L&D TV VIDEOS

In the post-mortems of the 2024 US Presidential election, one accusation rings out repeatedly: that the wealthy, college-educated leaders of the Democratic Party struggle to speak the language of the working-class people they aim to represent. Trump, on the other hand, speaks in a way that resonates with that audience.

From Viral Moments to Purposeful Change A brief remark by actor Saoirse Ronan sparked a global conversation on women’s safety and everyday vulnerabilities. The structure and mechanism of the wildfire spread of this message is what we try to leverage with Drama for Change – affecting behaviour and culture in the workplace. Learn more in my latest Newsletter. https://lnkd.in/e9Q8h5r8

Mergers and acquisitions, toxic cultures, compliance initiatives that are getting no traction – these are some of the hardest problems to fix. All are fundamentally behavioural issues and are excellent subjects for a Drama for Change initiative. After many months of developing and refining Drama for Change, I’ve put together a white paper to explain the methodology in detail. It’s concise because I prefer things short and to the point, but it nevertheless outlines the research-based framework and the material that informed it. If you’re interested but sceptical, or if you need to explain it to sceptical colleagues, the white paper can help. You might find it intriguing…

Did you know? Gossip isn’t just idle chatter—it’s a powerful tool for social cohesion and moral communication. My latest newsletter explores how storytelling and gossip can be harnessed to change behaviour. By creating compelling video dramas, we can engage audiences emotionally and drive compliance. Discover how to hack the gossip engine for positive change.

This is not a toy. Only the young or the hopelessly commonsensical dip it into liquid soap, content with bubbles. Curl your fingers around the handle, lift it to your mouth, and flick the switch. Say what you long to say. The fan is small, but its aim is true. You will be heard. This poetical story by Colson Whitehead was the main text in an auction entry on eBay for the bubble blowing gun in the picture. The gun was purchased for 50 cents and achieved a final bid price of $36… Do stories make us value things more?

Fill your heart with love today Don’t play the game of time Things that happened in the past Only happened in your Mind You might be familiar with this Biff Rose song from David Bowie’s recording. It’s a beautiful idea. If we can let go of things and move forward, a world of possibility is open to us. But people’s identities are tied up with stories. Stories of past events that are hard to escape.

News story, life story, love story, war story, success story, horror story, origin story, crime story, sob story, true story, fairy story; story is everywhere and our society is held together with stories. “There are no facts, only interpretations.” – Friedrich Nietzsche How do you use story to engage with your colleagues?

Julia knew the culture wasn’t right. As a new HR manager in a legacy male-dominated organisation, she’d already noticed some examples of everyday sexism that made her feel uncomfortable. It’s not that there was a bad attitude at the top, but with what she’d seen, combined with her knowledge of the evidence that formal reporting rarely works to reveal bad behaviour, she knew an intervention was needed…

A few weeks back, I reviewed a book – The Social Brain – by Tracey Camilleri, Samantha Rockey and Robin Dunbar. It takes Dunbar’s academic research and theory about the evolutionary psychology of how human groups work and, focussed on the co-authors’ knowledge of large organisations, applies it to the working world. I love that book, but I’m the kind of guy who really appreciates a VERY high-level distillation of principles to work by. So, I thought I’d return to the book and see how well I could achieve this.

Toxic culture looms large right now. The headlines are full of toxic masculinity and the abusive behaviours it has led to. And of politicians behaving toxically – breaking laws, denying wrongdoing, and promoting policies designed to win headlines rather than improve things. In the meantime, the UK has recently seen the CBI, the Metropolitan Police and the Department for Education all accused of having toxic cultures. The Australia Parliament House is under scrutiny following reports of sexual harassment and assault. In the US, video game company Activation Blizzard is facing accusations of widespread discrimination and harassment against female employees.