Loading...

PODCAST

People Soup

Grounded in behavioural science, with practical ideas you can actually use. The name People Soup comes from a quote by Abraham Maslow: "A first-rate soup is more creative than a second-rate painting." I"ve always loved that idea because creativity isn"t confined to art. It shows up in how we live, work, lead and relate to one another. Work often feels like a soup: a rich, sometimes bewildering mix of people, personalities, decisions, pressures, relationships and unexpected challenges. Every day

business management

All Episodes

01:42

Quick Spoon: Are you managing your energy?

People Soup ·

2026/07/10

Most of us have a way of managing our time.A diary.A calendar.A to-do list.But how often do we give the same attention to our energy?In this Quick Spoon, chartered coaching psychologist Dr Rose Aghdami shares a simple but powerful idea: if we think of energy as a limited resource, perhaps it deserves managing just as carefully as our time.This Quick Spoon is taken from my full conversation with Dr Rose Aghdami, author of How to FUEL Your Resilience.If you'd like to hear the complete conversation,

en

01:33

Quick Spoon: Are you thriving or just surviving?

People Soup ·

2026/07/08

Sometimes the signs that we're running low on resilience aren't dramatic.We're still turning up.Still getting through the to-do list.Still appearing to cope.But underneath, something feels different.In this Quick Spoon, chartered coaching psychologist Dr Rose Aghdami shares some of the subtle warning signs that we might be running on empty, and invites us to ask a simple but powerful question:Am I thriving, or am I simply surviving?This Quick Spoon is taken from my full conversation with Dr Rose

en

01:37

Quick Spoon: The question that changed my career

People Soup ·

2026/07/06

Sometimes the questions that shape our careers don't come from research papers or textbooks.They come from the people we meet.In this Quick Spoon, chartered coaching psychologist Dr Rose Aghdami shares the client conversation that transformed the direction of her work.After hearing a client ask, "So you mean work can make you ill?", Rose found herself asking another question:If work can contribute to poor mental health, could it also become a place where people thrive?This Quick Spoon is taken from

en

01:31

Quick Spoon: What resilience really means

People Soup ·

2026/07/03

What does resilience really mean?For many of us, the word has become associated with pushing through, staying strong and simply carrying on, whatever life throws at us.In this Quick Spoon, chartered coaching psychologist Dr Rose Aghdami offers a different perspective.Rather than seeing resilience as suppressing difficult emotions, Rose suggests that resilience starts with acknowledging them. Feeling worried, overwhelmed or vulnerable doesn't mean you've failed—it means you're human.This Quick Spoon

en

34:35

Resilience starts with staying human | Dr Rose Aghdami

People Soup ·

2026/07/01

What does resilience really mean?For many people, the word has become associated with simply pushing through, coping no matter what, or carrying on regardless. But what if resilience isn't about becoming tougher at all?In this episode I'm joined by chartered coaching psychologist Dr Rose Aghdami, author of How to FUEL Your Resilience.Together we explore why resilience has developed such a mixed reputation at work, how one conversation with a client changed the direction of Rose's career, and why

en

01:30

Quick Spoon: Three questions before you take action

People Soup ·

2026/06/29

We often assume that if we're not taking action, the problem must be motivation.But what if there's more to it than that?In this Quick Spoon, Ross reflects on a practical framework shared by organisational psychologist Dr Joe Gray, based on the work of Professor Sharon Parker.Before judging ourselves for not following through, Joe suggests asking three simple questions:Can I do it?Do I have a reason to do it?Do I have the energy to do it?Together, they offer a more compassionate and practical way of

en

01:34

Quick Spoon: Proactivity might not be what you think

People Soup ·

2026/06/26

What does it really mean to be proactive?In this Quick Spoon, Ross reflects on a key insight from his conversation with business psychologist and author, Dr Joanne Gray.Many organisations say they want proactive employees, but we often confuse proactivity with simply being helpful or saying yes to every request.Jo explains that real proactivity is different. It's about spotting opportunities to improve things, taking initiative, and creating positive change before someone asks you to.Ross explores

en

01:28

Quick Spoon: Four words that changed everything

People Soup ·

2026/06/24

Sometimes the people closest to us can see things we've become blind to.In this Quick Spoon, Ross reflects on a powerful moment from his conversation with organisational psychologist Dr Joanne Gray.After years in a demanding corporate role, Joe made the decision to leave. When she shared the news with her Dad, his response was immediate:"Thank God for that."Those four words revealed something important. While Joe had been pushing on, those closest to her had already noticed the impact that work was

en

01:34

Quick Spoon: The signs you might be ignoring

People Soup ·

2026/06/22

What happens when your body starts telling you something you don't want to hear?In this Quick Spoon, Ross reflects on a moment from his conversation with business psychologist, consultant and author, Dr Joe Gray.While working in a demanding corporate role, Jo began experiencing a persistent "flicky eye". What seemed like a minor irritation turned out to be a sign that something deeper was going on.It's a reminder that warning signs don't always arrive as a crisis. Sometimes they show up as tension,

en

27:38

Powering Workplace Proactivity with Dr Joanne Gray

People Soup ·

2026/06/17

What happens when success no longer feels quite right?In this episode of People Soup, Ross speaks with organisational psychologist, consultant and author Dr Joanne Gray.Joe shares the story of a major career transition that took her from a senior corporate leadership role into the world of business psychology and consulting. Along the way, she reflects on the warning signs she experienced, the role of values in shaping career decisions, and the moment she realised something had to change.The

en

01:00

Quick Spoon: Pressure reveals what's running us

People Soup ·

2026/06/15

Pressure has a way of revealing patterns we'd rather not see.Defensiveness.Control.Avoidance.Reactivity.But these experiences aren't signs that we've failed.They're opportunities to notice what's driving our behaviour.In this Quick Spoon, Ross explores one of the central ideas behind psychological flexibility: once we notice what's running us, we create the possibility of choosing differently.And that's where leadership begins.Key Quote"Pressure doesn't reveal who we are. Pressure reveals what's

en

01:00

Quick Spoon: Let your light shine

People Soup ·

2026/06/12

Starting a new role, joining a new team or entering a different culture can be unsettling.The expectations feel different.The responses you receive aren't what you expected.And sometimes, without realising it, you start holding back.In this Quick Spoon, Ross explores a common misunderstanding about adaptability. It's not about becoming smaller or suppressing what matters to you. It's about finding a way to express what matters in a way that fits the context.Reflection QuestionsWhere are you

en

01:01

Quick Spoon: Avoidance rarely feels like avoidance

People Soup ·

2026/06/10

Avoidance Rarely Feels Like AvoidanceMost workplace avoidance isn't dramatic.It's the difficult conversation that gets pushed into next week.And then the week after.In this Quick Spoon, Ross explores one of the most common patterns he sees in leadership and the workplace: avoiding discomfort while convincing ourselves we're waiting for the right moment, more information or greater certainty.The challenge?Discomfort often grows when left unattended.Reflection QuestionWhat's one conversation you've

en

01:07

Quick Spoon: When we avoid disappointing others

People Soup ·

2026/06/08

Success doesn't always feel like success.In this Quick Spoon, Ross reflects on a coaching conversation with someone who appeared to have everything going for them: successful, respected and on track for a remarkable career.Yet something wasn't right.As they explored what mattered most, a powerful pattern emerged. Many of their decisions weren't moving them towards what they valued. Instead, they were helping them avoid disappointing other people.It's a trap that many of us fall into, especially when

en

01:06

Quick Spoon: Awareness often begins with a...

People Soup ·

2026/06/05

You can't lead beyond what you notice and awareness often begins with a metaphorical itch.A feeling that something isn't quite right. Something isn't fitting. Something needs attention.In this Quick Spoon, Ross reflects on a question that changed what he started paying attention to and explores why awareness can be uncomfortable, but essential for growth and leadership.Reflection Question - What have you been noticing recently that you've been tempted to brush aside?People Soup: Real conversations

en

01:05

Quick Spoon: The leadership skill that's going out of...

People Soup ·

2026/06/03

We're encouraged to be quick, responsive and always on.But what happens when urgency becomes identity, reaction becomes leadership and speed becomes a virtue?In this Quick Spoon, Ross reflects on why he believes the pause is becoming an unfashionable leadership skill—and why that might be a problem.Discover why the pause sits at the heart of Ross's leadership framework and a simple practice to help create more choice in moments that matter.Reflection QuestionPause for 5 seconds and as yourself -

en

13:41

Why good leaders go off track - A People Soup special #1

People Soup ·

2026/06/01

Why do good people do things they later regret?It's a question that's fascinated me for years.Before I became a coach, studied organisational psychology, or discovered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), I spent years in HR leadership. One of my roles was leading the Conduct and Discipline Team in a large government department in the UK Civil Service. In that job I became increasingly curious about what really drives human behaviour.In this special solo episode, I share my working hypothesis

en

01:51

Quick Spoon: Leadership starts feeling difficult

People Soup ·

2026/05/29

In this Quick Spoon, Ross explores the fourth skill in the McIntosh Leadership Framework: Adaptability.Inspired by a candid reflection from Gabriella Braun, this episode explores what happens when leadership becomes uncertain, messy, political, and deeply human.So many leadership books promise certainty, control, and easy answers.But real leadership often starts feeling difficult at exactly the moment complexity arrives.Ross reflects on what leaders can do when pressure rises, certainty disappears,

en

01:29

Quick Spoon: What's love got to do with it?

People Soup ·

2026/05/27

In this Quick Spoon, Ross explores the third skill in the McIntosh Leadership Framework: Authentic Action.Inspired by a powerful insight from Gabriella Braun, this episode looks at the tension leaders face between acting from fear… or acting from what matters most.Gabriella describes how every workplace contains both constructive and destructive forces — and how leadership often involves helping people move towards the constructive side.Ross reflects on what this can mean in practice during

en

01:09

Quick Spoon: I always had an eye looking in

People Soup ·

2026/05/25

In this Quick Spoon, Ross explores the second skill in the McIntosh Leadership Framework: Awareness.Inspired by a reflection from Gabriella Braun, this episode looks at the leadership power of noticing what’s happening beneath the surface — in ourselves, in teams, and in the wider system around us.So often, leaders feel pressure to speak quickly, solve problems, and drive action.But what if better leadership sometimes starts with noticing more… and saying less?Ross shares a practical experiment to

en

287 results

Similar Podcasts

TaxTalent.com The Golden Rule Podcast

Adam Golden

TaxTalent.com Podcast

Tony Santiago

SoldiOnline

Mondadori Digital

Black Box - La scatola nera della finanza

Guido Brera e Gian Luca Comandini -...

Mikroökonomen a.k.a. Mikrooekonomen

Marco Herack