Speak to the human

Everything an organisation achieves comes down to what its people actually do. Speak to the Human explores how people think, behave, and make decisions at work. Through real stories and practical conversations, each episode investigates the human behaviours that drive outcomes – and how organisations can respond.

Hosted by James Woodman, the podcast is driven by curiosity about what influences behaviour and decision-making at work in the moments that matter.

Acteon is a Cambridge-based communication and learning consultancy focused on positive behaviour change.

Jamie Bartlett: How do you stay in control of AI at work?

22/05/26 | 44 mins Latest Episode

Will AI change your life, end the world, or just help you write a slightly nicer email? Getting good at AI at work isn't really a tech skill at all. It's a communication one, and most of us are winging it. Jamie Bartlett, author of The Dark Net and the new How to Talk to AI (And How Not To), joins James to unpack why fluency fools us and why you should side-eye AI when it agrees with you. If you've ever wondered whether you're using AI right (or whether anyone is), this episode's for you.

How do you really get people using AI well at work?

16/04/26 | 43 mins

Most organisations are treating AI as a technology challenge. But the real impact depends on people: how they use it, what they use it for – and whether they engage with it at all. Dr Guy Champniss shares findings from his new research into what he calls “adoption quality” – a framework for understanding why organisations are struggling to realise AI’s potential, the impact it has on how employees feel and behave, and what leaders can do to respond.

Nadine Anderson on building trust to achieve positive outcomes

19/02/26 | 54mins

Listening – really listening – to people who work at the ‘chalk face’ is the most powerful way to build trust and achieve positive outcomes for an organisation. Nadine Anderson’s story is a brilliant illustration of this. As an expert in organisational development, and the People, Culture and Engagement Lead at Westminster City Council, she has applied a people-first approach to shape a values-driven strategy grounded in what staff actually think and need.

Ben Sawyer on facing fear and understanding risk

03/02/26 | 1hr 3mins

Working in frontline bomb disposal and special operations in the British Army for nearly two decades has given Ben Sawyer a vivid, profound perspective on how to face and manage fear, and what risk really means. Having moved into the corporate world, now Head of Continuous Improvement at British Gas, Ben brings a blend of insights into operational strategy, empowerment and leadership.

Clym Stock-Williams on helping people make decisions

14/01/26 | 1hr 3mins

How do decisions get made in organisations? What does it look like to support the operational decision-making process really effectively? And what happens when you look at this through the lens of human thinking and behaviour, as well as systems and data? In this episode, Clym Stock-Williams, Head of Operational Excellence in the Offshore Wind Division at Vattenfall, unpicks how decision-making systems can be designed for humans.

Martyn Sibley on how societies thrive when everyone is included

16/12/25 | 46 mins

What if preconceptions about disability could be turned upside down… to create much better ways to enable inclusion, tap into people’s talents, and open up opportunities? Martyn Sibley is an entrepreneur, founder, activist and brilliant thinker, who prompts interesting questions about what we might all be overlooking by not enabling genuine inclusion.

Charlotte Bolton on helping people through change

19/11/25 | 39 mins

How do you help people navigate change at work? The success of any change – large or small – comes down to what people feel, think and do. Our guest in this episode is Charlotte Bolton, a learning, development and culture consultant and coach, who joins us to discuss the human side of transformative change.

Christine Armstrong on the danger of missing human connections: the real productivity gap

04/11/25 | 57 mins

Why does the drive for productivity so often miss the point? The relentless focus on rules, compliance and systems risks a disconnect from the experience of real people. In this episode, Christine Armstrong shares her sharp, witty and deeply human insights into what’s really happening in the world of work, and how joy, connection and good listening could transform it.

Jeremy Bassinder on weaving people and digital minds

09/10/25 | 51 mins

AI is changing work fast, but the story is still about people. So what are the opportunities for everyone, from personal development to boardroom strategy? And why does imagination, curiosity and play matter more than ever? Jeremy Bassinder, GenAI Consulting Lead at IBM, brings insights into what happens when you weave together people and technology to improve outcomes.

Ross Stevenson on making sense of AI in learning

23/09/25 | 59 mins

What are the implications of GenAI for learning and development? How do we make sense of fast-moving changes, while staying grounded in something that feels like human reality? Ross Stevenson of Steal These Thoughts is an expert in technology in L&D, and joins us to share valuable, pragmatic, human-centred insights.

Anna Ploszajski on when stories are the missing element

24/06/25 | 1hr 6m

How do we find and tell stories that capture imagination and shape how we share ideas? And what happens when you try using storytelling in unexpected areas – like academic science? Anna Ploszajski, founder of Storyology, is challenging conventions and helping people communicate with miles more impact.

Lesley Woods on finding human connection under pressure

30/05/25 | 50 mins

In pressured situations, human connection is more needed than ever. Military leader and media strategist Lesley Woods excels at forging those connections. In this episode, she shares her experiences of reaching across divides to build bonds, crafting communications to tell the stories of her military colleagues, and how she has learned the leadership skill of lifting up those around her.

Richard Etienne on noticing the real person

29/04/25 | 1hr 10m

When genuine interest in people leads you to want to tell their stories on a more human level, the most fascinating insights can be revealed. In this episode, filmmaker Richard Etienne shares how he has worked with world leaders, how his curiosity has opened unexpected doors, and why he is passionate about giving introverts more room to be heard.

Hannah Williams on visual communication

09/04/25 | 1hr

Illustration is a powerful and engaging form of communication – and visual expression reveals a lot about how we think. In this episode, Hannah Williams explains how she uses live illustration at events to capture and communicate ideas.

Owen Rose on behaviours and habits

25/03/25 | 1hr

How can we use ideas from behavioural science to address organisational challenges? Sarah talks with Acteon partner Owen Rose to explore a ‘human-centred’ approach – why it matters, what it means, and how to do it.

Ruth Steinholtz on culture and values

18/02/25 | 1hr

How does the culture of an organisation affect its ability to survive and thrive? And how is that culture really created and experienced by colleagues? Ruth Steinholtz helps organisations to build a better understanding of their existing culture, and to evolve values-driven leadership towards ethical practices, focused on more successful outcomes for the long-term business strategy.

Heather Urquhart on overcoming fear of failure

05/12/24 | 54mins

Why are we afraid of mistakes? And how does being open to creative risk help us improve work relationships, innovative thinking, and leadership skills? We hear a very different perspective from a professional improviser.

Eleanor Gooding on managing redundancies in a human-centred way

02/12/24 | 1hr

How could employers make the painful process of redundancies more sympathetic, thoughtful, supportive, and well… human? Eleanor Gooding shares how she was able to build on foundational work on culture, values and a ‘People Manifesto’, to stay human-centred while managing restructuring and redundancies.

Anthony Tasgal on storytelling

19/11/24 | 46 mins

Stories are baked into our humanity. They help us make sense of the world, share information, remember things, and bond us together. So how can we tap into storytelling techniques for more effective communication at work?

Jasmine Rose & Tee Moyo on inspiring young people

14/10/24 | 46 mins

Gen Z are full of inspiration for employers if we give them space and voice, so how can organisations harness this? Secondly, how do we inspire young people into careers they love?

Fraser Simpson on game-changing ethics engagement

27/08/24 | 42 mins

Do risk, ethics and compliance really need to be dry and dull? Of course not! So how can we engage colleagues through messages that tap into fun, surprise, or human emotions, to help them make better (sometimes braver) decisions?

Katryn Wright & James Elfer - ‘But is it actually working?’

23/07/24 | 47 mins

‘Why are we doing it this?’ and ‘How do we know if it’s working?’ are questions that too often go unanswered when organisations roll out a new approach. How can experimentation, evaluation and measurement help to shed light on these questions?

Malcolm Taylor on taking a human-focused approach to learning

26/06/24 | 51 mins

How can we rethink ‘learning and development’ to be more focused on the things people need to do and how best to support them with that?

Christian Hunt on bringing behavioural science to risk management

14/05/24 | 55 mins

Why are humans the largest risk facing organisations, and why do the efforts to impose rules and controls on human behaviour often fail?

James Woodman on curiosity and human behaviours

05/04/24 | 45 mins

How do you use behavioural science to translate boardroom strategies into the actions that people take every day? In our first episode, Sarah talks with Acteon Director and Partner James Woodman.