A Human Perspective

Hosted by Lola Oguntokun

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Dec 2024

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About the show

Welcome to A Human Perspective, a podcast where I will be sharing work and personal experiences and learnings. I will also chop it up with guests from time to time, who will share their own perspectives. I can’t promise everything you hear on this podcast will always be right, but I can promise to always give you... A Human Perspective.

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44 recent

December 3, 202458 min

The Problem with HR (with Careen Redman)

In this episode of A Human Perspective podcast, host Lola Oguntokun welcomes Careen Redman, Co-founder & CEO of humaneer. Careen shares her extensive experience in HR, from starting as a recruiter to founding humaneer. Lola and Careen discuss the evolving role of HR, the difference between HR and People Ops, the purpose of HR, the challenges HR professionals face, and the importance of being strategic and proactive in HR. They also delve into why HR often gets a bad reputation and how HR can work more effectively within organisations, emphasising the need for support, transparency, and good tech tools. The episode concludes with an introduction to humaneer, an app designed to support HR professionals. 00:00 Introduction to A Human Perspective Podcast 00:47 Meet Careen Redman: Co-founder of Humaneer 02:56 The Role and Perception of HR 06:39 HR as an Enabling Function 14:42 Strategic HR and Organisational Effectiveness 17:59 Transparency and Hiring Practices 22:50 HR's Role in Business Success 28:18 Improving HR-Business Collaboration 30:14 Understanding Business Departments 30:58 The Importance of Boldness in HR 34:02 Creating Safe Environments for Conversations 35:02 Effective Interview Strategies 38:53 Business Strategies for Supporting HR 43:23 The Role of Technology in HR 46:15 The Exciting Future of HR 52:36 Introducing humaneer: HR for HR 56:59 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

October 22, 202437 min

The Other F Word: Feedback (with Lauren Humphrey)

In this episode of A Human Perspective podcast, host Lola Oguntokun converses with Lauren Humphrey, co-founder and CEO of Tandem, about the critical role of feedback in the workplace. Discover Lauren's journey in the tech industry, the inspiration behind Tandem, and practical advice for giving and receiving constructive feedback. The discussion covers psychological aspects, challenges managers face, effective frameworks, and strategies for one-on-one sessions and peer reviews. Additionally, explore how remote work, cultural nuances, and AI are reshaping feedback dynamics. Whether a manager or an employee, gain valuable insights into fostering a feedback-centric culture for enhanced communication and performance. 00:00 Welcome to A Human Perspective Podcast 00:47 Introducing Today's Guest: Lauren Humphrey 01:43 Lauren's Journey and Experience 03:43 Understanding Feedback: The Other F Word 05:21 The Importance of Feedback in Relationships 08:02 Effective Feedback Strategies 10:12 Feedback Frequency and Managerial Practices 14:35 Peer-to-Peer Feedback: The Holy Grail 16:40 Proactive and Preemptive Feedback 19:23 Building a Feedback Routine 20:43 Handling Reluctant Managers 21:54 Receiving Feedback Constructively 24:25 Personal Anecdotes on Feedback 26:28 Cultural Differences in Feedback 28:54 Impact of Remote Work on Feedback 31:06 Inspiration Behind Tandem 32:19 Creating a Feedback Culture 34:59 Future of Feedback 36:06 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

September 17, 202441 min

What is Product? (with Martin Pannier)

In this episode of A Human Perspective podcast, host Lola Oguntokun converses with Martin Pannier, Founder of Primo, about the evolving role of Product Management. They discuss Martin's journey from consulting to product roles at startups like Gusto and iziwork, and his current venture, Primo. The conversation delves into the significance of Product in startups, the challenges faced in product strategy, and best practices for hiring and building a Product team. They also explore how a strong customer-centric Product culture can drive business success. Tune in for insightful nuggets on effectively managing Product in modern companies. 00:00 Welcome to A Human Perspective Podcast 00:47 Introducing Martin Pannier and Primo 01:36 Martin's Journey into Product Management 03:16 Understanding the Concept of Product 07:45 The Role of Product in Different Companies 11:36 Challenges in Product Management 18:27 Advice for Aspiring Product Managers 34:43 Building a Product Culture at Primo 40:08 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

February 6, 202447 min

Deconstructing Imposter Syndrome: An Open & Honest Conversation with My Friends

On this episode, I'm joined by a couple of close and long-time friends, Mala and Kemi. We chop it up as we normally would whenever we meet up... but maybe a little calmer! We discuss our thoughts on Imposter Syndrome. What it means to us. How it shows up in our professional lives. How we manage the related feelings. The factors that may create the feeling in the first place, and so on. This is an open and honest conversation between three professional women and dear friends.

October 24, 202344 min

Transitioning from Consultancy to Startup (with Richard Rosser)

This week, I speak to ⁠Richard Rosser⁠, Co-Founder of ⁠Movemeon⁠, a platform that helps consultants navigate their career within and beyond consulting firms. Rich and his Co-Founder met each other while at McKinsey and decided to take a leap into the world of HR Tech after an exhausting experience during their own job search when they had made the decision to leave consultancy. Rich and I discuss the allure of leaving consultancy for startups and the many nuances of this of this experience. Having worked as a Strategy Consultant, himself, setting up several start-ups and working with many more, Richard was the perfect person to have this conversation with. Though this conversation is focussed on those considering leaving consultancy or have left, much of what we discuss and share can be helpful for most listeners considering a new opportunity or working for a startup.

September 12, 202347 min

Navigating Leadership as a Black Female (with Chichi Eruchalu)

Chichi Eruchalu is an Executive Leadership Coach, Speaker and a 2023 Top Voice on LinkedIn. When I reached out to Chichi, it was because of her very human perspective on leadership, and I was keen to explore this further with her. However, Chichi suggested getting more specific and discussing black female leadership. I was a little nervous about this conversation because it’s one normally had with friends or family in private settings, but then I thought, why hide? Speak up and out loud. It may help someone, educate another, and do both for others. I’ve listened to this episode many times… and the best way I can describe it is as a layer cake… and boy are there many layers to this conversation! Thanks for suggesting this topic, Chichi. I encourage everyone to listen to it, regardless of your background. There’s a lot to understand and learn here.

August 29, 202346 min

The Good Busy (with Kate Sotsenko)

We’re back from another short but needed hiatus, and our guest this episode is Kate Sotsenko. This episode is so apt for those coming back from the summer break, looking to redefine how they approach work. I came across Kate on LinkedIn where she was sharing some very useful productivity tips. Kate is a productivity educator and coach who has coined a concept called The Good Busy and shares fantastic playbooks that draws from her 10 years in sports and 15 years in business. Kate works with busy team leaders, helping them to optimise their productivity and reclaim time for what truly matters at work and beyond work. On this episode, Kate and I discuss The Good Busy.

June 21, 202346 min

Life as a Late-Diagnosed Autistic Person (with Natalie Wood)

Meet Natalie Wood, VP Engineering at Hokodo. Natalie and I met during my time at Elsevier and I remember at the time admiring Natalie's approach working style. Methodical, great attention to detail, and just bloody smart, to be honest! 💡 A couple of months back, Natalie shared an informative post and slides for Autism Awareness on LinkedIn. What made it so impactful was Natalie’s vulnerability, sharing that she had recently been diagnosed as autistic in the past year. This realisation and confirmation has been what Natalie effectively describes as an ongoing journey. In this week’s episode of A Human Perspective, Natalie provides an insight into her past and present, and opens up in a way I have not experienced with a guest on this podcast before. I want to thank Natalie for sharing so much, about her personal life, professional life and all she has learned. I also want to thank Natalie for the efforts she puts into helping to educate others. ♾️

June 14, 20239 min

How to Move Forward After a Layoff

This year has seen around a quarter of a million people being laid off in the Tech space alone. I’ve said this before, I don’t see this trend coming to an end any time soon. I talk more specifically about layoffs in a previous episode, ‘When the Bubble Bursts: The Layoffs of 2022’. You can find out more there about my opinion on these layoffs, what is happening, etc. In this particular episode, I focus more on the people being impacted by these layoffs. This is particularly rough ride for them. Not only are you having to come to terms with being made redundant but because this is now so common, you have company… and yeah, there may be some comfort in that but… you have a lot of company. If you’re in this position, this episode is for you.

June 7, 202338 min

Masculinity, Men's Health & Leadership (with Jack Villiers)

On this week's episode, we have Jack Villiers. Jack is a Leadership Coach, Men's Guide and Public Speaker whose goal is to make healthy masculinity mainstream. With extensive experience in Talent Acquisition and People Operations and contributing to the successful growth of companies such as Monzo, Just Eat and incident.io, Jack set up his own consulting company in order to help even more businesses, leaders and leadership teams. Jack and I talk about masculinity and the recent shift he has made to focus on guiding men and male leaders to find balance and a healthier way of participating in today's world. Although Jack and I have interacted very briefly in the past, he popped on my radar again when I saw a post he shared on LinkedIn, showing a large group of men, standing in a circle in an open rural expense. It is beautiful! To find out more about Jack or work with him in some capacity, please visit his website or connect with Jack on LinkedIn.