Jason Bloomfield

What it does is it helps you feel the shoes of the person or people across the desk, across the counter, across a video call to understand what he or she is thinking, to understand what he or she is feeling. What are their hopes? What are their aspirations? What are their fears? What are their concerns? What are their anxieties? And when you build that empathy,

What it does is it helps you feel the shoes of the person or people across the desk, across the counter, across a video call to understand what he or she is thinking, to understand what he or she is feeling. What are their hopes? What are their aspirations? What are their fears? What are their concerns? What are their anxieties? And when you build that empathy,

what you're able to then do is to build a resilient relationship. And it starts because active listening not only allows you to hear and understand the other person, it sends a signal. It sends a signal to the other person or people just by listening, that you care.

what you're able to then do is to build a resilient relationship. And it starts because active listening not only allows you to hear and understand the other person, it sends a signal. It sends a signal to the other person or people just by listening, that you care.

Because in today's world, it's just so easy to click end call, for example, or if we were faced to go, oh, look at the time, I've got another meeting I need to go. To just end that conversation and walk away, to disengage, Simply by actively listening, there's a signal there to the other person on the side of the conversation that you do care, that you're interested, that what they say matters.

Because in today's world, it's just so easy to click end call, for example, or if we were faced to go, oh, look at the time, I've got another meeting I need to go. To just end that conversation and walk away, to disengage, Simply by actively listening, there's a signal there to the other person on the side of the conversation that you do care, that you're interested, that what they say matters.

And amplifying that to a global community where there's a feedback loop is how we're powering change now. And thinking about making sure that feedback loop is not just focused on those who are the most local, but it needs to be inclusive. We're a global company. We are in 180 countries. And that is fantastic because what it does is it provides you with that diversity of thought.

And amplifying that to a global community where there's a feedback loop is how we're powering change now. And thinking about making sure that feedback loop is not just focused on those who are the most local, but it needs to be inclusive. We're a global company. We are in 180 countries. And that is fantastic because what it does is it provides you with that diversity of thought.

Now, the challenge then is how can you be empathetic across 100,000 people in 180 countries? The answer is still the same. It doesn't matter if you're in one country and 18 people or 100 countries and 100,000 employees. It's still the same thing. It's humanity, ultimately. By hearing a person out, you can find that common ground and you can then action it.

Now, the challenge then is how can you be empathetic across 100,000 people in 180 countries? The answer is still the same. It doesn't matter if you're in one country and 18 people or 100 countries and 100,000 employees. It's still the same thing. It's humanity, ultimately. By hearing a person out, you can find that common ground and you can then action it.

And one of the things that we've been working really hard on is... Pivoting ways of working from a focus on functionality over to usability. These are 180 degree opposites. From leading with a solution, we're a technology company, some, not all, but some people believe you can just throw a bunch of git hardware software at something and that'll solve the day.

And one of the things that we've been working really hard on is... Pivoting ways of working from a focus on functionality over to usability. These are 180 degree opposites. From leading with a solution, we're a technology company, some, not all, but some people believe you can just throw a bunch of git hardware software at something and that'll solve the day.

Rather than leading with the problem, this approach around combining empathy, divergent thinking, and loving a problem as opposed to leading with a solution. These are some of the ethos or guiding principles of design thinking. Design thinking is a concept that I first got exposed to in 2018. I took a mini MBA to Google in London. All light bulbs just clicked.

Rather than leading with the problem, this approach around combining empathy, divergent thinking, and loving a problem as opposed to leading with a solution. These are some of the ethos or guiding principles of design thinking. Design thinking is a concept that I first got exposed to in 2018. I took a mini MBA to Google in London. All light bulbs just clicked.

I've since become a huge advocate, an evangelist, you might say. around applying design thinking to everything. And what's beautiful is it's industry agnostic. It's geography agnostic. It is plug and play. It works in every single context or none, even in a not-for-profit space. In fact, some of the not-for-profits that I've supported being on their board, I would take them through

I've since become a huge advocate, an evangelist, you might say. around applying design thinking to everything. And what's beautiful is it's industry agnostic. It's geography agnostic. It is plug and play. It works in every single context or none, even in a not-for-profit space. In fact, some of the not-for-profits that I've supported being on their board, I would take them through

a design sprint, which is a type of structured activity that design thinking has to help them unpack a problem. And for them, it was cultural change. And after a day and a half, we did a compressed exercise. We had actionable ideas that they've since adopted, improving cultural appreciation and satisfaction across all measures.

a design sprint, which is a type of structured activity that design thinking has to help them unpack a problem. And for them, it was cultural change. And after a day and a half, we did a compressed exercise. We had actionable ideas that they've since adopted, improving cultural appreciation and satisfaction across all measures.

And diversity events is something I believe you already know is really a superpower. And I don't want to use a phrase lightly. I'll give you some facts, right? Because some of us are left brain, right brain. So McKinsey did a very famous study out in 2015. It was called Why Diversity Matters. And what it did was it compared diversity.

And diversity events is something I believe you already know is really a superpower. And I don't want to use a phrase lightly. I'll give you some facts, right? Because some of us are left brain, right brain. So McKinsey did a very famous study out in 2015. It was called Why Diversity Matters. And what it did was it compared diversity.