Shows
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanNeurodiversity at work: embracing differences for a thriving workplace (with People Director Vee Halliwell)"There's more and more research in the field of neurodiversity which supports why improvement initiatives do make sense. One particular statistic that I love is JP Morgan chase did a team study of productivity between a neurodiverse team and a neurotypical team and found that the neurodivergent team was 48% more productive."Were you aware that up to 20% of the population is neurodiverse? That means 1 in 5 people, which makes an understanding of this issue an essential part of the future of work; managers need to embrace the natural diversity of the human brain to strengthen the performance of...
2024-06-1324 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanFrom stuck to thriving: the December19 journey (with Dave Barnett)"We had to make some really tough decisions... I no longer felt I was the right person to lead the business."As the Managing Director of founder-led media agency december19, coming to the realisation that perhaps someone else might be better positioned to lead the business forward was not an easy one. Yet this is a decision that all founders of successful businesses will eventually face. So how do you go about managing the process? And how do you ensure that it continues to grow within the same ethical, values-led framework that you founded it on?
2024-06-0329 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanNavigating growth pains: how organisational design can help (with Divya Kanani-Jones, People Director)In business, growth is great - but it isn't always a smooth process.It's perfectly normal for a business to experience growing pains as it expands. A business with three or four people in the team has very different needs to one with 25 people, or 100, or 500+. Without creating the right foundations to support growth in terms of your people strategy, a business will run into problems with recruitment, retention, development, management and performance (to name just a few) So how do you design the right structure to support rapid growth?This week's podcast...
2024-05-1620 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanThe Future of Work: Introducing the Spotify of the C-Suite (with Sara Daw, CEO at the Liberti Group and the CFO Centre Group))Is the C-suite model still fulfilling business needs?What is psychological ownership?And what has Spotify got to do with running a successful business?This week's guest on the People Puzzles podcast is Sara Daw, CEO at both the Liberti Group and CFO Centre group, and a passionate advocate of the fractional model of C-suite leadership. Her book, Strategy and Leadership as a Service: How the Access Economy Meets the C-Suite is released on 9th May and we are delighted to welcome her to explore and explain some of what it's all about.
2024-04-1534 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanSustainable success: Getting ESG baked into mid-sized companies (with Vic Foster)"It drives sustainable growth, helps with risk management, gives investor and customer confidence - it future-proofs the business. Having a robust ESG strategy is absolutely essential."In this week's podcast episode, we welcome People Director Vic Foster to talk about how growing businesses can embed a strong Environmental, Social and Governance strategy into the fabric of your business - and why it's a commercial necessity for business leaders to do so.ESG is rapidly becoming one of the most important defining factors for long-term business success, and there any many significant benefits of a robust E...
2024-03-1819 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanThe underdog that helped change the pet food industry (with Mark Scott, CEO at Bella & Duke)"The toughest challenge for any entrepreneur is attracting great people."This week's podcast guest is Mark Scott, co-founder of pioneering petfood brand Bella & Duke, who as well as being an investor, mentor and speaker, has been recognised as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year and listed in the LDC Top 50, and has featured in The Sunday Times’ Top 100 Fastest Growing Businesses.From his early days doing door-to-door sales to co-founding and building a £50m business, Mark knows a thing or two about the importance of people. In this week's episode, Ally chats with Mark as he...
2024-02-2930 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanChief Gorilla - leading from the treetops (with Tristram Mayhew, founder at Go Ape)What do nuclear submarines, surfing and the Wizard of Oz have in common? It turns out, when it comes to adventures in leadership, they all have invaluable lessons to teach.In this week's podcast episode, Ally is joined by Tristram Mayhew, founder of treetop adventure company Go Ape, a business born from a love of all things outdoor and raised with a vision to help people live their lives a little bit more adventurously - including the Go Ape team themselves.If you have ever set out to build a business based on something you...
2024-02-2936 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanInclusive leadership: the business benefits of a flexible-first organisation (with Verena Hefti MBE, founder of Leaders Plus)"One in four working parents have moved jobs because they didn't feel they could continue with their career with that employer with children in tow."This week we are delighted to welcome award-winning Social Enterprise CEO and fellow podcast host of Big Careers, Small Children, Verena Hefti MBE, FRSA, founder of Leaders Plus.Founded to help parents stop having to choose between being a good parent and having a fulfilling career, Leaders Plus is a social enterprise working with individuals during maternity leave, shared parental leave, and beyond, supporting them to progress in their careers...
2024-02-2625 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanFrom Headmaster to CEO: Lessons in Leadership (with John Newton)"More than anything, a leader must be able to explain why what you're doing is valuable."From championing the rebels in the classroom to spotting the hidden gems in a business, this week's podcast guest John Newton shares his journey from Headmaster to CEO and explores some of the most important traits of a successful leader and the importance of curiosity, connection and building high performance culture.The latest in our series of conversations to help business leaders to accelerate growth through their people is a must listen for anyone who understands the importance of...
2024-02-2629 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanInside the mind of a Squiggly Career Business Leader (featuring Sarah Ellis, co-founder of Amazing If)Out with career ladders and in with the Squiggly Career!The best career path isn't always a straight line. and more and more people are leaning into the idea of the Squiggly Career - a brilliant phrase (and bestselling book) coined by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis, the co-founders of Amazing If, the award-winning company with a mission to make squiggly careers better for everyone.The days of linear career progression for everyone are well and truly over. In this week's episode, Ally chats with Sarah to discover why the Squiggly Career concept has resonated w...
2024-02-0532 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanLeading a "Best Company" to work for (featuring Dan May, Commercial Director of Ramsac)What can cauliflowers teach us about great service and culture?Well, as it turns out, quite a lot, according to the Commercial Director of IT service provider Ramsac Dan May. And those learnings must be pretty good, as Ramsac has been featured in the Best Places to Work list on multiple occasions, ranking in the top 10 in 2023. In this week's episode, Ally chats with Dan about working on a leadership team with a family member (accidentally), why great customer service always starts with how you treat your people, and of course, the story behind the...
2024-02-0523 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanLaugh, think, play... work? (Featuring Em Stroud)What have you done today that has let you feel real joy?Meet Em Stroud. Clown, best-selling author and co-founder of the new global movement "Laugh, Think, Play." An experienced performer, TED-X talker (complete with banana costume) and highly accomplished coach, Em works with high level businesses to help leaders and teams put the fun back into work to build more genuine connections, grow in confidence and creativity, and ultimately be more successful in every sense. This week's episode is a joyful yet serious reminder of the power of laughter, the need to drop the...
2024-02-0521 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanInside the mind of an internal comms expert and entrepreneur (ft Sally Pritchett)"As a business owner, suddenly it was all on me."This week, Ally speaks with comms expert and entrepreneur Sally Pritchett, the founder of creative communications agency Something Big, a business committed to making a meaningful difference, through both the work they produce and the way that they do it. From leaning into the life of juggling that comes with running a business and fostering a positive, growth mindset, to prioritising people and planet alongside profit in her business as a B-Corp and taking the decision to make the business employee owned, Sally shares her...
2023-11-2030 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanInside the mind of a leadership coach (Ft Richard Coombes)What does a leadership coach do, and when might you benefit from working with one - and how can it change your life?In this week's episode, Ally speaks with founder, strategist and leadership coach Richard Coombes about the transformational impact of coaching and how it can be used for individuals, teams and businesses to help unstick, regroup or accelerate development. Connect with Richard on LinkedIn, or find out more about the incredible work he and the team at Edgemiths do on the website here.Sounding good?If you...
2023-11-0929 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanFrom scientist to CEO (ft Steve Harvey)Developing skills from laboratory to leadership is never going to be straightforward, but there are learnings to be taken from every mistake.In this week's episode, Ally speaks with Steve Harvey, CEO and founder of Camena Bioscience, a Cambridge-based scale-up on a mission to rewrite DNA synthesis and create new possibilities in the treatment and prevention of critical illness. Steve talks candidly about his journey from scientist to CEO, sharing both his personal and professional motivations for founding the business, and gives insight into the mindset that has helped the business to innovate, persevere and evolve despite m...
2023-11-0928 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanThe journey of starting a tech business (Ft. Emma Hatto, co-founder of Thrive)"People are the most important part of any organisation, yet they are the least understood."In this week's episode, Ally chats with Emma Hatto, co-founder of tech start-up Thrive, a business on a mission to radically improve the understanding and measurement of behaviours in the workplace to transform performance. From her early inspiration to her mission to democratise access to world-leading performance technology for SMEs, Emma gives fascinating insights into the world of data-driven performance culture, and explains how businesses can embrace technology to make the business of people work better for everyone.Connect with...
2023-10-2721 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanInside the mind of a serial entrepreneur (ft. Andreas Adamides)"It's not about finding time - it's about making time."From dropping out of university to focus on business to founding a series of successful organisations, award-winning entrepreneur Andreas Adamides has continued to push the boundaries of what's possible in business. This week he joins Ally to talk about his experiences and learnings in founding and building great businesses, and the crucial ingredients for success.As the founder of CatchApp and CEO of Helm, Andreas has a wealth of insight and advice to share to help others to build the right teams, scale up faster...
2023-10-2733 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanDemystifying employee rewards (ft. People Director Conal Scholes)"You'd spend a lot on a tax advisor as a business - why not people advisors?" Knowing how to truly motivate and engage your people can be challenging, but it is critical for businesses of all sizes. But how do you find out what rewards your people really want, that still works for your business and doesn't cost the earth?In this week's podcast, Ally speaks with People Director and reward expert Conal Scholes to demystify reward and recognition, highlighting why it is such a critical area for businesses to address. From putting in place...
2023-10-2726 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanHow walking the shopfloor as a leadership style can help your business to thriveWelcome to the very first episode of People Puzzles with Ally Maughan. Have you ever walked into a room or into a factory and seen people from your team involved in things you didn't know about or can't explain? From time wasting or chatting to disasters about to happen or people just not doing the right thing, it's vital to be aware of what's really going on within your business. This week Ally is joined by portfolio People Director Jim Verity to discuss how walking the shopfloor as a leadership and management style can shine a...
2023-10-2723 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanHow to recruit the right people (ft People Director Sonia Belfield)Recruiting the right people for the right roles is one of the most universal challenges in any business, and one of the most important factors for long term success. So how do you make sure you're getting it right?This week, Ally chats to recruitment expert and People Director Sonia Moore to look at how business leaders can make better recruitment decisions, and keep the best people in the business for longer. Full of insights and practical advice, this is a must-listen for anyone involved in running a business.If you're interested in...
2023-10-2622 min
People Puzzles with Ally MaughanPeople Puzzles TrailerA one-minute introduction from Ally Maughan about the new People Puzzles podcast and what you would expect to hear from future episodes.Sounding good?If you have enjoyed listening to this podcast, remember to subscribe and rate it to help us reach more listeners. If you would like to support the show, we would love it if you could share it with someone you think would find it helpful for overcoming the barriers to growth in their own business, solve their people problems to unlock sustainable business growth. ...
2023-10-1901 min
Clowning Around PodcastSecond Life with Ally MaughanHow do you move into a second life? What has Ally done in her life – shifting from running a growing successful business to living her life on a farm? What lessons has she taken five months into this new journey? What can chickens and peacocks teach us all. Join Em Stroud and her Clown Barbara as they learn all about shifting life, moving at different speed and so much more. Connect with Ally: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/allymaughan Websites: peoplepuzzles.co.uk (People Puzzles) peoplepuzzles.co.uk/client-case-studies/ (People Puzzles Case Studies) peoplepu...
2022-08-1653 min
Do You Mind?Identity, how to be an ally to the LGBT communityIn the second episode of the how to be an ally series we are speaking to reality tv star Hughie Maughan and former GMIT student Roisin Murphy about discovering their identity, being a part of the LGBT community and how others can be an ally. The fantastic Dervla Fahy, GMIT student counsellor is also joining us again this week for our interesting discussion. A very special thank you to Hughie, Roisin and Dervla for their contribution to the podcast.This episode was produced and presented by Kate Brennan Harding of KBH Productions - Twitter @KateBHdj Ins...
2021-10-2649 min
The Royal Bank Business ShowGetting Your Confidence BackIn this episode of Adapting to the New Now, Steph McGovern is joined by Ally Maughan, founder of HR consultancy People Puzzles. Steph and Ally discuss ideas and strategies for getting your business confidence back post lockdown. Ally is a member of The Supper Club, a members club for Founders and CEOs with a difference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2020-08-3120 min
The NatWest Business ShowGetting Your Confidence BackIn this episode of Adapting to the New Now, Steph McGovern is joined by Ally Maughan, founder of HR consultancy People Puzzles. Steph and Ally discuss ideas and strategies for getting your business confidence back post lockdown. Ally is a member of The Supper Club, a members club for Founders and CEOs with a difference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2020-07-2220 min
The Elite Business PodcastEBL2020: Ally Maughan Keynote: How do you hire the right for youor company?Founder of People Puzzles, Ally Maughan, speaks about how to select talent wisely.
How do you hire and integrate key talent into your company? Having the right team can help propel your business and take it to greater heights. But how do you find the right person to fit for your business? Interviewing potential employees can often be a daunting task as good talent can be hard to find – and even more so if you don’t particularly know the exact type of candidate you are looking. Speaking on the second day Elite Business’ live Ally Maughan, founde...
2020-07-0329 min