May 13, 2022

Learning Organisations: Networked Without Egos – with Maureen Robson-Norman

Series 2: The how to getting employee experience right.

I really enjoyed this conversation with Maureen Robson-Norman, Founder and CEO (Chief Engagement Officer) of Whyaye. The name of her company says everything… it is different, with fun and connection being at the heart of what they do, “Putting the yay into every day!”

We unpick transformation in terms of changing the way people work, through their learning, mindset and engagement. A key part in enabling that is removing the need for hierarchy that exists in most organisations.

The traditional progression ladder, that is the basis of promotion in most companies, means that even the idea of considering changing this sends shivers down the spine! It does take courage but it is worth exploring, particularly when you listen to Maureen and I delve into why we need to think about hierarchy, status and development differently:

Brutal honesty to embrace change and breed the right behaviours
The driving force: to be kind and to be brave
How role titles can undermine psychological safety
The development of self-concept
The role of leadership
Conscious use of language; challenging the norms
Experience and expertise vs seniority and how this shapes mentoring
The need for status and how to achieve that outside of job titles
The real difference getting employee experience right can make
How to go about flattening the hierarchy and creating the right experience

More about Maureen

Maureen co-founded Whyaye with Anna Bissett and Lisa Smith. She has shaped Whyaye to stimulate open-mindedness and challenge the norm to transform ways of working. She has a passion for driving positive business change across large global enterprises and her previous experience is in the delivery of global digital and HR transformations across a range of industries.