Shows
A Human PerspectiveDeconstructing Imposter Syndrome: An Open & Honest Conversation with My FriendsOn this episode, I'm joined by a couple of close and long-time friends, Mala and Kemi. We chop it up as we normally would whenever we meet up... but maybe a little calmer!
We discuss our thoughts on Imposter Syndrome. What it means to us. How it shows up in our professional lives. How we manage the related feelings. The factors that may create the feeling in the first place, and so on.
This is an open and honest conversation between three professional women and dear friends.2024-02-0647 min
A Human PerspectiveTransitioning from Consultancy to Startup (with Richard Rosser)This week, I speak to Richard Rosser, Co-Founder of Movemeon, a platform that helps consultants navigate their career within and beyond consulting firms.
Rich and his Co-Founder met each other while at McKinsey and decided to take a leap into the world of HR Tech after an exhausting experience during their own job search when they had made the decision to leave consultancy.
Rich and I discuss the allure of leaving consultancy for startups and the many nuances of this of this experience. Having worked as a Strategy Consultant, himself...2023-10-2444 min
A Human PerspectiveNavigating Leadership as a Black Female (with Chichi Eruchalu)Chichi Eruchalu is an Executive Leadership Coach, Speaker and a 2023 Top Voice on LinkedIn.
When I reached out to Chichi, it was because of her very human perspective on leadership, and I was keen to explore this further with her. However, Chichi suggested getting more specific and discussing black female leadership.
I was a little nervous about this conversation because it’s one normally had with friends or family in private settings, but then I thought, why hide? Speak up and out loud. It may help someone, educate another, an...2023-09-1247 min
A Human PerspectiveThe Good Busy (with Kate Sotsenko)We’re back from another short but needed hiatus, and our guest this episode is Kate Sotsenko. This episode is so apt for those coming back from the summer break, looking to redefine how they approach work.
I came across Kate on LinkedIn where she was sharing some very useful productivity tips. Kate is a productivity educator and coach who has coined a concept called The Good Busy and shares fantastic playbooks that draws from her 10 years in sports and 15 years in business.
Kate works with busy team leaders, he...2023-08-2946 min
A Human PerspectiveLife as a Late-Diagnosed Autistic Person (with Natalie Wood)Meet Natalie Wood, VP Engineering at Hokodo. Natalie and I met during my time at Elsevier and I remember at the time admiring Natalie's approach working style. Methodical, great attention to detail, and just bloody smart, to be honest! 💡
A couple of months back, Natalie shared an informative post and slides for Autism Awareness on LinkedIn. What made it so impactful was Natalie’s vulnerability, sharing that she had recently been diagnosed as autistic in the past year.
This realisation and confirmation has been what Natalie effectively describes as an on...2023-06-2146 min
A Human PerspectiveHow to Move Forward After a LayoffThis year has seen around a quarter of a million people being laid off in the Tech space alone. I’ve said this before, I don’t see this trend coming to an end any time soon. I talk more specifically about layoffs in a previous episode, ‘When the Bubble Bursts: The Layoffs of 2022’. You can find out more there about my opinion on these layoffs, what is happening, etc.
In this particular episode, I focus more on the people being impacted by these layoffs. This is particularly rough ride for them. Not only are you...2023-06-1409 min
A Human PerspectiveMasculinity, Men's Health & Leadership (with Jack Villiers)On this week's episode, we have Jack Villiers. Jack is a Leadership Coach, Men's Guide and Public Speaker whose goal is to make healthy masculinity mainstream. With extensive experience in Talent Acquisition and People Operations and contributing to the successful growth of companies such as Monzo, Just Eat and incident.io, Jack set up his own consulting company in order to help even more businesses, leaders and leadership teams.
Jack and I talk about masculinity and the recent shift he has made to focus on guiding men and male leaders to find balance and...2023-06-0738 minA Human PerspectiveThe Consciousness of Unconscious BiasSome people feel bias is unconscious or simply another term for decision-making. In this episode we discuss the concept of unconscious bias and my thoughts on the topic as a whole.2023-05-3106 minA Human PerspectiveWhat Matters to You?Off the back of Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK ending, In this episode, I share some musings on the link between mental health and social media.2023-05-2410 min
A Human PerspectiveDigital Wellbeing (with Sam Flynn)On this week’s episode, we speak to Sam Flynn about Digital Wellbeing. Sam is a Digital Wellbeing and Social Media Coach, Trainer and Speaker.
Since the pandemic, our feeling of isolation has increased alongside our use of social media and technology - both in our personal and professional lives.
Sam and I discuss the concept of digital wellbeing and Sam also shares some brilliant tips to help your improve your digital wellbeing.2023-05-1737 min
A Human PerspectiveBuilding an Effective Software Engineering Team (with Vasco Figueira)Meet Vasco Figueira, a Senior / Lead Software Engineer, I was lucky enough to work with at a previous company. Curious by nature, with the ability to balance pragmatism with the constant pursuit for excellence, Vasco is always a great person to have a conversation with.
Vasco and I discuss how to build effective software engineering teams. The conversations kicks off what the definition of what an effective team is, how an effective team works under different types of leadership styles, with other teams and externally. We also discuss the importance of the first technical...2023-05-1040 minA Human PerspectiveLessons from 2022For the past couple of years I have been sharing my lessons from the previous year.
Last year was a little different. I experienced a lot of drastic changes, I stood up for myself in ways I hadn’t for some time, I took chances and I remembered some truths I’ve always known but buried. But I didn’t get the chance to properly reflect until the end of the year… and to be completely honest, I’m still reflecting now.2023-05-0311 min
A Human PerspectiveJourney from Law to Mobile Technology (with Tim Carter)Join me as I talk to Tim Carter, a Partnerships Consultant and Ecosystems Coach. Tim's forté is helping companies assess their current position, identify opportunities and challenges and put in place a plan to enable progress and consequently, growth.
On this episode, Tim talks about his career transition from law to mobile technology, and how he joined Google at a pivotal time after acquiring Android. Tim went on to head up Android Strategic Partnerships for the EMEA region at Google.
Visit Tim's website to find out more.2022-12-0526 min
A Human PerspectiveLeadership in a Fast Growth Start-up (with Stephanie Bowker)I had a wonderful conversation with Stephanie Bowker, former VP of Marketing at Spendesk and now Co-Founder & CMO at Ourspace, a platform enabling tech leaders to make smarter org design decisions through complete context and peer alignment.
Our chat covers Steph's experience of working and being a leader in a first growth start-up, and the lessons she is taking into her new venture, Ourspace.2022-11-2622 min
A Human PerspectiveWhat Does a Recruiter Do? Part 2In last week’s episode, I provided an insight into a Recruiter’s role, with a focus on some of the work Recruiters do with internal stakeholders. This week is the second instalment focussing on the work Recruiters do with candidates.
After the initial interaction with the hiring manager and other key internal stakeholders, the Recruiter would normally have an understanding of the role, have the job description, know the interview process, have developed the job description into an engaging job advert and posted it on relevant job boards. Now, applications have started to roll in...2022-10-0810 min
A Human PerspectiveWhat Does a Recruiter Do? Part 1I started off my career as a Recruiter and still dabble in recruitment from time-to-time. If you’re to go by the many the negative comments on LinkedIn, Recruiters often get a bad wrap. Yes, there are some awful Recruiters out there but that doesn’t mean there aren’t amazing people too.
This is the first of duo episodes. In this first portion, we will discuss the work Recruiters do with internal stakeholders. The second part, next week’s episode will focus on the work Recruiters do with candidates.2022-10-0310 min
A Human PerspectiveHow to Approach People on LinkedInI received a LinkedIn message from someone asking for advice a couple of weeks back, and I am yet to respond. I nearly responded, but not to answer the call for advice, but to give advice on how to approach people on LinkedIn. This episode is for that person, and anyone else who may need guidance on how to approach people on LinkedIn.
If you’ve never approached someone on LinkedIn before it can be daunting! How do you even start?2022-09-2612 min
A Human PerspectiveSaying No at Work: To Your ManagerThis episode is a follow-up to an episode released a few weeks back called, 'Saying No at Work: Workload Edition'. In this previous episode, we discussed the common occurrence of being overloaded at work, and how to push back or find ways around it.
However, let's face it, saying “No” is easier said than done. In this episode, we dive into this a little further.2022-09-1709 min
A Human PerspectiveWorking Remotely... EffectivelyWith more companies choosing remote working or at a minimum following a hybrid model than ever seen before, we are navigating uncharted waters en masse. Trying to understand what works and how to work in this new space, whilst considering the realities of juggling and prioritising personal lives and wellbeing.
One of the more tricky and also most important parts of working remotely effectively is the ability to build good relationships professionally and personally - both inside and outside of your team.2022-09-1010 min
A Human PerspectiveEnablement & Onboarding (with Malvina EL-Sayegh)On this episode, Malvina EL-Sayegh and I discuss the concept of Sales Enablement, it's importance, and future. We also explore how enablement and onboarding crossover.
As well as having extensive experience in the Enablement space, Malvina also has her own podcast, #stayhuman, and is also co-host of The Sales Enablement Brew. Go have a listen! 2022-09-0317 min
A Human PerspectiveSaying No at Work: Workload EditionYou are just about managing to spin all your plates and stay on top of your workload. Your manager loves the work you’ve been doing and asks if you can take on an additional project. They know you get things done and your results are always good, so it has to be you. But you know you’re just about coping. You know you shouldn’t take it on, you simply don’t have the bandwidth… but you don’t want to say no… or you feel you can’t?
I also recommend you listen to my...2022-08-2808 min
A Human PerspectiveWhen The Bubble Bursts: The Layoffs of 2022We're seeing an increasing number of companies in the start-up / scale-up tech space making people redundant this year. LinkedIn is littered with posts of people announcing they have been made redundant. Even companies like Netflix, that had massive wins during the pandemic are letting people go. In this episode I touch on some reasons why this may be happening.... now.2022-06-2508 min
A Human PerspectiveA Cinderella StoryAsk most females who they first admired and emulated when they were very young, too many will tell you Cinderella... and I’m one of them.
This expectation of women to have a feather-like personality is planted so deeply, most are unaware of it, but it’s there and it’s impacting the way women are perceived and navigate the workplace.
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I am conscious I am approaching this topic discussing traditional gender roles and relationships. This is not to negate the experiences of others...2022-06-1812 min
A Human PerspectiveRemote Interviews: For Hiring ManagersLast week I shared tips for candidates attending remote interviews. This week we wrap up with advice for hiring managers.
Though easier to schedule in, remote interviews can be so difficult because you lose so much context when not sitting in the same room. It’s harder to connect or build rapport and people are harder to read. Their background setting may disrupt and influence your thoughts about them, the camera angle of the call may be off-putting... you’re now judging so many new factors we simply didn’t need to consider before.
This is whe...2022-06-1310 min
A Human PerspectiveRemote Interviews: For CandidatesI’ve been actively recruiting again recently and noticed interviews are becoming easier to attend yet more difficult to navigate and judge. Not meeting face-to-face physically can mean you don’t get a good grasp of a person or company, and this can lead to mistakes being made on both sides, including a company hiring the wrong person due to not qualifying their skills correctly or communicating the responsibilities effectively or a candidate taking on a role, then joining and realising the culture is toxic or doesn’t align with their values. Sometimes the hiring manager is behaving too lackad...2022-06-0713 min
A Human PerspectiveWelcome Back 🤗It's been a while, but I'm back! 😊2022-06-0401 min
A Human PerspectiveThe Weight of Speaking EnglishI’ve been pondering this topic for some time. Starting and stopping and starting from scratch over and over again. You see, the topic of of accents and English speaking ability is onion-layered but I do feel this is a very important conversation to have. I've tried my best to hit the areas I feel are particularly important.
When you hear someone with an accent, what judgements do you make?2022-02-0809 min
A Human PerspectiveHandling a Resignation… GracefullyThe nature of resignations is changing. Where there was once a high probability of someone being convinced to stay, people are much more sure about wanting to leave and move on. With that, managers need to be much thoughtful and proactive about how they handle the exit of leavers. I’ve put together some tips inspired from my own learnings to help managers navigate this inevitable experience more effectively.2022-02-0109 min
A Human PerspectiveLeadership & Coaching (with Peter Karius)Meet Peter Karius, founder of Peter Karius Coaching and specialist leadership and career coach.
Peter had a successful career in a leadership position in one of the world's leading engineering companies. Though Peter received some of the best training available, he still felt the training was missing something fundamental... a focus on leading yourself first.
On this episode, we discuss the ideas around leadership, leading yourself and the different routes to learning.2021-12-1221 min
A Human PerspectiveSmiiile! 😊On this episode of A Human Perspective we explore how Toxic Positivity shows up in the workplace and has a negative impact on both those who appear to be positive as well as those who don't.
The Psychology Group defines Toxic Positivity as "the overgeneralisation of a happy, optimistic state, that results in the denial, minimisation and invalidation of the authentic human emotional experience."2021-10-0508 min
A Human PerspectiveTech Recruitment Challenges (with Oliver Short)I had a fun conversation with Oliver Short, Founder of SEEKR, a tech recruitment consultancy. We talk about the current challenges of recruiting Software Engineers. We cover:
the current market
the expectations of hiring managers
the expectations of candidates
diversity
... and Oliver's fantastic initiative DV8.
Find out more about DV8 @ https://www.d-v-8.com/.2021-08-2323 min
A Human PerspectiveCompany Culture & Netflix (with Keisha Akinwunmi)On this episode, I discuss the differences between large company culture vs small company culture with Keisha Akinwunmi, Talent Mobility Program Manager EMEA at Netflix.
This conversation evolved into a sneak peak of what life is like inside Netflix and why the company is so successful.
The concept of Freedom & Responsibility is easier said than done, but I believe Keisha has shared some key steps to reaching this Utopia.2021-08-0421 minA Human PerspectiveThe Great Exodus of 2021This year, companies are experiencing higher levels of resignations than usual. This event is being referred to as The Great Resignation or Resignation Boom. 💣
According to a Microsoft report, The Work Trend Index, around 46% of the global workforce are considering leaving their employer this year. In this episode, I share some musings about some of the reasons this may be happening.2021-07-2507 minA Human PerspectiveFalse Acceptance & FootballIn a previous podcast episode with Stijn Smet called Pride & Prejudice, he introduced the term, "False Acceptance"... and for some reason I have not been able to shake it. When preparing for this episode, I was pondering how to demonstrate examples of false acceptance, and then Bukayo Saka did not score the last penalty shot at the end of the Euro 2020 Finals...2021-07-2107 min
A Human PerspectivePride & Prejudice (with Stijn Smet)This is a special podcast, my first ever (published) interview and I couldn’t have asked for a better guest. A colleague, Stijn Smet, joined me to discuss Pride month and Prejudices. This is quite a vulnerable and exposing conversation for both of us. I’ve personally been nervous about sharing this because we do also touch on some of the prejudices I have to navigate as a black person. I hope you find this conversation helps to expand your mind and heart.2021-06-3025 minA Human PerspectiveTips from a Recovering WorkaholicEveryone claims to be a hard worker in the summary of their CV profile, but for some of us, this is a harsh reality. I used to always proudly say I was a workaholic, but I didn't realise at the time that this was actually toxic. In this episode, I explore my experience with workaholism and I share some tips to help you support anyone you may know or work with who suffers in a similar way or perhaps to help yourself. ;)2021-06-2308 minA Human PerspectiveMental Health Awareness Week: Intentions vs GoalsI'm back after a week away which happened to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK. I've come back from this break rested, calmer and with a fresh new outlook on intentions vs goals and appreciating the Now. ❤️2021-05-1906 minA Human PerspectiveIt's Not You, It's Me: A Take On Being A ManagerSome people run towards managerial roles. They see this as progression, a reflection of their own superior knowledge and standing. Working in the tech space, I've learnt this is nonsense and pure ego.2021-05-0507 minA Human PerspectiveThe Human Behind A Human PerspectiveFind out a little about me, the human behind A Human Perspective.
Website: https://www.ahumanperspective.com/
Medium: https://ahumanperspective.medium.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lolaoguntokun/2021-04-2806 minA Human PerspectiveSaying No at Work: Meetings EditionI recently stumbled across a great Harvard Business Review video on YouTube about How to Say No at Work.
If you are uncomfortable saying No, meetings are a great playing ground to build up this skill.
One thing I love about my current company, Silverfin, is we are proactively trying to find ways to bring back work-life balance to our employees. One of these initiatives is encouraging our team members to push back on the need for meetings, and where a meeting is booked, challenging start and end times, duration and insisting on an agenda...2021-04-2107 minA Human PerspectiveTackling the Job Market: The Power of ResearchI recently wrote a three-part series on tackling the job market, which touched on three core areas:
The Search (https://ahumanperspective.medium.com/tackling-the-job-market-part-1-the-search-2560f95d201d)
Your CV (https://ahumanperspective.medium.com/tackling-the-job-market-part-2-your-cv-40003fd55632)
The Interview (https://ahumanperspective.medium.com/tackling-the-job-market-part-3-the-interview-4cac84e5f185)
There is no perfect science to tackling the job market. However, I believe there are some key things you can do to increase the possibility of a productive and positive outcome.
One common thread in all three articles is the need to research.2021-04-1408 min