Season 3 Episode 30: A Bad Idea That Refuses to Die Performance management systems: the corporate treadmill to nowhere. Organisations preach the gospel of improvement, then build systems so convoluted they’d make Kafka weep. Ratings are political, feedback is a weapon, and calibration meetings resemble gladiatorial combat. The result? A process so dark and detached from reality it should be a corporate snuff movie. Jimmy Barber and James Lawther aren’t here to sugarcoat it. They’re here to dissect why these systems fail: it’s because they’re designed by “Human Resource Professionals” who don’t understand humans. The hosts pull no punches: from the absurdity of ranking employees like … [Read more...]
How Can Systems Thinking Help You?
Season 2 – Episode 9: Changing People's Thinking is Hard. With Rob Wilson. A second episode, in which Rob Wilson (Co-Founder of Service Economics) shares his insights into Systems Thinking – an approach that can help transform how businesses work. We discuss how you can change the way you think about your system (or organisation) to improve customer and staff outcomes. Rob's advice is easy to understand and pragmatic, and it's immediately apparent how it will radically improve performance. Plus, you don't need to wait for the next Apple Event (pun intended) to find out what the must-have gadget is this Autumn, as James shares his latest acquisition! To find out more, … [Read more...]
Performance Appraisals
Season 1 – Episode 22: How to Survive, Thrive in or Change Your Performance Appraisal System This week, we look at Performance Appraisals. Dating back to the 3rd century, these systems try to solve many of an organisation's performance management and leadership challenges but often destroy more value than they create. We look at the pros and cons of the process and, if you have the opportunity, discuss some of the things to consider when improving it. Most importantly, if you cannot change your organisation's approach, we discuss how you can at least survive the annual process and maybe even thrive and get the best results for you and your team. If you've got any questions or comments or … [Read more...]
Reward and Recognition
Season 1 – Episode 15: The Workplace Steroid This week, we discuss our different tastes in pancakes - what does Jimmy’s preference for vegan delights and James’s taste for galettes say about us? We also talk about Reward and Recognition - what is the difference between the two, and what behaviours and outcomes they drive. They’re like steroids. They will turbocharge behaviours, but are they the behaviours you want? Do large corporate incentives work, or are they a waste of money? We also discuss what works, a simple thank you for a job done well (see what we did there) and creating an environment where your staff can feel and be successful. If you have any questions or comments or need … [Read more...]
Are Your Goals as SMART as You Think?
Season 1 – Episode 8: The Pitfalls of Goal Setting In our second festive episode, we focus on 'setting you up for success' in 2024 by exploring the subject of goals. We discuss the value of goals and the risks they create, then talk through the 'how to' so you can set goals personally or professionally… for both you and your teams and maximise your chances of achieving them. Transcript James: 0:03 hello, I'm James. Jimmy: 0:04 Hi, I'm Jimmy. James: 0:05 Welcome to A Job Done Well, Jimmy: 0:08 The podcast about the world of work and how to improve the daily grind. James: 0:13 Right. Good morning. How was your holiday? Did you have a good … [Read more...]