Your System Is the Problem (Here Is How You Fix It) - With John Seddon

After a hundred episodes of dissecting corporate nonsense, Jimmy and James finally admit what you already knew: the system is rigged, your boss matters more than your paycheck, and no one cares about your career as much as you do. This isn’t a highlights reel—it’s a reckoning.From the delusion that “people can overcome a bad system” (spoiler: they can’t) to the farce of corporate purpose (hint: it’s usually just “make money”), the hosts expose the recurring patterns that make managers’ lives a living hell. They dissect how HR incentives turn good people into metric-gaming zombies, why your boss’s shadow looms larger than the company logo, and the cold truth that your employer will never love you back.But it’s not all doom. There’s power in clarity: defining your team’s purpose (even if it’s just “sell more”), choosing your boss like you’d choose a flatmate, and detaching your ego from the corporate machine. And yes, it’s still all about people—flawed, emotional, and impossible to reduce to a spreadsheet.So pour yourself a drink (or don’t—AA’s Serenity Prayer gets a shoutout) and listen to the hard-won wisdom of two men who’ve spent 100 episodes telling you what no one else will.Five Key Points:The system always wins. No matter how brilliant your team is, a badly designed system will make them feel incompetent—and it’s not their fault.Purpose isn’t wallpaper. If your organisation’s “purpose” doesn’t match what actually happens, you’re just lying to yourself (and your customers).Your boss > your brand. That logo in the foyer? Irrelevant. Your boss’s ability to provide direction, space, and support? Everything.Your employer is not your friend. Redundancy, restructuring, or being passed over for promotion isn’t personal—it’s just business. Detach your ego.Manage your career or someone else will. If you outsource your career decisions, don’t be surprised when they’re made in someone else’s interest.Got a question - get in touch. Click here.

Fitting in at work isn’t just about wearing the right shirt or laughing at the boss’s jokes—it’s about survival. Or at least, that’s how it feels. This week on A Job Done Well, James and Jimmy are joined by Gestalt psychotherapist Dawn Wray to dissect the dark art of "fitting in" and why it’s more psychologically taxing than a Monday morning spreadsheet. It’s not about your social skills. It’s about the ancient, visceral patterns of belonging—or not—that shape how you show up at work, how you hide, and how you might just lose yourself in the process.Dawn pulls no punches: fitting in isn’t just uncomfortable, it’s exhausting. It’s the constant, unconscious negotiation between who you are and who you think you need to be to avoid rejection. It’s the shirt you tuck in, the opinions you swallow, and the banter you force yourself to laugh at—all while your brain screams, "This isn’t me." And when the gap between your authentic self and your "work self" yawns too wide? Welcome to burnout, anxiety, and the slow erosion of confidence.But here’s the kicker: not fitting in isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes, it’s growth. Sometimes, it’s the friction that forces change. The trick? Knowing the difference between the discomfort of stretching and the soul-crushing drain of pretending. Dawn’s advice? Slow down. Pay attention. Notice when you’re holding your breath in meetings or rehearsing your personality before walking into the boardroom. And ask yourself: Are you adapting, or are you disappearing?James and Jimmy riff on the absurdity of corporate "professionalism" (read: conformity), the myth of the "perfect fit," and why the most dangerous employees might just be the ones who never complain. Because if everyone’s nodding along, someone’s lying—and it might be you.Five Key Points:Fitting in isn’t about skills—it’s about survival. Your brain treats workplace rejection like a threat to your safety, thanks to patterns wired in since childhood.The cost of conformity: Swallowing your opinions or faking enthusiasm doesn’t just feel bad—it drains energy, fuels anxiety, and can tank your performance.Not all discomfort is equal. Growth feels energising; self-betrayal feels like dread. Learn to tell the difference.The "professionalism" con. What’s often sold as "professional" is just socially sanctioned masking—tuck in your shirt, shut up, and smile.The ultimate question: Are you adapting to thrive, or editing yourself to survive? And if it’s the latter, how long can you keep it up?Got a question - get in touch. Click here.

Welcome to the 100th episode of A Job Done Well—where we celebrate the art of calling out corporate nonsense and replacing it with something that actually works. This week, we’re joined by John Seddon, a management thinker so influential he’s got his own Wikipedia page (unlike James, who may or may not have written his own). John’s spent decades proving that traditional management—targets, incentives, standardisation—doesn’t just fail to improve performance; it actively makes things worse.John’s approach is simple: stop incentivising the wrong things. Most organisations reward behaviours that undermine their own goals. Engineers rushed to fix boilers in 15 minutes? They’ll be back six times a year. Call centre agents hitting sales targets? They’re hanging up on customers who won’t buy. Incentives don’t drive performance—they drive gaming, cheating, and a race to the bottom.Highlights include:Why failure demand—work caused by previous errors—is crippling your team (and how to spot it).How to redesign systems so your team can actually use their judgment (instead of following scripts).The Aviva case study: How blending call centres boosted capacity by 20%—without adding staff.Why specialisation is a myth, and how it’s costing you more than you think.How to make your boss curious about what’s really going wrong.If you’ve ever watched your team chase targets while the real work piles up, this episode is your wake-up call. John’s not here to sell you a quick fix—he’s here to help you burn the rulebook and start again.Key Points:Incentives create perverse outcomes—people game the system, not improve it.Failure demand is a symptom of a broken system, not lazy staff.Specialisation sounds efficient but creates silos, inefficiency, and frustration.Redesign systems around customer purpose, not internal targets.Leaders won’t change unless you make them curious—show, don’t tell.Got a question - get in touch. Click here.

Saying no isn’t about being difficult—it’s about protecting your priorities, your sanity, and, ironically, your relationships. In this episode of A Job Done Well, Jimmy and James dissect the art of the polite but firm refusal, exposing why so many of us default to “yes” and the damage it quietly inflicts. From the social wiring that makes us people-pleasers to the hierarchical pressures of the workplace, they unpack the psychological traps that turn us into overcommitted, underdelivering messes.The hosts share their own cringe-worthy tales of saying yes when they should’ve said no—James’s ill-fated stint as a 70th-birthday party host, Jimmy’s recency bias leading to future regret, and the time a bully of a boss met his match with a single, unapologetic “no.” They reveal how saying no isn’t just liberating; it’s a career-saver. Overcommitting leads to half-baked work, missed deadlines, and a reputation as the office “yes man”—a fate worse than being the person who occasionally pushes back.But how do you actually say no without burning bridges? Jimmy and James offer tactical advice: negotiate trade-offs, redirect requests to the right person, or simply be honest about your capacity. They also challenge listeners with three hard questions: What are you saying yes to that you resent? Who do you need to have a more honest conversation with? And if you said no to just one thing this month, what would it be?The episode’s core message? Every “yes” is a “no” to something else. Whether it’s your daughter’s nursery pickup, your own mental health, or the work that actually matters, learning to say no is about owning your priorities—not your boss’s, not your colleagues’, and certainly not your future self’s.Five Key Points:Social wiring and hierarchy make saying no feel like a career risk—but the real risk is overcommitting and underdelivering.Saying no can earn respect. The bully who never troubled James again? The boss who valued Jimmy’s honesty? Boundaries build credibility.The “yes man” trap: Agreeing to everything leads to a reputation for unreliability. Reliability beats availability.Tactics for saying no: Negotiate trade-offs, redirect requests, or be honest about your capacity. It’s not confrontation—it’s clarity.Every yes is a no to something else. Protect what matters most, whether it’s family time, focus, or your own well-being.Got a question - get in touch. Click here.

Work is noisy. Not just the hum of open-plan offices or the ping of endless emails, but the soul-sapping, productivity-killing corporate noise—the meetings that should have been emails, the politics that should have been resolved, and the reports that should have been binned. In this episode of A Job Done Well, Jimmy and James dissect the chaos of modern workplaces, where conflicting agendas, ego-driven leaders, and short-termism turn even the simplest tasks into a slog through quicksand.From the absurdity of "magnet ball" management (where everyone chases the same ball, achieving nothing) to the silent killer of organisational focus, they expose why noise thrives—and how you can fight back. Their advice? Be proactive, face into the problem, and for God’s sake, stop blind-copying people on emails. With their usual mix of dry wit and hard-won wisdom, they arm you with tactics to cut through the clutter, protect your sanity, and maybe—just maybe—get your actual job done.Key Points:Noise is inevitable, but not unstoppable. It’s the corporate ivy choking your productivity—meetings, emails, politics, and misaligned objectives.Ask: Does this make the boat go faster? If not, it’s noise.Egos and silos fuel the chaos. Leaders broadcast; teams retreat. The result? A symphony of distraction.Data beats drama. Facts cut through opinion. If someone says “they always…”, ask: Who’s ‘they’? What’s ‘always’?Don’t be part of the problem. Stop blind CC’ing the world, own your mistakes, and—above all—do something about it.Got a question - get in touch. Click here.

This week, Jimmy and James welcome back Dr. Jackie Le Fèvre—aka “Dr. Values”—to dissect the messy, often hypocritical world of organisational and team values. Spoiler: those shiny plaques in the foyer? Probably bollocks. But don’t despair—this episode is your survival guide to navigating the gap between what companies say they value and what they actually do.Jackie pulls no punches: if your boss keeps “second-guessing” your work, it’s not (always) about trust—it’s about their own values. And if your company’s “core values” feel more like corporate wallpaper than a compass, you’re not alone. The trio digs into why stated values so rarely match reality, how to spot the difference, and what to do when your personal values clash with your employer’s. Turns out, values aren’t just fluffy HR buzzwords—they’re emotionally charged, stress-buffering, performance-boosting powerhouses. When aligned, they make work feel meaningful. When ignored or faked, they turn offices into soul-sucking pits of disengagement.Key points:Explain yourself: If you’re a manager, your quirks (like obsessing over quarterly reports) make sense to your team—if you tell them why.Actions > words: An org that claims to value “innovation” but rewards cost-cutting is lying. Watch what they do, not what they post on the intranet.Team charters, not manifestos: For small teams, a shared “how we work” agreement beats a forced values workshop every time.The Enron effect: Nothing destroys trust faster than a company that preaches integrity while cooking the books.Do it well or don’t bother: Half-arsed values initiatives backfire. Either commit to the hard work of alignment, or save everyone the eyerolls.With Jackie’s mix of neuroscience, war stories, and dry wit, this episode arms you with the tools to cut through the BS—and maybe even enjoy your job a bit more.Got a question - get in touch. Click here.

Risk management—it’s the corporate equivalent of eating your greens. You know it’s good for you, but sometimes you’d rather scoop your eyeballs out with a teaspoon than sit through another risk workshop. Yet, as this episode of A Job Done Well reveals, risk management isn’t just about spreadsheets, buzzwords, and endless meetings. It’s about stopping bad things from happening, so you can actually get on with your job.Joined by risk expert Richard, Jimmy and James dissect why risk management often feels like a bureaucratic nightmare, why people hide problems instead of addressing them, and how middle managers can use risk frameworks to their advantage—without losing their minds. Richard, who’s seen risk from every angle (and survived), explains how good risk management is less about ticking boxes and more about having honest conversations, making decisions, and owning your shop like a CEO.The trio also tackle the absurdity of risk scores, the art of dissenting without getting fired, and why the real risks aren’t meteor strikes—they’re the small things piling up until everything goes belly up. So if you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a risk workshop or pretended everything’s “green” to avoid scrutiny, this episode is for you. Because, let’s face it, ignoring risk won’t make it go away—it’ll just make the fallout worse.Five Key Points:Risk management isn’t just for auditors—it’s about owning your work and avoiding chaos.The best risk culture starts with honesty: if everything’s “green,” someone’s lying.Middle managers: run your team like a CEO, document your risks, and use the system to your advantage.Risk managers aren’t the enemy—they’re there to help you succeed (without the slip-ups).The real risks aren’t meteors—they’re the small failures that add up to disaster.Got a question - get in touch. Click here.

Ever felt like you’re swimming against the tide at work, but can’t quite put your finger on why? Or maybe you’ve said “yes” to something only to regret it later, wondering why you ignored that gut feeling? Welcome to the world of values—the invisible compass that shapes your decisions, reactions, and even your stress levels. In this episode of A Job Done Well, James and Jimmy are joined by Dr. Jackie Le Fèvre, a values specialist with a PhD in the subject (yes, really), to peel back the layers on what values actually are, why they matter, and how understanding them can transform your work life.Jackie, who started her career as a zoologist before diving into the psychology of human behaviour, breaks down how values act as emotional shortcuts—helping us navigate a world overflowing with information, demands, and corporate nonsense. They’re not just abstract ideas; they’re the lens through which we see the world, the filter that tells us what’s worth our energy and what’s not. And here’s the kicker: when we ignore them, we’re not just unhappy—we’re stressed, drained, and even physically unwell. Ever put off a simple task because it felt like scraping your nails on a chalkboard? That’s your values talking.But it’s not all doom and gloom. Jackie shares how becoming conscious of your values can turn conflict into clarity, self-doubt into self-compassion, and even help you reframe tasks you’d rather avoid (yes, James, that includes posting videos on LinkedIn). From journaling to noticing what makes your heart sing—or sink—she offers practical ways to uncover what truly matters to you.So if you’re tired of feeling like a cog in someone else’s machine, or just want to understand why you react the way you do, this episode is your wake-up call. Values aren’t just for corporate mission statements—they’re your secret weapon for surviving (and thriving) in the workplace.Got a question - get in touch. Click here.

Welcome to A Job Done Well, the podcast for managers who want to improve their performance—and enjoy their jobs. Hosted by Jimmy Barber and James Lawther, this episode tackles hybrid working, a topic that’s causing headaches, heartburn, and heated debates in boardrooms and Slack channels everywhere.The pandemic proved that remote work could work. But now, as companies scramble to bring people back into the office, many are doing so in the clumsiest way possible: mandating days without considering the why or the how. The result? Frustrated employees, plummeting morale, and—ironically—often worse performance.In this episode, Jimmy and James break down what’s working, what’s not, and why. They explore Microsoft’s enlightened approach (trust, autonomy, and a focus on collaboration), Apple’s misfired mandate (which sparked open letters and internal rebellion), and Goldman Sachs’ old-school presenteeism (which drove talent straight into the arms of competitors). They also dive into the research: why autonomy matters more than location, how proximity accelerates learning, and why one-size-fits-all policies are about as effective as a chocolate teapot.But this isn’t just a rant. Jimmy and James offer practical advice for managers—whether you’re designing the policy or stuck implementing someone else’s. Learn how to create an "office menu" (what to do in the office vs. remotely), lead by example, and keep your ways of working under review. Because the goal isn’t just to fill seats; it’s to boost performance, wellbeing, and—dare we say it—happiness at work.So if you’re tired of corporate nonsense and want to make hybrid working actually work, tune in. And remember: treat your team like adults, not children.Got a question - get in touch. Click here.

In this week’s episode, we discuss effective decision-making. It is the cornerstone of good management, and makes up 80-90% of a manager’s role. While pressure and incomplete information are constants, improving this skill is the fastest route to better results.First, we discuss four common mistakes.Ignoring Stakeholders: Never forget the customer's view. Always consider how your decisions affect those you serve. Falling into Groupthink: When teams agree without challenge, the outcome is often flawed. Acting on Instinct: Over-reliance on gut feeling leads to missed opportunities. Information Overload: Too much data causes ‘analysis paralysis’; you can be overwhelmed by too many metrics. Then, to help you make solid choices, we discuss a simple, three-phase model:Define: Clearly state the root problem and validate your essential data.Challenge: Test the decision using a Devil's Advocate and ensure you don't let Sunk Costs influence future action.Assess: Consider the risks and have a clear mitigation plan if things go wrong.By moving from guesswork to a disciplined, reflective process, you can make better decisions and significantly improve your performance.Got a question - get in touch. Click here.