to create positive change in the world is business. My guest today, Caro…

Have you ever felt like you are not connecting with someone and the barrier that stands in the way is cultural? It might be that the jokes you crack don't land, the emails you send seem to miss the mark, or the way you lead meetings doesn't resonate with everyone in the room. It can be like trying to tune into a radio station but finding yourself b…

When was the last time you were genuinely playful at work? If you are like most of us, it might have been a while. We’ve been conditioned to believe that work and play don’t really mix. Not only we’ve been taught to draw a clear demarcation line between work and play, we’ve also been convinced that work is somehow way more noble and more important …

Can you remember a time when it felt like things at work were unjustifiably and annoyingly hard? Maybe you had to read a 1000-word email that could have been just one paragraph, or had to attend a two-hour meeting that could have been an email. Or maybe you had to manually input data although the process should have been automated ages ago. The rea…

Do you want to be more influential? For most of us, the answer is yes. Greater influence often translates to more power, enabling us to achieve our goals, drive change, and create positive impact. But delving into the strategies and tactics of influence can leave us feeling uneasy. Words like “manipulative,” “sneaky,” and “coercive” come to mind. Z…

So, here’s an interesting question: What does it take to actually build teams that are highly effective in this brave new world of work? And what's the relationship between making work better for people and the outcomes that organizations can achieve? Unlocking productivity is just a piece of the conversation that we dive into in today’s rich explo…

Stacey Gordon is an expert on DEI and workplace bias and the author of “Unbias - Addressing Unconscious Bias at Work”. In this conversation, she shares her personal journey, offering unique insights from the experiences that shaped her understanding and approach to DEI work. There are many misconceptions surrounding diversity hiring, and the essenc…

Work relationships can be hard. The stress of dealing with difficult people dampens our creativity and productivity, and degrades our ability to think clearly and make sound decisions. Too often we grin and bear it as if we have no choice. But you can only endure so much —there's your sanity to consider, and your career. This is why, we are thrille…

In this Deep Dive Aga and Shani delve deep into a topic that has fascinated Aga for almost a decade – what drives people to do their absolute best work. Over the years, she's posed this question to more than 3000 individuals and discovered something truly unexpected: peak performance at work is often closely linked to one surprising factor - having…

Many companies aspire to be industry disruptors and innovation leaders, but only a handful can genuinely claim those titles. What sets them apart? We're zeroing in on PepsiCo—a company that's nailed it when it comes to creating an environment where people excel. According to their Chief Design Officer, Mauro Porcini, the secret sauce is love, empat…

In a world where the relentless pursuit of productivity often overshadows well-being, it's easy to overlook the fundamental connection between what we eat and how our bodies and minds perform. But what if the secret to enhanced cognitive function and overall vitality lay within the choices we make on our plates? Our guest in this episode of the Cul…

The workplace landscape has transformed dramatically over the past few decades with 5 different generations now working side by side, each bringing their unique perspectives, experiences, and workstyles to the table. In this Deep Dive, Shani and Aga unpack generational diversity that if not handled thoughtfully, can inadvertently lead to friction. …

This month on the CultureLab podcast, we're diving deep into the intricacies of a multigenerational workforce. You know the scene: Boomers nostalgically talking about "the way we used to do things," Gen Xers serving as the bridge between old and new, Millennials demanding meaningful work, and Gen Zers, the digital natives through and through. It's …

In this compelling episode with Michelle MiJung Kim we explore how culture, diversity, inclusion, and equity intersect to create a thriving culture. Michelle's journey, from South Korea to LGBTQ+ activism and award-winning authorship, provides a unique perspective. We talk about valuing marginalized voices, the power of collective action, and the i…

Join Aga Bajer and Shani Persson as they explore the often-daunting world of DEI in the latest Deep Dive. With curiosity and humility, Aga and Shani navigate the maze of systemic biases, the transition from diversity to true inclusion, and the challenges of measuring meaningful impact. This episode is not an interview; it's a collaborative explorat…

More people than we think feel like they don’t belong at work. This leads to a range of concerning consequences, such as disengagement, diminished productivity, and a stifling of individual creativity. While the importance of DEI has gained widespread recognition in the past few years, we still have a ton of work to do to foster a truly inclusive a…

You meet a new colleague for the first time, and… something clicks! You trust them, but you don't know why. Then, on another day, you're teamed with someone you’ve known and worked with for a while but a barrier stands in the way. That's the enigma of trust. It isn't merely about familiarity. It’s about something more elusive - an intangible connec…

Belonging - a concept that speaks to the core of our human experience. We all yearn for acceptance, a place to belong, and the freedom to be our authentic selves. In this thought-provoking episode of the CultureLab podcast, we dive into the transformative power of true belonging with Lorne Rubis, a fervent advocate for fostering inclusion within te…

We often leave workplace relationships to chance, hoping they’ll simply fall into place. But healthy, productive relationships require intention and work. In this episode of CultureLab, we’re shifting the narrative with Conversations That Matter - and doing the deep dive into the tools we need to intentionally build stronger working relationships. …

The average person spends over 90,000 hours working throughout their career. That's a substantial amount of time building connections with colleagues, clients, and collaborators. What's truly fascinating is the profound impact these relationships have on our careers, company culture, and overall life satisfaction. Despite the significant impact of …

Despite the tremendous success of many companies operating in a nearly fully remote setup during the pandemic, we are now experiencing a shift, with mandates urging employees to return to the office, full-time or part-time. Why the obsession with in-person collaboration? Tune into this week’s Deep Dive with Shani revolving around how we can navigat…

Picture our ancestors, hunters and gatherers roaming the savannah. Various anthropological studies indicate that the early homo sapiens experienced working together towards a common goal (survival of the species) as a source of fun, meaning, and belonging. However, the modern concept of work seems to have strayed from this original purpose. Closing…

Let’s be honest - hybrid work can be great, but it can also be quite annoying. In this episode, Bret Putter, the leading expert in hybrid work strategies and practices, discusses hybrid friction at work and how to avoid it. He also shares strategies associated with hybrid work and remote best practices to support your distributed team better. To jo…

This Deep Dive focuses on how we can reclaim agency over our own well-being and that of our colleagues and cultivate an environment where people can truly thrive. We explore topics related to mental and physical health: the true sense of care at work and how it is linked to finding our purpose, tailoring solutions for well-being, engaging employees…

As organizations grow, they often encounter unique challenges in building and maintaining a thriving culture. The very things that made a company successful in its early stages – its core values, startup mentality, and close-knit team – can become diluted or even lost as the company scales. In this episode, Cameron Herold, the Founder of the COO Al…

The Deep Dive with Aga and Shani is your monthly episode about all things culture. This episode focuses on rebuilding a resilient workplace culture as companies face immense challenges nowadays that can have lasting effects on their culture and relationships. Whether you're a seasoned HR professional, a team leader, or an entrepreneur looking to bu…

Rituals are a fascinating aspect of human behaviour. From ancient religions to the modern workplace, they play a significant role in shaping our culture and behaviour. In this week’s episode, Ezra Bookman, the founder of Ritualist, shares practical strategies and real-world examples of how companies have leveraged the power of rituals to create a d…

In this episode, we dive deep into the power of language and how software can help businesses create more inclusive communication and culture. In a time when inclusivity and empathy are more important than ever before, AI-powered natural language processing (NLP) is revolutionizing the way we write and communicate. Our guest, Kieran Snyder, the Co-…

The Deep Dive with Aga and Shani is your monthly episode about all things culture. This episode focuses on activating company values and creating a culture where values are not just talked about but lived and breathed by every employee. Whether you're a seasoned HR professional, a team leader, or an entrepreneur looking to build a strong culture fr…

Do you ever wonder why some teams thrive while others struggle? According to recent studies, the secret sauce to success may lie in something unexpected - play at work. My guest, Kristi Herold, the founder and CEO of JAM and the author of “It Pays to Play” talks about how to incorporate play into how we run our businesses. To join CultureBrained® g…

Is it possible to make a difference and make money? Nikki Gatenby says yes! If you are looking to make a difference in the world while still running a successful business, this episode is a must-listen. Nikki provides valuable tips and ideas on how to be profitable and purposeful and how we can contribute to creating a better world through our busi…

When it comes to creating a truly just workplace, many companies today seem fixated on ticking off diversity metrics. But DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging) is not just about numbers - it's about creating a culture where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. Our guest today, Trier Bryant, the President of 82VS, Alloy Therapeutics’…

In this episode, we dive into the importance of innovation in the modern business world. Our guest, Dan Strode, shares insights on how a corporate culture that nurtures creativity and encourages experimentation can foster innovation and give a company a unique competitive edge. He delves into the ways companies can cultivate an environment that val…

Drama in the workplace is a major drain on productivity, creativity, and collaboration. It manifests as emotional outbursts, unresolved disagreements, resistance to change, or misalignment with strategic priorities. It’s not just unpleasant - it can cost billions in lost engagement and productivity, exacerbating mental health issues. Fortunately, w…

Belonging is not a by-product of success - it’s a necessary condition for any team. In this episode, I am joined by one of the most distinguished experts on belonging and community building, Charles Vogl. Tune in to hear us do a deep dive into some of the foundational principles of nurturing authentic and supportive communities at work - and in lif…

Jessica Zwaan has amassed quite a following among HR professionals frustrated with the old way of doing things and keen to develop an agile, evidence-based approach to serve their people and business and to drive performance. Jessica is currently the COO at Whereby, and outside of her company, she is most well known for her approach to people ops a…

There’s a major positive side-effect to the pandemic - it presents us with the biggest opportunity we’ve had in the past 100 years to redesign the way we work and finally fix the stuff that's been broken since the industrial era. In this episode, Lynda Gratton, a Professor of Management Practice at London Business School talks about how you can mak…

For many people, fun and work don’t mix. We tend to think of work as the serious and virtuous stuff of life. Fun, on the other hand, is perceived as something frivolous, an indulgence that we can rarely afford. But fun at work turns out to be serious business; it’s one of the pillars of thriving cultures, alongside meaning and belonging. Today my g…

Most people struggle with “constructive” feedback. It’s hard to hear it and even harder to give it. We are neurologically hard-wired to avoid feedback like the plague. And yet, we cannot grow and develop without it. Our guest, Kim Scott, discovered that when feedback comes from a place of caring deeply and challenging directly, it can be very effec…

“When’s the last time you had a good chat with yourself? The kind of chat where you ask yourself, “How am I in there?” - this is one of the questions Jeanette Bronée likes asking. Rethinker, Culture Strategist, Global Keynote & 2 x TEDx Speaker, Author, CEO & Founder of Path for Life®, Jeanette Bronée is rethinking self-care in the workplace as the…

Megan Reitz, Professor of Leadership and Dialogue at Hult International Business School talks about creating spaces for dialogue that enable employees to speak truth to power and elaborates on the skills we need to develop to successfully navigate the relatively new territory of employee activism. To join CultureBrained® go to tinyurl.com/culturebr…

Robin Dunbar is a professor of evolutionary psychology at Oxford University. He has spent most of his career trying to answer a deceptively simple: How and why did humans evolve to be such a sociable species? He is perhaps best known for the so-called Dunbar's number, the idea that there is an upper limit to the number of meaningful social relation…

We’ve all felt pulled in two seemingly opposite directions and faced tough dilemmas at work at times: Culture fit or culture add? Employees-first or customer-first? Innovation or efficiency? Self-managed teams or traditional hierarchy? In this episode, Professor Wendy Smith from the University of Delaware talks about her new book Both/And Thinking;…

Have you ever felt frustrated by the fact that people tend to stick to their guns, even when presented with indisputable evidence that their beliefs are completely unfounded or plain wrong? This is the question that intrigued my guest, David McCraney, a science journalist fascinated with brains, minds, and culture. It led him on an investigative jo…

This month we are sharing some of the best episodes from our archive and this episode with Max Mckeown is a must-listen and a great place to start when thinking of how to align culture and strategy. We talk about how to find your next big idea, what role strategy plays in your ability to create the future you want and what scenarios could emerge if…

What would happen if you got rid of traditional HR? Listen to this episode where Heiko Fischer, the CEO of Resourceful Humans, talks about how he moved from noodling over this question to actually giving it a go at Crytek, one of Europe’s biggest video gaming companies. Learn how Crytek transitioned from a traditional hierarchy to a network of self…

How do you avoid joining a company with a toxic culture—or build a healthy one when you are already a part of the organization? These are just a couple of questions addressed in this episode of Adam Grant’s WorkLife that we are grilled to bring you as part of our new collab with TED Audio Collective. In this episode, Adam Grant explores how to reco…

As a society, we've certainly made some progress in honoring the contribution of the LGBTQ workforce. But, there are still minds, hearts, teams, and companies that do not engage and where people, irrespective of what group they identify with, do not experience psychological safety. And so we thought that during the Pride Month, it would be more rel…

How do you know that it’s time to update your views on what’s best for your team and your business? Our guest, Mark Rickmeier, the CEO of TXI, believes that the best time to rethink comes when you first sense that the way you work no longer serves your team. In this interview, Mark shares his personal journey of challenging his personal beliefs evo…

Storytelling is the very stuff of culture. It’s also the language of the mind. Stories bridge the gap between the past and the future, create shared identities, provide us with meaning, and shape the culture within our communities. But there is more to storytelling than just telling stories. Influencing, changing minds and inspiring action is ultim…