What role does humour play in teams? Whether it’s laughter, play or simply seeing the lighter side of things, there’s plenty of research that points out the benefits of humour. But when can humour backfire, and how do you manage it?

Send your questions (and favourite jokes!) to Simon at podcast@simondowling.com.au

In this episode, Simon takes a moment to reset his intentions around the podcast - and get back in the groove. We then dive into the idea of a team’s conversational intelligence. Because the way a group engages with each other and with important topics can make or break not just relationships, but value.

Say hello to Simon at podcast@simondowling.com.au

Meetings. Some people seem to love them. Some people hate them. But not all meetings are made equal. And if there’s been one constant theme throughout 2023, it’s that teams aren’t doing meetings as well as they could. If the last episode was all about “Finishing Strong”, then this episode is about setting your team up for success by taming the meeting beast. Send your questions or suggestions for future episode themes to podcast@simondowling.com.au

Every team enters phases of finishing. Projects, tasks, quarters, years… How you finish matters. It not only leaves you with a sense of pride and achievement - it sets you up for a strong start to the next chapter. In this first episode for Season 2, recorded with only 7 weeks left in 2023, Simon reflects on the 3 things every team should be thinking about now to ensure they finish strong. A great way to start Season 2! After you listen to this episode, why not go back and listen to Episode 4 - Conjuring Up a Shared Vision - which was all about starting strong! You can find the YouTube video Simon mentions in this episode >> https://shorturl.at/aioDR

Send your questions or suggestions for future episode themes to podcast@simondowling.com.au

Teams can be noisy places. Distractions, meetings, corridor conversations - all of which can make it hard to get the important work done. So much so, it can sometimes be hard to get important work done.

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Your team’s culture - and performance - is shaped by the patterns of behaviour embedded within the team. These are habits, and often they’re a sign of what the team is truly “addicted” to - the things you value above all else. In this episode, Simon looks at some common team habits and underlying addictions - and what it takes to reshape those. (Book reference: “Atomic Habits” by James Clear) If you enjoy this episode, please help get this podcast in front of more people like you - all you need to do is hit subscribe and leave a rating. Contact Simon at podcast@simondowling.com.au.

You often hear leaders talk about the importance of hiring for 'cultural fit'. But is that always such a good idea?? What if the REAL strength in teams actually comes from DIFFERENCE? In which case, is there a better way to think of the different kinds of people you need in your team to achieve balance? In this episode, I look at the importance of understanding different team archetypes, and how that can help you to build diversity in skills, perspectives and experiences. If you enjoy this episode, please help me to get this podcast in front of more people like you - by following and leaving a rating. Contact Simon at podcast@simondowling.com.au.

Why do so many teams get caught in conversations that are ‘easy’, but not important. So often, opportunities to tackle big picture questions are wasted as people get stuck “in the weeds”. In this episode, Simon explores why this happens, and how you can prevent it. If you enjoy this episode, please help get this podcast in front of more people like you - all you need to do is hit subscribe and leave a rating. Contact Simon at podcast@simondowling.com.au.