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...]
Unintended Consequences, and How to Avoid Them
Season 2 – Episode 38: Examples and Solutions From Snakes to Microwave Ovens In this episode, hosts James Lawther and Jimmy Barber study unintended consequences and how they affect you personally and in business. Their discussion ranges from Donald Trump’s tariffs to the introduction of Cane Toads in Australia and the invention of the microwave oven. They also share the unintended consequences that have impacted them personally (both positively and negatively). Most importantly, the hosts also explore why these things happen and how to avoid them from derailing your work. As a bonus, you can learn about the perils of gardening and the joy of realising that you have stopped … [Read more...]