
More freaky goats, fewer excellent sheep - Kay Scorah
From How to Thrive by Claire Sanders and Helen Silver-MacMahon
January 29, 2026 · 44 min · Season 3 · Episode 2
About this episode
Kay Scorah discusses communication in organizations, the concept of 'freaky goats' versus 'excellent sheep', and the importance of reverse mentoring.
"I hear what you say" - it's the biggest lie in the organisational world, according to this week's guest Kay Scorah, who prefers to be introduced as either "a ranty old witch" or "an inappropriate elder." Kay is a communications expert, coach, and consultant who has had what she describes as "a very eventful 70 years" - from growing up with a suffragette grandmother, to finding herself in a kayak next to a Nobel Prize-winning scientist in Maine. She joins Claire and Helen to share some truly fascinating concepts, including "excellent sheep” versus "freaky goats" (it’s all about how our experiences shape the way we think), and her work on learning from disease - where she asks organisations to consider what they can learn from how viruses adapt and survive. Kay also talks about the importance of reverse mentoring, her "Turning the Tables" conference, and the power of listening and noticing. Find out more about Kay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayscorah/ With thanks to our sponsors for this episode: Springbird IP : https://www.springbirdip.com/ Springbird is a modern intellectual property firm supporting ambitious, fast growing businesses with trademark and design protection that's…
People in this episode
Hosts: Claire Sanders, Helen Silver-MacMahon
Guest: Kay Scorah
Topics covered
- communication
- mentoring
- organizational learning
- disease adaptation
- personal experiences
Keywords
- communication
- reverse mentoring
- organizational learning
- disease adaptation
- Kay Scorah
Sponsors
Springbird IP
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: LinkedIn
Places: Maine
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