A Job Done Well - Making Work Better

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...

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 d...

Ever noticed how the most capable managers end up drowning in work that isn’t theirs? This episode of A Job Done Well dives into the maddening cycle of overworked employees who absorb tasks like a sponge—only to realise they’ve become the bottleneck, the scapegoat, and the office’s unofficial problem-solver. Jimmy Barber and James Lawther dissect why good managers fall into this trap: the ego boost of being the "heavy lifter," the fear of short-term chaos, and the delusion that this time the ...

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...

Welcome to another episode of A Job Done Well, where Jimmy and James dissect the brutal reality of middle management—a role where you’re accountable for everything and in control of nothing. This week, they expose the absurdity of being the corporate shock absorber: squeezed between bosses who demand miracles and teams who resent you for failing to deliver them. From the horror of “Project Hessian” (a type of sacking) to the farce of forced rankings, Jimmy and James share their war stories: t...

This week, Jimmy and James are joined by Paul Howley—a former radio astronomer turned corporate transformation expert—to dismantle the myth that technology is the answer to all organisational change. Here’s the truth: it’s not. With 36 years of experience across airlines, utilities, and financial services, Paul explains why most tech-driven transformations fail (70% of them, according to McKinsey) and how middle managers can deliver real change without a single line of code. The episode expos...

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...

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...

This week, Jimmy and James welcome back Dr. Jackie Le Fèvre—aka “Dr. Values”—to dissect the messy, often hypocritical world of organisational and team values. Spoiler: those shiny plaques in the foyer? Probably bollocks. But don’t despair—this episode is your survival guide to navigating the gap between what companies say they value and what they actually do. Jackie pulls no punches: if your boss keeps “second-guessing” your work, it’s not (always) about trust—it’s about their own values. And...

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 layer...

In this week’s episode, we discuss effective decision-making. It is the cornerstone of good management, and makes up 80-90% of a manager’s role. While pressure and incomplete information are constants, improving this skill is the fastest route to better results. First, we discuss four common mistakes. Ignoring Stakeholders: Never forget the customer's view. Always consider how your decisions affect those you serve. Falling into Groupthink: When teams agree without challenge, the outcome ...

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 together. The conversation covers the value of small, frequent moments...

Elana Friedman, an expert in organisational development and team dynamics, joins James Lawther and Jimmy Barber this week to discuss the secrets of high-performing teams. Elana shares her journey from South Africa to the UK, and how her experiences shaped her desire to help teams and organisations thrive. Together, the hosts and Elana explore the Adaptable Team Framework model and the elements that drive team success: clear outcomes, practical actions, and the right mindset. Some of the key p...