In this episode of Better People, Better Business, Andrew has a conversation with Simon Dowling.

Simon is a leading thinker on creating and leading collaborative teams and workplaces. As a speaker, facilitator and educator, he works closely with leaders and teams from some of Australia’s most interesting organisations, equipping them with the inspiration and know-how to build strong, highly engaged teams.

Simon possesses a unique blend of creativity and pragmatism – something reflected in his past experience. He began his career as a commercial lawyer, and is also an experienced improviser, regularly performing with leading improvisation company Impro Melbourne. He was a regular cast member on Working Dog’s hit TV show Thank God You’re Here.

For the past 20 years, Simon has been working with leaders across a wide range of industries, helping them to tap the collective genius of their people. His clients include AFL, Bega Foods, Bendigo & Adelaide Bank, BUPA, Envato, Mercedes Benz, myob, SEEK, Telstra Health and University of Melbourne.  He is also a member of the Australian faculty of DukeCE – the executive education arm of the internationally acclaimed business school at Duke University.

Simon is the author of Work with Me: How to get people to buy into your ideas (Wiley, 2016).

Andrew and Simon have a conversation about how we can be better at teamwork, collaborative leadership and co-creation.  Their conversation is full of banter, practical and useful tips and goes deep into this important work. 

They discuss:

• The fundamental principles Simon learned from his years as an improv performer that he draws on to help teams co-create and collaborate.
• The mistake leaders make in forming teams that results in team members being disempowered – and less able to work better together.
• The fact that teamwork, collaboration and cocreation should be a choice – and getting clear on what that looks like is fundamental to doing teamwork better.
• Simon’s three alignments for teams – focus flow and care – and the questions you can ask to reflect on what this might look like for your team.
• Why this work has to start with the senior leaders in the room – and the vulnerability we need to start that work toward being better.
• One simple shift you can make to your team meetings to make them useful and increase collaboration.

If you want to connect with Simon and ask about his visual model for the three alignments, reach out to him at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/simondowling-aus/

https://www.simondowling.com.au/

he Deering Group (TDG) opened in 2016 to help organisations better understand what their people do and how they can help them improve their work and roles.

We help make businesses better through their people.

Find out more about us:

https://thedeeringgroup.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-deering-group-pty-ltd

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-deering/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Episode of Better People, Better Business, Andrew has a conversation with Kate Billing.

Kate is one of New Zealand’s leading voices on gender equity and leadership development.  Her work focuses on GROWING LEADERSHIP CAPACITY to create the personal and collective resources required to meet the challenges and opportunities of the new reality of life and work.

Her work integrates leadership development, personal development, and leadership wellbeing to create FULLY HUMAN development experiences that better support leaders through a whole-person+whole-life philosophy.

This approach to development enables leaders to become the people they need to and want to be, individually and collectively: people who are examples of what’s possible when we commit to deep levels of authenticity, humanity and responsibility in the ways that we live, lead and work.

Kate's invitation to all leaders is “Don’t let who you’re being get in the way of who you could become and the work that version of you could do in the world.”

In this conversation, Andrew and Kate talk about their shared love of the language of Better, particularly when it comes to growing capacity so we can become better leaders and better humans.

• The impact Covid had on how work integrates with our lives and identities – and the significantly different impact it has had on women in senior leadership roles vs men.
• Why chaos presents the greatest opportunity to do the work on becoming better.
• Two practical steps you can take to start the work of becoming better in how you work, live and lead.
• Looking at trends like the great resignation and quiet quitting, and what they really reflect in terms of behaviours and choice.

As Kate says in the podcast, this conversation is an offer to be more curious about what it is to be human, and how you can work, lead and live better. 

You can connect with Kate at https://www.linkedin.com/in/katebilling/ - make sure you follow her so you can discover her new website and the new iteration of her practice in 2023.

he Deering Group (TDG) opened in 2016 to help organisations better understand what their people do and how they can help them improve their work and roles.

We help make businesses better through their people.

Find out more about us:

https://thedeeringgroup.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-deering-group-pty-ltd

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-deering/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better People Better Business, Andrew enjoys a conversation with Rohan Dredge.

Rohan is the CEO of Pragmatic Thinking, a behaviour and motivation Strategy Company.  The team there describe him as a ‘Leadership Whisperer’.

For over two decades, Rohan has developed leaders, cultures and tribes that work at deep levels of connection and strong levels of execution. He specialises in sustainable and high-performing cultures that help technical experts become people leaders.

With an innate talent for identifying both the brilliance and the blind spots in individuals, teams and organisations, Rohan is able to craft effective strategies that improve workplace culture and skyrocket performance outcomes. Specialising in intentionality and preparation, Rohan is always aggressively well-dressed and can rock a pocket square like no one else!

Rohan is deeply qualified with a Masters in Educational Psychology, very experienced (closing in on 30 years in leadership development and organisational change) and incredibly passionate. His trademark energy that he brings to the team and the difference-makers is what makes him memorable and influential.

In the spirit of Pragmatic Thinking, Rohan offers useful and empowering wisdom and flips the narrative to ask Andrew how leaders can strive for Better over Best and still motivate and celebrate their teams.

They discuss

• Their mutual perspective on the fact people are fundamental to business, even as roles and technology evolve.
• The role a leader plays in managing the tension between people and business.
• Andrew’s insights into how we can celebrate success and goals and still strive for better continuously.
• Rohan’s insights into how he helps leaders and organisations bring operational intent to life.

There are several takeaways you can start to implement and work with straight away. Don’t miss this amazing conversation.

You can connect with Rohan at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohandredge

https://pragmaticthinking.com/

he Deering Group (TDG) opened in 2016 to help organisations better understand what their people do and how they can help them improve their work and roles.

We help make businesses better through their people.

Find out more about us:

https://thedeeringgroup.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-deering-group-pty-ltd

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-deering/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better People, Better Business, Andrew has a conversation with Jane Anderson.

Jane is a Strategic Communications expert. With over 20 years’ experience in corporate communications and leadership development, she has worked with over 100,000 people, especially women on building more trust and influence in their businesses and brands.

Jane has recently been voted in the top 3 branding gurus globally. She has won more than 12 marketing and business coaching awards and been nominated in the Telstra Business Women Awards 9 times. She also has one of the top 1% of most viewed LinkedIn profiles.

Her clients include some of the world’s leading experts in their field as well as iconic brands such as Virgin Australia, Lego, Ikea, Rio Tinto and Origin Energy.

She is the author of 9 books including her upcoming book “Exceptionality: How to Build a Brand that’s Wildly Unique and World Class”.

In this conversation, Jane brings her expertise in communications to the frame of Better People, Better Business. Andrew and Jane discuss:

• The power of positioning to help you be better individually at work or in business.
• Why we all need to consider our positioning and personal brand, no matter our role or workplace.
• What positioning and brand building is (and what it isn’t!).
• How your positioning and brand build trust with other people.
• Practical tips on what you can do to start building a better brand for yourself and your business.

You can find out more about Jane and connect with her at:

https://jane-anderson.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeandersonpersonalbranding/

https://www.instagram.com/the_jane_anderson_/

https://www.facebook.com/JaneAndersonPersonalBranding

The Deering Group (TDG) opened in 2016 to help organisations better understand what their people do and how they can help them improve their work and roles. We help make businesses better through their people.

Find out more about us:

https://thedeeringgroup.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-deering-group-pty-ltd

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-deering/ 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better People Better Business, Dr Kelly Windle joins Andrew for a conversation.

Dr Kelly Windle is a psychologist and executive leader who speaks on the topics of future of work, leadership, and culture. With 15 years’ global leadership experience and five tertiary qualifications, Kelly has advised some of the world’s leading organisations on how to evolve to better meet the future.

A lot of people speak on the future of work, but Kelly’s thought leadership is focused on an interesting and important part of the future of work: shared commitment to the future. She asks and answers the question of, how do we mobilise people to swiftly grow and become future ready?

In this conversation, Kelly and Andrew talk about workplace psychology, translating some crucial concepts into practical, daily steps we can take to be better, lead better – and deliver better business. Kelly introduces the academic concept of psychological contracts in organisational psychology and then brings it back to what that looks like in practical terms– that a psychological contract is a shared promise and commitment to the future. 

Together Kelly and Andrew share their experiences and practical examples on how we can better manage the expectations and promises we make as employees, leaders and businesses to achieve better business.

They discuss:

• Kelly’s background as a front-line leader that led to her specialisation in organisational psychology.
• The three key elements to leading and managing employee relationships well
• The difference between employee engagement and employee experience.
• The link between psychological contracts and psychological safety
• How to get started with managing your promises and commitments – aka your psychological contract – as an individual, a leader or at an organisational level.
• The importance of keeping things simple, and not over-complicating or over-engineering the implementation of these concepts.

This conversation is incredibly useful for everyone, no matter your role or industry. It is practical, empowering, and will give you tips you can implement immediately in your role at work. 

You can find out more about Kelly and connect at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkellywindle/

https://www.drkellywindle.com/

The Deering Group (TDG) opened in 2016 to help organisations better understand what their people do and how they can help them improve their work and roles. We help make businesses better through their people.

Find out more about us:

https://thedeeringgroup.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-deering-group-pty-ltd

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-deering/ 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better People, Better Business, Andrew has a conversation with Shane Hatton.

Shane is a Queenslander by birth, Melbournian by choice, curious by nature and creative at heart. He has spent the last decade developing remarkable leaders, teams and cultures. 

He is an expert in leader communication, blending his experience in business and psychology to help leaders communicate, connect and collaborate more effectively in order to bring out the best in those they lead. Shane is passionate about helping leaders have the conversations they need to create the teams they want. 

As a speaker, coach and trainer, Shane has partnered with some of Australia’s most well-known and loved businesses across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. 

His coaching helps individuals and teams better understand what makes them exceptional and how they can leverage that to achieve individual and collective outcomes. 

Shane is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and author of two books; ‘Let’s Talk Culture – The Conversations You Need to Create the Team You Want’ and ‘Lead The Room – Communicate a Message That Counts in Moments That Matter’.

Andrew and Shane have a conversation about how culture helps make better people, better business. They share a range of practical ideas and tips on how you can look at and work on your culture. They talk about:

• Shane’s findings from his survey of more than 1,000 middle managers about organizational culture.
• Busting myths and misunderstandings about culture.
• Shane’s insights into what culture is.
• How we can build and create the culture we want to attract and retain people.
• Why getting support with conversations and work on culture can be important to successfully creating the culture you want.

With all organisations facing talent shortages, retention challenges and “quiet quitting”, this podcast is essential listening to help you.

You can find out more and connect with Shane at:

https://shanemhatton.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanemhatton/

The Deering Group (TDG) opened in 2016 to help organisations better understand what their people do and how they can help them improve their work and roles. We help make businesses better through their people.

Find out more about us:

https://thedeeringgroup.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-deering-group-pty-ltd

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-deering/ 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better People, Better Business, Andrew talks with Kate Christiansen.

Kate is a Curly Thinker who has spent 30 years navigating complexity for a living. She is an award-winning author, facilitator, mentor and keynote speaker.  She shows ambitious leaders and teams how to use their head in disrupted environments, so they can ask bigger questions, take braver steps and deliver better results.

Andrew and Kate have a fascinating conversation exploring how we lead people through disruption, complexity and challenge to help them be better.

Throughout the conversation they share useful reflections and practical tips.  They discuss:

• How to identify and better understand disruption
• Kate’s concept of Curly Thinking and where it came from
• The skills and approaches that can help leaders to lead their people through disruption and challenge
• The power of questions in every aspect of leading people and leading self

If disruption is impacting you or your people – even on a tiny scale – then this podcast is essential listening.

You can find out more and connect with Kate at:

https://www.katechristiansen.com.au/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/katechristiansen/ 

And the audio series mentioned in the podcast is available at https://www.katechristiansen.com.au/welcome-to-get-unstuck 

The Deering Group (TDG) opened in 2016 to help organisations better understand what their people do and how they can help them improve their work and roles. We help make businesses better through their people.

Find out more about us:

https://thedeeringgroup.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-deering-group-pty-ltd

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-deering/ 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better People, Better Business, Andrew has a conversation with Dr Richard Hodge.

Dr Richard Hodge develops and teaches systems approaches to some of the hardest problems the world faces today. He shows people that no problem is too big for them to act and leave the world better for what they’ve done to assure progress on ecological, social and governance outcomes. He runs his own practice - This Century Leadership and Governance - engaging with people and business as a teacher, author and mentor.

Andrew and Richard have a conversation about the role values and systems play in making business better.  They take a deep look at the role values play in both our individual lives and in businesses, and how the values you are working to will come through in your decisions and outcomes (even if they are not the written or spoken values you work to).

They discuss:

• Richard's work on systems and how that intersects with better people, better business

• The opportunity values alignment represents for businesses and individuals right now

• How values, morals and ethics shine through decisions and the outcomes they produce

• A case study of a major airline and the example they are setting for other organisations around values and systems thinking right now

• An approach to thinking and decision making you can implement to help make your people and your business better

This conversation is insightful and deeply useful for anyone leading a business or organisation.

You can connect with Dr Richard Hodge and learn more about his work at:

https://drrichardhodge.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrichardhodge/

The Deering Group (TDG) opened in 2016 to help organisations better understand what their people do and how they can help them improve their work and roles. We help make businesses better through their people.

Find out more about us:

https://thedeeringgroup.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-deering-group-pty-ltd

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-deering/ 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.