About this episode

Rodney and Sam discuss the failure of the ways of working movement and explore practical solutions moving forward.

Fifteen years ago, the future of work seemed inevitable: bureaucracy was crumbling, adaptive organizations were the next default, and a whole movement of practitioners was going to get us there. That future never arrived. Agile transformation offices are being eliminated, the pendulum has swung hard back to command-and-control, and the companies we held up as proof are still the exceptions, not the rule. This week, Rodney and Sam take an honest look at the failure of the ways of working movement, including their own part in it. They dig into the mismatches that doomed so much of this work and get practical about what still works—because while the movement may have stalled, the moves still matter. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Let's talk.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -------------------------------- Mentioned references: Bradlees Twilight and Sunshine Zone Buurtzorg Morning Star: BNW Ep. 54 with Doug Kirkpatrick Haier "Bayer…

People in this episode

Hosts: Rodney Evans, Sam Spurlin

Topics covered

• failure of the ways of working movement
• agile transformation
• command-and-control
• organizational change
• practical solutions

Keywords

• ways of working
• agile transformation
• organizational change
• command-and-control
• practical solutions
• failure analysis
• business practices

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Buurtzorg, Morning Star, Haier

Books & works: BNW Ep. 54, BNW Ep. 68, BNW Ep. 80, BNW Ep. 118, AWWTR EP. 2

More episodes of At Work with The Ready

• AUA: When Do Well-Meaning Checklists Turn Into Compliance Theater? · July 20, 2026 · 9 min
• 52. Welcome to the Liminal Space (Buckle Up!) · July 13, 2026 · 51 min
• AUA: How Do You Tell Leadership The Truth Without Getting Fired? · July 6, 2026 · 8 min
• 51. It's Time, Babe: How to Know When to Leave Your Job · June 29, 2026 · 53 min
• AUA: How Do You Make Employee Ownership Actually Feel Real? · June 22, 2026 · 9 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the At Work with The Ready podcast page.