Ben Sawyer on facing fear and understanding risk

Jamie Bartlett: How do you stay in control of AI at work?

Millions of us use AI at work every day without really knowing what we’re doing. Mostly we’re just figuring it out as we go – often without feeling in control. It can be hard to know if it’s going to change your life – or end the world. But what can you actually do about that? That’s what this episode explores. Jamie Bartlett writes and broadcasts on technology and its impact on the rest of us. His books include The Dark Net and The People vs Tech, longlisted for the 2019 Orwell Prize, and he wrote and presented the global hit podcast The Missing Cryptoqueen. His new book, How to Talk to AI (And How Not To), is for all of us who feel out of our depth. It’s out now, published by Penguin. In this episode James and Jamie talk about: * Why this isn’t really about technology – it’s about communication * How AI breaks our ability to rely on fluency as a sign of competence * How your human biases affect what you get from AI * Why it’s wise to be sceptical when AI agrees with you * Simple exercises to try – like deliberately making AI lie to you, so you spot when it happens by accident * Why generating more stuff isn’t the same as getting more done * The value of asking “do I even need AI for this?” before “how do I get AI to do it for me?” * Where Jamie thinks AI could genuinely change things for the better Everything an organisation achieves comes down to what its people actually do. Speak to the Human explores how people think, behave, and make decisions at work. Through real stories and practical conversations, each episode investigates the human behaviours that drive outcomes – and how organisations can respond. Hosted by James Woodman from Acteon, a Cambridge-based consultancy specialising in communication, learning, and behaviour change in organisations. Find out more at acteoncommunication.com [https://www.acteoncommunication.com/]

How do you really get people using AI well at work?

Most organisations are treating AI as a technology challenge. But the real impact depends on people: how they use it, what they use it for – and whether they engage with it at all. In this episode, social psychologist Dr Guy Champniss shares findings from his new research into what he calls “adoption quality” – a framework for understanding why organisations are struggling to realise AI’s potential, the impact it has on how employees feel and behave, and what leaders can do to respond. Based on a survey of more than 1,200 employees in the UK and US, the research found that only 41% are in a good position to use AI effectively. The biggest barriers aren’t technical – they’re psychological. And the most powerful barrier of all is something people rarely talk about: the threat to their professional identity. James and Guy discuss: * Why AI adoption is a behaviour change challenge, not just a technology challenge * The factors that shape adoption quality – and why many organisations are focusing on the wrong ones * Psychological barriers to AI use, including the hidden role of professional identity and social belonging * How getting this wrong affects happiness, motivation and connection at work * What organisations can do to make AI use identity-enhancing rather than identity-threatening * How individuals can take a more critical, mindful approach to AI in their own work Guy’s full report, Unlocking High Quality AI Adoption in the Workplace, is available to download from his website: https://www.meltwater-consulting.com/aqs-report [https://www.meltwater-consulting.com/aqs-report] This is the first episode hosted by James Woodman. Episodes 1–23 were hosted by Sarah Abramson. Everything an organisation achieves comes down to what its people actually do. Speak to the Human explores how people think, behave, and make decisions at work. Through real stories and practical conversations, each episode investigates the human behaviours that drive outcomes – and how organisations can respond. Hosted by James Woodman from Acteon, a Cambridge-based consultancy specialising in communication, learning, and behaviour change in organisations. Find out more at acteoncommunication.com [https://www.acteoncommunication.com/]

Nadine Anderson on building trust to achieve positive outcomes

Listening – really listening – to people who work at the ‘chalk face’ is the most powerful way to build trust and achieve positive outcomes for an organisation. Nadine Anderson’s story is a brilliant illustration of this. As an expert in organisational development, and the People, Culture and Engagement Lead at Westminster City Council, she has applied a people-first approach to shape a values-driven strategy grounded in what staff actually think and need. In this episode, Nadine shares how she created a meaningful employee listening exercise within Westminster’s Housing service, and how she used this to make a real difference. Westminster is a diverse borough with complex needs – affluence alongside deprivation – and with housing officers who care deeply about their work. By enabling employees to share ideas, reflect on how organisational values could best be realised, and be properly involved in shaping future strategy, Nadine has built a more trusting culture and achieved better outcomes for residents of the borough. Sarah and Nadine discuss: * How Nadine developed an employee listening exercise. * How to align organisational values with real lived experiences. * Why apparently small or simple changes – such as replacing carpets, or having cover on reception desks – can make a huge difference. * How Nadine used Copilot to process a huge volume of feedback, identifying themes, grouping comments, and supporting prioritisation of action points. * Nadine’s next steps – how she’s running colleague-led ‘activation workshops’ to connect people across functions and improve collaboration and outcomes. Since the podcast was recorded, new research shows that life expectancy differs by 15 years - not 18 - in some Westminster neighbourhoods.   Speak to the human is a podcast by Acteon [https://www.acteoncommunication.com/], a communication and learning agency that harnesses behavioural insights to help organisations connect with their people and deliver positive change. Find out more at acteoncommunication.com [https://www.acteoncommunication.com/].  Everything an organisation achieves comes down to what its people actually do. Speak to the Human explores how people think, behave, and make decisions at work. Through real stories and practical conversations, each episode investigates the human behaviours that drive outcomes – and how organisations can respond. Hosted by James Woodman from Acteon, a Cambridge-based consultancy specialising in communication, learning, and behaviour change in organisations. Find out more at acteoncommunication.com [https://www.acteoncommunication.com/]

Ben Sawyer on facing fear and understanding risk

Working in frontline bomb disposal and special operations in the British Army for nearly two decades has given Ben Sawyer a vivid, profound perspective on how to face and manage fear, and what risk really means.  Having moved into the corporate world, now Head of Continuous Improvement at British Gas, Ben brings a blend of insights into operational strategy, empowerment and leadership. In this conversation, we explore what fear looks like in real life, from extreme sports to bomb disposal, and how our brains interpret risk depending on whether we feel in control. Ben shares experiences from bomb disposal and army training that shed light on human responses to fear and risk. We discuss; * What fear is (both physiological and emotional).  * Why perceived risk can feel as powerful as actual risk, and the role of control. * How exposure and training can help build confidence over time, including the concept of ‘fear inoculation’. * The sense of belonging, identity and culture that exists in a military environment, and the experience of transitioning to a civilian, corporate role. * Building a culture of continuous improvement through mindset and empowerment. * A brief foray into the concept of ‘moral injury’ – what it is and how people experience it. We refer to a chapter by Ben Sawyer and Liz Sawyer in the book Paradox and Power in Caring Leadership. [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Paradox-Power-Caring-Leadership-Philosophical/dp/1788975499] Speak to the human is a podcast by Acteon [https://www.acteoncommunication.com/], a communication and learning agency that harnesses behavioural insights to help organisations connect with their people and deliver positive change. Find out more at acteoncommunication.com [https://www.acteoncommunication.com/].  Everything an organisation achieves comes down to what its people actually do. Speak to the Human explores how people think, behave, and make decisions at work. Through real stories and practical conversations, each episode investigates the human behaviours that drive outcomes – and how organisations can respond. Hosted by James Woodman from Acteon, a Cambridge-based consultancy specialising in communication, learning, and behaviour change in organisations. Find out more at acteoncommunication.com [https://www.acteoncommunication.com/]

Clym Stock-Williams on helping people make decisions

How do decisions get made in organisations? And what does it look like to support the decision-making process really effectively? And how might human behaviour be accounted for? Clym Stock-Williams is Head of Operational Excellence in the Offshore Wind Division at the renewable energy company Vattenfall. In this episode, Clym explains how effective decision systems align people, data, processes and technology with organisational strategy. And we explore how to design for human thinking and behaviour.  Sarah and Clym discuss: * How Clym’s background gives him a way to combine different approaches in supporting decision-making: thinking about human behaviour alongside data, technology and engineering processes.  * What operational excellence means – delivering outcomes by aligning resources, people, processes, incentives and technology with the organisational strategy. * Designing systems by starting from the value you’re trying to create, then mapping backwards to consider what needs to happen for that value to be realised. * How to provide decision-makers with the appropriate level of detail for different types of decisions. * The concept of ‘black box’ services – how much do people actually need to know? * The role of trust and transparency in building systems that work. * How behavioural science is shaping Clym’s approach to systems design and operational excellence. Clym is expressing his own views, rather than representing the position of Vattenfall. Episode Resources Find Clym at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clym-stock-williams-68007212/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/clym-stock-williams-68007212/]  During the discussion, we refer to the following: Joseph Paris / Operational Excellence: Joseph Paris, State of Readiness [https://state-of-readiness.com/] Operational Excellence Collection [https://opexsociety.org/operational-excellence-collection/] David Rock / SCARF: Rock, David (2008) "SCARF: a brain-based model for collaborating with and influencing others", NeuroLeadership Journal, 1 Rock, David and Cox, Christine (2012) "SCARF® in 2012: updating the social neuroscience of collaborating with others", NeuroLeadership Journal, 4 Scarf Model Motivate Your Employees [https://neuroleadership.com/your-brain-at-work/scarf-model-motivate-your-employees] Scarf Assessment [https://neuroleadership.com/research/tools/nli-scarf-assessment/] Susan Michie, UCL / The Behaviour Change Wheel: The Behaviour Change Wheel [https://www.behaviourchangewheel.com/] UCL Behaviour Change/ Training [https://www.ucl.ac.uk/behaviour-change/training] Human Behaviour Change Project / Webinars [https://www.humanbehaviourchange.org/webinars] Progressive Disclosure / Design Principles: Progressive Disclosure [https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/progressive-disclosure] User Centred Design [https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/user-centered-design] Nonviolent communication: What is NVC [https://www.cnvc.org/learn/what-is-nvc] Paul Gibbons: The Science of Organizational Change [https://paulgibbons.net/books/] Speak to the human is a podcast by Acteon [https://www.acteoncommunication.com/], a communication and learning agency that harnesses behavioural insights to help organisations connect with their people and deliver positive change. Find out more at acteoncommunication.com [https://www.acteoncommunication.com/].  Everything an organisation achieves comes down to what its people actually do. Speak to the Human explores how people think, behave, and make decisions at work. Through real stories and practical conversations, each episode investigates the human behaviours that drive outcomes – and how organisations can respond. Hosted by James Woodman from Acteon, a Cambridge-based consultancy specialising in communication, learning, and behaviour change in organisations. Find out more at acteoncommunication.com [https://www.acteoncommunication.com/]