At Work with The Ready

Many people who want to work in organizational change hit the same question: is it better to do this work from inside an organization, or from the outside as a consultant?

Hear the episode this question was in response to: AWWTR Ep. 28

Got a work question like this one you'd like us to answer? Email us at [email protected]

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Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Everyone knows performance management is broken—but we keep doing it anyway. Why?

For decades, organizations have poured time, money, and emotional energy into performance management—even though almost everyone agrees it’s broken. Annual reviews take hundreds of hours, distort real feedback, collapse development into compensation, and leave both managers and employees frustrated. Worse, they often lower performance rather than improve it. And yet most companies keep doubling down on a system that was never designed for how people actually grow, learn, or work today.

In this episode, Rodney and Sam rethink performance management from the ground up. They unpack why traditional systems fail, which psychological dynamics make feedback so fraught, and what a truly useful approach would look like if we started from scratch. From separating the four conflated “jobs” of performance management and designing for real development, to using AI as a feedback partner rather than a faster paperwork generator—they explore practical ways to build a process that actually helps people get better at their work.

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Mentioned references:

00:00 Intro + Check-In: Why is Sam still on the podcast when he left The Ready?

03:01 The Pattern: Performance management SUCKS, but we keep doing it

06:10 It’s trying to do too many jobs

07:54 We’re lied to about the purpose

11:19 It’s time consuming

14:10 The charade causes psychological harm and stunts growth

17:00 Rethinking PM from the ground up

18:14 Center the user

20:30 Easier process more frequently

23:15 Vary the size and type of feedback

26:09 Actually define what good ACTUALLY looks like by outcomes

29:21 Feedback in the context of an individual’s journey

32:59 AI’s role in future of performance management

46:02 AI’s role in the performance management of teams

50:30 Wrap up: Leave us a review and share the show with a coworker!

Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Every organization eventually hits the same wall: central teams aren’t responsive enough, federated teams reinvent everything, and the result is a messy tug-of-war between alignment and autonomy. IT organizations feel this pain especially acutely.

In this mini Ask Us Anything episode, Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin unpack why centralized vs. decentralized is a false binary, why organizations swing endlessly between the two, and what it actually takes to design a federated model that works in the real world.

Got a work question like this one you'd like us to answer? Email us at [email protected]

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Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Everyone says they want to “experiment” at work—especially now that AI is reshaping how teams operate—but most organizations still treat change like a project plan: analyze, design, roll out, hope for the best. The result? Fake experiments that are over-controlled and over-planned, or chaotic side projects that burn people out and quietly die. In systems this complex, you can’t think your way to the right answer, but you can test and learn your way there.

In this episode of At Work with The Ready, Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin dig into what real experimentation looks like inside organizations. They unpack why complexity demands an iterative approach, why so many “tests” are doomed from the start, and what it takes to scaffold experiments with the right authority, resourcing, and constraints.

Get the full transcript and resources mentioned in this episode here: https://theready.com/podcast/episodes/awwtr38-running-better-experiments-at-work

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00:00 Intro + Check-In: What’s a personal experiment you’ve done recently or are thinking about doing?

03:42 The Pattern: Desire for control and lack of structure stifles real experimentation

06:37 Parallels to R&D for pharmaceuticals

09:37 What’s missing in most company experiments

11:35 Example of The Ready’s experimentation

17:01 If everything succeeds, they aren’t experiments

22:21 Learning and scaling successful experiments is really hard

28:23 Ripple effects of experiments are just as important

30:00 Unstructured experimentation is deeply costly

34:57 Navigating the discomfort during experiments

37:28 Idea #1 - Create intentional space for learning

38:51 Idea #2 - The Ready’s Experiment Template

44:35 Idea #3 - No experiments for other people

46:10 Idea #4 - Prepare yourself for disappointment

48:48 Wrap up: leave us a review and share the show with your coworkers!

Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

How do you bring people along when you’re already living in the future?

In this mini episode of At Work with The Ready, Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin tackle a listener question about how to lead from the future without alienating your coworkers in the present. They explore what happens when you see change coming before others do—and how to turn that foresight into small, credible experiments that earn trust and build momentum.

They discuss:

Got a work question like this one you'd like us to answer? Email us at [email protected]

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Ready to change your organization? ⁠Let's talk!⁠

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Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

It’s easy to blame “kids these days” when generational tension flares up at work. But beneath the eye rolls and stereotypes are deeper forces (economic shifts, social movements, and broken workplace systems) that shape how each generation sees loyalty, ambition, and success. From Boomers to Gen Z, we’ve all inherited stories about what work should look like and they don’t always fit the world we’re in now.

In this episode, Rodney Evans sits down with Raven Solomon—author, keynote speaker, and CEO of the Future-Ready Institute—to explore what it really takes to lead across generations. They unpack what leaders need to unlearn in this moment, how Gen Z’s relationship to work is reshaping culture, and why inclusion and empathy—not authority—are the future of leadership.

Learn more about Raven and her work:

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Ready to change your organization? ⁠⁠Let's talk.⁠⁠

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Mentioned references:

00:00 Intro + Check-In: What’s something about your profession you can’t say on stage but wish people knew?

04:07 What power holders have to unlearn about younger generations

10:29 Gen Z’s changing relationship to work and capitalism

15:33 Opting out of taking leadership roles for better quality of life

20:25 The business and financial stakes behind real inclusion

29:15 Authenticity should be the cornerstone to all your strategies and messaging

32:38 The difficulties and business trade offs behind inclusion

39:54 Importance of human centered skills in this decade

44:50 Raven’s top skills to develop for the future of work

48:17 AI’s impact on the upcoming generations in the workplace

54:26 Wrap up: Leave us a review and share the show with your colleagues!

Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

What happens when your small European company gets acquired by a massive American one?

In this mini Ask Us Anything episode of At Work with The Ready, Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin dig into what really happens when mergers cross not just company lines—but cultures. They unpack the hidden dynamics behind clashing values, communication styles, and leadership expectations that make cross-border integrations so difficult.

They discuss:

— Why culture work is always the hardest (and most ignored) part of a merger

— What to do when your smaller team has limited influence

— How to bring your company’s best practices into a much bigger system

— The difference between American and European work norms

— How to protect your culture—and your energy—during integration

Looking for more advice about mergers and acquisitions? Check out this episode: AWWTR Ep. 32

Got a work question like this one you'd like us to answer? Email us at [email protected]

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Ready to change your organization? ⁠⁠Let's talk!⁠⁠

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Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Get the AI Coffee Club toolkit to start one at your own organization: Download here!

AI isn’t coming—it’s here. Every organization is already feeling its impact, whether through new tools, shifting expectations, or the quiet panic of not knowing where to start. But most companies are doing what they always do: treating transformation like a plan instead of an experiment. And as AI reshapes how work gets done, the biggest risk isn’t falling behind—it’s automating the dysfunctions you already have.

In this episode of At Work with The Ready, Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin take their first deep dive into AI since 2023. They unpack why AI acts as a mirror for your organization’s operating system, how hesitation and hype are both clouding judgment, and what it looks like to design meaningful ways to learn and experiment instead of performative roadmaps.

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Ready to change your organization? ⁠⁠Let's talk.⁠⁠

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Mentioned references:

00:00 Intro + Check-In: What’s good?

03:13 The Pattern: AI is a mirror for everything in your org, and probably making it worse

09:48 Importance of doing your own research, even if you’re a skeptic

12:35 Treating AI as a paint job on your broken org won’t fix anything

16:30 The role of humans at work right now

21:03 Importance of real scaffolding to do this work

24:14 Recasting IT as the enabler rather than the traffic cop

28:03 Nobody is an expert yet and there is no roadmap

33:43 The easiest idea with AI usually isn’t the best one

39:28 What Rodney and Sam are hopeful about with AI

44:23 Counter ideas for engaging with AI

47:10 Wrap up: leave us a review and share the show with your coworkers

Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

How do you change the way work happens when everyone agrees on what to do—but no one wants to change how it’s done?

In this mini episode of At Work with The Ready, Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin tackle a listener question about navigating change inside legacy systems where authority, tradition, and “the way we’ve always done it” still rule. They explore why emotional loyalty to old processes can stall transformation, and how small experiments and “pair coding for organizational change” can help teams actually evolve their ways of working.

Got a work question like this one you'd like us to answer? Email us at [email protected]

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Ready to change your organization? Let's talk!

Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Burnout has become the quiet epidemic of modern work. We tell people to “set better boundaries” or “take more time off,” but the real problem isn’t a lack of self-care—it’s that most organizations are designed to exhaust their people. Fear-based cultures, unclear priorities, and performative busyness have turned overwork into a badge of honor, leaving even the most capable teams running on fumes.

In this episode, Rodney and Sam unpack the systemic roots of burnout and why it thrives inside traditional hierarchies. They explore how teams accidentally reinforce it, how leaders unknowingly reward it, and share real steps to change the system instead of blaming individuals.

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Ready to change your organization? ⁠Let's talk.⁠

Get our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠

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Mentioned references:

00:00 Intro + Check-In: What’a silly or inconsequential project to you’ve done just for fun?

03:23 The Pattern: Systemic burnout keeps being met with individual solves, which leads to more burnout

08:21 Team burnout red flag 1: Overhelptfulness

11:10 Team burnout red flag 2: Defeatism

14:04 Team burnout red flag 3: Procrastination

16:44 Team burnout red flag 4: Overwork on busywork

20:41 Team burnout red flag 5: Impatience

23:35 Burnout is tied to short-termism and fear

27:30 Bureaucracy and gaslighting

29:10 Idea 1: Combat busyness with an outcome audit

32:49 Idea 2: Clarify ways of working to cut through bureaucracy

34:29 Idea 3: Design defaults and rules that reduce systemic burnout

36:14 Idea 4: Learn your own burnout symptoms to steer the ship before you reach critical mass

42:00 Idea 5: Enforce work-in-product limits for your team

45:55 Wrap up: Leave us a review and share the show with your colleagues

Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coupe Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.