At Work with The Ready

Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin
  • 5.0 (183)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin have helped teams around the world adopt more modern ways of working and on At Work with The Ready they’re sharing the inside scoop with you, too. Whether you’re struggling with a carousel of ineffective meetings, annual strategy sessions that go nowhere, or decision-making churn that never ceases, they’ve seen it all and are here to help. In each episode, they'll break down common workplace challenges and show you the moves—both big and small—to start making real, lasting change. (Formerly “Brave New Work” with Aaron Dignan and Rodney Evans)

  1. 48. Office Politics: The Fun and Frustration of Palace Intrigue

    2D AGO

    48. Office Politics: The Fun and Frustration of Palace Intrigue

    Office politics doesn't happen because people are scheming. It happens because no one wrote anything down. In the absence of clear ways of working, the preferences of the most powerful people fill the vacuum and suddenly half your attention is spent learning whose attachment format to use rather than doing the actual work. In this episode, Rodney and Sam dig into one of the most universal and underdiagnosed org patterns: the political operating system. They explore why politics can feel more fun than good process, why "influence without authority" is just pandering with better branding, and how to start replacing implicit norms with something more durable than whoever's in the room at that moment. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Let's talk.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -------------------------------- Mentioned references: The Ready’s OS Canvas: https://www.theready.com/os-canvas Essential Intent: BNW Ep. 90 with Greg McKeown Even/Overs: BNW Ep. 44 Dual Transformation: AWWTR Ep. 43 Andrea Robb Action Meeting Episode: BNW Ep. 80 with Sam Spurlin Directly Responsible Individual (DRI) User Manual to Me: BNW Ep. 159 00:00 Intro + Check-In: What’s a skill you rarely get to show off? 03:08 The Pattern: We cater to those in power when there’s no org clarity 05:17 Leveraging relationships to do work feels good in the moment 09:12 Discerning what’s best for a leader vs. best for the work 13:11 Experience navigating CEO preference 17:06 Politics is more fun than building a good OS 20:12 Leaders come and go, and take their preferences with them 22:08 Politicking wastes organizational attention 27:00 Short term politics at odds with long term value 31:32 Andrea Robb’s organizing principles 34:23 Leadership politics keeps you from the truth 37:10 Example navigating a leader during an offsite 41:33 Change #1: Don’t depend on only one person 43:55 Change #2: Get a new set of eyes to challenge assumptions 46:34 Change #3: Write. It. Down. 48:44 Wrap up: Leave us a review! Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    50 min
  2. AUA: How Does HR Rewrite Job Descriptions for AI?

    APR 27 ·  BONUS

    AUA: How Does HR Rewrite Job Descriptions for AI?

    Every HR team is getting the same ask right now: rewrite our job descriptions to reflect AI. It sounds reasonable—until you realize you're being asked to update a document that was already a little broken for a world that's changing faster than any static artifact can keep up with. So where do you even start? And is the job description itself actually the right place to begin? In this AUA, Rodney and Sam flip the question entirely—arguing that the smarter move is to start with what AI can actually do in your organization, define the human's role in relation to that, and why living, dynamic approaches to role clarity are more essential now than ever. Mentioned references: "traditional consulting": AWWTR Ep. 8 "talent marketplace": FoHR Miniseries, Ep. 7 -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Let's talk!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -------------------------------- Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    8 min
  3. 47. The Chaos Tax is Slowing Your Org Down

    APR 20

    47. The Chaos Tax is Slowing Your Org Down

    Everyone talks about slaying bureaucracy and cutting organizational sludge but there's an equally pernicious force that doesn't get nearly enough airtime: the organizational debt created by too little structure. The chaos tax is real, and it's usually being paid by everyone except the person creating it. In this episode, Rodney and Sam unpack the founder-led chaos pattern: why it happens, why it feels like speed to the person at the top while feeling like paralysis to everyone else, and what minimum viable process actually looks like in practice. They get into learned helplessness, productive friction, the hidden cost of unilateral decisions, and why the call for structure will probably have to come from outside the house. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Let's talk.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -------------------------------- Mentioned references: "Sparticus Merlin Spurlin": Check-In from AWWTR Ep. 45/2 Organizational debt Founder mode episode: AWWTR Ep. 22 RACI: AWWTR Ep. 10 participatory meeting structure: BNW Ep. 49 with Keith McCandless consent vs consensus: BNW Ep. 74 with Ted Rau The Ready's Proposal Template Action Meeting episode: BNW Ep. 80 The Ready's OS Canvas 00:00 Intro + Check-In: If you could hang out with any cartoon character, who would it be? 04:08 The Pattern: Lack of structure leads to chaos 05:56 Founders mistake their experience for everyone’s experience 11:49 Growth is unavoidable for diversity of thinking 15:53 You have to choose your slow 18:33 Example of consent 24:56 Chaotic orgs are brittle orgs 25:56 Cycle of learned helplessness and founder paranoia 28:49 Chaos glorifies unsustainable heroic behavior 33:05 Making a system where the founder doesn’t have to “be the savior” 35:50 Preserving the essential friction to good work 39:57 Idea 1: Minimum viable operating rhythm 42:38 Idea 2: Get external coaching for the founder/leader 44:49 Idea 3: Make work more visible and public 47:01 Wrap up: Leave us a review and send us your questions! Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    49 min
  4. AUA: What Keeps Us Together When AI Does The Work?

    APR 13 ·  BONUS

    AUA: What Keeps Us Together When AI Does The Work?

    As AI handles more and more of the actual work, a genuinely hard question emerges: how do you maintain shared purpose when there's no single organization anchoring it? In this mini AUA, Rodney and Sam argue that more automation requires more intentional human connection, not less — and that AI might actually force a long-overdue shift from obsessing over outputs to talking about outcomes and purpose. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Let's talk!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -------------------------------- Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    6 min
  5. 46. Embracing the Beautiful Mess: How Organizations Actually Work with John Cutler

    APR 6

    46. Embracing the Beautiful Mess: How Organizations Actually Work with John Cutler

    Most leaders want to believe they're building something durable: a company that matters, a culture that sticks, a system people can rely on. But what if most organizations don't have the staying power of a great city like Venice...and instead are more like a gold rush town? What if that same company is more likely to change you than you are to change it? In this episode, Sam sits down with John Cutler, writer of The Beautiful Mess and Head of Product at Dotwork, to pull on the threads John has been obsessively following for years: how organizations actually work, why seeing patterns and being able to act on them are completely different skills, how leadership is like game design, and why embracing the mess might be smarter than chasing clarity. Learn more about John and Dotwork: Read his newsletter On LinkedIn Dotwork -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Let's talk.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -------------------------------- Mentioned references: Dr. Cat Hicks John's post about "the slide" W. Edwards Deming "Hollow Knight and Silksong" John's post with Tom Kerwin Ashby's Law of Requisite Variety This Beautiful Mess (the emo band) John's old Medium posts North Star Framework Team Topologies, book by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais 00:00 Intro + Check-In: What was your first job and did you learn anything from it that you still use today? 02:34 Finding your organizational trigger words 08:41 Can you really change your company? 11:12 Most companies are more like gold rush towns than lasting institutions 15:26 Finding joy at work when the company won't love you back 18:29 Every leader is a game designer 21:45 Stepping back and seeing the system 27:55 Why chasing clarity at work might be the wrong goal 33:20 Having all the data and asking the wrong questions 35:34 How Dotwork is rethinking organizational strategy tools 40:42 Building flexible operating systems that leaders will actually use 44:14 Building a generalist career in a specialist world 50:21 Leave us a review and share the show with a friend Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    52 min
  6. AUA: Why Won't The Rest Of The Org Copy What’s Working?

    MAR 30 ·  BONUS

    AUA: Why Won't The Rest Of The Org Copy What’s Working?

    You've done the hard work. Your team cracked the code on a new process/workflow/policy/design, your ways of working are genuinely better, and now...everyone else is actively uninterested. It's infuriating, and also completely predictable. In this mini AUA, Rodney and Sam unpack why good ideas don't automatically spread in federated structures, from classic Not Invented Here syndrome to the underappreciated truth that you can't export a finished experience and skip the struggle. They make the case for becoming an internal consultant rather than an evangelist — offering scaffolding, not superiority. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Let's talk!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -------------------------------- Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    9 min
  7. 45, Part 2. Why Pay Will Never Feel Fair At Work (And It's Not The Money)

    MAR 23

    45, Part 2. Why Pay Will Never Feel Fair At Work (And It's Not The Money)

    Compensation is where human psychology and organizational systems collide—and in Part 1, Rodney and Sam named why it so often turns into a hedonic treadmill: every lever you pull to reduce dissatisfaction tends to raise expectations and create new dissatisfaction. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, start there for the “why this is so messy” foundation. In Part 2, Rodney and Sam move from diagnosis to design: what principles should a compensation system actually be built on—and what do you do next? They walk through practical comp first principles and explore concrete moves teams can experiment with—like simplifying comp, reducing negotiation, and creating healthier feedback loops. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Let's talk.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -------------------------------- Mentioned references: ⁠"previous comp episode": AWWTR Ep. 45, Part 1 "JEDI": BNW Ep. 40 with Sharan Bal "Midnight Zone": Depthfinding Miniseries BNW Ep. 6 with Joel Gascoigne BNW Ep. 36 with Nathan Barry BNW Ep. 84 with David Buckmaster BNW Ep. 89 with Nikki Kaufman 00:00 Intro: What Would You Rename Yourself? 03:26 Comp Principle #1: Pay and Human Dignity 07:21 Comp Principle #2: Pay Equity at Work 10:06 Comp Principle #3: Salary Clarity and Transparency 15:56 Comp Principle #4: Collective Alignment on Pay 19:04 Comp Principle #5: Employee Participation in Pay Decisions 21:47 Comp Principles #6 & #7: Simplicity and Talking About Pay Less 24:12 Redesign Idea #1: Anonymous Team Rewards Ranking 25:48 Redesign Idea #2: Eliminating Salary Negotiation 28:03 Redesign Idea #3: Interview Elsewhere to Reset Pay Expectations 29:38 Redesign Idea #4: Create Transparency for Employees 32:44 Outro: Rate the Podcast + Share At Work With The Ready Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    34 min
  8. AUA: Why Is My Small Org So Hard To Run?

    MAR 16 ·  BONUS

    AUA: Why Is My Small Org So Hard To Run?

    Small doesn't mean simple. In fact, smaller organizations are often more complex in the ways that are hardest to manage — personalities loom larger, every conversation carries more weight, and the line between "business problem" and interpersonal drama gets uncomfortably thin. In this mini AUA, Rodney and Sam break down why smaller orgs typically need to install minimum viable structure to tame the chaos — while larger orgs are usually trying to remove it. Same toolkit, opposite motion. They also explore the quiet inflection point that hits somewhere under 50 people, when "everyone knows everything" suddenly stops being true and no one quite knows what to do about it. -------------------------------- Ready to change your organization? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Let's talk!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -------------------------------- Mentioned references: "strategy": AWWTR Ep. 2 "principles-based budgeting" Dunbar's number -------------------------------- Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    6 min
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About

Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin have helped teams around the world adopt more modern ways of working and on At Work with The Ready they’re sharing the inside scoop with you, too. Whether you’re struggling with a carousel of ineffective meetings, annual strategy sessions that go nowhere, or decision-making churn that never ceases, they’ve seen it all and are here to help. In each episode, they'll break down common workplace challenges and show you the moves—both big and small—to start making real, lasting change. (Formerly “Brave New Work” with Aaron Dignan and Rodney Evans)

Information

  • Creator
    Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    270
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024 The Ready Company, All Rights Reserved.
  • Show Website
    At Work with The Ready

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