A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle

This week, we discuss Lord Darzi's report about the state of the NHS. The NHS is a crucial part of our lives, both in moments of joy and crisis, and it's widely recognised that it faces significant organisational challenges. But are these challenges unique? We delve into similar problems in other organisations, from perpetual restructuring and backlog management to ignoring customer feed...

Do you resent those who can 'manage upwards’, or do you simply envy them or feel uncomfortable doing it yourself?    In this episode, we discuss the power and value of sensibly managing senior members of your organisation. This skill can aid in career management, ensure tasks are completed well, and allow you to sleep peacefully at night without feeling like a sell-out or sycophant.   We offe...

Episode 4 Following the episode on mood (season 2, episode 2), Rachael Edmondson-Clarke returns to delve into the interconnected topic of emotion. While mood is an internal state, emotions are our responses to external stimuli. They can surprise us and disrupt both performance and relationships. Rachael helps us understand why emotions affect us and how we can manage, select, and alter our natural...

Episode 3 This week's discussion centres on the future of 'operations' within the U.K., where over 80% of us work in service industries. We delve into potential future scenarios and the historical undervaluing of 'operations'. We also examine the trends that are likely to influence this sector.    We ask if A.I. will replace all our jobs and wonder why technological trends...

Episode 2 This week, we are joined by Rachael Edmondson-Clarke, an expert in Leadership Psychology and Biology. Rachael shares some fascinating insights on mood and how it can impact performance.  Listen in to understand what mood means, how it affects you, and how you can manage yourself to deliver peak performance.    Plus, you can learn which of us is the moodiest.  Rachael is well worth listen...

Season 2 will be full of insights to make you 10% better at work. Episode 1 - In today's kick-off episode  of  'A Job Done Well,' James, Jimmy, and guest Amanda explore the distinction and overlap between management and leadership. We discuss how the business pendulum has swung toward leaders and leadership training and away from management. Has leadership become an overplayed idea?...

Episode 35 - Join us for highlights from our inaugural season as we aim to enhance work performance and enjoyment. We'll revisit some standout moments and reflect on what we learned. Plus, don't miss an outtake disguised as a 'Director's Cut', which reveals how our performances can spiral into chaos yet emerge sounding almost professional post-editing.    Listen in as Jame...

Episode 34: This week, as part of our Leadership Series, we explore Transformational Leadership – A leadership style for today's environment, where change is the only constant (if you believe the hype). Amanda shares a model to help define and understand the characteristics of a Transformational Leader, and we all bring this leadership style to life with our experiences... as ever, good and b...

Episode 33: We continue our series of episodes focused on answering the critical question – What Is the State of Customer Experience Today?   As 81% of the UK's economic output comes from the service industry, understanding how to improve customer experience has never been more important.  We will be asking guests for their perspectives on the following questions:     What's the state of...

We All Need to Understand the Data Welcome to Unlocking the Power of Analysis, where we explore data’s transformative potential for improving work performance.  You only have an opinion without data and analysis, so analysis is critical to the workplace. In this episode, James dredges through his 20+ years of being called an ‘analyst’ to help practitioners fine-tune their skills, whilst Jimmy disc...

Today, we have a special guest, Alex Alexander, to discuss Gen AI. Alex runs a tech start-up, Xoots and has a glittering career in technology across Europe, working for brands including Emirates and Net A Porter. He's advised companies and governments on all things AI and we are lucky to have him join us to explore this hot topic.    He will help educate you on what Gen AI is and how it works...

Episode 30 - This week, we continue to explore the UK Customer Experience. The country's service economy employs 80% of the workforce, so understanding and enhancing customer experience is crucial.    We conduct a 'shallow dive' (or maybe a snorkel) into Virgin Media, examining its history and origins, as well as customer feedback on their experiences. What lessons can we draw from...

Episode 29: Insights from Hugh Alley If you have worked in a large organisation, you will have seen continuous improvement initiatives come and go with alarming regularity. Everybody knows continuous improvement is a good idea, yet few organizations can pull it off. This week, we talked with Hugh Alley about why these initiatives fail and what organisations need to do differently to see them succe...

Episode 28 - Being made redundant is a possibility that we all may face. It's one of the most challenging experiences in our working lives. In our discussions, we share insights and personal experiences about the highs and lows encountered, how we've coped, and strategies that have enabled us to survive and prosper after redundancy. The taboos linked with redundancy and the feelings this...

Are you grappling with one of the most formidable leadership challenges? At some point in our careers, we must navigate the complexities of guiding a team through redundancy. There are numerous scenarios and types of programmes, from wholesale organizational failures to individual exits, and each has its nuances. However, a constant throughout is the critical role of leading people and teams effec...

Were you taught how to manage the work?     We are all trained on the technical aspects of a job and the leadership of a team, but we are rarely taught how to manage the actual work. Managing work is vital whether you're a first-line manager or running the country! To provide valuable insights on the best way to manage and improve your teams and their work, we are lucky to have Hugh Alley, a...

Episode 25: Today, we start a series of episodes focused on answering the critical question – What Is the State of Customer Experience Today?   As 81% of the UK's economic output comes from the service industry, understanding how to improve customer experience has never been more important.  Every few weeks, we will be asking guests for their perspectives on the following questions:     What&...

Episode 24 – Every organisation relies on others to be successful, so this week, we discussed:  The importance of suppliers in delivering on your purpose, strategy and performance.  Why most organisations create relationships with their suppliers that don't work for either party. Our seven golden rules for turning 'suppliers' into 'partners'. Follow these' rules'...

This week, we talk with our resident Learning and Development Guru, Amanda Gilbert, about Emotional Intelligence (EQ). What is it? Why should you use it? What are the risks associated with using it?  and importantly, how can you develop it?    Jimmy was put out by Rishi Sunak's lack of EQ when he trashed the credibility of his favourite trainers. James struggled to see the problem (he still c...

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...

This week, we unlock the mystery of cost savings with James's formula for making savings thoughtfully without damaging service—doubters, listen on! We argue that this is something we will all face at some point in our careers, so it's best to get on the front foot and do it the right way.    James has spent decades (he is that old!) working out the most effective way of approaching cost...

This week, we looked at dysfunctional organisations and the behaviours they encourage. We discussed what that looks and feels like and how it impacts you. More importantly, we talked about how you can manage it. All organisations go through dysfunctional periods, though, as we discovered, dysfunction is in the eye of the beholder. So, being able to work effectively (and thrive) through dysfunction...

This week, our resident Learning and Development Guru, Amanda Gilbert, joins us again for the third episode in our Leadership series. We explore the subject of Curious Leadership (and we don't mean odd!)    We conclude that this is a practical part of any leader's toolkit. It can have a positive impact if used correctly and at the right time. We share a helpful model to understand and as...

Is that impossible, you think? This week, we will examine governance — what it is and why it is essential.  What are some of the mistakes made when setting up governance, and how can you ensure it fulfils its vital purpose  —  ensuring the right things get done, accelerating progress and maintaining quality — without boring the pants off everyone? It's not impossible. Just have a listen... Fi...

This week, we take a 30,000-foot view and deep dive into corporate language. If it's only Buzzword Bingo, why do 75% of us use it? We add value by granularising the different types of language and circle back to find the upsides of this blight of the modern workplace. It has a place and use, but net-net, it should be handled with care! The ball is in your court. If we missed anything, give us...