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PODCAST

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle

Jimmy Barber and James Lawther

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

business management

All Episodes

33:38

How to Deal With a Bad Boss

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2026/04/21

Bad bosses: the office equivalent of a microwave with a broken timer. It either leaves your career frozen in the middle or burns it to a crisp, and you’re never quite sure which setting it’s on today. In this episode of A Job Done Well, Jimmy Barber and James Lawther dissect the scourge of the workplace: the boss who turns a dream job into a daily grind. With a mix of war stories, dry humour, and hard-won wisdom, they explore why a bad boss can overshadow even the most rewarding roles, and—more

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29:18

Stuck in the Middle: Why Managers Burn Out

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2026/03/31

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:

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34:54

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

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2026/03/24

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

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33:17

Why Your Tech-First Transformation Is a Waste of...

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2026/03/17

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

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19:50

100 Episodes In: The Hard Truths About Management

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2026/03/10

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

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37:54

Fitting In: Is the Corporate Mask Exhausting You?

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2026/03/03

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

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33:56

Your System Is the Problem (Here Is How You Fix It) -...

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2026/02/24

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

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23:16

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

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2026/02/17

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

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23:12

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

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2026/02/10

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

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37:14

Values at Work: Are They Just Corporate Wallpaper?

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2026/02/03

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

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24:22

Risk Management: Why You Hate It and How to Make It...

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2026/01/27

Risk management—it’s the corporate equivalent of eating your greens. You know it’s good for you, but sometimes you’d rather scoop your eyeballs out with a teaspoon than sit through another risk workshop. Yet, as this episode of A Job Done Well reveals, risk management isn’t just about spreadsheets, buzzwords, and endless meetings. It’s about stopping bad things from happening, so you can actually get on with your job.Joined by risk expert Richard, Jimmy and James dissect why risk management often

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29:14

Understand Your Values: Are You Clashing With the...

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2026/01/20

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 layers on

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31:46

Hybrid Working: How to Make It Work Without Losing...

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2026/01/13

Welcome to A Job Done Well, the podcast for managers who want to improve their performance—and enjoy their jobs. Hosted by Jimmy Barber and James Lawther, this episode tackles hybrid working, a topic that’s causing headaches, heartburn, and heated debates in boardrooms and Slack channels everywhere.The pandemic proved that remote work could work. But now, as companies scramble to bring people back into the office, many are doing so in the clumsiest way possible: mandating days without considering

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32:32

Mastering Decisions: The Manager's Essential Skill

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2025/12/16

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 is often

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38:15

Is Conflict Our Greatest Natural Resource?

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2025/12/09

This episode introduces special guest Charles Irvine, who proposes a provocative idea: Conflict is our greatest natural resource.Key Discussion PointsThe Problem with Denial: Jimmy, James and Charles discuss how much time, energy, and resource people dedicate to denying the existence of conflict or avoiding it, leading to a "long tail of conflict" through rumination and anxiety.The Water Analogy: Charles uses the analogy of water—an essential resource that can nurture or destroy—to explain

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36:17

High Performing Teams Part 2 – With Elana Friedman

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2025/12/02

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 of

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33:23

Do You Need (or Want) Process Improvement?

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2025/11/25

In the latest episode of "A Job Done Well," James Lawther and Jimmy Barber confront a polarising topic: Process Improvement. They tackle the central debate—is it essential for organisational health, or simply bureaucratic overhead?1. The Core Conflict: Necessity vs. BureaucracyJimmy admits to a strong aversion to "process," associating it with endless documentation. James argues the opposite: that effective processes are the indispensable structures supporting successful

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38:16

High Performing Teams Part 1 – With Elana Friedman

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2025/11/18

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 points

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30:58

How to Get Promoted Without Selling Your Soul

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2025/11/11

This week, hosts James Lawther and Jimmy Barber explore the subject of getting promoted and suggest how you can go about it without compromising your values or playing games. They discuss how promotions work in organisations, the importance of thinking through why you want a promotion, how you position yourself and some things to be wary of. The mix of practical tips and anecdotes will engage and inform on a topic many are interested in but few openly discuss!They also talk weather and holiday

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35:37

How to Make Difficult Conversations Easy – with...

A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle ·

2025/11/04

In this episode of "A Job Done Well," James Lawther and Jimmy Barber are joined by learning and development expert Amanda Gilbert to tackle a topic we all face but often dread: difficult conversations at work (and beyond).After a quick catch-up (including university choices and Jimmy’s book recommendation for every man who has a mother), the team discuss why tough conversations feel so challenging—and how we can handle them better. Amanda introduces the "Ladder of Inference"

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106 results

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