Today, we have the pleasure of hosting Emily James, the Head of Talent Procurement at British Petroleum (BP.) Emily is an accomplished HR leader, with an impressive track record in leadership and category management across the spectrum of HR. With Over 10 years at BP, time at Citi and also JP Morgan.

I met Emily at the World Commerce and Contracting Conference in Malaga earlier this year, where I led a keynote on adaptability intelligence and several VIP workshops on building workforce adaptability. And Emily was part of a breakfast panel with inspiring women to discuss inclusivity and diversity that sparked a deep conversation between us, and to today's interview!

Emily has a wealth of experience influencing at all levels within multinational organizations, effectively managing complex situations with diverse stakeholders. Her leadership skills, developed early in her career, have been honed through extensive experience in coaching and mentoring.

Ross and Emily talk about technology revolutions, AI transition, society, bots, jobs, doom, worrying, parenting, deliverable based work, new generation of work, new markets, scaling solutions, BP, energy, mindset shift, reskill, upskill, adaptability, getting teams to engage, success, what success looks like, speed of learning and work fulfilment. The pair also discuss being inclusive, women in work, giving voices to people, social demographics, diversity, learning to say no, people pleasers, taking control, producing energy, being uncomfortable, uncertainly, facing challenges, psychological safety, long term value, results, strong feedback, support, agile working, job security, peer role modelling, building trust recognition, reward, giving people identity, comfort, validation, life skills and resilience.

Timecodes:

• 00:16 Intro to Emily
• 02:10 Getting energised and AI
• 07:53 The structure of job roles transitioning
• 14:11 Social mobility
• 17:52 Value and role modelling
• 23:33 Failures and challenges that helped learning
• 33:17 Pressure of change and navigating it
• 38:45 Unlearning challenges
• 43:03 New initiatives ensuring the right development
• 47:49 Highlight tips for leading HR for the future
• 50:40 Coaching tips
• 53:11 The last time Emily did something for the first time

Connect with Emily:

• LinkedIn
• Email - Emily.James@bp.com

Connect with Ross:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Moonshot Innovation