Mentors to Executives Worldwide

We’re back this week with the remainder of our countdown of the top 10 topics based on our interactions with you, our listeners as well as some statistics and history about the “behind the scenes” developments over the past 10 years.

Join us for Part 1 of our review of the last 10 years of Inside Exec podcasts including the top 10 subjects that have generated the most interaction with our listeners.

AND….the Kindle version of our book is out! Print versions will be available over the next few weeks as we progressively separate the transcripts of all 400 episodes into a number of volumes. The first will be our all guests, followed by all the Case Studies and finally the remainder of discussions we have had over the last 10 years.

Thank you all for your input, loyalty and su...

In the final part of our conversation with Oscar Trimboli, Jamie Wadley (standing in for Fulyana) and Kim hear about ways to prepare for meetings, making them shorter and more focused as well as integrating deep listening with management reviews.

The podcast starts with a comment from Fulyana, recorded after she finished reading Oscar’s latest book. More details about obtaining your copy of the book can be found by clicking here.

We continue our conversation with Oscar Trimboli on the subject of “Deep Listening” looking at answers to two questions submitted by listeners:

How does deep listening impact decision-making at the executive level, particularly when managing large, geographically diverse teams or navigating crises?

Many executives are trained to be fast problem-solvers — how can they balance the need for speed with the patience deep listening requires?

One of the answers poses a further question from Oscar – are we solving the “wrong” problem?

This week we begin a 3 part conversation with Oscar Trimboli on the topic of “deep listening”. Whilst Fulyana is away, Jamie Wadley has joined the conversation. Oscar very generously sent us some copies of his latest book and Fulyana has begun a process of sharing those with her mentees. If, after hearing Oscar, you would like a copy yourself, the details can be found on his guest page here.

In this conversation we start to understand what deep listening is and how it can affect every business decision we make.

We conclude our conversation with John Gates, Salary Coach, this week looking at more details from questions submitted by listeners around the actual timing of negotiations. Another “hot” topic is the situation where you are over-qualified for a position but are keen to pursue it.

What are the questions in the interviewer’s head that you should pre-empt?

We continue our conversation with John Gates, Salary Coach, this week looking at how you can assess your commercial value to a potential employer. This leads to a lively interaction on being able to identify and address the “risks” an organisation might have in relation to your engagement.

Kim and Fulyana begin their conversation with Salary Coach, John Gates, looking at how to value yourself within a salary range and the usefulness of third party salary surveys.

Do you know when to start a salary negotiation?

This week we have a short “teaser” from our conversation with John Gates all about salary negotiation. It’s a topic we seem to avoid unless we are in the immediate situation so our time with John was fascinating and though provoking.

The three part conversation will be available from 22 April 2025.

In the final part of our conversation with Kevin Eikenberry, Kim and Fulyana explore the meaning of “success” and how to find the best tools for communication. We also revisit the idea of identifying and developing future leaders in our organisations, regardless of size.

We continue our conversation with Kevin Eikenberry looking at risk, safety and trust in teams, particularly for those working remotely.

Are we encouraging transactions or interactions in our teams?

This week we begin a 3 part conversation with Kevin Eikenberry talking about leadership in relation to remote teams particularly.

Kim and Fulyana explore the differences (are there any?) between being a manager and being a leader as well as the importance of being flexible.

Kevin very generously offered a gift to all those listening. You can follow this up by visiting KevinEikenberry.Com/gift

In the final part of our conversation with Jim Stevenson, Kim and Fulyana explore the options and repercussions of introducing AI into organisations and the leadership that this demands.

As mentioned at the end of the podcast, if you have any questions that we can relay to Jim to answer in an upcoming podcast, please let us know via email.

We continue our conversation with Jim Stevenson, this week actually getting to Question 2! Kim and Fulyana explore the background of ethics and AI in organisations and where AI use in organisations is/ could be/should be heading.

Kim and Fulyana continue their conversation with Jim Stevenson, this week looking at what makes a “leader” as opposed to a “manager”. We discover different types of “leaders” and explore when training/development should begin for the next wave of leaders in our organisations.

This week we begin a conversation with Jim Stevenson from the Bletchley Group an international advisory firm specializing in strategic advisory, transformation, fundraising, and M&A.

In this first part Kim and Fulyana question the importance of risk analysis and what that really means in today’s business world.

This week we have a very different Case study with a listener asking what to do next with an idea for an industry disruptor that he is not wanting to share with his current organisation.

Kim and Fulyana look at the process of following through an entrepreneurial idea when you are in an organisation that may not appreciate that style of thinking.

Another of our case studies for the start of 2025, this time looking at what the options are for management when you have staff that are not the right fit for your organisation but there is a chronic shortage of trained people in your industry.

Are there, indeed, options? Do we need to think outside the square and create an industry paradigm shift? Kim and Fulyana look at some basics to get right before you even take staff onboard.

Another in our series of case studies for the start of 2025, Kim and Fulyana look at a situation for a senior manager, responsible for both business direction and management, feeling overwhelmed but considers that he can’t delegate any of his current work.

What are the underlying concerns that make delegation impossible? Is there only one way to delegate? What about when delegation goes wrong?

The links to other podcast episodes mentioned are below.

Lyle Tard on Servant Leadership

Taylor Proctor on Servant Leadership

Tammy Alvarez

In this case study, Kim and Fulyana explore some ways (read processes!) for those who might be feeling guilty about leaving an organisation that treats them well.

When you feel that it is time to “grow” your career and you think that means changing organisations or industries, what can you do to help make the decision without regrets?

We begin 2025 with a case study about how to address an ongoing management issue that may be hidden from your daily concerns.

This case study revolves around having “on call” staff to fill in when there are unexpected/unplanned absences of regular staff. Kim and Fulyana have different approaches to the issue, although they both agree that there is one part of the solution that should be addressed as soon as the issue is brought to light.

This week we have a case study from a listener who asks what to do when in the situation of working with a manager who is “brilliant” but is not a leader.

Kim and Fulyana explore the options that include working with all the team, not just looking at the management/leadership shortfalls.

This week we explore a topic that was first raised by our guest Tammy Alvarez. He conversation sparked a number of enquiries about how to explore the skills of your team members – ones that might not be utilised at present.

Kim and Fulyana both talk though real life examples to help you find a path that will allow you to discover the skillset of your team, regardless of the size of the team or your organisation.

You can listen to the conversation with Tammy Alvarez by clicking here

This week we have a case study brought to our attention by a listener. The situation is not uncommon in our “new look” workforce – how does a team decide on which day/s to be in the office and which are work from home days?

In the final part of our conversation with Aaron Dozier, Kim and Fulyana hear about ways to develop a “sleep hygiene” routine that is not just about limiting caffeine intake in the afternoons.

There is also a revelation about the 10,000 steps a day metric that so many of us are conditioned to use…..

Kim and Fulyana continue the conversation with exercise physiologist Aaron Dozier this week. We look at how certain professions, not just trades, can have inherent injuries in their day to day activities, how these can be minimised but not by relying on “ergonomics” as the answer.

There is also a lively interaction on the merits of celebrating success in your work day, small or large, and even the ones that appear, on the surface, to not be actual success.

This week we begin a three part conversation with Aaron Dozier, an exercise physiologist. Yes, it’s a bit out of left field, but there are some interesting parallels to business as well as practical tips for those of us who find we are increasingly deskbound!

In the final part of our conversation with Tammy Alvarez, Kim and Fulyana explore how to develop leaders for the future, whether this is done at an organisational level or educational institution level.

We also learn about why preventing failure is the same as avoiding success….

Kim and Fulyana continue their discussion with Tammy Alvarez in Part 2, looking at what “organisational excellence” really means, how to change careers (and countries) when you are seemingly at the pinnacle of your corporate career and why you should not be the smartest person in your team.

This week we begin a three part discussion with Tammy Alvarez – a guest we have been trying to catch up with for over a year!

Tammy talks with Kim and Fulyana about when is the “right” time to change a job or a career as well as the relative importance of industry specific experience when you are at the C-suite level.

In the final part of our discussion with Lisa Tromba about “Mind Knots”, Kim and Fulyana explore the value of self reflection for managers and leaders to help identify and channel biases, particularly the ego-centric ones.

Kim and Fulyana continue their discussion with Lisa Tromba about “biases” and “mind knots”. This week we look at how that can affect recruitment as much as leadership of teams.

Kim and Fulyana begin a three part discussion with Lisa Tromba around the “leadership lens” and decision making biases. There is much food for thought in this first part, particularly for when we are recruiting executives and senior managers.

Another of our “quick” topic discussions whilst waiting for a guest to arrive. This time, as a result of some less than positive customer experiences for Kim, she and Fulyana talk about how you can make a better online customer experience happen and why it needs to be done for your bottom line.

Yes, it should be obvious but given the increase in customer online interactions, are our systems keeping up and do individual modules always work they way we think they are?

Whilst waiting for a guest to arrive, Kim and Fulyana had a discussion about “wearing a mistake”. Both had examples of how much there is to gain by taking individual responsibility to ensure a customer/client negative experience can be turned around. When the guest failed to appear they decided to record their thoughts to share with listeners.

As the recording was done individually, the audio is not of the same standard as normal. Our apologies for that.

In the final part of our conversation with Dalmo Cirne, Kim and Fulyana hear about the options for developing new leaders, whether they are new to the workforce or subject matter experts that are now taking on a management role.

We also hear why a someone with such a mathematical mind would pursue the often personally challenging realm of human resources management!

In Part 2 of our discussion with Dalmo Cirne, Kim and Fulyana explore the source of “management streams”, the importance of team core values and the impact of AI as a change agent.

This week we begin a three part discussion with Dalmo Cirne about management streams. Do you know the essential roles needed for any team? Can you, as an individual, fill more than one role with your skillset?

This week we have a case study submitted by a listener who asks for suggestions on managing a work situation where he feels a peer is exhibiting “unprofessional” behaviour.

Kim and Fulyana discuss the particular case study as well as other areas that might be considered “unprofessional” amongst peers in the workplace.

In another of our “review” questions from 2017, Kim and Fulyana look at the perennial question of how to “switch off” from thinking about work. Do you really need to? Fulyana’s responses might surprise you!