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
Wednesday Dec 28, 2022
Wednesday Dec 28, 2022
In this short, sharp festive Inbetweener episode, John and Simon offer their first tasty morsel from the ‘12 Days of Christmas’, a reflection on some of the highlights from 2022, and something to savour in between Mince Pies, Sherry, and Karaoke with Uncle Kevin….
On this first day of Christmas, they explore:
- The wisdom of Neil Mullarkey and insights from the world of improv
- How ‘Yes, and’ enables you to build on the unexpected and make the best of what is given
- Top tip for surviving the family Xmas using improv
We hope you enjoy the show AND we hope you join us for another year of a not-so-serious business podcast. And as The Occupational Philosophers always say: stay curious, make stuff, play more, have fun, date life, and laugh uncontrollably at this year’s Xmas cracker jokes…..
FYI: The 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
Sunday Dec 11, 2022
Sunday Dec 11, 2022
In this short, sharp Inbetweener episode, John and Simon explore the rise in interest of companies wishing to employ Chief Philosophy Officers (CPOs) within their organisations, signalling the beginning of a true movement in keeping with the aims of The Occupational Philosophers!
Amongst other things, they explore:
- What is the role of a Chief Philosophy Officer?
- Why organisations are becoming more interested in hiring CPOs
- How asking ‘curly’ questions is an activity anyone can undertake
- How CPOs can make sure people wear the right clothes and eat socially acceptable lunches….
We hope you enjoy the show AND we hope you join us for another year of a not-so-serious business podcast. And as The Occupational Philosophers always say: stay curious, make stuff, play more, have fun and date life.
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
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
In this Inbetweeners episode, the Occupational Philosophers explore the true meaning, origin story and get really curious about some of those hackneyed, over-used corporate sayings that really need to pass away and live in the after life.
- Really, what does 'circle around' mean?
- What is the origin and true meaning of low-hanging fruit? How low is low fruit before it's on the ground?
- Who is measuring the right angle to pivot?
- Can we really give 110% if the scale ends at 100%? Is there a level of maths we don't know about?
- Were cavemen and cave women encouraged to think outside the cave?
- Do we need to wear lead pants to protect our 100%?
- When you say deep dive, do you mean with air or free diving?
Whilst this episode is a little loose, The Occupational Philosophers (as always) ask those really deep and meaningful questions that we should all ponder - in the corporate world and beyond.
They hope you enjoy the show...
The Occupational Philosophers promise you won't be overly disappointed - maybe a little but not too much....And as they always say: stay curious, make stuff, play more, have fun, and date life.
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 to the OP's
www.occupationalphilosophers.com
Their day jobs
JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/
SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au
SIMON SHOWREEL: (please watch, he needs some hits on Youtube) https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg
Tuesday Nov 22, 2022
Tuesday Nov 22, 2022
In Episode 50, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Ian Gilbert, the founder of Independent Thinking, a unique and highly influential organisation in education across the UK. Independent Thinking seeks to move beyond teaching and learning, into motivation, creativity and leadership, social justice, neuroscience, inclusion, the environment and well-being.
He is a prolific author with many books including the ever-popular Thunks collection, and ‘Why Do I Need a Teacher When I’ve Got Google?’
He is committed to ongoing classroom work with children and young people, delivering keynotes and workshops at conferences around the world, and through his continuous work with teachers and leaders in schools, Ian has shown a whole generation of educators that there is always another way.
He sets the bar when it comes to speaking to teachers, children and school leaders about his vision for education and unless someone is complaining their brain hurts, he knows he hasn't got the message across yet.
In this episode, Ian and The Occupational Philosophers explore:
- How we all need to capture those ‘sparks’ of creativity and imagination
- Why the mainstream education system is fundamentally flawed
- What education and learning might look like in 2052
- The power of ‘Thunks’ and how they can help you think more deeply
- How to harness the diversity of thought and creativity within your team
- Why not thinking is the best way to improve your thinking
- Can you solve a problem through the medium of mime?
As always, there are some original thought experiments with this episode featuring:
- Whose question is it anyway?
- Thunk Tank
Learn more about Ian
https://independentthinking.co.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisiangilbert
The Little Book of Thunks
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Book-Thunks-questions-Independent-ebook/dp/B005R25LKK
Why do I need a teacher when I have Google?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Need-Teacher-When-Google/dp/0415468337
The Working Class
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Working-Class-Poverty-education-alternative/dp/178135278X
Toria Bono - Tiny Voices
References
The Occupational Philosophers hope you enjoy the show (they really enjoyed making this episode of their not-so-serious business podcast.) And as The Occupational Philosophers always say: stay curious, make stuff, play more, have fun, and date life.
Say Hello to the OP's
www.occupationalphilosophers.com
Their day jobs
JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/
SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au
SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg
Wednesday Nov 09, 2022
Wednesday Nov 09, 2022
In this inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers explore the problem of flying mammals that can exist in organisations, and how they can be one of the biggest innovation killers around (as well as getting stuck in your hair, making a screeching noise and leaving a big mess everywhere)
What the hell are they talking about? Well, you will just have to tune in.
The Occupational Philosophers promise you won't be overly disappointed - maybe a little but not too much....And as they always say: stay curious, make stuff, play more, have fun, and date life.
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.
Links
https://gfda.co/ (Good f#*king design advice - we love this site!)
Say Hello to the OP's
www.occupationalphilosophers.com
Their day jobs
JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/
SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au
SIMON SHOWREEL: (please watch, he needs some hits on Youtube) https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg
Monday Oct 31, 2022
Monday Oct 31, 2022
In Episode 48, The Occupational Philosophers chat with a ‘delight’ of guests, Dr Barbara Doran and Rodger Watson.
Mmmm, sound interesting. Tell me more….
Barbara Doran (PhD) specialises in identifying creative opportunities that respond to complex challenges and putting them in action. She is an experienced speaker, mentor, educator, project innovator, and artist who directs her energies to building our collective capacities to improve how we live. She has worked with some of Australia’s leading practitioners and award-winning productions, including Jungle Boys, Australia’s largest TV commercials production company; Mythbusters in San Francisco; and alongside key filmmaking professionals whose credits include The Matrix, Moulin Rouge, and Gatsby.
Rodger Watson is an innovator for public good and has worked as a public servant, a strategic human-centred design consultant, bartender, pizza deliverer, emu farmhand, and the leader of an academic research centre. He is now Course Director of the Master of Creative Intelligence and Strategic Innovation at the UTS Faculty of Transdisciplinary Innovation and is about to complete a Doctorate in Transdisciplinary Innovation and Philosophy.
In this episode they explore:
- How we need to get out of analysis paralysis - in life and organisations
- Why reframing the way we look at things can bring new solutions
- Why we are all creatively intelligent
- How innovation needs to start with a playful space and why we need to globally embrace play
- How the opposite of play is depression
- Design Abduction - different ways of thinking - put aside the ‘what’ and the ‘how’
- Why their new book is just such an amazing read
- Building on the above, they dive into why we all need to embrace more:
- Creativity/Play and Flow
- Probing and Blitzing
- Visualising
- Conversations
- Scaling
- Stories
As always, there are some great thought experiments including:
- Guess the school report (yes, the name needs some work)
- Something’s afoot Moriarty!
Links:
- Creative Catalyzer course https://open.uts.edu.au/uts-open/study-area/communication--media/critical--creative-thinking/creative-intelligence-catalyser/
- Book - Creative Reboot https://open.uts.edu.au/uts-open/study-area/communication--media/critical--creative-thinking/creative-intelligence-catalyser/
- Transdisciplianary course uts.edu.au/about/td-school
- Rodger's Dads band - The Easybeats https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Easybeats
About our guests
Rodger Watson
Dr. Barbara Doran
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-barbara-doran-9196a114/
- https://www.drbd.com.au/
- https://profiles.uts.edu.au/Barbara.Doran-1
The Occupational Philosophers hope you enjoy the show (they really enjoyed making this episode of their not-so-serious business podcast.) And as The Occupational Philosophers always say: stay curious, make stuff, play more, have fun, and date life.
Say Hello to the OP's
www.occupationalphilosophers.com
Their day jobs
JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/
SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au
SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg
Tuesday Oct 18, 2022
Tuesday Oct 18, 2022
Do you sometimes get out of bed and wonder why you do what you do?
Maybe you're wondering about your 'why' or 'purpose'?
Are you so passionate about what you do that maybe a simple 'why' statement is just not enough?
Well most likely then, it's time to write your Manifesto!!
What's a manifesto?
According to Wikpedia, a manifesto is "A published declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an individual, group.....A manifesto is often political, social or artistic in nature, sometimes revolutionary, but may present an individual's life stance."
In this episode, John and Simon read out a manifesto that fluffing fires them up from https://gfda.co/ and they explore why we should all get a little more passionate about what we do, why we do it, and why it matters
The Occupational Philosophers hope you enjoy the show (they really enjoyed making this episode of their not-so-serious business podcast.) And as The Occupational Philosophers always say: stay curious, make stuff, play more, have fun, and date life.
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.
Links
https://gfda.co/ (Good f#*king design advice - we love this site!)
Say Hello to the OP's
www.occupationalphilosophers.com
Their day jobs
JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/
SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au
SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
In Episode 41, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Dr Vanessa Marcié, an expert on Humour and Leadership, who is the founder and CEO of Leading With Humour, an innovative consulting firm that helps executives to harness the power of humour in their change management strategies. She is a two times TEDx speaker and guest speaker at several top business schools and universities: Cambridge Judge Business School, HEC Paris, London Business School, Oxford University, and Toulouse Business School
Her research work on Humour and Leadership has been published in The Financial Times, The European Business Review, La Tribune and Harvard Business Review France and Elle Magazine.
She is also a stand-up comedian who has created two comedy clubs, one in London and one in Cannes, scenes on which she regularly performs. Her main message: If you want to accelerate your business or career success, you need to understand the art and science of humour in leadership.
In this episode, they explore:
- Why humour is a serious business
- How learning the art of standup can radically improve your ability to present to an audience
- The link between comedy, curiosity, creativity and imagination
- Tips for staying creative and curious, whatever your work
- Why Vanessa’s headstone will need to be 12 feet tall
As always, there are some original thought experiments and this time they have:
Learn more about Vanessa
References
https://fortune.com/2022/09/15/patagonia-ceo-says-founder-views-billionaires-as-policy-failure/
Tuesday Sep 27, 2022
Tuesday Sep 27, 2022
In this short, sharp Inbetweener episode, John reflects more on his recent trip to the far-flung reaches of the UK, including Shetland and Orkney Islands.
Here he discovered evidence of creativity, imagination, and play amongst the well-preserved Neolithic remains of family life some 5,000 years ago.
Amongst other things, the Occupational Philosophers explore:
- What did Neolithic men and women do when they weren’t catching Mammoths?
- What can Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs tell us about our innate desire to create?
- How we should still find time to innovate, stay curious and creative despite adverse conditions
We hope you enjoy the show AND we hope you join us for another year of a not-so-serious business podcast. And as The Occupational Philosophers always say: stay curious, make stuff, play more, have fun, and date life.
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
Thursday Sep 15, 2022
Thursday Sep 15, 2022
In this short, sharp Inbetweener episode, John reflects more on his recent Edinburgh Fringe Festival experience where he saw many performers showcasing a ‘Work in Progress’... something not quite finished, something which needs feedback, and where the expectation from the audience is different than if they were performing a completed set or show.
Amongst other things, they explore:
- How does a ‘Work in progress’ show differ from a finished show?
- How might you bring the ‘Work in progress’ idea into your organisation?
- What are the advantages of a ‘Work in progress’ when it comes to innovation and creative thinking?
- When will Chris & Rosie Ramsay appear as guests on this podcast?
We hope you enjoy the show AND we hope you join us for another year of a not-so-serious business podcast. And as The Occupational Philosophers always say: stay curious, make stuff, play more, have fun and date life.
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