Hello, everyone. My name is Joanne Lockwood and I'm your host for the Inclusion Bites podcast. In this series, I have interviewed a number of amazing people and simply had a conversation around the subject of inclusion, belonging and generally making the world a better place for everyone to thrive. If you'd like to join me in the future, then please do drop me a line to jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk, that's S-E-E Change Happen dot Co dot UK. You can catch up with all of the previous shows on iTunes, Spotify and the usual places.
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Humanising Workplaces
The Inclusion Bites Podcast
Humanising Workplaces
JL
Speaker
Joanne Lockwood
BA
Speaker
Ben Afia
00:00 Focusing on language to humanize large organisations. 04:37 Micro copy on websites influences customer trust.
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“I was trying to help the organisation to relate to customers in the way that they want to be related to, the way they would want to be spoken to.”
“But sometimes you get a letter and it feels like you're being, I don't know, criticised or attacked or sued in a correspondence that should be friendly and warm. But that warmth never comes through, does it?”
“And the end result of that for me is, and all the evidence shows that companies that deliver on their promise and turn customers into advocates, people who come back and buy more and bring their friends with them refer are more profitable.”
“I worked with a mutual friend of ours, Sarah Fox, on my terms and conditions recently, and when I wrote them originally, I wrote them with my bouncing ball on the words in my head so that they actually sound like me.”
“You do need to find a way of describing that voice in a way that the people using it can apply.”
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Full transcript
So plug in your headphones, grab a decaf and let's get going. Today is episode 102 with the title Humanising Business and I have the absolute honour and privilege to welcome Ben Afia. Ben describes himself as someone who makes business more human, and when I asked Ben to describe his superpower, he said he has a particular sensitivity to the nuances of language. Hello, Ben, welcome to the show.
Thank you for having me, Jo, it's an absolute pleasure.
Yeah, we've been having a great chat in the green room and I'm so looking forward to this humanising business. What does that mean?
Yeah, it's quite a bold statement, isn't it? I suppose, but it's been my mission for possibly the last 2025 years. I've really started focusing on language, in particular, when I was at Boots, the chemists, about 25 years ago, and I got to work on the first brand tone of voice. We were working on brand strategy, the tone of voice and language of the business. And in any large organisation, you've got a level of complexity and dehumanising, if you like, because you've got a lot of people, so you have process and you've got bureaucracy and politics, and that all gets in the way of relationships inside the organisation and that gets in turn in the way of relationships outside. So with customers. So at Boots, I was trying to help the organisation to relate to customers in the way that they want to be related to, the way they would want to be spoken to. And then when I set up my consultancy about 19 and a half, nearly 20 years ago, I found myself coming across organise other organisations who had similar problems. So I worked with companies like BP, Vodafone, Aviva, Google, and I found a similar pattern that these larger businesses, just because they're large, they have certain issues that get in the way of being human.
And what's the impact of that? Well, certainly when I was an employee, I felt slightly dehumanised, actually. Boots was a wonderful place to work. But I worked in some less wonderful places before that. Many people have this sense of working for the man and that being a dehumanising experience. So if we feel treated less than human internally, how does that reflect in the way that we treat our customers? And it's that connection that I'm really intrigued about. And what I've learned, I suppose, through all the work, that all the consulting that I've done with various clients, is that in order to change the relationship you have with your customers, you need to change the relationship with your people internally first. So that's the nub of it, I'd say.
I like that. I like that nuance. And we see that echoed in, you say the companies you've worked for, the airline industry changed the way they operated many years ago as well, we can probably imagine. I see on LinkedIn every day, people get really frustrated with computer says no, or whoever you talk to. I appreciate you're not necessarily talking about customer service here, you're talking about how you communicate. But sometimes you get a letter and it feels like you're being, I don't know, criticised or attacked or sued in a correspondence that should be friendly and warm. But that warmth never comes through, does it?
Absolutely. And to that extent, yes. I am talking about customer service, because what is a business? A business has products and services that it sells to an audience. That might be a business audience or a consumer audience, or both in many cases. So ultimately, we're creating something that serves a need for people, and people will buy that or not. And so that's where the sense of customer service comes in. Because when you get through the selling and the marketing communication, it's the customer service that really matters. Do you deliver what you promise in your marketing, through your service? And all of those tiny moments, all throughout a customer's journey, are absolutely crucial in shaping a customer's perception of what you're like as an organisation and what you believe in, what you stand for.
So every one of those letters, every one of that, and I look at the kind of the micro copy on websites, the form that you fill in when you make a purchase, or the terms and conditions when they come through at the bottom of the email, when you've bought something, all the contractual stuff is all evidence to a customer of what you stand for, what you believe in. And as a business, it's a promise. It's all part of your promise. What's really interesting is that most organisations spend a lot of time and money investing in the marketing and the sales pitch and aren't necessarily following that through in the rest of the journey, which is when you really learn whether you can trust their organisation and whether you're prepared to stay with them. And the end result of that for me is, and all the evidence shows that companies that deliver on their promise and turn customers into advocates, people who come back and buy more and bring their friends with them refer are more profitable. And I was just listening to a webinar the other day with Fred Reichld, who created the mps net promoter score system at Bain and Company 25, 30 years ago or something, and his latest book, winning on purpose, I think it is. And he has great case studies. He talks about T Mobile in the US in particular, who were at the bottom for customer service, who then really spent time focusing on turning customers into advocates and referrals and became the top for customer service and then for profitability amongst all the mobile networks in the US.
So there is really compelling evidence that treating people like human beings, humanising for your people and for your customers, works.
It's quite easy for you and I, we're solopreneurs, we run our own micro businesses. Our tone of voice is inherent in everything we do because it's basically only ourselves speaking. I like what you're saying there. It's thinking about all those subtle touch points and nuances. I worked with a mutual friend of ours, Sarah Fox, on my terms and conditions recently, and when I wrote them originally, I wrote them with my bouncing ball on the words in my head so that they actually sound like me. And I was very keen. I didn't want them to sound distant, detached, legal. I wanted them to sound warm and friendly like, this is what I'm thinking.
I hope you're thinking the same thing. This is something that I'm worried about. This is something you'll be worried about. I want us to work together and come up with a collaborative solution. If it doesn't work out, let's have a chat about it was kind of my approach. And what do I mean by this? I mean this and it's written in that very friendly, chatty language, which is my internal head voice. And that's what I asked Sarah to keep going. I don't call them terms, I call them my expectations of our relationship.
And she followed that through. And I think you're so right. Everything I do has to have my bouncing ball in my head of how I speak on the words as I speak it, and it has to have my cadence, my rhythm, my bounce, all those. But when you work for a corporate, the challenge is they're so big, so large, who has that internal voice that you're trying to match and how do you communicate?
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And there are some, although few businesses, maybe like virgin, and they can imagine a person at Virgin, they can imagine Richard Branson speaking, and there's the voice. But for most large businesses, you don't necessarily have a publicly known figurehead that you can lean on in that way. So you do need to find a way of describing that voice in a way that the people using it can apply. And I suppose that's what I've done a lot of in the last 20 years or so, is helping an organisation to develop its strategy and its brand strategy, in particular values and behaviours, and translate that into ways of speaking and writing that people who don't have english degrees can relate to and actually employ. Now, you might call that tone of voice guidelines, perhaps, which is something I've done a lot of over the years. But those people who are connecting with your customers, first of all, your marketing teams, and if you're Vodafone, you have hundreds, if not thousands of marketers, you then have tens of thousands of people in customer service, potentially, and you have salespeople dealing with customers in stores, on the phone or in b to b going out to see corporates. So you've got thousands of people representing the brand day in, day out.
So how do you help the ethos or the story of the brand come through consistently? And that's, I guess, what I've been really interested in, because we don't want to turn people into puppets, we're not trying to turn people into drones and get people scripting and repeating the same phrases. I actually strongly believe in help, in empowering people and in equipping people to bring their own voice into it. And what I've found is that when people feel more confident in the way that you want to say things as an organisation and the messages that you want them to bounce off, they actually become much more confident communicators and they will reflect the brand with confidence, naturally. So partly is about definition and defining things, in defining the tone of voice, but then it's also about developing the skills, the capability for people. And quite often in business, we use language day in, day out. We write all the time, don't we? We write emails, we write web pages, we write pieces of marketing in customer service. We're on web chat, or we're writing letters to customers. And how often have we had training? Quite often.
I'll go into an organisation and there's been very little training in writing. It's almost the assumption that you've learned to write at school, so you ought to be able to do it. But actually, no, there's a way of writing in business that is actually different. And it's interesting. My daughter is about to do her a levels. She's doing english literature, and I almost can't coach her because they've been taught to write at school in a way that actually is. They've been taught to use adjectives in a way that I never would in business, because we aim for simplicity and clarity and humanity in business. And it's almost like at school they're being taught something else, and then in academia, it's even worse.
Yeah, don't talk to me about academia. I was doing an MVQ and I couldn't handle the assignments because every time I had it moderated, it was saying, no, you have to write like this. Have to write like that. And I said, no, I can't write this without filler words. I can't write this without my voice in it. You want me to strip it down to short, factual sentences? That's not me.
No. What this makes me think of is the perceptions that we have of the way that we should write. So we grow up in whatever environment we do, learning a way that we're taught to write. We should write the way that we should sound. And so we sort of enter the workplace with lots of assumptions that have been drummed into us as if they're rules of grammar and they're not actually rules of grammar. So a good example is starting a sentence with and but because or so now, if you read most newspapers, you'll find that they do that a lot. I think the Guardian doesn't, but most newspapers just do that with abandon and you don't even notice. But in business writing, it's almost as if we've been taught that that's not correct.
And people have this idea embedded in their brains as if it's a rule of grammar, but it's not. It's actually a style rule. And style emerged. I don't want to get too distracted on too much of a tangent here, but style emerged in the victorian period when people were coming into the cities in the victorian period looking for work, they were coming off the fields and looking for jobs in the factories, when in the industrial revolution and things were booming in the factories, people were coming in and starting businesses, earning money, and you had this emerging middle class coming in from the villages, but there were people who didn't feel very confident in communicating, in conveying themselves in polite society. So you had a whole raft of out of work actors who were turning their hand to creating these style guides to help the aspiring middle class to sound poshure. And this is where a lot of these rules of grammar that we perceive and have become embedded in the last kind of couple of hundred years, but they're actually matters of style, and what they were writing were these style guides. So we have this hangover in business that we should have a certain formality, but actually, our business language, certainly in Britain, to the US, to some extent, Australia as well, has become less formal. So the Internet in the last 2025 years ago or so, has actually brought in different styles of communication, different forms of language.
If you think that we came into the Internet age writing formal letters, and we now have text and WhatsApp and telegram and all sorts of apps, where we message in a much more immediate form, and what that's done is it's brought a style of speech into our writing. And so now, if we write in the traditional letter way, as organisations tend to, or we feel that we should, in business, actually, customers and the public at large find, feel that actually, that's rather over formal, and that puts a barrier up. And I did some work with legal in general, 1819, years ago, not long after I'd started freelancing, and they had done a piece of discourse analysis that highlighted that actually, this language, this formal insurance language, was putting a barrier up between them and customers. And that was the spark, that was the catalyst for them to make some changes.
As you were speaking, I was listening to the way you were constructing your sentences and the words, and you were using the word and sequentially, in a way that you would never use that if you were writing a letter or writing a document, because you just wouldn't have. And this and that and this and that, you'd almost force yourself to shorten that sentence and start again without the third. And because you just look at it and go, that doesn't seem right, but when you were speaking it, you were linking paragraphs and sentences with, and listening to it, it sounded relaxed and normal and typical conversation. So is it a challenge trying to turn the written word into the internal voice of the person, reading it in a way that they can understand it and pick up the same feeling in which it was given onto the page?
I think it is, yeah, that's a really good point, Jo. So, quite often, what I'm trying to help people to do in organisations is to be more themselves and more conversationally themselves. So when I'm working with marketers, it's actually a bit more straightforward because there's a distance off generally between them and the customer, so they have time to think and to think about what's going into their advertising or into their social media or onto a website. So they've got time to consider and they can work as a team to bring more of their spoken voice into play. It's slightly different in customer service because in customer service often people have been taught certain ways that they've picked up in various training over the years, but often that training hasn't been very comprehensive, so they don't have that much confidence in being themselves. I can remember running a workshop in Aeon, so I helped Aeon transition from Powergen to Aeon must, what was it, 15 years ago? Or something like that. I worked with Aeon for about eight years, I think, and we went through that transition. My team and I trained about 4000 people there and I can remember a workshop with some very senior customer service people.
And they were translating a letter, they were looking at a letter and they were really struggling to get the clarity into the tone of voice that I was trying to encourage. The clarity and the informality, not necessarily chattiness, because I don't think customers want that and certainly not from an energy provider. So it's not a chattiness, but a more conversational human tone helps somebody. It expresses, for me, expresses empathy. It shows somebody that you've heard them, a simplicity and a clarity and empathy that shows that you've heard. And I can remember there was a couple working together and I suggested, and they were really struggling to get through their kind of legalistic language, the formality. So I said, why don't you say it as you would say it on the phone to the customer? So person a say it to person b as you would on the phone. Person B write down exactly the words that they say.
And they wrote the words down. I said, there's your letter. They said, what? We can't say this. It's too simple, it's too natural in a way. And I said, you absolutely. Can you tidy it up? You edit it, you can turn that into a letter. But what you've done is you've then brought 25 plus years of experience looking after customers to bear into that letter. And you've shown some empathy and you've connected on a more human level.
So for me, it is about having empathy for the audience, what they're likely to take on board in terms of a message and how they want to hear it and how they're going to feel recognised as a human being, as.
An individual is the challenge with that, though. Whilst we talked about having an avatar of the tone of voice. So Richard Branson Virgin is clearly a person you're talking through, but do you have to try and find an avatar of the receiver? So the person is going to open that letter and that must be a massive challenge because of the multicultural nuances of the person. Open the letter, their heritage, their lived experience, which part of the country, which part of the world, which language they speak. They're going to interpret things with their own bias or lived experience. And that must also be a challenge.
It is. And so there's two sides to that conversation, isn't there? There's the company. So what's the character of the company? And yeah, what's the character of the person you're talking to? So let's take both in turn. So start with the company. In the jargon, in the corporate speak or the marketing speak, I would call this brand personality. And there are all sorts of ways of describing brand personality, but that's part of the kind of the process of developing a brand strategy and it needs to come from the values and it comes from the behaviours that you want to encourage through the organisation. The personality is how that all comes across. So when you connect with a customer or connect with somebody internally, how does that convey itself? What personality traits would you describe yourself by? So that's the first step and you can have some fun with that.
The key is to try to bring it to life in a way that enables people within the organisation to project themselves onto it, to see themselves in that personality. It needs to not be completely prescriptive. You can't tell people how to be as a human being. You can encourage, but you can't force people. So you have to do it in a way that people will relate to and enjoy playing with, enjoy working with and expressing. So that's the kind of the business side of the conversation. But when it comes to the people that we're talking to, I have an exercise that I've used for many years which I found is really powerful for this. You've probably come across the idea of audience personas and I think that they can be misused in a way, and can we really ever describe one segment of an audience in a way that makes sense? There's all sorts of arguments about this and in fact, in my book that I'm hoping to be publishing within two or three months.
The human business. How to love your customers so they love you back. I have a chapter on brand personality, and I talk about this process of an exercise where I help people to step into the personality of their audience. So trying not to be too prescriptive about audience personas, I run this exercise where we use. It uses NLP neurolinguistic programming, and there's this idea of perceptual position, so stepping into somebody else's shoes. So I get people into groups and I give them a communication. So we get some communications from within the organisation that could be better. Obviously, I'm generally looking for communications that are quite poor, but actually you don't need to look too far within an organisation to find things that people want to improve.
And I get people to spend 20 minutes, 25 minutes scoping out, getting an idea of a character of one of the audience, somebody who might be receiving a letter or reading a web page or receiving an email or something like that, or reading a social post. So give them a name, give them an age, imagine what they do, what's their family set up, where do they live, what job do they do? And then imagine a day in their life right from the moment they get up. Because I want people to have the idea that when you're talking to your customers, when you're communicating with an audience of any kind, the context in which they're receiving a communication is the whole of their life. It's almost like within business. We've got this idea that when you're writing to somebody, they're in their business mindset or they're in their customer mindset, and it's obviously not true. We get up, we walk the dog, we get the kids to school. We are panicked and stressed. The packed lunch didn't go quite as well.
There was a traffic jam. Getting the kids to school, you got to your office, or you got back to your desk at home and you're already fraught, and then you read that letter or you get that email through. So when we imagine the whole of this life context for a member of our audience, we immediately have more empathy for that person. Then I get them from that place of empathy to go, okay, in character, in audience, character. Now read the communication. How does it feel to you? What does it make you feel? And people go, I'm confused. Actually. It makes me angry.
It's legalistic, it's formal. I don't understand, I'm not clear. And immediately people know what they want to do differently immediately in that place of empathy, they know what they want to do differently. And that's how I help them to step into an audience frame of mind and appreciate what's going on for them.
I love that. That's so true. I often use a similar example of that where, because we're reading a lot of communications now on our phones, we've got even less control about where that person will pick up that correspondence, whether it's a text message, email, whatever it may be. They could be sat on the toilet, as you say. They could be in a traffic jam, they could be just dropped the kids off at school having a stressy moment and suddenly ping, they go, I'll just quickly read that. And I've picked up communications and there's nothing particularly wrong with the tone of voice or what was being sent to me, but my frame of mind was in completely the wrong place. I was not in the right place to receive that, no matter how good it was. What I should have done was turned my phone off.
What happened was I read it and it then destroyed my mindset for the rest of the day. So I'm looking at the other side sometimes is I'm getting stuff that I really shouldn't read. But we have to appreciate when we're sending stuff, as you pointed out, we've got little control over the situation the person's in.
Absolutely. I've actually got quite an extreme example of that just at the moment. So I'm working with a lovely norwegian consultancy called DNV. They're 14,000 people. They're global. There are 119 nationalities. So I'm thinking about translation and non native english speakers. I'm working on the people HR, intranet and LNd programmes and that sort of stuff.
And they have engineers and surveyors who are literally out on ships. So they do risk and assurance globally. And so many of their people are going to be remote, they will be managing large teams. They might be reading a communication on a phone or a tablet. They probably have patchy Internet access. And I'm trying to encourage them to think, okay, everything's got to be mobile, responsive, everything has got to be super concise. We've got to be thinking about what's in it for our audience, not what do we want to communicate as a company. And this is classic across all of the companies I've ever worked with, because I think it's human nature to have an idea of what we want to say.
And it's so much harder to think what do people actually want to hear? What do they want to receive? So what I'm encouraging in this situation, as I always do, is what's in it for our audience? What do they want to hear, and what way are they most likely to receive that message? How are they likely to take it on board? How can we help them to be open to our message? Because a communication that doesn't land is not a communication. It's completely one sided. It's deaf ears.
And how do you work with organisations where you may be trying to diffuse some conflict? Because sometimes correspondence that goes bad ends up in conflict, or disgruntlement or frustration or whatever it may be. So the customers may be responding to you in writing, via text, in the chat window, however they're going to communicate or on the phone, and there's conflict there, or there's escalation, there's anger, there's frustration. Do you have techniques to help people respond to that sort of communication in a human fashion?
Yes. I think the key to that is leaning into the reality of the situation, the reality of the conflict, the nature of the conversation, or the nature of the negotiation and being real and not trying to clothe things in legal and corporate speak. So what tends to happen when we're in conflict is we default to ways of speaking or ways of writing that legalistic or have a formality. We put a formality to it in order to give the language more gravitas. And that's understandable. That's human, that's normal. The problem with increasing the formality of the language, which is what happens in conflict, is that that then puts your counterparty's barriers up. That actually inspires them to react negatively.
The way to bring those barriers down is to be more human. It's right to the start of the podcast where we talked about making business more human. It's to be more simple, more clear. Use Anglo saxon language. What do I mean by that? So a lot of the language of the professions that arrived with William the Conqueror in 1066, so he brought French, French came from Latin. And so a lot of the language of authority and the professions and power and control has a latin origin, and we end up with these longer words, which people don't trust, interestingly. So what the research suggests is that in British English, certainly people tend to trust shorter anglo saxon origin words, words like love and friends. I don't have any more examples there, actually.
So shorter, simpler forms of words we trust instinctively. And so this is what I'm trying to encourage people to do when they're communicating, whether it is strategic communication. Chief exec or leaders communicating with their board, with their stakeholders, investors with their people, or whether it's in customer service, talking to customers. It's to simplify the language and to get really specific about what you mean. And so what tends to happen is, when we're not feeling confident in conflict, we dress up our language in order to have an appearance of more confidence. It takes confidence to lean into what's actually going on in the situation and to tackle it more directly and to use simple language. And that actually then disarms people. It brings the temperature down, it brings blood pressure down, and it enables people to be more receptive to what we're saying.
As you're talking, I'm thinking about different dialects in the UK. And you look at, say, the traditional received pronunciation, the BBC language, the World Service language that the BBC had. You're right, is all about authority. All around. These very formal language constructs sentences, long words, complicated things. I remember there was a musical show when I was little called the good old days, and they used to have this announcer on stage, the biggest words you could ever imagine, that no one knew what they meant, but everyone was whooping and cheering at them to make it sound impressive. And then you think about maybe a different part of the country. I'm just thinking about Yorkshire as a dialect and as a culture.
People see people from Yorkshire as being warmer and friendlier and, okay, hard, more hard nosed negotiations sometimes, but actually warmer and friendlier, where someone may be from London or from the home counties as more businessy and standoffish and less warm and friendly. So is that just the nature of the dialect and the language constructs maybe used outside of the city and more into the rural areas?
There's a lot of interesting stuff going to unpack there. And I guess the way I'd think about this is to think of language as being tribal. And what I mean by that is, so we, you know, language. We use language to identify ourselves, we use language to. To say which group we belong to, and we also use it. So we use language to include, and we use language to exclude. So perhaps in the professions, language might be used to exclude, to say that we have special knowledge that you don't have access to, and you need us to interpret it for you. You need us in the legal profession or an accountancy, for example.
You need to pay us good money in order to make sure you're on the straight and narrow, because only we understand the language. And I think that happens in corporations. So it's the language of leadership. Interestingly, I find quite often that the language of middle management is more corporates than the language of very senior management. Quite often when I'm working with very senior teams, with executive teams, they are actually much more confident in simplifying their language because they've achieved status already. So we have this idea of language reflecting status and reflecting the tribe or the group, the in group, the out group. So if we think about language in that way, we can go, well, how are we including or excluding people with our language? And so quite often people are using language to exclude or to show that we have special knowledge unconsciously. It's not necessarily a deliberate thing, but it's a subtle dance all of the time, all of the different subtleties of class, of grouping within a country, between countries, they have very subtle nuances of inclusion and exclusion, and that's how we're using language.
So if we're coming to using it using language in business, I'm thinking, what is your purpose, what's your intent towards your audience, whether it's internal or external, what's your intention behind your message? And then use the language that's appropriate for that intention.
Yeah, I've written four words down on my pad next to me. I've written reserved, caged, measured and considered. And that is often the language of corporate. You have to be measured. People very often don't have full authority to speak their mind. They're speaking on behalf of a company or an organisation, that they don't have an authority to interpret that view. They have to give the view, therefore they step back. Whereas I and yourself have the escalated privilege.
If you want to speak my mind and interact with my audiences and the people I'm communicating with and represent myself how I wish. And I've often found that by rolling up my sleeves and almost like sitting cross legged amongst the group and saying, look, I don't have the perfect answer. This is how I think, this is how I view, let me brain dump as it's coming out my head and let's talk about how that works for you. And that's a very much more approachable because everyone goes, great, we can all put our hackles down, we can take our pretence out and we have a proper conversation now and resolve this. That's hard to do when you've got a corporate voice or a corporate behind you. You can't have that conversation.
No. And what I find helps here is an approach to change called appreciative inquiry, that I've sort of delved into deeply in the last sort of ten years or so. So when I first started working on language at boots, I realised that I was actually working on change. But at the time I didn't really have the tools in order to encourage change. I got from writing into tone of voice, into training in written and spoken language throughout organisations. But I really wanted to find a way of supporting that change, because when you're training, you are creating change in the organisation. So I trained in appreciative inquiry and this was quite an awakening thing for me. Appreciative inquiry starts by hearing the stories of times people are at their best in organisations and we can use it in interviews, in workshops, in all sorts of different ways to get people expressing times that they've been at their best at work.
And when people tell these stories, they re experience some of the endorphins that they felt at the time. When you've got a room, let's say, sometimes I'll have 30 people or 60 people, sometimes 90 people in a room, and we get people pairing up and telling these stories of times they've been at their best, and then coming together as groups on roundtables of six or eight people and giving the summaries of these stories. You get this volume increase in a room and you get this energy, this outpouring of energy. So what's going on here? So we're telling these stories, we're reexperiencing, experiencing some of the endorphins. We're putting ourselves in a more emotionally available and emotionally positive state of mind, which then enables us to be really creative about imagining what the future could look like and being creative about finding solutions. So often in organisations we're actually inadvertently triggering flight and flight we spend all. It's human nature. When we're walking down the street, we're scanning for snakes and dog poo, sabre tooth tigers.
That's how we evolved on the savannahs. So it's human nature to scan the horizon for danger. And that's why news is negative. You get the one nice story at the end of the news, but all news is negative because good news doesn't alert us, it doesn't trigger us, it doesn't get us engaged emotionally and the same is going on in organisations. So we are constantly diagnosing problems and prescribing solutions to them. And this can set up this kind of negativity spiral in organisations, a downward spiral where people are constantly in flight or fight or freeze, and that's how people spend much of their working lives. So with appreciative inquiry, we can turn this on its head, we can turn this around and start exploring times we've been at our best. That encourages people into a more positive, you know, more positive emotional state, a positive feeling state, connecting with their colleagues, connecting with their people across the organisation.
I get people the maximum mix of people, so I get people, senior and junior, from all parts of the organisation. The general idea is to get the whole system in the room, ideally, and I have had that at times. I worked with the British Lung foundation some years in ago and I had 90 people, 90 employees, the whole organisation in the room for one workshop, which was incredibly empowering and very exciting. You get people meeting and telling these stories to people that they've never met before. And the really surprising thing, or maybe it isn't surprising, is that people find that they value the same things. So telling those stories, the things that they valued from those experiences are very, very common. I don't think I've ever had anybody tell a story where I did it all on my own. It was all about my own personal genius and capability and drive and ambition.
I did this all on my own. The stories are always about moments of connection, where teams have had each other's back, where people support each other internally, and in turn they deliver for customers because they have the support of the organisation, support of their colleagues and empathy for the customer. So we have very, very common values. And that then gives you a starting point for behaving in a different way within an organisation.
I've actually been on one of your workshops where you did appreciative inquiries, so I can actually say that I've experienced what you're saying there. And I remember the thing I struggled with at the beginning was trying to find something I thought was relevant enough and meaningful enough that had a positive emotion enough that I wanted to share with somebody else. I had to really kind of dig deep. And that was the hardest bit of the exercise, is trying to find that moment that was worthy.
People do struggle with it and so they struggle to find a story that's good enough, because. When were you last asked? Everybody listening now, just think, when did somebody last ask you? Tell me about a time that you've been at your best, when you've been most alive, most engaged, most excited, most involved. Tell that story and tell it in the first person. So I did this and I spoke to John and he spoke to Betty, and she got the team together. So narrating the story in the first. We never do this. Nobody ever asked us this. So it's different.
And I think that difference is very powerful, but it also gets us to a place that is very emotionally resonant for us. It gets us wellbeing a story and recognising something about ourselves and we just come out honestly, you just come out of it feeling bloody good and feeling good about the people around you. So in this negativity spiral that I talked about and in most organisations, constant firefighting, all organisations leaders, their people are under massive stress and it's only getting worse. We're firefighting, we've got inclusion, we've got recession, we've come through Covid, we're struggling with hybrid working. How do we get that mix right? How much are we in the office? How much are we working at home? How do I as a leader, relate to my team when they're home working and I can't see them crying, but I know that they are because they're so stressed, how do we relate and then pick up and support those people? We're under more pressure than we've probably ever been under. So this negativity spiral is almost endemic.
It's one of the kind of rules of networking and relationship building is when you're trying to engage someone, ask them about themselves, because people like to talk about themselves, they like to be listened to and they like to lead the conversation mostly. So I suppose what you're trying to say here is, rather than the traditional thing, what happens is, how are things going? Oh, yeah, my leg hurts or cat got run over yesterday. We dive into this negative stuff. We start really trying to dig deep down into what I'm proud of, what's made me happy this week. I tell you about a success thing or talk about something my child's done that amazed me or something, and bring those, as you say, the happy endorphins as opposed to the weather's bad, car wouldn't start, had to scrape the ice off this morning, which is. We tend to get stuck into that, don't we?
We do. And one of the pivotal things for me has been actually about ten years ago I trained as a coach. I did the Institute of Leadership and Management, level seven coaching training. My reason for going into it actually was I've always had a remote team, so I've been in business coming up for 20 years. I have had a team of freelancers around me for all of that time and for about around five years I was trying to scale and I had a team of five and in the long run it made me poorer and it made me unhappy. I didn't like employing people. I think my thinking style is a bit too sketchy for that consistent leadership. But I had an office manager who was working with me and she was a massive extrovert and she really thrived in an office and she was struggling working from home.
And I thought one answer to that might be to train as a coach. So I took on this course and I have to say it was completely transformative. Unfortunately, that person didn't last with me. She went back to working in an office in the centre of Nottingham and she's thrived ever since. So that was the right move for her. However, the coaching training actually shifted my perspective and I do some coaching, but more than anything it's made me a better consultant because it's helped me to understand how to ask better questions. So rather than the sort of skin deep, small talk questions that you've just talked about, it's helped me to see how I can ask questions that encourage people to open up and to go deeper, but to feel safe going deeper. So it's about, I suppose, creating a sense of psychological safety where somebody feels like they can open up and that the question suggests that it's not loaded, it's not political, I'm not judging, I genuinely want to hear what's going on for you.
I want to hear who you are as a person and I want to hear your story, because when I hear your story as an individual, that's enriching for me. And when I'm trying to find a pattern in those stories for a whole organisations, I want to hear lots of those. I want to hear many of those stories from across the organisation. And I can only do that if I create a space, the safe space for people to do that, for people to open up. And a coaching style helps that. And that then comes into the kind of the change programmes that I'm encouraging in organisations, I am trying to encourage them to develop a coaching culture, which is quite difficult. And what do I mean by that? It's coaching from leadership down. So exec teams being good coaches, managers being effective coaches.
If your leadership and your management are all effective coaches, you actually don't need so much in the way of training. And that saves you money because you are developing people individually all the time by asking those coaching questions. And the coaching questions really are helping people to understand their own thinking and develop their own thinking. And that matters because when we develop our own thinking, we are more likely to behave differently as a result of that change thinking. Whereas if we have a traditional leadership style where we tell people what to do. People resist it because humans don't like being told what to do, but they love being encouraged to think. We love being encouraged to think.
Yeah, I think I've been on a similar journey to you, where I've employed people. Then I had my own business, which was an IT company, 25 30 staff and lots of customers and things. And I downsized to be a solopreneur. Then for some reason I got it be in my bonnet that I wanted to be bigger. So I hired a few people and I found that I had a lack of satisfaction. Firstly, the balance sheet went down, my cash in bank went down, and I wasn't getting satisfaction by the managing the people relationship. I think I learned from that, that what I actually need in my life, virtual assistants or pas or people that it can enact my thinking rather than me managing thinkers. So I want people to assist me to deliver what I want to do, not manage other people to deliver something else.
And that's what really brought it home to me. That's the relationship I need with people.
I've done a very similar thing and I have worked with people freelance in a range of different roles. Pretty much everything that I do, I have other consultants who can back me up and they may be copywriters. So I mentioned my client DMV, and I have a team of writers and designers and a project manager who are helping me with that and we are producing. So it's kind of creative agency production work. But what I'm also doing in that work is I'm encouraging change within the organisation because I'm helping them to develop their working style as teams and their process internally, helping them to develop briefs, helping them to get clear on scope terms of reference for projects. So I'm doing some sort of internal coaching and consulting in that sense. And then when I'm working on brand strategy, I have brand strategy thinkers who can support me in that way on spoken tone of voice. I have specialists that help me with that.
When I'm working on culture and behaviour, I have people who specialise in values and behaviour frameworks, for example, people with really strong hr or people backgrounds. So I work in a very similar way. And yeah, I had a point some years ago where I was getting Sunday night dread again, I was dreading the Monday meetings and I was like, I don't know, ten years into my business, I was like, why is that happening? I'm running my own show here. It needs to work. The first rule of business I think is it's got to satisfy the business owner. It's got to fulfil what the business owner needs, because the business owner needs to be out there selling. And if we're not energised and full of life and vigour, we're not selling and we're not drawing in the business. So we have to be feeding ourselves first before we can feed other people.
Not just in terms of cash, but also emotionally and satisfying our desires as well and our motivations. Absolutely.
Yeah.
You mentioned storytelling, listening to each other, and it draws me back to a previous podcast episode that I recorded with somebody who the title was listening, not fixing. We have a habit or a danger that what we do is we listen to respond, we listen to fix, we listen to trying to add value. And sometimes listening to acknowledge is a valuable skill as well. And I guess if you're a great coach, it's part of that coaching kind of model where you're just asking questions. But not everybody wants to be fixed. There's dangers. We dive in there and want to go. I know the answer to that.
Yeah, and I'm a bugger for that, actually. I do seem to have this kind of inner drive to fix things or to solve problems, and it's taken a few decades to develop the skill. One of the books that I read a few years ago, which was seminal here, was time to think. Nancy Klein and I haven't been on her training, actually, I have wanted to, and I know that some of our friends in the professional speaking association have been on her training. And it's very much about creating space for people to think, and people appreciate that so much and it's such a gift. But so often when we're talking, we are thinking about what we're going to say next, aren't we? We're thinking about what's my next step in the conversation rather than genuinely listening. And I do think you can make more of an impact on the world, honestly, if you are able to be quiet and to absorb and to nudge and encourage rather than be looking for, what am I going to say next? And I think the same goes with customers in business. When we're looking after customers in customer service or as marketers or salespeople, how can we be listening more than selling, more than talking? Because everybody hates to be sold to, but everybody loves to buy.
And if we think about it that way, then we should be listening more than we're talking.
I actually love a good salesperson. I actually love a really great pitch or a really great hook or something where I can stand back, clap my hands and appreciate, go, that was top notch, well done. You are a Mastercraft salesperson. And I said that to someone once and they went, well, I'm not a salesperson. I said, trust me, you are. You may not think you are, you may not label yourself as, but you've done a fantastic job there. Put me at ease. You had all the facts, you explained the product, and I had to applaud their technical skill on selling.
And sometimes you find people who are either natural or have that ability to do that. And I think credit where credit is due. And I think this person found it a bit patronising. I was trying to put him down by saying, oh, you were very salesy there, but I genuinely meant it. I enjoyed the experience, his professionalism. Running this podcast show is a challenge because I'm listening to what you're saying. I'm also thinking ahead of what I'm going to ask you next, how this conversation is flowing. But I've also have this little subroutine in my head that's listening out in case you say something that I need to acknowledge and have empathy for or reinforce.
I've really found that hosting this podcast has been a real challenge in listening and just developing those communication skills that I wouldn't necessarily have if I was just having a chat in a coffee shop.
Yeah, no, it is an art and I think coaching skills actually really help and good selling skills. And I'm with you. I do admire a great salesperson, and for me, a great salesperson is a good listener. They hear what you want or how you talk about your problem or the thing that you're trying to solve and listen to that before jumping in with a solution. And so often people do just jump in straight with a solution. And it's quite binary, quite one sided. So it's quite a rare skill, I find. I'm just thinking about somebody recently, I think I was talking about something around the house that I needed doing and I spoke to this chap and I kind of presented a problem and he just launched into a sales pitch about his business and I was like, okay, I can see that you can do the job, but I don't want to do business with you.
You've just talked to me, talked at me for three or 4 minutes. You haven't really asked any follow up questions. You haven't really understood my problem or what I'm needing, what my priorities are. So he didn't get the business.
And we see that in superficial sort of bulk marketing on LinkedIn where people are connecting and pitching, they're shoving their calendar link in your throat without even understanding who you are and doing a fact find. So yeah, I agree with you completely. It's about that humour, sensitivity, sliding in building a relationship, having a conversation, seeing where people are at, listening to that problem solving.
And I suppose this is what I mean, just going back to the opening to the podcast, talking about humanising business. I think this is what I mean by being more human. It is connecting as human beings, whether it's one to one in customer service, or whether it's create writing marketing or broadcast marketing, or whether it's talking to our staff in a larger organisation. How do we relate and set up that relationship as human beings and think about people as individuals and respect them and acknowledge them as individuals? Because quite frankly, I think that just makes the world a better place. Acknowledging somebody as an individual is such a gift, but is so rare and in a way so simple. It takes a bit, a degree of humbleness I suppose, to acknowledge somebody and appreciate somebody as an individual. And we can win friends within our business and we can win customers who will work with us for stay with us for years just by acknowledging them as individuals. And it almost shouldn't be so hard.
But I do think for organisations, quite often there's a lot of people perceive they don't want to get into trouble. That's the main thing I find they don't want to say the wrong thing and so they stick to what they've been told they should say. But often that guidance is not adequate, it's not enough and it's not enabling enough and it doesn't enable them to be themselves. Just give you a nice example. So I was working with Vodafone's webchat teams in India about five or six years ago. I worked within with Vodafone on and off for about 15 years. And so I was over in India and part of the job, they had 1000 people just working on webchat just for UK customers and the poor Indians struggling to understand us. The weirdness of us Brits and the problem for non Brits is that quite often we complain in a very underhand sort of way, in a very passive aggressive way, we might say, oh, that's a bit disappointing.
I thought that would be cheaper or whatever, but we say it in a very gentle way when really we're furious. We don't reveal our emotions very well. And so for people who didn't grow up in Britain, it's quite hard for them to interpret and understand that actually we're making a complaint. And so the project was about empathy skill. How do we help these teams to have empathy for UK customers so that they acknowledge what customers need and give them that thing? And there was quite a big awake. So I did some work on cultural awareness and I used some of Erin. So Erin Mayer is a professor at Insead, I think, specialist in culture. She's an American based in Paris and she talks about eight dimensions of cultural difference.
And the one that helped the Indians, interestingly, was the way that Brits engage and build trust and when we're on. So Britain is quite an individualistic culture and that expresses itself in business, in if you fix my problem, then I trust you, then we have a relationship. But I don't need chat beforehand in order to have the relationship. I need to know, be confident that you're going to fix my problem. India is a we culture, a much more communal culture. The relationship comes first. So it might be more natural to ask questions about how's your day been so far? But to a Brit on webchat, we don't want to be asked how our day's been so far. We want to know that you're going to solve our problem quickly.
So where does the relationship come? And when they realise that when a Brit is on webchat, because they're there to solve a problem. Otherwise we would have picked up the phone. We don't want a relationship, we want the problem solved. It was almost like the scales falling from their eyes and they immediately changed their behaviour and suddenly they knew how to do it. Don't do the chitchat. Don't ask how the day's been. Give the reassurance that I'm going to sort your problem out in as few words as possible. So suddenly there's increased empathy and recognition of customers as individuals and that's really empowering.
That is so insightful. I can relate to that concept entirely. That's how I want to do web chat. It's short, superficial, short sentences, one word. I don't want to keep typing stuff. I'm using one hand on my phone doing something else. I just want my problem solved. Yeah, I can completely relate, Ben, thank you.
This has been a fabulous opportunity to get to know you better and have a conversation. How can our listeners track you down? How do they get hold of you? Tell us a bit more about your book as well.
Well, the probably first place is my website, which is benafia.com. So benafia.com and that's where I've got loads of content. I've got videos, I've got articles, but also I've got my book. So the book the human business how to love your customers so they love you back. I am expecting to publish in March, and that really lays out all of the thinking that I talked about. So we talked a little bit about culture and how we work internally. So employee experience, we talked a little bit about brand strategy. So to my thinking, you need to build your brand on top of the strengths of your culture, not just on customer insight, which is how it's often done.
And that then gives you the customer experience. So that's the third element that I talk about in the book. So employee experience, brand strategy and customer experience, and I talk about how you can relate those all together in a practical way. I've got a chapter on each segment of my model that's on the website, and I've got a series of podcasts that kind of bring the book to life and they're on Spotify and everywhere you get your podcasts. And I'm a fairly frequent inhabitor of LinkedIn, so I do like to chat on LinkedIn. If you just search my name, Ben Afia, I should come straight up. You find out more about me there. Engage.
Connect with me on LinkedIn. Say hello, say you heard me on the podcast and I'll be glad to connect and tell me what you found interesting about it and I'll be glad to continue the conversation.
Thank you so much. Thank you, Ben. And a huge thanks to you, the listener, for tuning in for listening to the end. I really appreciate that. If you're not already subscribed, please do subscribe. Click follow. Click like why not give this episode five stars in the comments below, I have a number of other exciting guests lined up over the next few weeks and months that I'm sure you'd be equally excited by on this Inclusion Bites Podcast. That's B-I-T-E-S.
And of course, if you'd like to be a guest yourself, please let me know. Drop me a line with any feedback or suggestions to jo.Lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk and finally, my name is Joanne Lockwood. It has been an absolute pleasure to host this podcast for you today. Catch you next time. Bye.
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🔖 Titles
Revitalising Workplace Communication: Insights from Ben Afia and Joanne Lockwood
Humanising Business: Transforming Workplaces with Joanne Lockwood and Ben Afia
Uniting Language and Leadership: Joanne Lockwood and Ben Afia Discuss Humanising Workplaces
Empathy in Business: Joanne Lockwood and Ben Afia on the Human Aspect of Workplaces
The Art of Human Communication: Joanne Lockwood and Ben Afia's Workplace Insights
Inclusive Leadership and Language: Joanne Lockwood and Ben Afia's Perspective on Workplaces
Nurturing a Human Workplace: Joanne Lockwood and Ben Afia Share Their Expertise
Humanising Organisations: Lessons from Ben Afia and Joanne Lockwood on Inclusion
Fostering Human Connection at Work: Joanne Lockwood and Ben Afia's Expertise
Engaging Employees: Joanne Lockwood and Ben Afia's Approach to Humanising Workplaces
ℹ️ Introduction
Welcome back to The Inclusion Bites Podcast with your host Joanne Lockwood. In this episode, titled "Humanising Workplaces," Joanne Lockwood sits down with Ben Afia to delve into the crucial topic of making businesses more human through language and communication. They explore the impact of language on customer and employee relations, the power of storytelling in transforming organizational culture, and the need for more inclusive and relatable communication in the workplace. Ben Afia also shares insights from his upcoming book, "The Human Business: How to Love Your Customers So They Love You Back." So, buckle up and get ready for a thought-provoking and insightful conversation about humanising workplaces.
📚 Timestamped overview
00:00 Focused on language and business relationships for over 20 years. Worked with large organisations to humanise communication.
04:37 Customer evidence is key to building trust and loyalty; companies benefit from delivering on promises through customer advocates and referrals, as shown by T-Mobile's transformation.
07:46 Most businesses need a relatable voice for employees.
11:50 Grammar perceived as rule, but actually style. Style emerged in Victorian period to aid middle class. Hangover in business formality but language becoming less formal due to Internet.
14:56 Helping people be themselves in organisations, particularly in marketing and customer service, by bringing out their natural spoken voice and confidence. Additionally, details of a workshop conducted at Aeon.
18:59 Encourage relatable, enjoyable expression within organisation without being prescriptive. Discusses audience personas and upcoming book.
20:40 Get to know audience deeply, consider their daily lives.
26:20 To break barriers, be more human, use simple Anglo-Saxon language, not Latin. People trust shorter words of Anglo-Saxon origin.
29:51 Using language reflects status and inclusion/exclusion, especially in leadership and corporate settings. Language can unconsciously exclude or show special knowledge. It reflects group dynamics within and between countries.
33:27 Retelling positive stories boosts creativity.
34:26 Human nature evolved to focus on negativity for survival. News is negative to grab attention. Organisations also focus on problems. Appreciative inquiry encourages focusing on positive experiences to improve emotional state and teamwork.
37:44 Recognising power of difference, wellbeing, leadership in stressful times.
43:41 Experienced freelancer leads creative agency, focuses on organisational change and brand strategy, utilises consultants for support.
46:10 Desire to solve problems, importance of listening in communication and business to be effective.
50:18 Emphasising human connection and individual acknowledgment in business for a better world.
51:20 Organisations fear trouble, adhere to inadequate guidance, hinder authenticity. Example: Vodafone's webchat teams in India.
54:48 My website, benafia.com, has videos, articles, and my upcoming book "The Human Business: How to Love Your Customers so They Love You Back," which lays out my thinking on culture, employee experience, and brand strategy.
📚 Timestamped overview
00:00 Focusing on language to humanize large organisations.
04:37 Micro copy on websites influences customer trust.
07:46 Helping businesses develop brand voice and strategy.
11:50 Style rules emerged in Victorian era for communication.
14:56 Encouraging authenticity and conversational communication in organisations.
18:59 Enabling people to see themselves, not prescriptive.
20:40 Imagine audience's life for effective communication.
26:20 Make business more human, use simple language.
29:51 Use language to reflect status and inclusion.
33:27 Reliving stories energises and sparks creative thinking.
34:26 Negative news reflects human nature; but changeable.
37:44 The power of difference and emotional resonance.
43:41 Freelance work with consultants, encouraging organisational change.
46:10 Drive to fix problems, creating space for thinking.
50:18 Connecting as humans in business creates success.
51:20 Many people fear trouble, lack guidance, be themselves.
54:48 My website, benafia.com, has diverse content.
Episode Tags
Humanising Workplaces, Leadership Coaching, Employee Development, Business Communication, Customer Experience, Sales and Marketing, Brand Strategy, Cultural Awareness, Inclusive Language, Organisational Change
A Subtitle - A Single Sentence describing this episode
Exploring the human essence of business, Joanne Lockwood and guest Ben Afia redefine workplace communication and customer engagement in a touching conversation on The Inclusion Bites Podcast.
Episode Summary with Intro, Key Points and a Takeaway
In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Ben Afia, a specialist in making business more human through language and communication. Ben shares his expertise in coaching and encouraging internal change within organisations to promote a more positive emotional state and connection. Joanne offers her insights on downsizing her business and realising the need for virtual assistants to fulfil her desires and motivations.
Ben Afia, a language and communication specialist, is dedicated to making business more human, focusing on customer service, marketing, and communication within organisations. With his expertise, he encourages listeners to visit his website, benafia.com, and invites engagement and connection on LinkedIn. Ben emphasises the importance of humanising business, considering diverse audiences and cultural differences, and delivering on promises with a warm, friendly tone in business communication.
Throughout the episode, Ben and Joanne delve into the power of storytelling, developing a consistent brand voice, and the challenges of translating spoken language into written communication while maintaining an authentic tone. They underscore the significance of empathising with the audience and delivering messages in a relatable, human way to foster genuine connections.
A key takeaway from this episode is the importance of humanising workplaces through authentic communication, empathy, and cultural awareness. Listeners will gain valuable insights into coaching, brand strategy, and customer experience, as well as practical guidance on creating meaningful connections and understanding diverse perspectives within organisations. Whether in leadership, marketing, or customer relations, this episode provides essential knowledge and strategies for humanising workplaces and fostering genuine, inclusive environments. Subscribe to the podcast and engage with Joanne for ongoing discussions on making the workplace better for everyone.
💬 Keywords
Effective coaching, leadership, management, virtual assistants, downsizing, sales, marketing, storytelling, appreciative inquiry, positive emotional state, coaching culture, workplace inclusion, brand voice, business communication, language and communication, customer interactions, employee experience, customer experience, Vodafone, cultural awareness, conflict resolution, dialects, tribal identity, corporate language, open communication, UK business, appreciative inquiry, human interaction, customer service, brand strategy
💡 Speaker bios
Ben Afia has been on a mission for the last 25 years to focus on language, particularly in brand strategy and tone of voice. He started this focus at Boots, the chemists, where he worked on the first brand tone of voice. He aimed to humanize large organisations and help them relate to customers in a more personal way. After setting up his consultancy nearly 20 years ago, he has worked with companies like BP, Vodafone, Aviva, and Google, finding similar patterns of issues that come with being a large business. Afia continues to advocate for more human communication in these organisations.
❇️ Key topics and bullets
Primary Topic: Importance of Effective Coaching in Leadership and Management
Effective coaching beneficial for individual development and behavioural change
Contrast with traditional leadership styles
Primary Topic: The Power of Storytelling in Workplaces
The impact of storytelling on energy and creativity
Positive emotional state through appreciative inquiry
Primary Topic: Humanising Business Communication
Importance of relating to individuals in customer service, marketing, and internal communication
Developing a consistent brand voice for large businesses
Conveying clarity, informality, and empathy in communication
Primary Topic: Cultural Awareness in Customer Service
Coaching Vodafone's webchat teams in India to understand and empathise with UK customers' communication style and cultural differences
Primary Topic: Ben Afia's Book and Online Presence
Upcoming book, "The Human Business: How to Love Your Customers so They Love You Back"
Ben Afia's website, videos, articles, and podcasts
Active on LinkedIn and encourages engagement and connection
Primary Topic: Invitation from Joanne Lockwood
Subscribe to the Inclusion Bites Podcast and provide feedback
Welcoming potential guests to get in touch
The Hook
Subject: Revamp Your Workplace with This Unmissable Insight!
Ever wondered how to create a workplace that truly empowers and uplifts your team? 🌟 This latest episode is a game-changer!
What if you could transform your workplace into a thriving hub of growth and human connection? 🔥 Dive into this unmissable revelation!
Discover the secret to building a workplace that's truly inclusive, empowering, and inspiring. It's time for a transformation like never before!
Imagine unlocking the key to a workplace environment that fosters growth, belonging, and flourishing potential. This is where it all begins!
Ready to revolutionize your workplace and ignite a newfound sense of purpose and unity? The answer lies within this groundbreaking episode!
🎬 Reel script
"In this week's episode of the Inclusion Bites Podcast, I had an engaging conversation with Ben Afia, an expert in humanizing business through language and communication. We discussed the power of effective coaching, storytelling, and listening in the workplace, as well as the importance of relating to people as individuals in customer service and marketing. Ben shared valuable insights on developing a consistent brand voice and creating authentic, human connections in business communication. Join us as we explore the transformative impact of humanizing workplaces and making business more personal. Subscribe now and don't miss out on our future episodes! #InclusionBites #HumanizingWorkplaces"
🗞️ Newsletter
Subject: Humanising Workplaces: Insights from The Inclusion Bites Podcast
Dear Inclusion Enthusiasts,
We are thrilled to share the latest episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, hosted by Joanne Lockwood. In this episode, entitled "Humanising Workplaces", Joanne Lockwood is joined by the insightful guest, Ben Afia, who specialises in making business more human through language and communication.
The episode delves into the importance of human interaction in the workplace, emphasising effective coaching and leadership styles that lead to individual development and behavioural change. Joanne shares her own experiences of downsizing her business and the realisation of the need for virtual assistants to fulfil her motivations, offering a personal touch to the conversation. Ben also discusses his work with freelance consultants and how he encourages internal change within organisations.
The dialogue illustrates the significance of listening and asking questions in coaching and sales, with a focus on understanding customers' needs and building meaningful relationships. Both Joanne and Ben highlight the value of humanising sales and marketing activities, promoting engaging storytelling that increases energy and creativity in a group setting.
Ben's expertise in language and communication is thoughtfully shared, providing examples of how to convey empathy, informality, and clarity in business communication. He also discusses his upcoming book, which focuses on employee experience, brand strategy, and customer experience, and how they are interconnected.
The conversation is a wealth of insights for anyone seeking to foster inclusive and human-centric workplaces. If you're interested in learning more about humanising business and the importance of relating to people as individuals in customer service, marketing, and communication within organisations, this episode is not to be missed.
Curious to explore further? You can listen to the full episode and previous episodes of The Inclusion Bites Podcast on seechangehappen.co.uk.
We hope you find this episode as enlightening and inspiring as we have, and we encourage you to share your thoughts and feedback. Stay tuned for more inclusion bites!
Warm regards,
Joanne Lockwood
Host, The Inclusion Bites Podcast
🧵 Tweet thread
🌟 New Podcast Alert 🌟
In this week's episode of #InclusionBites, we have a truly insightful conversation with the amazing Ben Afia! 🎙️
We delve deep into the power of effective coaching in leadership and management, and how it sparks individual development and behavioural change. 🌍
Joanne Lockwood shares her experience of navigating a business downsizing, realizing the crucial need for virtual assistants to fulfil her motivations. 💼
And Ben Afia's perspective on working with freelance consultants and promoting internal change within organizations is a game-changer! 🚀
We emphasize the significance of listening and asking meaningful questions in coaching and sales - understanding the needs of our customers and building genuine relationships. 🗣️
Remember the power of storytelling? 📖 Ben Afia highlights how it elevates energy and creativity within group settings and encourages positive emotional states. 🌈
But he also touches on a crucial point - the tendency organisations have to focus on identifying problems and prescribing solutions, leading to a spiral of negativity. 🙅♂️
Through appreciative inquiry, he aims to switch the narrative to a more positive one, fostering common values and connections within an organization. 🌟
Oh, and you won't want to miss the discussion on humanizing business and the art of relating to people as individuals in customer service, marketing, and communication within organizations! 🤝
And the brilliant Ben Afia shares a sneak peek of his upcoming book, "The Human Business: How to Love Your Customers so They Love You Back". You won't want to miss out on this gem! 📚
Join us in this captivating conversation and let's learn, grow, and make a difference together! 🌐
And don't forget to connect with Ben Afia on his website benafia.com and on LinkedIn for even more valuable insights! 🌐
Tune in to the latest #InclusionBites podcast now on seechangehappen.co.uk and share your thoughts with us. 🎧
#BusinessCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #HumanConnection
Guest's content for their marketing
As a guest on The Inclusion Bites Podcast, I had the pleasure of joining Joanne Lockwood for an engaging and insightful conversation. The episode centred on humanising workplaces, and I had the opportunity to share my expertise in making business more human through language and communication.
During the episode, Joanne and I delved into the importance of relating to people as individuals in customer service, marketing, and communication within organisations. We discussed the significance of listening and asking questions, understanding the customer's needs, and building relationships. The conversation also touched on the impact of dehumanising experiences on both employees and customers, and how changing internal relationships can improve customer interactions.
The insightful discussion highlighted the imperative of delivering on promises and creating a warm, friendly tone in all aspects of business communication. I also had the chance to share some of my experiences in coaching and helping individuals transform formal language into a more conversational tone in customer letters.
One of the key takeaways from the episode was the concept of humanising business and the importance of considering what the audience wants to hear and the best way for them to receive the message in communication. I also had the opportunity to introduce my upcoming book, "The Human Business: How to Love Your Customers so They Love You Back," which will focus on employee experience, brand strategy, and customer experience, and how they are all interconnected.
I invite you to listen to the episode and discover more about humanising workplaces and creating meaningful connections within organisations. You can also visit my website, benafia.com, where you can find my book, videos, articles, and podcasts. I am also active on LinkedIn and encourage engagement and connection.
Overall, being a guest on The Inclusion Bites Podcast was a fantastic experience, and I am thrilled to have been a part of such a meaningful conversation. I look forward to continuing the dialogue on humanising business and creating a more inclusive workplace environment.
Thank you, Joanne Lockwood, for hosting me on this insightful podcast, and thank you to all the listeners for tuning in and engaging with the content.
Questions Asked that were insightful
During the interview, Joanne Lockwood and Ben Afia discussed several thought-provoking topics that could be turned into a series of FAQs for the audience. Here are some potential questions based on the insights from the interview:
How can effective coaching by leadership and management benefit individuals and lead to behavioural change?
What was Joanne Lockwood's experience of downsizing her business and realising the need for virtual assistants to fulfil her desires and motivations?
How does Ben Afia work with freelance consultants and encourage internal change within organisations?
Why is listening and asking questions important in coaching and sales, particularly in understanding the customer's needs and building relationships?
How does storytelling impact energy and creativity in a group setting, and why is it important in organisations?
What is appreciative inquiry, and how can it promote a positive emotional state and connection within organisations?
How can organisations shift away from negativity and focus on asking deeper, meaningful questions to support positive change?
What strategies can help in developing a consistent brand voice for large businesses, and why is it important in communication?
What are the challenges of translating spoken language into written communication while maintaining a conversational and authentic tone in business writing?
How can companies humanise their approach to customer service, marketing, and communication within organisations?
These questions can be used as a starting point to create a series of FAQs that are aligned with the key insights from the podcast episode.
Pain Points and Challenges
Title: Humanising Workplaces: Overcoming Pain Points and Challenges in Business Communication
Introduction:
Welcome to the Inclusion Bites Podcast, where we explore the human side of business, including inclusion, belonging, and making the workplace better for everyone. In this episode, we delve into the pain points and challenges of business communication and how to overcome them to humanise workplaces.
Pain Points and Challenges:
Dehumanising Experiences:
Inefficient communication leading to disconnect with employees and customers.
The use of reserved and corporate language creating barriers to understanding and connection.
Difficulty maintaining a consistent internal voice in large corporations.
Ineffective Customer Interaction:
Lack of cultural awareness in customer service leading to miscommunication.
Challenges in creating communications for a diverse, remote workforce.
Overcoming Internal and External Communication Barriers:
The historical origins of style rules in business language and the struggle to transition to a less formal style.
Lack of comprehensive writing training in business environments.
Translating spoken language into written communication while maintaining an authentic and conversational tone.
Addressing the Challenges:
Developing a Consistent Internal Voice:
Encourage organisations to identify and embrace a consistent brand voice that reflects their ethos and story.
Empower employees to convey the brand's personality and values authentically, rather than scripting and repeating phrases.
Cultural Awareness in Customer Service:
Provide coaching and training to ensure cultural awareness and understanding of customers' communication styles and cultural differences.
Foster empathy and appreciation for diverse backgrounds and experiences in customer interactions.
Evolving Business Writing Practices:
Advocate for comprehensive writing training in business environments, addressing the differences between academic and business writing.
Emphasize the importance of conveying clarity, informality, and empathy in written communications.
Humanising Internal and External Communication:
Implement appreciative inquiry to hear and share stories of when people were at their best, fostering a culture of positive change in communication.
Utilize storytelling to energise and connect individuals within an organisation, promoting a more positive emotional state and common values.
Conclusion:
Business communication plays a pivotal role in humanising workplaces, fostering meaningful connections, and creating an inclusive environment for all. By addressing the pain points and challenges, organisations can transform their communication practices, embrace cultural awareness, and ultimately humanise their interactions with employees and customers.
Join us in our mission to make the workplace better for everyone. Subscribe to the Inclusion Bites Podcast and be part of the conversation. Together, we can create inclusive, diverse, and human-centric workplace environments.
Tune in to the Inclusion Bites Podcast hosted by Jo Lockwood of SEE Change Happen on seechangehappen.co.uk to explore more insights and strategies for humanising workplaces.
Blog article based on the episode
Unleashing the Humanity in the Workplace: A Look Inside "Humanising Workplaces"
In the fast-paced, ever-evolving world of business, the term "humanising workplaces" has never been more critical. The way we communicate, engage with each other, and create a sense of belonging within our professional environments speaks volumes about the values we hold. This week's episode, "Humanising Workplaces" on The Inclusion Bites Podcast, hosted by Joanne Lockwood, delved into this very subject, offering invaluable insights and actionable strategies to harness the power of human connection in the workplace.
The episode highlighted the common problem of dehumanisation within business interactions. It brought to light the struggles faced by organisations in maintaining authentic, human connections with their employees and customers. The traditional, corporate language and lack of cultural awareness were acknowledged as factors that contribute to this issue. However, it did not just stop at identifying the problem; it delved into actionable items and inspiring stories that set the stage for a transformative shift.
In this episode, Ben Afia, a specialist in making businesses more human through language and communication, shared invaluable strategies and perspectives. He emphasised the importance of effective coaching by leadership and management, which can lead to individual development and behavioural change within organisations. By championing the use of language and tone of voice to relate to employees and customers in a more human way, Ben provided a roadmap for a transformative change in organisational communication.
One of the pivotal discussions in the episode revolved around the value of storytelling in humanising interactions. Ben highlighted the power of storytelling to bring energy and creativity to the workplace. His emphasis on appreciative inquiry, aimed at encouraging a more positive emotional state and promoting common values and connections within the organisation, offered a refreshing approach to drive change in communication.
Furthermore, the episode shed light on the need to shift away from negativity in the workplace. By sharing experiences of when individuals were at their best, organisations can create a more supportive environment, driving positive change in communication and relationships. The episode sparked a vital conversation about the impact of language on customer interactions, highlighting the significance of delivering on promises and creating a warm, friendly tone in all aspects of business communication.
Moreover, the discussion between Joanne and Ben underscored the challenges of maintaining a consistent internal voice in large corporations. Ben's insights into developing a consistent brand voice and empowering employees to communicate with confidence offered actionable solutions for organisations seeking to create a more humanised workplace.
Drawing inspiration from the episode, we can take crucial steps towards humanising workplaces. By embracing effective coaching, employing the power of storytelling, and developing a consistent brand voice, organisations can cultivate a more inclusive, human-centric culture. Incorporating appreciative inquiry and storytelling into our communication can pave the way for a more positive, empathetic workplace environment.
As a call to action, we invite you to tune in to "Humanising Workplaces" on the Inclusion Bites Podcast for a deeper dive into the transformative power of human connection and communication in the workplace. Let Ben Afia's remarkable insights serve as a guiding light, inspiring us to foster a more inclusive, empathetic, and humanised approach in our professional spaces.
In conclusion, the "Humanising Workplaces" episode has set the stage for a paradigm shift in the way we perceive and cultivate human connections within the workplace. By embracing actionable strategies and fostering a more inclusive, human-centric environment, we can pave the way for transformative change in organisational communication and relationships. Let's embark on this journey to humanise our workplaces and create a more connected, empathetic future.
The Inclusion Bites Podcast, hosted by Joanne Lockwood, continues to serve as a beacon of wisdom, enlightenment, and inclusivity, offering invaluable narratives and actionable strategies to transform the landscape of businesses and workplaces.
As always, the journey towards inclusivity and humanisation begins with a single step. Let's take that step together.
The Inclusion Bites Podcast welcomes you to join the conversation and embark on a transformative journey towards creating truly humanised workplaces.
"Humanising Workplaces" is not just a topic; it's a transformative catalyst for change, and you are an integral part of this journey. Let's humanise our workplaces, together.
Keep Inclusion Bites in your earbuds for more transformative conversations.
This article has been inspired by the invaluable insights shared by Ben Afia in "Humanising Workplaces" on The Inclusion Bites Podcast.
The standout line from this episode
"Effective coaching by leadership and management is more beneficial than traditional leadership styles, leading to individual development and behavioural change."
❓ Questions
How can effective coaching by leadership and management lead to individual development and behavioural change within a workplace?
What challenges did Joanne Lockwood face when downsizing her business and how did she realize the need for virtual assistants to fulfil her desires and motivations?
How does Ben Afia work with freelance consultants and encourage internal change within organisations to create a more humanized workplace?
What key role does listening and asking questions play in coaching and sales, and how does it impact understanding customer needs and building strong relationships?
What are the benefits of storytelling within a group setting, as described by Ben Afia, and how can it foster energy and creativity in the workplace?
In what ways does appreciative inquiry promote a more positive emotional state and common values within an organization, as explained by Ben Afia?
How does the language and tone of communication impact the human experience within businesses as discussed by Ben Afia, and what are the implications for improving customer interactions?
What challenges do large corporations face in maintaining a consistent internal voice and what strategies can they employ to address this, based on Joanne Lockwood's insights?
How can organisations equip employees to communicate with confidence and authenticity, and why is it important to move away from scripted and repeated phrases in business communication, as highlighted by Ben Afia?
In what ways can businesses employ appreciative inquiry and storytelling to support change in communication, as recommended by Joanne Lockwood and Ben Afia?
FAQs from the Episode
Title: The Inclusion Bites Podcast - Humanising Workplaces FAQ
Q: What is the primary focus of the "Humanising Workplaces" episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast?
A: The episode delves into the importance of human interaction in business, effective coaching, the impact of language and communication in making businesses more relatable, and creating inclusive workplaces.
Q: Who are the guests featured in this episode, and what expertise do they bring to the discussion?
A: The guests are Joanne Lockwood, host of The Inclusion Bites Podcast and founder of SEE Change Happen, and Ben Afia, a specialist in humanising business through language and communication.
Q: What are the key takeaways regarding effective coaching and leadership shared in the episode?
A: The episode highlights the benefits of effective coaching over traditional leadership styles, personal development, behavioural change, and the emphasis on listening and asking questions.
Q: What insights are provided about incorporating language and communication to make workplaces more inclusive and relatable?
A: The episode explores the impact of language and tone of voice on customer interactions, creating a consistent internal and brand voice, and effectively conveying empathy and clarity in business communication.
Q: How does the podcast address the concept of humanising business and the importance of relating to people as individuals?
A: The episode discusses the significance of understanding cultural differences in customer service and marketing, as well as the use of appreciative inquiry to facilitate positive change in communication within organizations.
Q: What resources are provided for further engagement with the topics discussed in the podcast?
A: Ben Afia invites listeners to visit his website, benafia.com, where they can access his book, videos, articles, and podcasts, as well as connect with him on LinkedIn for further engagement.
Q: How can listeners participate in The Inclusion Bites Podcast and engage with the host and guests?
A: Listeners are encouraged to subscribe to the podcast, provide feedback, and connect with the host and potential guests. They can also visit seechangehappen.co.uk to engage further with the podcast series.
This FAQ provides an overview of the key topics discussed in the "Humanising Workplaces" episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, as well as opportunities for further engagement with the content and guests.
Tell me more about the guest and their views
In the episode "Humanising Workplaces" on the Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood was joined by Ben Afia, a specialist in making business more human through language and communication. Ben emphasised the importance of humanising business and relating to people as individuals in customer service, marketing, and communication within organisations. He particularly highlighted the need for cultural awareness in customer service, using an example of coaching Vodafone's webchat teams in India to understand and empathise with UK customers' communication style and cultural differences.
Furthermore, Ben shared insights about the power of storytelling and the impact it can have in a business setting. He emphasized the value of appreciative inquiry, which involves hearing stories of when people were at their best, as a way to support change in communication. Ben's upcoming book, "The Human Business: How to Love Your Customers so They Love You Back", also underscores the interconnectedness of employee experience, brand strategy, and customer experience.
In addition, Ben discussed the importance of having a consistent brand voice for large businesses and the significance of empowering employees to communicate with confidence, rather than scripting and repeating phrases. He shed light on the challenges of creating communications for a diverse, remote workforce with varying accessibility and advocated for clear, informal, and empathetic communication.
Overall, Ben's views and expertise in humanising business communication, cultural awareness, and creating a more human-centric approach to customer service and branding were key highlights of the episode. His insights are valuable for anyone seeking to make their workplace more inclusive and human-centred.
Ideas for Future Training and Workshops based on this Episode
Here are some ideas for future training and workshops based on the "Humanising Workplaces" episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast:
Coaching for Leadership and Management: Develop a training program focused on effective coaching techniques for leadership and management. This could include sessions on asking powerful questions, active listening, and creating a coaching culture within organisations.
Storytelling for Positive Change: Create a workshop that encourages participants to share stories of when they were at their best within their organizations. This could be tied to appreciative inquiry, promoting a positive emotional state and fostering common values and connection within the workplace.
Humanising Business Communication: Host a workshop on developing a consistent brand voice for large organizations. This could include sessions on empowering employees to convey the brand's ethos and story, as well as transforming formal language into a more conversational tone in customer communication.
Cultural Awareness in Customer Service: Offer training on understanding and empathizing with diverse customer communication styles and cultural differences. This could be particularly beneficial for teams engaging in global customer service interactions.
Language and Tone in Business Communication: Develop a workshop that focuses on conveying clarity, informality, and empathy in written business communication. This could also include exercises to help individuals transform formal language into a more human, conversational tone in customer letters.
Humanizing Business for Remote Workforces: Create a workshop specifically tailored to addressing the unique challenges of communicating with a diverse, remote workforce. This could include strategies for creating inclusive and accessible communications for remote employees.
These workshop ideas align with the themes and insights discussed in the episode and aim to promote human-centered approaches to leadership, communication, and customer engagement within organizations.
🪡 Threads by Instagram
Discover the power of effective coaching and inclusive communication in the workplace as we explore humanising businesses on The Inclusion Bites Podcast. Jo Lockwood and Ben Afia share valuable insights to make your workplace more inclusive.
Join the conversation on humanising work environments - Jo Lockwood and Ben Afia delve into the impact of language and communication on employee and customer experiences. Dive into this thought-provoking discussion on The Inclusion Bites Podcast.
Uncover the significance of storytelling, appreciative inquiry, and authentic communication in humanising organizations. Jo Lockwood and Ben Afia shed light on creating a more connected and empathetic workplace on The Inclusion Bites Podcast.
Take a deep dive into the transformational power of language and the creation of a human-focused business culture. Listen to Jo Lockwood and Ben Afia discuss the path to fostering an inclusive and engaging workplace on The Inclusion Bites Podcast.
Explore the connection between effective language and authentic communication in creating a human-centric work environment. The Inclusion Bites Podcast with Jo Lockwood and Ben Afia presents powerful insights on humanising workplaces.
Leadership Insights - YouTube Short Video Script on Common Problems for Leaders to Address
[Leadership Insights Channel]
Title: Humanising Your Leadership Approach
[Opening shot of an office setting]
Narrator: Are you a leader looking to create a more inclusive and human workplace environment? In today's world, it's vital to consider the impact of your leadership style on the individuals within your organisation.
[Cut to a close-up of the narrator]
Narrator: One common problem faced by leaders is the struggle to connect with employees, particularly in diverse and remote work settings. The good news is, there are clear actions and behaviours you can implement to create a positive and inclusive workplace culture.
[Cut to footage of a team meeting]
Narrator: Firstly, effective coaching by leadership and management can lead to individual development and behavioural change. Instead of traditional top-down approaches, foster a coaching culture that encourages open dialogue and support.
[Cut to a virtual work setting]
Narrator: Secondly, in remote work environments, it's essential to humanise interactions. Take the time to listen and understand the needs of your team members, creating an environment where everyone feels valued and heard.
[Cut to a shot of a diverse team collaborating]
Narrator: Encouraging storytelling within your team can also boost energy and creativity. By sharing stories of when individuals were at their best, you can promote a positive emotional state and strengthen the sense of connection within your organisation.
[Closing shot of the narrator]
Narrator: So, if you're seeking to humanise your leadership approach and create a more inclusive workplace, consider incorporating coaching, active listening, and storytelling into your leadership style.
[Closing title screen with "Leadership Insights Channel"]
Narrator: Join us next time for more valuable leadership insights.
[End of video]
SEO Optimised Titles
Unveiling the Power of Storytelling in Humanising Business | Humanising Workplaces | Ben @ SEE Change Happen
Transforming Business Communication with Language and Coaching | Inclusion Bites | Ben @ SEE Change Happen
Elevating Customer Experience: The Human Business Strategy | Inclusion Insights | Ben @ SEE Change Happen
Email Newsletter about this Podcast Episode
Subject: Uncover the Magic of Humanising Workplaces
Hey there Inclusion Champions,
It's Jo Lockwood here from SEE Change Happen, and I'm absolutely buzzing to share the latest episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast with you. This week, we dove headfirst into the fascinating world of Humanising Workplaces, and boy, did we uncover some absolute gems that I just can't wait to spill the beans on!
Here are 5 key takeaways from this stellar episode:
The Power of Effective Coaching: Discover how effective coaching by leadership and management can lead to individual development and behavioural change, transforming the workplace landscape.
Authentic Communication: Untangle the web of communication by learning how to humanise customer interactions and internal relationships within organisations, creating a more genuine and empathetic connection.
The Impact of Language: Delve into the significance of language and tone, as we explore how the choice of words can help businesses relate to people on a deeply human level.
Storytelling for Change: Uncover the magic of storytelling and appreciative inquiry as a tool to encourage behavioural change, promote common values, and foster a positive emotional state within an organisation.
Embracing Diversity: Learn how diverse backgrounds and experiences can shape business communication and the importance of inclusivity in reaching a wider audience.
Now, here's a unique fact that will knock your socks off: Did you know that using appreciative inquiry, by hearing stories of when people were at their best in organizations, can actually support positive change in communication? Mind-blowing, I know!
So, here's your call to action: Tune in to this enlightening episode and grab a pen and paper, because trust me, you'll want to jot down these golden nuggets of wisdom.
Finish strong, Inclusion Champions, and remember to stay awesome!
Warm regards,
Jo Lockwood
Potted Summary
Intro:
In today's episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Host Joanne Lockwood delves into the realm of Humanising Workplaces with special guest Ben Afia. They explore the transformative power of effective coaching, the impact of storytelling in business, and the importance of human communication in customer service. Join them as they share insights on creating a more inclusive and relatable workplace environment.
In this conversation we discuss:
👉Effective coaching styles
👉Impact of storytelling
👉Human communication in customer service
Here are a few of our favourite quotable moments:
"Ben Afia emphasizes the importance of considering what the audience wants to hear and the best way for them to receive the message in communication."
"He suggests that in conflict situations, it's important to be real, avoid formal language, and use simpler, more human language to bring down barriers and make people more receptive."
"Joanne Lockwood discusses the reserved and corporate language often used in business, while expressing the benefit of a more approachable and open communication style."
Summary:
Tune in to The Inclusion Bites Podcast as Joanne Lockwood and Ben Afia delve into transforming workplaces through effective coaching, the power of storytelling, and the significance of human communication in customer service. Don't miss this insightful discussion! Subscribe now and join the conversation.
LinkedIn Poll
Opening summary: "In our recent episode of the Inclusion Bites Podcast, we discussed humanising workplaces and the impact of communication on inclusive cultures. What are your thoughts? Let's dive in!" #InclusionMatters #HumanizingWorkplaces
Poll question: "What's your preferred communication style at work?"
Poll options:
🗨️ #Conversational
💬 #Informal
📝 #Formal
🤝 #Empathetic
Closing why vote: "Your input matters! Let's uncover the most effective ways to create inclusive and human workplaces. Cast your vote and join the conversation! #InclusiveCommunication #WorkplaceCulture"
Highlight the Importance of this topic on LinkedIn
🌟 Exciting Podcast Alert! 🌟
Just listened to the latest episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, and it's a game-changer for all senior HR and EDI professionals out there. The discussion on "Humanising Workplaces" is an absolute must-listen! 🎧
Joanne Lockwood and guest Ben Afia dive deep into coaching, effective communication, and the value of human interaction in the workplace. 🤝
As a senior leader in HR or EDI, this episode is a goldmine of insights that are essential for our industry and profession. Trust me; you don't want to miss out on this!
Tune in now on seechangehappen.co.uk and let's keep the conversation going. 🌍 #InclusiveWorkplaces #HRLeadership #EDIProfessionals #InclusionBitesPodcast
L&D Insights
🎙️ Insights for Senior Leaders, HR, and EDI Professionals:
Effective coaching is more beneficial than traditional leadership styles in promoting individual development and behavioural change.
Humanizing workplaces through language, communication, and storytelling can improve employee and customer interactions.
The concept of appreciative inquiry can foster positive emotional states and promote common values within an organization.
💡 "Aha Moments":
Understanding the impact of language and communication on humanizing business interactions.
Recognizing the value of storytelling and appreciative inquiry to support positive change within organizations.
Embracing the need for cultural awareness and empathy in customer service and communication.
💼 Actions to Take:
Encourage leadership and management to adopt effective coaching practices for individual development.
Implement strategies to humanize workplace interactions through language, communication, and storytelling.
Promote appreciative inquiry to foster positive emotional states and common values within the organization.
#InclusionBites #HumanizingWorkplaces #EffectiveCoaching
#LanguageMatters #PositiveChange #EmployeeEmpathy
Shorts Video Script
Title: "Humanising Workplaces: Let's Make Business More Human! #Inclusion #LeadershipDevelopment #BusinessCommunication"
Hey everyone, in today's video, I'm diving deep into the world of humanising workplaces and making business more human.💼
Key Insight 1️⃣: Effective coaching by leadership and management leads to individual development and behavioural change, creating a positive work environment.🌟
Key Insight 2️⃣: The power of storytelling can increase energy and creativity, promoting a positive emotional state and common values within the organization.📚
Key Insight 3️⃣: The impact of using language and tone of voice in business communication to relate to customers and employees on a more human level.🗣️
Key Insight 4️⃣: The need for a consistent brand voice in large organisations and the importance of empowering employees to communicate with confidence.🌐
Key Insight 5️⃣: Using appreciative inquiry to encourage change in communication by hearing stories of when people were at their best within the organization.👂
By humanising business communication, we can create a warm, friendly tone, understand customer needs, and build better relationships.💬 Let's make the workplace better for everyone!💡
Thanks for watching! Remember, together we can make a difference. Stay connected, stay inclusive! See you next time. ✨
Glossary of Terms and Phrases
In the episode "Humanising Workplaces" of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, the following concepts and niche terms were discussed:
Effective coaching by leadership and management: The practice of guiding and developing employees to achieve their potential, often focusing on behavioural change and individual development.
Virtual assistants: Individuals who provide administrative or support services to businesses remotely, typically working from home.
Freelance consultants: Independent professionals who provide expertise and services to businesses on a contractual or project basis.
Sales and marketing: The processes and techniques involved in promoting and selling products or services, with a focus on understanding customer needs and building relationships.
Storytelling in a business context: The use of compelling narratives to engage and connect with audiences, often used to convey the ethos and values of an organisation.
Appreciative inquiry: An approach to organizational development that focuses on identifying and building on an organization's strengths, aiming to promote positive emotional states and foster connections within the workplace.
Brand voice: The consistent tone, manner, and style of communication that reflects an organization's personality and values.
Dehumanising experiences: Instances where individuals or customers feel disconnected, undervalued, or isolated within an organizational setting.
Style rules in business language: The established guidelines and conventions regarding language use for professional communication, often encompassing formal writing and corporate branding.
Empathy in customer service: The ability to understand and relate to the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of customers, leading to more meaningful interactions and improved satisfaction.
These terms and concepts represent niche topics within the broader context of workplace humanisation and inclusive communication, which were the central themes of the episode.
SEO Optimised YouTube Content
Focus Keyword: Positive People Experiences
Title: Humanising Workplaces: Positive People Experiences | #InclusionBitesPodcast
Tags: Inclusion, Diversity, Belonging, Culture Change, Leadership, Workplace, Coaching, Management, Humanising, Customer Experience, Employee Experience, Communication, Brand Strategy, Culture, Language, Brand Voice, Employee Training, Business Writing, Empathy, Connection, Organisational Change, Human Business, Understanding Customers, Coaching Culture
Killer Quote: "In conflict, simpler and more human language breaks down barriers and gets people to listen." - Ben Afia
Hashtags: #Inclusion #DiversityandInclusion #HumanisingWorkplaces #CultureChange #CoachingCulture #CustomerExperience #EmployeeExperience #BrandStrategy #CommunicationSkills #EmpathyInBusiness #LeadershipDevelopment #BusinessLanguage #WorkplaceCulture #HumanBusiness
Why Listen:
In this episode of the Inclusion Bites Podcast, we delved deep into the crucial importance of Positive People Experiences and its impact on Culture Change in workplaces. Joanne Lockwood and Ben Afia shared their valuable insights and experiences, advocating for a more human approach in leadership, management, customer interactions, and internal communication. Through meaningful conversations, they highlighted the power of storytelling, the significance of understanding customers' needs, and the transformative impact of language and communication in fostering authentic connections. Exploring the realm of business writing, inclusivity, and the humanization of organisational environments, this episode offers actionable strategies and thought-provoking discussions for creating more inclusive and empathetic workplaces.
Closing Summary and Call to Action:
Embracing Coaching Culture: Shift from traditional leadership styles to effective coaching for individual development and behavioural change within organisations.
Humanizing Workplaces: Recognize the value of positive people experiences in creating inclusive cultures and fostering belonging for all employees.
Impact of Language and Communication: Understand the role of language and tone in relating to customers and employees on a more human level, promoting empathy and brand loyalty.
Business Writing and Empathy: Transform formal language into a conversational and authentic tone to connect with diverse audience groups, ensuring inclusivity and understanding.
Customer and Employee Centricity: Prioritize understanding the customer's needs and providing employees with the tools to communicate with confidence, creating a culture of empathy and appreciation.
Organisational Change and Appreciative Inquiry: Embrace appreciative inquiry to uncover stories of when individuals were at their best, driving positive cultural change and connection within organizations.
Outro:
Thank you, the listener, for tuning in. If you enjoyed this episode, remember to like and subscribe to the channel for more engaging content. For additional information on inclusion, belonging, and making the workplace better for everyone, visit the SEE Change Happen website: SEE Change Happen. You can also listen to more insightful episodes of The Inclusion Bites Podcast on the following link: Inclusion Bites Podcast.
Stay curious, stay kind, and stay inclusive - Joanne Lockwood
Root Cause Analyst - Why!
Key Problems:
Lack of humanisation in business communication and customer interactions.
Challenge in creating a consistent brand voice for large businesses.
Why is there a lack of humanisation in business communication and customer interactions?
Businesses may focus on formal, impersonal communication to maintain a professional image.
Why do businesses focus on formal, impersonal communication?
The corporate environment values formality and professionalism in communication.
Why does the corporate environment value formality and professionalism in communication?
Historical norms and traditions dictate that formal language is synonymous with business competence and professionalism.
Why do historical norms and traditions dictate that formal language is necessary for business competence?
This may stem from a desire to convey authority and hierarchy within organisations, leading to a disconnect with the human aspect of communication.
Why does a desire to convey authority and hierarchy lead to a disconnect with the human aspect of communication?
This may create a culture where empathy and authentic human connection are undervalued in favour of preserving a perceived professional image.
Summary and Potential Solutions:
The root cause of the lack of humanisation in business communication and customer interactions stems from a historical emphasis on formality and professionalism, which has overshadowed the need for authentic, human connections. To address this, businesses could implement training programs that encourage more empathetic communication, foster a culture that values authentic connections, and develop brand voices that reflect a more human and approachable tone. Additionally, creating spaces for open dialogue and feedback can allow employees to share their experiences and perspectives, further embedding humanisation in the business culture.
TikTok/Reels/Shorts Video Summary
Focus Keyword: Positive People Experiences
Title: "Humanising Workplaces with Positive People Experiences | #InclusionBitesPodcast"
Tags: inclusion, diversity, workplaceculture, leadership, belonings, communication, coaching, managementstyle, customerexperience, storyelling, businesscommunication, empatheticleadership, brandstrategy, employeeexperience, culturalawareness, languageandcommunication, positivechange, organizationalculture, businessgrowth, customerengagement, learninganddevelopment, teamcollaboration
Killer Quote: "In conflict situations, it's important to be real, avoid formal language, and use simpler, more human language to bring down barriers and make people more receptive." - Ben Afia
Hashtags: #InclusionBitesPodcast, #SEEChangeHappen, #PositivePeopleExperiences, #WorkplaceCulture, #HumanisingWorkplaces, #LeadershipCoaching, #CulturalAwareness, #CustomerEngagement, #BusinessCommunication, #EmpatheticLeadership, #EmployeeExperience, #DiversityandInclusion, #Belonging, #BrandStrategy, #OrganizationalCulture, #BusinessGrowth, #CoachingCulture, #CustomerService, #CultureChange
In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Ben and I delve into the transformative power of humanising workplaces through Positive People Experiences and Culture Change. We discuss the importance of relating to individuals in customer service, language and communication within organisations, and how this can create a significant impact on employee experience and customer engagement. Join us to learn how to foster a more inclusive and empathetic workplace culture, driving positive change and growth. Listen now and start your journey towards Humanising Workplaces with Positive People Experiences.
Outro:
Thank you, the listener, for tuning in and being a part of this empowering conversation. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and stay connected for more impactful insights. For additional information and episodes, visit SEE Change Happen's website: https://seechangehappen.co.uk. Listen to the full episode of "The Inclusion Bites Podcast" here: https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen. Stay curious, stay kind, and stay inclusive - Joanne Lockwood
Canva Slider Checklist
| Best Practices Checklist |
| --- | --- |
| 1. Effective Coaching and Leadership |
| 2. Focusing on Humanising the Workplace |
| 3. Incorporating Storytelling in Communication |
| 4. Embracing Conversational Business Writing |
| 5. Cultivating Brand Personality and Audience Understanding |
Episode Carousel
Slide 1:
Image: Vibrant and diverse group of people engaged in a discussion in a modern workplace setting.
Text: "Is your workplace truly humanised? 🌍 Let's explore how to make it truly inclusive and engaging!"
Slide 2:
Image: Joanne Lockwood and Ben Afia in conversation on the Inclusion Bites Podcast.
Text: "Join me on the Inclusion Bites Podcast as I host the brilliant Ben Afia, delving into the art of making our workplaces more human!"
Slide 3:
Image: Ben Afia sharing insights on humanising business through language and communication.
Text: "Discover the power of language and communication in creating an inclusive and empathetic workplace culture!"
Slide 4:
Image: Joanne Lockwood and Ben Afia engaging in a dynamic conversation about humanising workplaces.
Text: "Tune in to the Inclusion Bites Podcast for a thought-provoking discussion on humanising workplaces and creating a more inclusive environment for everyone!"
Slide 5:
Image: The Inclusion Bites Podcast logo and link to the episode.
Text: "Listen to the full episode on seechangehappen.co.uk and take the first step towards making your workplace truly humanised. #InclusionBites #HumanisingWorkplaces #SeeChangeHappen"
This carousel represents an enticing journey, starting with a thought-provoking question, showcasing the engaging conversation with Joanne Lockwood and Ben Afia, and ending with a call to action to listen to the full episode.
6 major topics
Title: Humanising Workplaces: A Conversation with Ben Afia
As I sit down with Ben Afia, we dive into a compelling discussion about the human side of business and the importance of genuine communication in creating inclusive workplaces that value individuality.
Understanding Humanising Workplaces
In our conversation, Ben emphasises the power of humanising business and the significance of relating to people as individuals in customer service, marketing, and communication within organisations. We delve into the impact of dehumanising experiences on both employees and customers, and how changing internal relationships can improve customer interactions. Ben shares a fascinating example of coaching Vodafone's webchat teams in India to understand and empathise with UK customers' communication style and cultural differences. This emphasises the importance of cultural awareness in customer service and its impact on creating inclusive workplaces.
The Power of Storytelling
Ben and I explore the impact of storytelling in the workplace and the value of appreciative inquiry. He discusses how storytelling leads to an increase in energy and creativity in a group setting and encourages people to share stories of when they've been at their best. We touch on the tendency to focus on negative aspects during conversations and the importance of asking deeper, meaningful questions. Ben's experience with appreciative inquiry highlights how hearing stories of when people were at their best in organisations supports positive change in communication, fostering a more inclusive environment. This opens up a conversation about the use of different dialects and language constructs in the UK, reflecting tribal identity and potential inclusion or exclusion.
The Importance of Authentic Communication
Authentic communication takes the centre stage as we discuss the significance of a more approachable and open communication style in the corporate environment. Ben delves into the impact of language and tone of voice in humanising business, encouraging organisations to connect with their audience on a human level. We talk about the challenges of creating communications for a diverse, remote workforce with varying accessibility, emphasizing the need for clear, empathetic, and informal communication. This brings up the topic of the reserved and corporate language often used in business and the benefit of adopting a more human, open communication style.
Developing a Consistent Brand Voice
The conversation shifts to the importance of developing a consistent brand voice for large businesses. Ben shares insights into the significance of empowering and equipping employees to communicate with confidence, rather than scripting and repeating phrases. We discuss the challenge of maintaining a consistent internal voice for large corporations and the impact of a person's frame of mind when receiving communication, regardless of its tone or content. This leads to an exploration of the historical origins of style rules in business language and the shift towards a less formal style of communication, influenced by the Internet.
Language and Communication Training
Ben highlights the lack of comprehensive writing training in business and the differences between writing in academia and writing in a business context. He shares a story about helping individuals transform formal language into a more conversational tone in customer letters, emphasising the importance of conveying clarity, informality, and empathy in communication. We delve into the challenge of translating spoken language into written communication while maintaining a conversational and authentic tone in business writing. This sparks a discussion about the need for organisations to consider the diverse backgrounds and experiences of letter recipients.
The Future of Human Business
Finally, we explore Ben's upcoming book, "The Human Business: How to Love Your Customers so They Love You Back", which focuses on employee experience, brand strategy, and customer experience, and how they are interconnected. Ben invites our listeners to visit his website, benafia.com, where they can find his book, videos, articles, and podcasts. We end our conversation, encouraging our audience to subscribe to the series and engage in the discussion on humanising workplaces.
As Ben and I wrap up our conversation, I reflect on the insightful dialogue we've shared and the significance of humanising business, authentic communication, and storytelling in creating inclusive workplaces. Ben's expertise and passion for creating human connections in the corporate world have undoubtedly shed light on the transformative power of embracing individuality and genuine communication in business.
I encourage our listeners to continue the conversation and look forward to welcoming new guests who bring unique perspectives on inclusion, belonging, and making the workplace better for everyone.
TikTok Summary
Dive into the world of workplace inclusion and belonging with Joanne Lockwood (Jo) as she hosts The Inclusion Bites Podcast! 🎙️ Each episode features fascinating guests sharing their insights and experiences, all aimed at making the workplace better for everyone. Want to join the conversation? Head over to seechangehappen.co.uk and subscribe for your weekly dose of inclusion inspiration! #InclusionBites #Podcast #SeeChangeHappen 🌟🔗
Slogans and Image Prompts
Soundbite/Quote: "Humanising Workplaces – Making Business More Human"
Hashtag: #HumanisingWorkplaces
AI Image Generation Prompt: Create an eye-catching design featuring diverse and inclusive workplaces with the quote "Humanising Workplaces" in bold, vibrant typography. Incorporate imagery of employees collaborating and engaging in meaningful conversations, reflecting the essence of a human-centric workplace culture.Soundbite/Quote: "Listen, Understand, Connect – The Power of Authentic Communication"
Hashtag: #AuthenticCommunication
AI Image Generation Prompt: Generate a visual representation showcasing two individuals engaged in a genuine conversation, accompanied by the quote "Listen, Understand, Connect" in elegant script. The design should evoke warmth and empathy, portraying the essence of authentic communication.Soundbite/Quote: "Empower Voices, Embrace Diversity – Building Inclusive Brand Experiences"
Hashtag: #InclusiveBrandExperience
AI Image Generation Prompt: Create a captivating graphic featuring a mosaic of diverse voices and individuals, with the quote "Empower Voices, Embrace Diversity" at the centre. Incorporate vibrant colours and symbols representing inclusivity and unity, symbolising the essence of building inclusive brand experiences.Soundbite/Quote: "Storytelling for Connection – Sharing Tales of Triumph and Transformation"
Hashtag: #StorytellingConnection
AI Image Generation Prompt: Generate an illustration of a storytelling circle, with individuals from various backgrounds sharing their stories, accompanied by the quote "Storytelling for Connection". Incorporate elements of positivity and empowerment, capturing the spirit of shared experiences and meaningful connections.Soundbite/Quote: "Transforming Dialogue, Shaping Culture – The Impact of Language in Business"
Hashtag: #LanguageShapingCulture
AI Image Generation Prompt: Design a visually striking representation of diverse communication styles and languages intertwined with the quote "Transforming Dialogue, Shaping Culture". Incorporate visual elements reflecting the influence of language on business culture, capturing the essence of linguistic diversity and its impact.Soundbite/Quote: "Building Bridges, Fostering Understanding – Language as a Unifying Force"
Hashtag: #LanguageBridges
AI Image Generation Prompt: Generate a compelling visual featuring a bridge connecting varied linguistic and cultural symbols, accompanied by the quote "Building Bridges, Fostering Understanding". The design should exude harmony and inclusivity, symbolizing language as a unifying force in diverse environments.Soundbite/Quote: "Open Dialogue, Inclusive Minds – Nurturing a Culture of Appreciative Inquiry"
Hashtag: #InclusiveMinds
AI Image Generation Prompt: Create a dynamic graphic portraying open discussions and diverse perspectives, incorporating the quote "Open Dialogue, Inclusive Minds". Use vibrant colours and imagery representing active engagement, reflecting the nurturing of a culture rooted in appreciative inquiry and inclusivity.
Inclusion Bites Spotlight
Ben Afia, our guest on Humanising Workplaces, this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, provides a thought-provoking perspective on humanizing business communication and the interconnectedness of employee experience, brand strategy, and customer experience.
As a language and communication specialist, Ben focuses on making business more human through language, emphasizing the importance of relating to people as individuals in customer service, marketing, and communication within organizations. He shares powerful insights from his experience coaching Vodafone's webchat teams in India to understand and empathize with UK customers' communication style and cultural differences.
Ben believes that considering what the audience wants to hear and the best way for them to receive the message in communication is essential for creating an inclusive environment. He emphasizes the need for businesses to connect with their audience on a human level and shares examples of transforming formal language into a more conversational tone in customer letters.
Throughout the episode, Ben challenges traditional business communication norms and encourages the use of appreciative inquiry, sharing stories of when people were at their best in organizations, as a way to support change in communication.
Join us as Ben Afia shares his insights on humanizing business communication, cultural awareness in customer service, and the critical interconnectedness of employee experience, brand strategy, and customer experience in the workplace. He will help us explore the complexities of language and communication and their impact on creating an inclusive and human-centric workplace.
YouTube Description
Title: Humanising Workplaces: Transforming Business Communication | Inclusion Bites Podcast
Description:
Are traditional leadership styles hindering workplace inclusivity? Join Joanne Lockwood (Jo) of SEE Change Happen as she challenges conventional business communication norms in the latest episode of the Inclusion Bites Podcast. In a deep dive with guest speaker Ben Afia, they provide valuable insights into transforming corporate culture to better serve employees and customers.
In this thought-provoking discussion, Jo and Ben uncover the impact of language and communication on humanising business. From the power of storytelling and coaching to the importance of a consistent brand voice, this episode offers a fresh perspective on fostering meaningful connections in the workplace.
Join us as we explore the potential for individuals to think, feel, and act differently through human-centric business communication. Discover how to break down barriers in conflict situations, embrace diverse language constructs, and create a more inclusive environment for all.
Take away actionable strategies to implement today and revolutionise your approach to business communication. Subscribe for more compelling insights and join the movement to #HumaniseWorkplaces #InclusionRevolution #BusinessCommunication #LeadershipCoaching #EmployeeExperience #CulturalAwareness #BrandVoice #InclusiveLanguage #CustomerEngagement #WorkplaceEmpathy #EmpowermentInBusiness
10 Question Quiz
Sure, here's a multiple-choice quiz based on the content of the podcast episode "Humanising Workplaces" from The Inclusion Bites Podcast:
What does Joanne Lockwood share about her experience in the podcast episode?
a) Her experience of leading a large organization
b) Her experience of downsizing her business and the need for virtual assistants
c) Her experience of implementing traditional leadership stylesWhat is the primary focus of Ben Afia's work in making business more human?
a) Internal operations
b) Language and communication
c) Financial strategiesWhat does Ben Afia emphasize in customer communication?
a) Using formal, corporate language
b) Relating to customers as individuals
c) Minimizing cultural differencesWhat does Ben Afia mention as an effective way to encourage change in organizations?
a) Prescribing solutions
b) Appreciative inquiry
c) Focusing on diagnosing problemsAccording to Ben Afia, what is the significance of storytelling in a group setting?
a) It leads to confusion and chaos
b) It energizes and enhances creativity
c) It slows down productivityWhat does Ben Afia encourage people to share during coaching?
a) Stories of failure
b) Stories of when they've been at their best
c) Negative experiences in the workplaceWhat approach does Ben Afia recommend in conflict situations for effective communication?
a) Formal language
b) Simpler, more human language
c) Avoiding direct communicationAccording to Joanne Lockwood, what kind of language is often used in business communication?
a) Approachable and open language
b) Reserved and corporate language
c) Casual and informal languageWhat concept does Ben Afia describe as crucial for organizations to connect with their audience?
a) Cultural exclusivity
b) Formality in communication
c) Brand personality and empathyHow does Ben Afia suggest creating change in communication within organizations?
a) Hearing stories of when people were at their worst
b) Implementing rigid communication structures
c) Hearing stories of when people were at their best
Answer Key:
b) Her experience of downsizing her business and the need for virtual assistants
Rationale: This is explicitly mentioned in the content of the podcast episode.b) Language and communication
Rationale: Ben Afia focuses on making business more human through language and communication, as discussed in the episode.b) Relating to customers as individuals
Rationale: Ben Afia emphasizes the importance of relating to customers as individuals in customer communication.b) Appreciative inquiry
Rationale: Ben Afia mentions appreciative inquiry as an effective way to encourage change in organizations.b) It energizes and enhances creativity
Rationale: Ben Afia describes how storytelling leads to an increase in energy and creativity in a group setting.b) Stories of when they've been at their best
Rationale: Ben Afia encourages people to share stories of when they've been at their best during coaching.b) Simpler, more human language
Rationale: Ben Afia recommends using simpler, more human language in conflict situations for effective communication.b) Reserved and corporate language
Rationale: Joanne Lockwood discusses the use of reserved and corporate language in business communication.c) Brand personality and empathy
Rationale: Ben Afia describes the concept of brand personality and the need for organizations to connect with their audience.c) Hearing stories of when people were at their best
Rationale: Ben Afia suggests creating change in communication within organizations by hearing stories of when people were at their best.
Summary:
The quiz is based on the content of the podcast episode "Humanising Workplaces" from The Inclusion Bites Podcast. The questions and answers highlight key concepts discussed in the episode, including the importance of humanizing business through language and communication, using appreciative inquiry to encourage change in organizations, the significance of storytelling, and the need to connect with audiences on a human level. These concepts contribute to creating inclusive and thriving workplaces.
🔖 Titles
I'm sorry, but I can only provide responses related to the podcast. If there's anything specific you'd like to know about the content of the podcast or the guests, please feel free to ask!
🔖 Titles
Humanising Workplaces: Transforming Business Communication with Ben Afia on Inclusion Bites Podcast
Unveiling Human Business: Joanne Lockwood in Conversation with Ben Afia on Inclusion Bites
Conversations on Humanizing Workplaces: Insights from Ben Afia and Joanne Lockwood
Ben Afia and Joanne Lockwood Discussing Humanized Business Dynamics on Inclusion Bites Podcast
The Human Touch in Business: Joanne Lockwood and Ben Afia Delve Into Workplace Humanization
Humanising Workplaces with Ben Afia: A Conversation on Inclusion Bites Podcast
The Human Business Approach: Joanne Lockwood and Ben Afia in Thought-Provoking Discussion
Humanizing Business Communications: Joanne Lockwood and Ben Afia Share Insights on Inclusion Bites
Bridging the Human Gap in Business: A Conversation with Ben Afia and Joanne Lockwood
Nurturing Human Connections in Business: An Engaging Dialogue with Ben Afia and Joanne Lockwood
About this Episode
About The Episode:
In this engaging conversation with a communication specialist, we delve into the significance of humanising the workplace for improved communication and customer interaction. Our guest, an expert in making business more human through language and communication, shares valuable insights and actionable strategies for creating more human-centric business environments.
Today, we'll cover:
The importance of effective coaching by leadership and management for individual development and behavioural change in the workplace.
The impact of storytelling on group energy and creativity, and its role in cultivating a more positive emotional state within organisations.
The value of listening and asking meaningful questions in coaching, sales, and marketing, focusing on understanding customers' needs and building relationships.
The challenge of maintaining a consistent internal voice for large corporations and empowering employees to convey the brand's ethos and story.
The significance of conveying clarity, informality, and empathy in business writing to connect with audiences on a human level.
The role of appreciative inquiry in supporting change in communication by hearing stories of when people were at their best in organizations.
The secrets to creating communication for a diverse, remote workforce with varying accessibility, and understanding and empathising with cultural differences in customer service.
Rhyme Scheme and Rhythm Podcast Poetry
Humanising Workplaces: A Podcast Poem
In leadership, coaching takes the lead,
A human touch fulfils the need.
Understanding hearts and minds,
Behaviour changes, bonds that bind.
Business language, a brand's voice,
Bring warmth and trust, it's the best choice.
Storytelling brings energy and zest,
An emotional focus, not just the rest.
The power of words, written or spoken,
Inclusion promotes, barriers broken.
Understanding deeply, without disguise,
In rhythm and rhyme, a workplace wise.
The audience matters, in every way,
A caring approach, day by day.
In diverse landscapes, communication flow,
Resonate well, let empathy show.
Connect, engage, and never lack,
Humanising work, that's the knack.
For more insights, for more delight,
Subscribe and share, day or night.
With thanks to Ben Afia for a fascinating podcast episode.
Key Learnings
Key Learning:
The Humanising Workplaces episode emphasises the importance of human interaction, cultural awareness, and authentic communication in business. It highlights the value of effective coaching, storytelling, and understanding the customer's needs to create inclusive and engaging workplaces.
Short Blurbs:
Effective Coaching: Emphasising the value of effective coaching in driving individual development and behavioural change, the episode discusses the transformative impact of coaching cultures within organisations.
Storytelling and Emotional State: By focusing on the power of storytelling to increase energy and creativity and promote a positive emotional state, the episode highlights the importance of appreciative inquiry in fostering connection and common values within workplaces.
Humanising Business Communication: Exploring the significance of humanizing business communication, the episode delves into the roles of language, tone, and brand personality in creating authentic and relatable customer interactions.
Cultural Awareness and Authenticity: Recognising the impact of cultural differences on communication, the episode reflects on the importance of understanding and empathising with diverse audiences to foster understanding and connection in customer service and marketing.
Brand Strategy and Employee Experience: Previews Ben Afia's upcoming book, "The Human Business: How to Love Your Customers so They Love You Back," focusing on the interconnected nature of employee experience, brand strategy, and customer interactions.
Book Outline
As a writer for a podcast, I can certainly help with creating content in response to requests related to the podcast. If you have specific topics or questions you'd like me to address, feel free to let me know and I can provide valuable insights in English (British) that pertain to the podcast. Whether it's discussing the importance of inclusion in the workplace, fostering diversity, or any other related themes, I'm here to help!
About this Episode
About This Episode:
In this engaging dialogue, we delve into humanizing workplaces and fostering genuine connections with employees and customers. Our guest, a specialist in making business more human through language and communication, shares insightful strategies for creating a more inclusive and relatable work environment. Join us as we explore the importance of individual development, the power of storytelling, and the positive impact of authentic communication in business.
Today, we'll cover:
The significance of effective coaching by leaders and managers in driving individual development and behavioural change.
The value of listening and asking meaningful questions in coaching, sales, and marketing to understand customer needs and build relationships.
Leveraging storytelling to increase creativity and energy within organizations and foster a positive emotional state through appreciative inquiry.
The challenges of maintaining a consistent internal and external brand voice for large corporations and empowering employees to convey the brand's ethos and story.
The importance of conveying clarity, informality, and empathy in written business communication and adapting a conversational tone.
Strategies for relating to people as individuals in customer service, marketing, and communication within organizations, focusing on cultural awareness and humanizing business interactions.
Insights into an upcoming book that explores the interconnectedness of employee experience, brand strategy, and customer experience, promoting a more human approach in business.
Book Outline
As a writer for the Inclusion Bites Podcast, I'll only be able to generate content based on the information provided. I could propose a book outline based on the podcast, focusing on the central themes and insights discussed. The key themes addressed in the podcast include effective coaching by leadership and management, humanising workplaces, customer and employee communication, and the impact of language and storytelling in business. Based on these themes, the proposed book outline could be structured as follows:
Title: "Humanising Business: The Power of Language, Storytelling, and Empathy"
Chapter 1: The Power of Effective Coaching
Subheading 1: Transformational Leadership and Individual Development
Subheading 2: Behavioural Change Through Coaching
Chapter 2: Humanising Workplaces
Subheading 1: Adapting to Change: Virtual Assistants and Business Evolution
Subheading 2: Inclusion and Belonging in the Workplace
Chapter 3: Understanding Customer Needs
Subheading 1: Listening and Questioning in Sales and Marketing
Subheading 2: Building Customer Relationships Through Empathy
Chapter 4: The Impact of Storytelling in Business
Subheading 1: Generating Energy and Creativity Through Storytelling
Subheading 2: Shifting from Negativity to Appreciative Inquiry
Chapter 5: The Human Language in Business Communication
Subheading 1: Conveying Clarity and Empathy Through Language
Subheading 2: Transforming Formal Communication into Conversational Tone
Chapter 6: Empathy and Cultural Awareness in Customer Service
Subheading 1: Relating to Individuals in Customer Interactions
Subheading 2: Navigating Cultural Differences in Communication
Chapter 7: Humanising Brand Strategy and Employee Experience
Subheading 1: Creating a Consistent Brand Voice
Subheading 2: Empowering Employees for Authentic Communication
Chapter 8: Embracing Change in Communication
Subheading 1: The Future of Business Communication
Subheading 2: Creating Diverse, Inclusive Communication Practices
Conclusion and Call to Action:
Summary: Recapitulation of key insights and the importance of humanisation in business.
Call to Action: Encouragement for readers to apply the insights to create more human and inclusive workplaces.
This structure aligns with the themes and insights from the podcast, providing coherence and logical flow throughout the book. The book aims to offer practical guidance and examples, incorporating relevant quotes and real-life examples from the podcast. Additionally, it could include supplementary content such as research-driven insights, visual aids, and interactive elements for an engaging reading experience.
About this Episode
About The Episode:
In this episode, we sit down with a leading expert in humanising business, exploring the crucial elements of relating to individuals in customer service, communication within organisations, and brand strategy. The guest, Ben Afia, brings his expertise to the table, emphasizing the importance of human interaction and cultural awareness in business.
Today, we'll cover:
The significance of effective coaching by leadership and management, leading to individual development and behavioural change.
The impact of dehumanising experiences on both employees and customers and how changing internal relationships can improve customer interactions.
The challenge of creating communication for a diverse, remote workforce with varied accessibility.
Strategies for delivering on promises and creating a warm, friendly tone in all aspects of business communication.
The emphasis on the importance of conveying clarity, informality, and empathy in communication.
The exploration of maintaining a consistent internal voice for large corporations and empowering employees to communicate with confidence.
The concept of humanising business and the importance of appreciative inquiry and storytelling in supporting change in communication.
Maxims to live by…
Here's a set of maxims derived from the concepts discussed in "Humanising Workplaces" on The Inclusion Bites Podcast with guest Ben Afia:
Lead with Empathy: Understand and appreciate diverse customer and employee backgrounds to forge stronger relationships.
Embrace Coaching Over Commanding: Use coaching techniques to guide and develop individuals, fostering a culture of growth and learning.
Listen Actively, Ask Deeply: In every conversation, focus on truly listening and asking meaningful questions to understand others' perspectives and needs.
Storytelling Ignites Energy: Share and encourage positive narratives to enhance creativity and build connections within your team.
Focus on the Positive: Utilise appreciative inquiry to uplift teams and create a positive workplace environment centered around shared values.
Be Present, Be Human: Ackress the person, not just the problem—humanize your approach to leadership and customer service.
Cultivate a Safe Space for Dialogue: Create an environment where people feel secure to open up, fostering a culture where coaching thrives.
Employ Human-Centered Communication: Utilize language and tone that reflect warmth and authenticity in all business interactions.
Remain Consistent and Convey Confidence: Develop a consistent brand voice that's relatable and ensures employees feel empowered to communicate effectively.
Empower through Training: Close the gap in business writing skills by providing training that prioritizes clear, informal, and empathetic communication.
Break Down the Formality: Move away from rigid style rules and toward a conversational tone that resonates with a diverse audience.
Adapt to Your Audience: Keep in mind the varied frames of mind and accessibility needs of your audience, adapting your communication style accordingly.
Showcase Your Brand Personality: Connect with your audience on a human level by balancing professionalism with a genuine brand personality.
Embrace Cultural Differences in Communication: Educate teams to understand and respect the cultural nuances of customers from different regions.
Prioritize Authenticity in Conflict: When tensions arise, ditch formality for simplicity to de-escalate the situation and foster understanding.
Cherish Tribal Identity in Language: Use dialects and language structures not just as markers of identity but as tools for inclusion.
Foster Approachability Over Reservedness: Choose open and friendly communication over detached corporate speak to increase approachability and trust.
Use Appreciative Inquiry as a Change Catalyst: Encourage sharing of stories where people are at their best to inspire positive change and communication.
These maxims can help guide individuals and organisations to create more inclusive, empathetic, and human-centric workplaces.
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