Building a culture grounded in psychological safety with Max Sather

Sparks by Ignium

In this fascinating conversation Phil and Max delved into the themes of purpose, customer centricity, and self-organization in business, discussing how they can help rekindle passion and engagement in business leaders and their teams. The conversation emphasized the importance of building the human side of business and creating a movement for positive change, ultimately changing the world for the better.

They talk about Max’s journey to purpose-driven organizational design in which Max shared his experience working in the video game industry and how it led him to seek a better way of organizing that puts humans at the centre of the experience. He talked about his frustration with the culture of the organization and how it led to a mental health crisis.

(Some of) The main points for listeners:

Max's Journey to Purpose-Driven Organizational Design

Max shares his journey to purpose-driven organizational design. He talks about his experience working in the video game industry and how it led him to seek a better way of organizing that puts humans at the centre of the experience. Max also discusses his work with August, a consultancy that aims to change organizations for the better.

Purpose and Intrinsic Motivation

The importance of purpose and intrinsic motivation in finding a greater purpose. They share personal experiences and highlight the role of choice in aligning one's life with their purpose. They also touch on the work of Simon Sinek and the importance of defining the "why" for organizations.

The Importance of Purpose and Culture in Business

Max and Phil share personal stories and examples of purpose-driven organizations, and how they prioritize culture and autonomy over profit. They discuss the impact of disengagement and high attrition rates on businesses, and the benefits of investing in culture, such as increased revenue, profitability, and Glass Door scores. They also explore the challenge of creating an environment where employees feel safe to share their ideas and opinions without fear of retribution.

* Building a culture of innovation and engagement

* Psychological safety in the workplace

Strategies for Failing Smart and Learning Fast

Max shares the three strategies for failing smart and learning fast, based on the work of Harvard professor Amy Edmonson. The first strategy is to set a learning frame on the problem, which creates a culture for psychological safety and failure in an ongoing way. This helps leaders to make it easy to fail because failure becomes an opportunity to learn.

Creating Psychological Safety and Encouraging Participation

Max and Phil discuss the importance of creating a learning frame and inviting participation from all voices in a conversation. They also emphasize the need to respond productively to all ideas, even bad ones, and the benefits of investing in people and their ideas. Additionally, they touch on the importance of creating psychological safety and allowing people to express their emotions in order to build trust and relationships.

The Importance of Storytelling and Adapting to Change in Business

They explore the power of storytelling in business and how it can shape a company's culture and values. They also discuss the need for businesses to adapt to change and the role of hierarchy in leadership, while acknowledging the importance of maintaining a company's identity and purpose.

* Transitioning away from hierarchy and command-and-control leadership

Advice for Young Professionals in Capitalist Industries

Max discusses the challenges of working in capitalist industries, particularly in New York. Max advises young professionals to prioritize purpose over profit for long-term success. Phil relates this advice to his daughter's aspirations in sustainable fashion and emphasizes the importance of intrinsic motivation and societal impact.

* Finding purpose in work and life

Purpose, Freelancing, and Managing Time

Phil Rose and Max Sather have a conversation about purpose, freelancing, and managing time. Max shares his experience transitioning to freelancing and the trade-offs he faces in terms of certainty and flexibility. Phil offers advice on prioritizing purpose and time management, and they discuss the importance of storytelling in building engaged organizations.

* Purpose-driven organizations

Key Questions to consider:

* How do you align a business's purpose with its values and actions?

* How do you build a culture of innovation and engagement?

* How do you transition away from hierarchy and traditional leadership styles?

* Where does the story go next for Max?

* How can purpose be integrated into organizations and family life?

About Max

Max combines team coaching, leadership development and org design to develop organizations that are capable of responding to the complexity and uncertainty of the 21st century. Max's clients include Porsche, Adidas, Bayer, Chanel & Novartis; he has spoken at conferences around the world including Northside Brooklyn, Agile NYC, and Merit HR Barcelona.

He is based in Cambridge, UK, he has two young sons and spends what little spare time he has trying to get better at woodworking.

Learn More: visit the Ignium https://www.igniumconsult.com

About Ignium

We work with purpose led businesses with ambition to scale.

Our Leadership Development, Coaching, Scaling Up and Change expertise helps you achieve results through working with Founders, CEOs’ and (their) leadership teams to scale good businesses to become great businesses.

Find out more https://www.igniumconsult.com

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Listen to the show: https://sparksbyignium.transistor.fm/episodes

Connect with Max: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxsather/

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Keywords in this episode:

Purpose, organisation design, culture, learning frames, motivation, new York, engagement, participation