Sarah Abramson on Speaking To The Human

How can organisations get the best out of the humans they employ and empower them to help deliver desired outcomes? The answer is by focusing on the decisions taken that are critical in determining whether or not the right outcome is achieved.

On this episode, I speak to Sarah Abramson, Head of Marketing at Acteon, a communication and learning agency in Cambridge, UK.

I came across Acteon last year after they approached me to be the keynote speaker at their annual event called, appropriately enough, Speak To The Human.

I had such a brilliant time and met so many amazing people — some of whom have been guests on the show, links below — that not only did I do what keynote speakers hardly ever do and stick around for the rest of the day after I’d done my presentation, but I’m also going back to this year’s event as an attendee.

It’s taking place this week, and since Speak To The Human is a very small invite-only event, you can’t buy tickets, and it isn’t recorded or streamed, I thought I’d ask Sarah, as event organizer, to join me on a special episode of this show to share some of the magic that grabbed my attention.

In our discussion, we talk about the event, how Sarah goes about curating it and some of the unusual elements she incorporates to make it less a conference and more of a gathering of itnersting people. What she has to say is a fascinating blueprint for thinking about live events in a post-pandemic world.

Before we get to that, Sarah talks about Acteon's work — you’ll hear some fascinating case studies of human risk-related problems being solved creatively. She tells me about the importance of understanding human behaviour — not the theory of what people should do, but the realities of what they actually do — how storytelling can help effective communication and how to create belonging and connection within organisations.

And we hear about Sarah’s passion for marathon running and coaching, exploring the parallels between athletic training that seeks to get teh best out of individual runners and getting the best of of employees at work


Key Topics:

• Introduction to Sarah Abramson and Acteon [00:00:00]
  • Sarah’s role at Acteon and her background in marketing communications.
  • Overview of Acteon’s work in communication and learning.
    
    
• Translating Strategy into Actions [00:02:00]
  • The challenge of making boardroom strategies actionable for employees.
  • Examples of how Acteon supports clients in implementing strategies.
    
    
• Moments that Matter [00:04:00]
  • Identifying critical actions that significantly impact strategic success.
  • Case study on health and safety compliance in care homes.
    
    
• Building a Positive Remote Work Culture [00:05:00]
  • Strategies for maintaining company culture in a hybrid work environment.
  • The importance of inclusive and high-quality hybrid meetings.
    
    
• Behavioural Science Framework: COM-B [00:07:00]
  • Explanation of the COM-B model: Capability, Motivation, and Opportunity.
  • How Acteon uses this model to influence employee behaviour.
    
    
• Storytelling in Communication [00:26:00]
  • The power of storytelling to engage and influence employees.
  • Examples of effective storytelling in corporate settings.
    
    
• Sarah’s Experience in Marathon Running and Coaching [00:45:00]
  • Insights from Sarah’s dual role as a marathon runner and coach.
  • Parallels between athletic training and corporate behaviour.
    
    
• Parental Insights into Human Behaviour [00:34:00]
  • How parenting skills translate into professional skills.
  • The value of understanding human behaviour through parenting experiences.
    
    
• Speak to the Human Event [01:00:00]
  • Overview of Acteon’s annual event focusing on human connection.
  • Themes and unique elements of the event include music and magic.

Links to Relevant Resources:

• Acteon Communications
  
  
• Sarah on LinkedIn
  
  
• The COM-B Model
  
  
• Steve Peters’ "The Chimp Paradox"
  
  
• Daniel Kahneman’s "Thinking, Fast and Slow"
  
  
• Speak to the Human 2024
  
  
• The Speak to the Human podcast featuring an episode with a guest you might recognise.

Previous episodes of this show featuring people I met at last year's Speak To The Human:

Hannah Williams on The Art of Live Scribing: https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/hannah-williams-on-the-art-of-live-scribing/

Heather Urquhart on Improvisation two-part special: https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/heather-urquhart-on-improvisation-part-one/