Episode Guest:

Anna Blackman is the Chief Operating Officer at CIPFA, with over two decades of experience leading transformation and championing people-centric leadership. She is known for her sharp insight, warmth, and unwavering commitment to making workplaces better for everyone.

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

0:44 Meet Anna Blackman: COO of CIPFA

1:21 The Mr Potato Head Theory: Finding Common Ground

2:15 First Job at McDonald's: Lessons in Teamwork

3:17 Surviving Dysfunctional Teams

5:01 Trust, Fun, and Team Dynamics

6:40 Bored or Unhappy at Work? Here's How to Tell

8:02 Running a Hotel at Uni: Thrown in the Deep End

9:49 Worst Job Ever: Data Entry & Sticking It Out

11:31 Building Resilience Through Boring Work

13:14 Emotional Emails & Learning to Pause

14:50 Be Yourself in Email (and Life)

16:17 Launching 'Kind Human': Leadership with Kindness

17:48 Money Regrets & Learning to Save

19:10 Top Money Tip: Always Renegotiate

20:40 How Anna Became COO at CIPFA

22:24 Mental Health in the Workplace: Speak Up

25:26 Reaching Out: The Power of Asking “Are You Okay?”

27:37 What CIPFA Actually Does

31:11 Anna’s Global Work: From Rwanda to the World Bank

32:51 Finding Fulfilment in Work-Life Integration

34:17 Advice to Young People: Say Yes to Everything

35:36 Anna’s Duvet Flip: Helping People, Big and Small

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Anna Blackman, Chief Operating Officer at CIPFA: How to Earn The Power of Speaking Up

My Duvet Flip by Jack Parsons