Building Better Cultures

Data convinces. Stories move people. So why do we still lead with the spreadsheet?
In this best-bits episode of Building Better Cultures, Scott McInnes goes back to two conversations about the power of narrative at work: Richard Newman (EP108) on the neuroscience of emotional engagement, and Alison Esse (EP012) on purpose-led storytelling at scale.
Richard Newman explains what actually happens in the brain when you open with a chart instead of a story. Spreadsheets speak to the logical mind, but the emotional brain decides first and it decides whether anything gets through at all. He walks through the leadership retreat where nobody could remember a single decision three months later, why "cognitive fatigue" is a better diagnosis than screen fatigue, and the line that sums up the whole problem: we treat people like human doings rather than human beings. Alison Esse picks up the organisational side: the corporate narrative, the red thread that has to run from the frontline to the CEO, and why leaders are so often the worst people at telling their own stories.
The common thread? Engage people emotionally first, logically second. Do it the other way round and nothing sticks.
Key Takeaways
The emotional brain gets there first. Every input passes through it before the logical mind sees it, so if you open with data you have already lost the room.
Data convinces, stories move. Being right is not the same as being understood, and it is definitely not the same as being acted on.
If nobody can repeat it, it did not land. People remember stories and quote lines from them. Nobody quotes a slide.
It is cognitive fatigue, not screen fatigue. People will happily binge four hours of Netflix after a long week, so the screen is not the problem, being engaged logically all day with no emotional connection is.
Storytelling is misunderstood, not soft. It is not anecdotes about your weekend, and it does not need the hero's journey. It is sharing information in the way the brain wants to receive it.
Every organisation needs a red thread. A narrative that connects the frontline to the CEO gives people something to believe in and repeat.
Leaders are often worst at telling their own story. The people with the most to share are usually the most reluctant, which is why story champions matter.
Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction: why we still lead with the spreadsheet
00:30 – Richard Newman: how stories help leaders influence, and the retreat nobody remembered
04:00 – Inception, and why a story goes deeper than a slide
05:00 – Cognitive fatigue vs screen fatigue
05:38 – "Human doings, not human beings": engage emotionally first, logically second
05:47 – Alison Esse: corporate narrative, purpose and the red thread from frontline to CEO
10:16 – Wrap-up: what story is your organisation telling right now?
Hear the full conversations
EP108 – Richard Newman: https://inspiringchange.libsyn.com/108-the-science-of-storytelling-how-it-works-richard-newman
EP012 – Alison Esse: https://inspiringchange.libsyn.com/ep12-alison-esse-co-founder-the-storytellers
Resources & Links
Download our new Research: Bridging the Connection Gap
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Connect with Scott McInnes: LinkedIn
Tags
storytelling, business storytelling, communication, leadership communication, neuroscience, emotional engagement, cognitive fatigue, corporate narrative, purpose, internal communications, employee engagement, workplace culture, influence, presentation skills, Richard Newman, Alison Esse, Scott McInnes, Building Better Cultures, Inspiring Change, best bits, podcast compilation

Lessons from the Locker Room (BBC Best Bits Ep1)
What do a rugby coach, a rugby captain and an RAF pilot have in common? Turns out, they all know quite a lot about leadership.
In our first 'Best Bits' episode, Scott McInnes revisits three standout conversations with leaders who've performed under real pressure: Stuart Lancaster, Jamie Heaslip and Peter Docker.
Stuart Lancaster explains why psychological safety and mutual trust sit at the heart of every high-performance culture, and why great leadership is built on relationships, not titles. Jamie Heaslip takes on vulnerability, the most talked-about leadership trait of all, and makes the case that purpose, psychological safety and the freedom to fail are what actually unlock performance. And Peter Docker shares the story of a 2002 mid-air emergency, and what the most experienced pilot on board did in those first two critical seconds: absolutely nothing.
The common thread running through it all? Great leaders know when not to act.
Key Takeaways
Psychological safety isn't a nice-to-have. If people can't challenge their leaders honestly, you don't have a high-performance culture, you have compliance.
Great leadership is built on relationships. Trust between people, built deliberately over time, is the foundation everything else stands on.
Vulnerability is a strength. Leaders who are open about what they don't know give their teams permission to do the same.
People need purpose and the freedom to fail. When teams connect to why they do what they do, and aren't afraid to get things wrong, performance follows.
Sometimes the strongest thing a leader can do is nothing. Calm is contagious, and preparing your people so well that you don't need to step in is the real mark of leadership.
Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction
00:31 – Stuart Lancaster: psychological safety, trust and relationships
04:41 – Jamie Heaslip: vulnerability, purpose and the freedom to fail
09:32 – Peter Docker: the 2002 cockpit emergency and the power of doing nothing
13:36 – Wrap-up
Hear the full conversations
EP072 – Stuart Lancaster: Click Here
EP048 – Jamie Heaslip: Click Here
EP087 – Peter Docker: Click Here
Download our new report: Bridging The Connection Gap
Connect with us
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Connect with Scott McInnes: LinkedIn

In this episode, Scott McInnes is joined once again by Inspiring Change's Sadhbh O'Flaherty to dig into their latest research, Bridging the Connection Gap. Building on last year's Mind the Gap study, where CPOs and CEOs identified disconnection as one of the top barriers to a strong, aligned culture, Scott and Sadhbh went deeper, speaking one-on-one with senior leaders to understand what's really getting in the way of human connection at work today. 

Six clear themes emerged from those conversations: busyness, hybrid working, silos, leadership influence, digital overload, and generational differences. Throughout the episode, Scott and Sadhbh unpack each theme with real examples, personal experience, and practical suggestions for how organisations, leaders, and individuals can respond.  

The common thread running through it all? Intentionality.  

Connection at work doesn't happen by accident, it has to be actively and deliberately built. 

Key Takeaways 

Culture is infrastructure, not decoration. Connection underpins trust, performance, wellbeing, innovation, and resilience, and its absence is felt even if it can't always be measured. 


Busyness has become a badge of honour. Many people feel they need to appear constantly busy to seem productive, which squeezes out time for genuine connection. 


Hybrid isn't broken, it's just not intentional. The real issue isn't where people work, but whether teams are deliberate about how, when, and why they connect. 


Team commitments matter more than blanket policies. A one-size-fits-all approach to hybrid rarely works; teams need the flexibility to define what connection looks like for them. 


Silos aren't inherently bad, deep expertise is valuable, but they need active bridges (empathy, communication, shared touchpoints) to avoid isolation and misalignment. 


Leaders have an outsized influence on connection. Connection across a team or organisation is often only as strong as its leadership, but leaders also need empathy, support, and realistic expectations, since they're stretched thin too. 


Digital tools haven't delivered better connection, just more channels. Increased digital connectivity often comes at the cost of the human cues (tone, body language, energy) that build real understanding between people. 


Generational differences mean different connection needs. With up to five generations now in the workplace, a single approach to connection won't resonate with everyone, open conversations about what people actually want are essential. 


Small, consistent steps beat big overnight change. Building connection back into work doesn't require a complete overhaul, just intentional, incremental shifts in how teams already operate. 


Timestamps 

00:00 – Introduction and episode overview 00:47 – Backstory: the Mind the Gap research and why Inspiring Change revisited disconnection 03:45 – Why culture is "the infrastructure that holds an organization together" 05:17 – How the Bridging the Connection Gap research was conducted and the six themes uncovered 06:41 – Challenge 1: Busyness, the "busy badge of honour" and its impact on connection 12:02 – Challenge 2: Hybrid working, why hybrid isn't the problem, intentionality is 17:43 – The power of team commitments and team-level flexibility 19:20 – Challenge 3: Silos, the value of expertise vs. the need to bridge across teams 24:58 – Challenge 4: Leadership influence, why connection is only as strong as your leaders 28:02 – Clarifying "leaders" as people managers, not just the executive team 31:11 – Challenge 5: Digital, being more "connected" but less genuinely close 37:52 – Challenge 6: Generational differences, five generations, different connection needs 44:11 – Closing thoughts and where to find the full Bridging the Connections Gap report 


 

Resources & Links: 

Bridging the Connections Gap Report 

Mind the Gap Report 

  

Connect with us: 

LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Instagram 

 
 

Connect with Scott McInnes: 

LinkedIn 

Connect with Sadhbh O'Flaherty: 

LinkedIn

In this week's episode, Scott McInnes sits down with Christine Armstrong, to dive deep into the critical importance of connection in the workplace. Together they explore how workplace trends have eroded relationships and the role of intentionality in creating a thriving organisational culture. 

Christine offers practical strategies to rebuild trust at work and really nurture those vital human connections. 

 
Key Takeaways: 

Connection is a deliberate act, not a happy accident 


Hierarchical and operational policies inadvertently undermine trust 


Connection thrives on small, frequent interactions, not grand initiatives 


Trust is the foundation for difficult conversations and authentic connection 


The middle layer of work relationships has been lost to societal and organisational shifts 


Organisations should design work around human needs, not assumptions of tradition 


Simple listening and positive reinforcement are the most cost-effective trust builders 



 

Timestamps: 

00:00 Introduction to Connection in the Workplace 

02:20 The Importance of Connection 

05:20 Impact of COVID on Workplace Connections 

08:09 Rebuilding Connections: Strategies and Initiatives 

11:39 Creating Learning Moments and Engagement 

14:12 Responsibility for Connection in the Workplace 

19:50 Navigating Difficult Conversations 

23:46 Assuming Positive Intent in Communication 

27:02 Meeting Diverse Needs in the Workplace 

30:40 Consequences of Weak Connections 

35:06 The Power of Listening to Rebuild Connections 

 

  

Connect with us: 

LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Instagram 

  

Connect with Christine: 

LinkedIn |  Website

In this week's episode, Scott is joined by authors Minette Norman and Karolin Helbig as they delve into practical strategies for fostering trust, vulnerability, and inclusion in organisations, and explore the nuances of psychological safety. This episode reveals how small changes can lead to profound shifts in workplace culture.
In this episode, you'll discover:
·       The definition and emotional experience of psychological safety
·       The importance of vulnerability and courageous communication for leaders
·       How default behaviours and default settings impact team inclusivity
·       The role of self-awareness in changing organisational culture
·       Micro habits and deliberate experimentation to embed safety practices
·       Managing reactions and emotional responses in high-stakes interactions
·       The connection between risk-taking, failure, and innovation
·       Designing inclusive rituals and meetings to foster belonging
·       Practical tips for leaders to create psychologically safe teams today
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to psychological safety and why it matters
02:26 - Defining psychological safety and its emotional impact
03:01 - The visceral feelings of safety versus threat
10:00 - Turning awareness into default behaviors to reduce exhaustion
13:02 - The role of self-awareness in behavior change
17:15 - The responsibility of senior leaders in setting cultural tone
22:08 - Balancing expertise with vulnerability for authentic leadership
26:36 - Creating space for understanding and curiosity in conversations
32:16 - Embracing risk and failure as catalysts for growth
37:39 - Designing meetings intentionally to foster participation and belonging
40:00 - Closing thoughts and resources
Resources & Links:
·       Psychological Safety Playbook
 
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Connect with Minette & Karolin:
Karolin Helbig on LinkedIn |  Minette Norman on LinkedIn