Would you like to unlock the creative, imaginative and innovative potential in your team or organisation…BUT…don’t want to listen to another serious podcast which offers 7 steps, 5 habits, 3 mantras, and a hard sell in a pear tree? Then join ‘The Occupational Philosophers’, a ‘not-so-serious’ podcast with Simon Banks (middle-aged Australian surfer man, artist and published author) and John Rice (middle-aged British man with a love of curiosity and philosophy) as they chat with a ‘clowder’ (great word!) of curious cats from the fields of Comedy, Academia, Philosophy, Neuroscience, Psychology, Design, Marketing, and Business, to explore how you, your team, and your organisation, can develop your curiosity, spark your creativity, and free your imagination, so you can grow your business and your people….sounds great huh?! But don’t just take our word for it, read what our listeners think: “Worth a listen, one of them has a strange Australian accent” “They’re not philosophers, they’re idiots” “If you like business, philosophy, humour, creativity, and imagination, then have a listen - if not, then I would leave well alone” http://www.occupationalphilosophers.com
Episodes
Friday Jul 12, 2024
Friday Jul 12, 2024
Professor of Engineering Innovation and expert in creative problem solving
In Episode 94, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Dr David Cropley, a Professor of Engineering Innovation at the University of South Australia. He specialises in helping people and organisations become better, more effective, problem solvers.
After serving for four years in the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy, David joined the School of Engineering at the South Australian Institute of Technology (SAIT) in 1990,. Following the establishment of the University in 1991, he completed a PhD in Measurement Systems Engineering in 1997, and a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education in 2002.
He has taught a variety of courses on engineering, including digital electronics, linear electronics, systems engineering, and engineering design. He teaches creativity and innovation across programs, from gifted education through to management, and his research interests span creativity in education, the assessment of creativity and innovation in organisations, the role of creativity and innovation in terrorism and crime, and the nexus of creative problem-solving and engineering. Most recently, he has been researching the intersection of creativity and artificial intelligence (AI).
David is author/co-author of 10 books including Creativity in Education: A user’s guide for educators, parents and students (Hawker Brownlow, 2022), Core Capabilities for Industry 4.0 – Foundations of the Cyber-Psychology of Engineering (Wbv Media, 2021) and The Psychology of Innovation in Organizations (Cambridge University Press, 2015).
He is also a recognised expert in creative problem solving and innovation, Dr David Cropley was a scientific consultant and on-screen expert for the Australian ABC TV Documentaries Redesign My Brain (2013), Life at 9 (2014) and Redesign My Brain, Series 2 (2015). For more than 25 years, he has helped schools and organisations in Australia, the US, and Europe develop more effective, creative problem solvers.
In this episode, they explore:
- The gap between creativity research and application
- What is the difference between creativity and innovation
- Whether David has built an intergalactic transporter or it’s still just an idea
- The different phases of innovation
- How personality, motivations, past experience and environment affects our ability to be creative
- What ‘Life at 9’ discovered about children’s levels of creativity as they grow
- How AI and LLMs will improve opportunities to objectively measure creativity
- What assessments provide the most holistic measure of creativity in individuals
- What is ‘malevolent creativity’?
- How we can cultivate creativity as a habit
- What three things do we need to provide teams to unleash their creativity?
- Why creativity is like spinach….and why we need to start eating more of it!
And as ever, enjoy the Thought Experiment …this time it’s:
- Malevolent or Benevolent?
Learn more about David
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidcropley
https://unisa-au.academia.edu/DavidCropley
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Side-Creativity-David-Cropley/dp/0521139600
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Homo-Problematis-Solvendis-Problem-solving-Man-Creativity/dp/9811331006
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habituation
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/2024/miami-grand-prix/results
https://www.abc.net.au/contentsales/programsandgenres/life-9/13962452
https://studylib.net/doc/8167692/the-test-for-creative-thinking---drawing-production
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Against-Gods-Remarkable-Story-Risk/dp/0471295639
Say Hello to the Occupational Philosophers
www.occupationalphilosophers.com
Their day jobs:
JOHN: www.bowlandconsulting.com
SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au
SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg
Wednesday Jul 03, 2024
Wednesday Jul 03, 2024
In this short, sharp inbetweener episode The Occupational Philosophers explore Synesthesia...when senses get their wires crossed...
Amongst other things, they discuss:
- How artists notice the world through multiple senses
- What happens when different senses blend together
- How does synesthesia affect how Pharrell Williams composes music?
- Why we should listen to our 'gut brain' more often
- What does Billy Joel smell when he plays piano?
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
Say 'Hello'...
www.occupationalphilosophers.com
Their day jobs
- JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com
- SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au
- SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg
Get in touch
Tuesday Jun 18, 2024
Tuesday Jun 18, 2024
Behavioral Expert, Author, Speaker and Curiosity Guru!
Dr Diane Hamilton is an expert in curiosity, perception, emotional intelligence, and behavioural science with nearly four decades of real-world experience and creator of the Curiosity Code Index®, the Perception Power Index, and the author of five books sold worldwide.
She is a thought leader in the fields of leadership, sales, marketing, management, engagement, personality, curiosity, perception, and motivation and is known for increasing engagement, improving productivity and reducing conflict.
Thinkers50 Radar, considered the Academy Awards for Leadership, chose her as one of the top minds in management and leadership. She was named to Global Leaders Today’s list of top leaders along with Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Sheryl Sandberg. LeadersHum included her on their list of 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership and in the Top 10 Most Powerful Women Leaders in HR.
(Pretty impressive hey...)
In this episode they explore
- How curiosity is the spark to creativity, motivation, innovation and just about everything
- Why fear, assumptions, technology and the environment we operate in are the factors which inhibit our curiosity
- What organisations can do to foster a culture of curiosity
- How curiosity breaks down ‘status quo’ thinking
- Why curiosity is the foundation of empathy
- Why making sure you are not the smartest person in the room will accelerate your learning and curiosity
- What will unlock curiosity in your teams
- How to ensure you don’t suffer the same FATE as Kodak
- Just how much Diane loves history…..!
Learn more about Dr Diane
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdianehamilton/
- https://drdianehamilton.com/
- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cracking-Curiosity-Code-Unlocking-Potential/dp/164237346X
References and show notes
- https://time.com/6837166/iris-apfel-dead-age-102-fashion-icon
- https://ian-leslie.com/curious
- https://www.waterstones.com/book/elon-musk/walter-isaacson/9781398527492
- https://variety.com/2024/digital/news/george-carlin-ai-generated-comedy-special-1235868315/#!
- https://www.charitywater.org/uk/about/scott-harrison-story
- https://davidepstein.com/range/
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
Thursday Jun 06, 2024
Thursday Jun 06, 2024
In Episode 91, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Dr. Anthony Simcoe, a multi-hyphenate, creative polymath! He is as comfortable on stage as he is in infrastructure projects in leadership, interpersonal and communication skills, and organisational culture.
He is an Australian actor, a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Arts in Sydney and has appeared in over 20 TV shows and films including everything from A Country Practice to The Inbetweeners Movie 2…!
He is widely adored for his portrayal of Steve Kerrigan in the 1997 film The Castle and Ka D'Argo in the science fiction television series Farscape He was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series in 2002 for his work on the show.
He holds a MFA specialising in Actor Training and has taught for NIDA, as well as teaching and directing at various other institutions including QUT.
But that’s not all!
He has a doctorate in creative industries, organisational storytelling and knowledge management, which enables him to create engaging, lively, and dynamic learning spaces where adults are challenged and inspired.
As a multi-hyphenate, with over 15 years of experience in training and coaching, Anthony is the company owner of a Consulting firm that links human potential to outstanding business results.
Anthony has a global track record of success in assisting his partners to win work in the billions of dollars through his bid coaching services. He has also coached and facilitated top executives, leaders, and teams in various industries and sectors, helping them to improve their communication, influence, and leadership skills.
Unsurprisingly, our guest leverages his background in the arts, to bring creativity, innovation, and pragmatism to his work.
In this episode, they explore:
- How AI is changing the creative industry right here, right now!
- What can you accomplish at the limit of your talent?
- What Anthony discovered through his Doctorate in Creative Industries
- How storytelling accelerates learning and knowledge transfer
- Why great stories help you walk in someone else’s shoes
- The art of leadership as demonstrated by Jodie Foster!
- The advantages of being a polymath
- What is the critical success factor when it comes to curiosity in teams
- Why you can’t ‘out body language, terrible content’! What a hashtag!
- What will help you be a leader who inspires your organisation (Hint.. build a bridge to your audience)
- Whether you should imagine your audience are naked when giving a presentation…
- Why you should ‘Be like Bowie’ Another hashtag!
And as ever, enjoy the Thought Experiments …this time it’s:
- Film plot in 6 words or less!
Learn more about Anthony
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Simcoe
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/anthony-simcoe-consulting-asc/
- https://www.anthonysimcoeconsulting.com/
References
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-11/discrimination-ruling-mona-ladies-lounge-when-is-exclusion-ok/103690878
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-68384657
- https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-coming-wave/mustafa-suleyman/michael-bhaskar/9781847927484
- https://www.waterstones.com/book/leonardo-da-vinci/walter-isaacson/9781471166785
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
Tuesday May 14, 2024
Tuesday May 14, 2024
In this short, sharp inbetweener episode The Occupational Philosophers explore Humility, and it's Sith brother, Hubris...
Amongst other things, they discuss:
- How curiosity needs to be wedded to humility
- What the Greeks made of humility and why hubris was a crime
- Why you should listen to your father (Heads up Icarus!)
- What is an 'Idea Baby' and why you need to let your baby be called ugly
- How humility fuels learning and listening
- What's a 'brumble'? And why is Linkedin full of them?
- And finally, Simon and John are shocked, awed and humbled to be hosting a Top 10 (%) podcast....
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
Say 'Hello'...
www.occupationalphilosophers.com
Their day jobs
- JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/
- SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au
- SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg
Get in touch
Monday May 06, 2024
Monday May 06, 2024
Have you been at a business event and someone, with a very serious face, stands on the stage and talks about a VUCA environment? If so, there is help! (and if not, still read on!)
In this short, sharp inbetweener episode The Occupational Philosophers dive into the world of acronyms used to describe the current business environment/s we are in.
Amongst other things, they explore:
- What does VUCA mean?
- Why are all VUCA speakers so serious?
- What happens if you are VUCA'd?
- Why do people who speak about a TUNA environment seem happier?
- Will a TURD environment ever catch on?
- And seriously, (yes there was a moment), is it time to be a little more positive in the way we look at the world?
- What the acronym for the best and worst days may look and sound like
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
Say Hello
www.occupationalphilosophers.com
Their day jobs
- JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/
- SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au
- SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg
Get in touch
Tuesday Apr 23, 2024
Tuesday Apr 23, 2024
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:
- The importance of turning contempt into curiosity
- Why you need both a great tech stack and a people stack
- Why the opposite of play is disengagement
- The importance of change in our physical surroundings
- Swift-Onomics and hearing the words cock blocked and Swift-Onomics in the same sentence
- Why understanding your personal dress style may be more important than you think
- How to know when a digital transformation has actually worked - speed, adoption and proficiency
- If you're not getting the right info, ask!
- Why we need to watch out for one bed/ten dreams
- Action creates motivation
- What a future fit mindset looks and feel like
- Equestrian riding whilst wearing mankinis
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
Friday Mar 15, 2024
Friday Mar 15, 2024
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:
- Why pain is good for us
- How believing in the role luck plays in life allows you to take more risks
- How being curious is really important in managing our emotional world
- Why leaders need to share their failures more often
- What helps teams build trust
- How to lead organisations through tough times
As always, there are some great thought experiments such as:
- Guess the source of my pain
- Defend, Live, Party! What hybrid animal would you choose?
Links
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
Friday Mar 01, 2024
Friday Mar 01, 2024
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:
- What it means to be human
- How vulnerability comes before trust rather than the other way around (leaders, take note!)
- Why it's important to look for “something awesome about you” in other people
- The different alter egos we all have and how to ensure the right one turns up
- Where creativity comes from - and it takes a lot of practice
- Breaking out of comfort zones and how to make people feel amazing
- How the human race is evolving to have herd immunity against arseholes
- Lessons learned from performing all over the world and training at the world-renowned Dell'Arte School of Physical Theatre
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
Sunday Feb 11, 2024
Sunday Feb 11, 2024
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:
- 3 top tips for everyday living from his new book 'The Dance Cure'
- How teams and organisations can use movement to fuel innovation & creativity
- How individuals can 'move to improve'!
They also explore:
- Why dance and movement is fundamentally about communication
- What type of movement is best to help your children revise for their exams?
- What stops us dancing (apart from when we're drunk at a wedding...)?
- How school shaped Peter's life and success....it's quite a journey
- Whether movement is a "gateway drug" to dancing.......
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