Heart & Graft - The Podcast

Heart and Graft (Episode 23): How to Find More Joy in Your Work.

Joy at work isn’t about forced fun or pretending everything is perfect. It’s about the small, real things that make work feel worth doing: meaningful tasks, supportive relationships, trust, autonomy, and space to breathe. In this episode of Heart and Graft, we explore why joy matters, how it links to engagement and retention, and how job crafting can help people shape work in ways that fit their strengths and energy better.

We also talk about the difference between genuine joy and forced fun, and how leaders can create the conditions where positive moments can happen naturally. If you care about wellbeing, engagement, or creating workplaces where people can be happy, this one is for you.

• Hear how joy at work shows up in everyday moments, not just big gestures.

• Explore why autonomy, meaning, and good relationships matter so much.

• Get practical ideas (job crafting) for making work feel more human and sustainable.

If you’d like extra reflections and bonus content, don’t forget to join The Monthly Graft newsletter.

Heart and Graft (Episode 22) - Beyond Niggles: Managing the Human Side of Conflict at Work

In this episode of Heart and Graft, Nicky talks with Mia Shepherd about workplace conflict: how it builds, how to reduce the chances of unpleasant conflict, and what to do when feelings boil over.

Why listen

• To understand why conflict at work is often about something deeper than the surface issue.

• To hear practical ways to address tension before it escalates.

• Explore how our background can led us to avoid conflict with colleagues

• To explore how managers and facilitators can create space for honesty, repair, and better relationships at work.

Together, Nicky and Mia explore how conflict can be managed in more civil and useful ways, including practical techniques such as creating space to talk, using timed speaking, and helping people focus on shared goals. They also look at how unspoken conflict can quietly damage relationships and performance, and why it matters to give people the chance to put things right.

If you enjoy honest, reflective conversations about how to make workplaces more human, this episode is for you. And if you’d like extra reflections and bonus content, don’t forget to join The Monthly Graft newsletter.

 

Learn more about Mia's work through her website.

 

 

 

Heart & Graft (Episode 21) - Grief in the Workplace: What to say, what to do, and practical ways to help

In this episode of Heart and Graft, we explore one of the most human, and often hardest, experiences to navigate at work: grief. Nicky is joined by Hannah O’Hare, Chief Executive of Forest Holme Hospice, to discuss how bereavement shows up in the workplace, why people often struggle to talk about it, and what compassionate support can really look like.

Together they explore the emotional, physical and practical impact of grief, the pressure managers feel to “get it right”, and the small but meaningful changes organisations can make to support grieving colleagues better.

 

Why listen:

• Learn what grief can look like at work, beyond sadness alone.

• Hear practical advice on what to say — and what not to panic about saying.

• Understand why some people want to talk, while others need quiet space and time.

• Find out how leaders can make it easier for people to talk about loss and bereavement.

• Discover low-cost, high-impact ways to make your workplace more bereavement friendly

• Hear honest reflections from someone working daily with grief, loss and end-of-life care.

Sign up to The Monthly Graft e-news community for additional content, including dealing with 'anticipatory grief' at work.

Connect with Hannah on LinkedIn

Forest Holme Hospice Charity on YouTube

Heart and Graft (Episode 20) - How to Spot and Navigate Workplace Boundaries

Uncover the nuances of workplace boundaries in Episode 20 of Heart and Graft, where Nicky, Mia, and Joel explore noticing when limits are crossed (for you or colleagues), why boundaries extend past work-life balance to policies, conversations, and power dynamics, and how they differ for leaders and team members. Gain clarity on this fuzzy topic through real stories and compassionate insights—ideal for HR, trainers, coaches, and anyone building human-focused workplaces.

Why listen?

• Learn to recognize subtle boundary infringements, like discomfort in personal chats or clashing work styles, before resentment builds.

• See boundaries as more than "no" to tasks

• Understand leader-staff differences, like watching for team micro-expressions.

• Get practical ways to address clashes, redirect conversations, and foster team norms.

Sign up to The Monthly Graft, the Heart and Graft newsletter for extra content and community updates.

Heart & Graft (Episode 19) - Human Leadership in Accountancy: Lessons from Galloway’s MD

Discover how Mark Crowter, MD of Galloway's Accountancy, builds thriving human cultures in a precision-driven profession. From jeans-wearing authenticity to embracing tough feedback, learn micro-moves that foster trust, growth, and retention amid rapid expansion.

Why Listen

• Gain practical strategies for authentic leadership that prioritise people over processes, even in rule-bound industries.​

• See how inviting challenge from teams leads to real policy changes.​

• Understand scaling humanity through mergers by selecting "good folk" and embedding care in daily interactions.

Want more Heart & Graft? Starting in April 2026, the all new, Monthly Graft. A newsletter with a round-up of our heart moments, graft tactics AND special bonus content exclusively available to subscribers. Interested? Sign up now.

Heart and Graft (Episode 18) - Give an Inch, Gain a Mile: The Human Side of Carers in the Workplace

Uncover the realities of unpaid carers juggling jobs and family care in this heartfelt Heart and Graft episode with advocate Charlie Beswick. Hear her journey raising son Harry, born with a rare condition, and her push for workplaces to see carers' resilience, empathy, and loyalty as assets—not burdens. Essential listening for HR leaders and anyone fostering human-focused teams.​

Why listen?​

• Unlock carers' superpowers like pivoting, reading rooms, and crisis management that boost team morale.

• Understand how to be a great colleague to co-workers with caring responsibilities.

• The simple but valued things workplaces can do to help, and steps carers can take to get their needs met.

 

Learn more about Charlie's work via her website: Our Altered Life

Heart and Graft (Episode 17) SCAMPER-ing through a pivot: When Plan A fails

When life (or germ season) blows up your beautifully crafted plans, how do you pivot without losing your sanity or your sense of self? In this solo episode of Heart and Graft, Nicky turns a last‑minute cancellation into an honest exploration of what it really feels like when Plan A falls apart – and how SCAMPER can help you find your way to Plan B, C or Z.

From delayed trains and missing projector cables, to those 4 p.m. “rug-pull” moments that leave you frozen one minute and flooded with 47 half-formed ideas the next. Along the way, Nicky introduces SCAMPER – a simple, seven‑prompt creativity tool – and shows how it can support human workplace pivots, whether you’re a manager, HR, coach, or just someone whose week has imploded.

Why listen:

• Get a practical, easy-to-steal SCAMPER framework you can use for any “oh no, now what?” moment at work.

• Learn the “freeze, flood, friend” pattern and why borrowing someone else’s calm brain can be a game-changer.

• Hear real-life pivot stories that make creativity feel human, messy and totally doable (no perfection required).

• Reflect on how identity and values shape which pivots feel tiny and which feel seismic.

Heart & Graft (Episode 16) - From Frazzled to Fabulous: Beating Midlife Burnout

Public sector veteran and coach Sarah Clein joins Nicky to unpack the "death by a thousand cuts" slide into burnout—fueled by workload surges, boundary bleed, and midlife squeezes like menopause and family stress. Drawing from her own cliff-edge exhaustion and book The Midlife Trenches, Sarah shares how to say "no," tune into somatic signals, and prioritise joy over endless rescuing.​

Why Listen?

• Gain actionable tips to reclaim personal vitality, support colleagues kindly, and foster human-centered workplaces.​

• Hear real stories of jet-lagged denial, skipped medicals, and "Terminator" armor—plus antidotes like tiny "nos" and duck-feeding simplicity.

• Perfect for HR, L&D pros, coaches, and midlife leaders battling chronic stress; rediscover zest before it's "is this it?"

Find out more about Sarah by visiting her website.