Épisodes

  • The Last Word on Conflict Management?
    Jun 10 2025

    As I say on this final show in the first series, the topic is:

    ‘Something we’ve been talking about since the first episode. … The first word on conflict management is “collaboration”’ and the last is ‘culture’, because that ‘runs under, over, around and through everything you need to collaborate successfully’.

    To demonstrate that, there’s a little montage of clips from earlier episodes, with:

    • Julian Treasure – on listening,
    • Colleen Jolly – on being divided by a common language (who also speaks from experience this time, about going by the book on her first trip to the UK),
    • Chris Arnheim – on jargon,
    • Graham Music – on empathy,
    • Sophie Scott – on the power of speech and
    • Jennifer Veitch – on healthy lighting -

    Which all touch, either expressly or by implication, on the influence of culture.

    The new voice on this show belongs to Prof. David Howes of Concordia University – who demonstrates that ‘universal truths’ may only be universal among people who believe them.

    As always, we finish on a light note. To be honest, there are so many laughs in Colleen’s section, she could have covered this as well!; but I go back to the trans-Atlantic networking discussion I dipped into earlier in the series, with:

    • Mark Amtower,
    • Ardell Fleeson and her British colleague,
    • Chris Tollast.

    I won’t be away from the pod for long, but while I am, I’ll still be blogging – https://www.savvybusinessresolutions.com/blog - if you:

    keep an eye on that or

    come and join me on Linkedin – www.linkedin.com/in/sherie-griffiths

    I’ll let you know when the new series is ready to go. There are also other projects in the pipeline, which I’ll be posting about in the not too distant future.

    In the meantime, if you need help with any aspect of conflict management at work, come and talk to me! All my details are on the website:

    http://www.savvybusiness.com

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    20 min
  • What's the Bottom Line on Emotional Intelligence?
    Jun 3 2025

    In the penultimate episode of this first series of the pod, I’m:

    • Busting a myth,
    • Speaking from experience and
    • Sharing a tip,

    On a topic which ought to be about bridging relational distance – although it can be quite divisive.

    I’ve touched on one component of emotional intelligence (EI) in Episode 5. You’ll hear a couple of short clips from that show – along with another contribution from Graham Music of the Tavistock Centre, on the subject of empathy.

    EI is a vital skillset In conflict management. Aside from anything else, it helps us understand fundamental needs – our own and other people’s. As I say on the show:

    ‘So much conflict flows from misunderstanding around needs’ – so that’s going to be the subject of this week’s blog – published a couple of days after the pod at

    https://www.savvybusinessresolutions.com/blog

    For now, if you need help with any aspect of conflict management at work, come and talk to me! All my details are on the website –

    http://www.savvybusinessresolutions.com

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    20 min
  • When Works Best for You?
    May 21 2025

    Shownotes:

    Picking up on last week’s show, about where works best for communication – and how space can create, aggravate or de-escalate conflict, this time, we’re talking about how time can do the same. ‘We’ includes two returners from earlier episodes – and an unusual first-timer.

    I also talk about Prof. Matt Walker – billed as ‘The world’s No. 1 sleep expert!’ I’m hoping to get Matt on the programme in the next series; but for now, I recommend his online content – including his TED talk:

    ‘Sleep is Your Superpower’.

    https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_walker_sleep_is_your_superpower/

    Why are we talking about sleep on a podcast about work time? Because it’s the most important investment you can make in your work-related conversations – aimed at conflict management, or anything else. I know that might sound crazy – I acknowledge that on the show – but it really isn’t.

    That said, we don’t spend the whole episode asleep!:

    Dr. Jennifer Veitch of The National Research Council of Canada (who was on last week’s show) helps me bust another myth – backed up by a brief appearance from

    The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah band’s ‘Urban Spaceman’ (it all makes sense when you hear it – honestly!) and

    Rob Jones of Ultimate Content (who was in the background in Ep5 – when I was talking about the job interview from hell!) shares a tip on making the most of your attention resources).

    In between, I speak from experience, about a time culture clash.

    On the blog, I’ll give you some tips to help- you cut the risk of conflict arising from:

    An ‘always on’ culture,

    Communication silence and

    ‘covert’ time-shifting.

    Next week’s show is the penultimate in this first series of the pod – I’m already planning the second! In the meantime:

    If you need help with any aspect of conflict management at work, come and talk to me! All my details are on the website –

    http://www.savvybusinessresolutions.com

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    21 min
  • Where works best for you?
    May 13 2025

    Following on from last week’s episode, on the power of speech, this time the focus is on where we harness that power for work – in fact, where works best for communication in general. I’m joined by two guests:

    Julian Treasure, the expert on how sound affects us, who you heard in Episode 1 and

    Dr. Jennifer Veitch of the National Research Council of Canada, who’s an expert on lighting and health.

    They help me bust a myth,

    I speak from ‘painful first-hand experience!’ of an opportunity becoming an obstacle and

    Between us, we give you a tip,

    All about how where we work can cause or aggravate conflict – and help to resolve or manage it.

    You’ll find more tips on the blog, to help you make your workspaces work more effectively for communication – to reduce conflict and improve collaboration.

    If you need help with any aspect of conflict management at work, come and talk to me! All my details are on the website -

    http://www.savvybusinessresolutions.com

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    22 min
  • Why Are We Talking About Talking?
    May 6 2025

    The quick answer to the title question is:

    Because speech is the most powerful conflict management tool we have.

    In this episode, I’m joined by Prof. Sophie Scott of The Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, who:

    • Helps me bust one of my favourite communication myths,
    • Speaks from experience – including her experience of doing stand-up – about science?! And
    • Shares the most important tip to help any of us start harnessing the power of speech across the board.

    Once you can do what Sophie recommends, you can take advantage of the more specific conflict management tips I’ll give you on the blog.

    On the show, we talk about one way our voices connect us without words – when we laugh – and I promise you a link to ‘Bill Bailey’s little LOL experiment’ – so here it is:

    https://youtu.be/q8pqepZW7-E?si=gtK2hoNa6YBE98ud

    I also promise you the link to the full version of Sophie’s Standup set (as part of UCL’s Bright Club, in 2011) – although I do need to correct myself on that score –

    I say you can ‘watch the whole thing on YouTube’ – but I should have said ‘listen’ – at least, I can only find the audio:

    https://youtu.be/xCuaqH4xgCA?si=yHRaFfTaFOcXuxWR

    The one little ‘naughty’ word in that clip is why I’ve had to mark this episode as ‘explicit’!

    As always, if you need help with any aspect of conflict management at work, come and talk to me! All my details are on the website:

    http://www.savvybusinessresolutions.com

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    23 min
  • Is 'The F-word' Good for Business?
    Apr 29 2025

    After last week’s look at technology as an attention barrier (and bridge), this time:

    I’ll bust a myth – with the help of Dr. Graham Music of The Tavistock Centre,,

    Ivan Newman will get me to ‘Speak from Experience’ and

    I’ll give you a tip,

    all connected with a very human obstacle – and opportunity.

    Although the show isn’t marked as ‘explicit’, it does carry a warning, which I’d better repeat here:

    This episode includes terms which some listeners may find disturbing.

    It’s ok – it’s only ‘those of an insensitive disposition’ who ‘might want to cover their ears’, because we’re dealing with the role of emotions in business, from prejudice to empathy.

    ‘So there’s no light note to end on this week’, I hear you assume! Oh, yes, there is - courtesy of an ex-boss of mine, who, back in 1990, demonstrated perfectly how not to interview a guide dog owner …

    On the blog, I’ll dig into the roots of her – and our – assumptions which, left to their own devices, can grow up to be prejudices.

    If you need help with any aspect of conflict management at work, come and talk to me! All my details are on the website:

    http://www.savvybusinessresolutions.com

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    22 min
  • Can I Have Your Attention, Please?
    Apr 22 2025

    Following the thread through last week’s show (the conflicted relationship between information and attention), In this episode, we’re homing in on two sides of the relationship between attention and a key source of information - technology:

    Part 1 News – Where do you stand on people checking their phones in meetings?;

    Part 2 Myth-busting – we’ll discover the truth about multi-tasking, with the help of Prof. Michael Proulx of The University of Bath – and Prof. Jesse Stommel of The University of Mary Washington urges us to keep the conversation open re tech in education.

    Part 3 Speaking from Experience – we’ll hear from Ivan Newman, formerly of Living Inside the Brand, about tech as an attention barrier and bridge.

    We’ve also got a BOGOF (buy one get one free) on tips – there’s one from Ivan and one from me!

    We’ll finish, as always, on a lighter note:

    I’ll tell you about when tech told me what I thought of a company I’d just bought from; and Jesse recommends a couple of things we might want to ban from the classroom before phones!

    Don’t forget to keep an eye on the blog, for more tips on the topic of each episode of the pod.

    If you:

    Have any questions or comments about the show or

    Need help with any aspect of conflict management at work,

    Come and talk to me! All my contact details are on the website – http://www.savvybusinessresolutions.com

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    18 min
  • Do You Make Yourself Clear?
    Apr 15 2025

    This episode comes at the end of a ten-day week – because of technical issues around distribution (which I’ve outlined on what should have been last week’s blog!) Is that clear? I hope so!

    Across the three parts of this pod, we’re looking at another potential cause of misunderstanding:

    Part 1 News - we’ll talk about some responses to the headline that dominated the last show (and the rest of the media!); and I’ll ask for your reactions to some less dramatic items, flowing from the new tax year.

    Part 2 Myth-busting - We’ll question a common assumption relating to the two biggest challenges in organizational communication, with some help from:

    · Prof. Michael Proulx of The University of Bath and

    · The late Prof. Susanne Corkin.

    Part 3 Speaking from experience - We’ll hear more from retired Solicitor Chris Arnheim, this time, on the ‘danger’ of clients not being clear on what their contracts mean.

    I’ll also give you a tip – which I hope will be obvious.

    We’ll finish with a couple of slightly strange examples of situations where it wasn’t even clear whether there was a contract!

    If you:

    · Have any questions or comments about the show or

    · Need help with any aspect of conflict management at work,

    Come and talk to me! All my contact details are on the website.

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    24 min