Season 3 – Episode 36: The Myth, the Madness, and the Middle Manager’s Dilemma Work-life balance? Jimmy and James are here to dismantle the corporate fairy tale that you can magically split your life into two neat, equal halves. The hosts, both veterans of demanding jobs, long hours, and the occasional existential crisis, argue that the very term “balance” is a setup. Balance implies precision, equality, and a static state, but life (and work) is anything but. It ebbs, it flows, and sometimes it dumps a truckload of stress on your doorstep. So, what’s the alternative? Optimisation. Figure out what makes you happy: status, money, family time, or becoming an earth mother, and chase … [Read more...]
Why Some Bosses Bring Out The Best In People
Season 3 Episode 34: How to Be a Better Boss Let’s be honest: most bosses are forgettable. They’re neither terrible enough to inspire a mutiny nor brilliant enough to earn your loyalty. But the ones who do stand out? They’re either the reason you quit or the reason you stayed. This week, Jimmy and James ditch the usual rant about bad bosses (though, let’s face it, they’ve had a few) to tackle the far trickier question: What actually makes a good one? Turns out, it’s not about charisma, a fancy title, or even a well-stocked biscuit tin. It’s about clarity—knowing where you’re going and making sure your team gives a damn about getting there. It’s about adaptability, because what works in a … [Read more...]
Everything We Get Wrong About High Performers
Season 3 Episode 33 Everyone wants a team of high performers. Or do they? This week, Jimmy and James dismantle the corporate obsession with “high performers”—a label so vague it could mean anything from “top salesperson” to “office psychopath who throws toys out of the pram when they don’t get their way. The episode exposes the absurdity of how organisations define, reward, and often suffer from their so-called high performers. Is it the person who hits the numbers? The one who sucks up to the boss? Or the quiet grafter who never makes a fuss? Jimmy and James argue that the real problem isn’t just the subjectivity—it’s the chaos left in their wake. High performers can be super chickens, … [Read more...]
Why Performance Reviews Make Companies Worse (And What Actually Works)…
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...]
When You Don’t Agree With The Message
But Sill Have to Deliver It. Season 3 – Episode 027 Ever been stuck delivering a message at work that makes you froth at the mouth like a rabid dog? Welcome to the club. This week on A Job Done Well, Jimmy and James tackle one of the most soul-crushing tasks a manager faces: delivering a decision you know is wrong. From performance management systems designed by third-rate sportsmen to closing sites for arbitrary profitability targets, the hosts dissect the emotional toll, the credibility crisis, and the sheer absurdity of corporate life. They explore why it’s so stressful, and why some battles are just not worth dying in a ditch for. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Jimmy and James also … [Read more...]