People Soup - Behavioural Science For A More Meaningful Way To Work

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 32 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here. P-Soupers - In this episode I continue my chat with Dr Ryan Kemp who is a clinical psychologist, Director of Therapies at a large NHS Trust, Author and  chair of the Division of Clinical Psychology England in the British Psychological Society.We focus on the theme of compassionate leadership and our conversation begins with Ryan's reflections on his unexpected transition from clinical psychologist to clinical director and what he learned over the process. Initially he had no plans or ambitions to take on a leadership role, but Ryan found himself driven by the organizational challenges he encountered and the encouragement from colleagues. We talk about the importance of compassionate leadership, particularly in healthcare settings. Ryan highlights the emotional burden that healthcare professionals face, and the need for self-compassion as a foundation for leading others. Additionally, Ryan discusses his approach to

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 31 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here. P-Soupers - In this episode you'll get to meet Dr Ryan Kemp who is a clinical psychologist and Director of Therapies at a large NHS Trust. He's also an author and  Chair of the Division of Clinical Psychology England in the British Psychological SocietyIn this episode we get to know a bit more about Ryan - who shares some pivotal moments in his professional journey - including his working class roots, his initial career in financial services, and an early midlife crisis that led him to psychology. He discusses his training and various roles in clinical settings, as well as his development of the compassionate leadership programmes within his NHS Trust. We also chat about his values, including practicality, learning, courage and ethics, and the impact of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in his life. As a leader - he's also prepared to be vulnerable and open about his career history, including the less succes

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 30 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here. P-Soupers - In this episode I chat with Dr Anne Finucane and Dr David Gillanders about brilliant website - mygriefmyway.co.uk - which is a resource developed in partnership with The University of Edinburgh, Marie Curie and Cruse Scotland.Bereavement and grief is something that will come to us all and we can sometimes find it difficult to manage and talk about at work. The website is designed to help individuals who have experienced loss or are supporting others through bereavement. It offers various materials like real-life stories, worksheets, mindfulness exercises, and poetry. These resources aim to help manage grief through self-directed use or support sessions. Our conversation also touches on the website's development process, the importance of accessibility, user feedback, and future plans to incorporate more content, including reflections from young adults.For those of you who are new to People Soup - welco

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 29 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here. P-Soupers - In this episode you'll get to meet Dr David Gillanders who is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist and Senior Lecturer at The University of Edinburgh. His research programme explores psychological wellbeing in advanced illness, cancer, and persistent health problems. It's the second of a three parter - last week I chatted with David's colleague, Dr Anne Finucane and in the third part - I'll talk to both Anne and David about their brilliant website - mygriefmyway.co.uk In this episode we get to know a bit more about David. He shares his career journey and how he landed in clinical psychology thanks, in part, to some advice from a career counsellor. David sets out a series of opportunistic shifts in his career and the profound impact of ACT, in both his professional and personal life. He talks about his research interest and his collaborative research with Anne, where they focus on palliative care, the wel

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 28 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here. P-Soupers - In this episode you'll get to meet Dr Anne Finucane, who is a Marie Curie Senior Research Fellow at The University of Edinburgh. It's the first of a three parter - next week we'll meet one of Anne's colleagues, Dr David Gillanders and then the week after - I'll talk to both Anne and David about their brilliant website - mygriefmyway.co.uk In this episode we get to know a bit more about Anne. Anne shares her journey from studying international marketing to following her curiosity and shifting to psychology. She describes her pivotal moments, including when she discovered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and realised its potential applications. Anne talks about the importance of palliative care and its impact on the quality of life for many people, I didn't know that a large proportion of deaths in the UK will involve some form of palliative care. She also talks about bereavement support and the

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 27 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here.  This week., it's another cup-a-soup. A short episode which is in essence a debrief on the last two episodes where i talked about the human superpower of noticing and shared an exercise to enhance our skill of noticing, called a mindful meditation of body and breath.I invited you to share your reflections after having a go at the exercise. This episode is a combination of those reflections, blended with typical reflections I receive when I share this exercise with adults in the workplace.The feedback and reflections fall into three main categories. Let me share your reflections and my responses. You'll probably begin to notice a theme emerging.Relaxed and sleepy, mind wandering and sensations and emotions.For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are reg

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 26 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here.  This week, it's a special bonus episode. In fact it's an extract from the previous episode. It's a practical, mindfulness meditation exercise which takes about 7.5 minutes. If you want to hear more about the background and introduction - have a listen to the previous episode, number 25. This episode is presented for those who might like to use the recording for a regular practice, with a minimal intro and no outro - it's a mindfulness meditation of body and breath - I hope it's useful.For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are regular P Soupers - thanks for tuning in - we love it that you're part of our community.Harvard Article - the wandering mind is not a happy mindRead about our Chisi Awards from #365daysofcompassion for Best PodcastLeave a rev

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 25 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here.  This week., it's another cup-a-soup. A short episode from me. I'm going to explore the human superpower of noticing. I'll talk about what we might be missing out on when we're stuck inside our own heads, and share an exercise that you might like to try, which, with practice, is designed to enhance our skill of noticing. Here's a question. How much of our waking hours do we spend on autopilot? I've asked this hundreds of times to groups of adults in the workplace, and people will typically come in with a high number, sometimes as high as 90%.The actual figure from a study by some psychologists at Harvard was 46.9%. That means we can be mind wandering for almost half the day, perhaps not noticing what's going on around us. Now, this research also noticed that the wandering mind isn't always the happiest of minds.For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide y

 Hi there, and a very warm welcome to Season Six Episode 24 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here. This week we've got a different kind of episode, a short cup-a-soup with just me. I'm going to reflect on my specialism, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or ACT which is designed to enhance something called psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility is a really useful thing for us to develop in life for enhancing our wellbeing, meaningful action, and general life satisfaction. It helps us to show up as the person we'd really like to be more often. what I'm gonna do in this episode is explain what psychological flexibility is using a story from my life about cycling, and just to let you know, there is, what I would argue is an entirely appropriate use of the F word a bit later on in the episode.For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 23 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here. P-Soupers - In this episode it's the second part of my chat with Tom Loncar who is an accredited coach, mentor and contributing writer on leadership to a variety of business and professional magazines, including The Psychologist, the official magazine of the British Psychological Society) Tom's people soup ingredients are curiosity, enthusiasm, and learning with a side order of building connections! Tom discusses the concept of intellectual humility, emphasizing the importance of recognizing our incomplete knowledge and welcoming the possibility of being wrong. We explore the 'zombie quagmire,' feedback processes, and the challenges leaders face, such as executive absence, miscalibrated authenticity, and the aversion to delegation. The discussion also touches on psychological flexibility, the impact of multitasking in meetings, and creating an environment of psychological safety, particularly in cross-cultura

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 22 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here. P-Soupers - In this episode I chat with Tom Loncar who is an accredited coach and mentor with a background that spans the corporate sector, the public sector and roles as an economist and consultant. He is also a contributing writer on leadership to leading business and professional magazines including the Australian Financial Review, BOSS Magazine and The Psychologist, official magazine of the British Psychological Society. Tom's People Soup ingredients are curiosity, enthusiasm, and learning with a side order of backing yourself! Tom discusses his career journey, which was spurred on by influential mentors and personal exploration. He also shares his passion for music, recounting his involvement in various bands, and how his creative pursuits have complemented his professional life. Throughout the discussion, Tom emphasizes his love for learning and the significant role of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 21 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here. P-Soupers - In this episode I continue my chat with Lucinda Soon. Lucinda is a qualified solicitor and expert in professional ethics, well-being and legal services regulation, she's also a PhD candidate at Birkbeck, University of London. Lucinda's People Soup ingredients are curiosity, learning, courage and being of service. You'll hear Lucinda discuss her interest in viewing ethics through a psychological lens, emphasizing the challenge of adhering to ethical standards amid workplace stress and structures. She introduces concepts such as 'bad apple' vs. 'bad barrel' to explain unethical practices spurred by stressful environments. Lucinda also explores the emerging focus on lawyer wellbeing, discussing the pervasive issues of burnout, stress, and dissatisfaction tied to traditional practices like billable hours. She shares insights from her research, which includes a synthesis review on lawyer wellbeing, identify

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 20 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here. In this episode of People Soup, you'll meet Lucinda Soon. Lucinda is a qualified solicitor and expert in professional ethics, well-being and legal services regulation, she's also a PhD candidate at Birkbeck, University of London. Lucinda's people soup ingredients are curiosity, learning, courage and being of service. You'll hear about her career journey, from practicing law and advising on legal risk management to her transition into academia and empirical research. She discusses her passion for learning, her work on lawyers' wellbeing, including her doctoral research. Lucinda also talks about her commitment to bridging the gap between academic research and practical application in the legal profession. The conversation delves into key career moments, the importance of continual learning, and the value of pursuing a non-linear, squiggly, career path.For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's grea

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 19 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here. P-Soupers - In this episode I continue my chat with Jessica Lee. Jess is a chartered organizational psychologist and accredited coach with over 20 years of experience across a range of industries including Fast Moving Consumer Goods, aviation and music. Jess' People Soup ingredients are curiosity, flexibility and exploration with a side order of passion , fun and making an impact.  In this episode, we explore the complexities of leadership and leadership development, emphasizing the significance of understanding leadership as a sophisticated profession. We discuss challenges such as the expectations placed on new leaders, the reluctance of younger generations to step into leadership roles, and pervasive issues such as burnout and imposter syndrome. We propose a shift towards human-centered leadership, focusing on self-leadership, self-awareness, and emotional flexibility as foundational elements before advancing t

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 18 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here. P-Soupers - In this episode I chat with Jessica Lee. Jess is a chartered organizational psychologist and accredited EMCC coach with over 20 years of experience across a range of industries including Fast Moving Consumer Goods, aviation and music. Jess' People Soup ingredients are curiosity, flexibility and exploration with a side order of passion and fun. We discuss her international career, including some of the some cultural differences she has noticed. Jess also talks about her curiosity for understanding people in the workplace across different contexts and the perceptions of creativity in different roles. We finish with Jess' advice to her younger self and a stonking song choice.For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are regular P Soupers - thank

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 17 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here. P-Soupers - In this episode I continue my conversation with Hazel Anderson-Tuner. Hazel is a business psychologist and mindset coach specialising in resilience and leadership. She's also a podcast cohost at Coaching unpACT and author of the book, Coaching through Burnout and that's where we focus our conversation.Hazel's People Soup ingredients are flexibility, values led action, being of service with a healthy sprinkling of humour. First up you'll hear my review of Coaching Through Burnout - A burnout prevention toolkit for busy leaders and their teams. We then explore the modern workplace's mental health crisis, particularly burnout, and Hazel shares the definition and its three components. Hazel also shares her personal experience with burnout and how it inspired her to create a course for the NHS, which was highly successful but ran out of funding, leading to the origin story of the book. Hazel also talks ab

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 16 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here. P-Soupers - this week I chat with Hazel Anderson-Turner.  Hazel is a business psychologist and mindset coach specialising in resilience and leadership. She's also a podcast cohost at Coaching unpACT and author of the book, Coaching through Burnout. Hazel's People Soup ingredients are flexibility, values led action, being of service with a healthy sprinkling of humour. You'll hear Hazel talk about her unusual career path, including what led her to leave one organisation. You'll also hear about work with leaders and dysfunctional teams as well as her pioneering coaching work during the pandemic.For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are regular P Soupers - thanks for tuning in - we love it that you're part of our community.There is a transcript for ea

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 15 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here. P-Soupers - In this episode I continue my conversation with Sam Hart. Sam is many things - he's a podcast host, primary school teacher, serious sports enthusiast, entrepreneur and proud Brummie - that is someone from the City of Birmingham in the UK. Sam's People Soup ingredients are openness, reflection and exploration, with a side order of flexibility. You'll hear us talk about our worries about what other people think about us and how that overthinking can leave us feeling quite low and withdrawn. In our conversation we try to normalise the experience and Sam shares range of practical strategies to help us relate to this type of self-doubt in a different way. Sam also shares two takeaways from his own experience and also three insights he's gained from his guests on The Insight Podcast. It's a treasure trove of tips.For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to p

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 14 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here. P-Soupers - it's great to be back with a continuation of Season 6 after what turned into an extended festive break - blimey - and I'm raring to go. In this episode I welcome Sam Hart to the podcast. Sam is many things - he's a podcast host, primary school teacher, serious sports enthusiast, entrepreneur and proud Brummie - that is someone from the City of Birmingham in the UK. Sam's People Soup ingredients are flexibility, openness, courage and learning with a large pinch of humility. You'll hear Sam talk about his love of teaching and his disengagement with the profession, his sporting achievements, the times in his life when he's been dragged by his own mind and his commitment to making a difference.For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are regular

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 13 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here. In this episode I conclude my collaboration with Dr Richard MacKinnon that started in Season 5. We're continuing our exploration of the processes of ACT and psychological flexibility. Our People Soup ingredient this week is a flexible self concept. We explore the stories we create about ourselves and how problematic it can be when we're rigidly attached to them. We draw upon our own work and experience to share plenty of examples and also tips on where to start exploring your own stories.For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are regular P Soupers - thanks for tuning in - we love it that you're part of our community.Psychological Flexibility - WorkLifePsych - Here's the page with all the resources!There is a transcript for each episode. There is a ca