The Chief Psychology Officer

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In this episode of The Chief Psychology Officer, Dr Amanda Potter and Kristian Lees-Bell explore cognitive dissonance, the mental discomfort we feel when our beliefs, values, and behaviours do not align. From everyday choices to high-pressure leadership decisions, they discuss why the brain often rushes to reduce discomfort by rationalising, justifying, or reframing decisions, even when those decisions may not be the most effective.

Amanda and Kristian also examine how cognitive dissonance influences decision-making, bias, self-awareness, and workplace behaviour, particularly during periods of stress, ambiguity, and organisational change. They explore the links between cognitive dissonance, confirmation bias, anchoring bias, optimism bias, and resilience, highlighting why leaders need to create space for reflection rather than defaulting to the path of least resistance.

This practical conversation offers insight into how we can notice cognitive dissonance, challenge our assumptions, and make better decisions by becoming more honest with ourselves about the gap between what we believe and how we behave.
Episodes are available here https://www.thecpo.co.uk/

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In this episode of The Chief Psychology Officer Podcast, Dr Amanda Potter and Caitlin Cooper are joined by occupational psychologist and Chief Connection Officer John Cooper to explore why human connection is essential to performance at work.

Together, they discuss why great teams are not built through harmony alone, but through the quality of connection that allows people to challenge, support, trust, and understand each other. John shares why the “chemistry” between people matters, and Amanda reflects on how this connects to psychological safety, belonging, resilience, and the environments organisations create.

The conversation also explores how AI and new ways of working may be changing the way we connect. As work becomes more efficient, remote, and technology-enabled, there is a risk that we turn to tools before we turn to each other.

This episode asks an important question for leaders and organisations: are we building in the conditions for people to continue to build trust, strengthen relationships, and perform well together?

Tune into Episode 94: Why Great Teams Need Friction with John Cooper.
Episodes are available here https://www.thecpo.co.uk/

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Ep 93 Stop fixing people: start fixing work with Jo Yarker
What does it take to sustain performance over time?
In this episode of the Chief Psychology Officer podcast, Dr Amanda Potter is joined by Professor Jo Yarker to explore how organisations can create healthy working environments that support both wellbeing and performance.
Many organisations invest in resilience and wellbeing initiatives, yet still struggle with burnout, disengagement, and declining performance. This conversation challenges why and where organisations may be focusing on the wrong solutions.
Rather than placing responsibility on individuals, this episode explores the role of organisational systems, leadership behaviour, and work design in shaping employee health and resilience.
Key themes include:
 Why sustainable performance depends on healthy work, not just resilient individuals 
 The shift from reactive wellbeing initiatives to proactive prevention 
 How leadership and line managers influence employee health and performance 
 The impact of workload, clarity, and consistency on resilience 
 The IGLU framework. understanding how individual, group, leader, organisational, and external factors interact 
 Why health should be treated as a core business outcome 
This episode is for HR leaders, senior executives, and organisations looking to reduce burnout, improve employee wellbeing, and build environments where people can perform consistently under pressure.
Because sustainable performance is not driven by effort alone. it is enabled by healthy work.
Episodes are available here https://www.thecpo.co.uk/

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To access the research white papers mentioned in this and other podcasts, please go to: https://www.betalent.com/research
 
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In this episode of The Chief Psychology Officer Podcast, Dr Amanda Potter and Caitlin Cooper are joined by Adam Smith, a mindset and behavioural change coach, to explore the inner critic, negative self-talk, and the language we use to describe ourselves.
Adam shares his personal story and explains how our thoughts, labels, and belief systems can shape confidence, resilience, behaviour, and performance. The conversation looks at how unhelpful self-talk develops, why familiar patterns can keep us stuck, and how changing our language can help us build healthier habits and a more constructive mindset.
This episode covers:
how to recognise and manage your inner critic
the impact of negative self-talk on confidence and wellbeing
why labels and belief systems matter
how language shapes behaviour and results
practical ways to reframe thoughts with more helpful language
how curiosity, gratitude, and self-compassion support change
If you are interested in resilience, confidence, mindset, leadership psychology, or improving the way you speak to yourself, this episode offers practical and powerful insights. 

Episodes are available here https://www.thecpo.co.uk/

To follow Zircon on LinkedIn and to be first to hear about podcasts, publications and news, please like and follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/betalent-by-zircon/

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For more information about the BeTalent suite of tools and platform please contact: [email protected]

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Decisiveness is not speed; it is clarity. We explore how top teams make better choices by slowing the front end of the process, framing the real problem, agreeing decision criteria, and then committing with pace. Joined by leadership coach Mark Herbert, we unpack the human side of decisions—how dopamine, mood and pressure change what feels obvious, how halo and horns biases skew judgment, and why similarity bias keeps boardrooms comfortable but wrong.

We get practical about building cognitive diversity you can actually use. Mark shares simple moves that shift thinking on demand: invite an external provoker, seat the newest voice next to the most senior, or create distance by asking be someone else, be somewhere else, be sometime else. We also dive into decision styles, moving beyond self-awareness to self-engagement—understanding how your pace, risk stance and intuition land on others, and how to turn friction into value. Visual team profiles, thinking hats, and clear contracting help teams replace circular debates with crisp outcomes.

The heart of our conversation is a meta-skill: decide how to decide. Before arguing options, align on reversibility, ownership, criteria and authority. Are we voting, seeking consensus, or does a single decision-maker hold the D? That simple ritual prevents flip-flopping, reduces rework, and boosts follow-through. We look at why extremes in style are potential superpowers when respected, how environment shapes attention and thought, and where AI fits—great for speed and options, but still not relational. Thoughtful leaders use AI as input and keep values, context and commitment firmly human.

Mark also lifts the lid on his seven-step decision masterclass, where leaders from different industries bring live dilemmas and practice better thinking in a calm, outdoor setting designed to reduce noise and increase attention. The result is a repeatable way to make choices under uncertainty without losing pace or people. If this conversation helped sharpen your approach, follow and subscribe for more human-centred leadership insights, share it with a colleague who shapes big calls, and leave a quick review to tell us what you’ll try first.

Episodes are available here https://www.thecpo.co.uk/

To follow Zircon on LinkedIn and to be first to hear about podcasts, publications and news, please like and follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/betalent-by-zircon/

To access the research white papers mentioned in this and other podcasts, please go to: https://www.betalent.com/research
 
For more information about the BeTalent suite of tools and platform please contact: [email protected]