Practice? Podcast

Hosted by David Fearon and Peter Vaill

Business

Website RSS feed

Episodes

100

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

“Theory and practice” is a common phrase. We've seen a lot of writing on theory, but what about that other word? Peter calls it "the dark matter of the social sciences" - Practice. It applies to pencil-pushing, educating, heart surgery, sailing, golfing, and anything you can do with purpose. Peter and Dave take you into a world of thought that couples work and play, purpose and routine, life and legacy. In a world of white-water, On Practice is the raft. ]]>

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 13, 2026Episode 31956 min

Episode 319: Episode 302 - Culture is the Greater Operating System (Scott McInness)

Culture - the greater operating system? So says Scott McInnes , founder of Inspiring Change, a Dublin-based culture and internal communications consultancy. With over 25 years of experience working “professionally human” with organizations across Ireland, the UK, and beyond, he helps senior leadership teams close the gap between their current culture and the one they need to deliver their strategy.

October 5, 2026Episode 31847 min

Episode 318: Episode 301 - What Must Leaders Do Now? (Tom Casey)

Tom Casey and his firm , Discussion Partners Collaborative, closely monitor immediate conditions and emerging trends affecting their clients' managerial leadership practices. This conversation, just a month before the midterm elections, moves through thoughts of gloom and of hope. It is a moment of uncertainty shared by all practitioners.

September 20, 2026Episode 3171 hr 42 min

Episode 317: Episode 300 - Mind. Self. Socially Enacted Thinking and Practice (David Fearon, Jr.)

This is Part II of a remarkable treatment by Dave Jr. of what happens in our minds as we put our thoughts into practice.

August 25, 2026Episode 3161 hr 12 min

Episode 316: Episode 299 - (Part I) Exploring Consciousness in Socially Enacted Practice (Dave Fearon, Jr.)

This is Part One of Dave Fearon, Jr., offering his latest thinking on consciousness at the dynamic core of socially enacted practice. The video version of this episode displays the slides that Dave narrates. See this video in the Practice? Podcast YouTube collection .

June 9, 2026Episode 31548 min

Episode 315: Episode 298 - Still Thinking Deeply About Teaching and Offering Bold Ideas (John Miller)

Dr. John Miller is one of the most revered and provocative Management Educators in Dave's field. John retired from Bucknell University decades ago, but still has much to say and write about, giving every emerging practitioner a chance to learn to manage. He created Management 101 to accomplish this at Bucknell. It continues after more than 45 years. He has submitted three journal articles just in the last few months. His earnest thinking and joy of sharing it ring out in this conversation.

May 4, 2026Episode 31445 min

Episode 314: Episode 297 - Uncertainty Invades Every Decision Arena (Tom Casey)

As the shock waves of chaotic national and global change shake the context for every managerial practice, Dave and Tom Casey have this conversation about what leaders and clients of his firm, Discussion Partner Collaborative , do in the face of unprecedented uncertainty about what is coming next. Sit tight or stand up, speak out?

April 13, 2026Episode 31344 min

Episode 313: Episode 296 - Conversation with a Positive Change Architect (Faith Addicott)

Dave and Faith Addicott become reacquainted on the verge of hopeful changes in the emerging, interdisciplinary fields of organization development. From Anthropology to engineering, Faith's vision is that creative approaches to changing how people experience organizational life in this global society are finally possible. She organizes at the confluence of these refreshing interactions between practitioners and researchers, sharing the purpose to invent new ways to guide positive change. Currently, she contributes to T he Good Work Collective , which is spearheading the OD Out Loud Revival .

March 6, 2026Episode 3121 hr 26 min

Episode 312: Episode 295 - Shame, Social Bonds, and Internal Family Systems as shame social bonds (Dave Fearon, Jr.)

This is Part 2 of episode 288 in which we showed how, as human language and group life evolved, special social emotions developed that sustain the relationships underlying enacted social actions. These are the emotions of shame, guilt, and pride. This episode shifts from the social bonds maintained between self and others to look "inward" to the bonds among aspects of our own selves. We discuss Internal Family Systems therapy which shows how the Self splits into Parts during child development. Shame among internal parts can sustain mental health problems that can be resolved by a respectful therapeutic conversation, repairing bonds among parts. Join us for another layer to our explanation of how practice works.

February 8, 2026Episode 31146 min

Episode 311: Episode 294 - The Boomerang Comes Back: What Business Leaders Face Today (Tom Casey)

As Managing Partner of the Discussion Partner Collaborative , Tom Casey is not only watching the trends facing business leaders but also taking a stand. He speaks of the 'boomerang' of radical changes thrown at us last year, now coming back to confront leaders' values and their company's reputation.

January 18, 2026Episode 31044 min

Episode 310: Episode 293 - The Living Organization - He Sees a Better Way to Do Business (Norman Wolfe)

Dave meets Norman Wolfe https://www.linkedin.com/in/wolfe/ whose different way of viewing and guiding any organization is to see it as alive and very much like a human striving for results that matter. He consolidates this unique perspective in his bestselling book, The Living Organization: Transforming Business to Create Extraordinary Results.