Carolyn Butler Madden: Exploring the Link Between Purpose and Profit
CultureLab with Aga Bajer
Have you ever wondered what it would take to tackle some of humanity's most urgent challenges such as climate change, social inequality, armed conflicts or economic disparity? If you have, you’re not alone. But not all of us think that THE institution with the highest capacity to create positive change in the world is business. My guest today, Carolyn Butler Madden envisions a world where business is not just about financial gain, but a powerful force for good, with the potential to drive profit through purpose. Her life's work has been to empower leaders to unlock the full potential of...
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Andy Molinsky: Building Relationships Across Cultures
CultureLab with Aga Bajer
Have you ever felt like you are not connecting with someone and the barrier that stands in the way is cultural? It might be that the jokes you crack don't land, the emails you send seem to miss the mark, or the way you lead meetings doesn't resonate with everyone in the room. It can be like trying to tune into a radio station but finding yourself between frequencies, where everything just sounds like static. This is a common experience in today’s global workforce, where teams are more diverse than ever, spanning across different countries, cultures, and backgrounds. Andy Molinky is a...
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Gary Ware: Playful Rebellion at Work
CultureLab with Aga Bajer
When was the last time you were genuinely playful at work? If you are like most of us, it might have been a while. We’ve been conditioned to believe that work and play don’t really mix. Not only we’ve been taught to draw a clear demarcation line between work and play, we’ve also been convinced that work is somehow way more noble and more important that play. But what if truly great work couldn’t happen without a healthy dose of play? What if, unless we can have fun with the work itself, at least occasionally, we can’t really achieve greatness? Today’s conversation with Gary Ware,...
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Bob Sutton: On Making the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder
CultureLab with Aga Bajer
Can you remember a time when it felt like things at work were unjustifiably and annoyingly hard? Maybe you had to read a 1000-word email that could have been just one paragraph, or had to attend a two-hour meeting that could have been an email. Or maybe you had to manually input data although the process should have been automated ages ago. The reality is that every workplace is clogged with this type of destructive friction—the time-consuming, and soul-crushing practices that drive us crazy and undermine our ability to achieve meaningful goals. I imagine that at the global scale, millions...
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Zoe Chance: Becoming a Master Influencer
CultureLab with Aga Bajer
Do you want to be more influential? For most of us, the answer is yes. Greater influence often translates to more power, enabling us to achieve our goals, drive change, and create positive impact. But delving into the strategies and tactics of influence can leave us feeling uneasy. Words like “manipulative,” “sneaky,” and “coercive” come to mind. Zoe Chance explains this reaction this way: “The idea of influence has been corrupted by tacky, greedy people using tacky, greedy tactics to sell used cars, to promote sponsors’ products on social media, and to get us to buy now, while...
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Brian Elliott - Unlocking Productivity at Work
CultureLab with Aga Bajer
So, here’s an interesting question: What does it take to actually build teams that are highly effective in this brave new world of work? And what's the relationship between making work better for people and the outcomes that organizations can achieve? Unlocking productivity is just a piece of the conversation that we dive into in today’s rich exploration with Brian Elliott. You can follow Brian on You can find the transcript of our conversation . Click here to learn more about the – a one-of-a-kind virtual community for Heads of Culture, founders, and leaders who want to up their...
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Stacey Gordon - What DEI Is Really About
CultureLab with Aga Bajer
Stacey Gordon is an expert on DEI and workplace bias and the author of . In this conversation, she shares her personal journey, offering unique insights from the experiences that shaped her understanding and approach to DEI work. There are many misconceptions surrounding diversity hiring, and the essence of true inclusion and we face them head on. We also talk about the transformative power of empathy and storytelling in creating a culture where everyone can thrive. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to understand the deeper layers of DEI and its impact on organizational success....
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Amy Gallo - How to Work with Difficult People
CultureLab with Aga Bajer
Work relationships can be hard. The stress of dealing with difficult people dampens our creativity and productivity, and degrades our ability to think clearly and make sound decisions. Too often we grin and bear it as if we have no choice. But you can only endure so much —there's your sanity to consider, and your career. This is why, we are thrilled to have Amy Gallo joining us, the best-selling author of Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) the HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict, a how-to book about handling conflict professionally and productively. Tune into this...
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THE DEEP DIVE with Aga and Shani: Deep Fun at Work
CultureLab with Aga Bajer
In this Deep Dive Aga and Shani delve deep into a topic that has fascinated Aga for almost a decade – what drives people to do their absolute best work. Over the years, she's posed this question to more than 3000 individuals and discovered something truly unexpected: peak performance at work is often closely linked to one surprising factor - having fun. But not the kind of fun associated with ping-pong tables and office parties. Instead, it's all about deriving genuine enjoyment from the work itself. Join Aga and Shani in this illuminating conversation as they explore the concept of "Deep...
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Mauro Porcini - The Power of People in Love with People
CultureLab with Aga Bajer
Many companies aspire to be industry disruptors and innovation leaders, but only a handful can genuinely claim those titles. What sets them apart? We're zeroing in on PepsiCo—a company that's nailed it when it comes to creating an environment where people excel. According to their Chief Design Officer, Mauro Porcini, the secret sauce is love, empathy, kindness, and generosity. So tune into this week's episode of the CultureLab where we dig into the nuts and bolts of innovative cultures. To join CultureBrained® with a 25% discount (until November 15th) go to To learn more...
info_outlineOur guest today is Kirsty Bashforth, the founder and CEO of QuayFive Ltd.
Her new book on managing organizational culture (Culture Shift) was published by Bloomsbury in July 2019.
In this episode, Kirsty and I talk about shifting culture so that it serves the business, its employees and the wider ecosystem.