Want an Innovation Culture? Build Trust First

The most successful businesses recognise that they need to continue to innovate to stay relevant to their audience and to continue to fulfil the needs of their customers. Stay still, and you’re in danger of being left behind. Look at Kodak as a prime example who refused to buy into digital technology and by the time they realised their mistake, it was too late. The market had moved on, so had their customers, and they were no longer recognised as a lead brand in photography. They had literally dissolved their brand credibility and subsequently their market dominance overnight through one catastrophic mistake.

I’ve worked in businesses where they’ve cried out to their workforce to ‘be more creative’ and yet making this direct request has never worked. It’s not a particularly motivational or inspiring statement. But it’s also not as simple as  asking people to innovate more or better. There are other elements required for innovation to thrive and I think it’s often where businesses go wrong. To be more creative and innovative you have to get comfortable - and be supportive - of failure, and the majority of businesses are not on board with this. Or rather, they may say they are, but in reality they’re not. Amy Edmondson spoke about this on the Eat, Sleep, Work, Repeat podcast when she recorded an episode in 2023. Edmondson talked about businesses who ‘love risk taking, but they [the risks] should all work out.’ And the foundation for effective risk taking and making mistakes? Trust. If individuals don’t feel trusted, or aren’t given the impression they’re trusted by their managers, won’t take risks or challenge themselves where there is a chance they could fail for fear of retribution and how they will be judged. Both in the moment, and in the long-term should it remain on their record.

So, if you want your team to innovate and be more creative, start trusting them more and giving them the space to make mistakes transparently.

The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety

I’ve recently been delivering some training on psychological safety to a group of technical managers as part of my work with the brilliant Emma Canter and her business Mind Values Leadership . I included the work of Timothy Clarke and his 4 Stages of Psychological Safety to really breakdown in a tangible, practical way what we mean by this term and how it presents itself in our day to day work environments. Clarke states that to have psychological safety, all stages must be fulfilled consequentially. Take a look for yourself and consider how these are being fulfilled in your team, and business, right now and where you could improve psychological safety for yourself and your teams to deliver better results and wellbeing.

What I've Been Up To

On 11th September I joined 3 of my fellow WUN Associates to deliver a webinar we designed for our amazing WUN members on Self-Advocacy. We had over 80 individuals join us for this important discussion on what holds us back - both the internal and external elements - and how we can back ourselves better. The feedback has been incredible and so humbling! Thank you to everyone who joined us.

You can watch the recording by visiting thewun.co.uk

What I’ve Been Listening To

The Business Awards Show : Episode 119 The Middle Manager Coach with Lisa Robyn Wood

Yes, I’m unashamedly plugging a podcast episode featuring me!

I was honoured to join Debbie Gilbert on her podcast The Business Awards Show to share my story about becoming a coach and building my own business GRIP Coaching Ltd.

Debbie kindly invited me onto her show after I agreed to be a judge this year for her special Best Business Women Awards. I loved reviewing the entries and reading the many amazing, and inspiring stories from women who have set up their own businesses; learning about their challenges, their successes, and the drive and purpose they have for what they do and their customers.

Listen to my episode now on Spotify!

What I've Been Reading

Emotional Agility, Dr Susan David

‘Emotional Agility helps us to navigate life’s twists and turns with self-acceptance, clear-sightedness, and an open mind.’ David grew up in apartheid South Africa and lost her father through illness early in her life. David recalls how the heavily religious community which they were a part of dismissed his illness, his dying, and subsequently his death – as well as all the ‘negative’ emotions associated with loss and grief.

David recalls a sense of not being able to grieve or to show sadness. It was a teacher at her school who acknowledged her loss and enabled her to feel ‘seen’ and showed David the power of embracing emotion.

An easy and engaging read with simple, practical steps for leaning into and understanding our emotions. One of my all-time favourites.

The Coaching Cast: Are You a People Pleaser?

Are you a people pleaser? We both definitely are! And ok to say so! In this episode we're discussing people pleasing. It’s that classic habit of saying "yes" to everything, bending over backwards, and constantly putting others' needs first. We get real about this habit that many of us struggle with and offer our top tips for breaking the people-pleasing cycle. Listen now across all major platforms and via our website thecoachingcast.co.uk

The Middle Manager Quiz: What Kind of Manager Are You?

🏃🏻♂️ The Accelerator 🏃🏻♀️

📣 The Cheerleader 📣

🤝 The Musketeer 🤝

⏱ The Accurist ⏱

Want to know which kind of manager you are? Take my 5 minute quiz now! https://middlemanager.scoreapp.com.

I am The Middle Manager Coach

Being a manager shouldn’t be 💩.

I work with managers, leaders, and their businesses using coaching and training to ensure that it isn’t.

I support individuals to have the knowledge and awareness to embrace their roles with energy and enjoyment, connect with their confidence and capabilities, and take control of their development and growth, to ensure that they thrive for themselves, their teams, and their businesses.

Because when we enjoy what we do, we do a great job. It’s that simple.

Contact me to learn more about my coaching packages and training programmes. Email [email protected] or visit my website gripcoaching.co.uk