organisational culture

Fitting In: Is the Corporate Mask Exhausting You?

Season 3 – Episode 21: With Dawn Wray 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, … [Read more...]

You Don’t Have a Time Problem—You Have a ‘Saying Yes’ Problem

Season 3 – Episode 19: Overcommitted and Underdelivering? Here’s How to Say No. You don’t need better time management. You need to stop agreeing to things you shouldn’t be doing. 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 … [Read more...]

Understand Your Values: Are You Clashing With the Machine?

Season 3 – Episode 015: With Jackie Le Fèvre 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 … [Read more...]

Hybrid Working: How to Make It Work Without Losing Your Mind (or Your Team)

Season 3 – Episode 014 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 … [Read more...]

How to Create a High-Performing Team (Part 2)

Season 3 – Episode 11: With Elana Friedman Elana Friedman, an expert in organisational development and team dynamics, continues her conversation with James Lawther and Jimmy Barber this week to discuss the secrets of high-performing teams. (Listen to part 1 here) Building on their previous discussion, this episode explores the second half of Elana’s Adaptable Team framework, focusing on two key areas: the learning rhythm within teams and the dynamics of team leadership. Elana shares practical insights on how high-performing teams create habits of reflective learning—emphasising the importance of regularly pausing to consider not just what the team is doing, but how they are working … [Read more...]