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Send us Fan Mail We keep being told AI is just a tool. Pick it up, put it down, stay in control. But something that changes how we see the world is doing more than a tool does, and we've built it without any of the discipline we once wrapped around things that powerful. In this episode we turn to one of our oldest technologies to think about our newest. The Odyssey is a poem about practical wisdom, appetite, limits, and how hard it is to come home. All four turn out to be about AI. References: - The Emerald Podcast So You Want to Be a Sorcerer in the Age of Mythic Powers... (The AI Episode)  - Sam Altman's recent comments come from a podcast he did with David Senra Thanks so much for listening! Keep in touch: Email us on [email protected] to our mailing listVisit our website Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Send us Fan Mail Change arrives at the top of a system as transforming, liberating, rewiring. By the time it reaches the people expected to implement it, it is do more and do it faster. Something happens on the way down, and trust is what gets lost in it. Sophie Tidman and Carolyn Norgate on the language we use about change, and what it does to organisations running some of the hardest reform programmes in the country. Recorded after a Mayvin alumni session in June called Useful Weirdness: Practising Change When the Default is More and Faster, with a room made up largely of civil servants. Along the way: a senior leader who described his organisation as a tree and then wanted to pull the branches, war metaphors hiding in words like "digging in", how systems leadership becomes everything-ism, and what it costs to keep curiosity alive in a system that runs on accountability. They land on relational public services as the new language worth watching.   References Antonia Romeo, "A message from the Cabinet Secretary", Civil Service Blog, 20 February 2026: https://civilservice.blog.gov.uk/2026/02/20/a-message-from-the-cabinet-secretary/ Peter Block, The Answer to How Is Yes: Acting on What Matters, Berrett-Koehler, 2002. Institute for Government on the damaged relationship between Civil Servants and Ministers: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/trust-lost-ministers-civil-service Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Live Well: https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/what-we-do/live-well/ Cabinet Office Test, Learn and Grow, the £100m public service reform programme focused on relational practice, amongst other things: https://testlearnandgrow.blog.gov.uk/2026/06/18/what-is-test-learn-and-grow/  Bob Marshak, "Managing the Metaphors of Change", Organizational Dynamics 22(1), 1993, pp. 44-56: https://doi.org/10.1016/0090-2616(93)90081-B and "Changing the Language of Change", Strategic Change 11(5), 2002: https://doi.org/10.1002/jsc.604 Vanda Scaravelli, Awakening the Spine, HarperSanFrancisco 1991 (reissued Pinter & Martin, 2011). The exact line is "To absorb the teaching requires infinite time and no ambition." Thanks so much for listening! Keep in touch: Email us on [email protected] to our mailing listVisit our website Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Send us Fan Mail What do organisations do with anger? Mostly, they manage it away. It's inconvenient, it's dangerous, it belongs in therapy or the exit interview, not the team meeting. We think that's a mistake.   In this conversation, Sophie and James sit with rage, the grief that usually sits beneath it, and the discipline of metabolising strong feeling rather than suppressing or spilling it. They talk about the reassuring patriarch and the girl boss, two roles that keep everyone else comfortable but at what cost? They reach for the warrior who can hold a clear boundary without going to war, and the hearth fire that needs both containment and air. Prometheus, Joanna Macy's "time of astonishing loss," and the quiet revolutions that don't make the news all find their way in. Two practitioners thinking aloud about how we might build organisations with more room for what we actually feel. Referenced in this episode: Anthea Lawson, How Not to Save the World (Oneworld, 2025), on activism that doesn't recreate what it opposes. Also drawn on: Joanna Macy on astonishing loss, Silvia Federici on joyful activism, Donna Haraway on staying with the trouble and letting each other be "unforgivably wrong," Hannah Arendt on labour as relational, William Blake on righteous anger, and Erin Manning on the minor gesture. Thanks so much for listening! Keep in touch: Email us on [email protected] to our mailing listVisit our website Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Send us Fan Mail There's a particular kind of leader dominating the world right now — fast, certain, dominant, always with an answer. This podcast asks: what if that's exactly the wrong response to the moment we're in? In this episode, James and Carolyn dig into James's essay No More Heroes — an exploration of how heroic, hyper-masculine leadership has become the default setting for power, and why that matters for all of us. Drawing on Raewyn Connell's work on hegemonic masculinity, Arlie Hochschild's concept of the "second shift," and Anthea Lawson's idea of the "entangled activist," they trace how a particular kind of dominance reproduces itself — in politics, in organisations, and in the people trying hardest to resist it. The conversation takes in communal narcissism, double binds, and Elizabeth Grosz's notion of "the nick of time" — the moment when real change actually becomes possible. This isn't a conversation with conclusions. It's an invitation into the kind of dialogue that's harder to find than it should be: honest, self-implicating, and genuinely curious. James reflects on his own research into masculinities, the paradox of "mansplaining feminism," and what it looks like when a leadership team learns to sit with discomfort rather than whack-a-mole their way through it. The question they keep returning to isn't what's the answer? — it's what does it feel like to stay in the mess, together? Thanks so much for listening! Keep in touch: Email us on [email protected] to our mailing listVisit our website Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Sophie Tidman and Sarah Fraser explore Discernment in the Age of AI. The conversation builds on our December AI for Changemakers webinar, where a lively mix of enthusiasts and sceptics came together just before Christmas to grapple with what AI is really changing in organisations. Sophie and Sarah reflect on AI as a mirror for culture and power, the growing importance of leadership judgment, and why the real challenge now is not speed or adoption but choice. They explore what disciplined experimentation looks like in practice, the vulnerability leaders need to model as they learn in public, and how organisations can create just enough structure to explore AI without rushing to premature certainty. This is a conversation about leading well when the tools are powerful, the future is unclear, and discernment has become perhaps the critical organisational capability. If this sparks your interest, please get in touch to hear more about our AI for Changemakers offerings and our research agenda for 2026.   Thanks so much for listening! Keep in touch: Email us on [email protected] to our mailing listVisit our website Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Send us Fan Mail This episode follows Mayvin’s November alumni event “Measuring in the Messiness”. A conversation that set out to talk about evaluation and somehow ended up being… surprisingly enjoyable. Sophie Tidman and Carolyn pick up where the event left off, exploring why evaluation so often feels heavy, awkward or quietly avoided. And what changes when you stop treating it as a final judgement and start using it as a way of noticing what’s really going on as work unfolds. They talk about how what gets measured quietly shapes behaviour and why the most important shifts are often the hardest to name.  And how developing better language and sharper patterns of noticing helps people make sense of those shifts, rather than losing them because they don’t fit existing measures. Along the way, they draw on Sharon Varney’s work on leadership in complexity and the limits of looking only in the rear-view mirror. Erin Manning’s idea of the minor gesture, the subtle movements where change actually starts. And Nora Bateson’s notion of warm data, the relational, context-rich information that helps organisations make sense of themselves without pretending things are tidy. Thanks so much for listening! Keep in touch: Email us on [email protected] to our mailing listVisit our website Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Send us Fan Mail AI is moving fast. But the real challenge is not technical. It is human. In this episode of the Mayvin Podcast, Sophie Tidman is joined by Hugo Pickford-Wardle to explore where AI is leading us, and what it asks of us as humans at work. Together they unpack why AI can feel both unsettling and deeply empowering, how it acts as a trickster technology that exposes our assumptions about value, productivity and intelligence, and why integrating AI is less about figuring out tools and more about choosing who we are becoming. This is a reflective, practical conversation for leaders, change-makers and anyone trying to stay human while facing into the future of work. To explore more of Hugo's work, take a look at: 📬 The Free Newsletter: AI Optimist– Your weekly dose of practical AI optimism 🎓 AI Night School: AI Courses for you to become AI Fluent Thanks so much for listening! Keep in touch: Email us on [email protected] to our mailing listVisit our website Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Send us Fan Mail Join us as we dive into the evolving world of organisational development (OD) in the age of AI. In this episode, our hosts - Sarah Fraser, Tim Haynes and Markus Edgar Hormeß - reflect on a recent hands-on workshop where OD practitioners experimented with teaming alongside AI. We unpack the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI into the workplace, from building trust and navigating power dynamics to fostering intentional experimentation and learning. Discover how creating “playgrounds” for safe experimentation can break down barriers, encourage human connection, and unlock new ways of working. Whether you’re an OD professional, a leader, or simply curious about the intersection of people and technology, this episode offers practical insights and thought-provoking reflections on the future of teaming with AI. Thanks so much for listening! Keep in touch: Email us on [email protected] to our mailing listVisit our website Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Send us Fan Mail So much of our technology promises us freedom from friction. One click, instant results, fewer awkward conversations with strangers. But what if friction—the messy, human kind—isn’t the problem to be solved, but the very thing that makes life worth living? In this episode, Sophie Tidman talks with Rob Chapman, co-founder of Neya, a young AI company with a countercultural aim: not to make us faster or leaner, but to help us belong. Together they explore what happens when we resist the cult of efficiency and instead design tools that deepen trust and weave people back into each other’s lives. It’s a conversation about community, leadership, and the strange paradox that in trying to make everything smoother, we risk sanding away the very rough edges that give our connections—and our organizations—their meaning. If you'd like a reading list(!) here are the books we refer to in the podcast: The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane JacobsThe Age of Heretics: Heroes, Outlaws, and the Forerunners of Corporate Change by Art KleinerUncharted: How to Map the Future by Margaret HeffernanMachines of Loving Grace by Dario AmodeiThanks so much for listening! Keep in touch: Email us on [email protected] to our mailing listVisit our website Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Send us Fan Mail In this special episode of the Mayvin Research Hub podcast, young voices share their imaginative ideas about the future of work, think glass-filled homes, exciting tech, and careers that are both fun and meaningful. With a focus on happiness, creativity, and informal workplaces, they offer a playful yet thoughtful glimpse into what work could look like in years to come. Thanks so much for listening! Keep in touch: Email us on [email protected] to our mailing listVisit our website Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode, we have a very special treat as we are joined by Paul Kaushal, Learning and Development Manager at Hymans Robertson. Parul joined our Principal Consultant Ash Thomas to talk about their collaborative partnership,  helping leaders at all levels in the firm figure out their own ways to work well in complexity. They discuss taking  leaps of faith in Learning and Development and how taking a mindset of experimentation can support greater ownership of personal learning and growth, and helps turn collective insight into real-world change through action learning. Enjoy!  Thanks so much for listening! Keep in touch: Email us on [email protected] to our mailing listVisit our website Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Send us Fan Mail Today’s episode is a recording of our recent mission-led government virtual event. Over the past six months we’ve been exploring with clients across the Civil Service what it takes to make mission-led government work, working with over 170 people. And so in today’s recording we share what we’re hearing and our insights, as well as hearing from you guys in the Mayvin community too. This session will provide valuable space to make sense of the mission-led approach in your context, and develop some fresh perspective and practical insights.    Hope you enjoy listening and if you would like to talk to us further re mission-led please do get in touch.  Thanks so much for listening! Keep in touch: Email us on [email protected] to our mailing listVisit our website Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Send us Fan Mail Leadership and the new chaos. It's not just you. Leaders everywhere are overwhelmed, and not because they're doing something wrong. The world has changed. Chaos isn't the exception anymore. It's the norm. In this episode, we explore how to lead when the map keeps redrawing itself under your feet. Carolyn Norgate and Carolyn Parker revisit and expand on their earlier podcast about leadership in today's increasingly unpredictable world. Six months ago, they saw a glimmer of optimism. Today, the sentiment is more complex. The leaders are working harder, facing more demands and feeling less impact. They delve into what it means to lead in an era where answers have a short shelf life, where leadership must be adaptive, relational and reflective, they discuss the limitations of traditional leadership models and share insights that challenge the myth of the heroic leader and how embracing vulnerability, creative Inquiry and collective sense making can pave the way to a more human, connected approach to navigating the chaos.  Thanks so much for listening! Keep in touch: Email us on [email protected] to our mailing listVisit our website Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Send us Fan Mail Sarah Fraser and Sophie Tidman discuss the varied responses to AI in organisations, noting a divide between those embracing it and those resistant. They highlight the importance of using AI as a stimulus for thinking rather than a replacement for human judgement.  Thanks so much for listening! Keep in touch: Email us on [email protected] to our mailing listVisit our website Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Send us Fan Mail Our Tony Nicholls has decided to stop working from the end of March 2025, he still finds it hard to use the R word, so we decided to make the most of him these last few weeks that we have him, and try to bottle his wisdom and experience, slash milk him for content before he goes. We're releasing these short 10 minute episodes for the next eight weeks, which will take us up to his last week with us. Each episode will focus on a different topic, a different element of his time at Mayvin or his career at large.  In today's final episode of conversations with Tony, Tony is joined by James Traeger. James has recently moved into a new role as non Executive Chair of Mayvin, as a co founder and director since 2010, James has been instrumental in shaping Mayvin identity practice and growth. In this candid conversation, he shares insights into his new role and what it entails. James and Tony also reflect openly on their career transitions, one having a shift in gears and the other coming to a full stop. It's a daunting process, but they both recognise a new found release of energy.  Please do feel free to get in touch with us or Tony directly, if you'd like to pass on any well wishes for his R word.  Thanks so much for listening! Keep in touch: Email us on [email protected] to our mailing listVisit our website Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter