In Conversation with... Simon Roberts

Episode notes

In the seventh episode of our “In Conversation…” podcast series for 2024, Lucy speaks to Simon Roberts, anthropologist, author and co-founder of Stripe Partners, a consultancy firm which incorporates social and data science to give companies a deep understanding of the world, their customers and their organisation. In this conversation, Lucy and Simon discuss anthropology and why, in a tech and data driven world, it is increasingly being used by organisations to better understand the behaviours and culture of their workforces. In particular, Simon highlights the importance of embodied knowledge and the potential impact of remote and hybrid working on the professional development of junior employees. Key Takeaways: Be aware of sub-cultures: Even where a business has defined its vision, mission and values, in practice organisations are broken down into sub-cultures which are sometimes in conflict with each other. Embodied knowledge is very important: Executives, leaders and employees should immerse themselves in real-world experiences.