The Occupational Philosophers - A not-so-serious business podcast to spark Creativity, Imagination and Curiosity

In episode 88, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Friska Wirya: Top 50 Change Management Thought Leader | TEDx Speaker | #1 Best-Selling Author "The Future Fit Organisation" Friska is a change and transformation expert for nearly a decade, obsessed with all things organisational change. She’s led change programs influencing up to 23,000 people across 6 of the seven continents having worked for some of the biggest names in mining, engineering and technology. She has appeared in Sydney Morning Herald, SmartCompany, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, GRAZIA, AICD, Women's Agenda, Digital Transformation Live, Wonder Women Tech, Future of Mining, Women in Construction & Engineering, Women in Mining & Energy Indonesia She is the founder of Fresh by Friska Building the change intelligence of global organisations so change is an advantage, not an Achilles heel. In this episode, they explore: As always, there are some great thought experiments. This episode it's "Do you have any change?". Friska is also gracious enough to answer some listeners' questions. Friska is an absolute delight with a great sense of humour and The Occupational Philosophers hope you enjoy the show Meet Friska https://www.linkedin.com/in/friska/ https://www.freshbyfriska.com/ Book https://www.amazon.com.au/Future-Fit-Organisation-Leaders-Transformation/dp/1923007246 Say Hello to the Occupational Philosophers www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs: JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/ SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

In this reboot episode from 2021, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Dr. Brock Bastian - Professor, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne. Brock is a social psychologist whose research focuses on pain, happiness, and morality. His book, The Other Side of Happiness, was published in January 2018. Brock completed his PhD in 2007 and has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters since then. His work has been featured in outlets such as The Economist, The New Yorker, TIME, New Scientist, Scientific American, Harvard Business Review, and The Huffington Post, among many others. He has delivered popular talks, such as at TEDx StKilda, The Ethics Centre Sydney, and Effective Altruism Australia; and appeared on radio shows such as The Minefield. In this episode, they explore: As always, there are some great thought experiments such as: Links http://www.brockbastian.com http://www.brockbastian.com/book/the-other-side-of-happiness https://www.lego.com/en-gb/aboutus/news/2021/september/lego-rebuild-the-world-2021 https://tim.blog/2021/09/08/henry-shukman/ What Human Animal Hybrid would you rather fight/hang out with/have at home? Read his article https://theconversation.com/wary-of-human-animal-hybrids-its-probably-just-your-own-moral-superiority-72720 https://www.adamgrant.net/book/think-again Say Hello to The Occupational Philosophers www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs: JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/ SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

In this reboot episode from 2021, The Occupational Philosophers chat with glorious, amazingly talented, and hilarious comedian and performer Tamara Campbell. Tamara has literally performed all over the world: 23 countries in 6 different languages for over a million people in her 18-year career. Tamara believes that "laughter should be a force for good. Bringing humans together to share and connect, breaking down the barriers and masks that inhibit our progress as a race. I also believe that it is fundamental that we have a bloody good time together as often as possible." In this episode, we explore: As with all episodes, we have some great thought experiments as we explore Famous Love Parents and have some great listener questions. Tamara is an absolute star and there is so much joy and wisdom in this episode. Enjoy! Links Laughterhouse Entertainment https://www.laughterhouseentertainment.com/ Brag sheet (places Tamara has performed) https://www.laughterhouseentertainment.com/about/places-performed/ Tamara Campbell https://www.tamaracampbell.com.au/ Kikki Bittovabitsch https://www.facebook.com/KikiBittovabitsch/ Dell'Arte School of Physical Performance https://dellarte.com/ MONA Gallery https://mona.net.au/ Say Hello to The Occupational Philosophers www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs: JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/ SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

As they take a quick break to record new episodes, The Occupational Philosophers wanted to reshare one of their favourite guests and their very first with Dr. Peter Lovatt. Dr Lovatt is a Dance Psychologist, multi TED speaker and best selling author, who through his work on the psychology of movement and dance, is more widely known as 'Dr. Dance'! Listen in as Peter shares: They also explore: And as ever, the Occupational Philosophers will also engage in some (not so serious) 'Thought Experiments' which delve into topics such as "Did someone really say that?" and "What dance should I do if I get mugged?". Finally, as discussed in the show, please check out: Dr.Peter Lovatt - https://www.peterlovatt.com TEDx Observer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihCh5wzNjYY Derek Sivers: Leadership Lessons from the Dancing Guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW8amMCVAJQ Say Hello: www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs: JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/ SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

In this short 'in the wild' episode, Simon (one-half of The Occupational Philosophers) connects with Dr Barbara Doran, Director of Strategic Innovation and Creative Intelligence live from the World Building Studio Day at the University of Technology (UTS) In the episode, they explore: FYI: The Inbetweeners episodes are just that - smaller episodes 'in between' the longer format episodes designed to give a little kickstart to enable you to be the most curious, creative and imaginative cat you can be - and have some fun in the process. Say Hello: www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs: JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/ SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

In Episode 82, The Occupational Philosophers chat with the amazing Dr Cyndi Burnett - Author, Academic and Creative on a mission to infuse creative thinking into every classroom around the world! Dr Burnett has studied, taught, and written about both the art (expression) and the science (problem-solving) of creativity for the last 25 years. As an academic, she spent 20 years teaching deliberate creativity to undergrad and graduate students at the International Center for Studies in Creativity at SUNY Buffalo State. During her tenure, she was awarded the President’s Medal for Excellence in Teaching and co-designed and delivered a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Everyday Creativity to over 60K participants. Three years ago, she left her tenured position to build Creativity and Education, whose mission is to empower educators to infuse creativity into the classroom. Cyndi's goal is to bridge the gap between creativity researchers, practitioners, administrators, and educators and move the conversation about creativity in education forward. She is the co-author of several books including, Weaving Creativity into Every Strand of Your Curriculum, 20 Lessons to Weave Creative Thinking into Your Curriculum, and My Sandwich is a Spaceship: Creative Thinking for Parents and Young Children, and numerous articles. She has also been featured in the NYTimes, Women’s Health Magazine, and Woman's World Magazine. She is also the host of the smash hit podcast, Fueling Creativity in Education (Pretty impressive resume!) In this episode, they explore: As always, there are some great thought experiments. This time it's "Funny or Fake?" The Occupational Philosophers hope you enjoy the show as much as they did making it. About Cyndi Socials https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyndi-burnett/https://twitter.com/cyndiburnett?lang=enhttps://www.facebook.com/cyndiaburnett/https://www.youtube.com/@creativityandeducation Podcast https://fuelingcreativity.podbean.com/ Company https://creativityandeducation.com/ References: https://dreamachine.world https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_effect Say Hello to The Occupational Philosophers www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/www.simonbanks.com.auhttps://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

In this special, 'In the Wild' episode , The Occupational Philosophers get out of the studio (well, one of them does) to have a nice, cosy fireside chat in a London pub, with Dr Samuel West, a previous guest on the show - Samuel was in London attending the Global Innovation Forum, and as well as speaking about the topic of failure, he had a travelling ‘Museum of Failure’ pop-up, with some choice exhibits from his vast collection of the products and services which didn’t quite set the world alight… In this episode, as the beer flows, they chat about: Learn more about Samuel https://samuelwest.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelwest/ References https://giflondon.com/ https://www.generalmagicthemovie.com/ Say Hello: www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs: JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

In this short, sharp Inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers discuss “What is Philosophy”, after a teenager asked Simon that very question and he struggled a little to answer! He set off to explore and their conversation together highlights just what he uncovered: FYI: The Inbetweeners episodes are just that - smaller episodes 'in between' the longer format episodes designed to give a little kickstart to enable you to be the most curious, creative and imaginative cat you can be - and have some fun in the process. References: https://www.philosophy-foundation.org/ https://1000wordphilosophy.com/2020/10/10/philosophy/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Warburton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilles_Deleuze Say Hello: www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs: JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/ SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

In this short, sharp inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers introduce their latest experiment, a new Radio play, The Parkers! Listen as Simon tries to convince John this is a good idea, before they lead you into the world of The Parkers with the first (and possibly last) episode. Parkers is a family run, pet care business, based in Peterborough, UK - meet Beryl, a (previously) high flying marketing executive, and Craig, the gruff IT manager from Cornwall (or at least we think he's from Cornwall...it's difficult to tell by the actors performance), and hear them wrestle with work, life and gerbils... Hope you enjoy the show! FYI: The Inbetweeners episodes are just that - smaller episodes 'in between' the longer format episodes designed to give a little kickstart to enable you to be the most curious, creative and imaginative cat you can be - and have some fun in the process. Say Hello Their day jobs

In this short-ish, sharp-ish inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers explore a test for curiosity called The need for cognition (NFC) What is the NFC? It's a personality variable reflecting the extent to which individuals are inclined towards effortful cognitive activities (thanks Wikipedia) Whilst it has originally come in a longer format, the one that The Occupational Philosophers explore has 18 questions/statements. (Cacioppo & Petty, 1984) Some of these include: They also explore: Simon also felt happy he had discovered a big phrase -'Epistemic Curiosity'. The Occupational Philosophers need to do some more exploration to provide a worthwhile link to this test. That will also be followed by links to Simon and John's scores. Hope you enjoy the show! FYI: The Inbetweeners episodes are just that - smaller episodes 'in between' the longer format episodes designed to give a little kickstart to enable you to be the most curious, creative and imaginative cat you can be - and have some fun in the process. Reading https://centerofinquiry.org/uncategorized/need-for-cognition-scale-wabash-national-study/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8759714/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7545655/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326410291_The_Very_Efficient_Assessment_of_Need_for_Cognition_Developing_a_Six-Item_Versionhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8759714/ Say Hello www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

In Episode 77, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Dr Marco Motta, who specialises in data analysis and visualisation, with a strong track record transforming the performance reporting culture of large organisations. He marries this with a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Queensland and uses his background in critical thinking to help organisations and clients identify, define, break down and solve complex business challenges. More importantly, he used to have a funk-rock band together with his brother in their teenage years, and they recently decided to record a cover of the Eurythmics classic, "Sweet Dreams," - we heartily recommend this…YouTube link below! This is a great conversation with a guest who puts the Aristotle in Analytics! In this episode, they explore, and scuttle down some real rabbit holes, on some mind-bending topics: And as always, they expand Marco’s thinking with their very own ‘Thought Experiments’; this episode they have: Learn more about Marco https://www.linkedin.com/in/mottamarco01/ https://www.mottaconsulting.com.au References https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jul/06/leading-actors-and-artists-back-labours-push-for-more-creativity-in-schools https://theamazingthundercat.com/ What if Red Hot Chilli Peppers played Sweet Dreams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id9PvdbYUGA https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/06/23/the-ethics-of-ai-navigating-bias-manipulation-and-beyond/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gianni_Vattimo Say Hello www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/www.simonbanks.com.auhttps://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

In this short, sharp Inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers discuss what John discovered when he attended the recent ‘How the Light Gets In’ festival in London; a curly mash up of philosophy, music and comedy: FYI: The Inbetweeners episodes are just that - smaller episodes 'in between' the longer format episodes designed to give a little kickstart to enable you to be the most curious, creative and imaginative cat you can be - and have some fun in the process. Say Hello Their day jobs

In episode 75, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Design Guru, Chi Ryan. Chi is a designer, writer, researcher, learner, educator and all-round creative polymath. She is obsessed with design that puts experience first She helped everyone from hungry startups to global giants transform through design and has led, taught and been part of teams designing digital and physical products, services, brands, events, physical spaces, processes, values, systems, learning experiences, rituals, models, methods and almost everything in between. She has led cross-functional research, design and innovation practices (Fjord/Accenture Song, Idean/Frog/Capgemini Alumni) around the world (from London to Milan and Hong Kong to New York. Chi is currently a higher-degree by research candidate at Torrens University where my practice-based research focuses on exploring the nexus of design, post-humanism, economics, ethics and philosophy through the lens of radical design theory. She is also Adjunct Faculty at RMIT University in Melbourne In this episode, they explore: As always, there are some great thought experiments. This time they explore the minds of French Philosophers through the thought experiment of Blankety Blanc… There is so much insane depth and insight and Chi is a very funny guest so The Occupational Philosophers hope you enjoy the show as much as they enjoyed making it. More about Chi linkedin.com/in/chiryanhttp://www.chiryan.design/makeshop https://chiryan.com/

In this short, sharp inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers explore dreams and how they reveal the wild jungle of our mind! We have all had those bizarre dreams which connect random and seemingly disparate ideas; the koala surfing on a water buffalo, or a man made of cheese trying to sell you a time share apartment in Benidorm….or is that just us? Listen as we discuss: FYI: The Inbetweeners episodes are just that - smaller episodes 'in between' the longer format episodes designed to give a little kickstart to enable you to be the most curious, creative and imaginative cat you can be - and have some fun in the process. Show Notes https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/creativity-you/201704/can-paying-attention-dreams-increase-creativity https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/questions/why-are-we-so-creative-our-dreams https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heres-how-to-use-dreams-for-creative-inspiration Say Hello www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs: JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/ SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

In Episode 73, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Professor Sophie Scott, who is the Director of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London and a Fellow of the British Academy. Sophie is an expert in cognitive neuroscience studying human vocal communication, from speech and sound to social interactions and nonverbal emotional expressions, and has become very well known for her work on laughter. As a pioneering researcher in the science of laughter, she’s made some unexpected discoveries -- including my favourite, that rats are ticklish, and that the one tactic that’s almost guaranteed to get someone to laugh is to show them someone else laughing. She has appeared on UK TV many times, including The One Show (BBC1), Sunday Brunch (C4), Horizon (BBC2) - AND has presented the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. She also represented the Polytechnic of Central London in University Challenge (BBC2). In podcasting she co-hosts The Neuromantics (Great pun!), and is a series regular on the wonderful Infinite Monkey Cage. She is an accomplished public speaker, her TED talks have amassed millions of views online, and she has presented at the World Economic Forum, The Royal Institute, and the Wired UK conference. She has performed science-based stand-up comedy and has appeared at the Hammersmith Apollo, the Bloomsbury Theatre and the Latitude Festival. And to top it off, also an author or many books! In this episode, they explore: And in this episode, they are lucky enough to have their listener’s questions to share with Sophie. Learn more about Sophie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Scotthttps://www.ted.com/talks/sophie_scott_why_we_laughhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Brain-Things-You-Should-Know-ebook/dp/B09RF221H8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= References https://inews.co.uk/opinion/susie-dent-slips-tongue-english-language-2431363https://hbr.org/2014/12/innovation-leadership-lessons-from-the-marshmallow-challenge

In this short-ish Inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers dive into and muse on the idea of Serendipity. Between them they explore: The Occupational Philosophers hope you enjoy the show! Links: The Serendipity Mindset: The art and science of good luck FYI: The Inbetweeners episodes are just that - smaller episodes 'in between' the longer format episodes designed to give a little kickstart to enable you to be the most curious, creative and imaginative cat you can be - and have some fun in the process. Take the Innovation Scorecard! https://empoweringinnovation.scoreapp.com/ Take the creativity & innovation to the next level Answer 25 questions and we’ll send you a personalised report to benchmark the level of creativity and innovation in your organisation Say Hello www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

In this guest episode, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Dr Louise Mahler. Dr Louise is the polymath's polymath and is recognised as a Top 30 Global Guru in both Body Language and Communication. She was an Opera singer for 10 years with the Vienna State Opera. Louise’s qualifications include B.Econ; B. Mus; Post Grad Dip Music; L.Mus.A; Master of Applied Science in Organisational Change and a Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming. She has completed an award-winning PhD around the unsung wisdom of the mind-body-voice connection she named Vocal Intelligence. She is a sought-after commentator discussing leadership, body language and effective presentation on television, radio and in the media. Her recent interviews with Channel 7 where she analyses the body language of Harry and Meghan Sussex have over 2 million views. Louise's clients include Fortune 500 clients around the globe. Louise was voted Keynotes Speaker of the Year in 2021 by the Professional Speakers Association and is the author of "Resonate: for people who need to be heard" She is the virtuoso of the voice, the high priestess of hot air and the femme fatale of unfailing attraction. In this episode we explore: More about Louise https://louisemahler.com.au/ Say Hello www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs www.simonbanks.com.auhttps://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg Take the Innovation Scorecard! https://empoweringinnovation.scoreapp.com/ Take creativity & innovation to the next level Answer 25 questions and we’ll send you a personalised report to benchmark the level of creativity and innovation in your organisation

In this inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers explore the seven deadly sins of power point presentations - we’ve all been there…you face an avalanche of slides, information overload, the back of someone’s head as they read the slides out loud….it’s time to discover a different way as we explore: The Occupational Philosophers hope you enjoy the show. FYI: The Inbetweeners episodes are just that - smaller episodes 'in between' the longer format episodes designed to give a little kickstart to enable you to be the most curious, creative and imaginative cat you can be - and have some fun in the process. Take the Innovation Scorecard! https://empoweringinnovation.scoreapp.com/ Take creativity & innovation to the next level Answer 25 questions and we’ll send you a personalised report to benchmark the level of creativity and innovation in your organisation Say Hello www.occupationalphilosophers.comIt takes just few minutes to complete Their day jobs JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/ SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

In this inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers dive into the world of job advertisements - the good, the not so good and the inbetween (ers). Mmmm, did you see what they did there…? The Occupational Philosophers hope you enjoy the show. FYI: The Inbetweeners episodes are just that - smaller episodes 'in between' the longer format episodes designed to give a little kickstart to enable you to be the most curious, creative and imaginative cat you can be - and have some fun in the process. Take the Innovation Scorecard! https://empoweringinnovation.scoreapp.com/ Take creativity & innovation to the next level Answer 25 questions and we’ll send you a personalised report to benchmark the level of creativity and innovation in your organisation Say Hello www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs www.simonbanks.com.auhttps://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvghttps://empoweringinnovation.scoreapp.com/

In Episode 68, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Chris Barez Brown, author, keynote speaker, and founder of 'Upping Your Elvis', which looks to embed a human, energetic and creative working culture in corporations across the globe, making work easier, more fun, and more extraordinary in the process Chris has a deep passion to help people work out who they are, what they stand for and how they can use their unique talents to bring energy to everything they do as individuals, as members of teams, or as leaders. He spent ten years at ?What If!, the world’s largest innovation consultancy, and is a published author of many books, including: His latest venture, Talk it Out, is a social enterprise determined to make a positive impact on people’s mental wellbeing around the world. In this episode, they explore: As ever they throw in a few ‘Thought Experiments’, this time they have: Learn more about Chris https://www.uppingyourelvis.com/ https://www.barez-brown.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-bar%C3%A9z-brown-0695531/ https://www.talkitout.app/ References https://www.munchmuseet.no/en/ https://theamazingthundercat.com/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/3vWKFSpMV1vc1cRTjY1cl3?si=IYig3dfkSWe030pHvbtRCw https://www.waterstones.com/book/lost-connections/johann-hari/9781408878729