Season 3 – Episode 1: With James Crawford We're back for season 3 with a muddle of James's! To kick the season off, hosts James Lawther and Jimmy Barber explore how we can all use artificial intelligence at work with special guest James Crawford. Unless you're living under a rock, you'll be aware of the promise of AI revolutionising the workplace. This tends to focus on how organisations, governments, or public services will utilise AI and automate various jobs. Today, we explore how we as individuals can use AI to help us get ahead and revolutionise how we work. AI expert James Crawford shares his 5P's model and also explains which AI systems work best for specific jobs. He then … [Read more...]
Will Artificial Intelligence Take All of Our Jobs?
Season 2 – Episode 41: What Do the Computers Think? In this episode, hosts James Lawther and Jimmy Barber discuss the impact of AI on contact centres and back-office jobs. This follows a question from Rob, a member of the audience, who asked about the potential for AI to reduce contact centre jobs by a claimed 80-90% in the next year or two. The hosts share insights from a former guest, Alex Alexander's AI team, and James interviews Google's Gemini to discover if the AI themselves believe they will put us all out of a job. This is all balanced with a bit of real-world experience of tech transformations. Check out the episode and see what they conclude - Are the robots taking … [Read more...]
Customer Service Isn’t Customer Experience (Here’s the Difference)
Season 2 – Episode 26: With Adrian Swinscoe. In this episode, we welcome guest Adrian Swinscoe, an author, researcher, and advisor on customer service and experience. Adrian challenges the underlying management beliefs that you should try to manage revenue, cost, and profitability and explains how you can create better organisational outcomes by focusing on your employees and customers. The discussion also covers the shortcomings of chatbots, artificial intelligence, and the desire to control “the customer experience”. It is all about inputs and outcomes. Listen in to find out more. Adrian Swinscoe Described as an experimental CX thought leader and visionary, Adrian Swinscoe … [Read more...]
Do You Need Therapy? – Part 1
Season 2 – Episode 13: Intriguing Questions. This week, we will see the first of two episodes with Gestalt Therapist Dawn Wray. We will explore how therapy can help improve performance and enjoyment at work. Dawn discusses its nature and shares how it can have a profound effect on your personal and professional life. She has helped people who have faced redundancy, been promoted, changed jobs, and many other situations. She shares some questions we can all consider that will help us deepen our understanding of ourselves and improve our relationships with the world around us. We also learn that Jimmy has benefited from years of therapy and that James would benefit from … [Read more...]
Are Operations a Thing of the Past?
Season 2 – Episode 3: Don't Get Left Behind. This week's discussion centres on the future of 'operations' within the U.K., where over 80% of us work in service industries. We delve into potential future scenarios and the historical undervaluing of 'operations'. We also examine the trends that are likely to influence this sector. We ask if A.I. will replace all our jobs and wonder why technological trends don't deliver as promised. Although the world and work will change, the fundamental challenges will persist—achieving cheaper, better, and faster outcomes. The conversation turns to practical operational thinking and the importance of enhancing operational capabilities … [Read more...]