In this episode, Simon explores the challenge of creating shared understanding in a world where people are increasingly seeing different versions of reality.
Drawing on the ancient parable of the blind men and the elephant, he reflects on how each of us experiences only part of a larger picture.

Simon suggests that the modern workplace faces a similar challenge. As our sources of information become more fragmented, and as opportunities for informal connection become less common, the shared understanding that once emerged naturally can no longer be taken for granted. The stories we share help build trust, create shared language, and connect our different perspectives. Yet many of the spaces where this happened have started to disappear.
Without shared understanding, mistrust can emerge and collaboration can suffer. Simon argues that rather than leaving it to chance, we should create shared understanding intentionally.

The question for reflection is this: Who are the people with whom it would be most valuable to have a deep level of shared understanding? Do you already have it? And if not, what could you do to create the conditions for it to emerge and grow?

As always, the episode closes with five minutes of silence. Time to sit with the question, notice what comes up, and gently move A Little Bit Forward.

In this episode, Simon explores the idea that some conversations are being held in the wrong timeframe. Drawing on the different perspectives offered by the past, present, and future, he reflects on how each frame shapes the way we approach difficult questions. The past can become a place of blame and finger-pointing as we try to understand who was responsible for what. The present often centres on action, but can also be dominated by self-preservation and concerns about how decisions will affect us personally.

The future, however, offers something different. It is a space of possibility. A space that is imagined rather than fixed. Research suggests that when we think five to seven years ahead, we begin to view that future almost from a third-person perspective. The blame, defensiveness, and self-protection that can accompany difficult conversations often start to dissolve, creating room for different kinds of discussions and different kinds of answers.
Simon also introduces the futurist practice of back-casting. If we can imagine the future we want to create, we can then work backwards to identify the actions we need to take today.

The question for reflection is this: What difficult conversations are you currently having that might be better had in the future? Are those conversations focused on the past, the present, or the possibilities of the future?
As always, the episode closes with five minutes of silence. Time to sit with the question, notice what comes up, and gently move A Little Bit Forward.

In this episode, Simon explores the idea that not all biases are necessarily bad. Drawing on an article by Dr Tom Stafford from the Reasonable People Substack, he reflects on how biases can sometimes exist for a reason, particularly when they help us avoid worse outcomes.

Using the concept of signal detection theory, Simon looks at how decision makers often lean toward one type of error over another when the consequences are uneven. In some situations, being biased toward a false positive can actually be safer than risking a false negative. This reframes bias not just as a flaw in thinking, but as something connected to the outcomes we are trying to avoid.

This also raises a more personal question. Many of us are familiar with the “I’m not biased” bias, the belief that while others may be biased, we are less so. But statistically, that cannot be true for everyone.

The question for reflection is this: What is the bias where you are more biased than average? And what outcome might that bias be trying to protect or create?

As always, the episode closes with five minutes of silence. Time to sit with the question, notice what comes up, and gently move a little bit forward.

Show notes:

You can find Dr Tom Stafford’s original article ⁠here⁠.