Podcast Topics 2024
September: Confidence
Debs and Lau explore confidence during September, from developing strong inner confidence for outer presence to overcoming bullying bosses and the trauma they wreak.
Confidence is essential to our success at work and in life - and the pair take a deep dive into the part it plays in enabling us to be able to achieve our hopes and dreams.
Practical steps to pursuing your career dream and best practices for stepping up as a first-time leader are also included in this month’s discussions, alongside a series of special guests sharing their own stories and advice too.
August: Summer Happy Hour
This month, Debs and Lau enjoyed a Summer Happy Hour, where learning is free and there’s enough for everyone. Episodes during August were a quick 10 min shot to refresh and reset your intention, delicious content mixed with some cool beach bar music vibes.
As ever, the podcast is bursting with practical ideas for boosting or sustaining motivation. Ideal sundowner for those wanting a supportive and inspirational pep talk.
August’s episodes cover:
196. Mojo Mojito (10 mins shot on motivation)
197. People Colada (10 mins shot on compassion)
198. Aperformance Spritz (10 mins shot on performance)
199. Expressive Martini (10 mins shot on communication)
200. Grin and Tonic (10 mins shot on energy)
July: Customer Service Excellence
July’s first episode marked the mid-year point with a reminder about the power of taking a moment to pause, process and reflect on the past six months to set up well for the next. The Stoics practised the art of 'savouring' our past successes to boost confidence, endurance and energy to face the future challenges and opportunities.
Debs and Lau then moved onto a three-part mini-series about customer service and the role it plays in enabling organisations to thrive now and into the future. As more service experiences are becoming automated or augmented, for example with AI-enabled chatbots, being human is fast becoming the premium service differentiator. So how can we maximise every moment when providing a service experience with a customer, client, patient, passenger, student or internal stakeholder?
June: Maximising Personal Touch
In a world that is becoming increasingly automated, with AI now an everyday term, Debs and Lau explore how to remain empowered and confident. They share insights into the importance of making time for the human moments, bringing our personal touch to the interaction and how to balance the tasks we complete with the impact we create.
Many workplaces are demanding quicker and deeper levels of innovation, focus, creativity and problem-solving. As Apple unleashes AI in 1 billion smartphones across the planet (reported 11 June 2024), what role will human thinking have in the ever-changing world of work now and into the future? They explore practical tips for looking after your ability to think clearly (use it or lose it) and strategies for helping self and others to process information to apply accurately and flexibly.
As AI powers up around us, remaining empowered in our ability to think and bring our human edge to a situation is vital for personal wellness, team morale and industry confidence in how we navigate these new human/machine pathways ahead of us. Episodes will cover being human in an AI workplace, maximising your cognitive potential, thinking quickly on your feet and how coaching is the enabler for maximising human touch.
May: Redefining Careers
From the benefits of having different experiences to enable more choice as you progress along your journey, to having the power and confidence to embrace new opportunities.
Whether planned or unplanned, actively seeking new experiences gives us more resilience if options suddenly change (recessions, redundancies etc) and keeps us empowered and confident to leave if we are not happy in our current role.
This discussion will explore how skills are often transferable and therefore we can keep empowered in the knowledge that you can shift industries or levels if you want to. Your technical expertise will only get you so far, at some point you must be able to work with people, and this lightbulb moment can liberate us to realise we always have a choice.
Debs and Lau are joined by special guests including Andy Pule who shares his advice for having different experiences, Matt Sims shared his experience becoming a solo-preneur focusing on his passion and purpose, and Siobhan Anderson who shared her journey overcoming academic self-doubt through mentorship and skill enhancement.
From the benefits of having different experiences to enable more choice as you progress along your journey to having the power and confidence to leave if we are not happy in what we are doing.
Episodes will cover career diversity gives you choices later, creating career lightbulb moments, shifting from employee to solo-preneur, how to nourish your network to flourish your career and
setting up your ‘career Fitbit’ to track your own development.
April: Future Ready, Today
As the waves of change due to automation, digitisation, hybrid working and AI continue to wash through the world of work, Debs and Lau take a practical and proactive look at what we can do today to set up well for the future. Every day we hear about the impact of tech as we head towards 2030: we take a can-do look at what that means for how we prioritise what and how we approach work right now.
Back in 2018 McKinsey's Global Trends report predicted 14% of the world's workforce may need to switch occupational categories. Many of the classic 'vertical' professions are now required to work in much more holistic and creative ways as organisations reshape and transform. It’s still you, but with small adaptations week by week to enable our skills to evolve over time. Learning is a great antidote to shift worries into focus or anxiety into creativity.
A good listen whatever stage of a career, or ideas for running meetings that empower others through times of rapid change. Episodes will cover keeping successful whilst your job is transforming, the role of learning in setting up well for the future, looking out for everyday opportunities to learn and develop and bringing the benefits of mentoring and coaching to everyday life.
March: how to avoid burnout
Shining a light on burnout and overwhelm in March, the team explores how you can protect yourself and others from experiencing it. They discuss how to stay mentally well when your workload is high and how to have proactive conversations around workload.
Special guest, Alexis Neighbour, shares her observations about burnout indicators and measures to overcome them. It’s important to identify tasks that are overwhelming, understanding your priorities and being clear on what’s expected of you in your role.
The art of delegation and how it can significantly help alleviate overwhelm is discussed too. Prioritising our wellbeing and productivity starts with gathering the information that identifies what work may be able to be distributed among others. Being able to delegate less critical tasks to others means you’re able to focus on your priorities.
February: effective hybrid working
In February, Debs and Lau explored how we can be effective in a hybrid working world, manage our time efficiently and get the best out of ourselves and our teams. Time management has always been a ‘hot’ topic. Now more than ever being able to navigate our way through a mixture of in-person and virtual worlds is a skill we all need to master as it becomes our new normal.
It’s important to establish a daily routine that incorporates both remote and in-office work hours. Knowing what time you can allocate to key activities, such as meetings, focused work and breaks (super important to remember!) will help you to thrive. Empowering yourself to set boundaries, communicating your intentions when it comes to your schedule, availability and progress on tasks is key.
Special guest, Kate Maddison-Greenwell shares her research which suggests 76% of managers do not feel equipped with the skills for hybrid working. Balancing flexibility with the need to align and organise a team, Kate shares her framework which sums up the best practices that enable hybrid success. A must listen.
January: motivating goals & optimistic mindsets
The Secrets from a Coach team kicks off the year by taking a dive into how best to set motivating goals that focus on the opportunities all around us. By adopting an optimistic mindset, we can overcome any challenges that our own personal saboteurs want to throw our way.
The key to creating great goals is to first establish where you are now and where you want to be. Then with a plan you can break down your overarching goals into smaller, manageable tasks to tackle one at a time.
Having an optimistic mindset and a can-do approach helps you strive towards your goals. An abundance mindset points the focus to growth and success, rather than limitations and obstacles. So, if along the way we’re faced with an obstacle we can view it as an opportunity for learning and innovation, so we can approach our goals with confidence and positivity.
Podcast Topics 2023
December: Who I am is how I work
This month Debs and Lau take a deep dive into our identity and sense of self at work.
How do we recognise and know our worth – and how do we measure our intangible impact on people and opportunities to get the best out of our working lives.
The team looks at how you keep the spark of excitement and motivation going at work. When the thrill is gone around performance mindset, confidence in your ability and success. What does success look like and how do we get it?
November: Diversity & inclusion in the workplace
Debs and Lau explore how we can take a genuine approach to D&I in our workplaces to create a thriving culture together. Equity, diversity and inclusion are big words for society in general which need to be carefully navigated to future-proof a successful team culture.
To be different is to be human but we humans don’t always make it easy. The team shares top tips for leaders both current and aspiring about how to practise and encourage others to be inclusive.
Guests include the award-winning Nzinga Orgill MBA, CEO & Founder at RaCExpert Ltd to discuss practical advice for opening the safe, brave space that is required to be able to solve D&I problems and challenges.
Plus, HR D&I expert Kate Maddison-Greenwell who explains how it’s not ‘just a HR thing’ and shares her advice on how to make work cultures more inclusive in practice. Particularly relevant for those organisations who are shifting away from 'working from home as the default' towards a more hybrid model.
October: Stretching comfort zones
This month is all about stretching our comfort zones. Pushing ourselves to boost confidence, energy and pride, but without feeling negative pressure and stress.
From setting a Personal Development Plan (PDP) which is a great way to set stretch goals that enable a sense of progress over time, to tips and ideas for regaining our spark at work.
Debs and Lau focus on the upside of familiarity in how it enables confidence and innovation rather than prompting a move to greener pastures. Like any successful long-term relationship, keeping the spark going takes honesty, commitment and a desire to make time count.
They also look at how best to steady our nerves and channel short-term discomfort into long-term growth and confidence.
Guests include performance coach Karl Green, who shares his tips from a life on the stage for accessing a performance mindset, and practical advice for those stretch moments. The team also hears from Damien Hoadley-Brown who took the decision to move from a corporate project management role in a global PLC to teach his passion for Tai Chi as his full-time occupation.
September: Performance Management
To some people ‘performance management’ has negative connotations, often it’s associated with less than good performance at work. For others, it offers a chance to discuss the status quo, take stock of achievements and gather valuable feedback.
Working with managers, leaders and employees over the last 20 years, the SFAC team knows that performance management is always a hot topic. In September, they explore the different elements that enable us to perform at our best.
With guest interviews about maximising performance potential, Lau and Debs explore what you need to do to prepare for a performance conversation as both a manager and employee. They share top tips on giving great feedback and how to manage performance fairly and consistently.
So, tune in and explore ways to dust off the murkiness surrounding it and instead bring a breath of fresh air into ‘performance management’.
August: Summer Sizzler
Debs and Lau are about looking after their mind-health and in August put into practice advice and guidance around self-care and wellbeing. The wider SFAC team shares how you too can sizzle this summer in a special only on YouTube.
Each week they’re joined by a special guest who shares their very own go-to top tips for sizzling up your mind-health and wellbeing this Summer. Whether you’re on the beach, packing your case, about to board a plane or have a beautifully British staycation waiting for you - remember to put your wellness as a priority. So, pull up your deckchair and take 15 minutes to focus on because you’re so worth it.
Ep1 Summer Sizzlers with Debs and Lau
Plan for recovery time and count down to the break because you're more likely to honour it.
Ep2 – Summer Sizzlers with Mel
Don’t compare pictures and videos of other people’s amazing holidays in the sunshine – we all have ups downs that you don’t see on social media posts.
Ep3 – Summer Sizzlers with Lindz
Be conscious of Radiators and Drains - connect with people who give you positive energy and lift you up and stay away from those people who drain you.
Ep4 – Summer Sizzlers With Karl and Debs
https://youtu.be/tppwWuQN5QM?si=DBimZT7zeyz4YqqC
Connect with others – it’s important to be with people who fill you with joy. And, listen to music to lift you up. To help with a challenging or emotional situation – music can help you tap into more positive feelings – and your body will respond too.
July: The Management Frontier
From handling internal promotion and the challenges of change, to starting out fresh and unlocking the benefits of neurodivergence, being a manager requires a vast and evolving range of skills.
An ideal listen for anyone who is stepping out into new frontiers or is considering whether to go for a promotion to manager. The SFAC team shares simple ways to set your 'first 90 days' plan, how to level up your reputation if it is creating a shadow, and tips for focusing attention on the benefits of having an 'insider' as the manager.
Having quality conversations - whether handling the challenges of change, raising the topic of under-performance, or approaching a team member who you’ve noticed showing a change in can be a tricky area of management to navigate. The team shares simple ways to dial up emotional intelligence, set the scene for a lean and clean performance conversation, and explain the TALKED approach to checking-in on someone in a caring (not scary) way.
Motivation is the essence that underpins engagement levels - wanting to stay in that organisation and deliver your best. Debs and Lau hear from managers who are starting out and wanting simple advice for structuring a performance-related conversation in a motivating way, to senior leaders wanting to leverage the power of a coaching style in a hybrid, matrix team environment.
They also share tips for understanding and planning for the impact of change on teams, keeping people safe along the ups and downs, and putting your own seatbelt on as the manager. Communication, visibility and transparency from managers is how people place their trust in seeing the change through to the end.
June: you and your mind
Following several recent coaching conversations with GenZ’ers, the team has found a surprisingly low optimistic mindset about their lives and emerging futures.
In June, the team looks at why having an optimistic mindset is essential for a happy and healthy life, and how the way you see yourself and your personal level of accountability dramatically impacts wellbeing.
Key topics discussed include how to refocus to an optimistic mindset, handling self-doubt, saying no in a positive way, how best to achieve what you actually want in life, and how to transition from imposter to empowerment.
May: mid-year wellness maintenance check
In May the team takes a beat to assess progress so far this year and what needs to happen next to thrive in 2023. Each episode is joined by a special guest sharing their wisdom, expertise and advice.
Health, fitness and wellness expert, Matt Vale, joins Debs and Lau to discuss how to make the right decisions to consistently maintain your mental and physical wellness.
They look at how we can sustain change, achieve goals and get back on track if we’ve lost our way. They’ll give advice about how to overcome a negative mindset, make the right decisions for you and share tools about how to do your own maintenance wellness check.
April: mindful manager
The April four-part series looks at key learnings from four influential mindful manager books. Ideal for those people who don’t have time to read but still want to learn. If you haven’t got time to think about these topics – now is the time to listen in and get a quick digest - with practical skills, tools and strategies to help you.
The books discussed this month include:
Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behaviour (or, How to Understand Those Who Cannot Be Understood) Paperback – by Thomas Erikson
Four Thousand Weeks: Time and how to use it – by Oliver Burkeman
How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships - by Leil Lowndes
The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials Into Triumph – by Ryan Holiday
MARCH: all about the team
Exploring the world of teams, March looks at shifting conversations above the ‘drama line’ to setting a team up for success.
Now more than ever, we’re being asked to work at a fast pace, with less resources, so we need to know how to minimise politics and maximise pace. Whether you’re in a hybrid working environment, face to face or a mix of the two – matrix working is the new norm. Knowing how to empower our teams is a key skill for all leaders, but it’s down to each and every one of us to be accountable for clearly conveying a message.
It’s all about collaboration and showing how we care about others. So, whether you are new into your organisation or moved from another department – you will learn the skills to make or break the relationships through your words, actions, behaviour and attitude.
Discovering how to create a team that works together and thrives, regardless of the challenges or opportunities it’s presented with, means that work can be a place that enables you to be your best self and enables others to do the same. a product or service you'd like to show.
February: future proofing our human edge
The February podcast series looks at ways to continue to be your best self and on top of your game, regardless of the changes and new innovations that are coming your way in the workplace.
As Chat GPT takes over the world, the podcast focuses on the things we can do to maintain our everyday human-edge skills that cannot be replicated by robots. Looking at better ways to connect, innovate, engage and empower, February is not only a celebration of love but knowing how to get the best out of everyday conversations to build stronger.
Using our human skills of caring, creativity, collaboration and curiosity, Secrets from a Coach looks at ways to have engaging and motivating conversations. As well as how to develop, review and improve on ideas. No robot can do that quite yet!
Special guest this month is Dr Trudi Taylor a qualified professional coach, coach supervisor and Human and Organisational Performance Change Partner, who shares her wisdom and experience of creating collaborative conversations. something interesting about your business here.
January: start as you mean to go on
The January four-part series explores how to set intent for the now, the near and the future.
By being able to identify what’s important to you to create a plan that enables a sense of freedom and focus, within a framework to keep you on track, as you navigate your way through the new year. Rather than function on autopilot, they’ll discuss how setting your intent gives you choice, opportunities and possibilities as you head into 2023 and beyond.
Recognising that employee engagement is a hot topic regardless of the time of year. The podcast will also discuss how employee engagement is a two-way street.
Understanding your people, delivering on promises, being visible, clarity around vision and valuing each contribution your people make can help engagement to soar. something exciting your business offers? Say it here.