Ros Atkins on The Art of Explaining

How can we be better at explaining things? On the 250th episode of the podcast, I’m joined by a very special guest who has made explaining an art form and has just published a book called ‘The Art of Explanation’.That guest is Ros Atkins. He’s a BBC News presenter and the BBC’s Analysis Editor. Ros is best known for his explainer videos, which, since 2019, have become a global phenomenon with vast audiences on social media and on the BBC's digital, TV and radio channels.His new book — full title ‘The Art of Explanation: How to Communicate with Clarity and Confidence’ — is part autobiography, part history of his explainer videos and a practical guide to how we can all be better at explaining things.I’ve been a fan of Ros’ videos and presentation style since first discovering them a few years ago. Not only have they made me smarter about the world, but the techniques he uses are engaging, informative and entertaining. So much so, in fact, that I’ve often found myself recommending to my clients that they watch them as masterclasses in how to make complicated subjects interesting and compelling.Key talking points:In our discussion, we explore: the importance of explanation and why we need to be better at it;the genesis of the explainer videos;the techniques Ros uses to make his videos;how Ros generates his ideas, sometimes taking inspiration from the most unexpected of places;lessons about how we can all be better at explaining things, not just at work but also in our personal lives;how Ros uses an entrepreneurial and collaborative approach to get projects off the ground;Texting Keith Olbermann, a very unusual BBC podcast that Ros recorded with his wife Sarah and US sports presenter Keith Olbermann.The 50:50 project, a highly successful initiative to support diverse representation in the BBC’s journalism, which Ros started in the newsroom in 2017 and has now spread across the BBC and beyond;and much more.‘The Art of Explanation: How to Communicate with Clarity and Confidence’ To find out more about Ros’ book: geni.us/TAOEBOOKKeith Jarret Köln ConcertRos mentions a story about jazz musician Keith Jarrett and a concert Jarrett played in Köln, Germany. As he tells the story — which links to the Inheritance Tracks podcast below — Ros says that we must fact-check it. True to his reputation, after we’d finisjhed recording, he sent me this NPR link which appears to confirm the story: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/719557642This piqued my curiosity, and I did further research and discovered that a reporter from — where else?! — the BBC – had looked into the Köln concert story. Not only did he confirm the facts, but he also managed to interview the concert promoter in question. You can hear the story here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p00ldwypYou can hear the Köln concert — part 3 features on the Spotify playlist below — here: https://open.spotify.com/album/0I8vpSE1bSmysN2PhmHoQg?si=UkPi_oTXR7Grrrwc403Fxg‘Art of Explanation’ playlistThe Spotify playlist that features tracks from the book and podcast jointly curated by Ros and me: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/27ku9laOh8IantyEEdhTQa?si=fa1f8ca6d3cc41d1 Texting Keith...

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People are often described as the largest asset in most organisations. They are also the biggest single cause of risk. This podcast explores the topic of 'human risk', or "the risk of people doing things they shouldn't or not doing things they should", and examines how behavioural science can help us mitigate it. It also looks at 'human reward', or "how to get the most out of people". When we manage human risk, we often stifle human reward. Equally, when we unleash human reward, we often inadvertently increase human risk.