Season 3 – Episode 023: With Paul Howley This week, Jimmy and James are joined by Paul Howley—a former radio astronomer turned corporate transformation expert—to dismantle the myth that technology is the answer to all organisational change. Here’s the truth: it’s not. With 36 years of experience across airlines, utilities, and financial services, Paul explains why most tech-driven transformations fail (70% of them, according to McKinsey) and how middle managers can deliver real change without a single line of code. The episode exposes the absurdity of chasing AI, new platforms, and digital tools as quick fixes. Instead, Paul shares a case study from financial services where a mortgage … [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...]
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...]
The Economics of Customer Service
Season 1 – Episode 33: Insights From Seán Keane We continue our series of episodes focused on answering the critical question –What Is the State of Customer Experience Today? As 81% of the UK’s economic output comes from the service industry, understanding how to improve customer experience has never been more critical. We will be asking guests for their perspectives on the following questions: We are lucky to have insights on these questions from Seán Keane, who has led, grown and sold CX technology and consulting businesses and has a strong background in Op Model design, technology and process. He’s led complex programmes and teams for companies like Davies Group, Ember and Capgemini on … [Read more...]
The Post Office Scandal
Season 1 – Episode 13: It Could Never Happen Here... The Post Office Scandal is one of the biggest miscarriages of justice the UK has seen. It has had tragic consequences for its many victims, and the fight for compensation is ongoing. Could it have happened where you work? Jimmy and James discuss what caused the scandal and what should happen next. The incident highlights the importance of understanding what's happening around us. So join us and reassure yourself that your management team would never create such a dire situation, would they? Here's an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of others. For any questions or if you need help ensuring you're not repeating the mistakes of … [Read more...]