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...]
100 Episodes In: The Hard Truths About Management
Season 3 – Episode 022 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 … [Read more...]
Your System Is the Problem (Here’s How You Fix It)
Season 3 – Episode 20: With John Seddon 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 … [Read more...]
Do You Really Need Process Improvement?
Season 3 – Episode 10 In the latest episode of "A Job Done Well," James Lawther and Jimmy Barber confront a polarising topic: Process Improvement. They tackle the central debate—is it essential for organisational health, or simply bureaucratic overhead? 1. The Core Conflict: Necessity vs. Bureaucracy Jimmy admits to a strong aversion to "process," associating it with endless documentation. James argues the opposite: that effective processes are the indispensable structures supporting successful businesses. The hosts explore the common resistance to process and why, despite its reputation, it remains fundamental to achieving results. 2. Actions for Better … [Read more...]
What Really Inspires Teams
Season 3 – Episode 4: Everyone wants to inspire people - it's an ambition, a badge of honour, but is it that easy? Hosts James Lawther and Jimmy Barber talk about their experience of how they've been inspired by their managers (rarely) or demotivated by them (often), and their experience of trying to inspire others (ditto). Despite this, they identify some things anyone can do to inspire others—as ever, James reverts to system-related changes, while Jimmy focuses on the people side. But there are some things they agree on that could have a significant impact. Plus, you can hear about the Nottingham tradition for Cock on a Stick at the Goose Fair, a hotel recommendation for your next … [Read more...]
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