A Job Done Well - Making Work Better

Jimmy Barber and James Lawther
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Welcome to "A Job Done Well", the podcast that makes work better. Each week, Jimmy and James will bring you an entertaining and informative show that will transform how you work. Their backgrounds – everything from running a multi-million-pound business to packing frozen peas – have given them a rich assortment of flops (and the occasional success) to learn from. Whether you are the leader of your own business, manage an operations team, or just want to do your job better and enjoy it more, this podcast is essential listening. It provides insights, advice, analysis and humour to improve your performance and enjoyment at work.  The podcast is guaranteed to make your commute to work fly and may also help if you suffer from insomnia. Contact us and let us know what you think. Jimmy@Ajobdonewell.com James@Ajobdonewell.com  

  1. The Job You're Never Fully Prepared For: Managing People

    5D AGO

    The Job You're Never Fully Prepared For: Managing People

    Managing people is the corporate equivalent of being handed a live grenade with the pin already pulled. You’re promoted because you’re brilliant at your day job—only to discover that managing humans requires a completely different skill set, one nobody bothers to teach you. Welcome to the brutal, hilarious, and occasionally soul-crushing reality of middle management. In this episode of A Job Done Well, Jimmy and James dissect the moment they realised they were woefully unprepared for leadership. From James’s early days of bollocking subordinates (and then apologising) to Jimmy’s face-off with a delusional cashier who insisted she was never late (spoiler: she was), they expose the absurdity of being thrust into a role that demands empathy, judgment, and the ability to fake confidence while secretly questioning every decision. The hosts explore why organisations promote technical experts into managerial roles without a shred of training, and why the so-called “soft skills” are actually the hardest to master. They also reveal the uncomfortable truth: even after decades of experience, you’ll still encounter situations that leave you out of your depth. Whether it’s navigating office politics, handling emotional meltdowns, or simply learning not to micromanage, managing people is less about control and more about creating an environment where everyone—including you—can do their best work. Got a question - get in touch. Click here.

    35 min
  2. Why Your Tech-First Transformation Is a Waste of Money – With Paul Howley

    MAR 17

    Why Your Tech-First Transformation Is a Waste of Money – With Paul Howley

    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 exposes the absurdity of chasing AI, new platforms, and digital tools as quick fixes. Instead, Paul shares a case study from financial services where a mortgage lending team went from a net promoter score of -11 to +80—not by buying software, but by fixing broken processes, ditching "ghost policies," and empowering frontline staff. The result? Happier customers, lower costs, and a 20% reduction in processing time. Key points: Tech is not the answer—it’s often a distraction from the real problems.Focus on outcomes, not tools—most transformations fail because they lose sight of why they started.Middle managers can be heroes—by fixing small, broken processes, they can deliver big results without big budgets.Bravery beats buzzwords—it takes guts to challenge the status quo, but the rewards are worth it.Customer obsession is free—organise your team around what customers actually need, not what’s easiest for the organisation.If you’re tired of watching IT projects fail and want to make a real difference, this episode is your playbook. Got a question - get in touch. Click here.

    33 min
  3. 100 Episodes In: The Hard Truths About Management

    MAR 10

    100 Episodes In: The Hard Truths About Management

    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 your employer will never love you back. But it’s not all doom. There’s power in clarity: defining your team’s purpose (even if it’s just “sell more”), choosing your boss like you’d choose a flatmate, and detaching your ego from the corporate machine. And yes, it’s still all about people—flawed, emotional, and impossible to reduce to a spreadsheet. So pour yourself a drink (or don’t—AA’s Serenity Prayer gets a shoutout) and listen to the hard-won wisdom of two men who’ve spent 100 episodes telling you what no one else will. Five Key Points: The system always wins. No matter how brilliant your team is, a badly designed system will make them feel incompetent—and it’s not their fault.Purpose isn’t wallpaper. If your organisation’s “purpose” doesn’t match what actually happens, you’re just lying to yourself (and your customers).Your boss > your brand. That logo in the foyer? Irrelevant. Your boss’s ability to provide direction, space, and support? Everything.Your employer is not your friend. Redundancy, restructuring, or being passed over for promotion isn’t personal—it’s just business. Detach your ego.Manage your career or someone else will. If you outsource your career decisions, don’t be surprised when they’re made in someone else’s interest.Got a question - get in touch. Click here.

    20 min
  4. Fitting In: Is the Corporate Mask Exhausting You?

    MAR 3

    Fitting In: Is the Corporate Mask Exhausting You?

    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 hide, and how you might just lose yourself in the process. Dawn pulls no punches: fitting in isn’t just uncomfortable, it’s exhausting. It’s the constant, unconscious negotiation between who you are and who you think you need to be to avoid rejection. It’s the shirt you tuck in, the opinions you swallow, and the banter you force yourself to laugh at—all while your brain screams, "This isn’t me." And when the gap between your authentic self and your "work self" yawns too wide? Welcome to burnout, anxiety, and the slow erosion of confidence. But here’s the kicker: not fitting in isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes, it’s growth. Sometimes, it’s the friction that forces change. The trick? Knowing the difference between the discomfort of stretching and the soul-crushing drain of pretending. Dawn’s advice? Slow down. Pay attention. Notice when you’re holding your breath in meetings or rehearsing your personality before walking into the boardroom. And ask yourself: Are you adapting, or are you disappearing? James and Jimmy riff on the absurdity of corporate "professionalism" (read: conformity), the myth of the "perfect fit," and why the most dangerous employees might just be the ones who never complain. Because if everyone’s nodding along, someone’s lying—and it might be you. Five Key Points: Fitting in isn’t about skills—it’s about survival. Your brain treats workplace rejection like a threat to your safety, thanks to patterns wired in since childhood.The cost of conformity: Swallowing your opinions or faking enthusiasm doesn’t just feel bad—it drains energy, fuels anxiety, and can tank your performance.Not all discomfort is equal. Growth feels energising; self-betrayal feels like dread. Learn to tell the difference.The "professionalism" con. What’s often sold as "professional" is just socially sanctioned masking—tuck in your shirt, shut up, and smile.The ultimate question: Are you adapting to thrive, or editing yourself to survive? And if it’s the latter, how long can you keep it up?Got a question - get in touch. Click here.

    38 min
  5. Your System Is the Problem (Here Is How You Fix It) - With John Seddon

    FEB 24

    Your System Is the Problem (Here Is How You Fix It) - 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 boilers in 15 minutes? They’ll be back six times a year. Call centre agents hitting sales targets? They’re hanging up on customers who won’t buy. Incentives don’t drive performance—they drive gaming, cheating, and a race to the bottom. Highlights include: Why failure demand—work caused by previous errors—is crippling your team (and how to spot it).How to redesign systems so your team can actually use their judgment (instead of following scripts).The Aviva case study: How blending call centres boosted capacity by 20%—without adding staff.Why specialisation is a myth, and how it’s costing you more than you think.How to make your boss curious about what’s really going wrong.If you’ve ever watched your team chase targets while the real work piles up, this episode is your wake-up call. John’s not here to sell you a quick fix—he’s here to help you burn the rulebook and start again. Key Points: Incentives create perverse outcomes—people game the system, not improve it.Failure demand is a symptom of a broken system, not lazy staff.Specialisation sounds efficient but creates silos, inefficiency, and frustration.Redesign systems around customer purpose, not internal targets.Leaders won’t change unless you make them curious—show, don’t tell.Got a question - get in touch. Click here.

    34 min
  6. Overcommitted and Underdelivering? Here’s How to Say No.

    FEB 17

    Overcommitted and Underdelivering? Here’s How to Say No.

    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 the workplace, they unpack the psychological traps that turn us into overcommitted, underdelivering messes. The hosts share their own cringe-worthy tales of saying yes when they should’ve said no—James’s ill-fated stint as a 70th-birthday party host, Jimmy’s recency bias leading to future regret, and the time a bully of a boss met his match with a single, unapologetic “no.” They reveal how saying no isn’t just liberating; it’s a career-saver. Overcommitting leads to half-baked work, missed deadlines, and a reputation as the office “yes man”—a fate worse than being the person who occasionally pushes back. But how do you actually say no without burning bridges? Jimmy and James offer tactical advice: negotiate trade-offs, redirect requests to the right person, or simply be honest about your capacity. They also challenge listeners with three hard questions: What are you saying yes to that you resent? Who do you need to have a more honest conversation with? And if you said no to just one thing this month, what would it be? The episode’s core message? Every “yes” is a “no” to something else. Whether it’s your daughter’s nursery pickup, your own mental health, or the work that actually matters, learning to say no is about owning your priorities—not your boss’s, not your colleagues’, and certainly not your future self’s. Five Key Points: Social wiring and hierarchy make saying no feel like a career risk—but the real risk is overcommitting and underdelivering.Saying no can earn respect. The bully who never troubled James again? The boss who valued Jimmy’s honesty? Boundaries build credibility.The “yes man” trap: Agreeing to everything leads to a reputation for unreliability. Reliability beats availability.Tactics for saying no: Negotiate trade-offs, redirect requests, or be honest about your capacity. It’s not confrontation—it’s clarity.Every yes is a no to something else. Protect what matters most, whether it’s family time, focus, or your own well-being.Got a question - get in touch. Click here.

    23 min
  7. Corporate Noise: How to Keep Calm When Everyone’s Shouting

    FEB 10

    Corporate Noise: How to Keep Calm When Everyone’s Shouting

    Work is noisy. Not just the hum of open-plan offices or the ping of endless emails, but the soul-sapping, productivity-killing corporate noise—the meetings that should have been emails, the politics that should have been resolved, and the reports that should have been binned. In this episode of A Job Done Well, Jimmy and James dissect the chaos of modern workplaces, where conflicting agendas, ego-driven leaders, and short-termism turn even the simplest tasks into a slog through quicksand. From the absurdity of "magnet ball" management (where everyone chases the same ball, achieving nothing) to the silent killer of organisational focus, they expose why noise thrives—and how you can fight back. Their advice? Be proactive, face into the problem, and for God’s sake, stop blind-copying people on emails. With their usual mix of dry wit and hard-won wisdom, they arm you with tactics to cut through the clutter, protect your sanity, and maybe—just maybe—get your actual job done. Key Points: Noise is inevitable, but not unstoppable. It’s the corporate ivy choking your productivity—meetings, emails, politics, and misaligned objectives.Ask: Does this make the boat go faster? If not, it’s noise.Egos and silos fuel the chaos. Leaders broadcast; teams retreat. The result? A symphony of distraction.Data beats drama. Facts cut through opinion. If someone says “they always…”, ask: Who’s ‘they’? What’s ‘always’?Don’t be part of the problem. Stop blind CC’ing the world, own your mistakes, and—above all—do something about it.Got a question - get in touch. Click here.

    23 min
  8. Values at Work: Are They Just Corporate Wallpaper?

    FEB 3

    Values at Work: Are They Just Corporate Wallpaper?

    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 if your company’s “core values” feel more like corporate wallpaper than a compass, you’re not alone. The trio digs into why stated values so rarely match reality, how to spot the difference, and what to do when your personal values clash with your employer’s. Turns out, values aren’t just fluffy HR buzzwords—they’re emotionally charged, stress-buffering, performance-boosting powerhouses. When aligned, they make work feel meaningful. When ignored or faked, they turn offices into soul-sucking pits of disengagement. Key points: Explain yourself: If you’re a manager, your quirks (like obsessing over quarterly reports) make sense to your team—if you tell them why.Actions > words: An org that claims to value “innovation” but rewards cost-cutting is lying. Watch what they do, not what they post on the intranet.Team charters, not manifestos: For small teams, a shared “how we work” agreement beats a forced values workshop every time.The Enron effect: Nothing destroys trust faster than a company that preaches integrity while cooking the books.Do it well or don’t bother: Half-arsed values initiatives backfire. Either commit to the hard work of alignment, or save everyone the eyerolls.With Jackie’s mix of neuroscience, war stories, and dry wit, this episode arms you with the tools to cut through the BS—and maybe even enjoy your job a bit more. Got a question - get in touch. Click here.

    37 min
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About

Welcome to "A Job Done Well", the podcast that makes work better. Each week, Jimmy and James will bring you an entertaining and informative show that will transform how you work. Their backgrounds – everything from running a multi-million-pound business to packing frozen peas – have given them a rich assortment of flops (and the occasional success) to learn from. Whether you are the leader of your own business, manage an operations team, or just want to do your job better and enjoy it more, this podcast is essential listening. It provides insights, advice, analysis and humour to improve your performance and enjoyment at work.  The podcast is guaranteed to make your commute to work fly and may also help if you suffer from insomnia. Contact us and let us know what you think. Jimmy@Ajobdonewell.com James@Ajobdonewell.com  

Information

  • Creator
    Jimmy Barber and James Lawther
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    104
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 A Job Done Well - Making Work Better
  • Show Website
    A Job Done Well - Making Work Better

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