Shaun Carlton

I’ve been applying my understanding of human behaviour to the workplace for a decade, with a particular interest in creating positive outcomes for individuals at work. I bring a level of empathy and compassion to my work, which enables me to truly understand an individual’s drivers and uniqueness, and I strive to ensure that everyone has their opportunity to truly thrive in whatever they do.

I help people to do this in two ways. Firstly, I work with organisations to embed a data-led talent approach covering all aspects of their talent management lifecycle. This helps organisations to ensure that they hire and develop individuals who will thrive within their specific culture.

Secondly, I work with individuals to increase their self-awareness and understanding, while giving them the tools, confidence and support to effectively work towards their personal and professional ambitions.

I truly believe that everyone had potential to be brilliant at work, and sometimes people just need additional support to get them there. “

I think the future of the sector is exciting. As our understanding of human behaviour evolves, so does our ability to help people to achieve their potential. We have access to increasingly powerful tools to support with our analysis and insights which enables us to create more positive outcomes for individuals and organisations.

There are some elements that are more difficult to predict. AI, for instance, is progressing at an unprecedented rate, but I believe that if we learn to harness it in the right way, then it will only lead to work environments that allow people to lead more productive, purpose-led work lives.”

I’m a proud “”cat dad”” to two kittens – Monty and Ralph. Lots of my time is spent with them, or making DIY toys for them! I’m also an allotment holder so if I’m not with my cats I’m usually down there trying (and failing) to “”live off the land””.

In the free time that I do have, I go to support my local football team, York City.

This is difficult as it depends on my mood. What I’m obsessed with at the minute are:

Podcasts:
The Rest is Politics
The Football Ramble
Very Bad Wizards
Two Psychologists Four Beers

Books:
1984
Man’s Search for Meaning
Soccernomics

I like the app “Forest”. It helps focus time and especially away from the distraction of your smartphone. It “plants trees” during your focus time, and the tree dies if you leave the app. It’s simple, but works well for me.

With a coffee! I’m much more of an afternoon or evening person, so the most important thing for me in the morning is getting my energy in the right place.

My first “”post-university”” job was working in a psychiatric hospital in York. I worked with patients experiencing a diverse range of challenges including Schizophrenia, Borderline Personality Disorder and Depressive Disorder.

I loved the role but ultimately felt that I wasn’t able to create the widespread “”impact”” that I wanted to. After this I transitioned into applying my psychological knowledge to the world of work.

“People will forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel”. It reminds me constantly that we are emotional animals, and it can be easy to try and put a front on at work to minimize/ internalise your feelings. There is always more to people than meets the eye.