Truth, Lies and Work

Truth, Lies and Work

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Truth, Lies and Work episodes

  • 343. How to disagree at work (without taking a chair to someone's head), with Rt Hon Steve Baker and Paul Dolan

    Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture. This week we explore how to build a team that can disagree safely before things blow up, what to do when tension boils over, and how to create a culture of "tolerance by design."

    We are joined by two guests who disagree on almost everything: Steve Baker (former Conservative minister, Brexit negotiator, and aerospace/software engineer) and Paul Dolan (Professor of Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics and author). Despite their political differences, they teamed up during COVID lockdowns and founded The Provocation People, a consultancy helping organisations break out of groupthink.


    What We Cover in This Episode

    Why Silence is More Dangerous Than a Row

    Companies like Kodak, Blockbuster, and HBOS fell victim to groupthink, proving that a quiet room where everyone nods along is actually a major red flag.

    The Question Every Leader Should Ask

    Steve shares the exact question he used to close meetings: "Has anything not been said because it would be inconvenient to me?"

    How to Handle Dissent

    Employees watch how you treat dissenters outside of meetings rather than inside them, making real-world follow-through essential.

    Hiring for Culture Fit vs. Culture Challenge

    Hiring for "culture fit" often leads to hiring for agreement, whereas leaders should focus on introducing true diversity of thought.

    The EMBRACE Framework

    Paul breaks down his 7-part checklist to design tolerance into your workplace culture—covering Environment, Mistakes, Bonding, Reason, Affect, Collection, and Exposure.

    De-escalation & Psychology

    Learn what happens to your physiology when conflict erupts, why managing your blood pressure comes first, and how to rebuild trust after a blowout.


    Guest Links & Resources

    Fighting for a Free Future (Steve Baker's Newsletter)

    https://www.fightingforafreefuture.com/

    Steve Baker on LinkedIn

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebakerfrsa/

    Beliefism by Paul Dolan

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beliefism-discriminate-against-disagree-difference/dp/0349128693/

    Paul Dolan on LinkedIn

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-dolan-a018691b/

    The Provocation People

    https://www.theprovocationpeople.com/


    Connect with Al & Leanne

    – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
    – Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
    – Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
    – Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat


    Mental health support

    UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
    UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
    US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
    Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
    Global helplines
    https://findahelpline.com

    50 min
  • 342. Latest A.I. releases, iced coffee wars and well-being bees. PLUS! Does it only takes seven seconds to make a first impression?

    Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture. This week, we dive into viral interview etiquette, ultra-fast AI tools for work triage, workplace beekeeping, the science of first impressions, and answer your burning workplace surgery questions.


    🚀 Special Announcement: Cornerstone Launch

    Before we jump into the news, Al and Leanne share an exciting update about the launch of Cornerstone! Be sure to register your interest and join the waitlist via our Tally form:
    • Register for Cornerstone: https://tally.so/r/BzDXKY


    🔥 Stories covered

    1. The "Iced Coffee War of 2026": Gen Z interview etiquette or arbitrary rules?

    A viral TikTok from recruiter Caitlin Wehniainen sparks an international debate: is bringing an iced coffee to a job interview unprofessional, or does rejecting a candidate over a beverage highlight everything wrong with modern hiring? We break down the generational dynamics, power imbalances in hiring, and the psychological concept of "deflection of anxiety".
    • Source: CNBC (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/25/iced-coffee-job-interview.html)

    • TikTok original: @caitlinrecruiter (https://www.tiktok.com/@caitlinrecruiter/video/7686166507759455501)


    2. Meet Jev: The ultra-fast "System 1" AI classifier

    Unlike ChatGPT or Claude, Jev isn't a conversational chatbot or code generator. Co-created by a co-inventor of ChatGPT, Jev is an API-based tool designed specifically for fast, structured decision-making, triage, and noise reduction—handling inbox management, survey filtering, and real-time meeting prompts.
    • Learn more & nerd out: Book a call with Al!


    3. Is beekeeping the new employee wellbeing trend?

    Forget webinars and gym memberships—employers are installing hives and sending staff to apiaries for "experiential depth" and connection to nature. We discuss whether hands-on wellbeing actually helps, or if it risks becoming another form of "forced fun" masking deeper workload issues.
    • Source: HR Magazine (https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/news/is-beekeeping-the-latest-employee-wellbeing-trend)


    🧠 Truth or Lie: Does it really take seven seconds to make a first impression?

    From Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink to leadership experts, the idea of the seven-second rule is widely accepted. We examine the psychological research on speed versus accuracy—revealing how facial judgements occur in as little as 34 milliseconds, but why true accuracy actually takes about 60 seconds.


    💬 Workplace Surgery

    This week, we answer three listener questions:
    • Replacing a legendary manager: How to step into a GM role and establish authority when taking over from a leader who has been there for decades.

    • Mission vs. Manipulation: Where is the line between inspiring employees with purpose and using company mission to guilt them into overworking?

    • Targeting low engagement: When one team in a survey scores drastically lower than the rest, is the manager automatically to blame?


    📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

    – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
    – Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
    – Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
    – Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat


    Mental health support

    UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
    UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
    US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
    Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
    Global helplines
    https://findahelpline.com


    🎧 Truth, Lies & Work is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

    1 hr
  • 341. Why Your HR Policies Won't Save You in Court, with Employment Solicitor Roy Magara

    Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture.

    In this episode, we are joined by employment solicitor advocate Roy Magara, founder of Magara Law, to uncover what every founder, manager, and HR leader needs to know about avoiding costly employment tribunals, building proper HR architecture, and handling workplace grievances before they blow up.


    🔥 Topics covered in this episode

    1. Prevention over cure: Why an employee handbook sitting on SharePoint is useless if nobody actually follows it when something goes wrong.

    2. Contracts, policies and handbooks: Where founders should start when setting up their legal architecture as the team grows.

    3. The first hour of a problem: Roy’s three-step framework (Preserve, Assess, Plan) to protect the business and safeguard documentation when a grievance is raised.

    4. The drama of fabricated evidence: A wild real-life tribunal case where fake disciplinary minutes were exposed by a secret recording.

    5. In-house resolution vs. calling in the lawyers: When you can resolve issues internally and the exact moment you need to pick up the phone to an employment lawyer.

    6. Emerging employment risks: The rise of neurodiversity-related discrimination claims, upcoming legislative threshold changes, and AI interview tools gone wrong.

    7. Tribunal vs. mediation vs. conciliation: The differences between these processes and why early workplace mediation can save you tens of thousands of pounds.

      8. Guest Links

      Roy Magara (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/roymagara/
      Magara Law: https://www.magaralaw.co.uk/


      📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

      – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
      – Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
      – Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
      – Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat


      Mental health support

      UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
      UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
      US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
      Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
      Global helplines
      https://findahelpline.com


      59 min
    8. 340. Meta's management u-turn, trolling A.I and The Great Compliance. PLUS! Does purpose make us work harder? With Bill Yost

      Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture. This week, guest host Bill Yost joins Al and Leanne to dive into Meta’s management U-turn, whether purpose truly makes employees work harder, and how to navigate the modern job market and workplace surveys.


      🔥 Stories covered

      1. Meta asks employees to become managers again

        2. Meta spent the past year stripping out middle management and pushing flatter, leaner teams. Now, it's asking some Applied AI employees to step back into management roles.
        • Meta reassigned ~7,000 employees into its Applied AI division and is now asking former managers to opt back into management.
        • The move reflects a tension between pushing ultra-lean, AI-driven org structures and the reality that coordination, coaching, and leadership are still needed.
        • Is AI making managers obsolete, or does it make human judgment and leadership even more crucial?
        Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-asks-some-ai-employees-to-become-managers-again-2026-9

      2. The Great Compliance: Workers back down in 2026

        3. Recent survey data shows a shifting power dynamic between employers and workers.
        • Only 7% of employees say they would quit over a mandatory RTO policy, down from 51% in 2025.
        • 73% expect employers to expand surveillance tools to enforce accountability.
        • As control tightens and job market fears linger, what happens to long-term trust and engagement?

      3. Trolling AI interviewers

        4. Candidate Graham Zip went viral on TikTok after introducing himself as "Chick Bongo" during an automated AI job screen, proving human humor and creativity are alive and well.

        🧠 Truth or Lie: Does purpose make us work harder?

        We put the popular claim that "purpose drives performance" to the test.
        • The For case: Meta-analyses show meaningful work drives positive attitudes, organizational citizenship behaviors (going the extra mile), and overall performance.
        • The Against case: Deep purpose can lead to the "dark side of meaningful work," where employers exploit worker commitment, leading to high burnout, compassion fatigue, and existential labor.
        • The Verdict: True — with a warning! Purpose boosts effort, but it cannot replace fair pay, security, and well-being safeguards.


        💬 Workplace Surgery with Bill Yost

        • Are engagement surveys actually anonymous, and can honest feedback bite you?
        • Has getting a tech interview completely changed, and what works now?
        • Does posting consistently on LinkedIn still matter?


        Connect with Bill Yost

        LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billyost/
        Website: https://billyost.com/
        Cookies Worth Sharon: https://cookiesworthsharon.com/


        📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

        – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
        – Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
        – Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
        – Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

        Mental health support

        UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
        UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
        US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
        Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
        Global helplines
        https://findahelpline.com

        🎧 Truth, Lies & Work is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

        1 hr 5 min
      4. 339. Is a personality test just your horoscope? With Nikita Mikhailov, co-author of Personality: A User's Guide

        Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture. Are personality tests like MBTI actually helping your organisation, or are they just workplace horoscopes with better branding?

        In this Thursday episode, chartered occupational psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott sit down with personality psychologist Nikita Mikhailov, co-author of Personality: A User's Guide, to uncover the truth about psychometrics at work.

        From the dark history of early personality testing to why popular tools like MBTI refuse to die, Nikita shares why most off-the-shelf assessments only measure your own self-narrative, and how to actually use behavioural insights to build better teams.


        Topics covered:

        1. The "Self-Awareness Cake"

          2. Why personality consists of multiple layers: what you like, what you do, how you react under stress, and who you aspire to be.

        2. The Dark History & Origins of Psychometrics

          3. How early testing was tied to eugenics, and how Myers-Briggs (MBTI) percolated through corporate America despite being 80+ years old.

        3. Utilitarian Validity

          4. Why "feral constructs" like MBTI and DISC remain popular even when academic evidence is thin—and the real value they bring to team dynamic conversations.

        4. Psychopathy & Context at Work

          5. Why a "psychopath" in your office might just be a nice person in a cutthroat, highly incentivized environment.

        5. Rethinking Personality in Hiring

          6. Why using off-the-shelf personality tests to hire salespeople can backfire, and why you should hire for the specific business problem instead.

        6. Three Rules for Personality at Work

          7. Embracing complementary strengths, leading with curiosity over assumptions, and understanding that real change takes time.

          Guest Links

          Nikita Mikhailov: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikitamikhailov
          Goodness of Psychology Ltd: https://goodnessofpsychology.com/
          Psychometrics Market (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/@PsychometricsMarket

          Juliette Alban-Metcalfe Episode: https://truthliesandwork.com/guests/juliette-alban-metcalfe/


          📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

          – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
          – Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
          – Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
          – Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat


          Mental health support

          UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
          UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
          US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
          Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
          Global helplines
          https://findahelpline.com

          52 min
        7. 338. Are workplace friendships actually a good idea? PLUS! Quiet firing, 80s jobs and Xmas rotas, with Nicole Williams C.Psychol

          Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture. This week, Chartered Occupational AND Coaching Psychologist Nicole Williams joins Al and Leanne to look at 1980s jobs replaced by technology, discuss nudging out low performers, analyse the psychology of workplace friendships, and solve tricky workplace surgery dilemmas!


          🔥 Stories covered

          1. AI, automation, and 11 jobs that vanished since the 1980s

            2. Are you worried AI is coming for your job, or is it just the next step in technological innovation? Inspired by Matthew Moore's article in HELLO!, Leanne tests Al and Nicole on 11 jobs that were common in the 1980s but have almost completely disappeared—from elevator operators to paste-up artists and audio typists.
            Source: https://www.hellomagazine.com/news/922725/everyday-jobs-1980s-entirely-vanished/

          2. The 5-step "nudge": Is quiet firing performing employees smart strategy or lazy leadership?

            3. Is the hardest person to fire an employee doing their absolute best? A viral post on X suggests a 5-step process to nudge out workers instead of having tough conversations. The team breaks down whether this is a clever management approach or a sneaky way to avoid accountability.

            🧠 Truth or Lie: Are workplace friendships actually a good idea?

            Do close-knit teams perform better, or do work friendships turn into toxic cliques? Nicole Williams dives into the psychological research to reveal whether having a work bestie helps or hurts team dynamics.

            References:

            • Grossman, R., Nolan, K., Rosch, Z., Mazer, D., & Salas, E. (2022). The team cohesion-performance relationship: A meta-analysis exploring measurement approaches and the changing team landscape. Organizational Psychology Review, 12(2), 181–238.
            • Methot, J. R., LePine, J. A., Podsakoff, N. P., & Christian, J. S. (2016). Are workplace friendships a mixed blessing? Exploring tradeoffs of multiplex relationships and their associations with job performance. Personnel Psychology, 69(2), 311–355.
            • Ren, H., Gray, B., & Harrison, D. A. (2015). Triggering faultline effects in teams: The importance of bridging friendship ties and breaching animosity ties. Organization Science, 26(2), 390–404.
            • Zhang, Y., & Chen, H. (2023). How surface-level and deep-level faultlines influence team performance through subgroup formation and team interaction quality: A meta-analytic review. Management and Organization Review, 19, 876–909.


            💬 Workplace Surgery

            This week the team answers two pressingly uncomfortable questions:
            • What are the biggest red flags of a toxic workplace?
            • Why does my colleague seem to hate me for no reason?


            ⭐ Guest Host

            Nicole Williams (Chartered Occupational & Coaching Psychologist)
            • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolewilliamsorganisationalpsychology/
            • Bio Link: https://bio.link/nwop


            📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

            – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
            – Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
            – Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
            – Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat


            Mental health support

            UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
            UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
            US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
            Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
            Global helplines
            https://findahelpline.com


            🎧 Truth, Lies & Work is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

            1 hr 4 min
          3. 337. How to Hire with A.I. (Without Getting It Wrong) LIVE! With Kate Young and Ben Hawkes

            A bad hire costs a small business close to £14,000. Yet when recruitment goes wrong, business owners rarely blame technology. Instead, they blame rushed decisions, poor judgement, and a sudden flood of generic, AI-generated applications.

            So, does A.I. actually improve recruitment, or does it just make the same hiring mistakes faster?

            In this LIVE Thursday episode, hosts Al Elliott and Leanne Elliott sit down with assessment science experts Kate Young and Ben Hawkes, co-founders of The Hiring Science Studio. Together, they break down how small businesses can safely navigate AI in hiring, spot hidden algorithmic bias, and protect their bottom line.


            What We Cover

            The Real Cost of Bad Hires

            Why small business owners rush interviews and end up paying the ultimate financial price.

            The AI Application Flood

            How candidates use ChatGPT to polish CVs, and what business owners should actually screen for instead.

            Where AI Earns Its Place

            Sensible, low-risk uses of AI that save time without sacrificing human quality.

            5 To-Dos & 3 To-Never-Dos

            The ultimate rules for using AI in small business recruitment.

            Auditing Your Process

            How to perform a quick, realistic check on your existing hiring tools without needing an expensive compliance team.


            Guests

            Kate Young

            Co-founder of The Hiring Science Studio. Former Head of People Science at Sapia.ai, with over 20 years of experience designing hiring processes for FTSE 100 companies and UK government departments.
            Website: https://www.thehiringsciencestudio.com
            LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-young-1359483/

            Ben Hawkes

            Co-founder of The Hiring Science Studio and founder of TAPnet. Expert in recruitment governance and transforming global talent assessment.
            Website: https://www.thehiringsciencestudio.com
            LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benhawkes/


            Connect with Al & Leanne

            – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork

            – Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott

            – Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne

            – Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat


            Mental health support

            UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org

            UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk

            US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org

            Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au

            Global helplines

            https://findahelpline.com

            1 hr 3 min
          4. 336. Does the office actually improve collaboration? PLUS! Technostress, Instagram cringe and nightmare bosses., with Danny Wareham

            Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture. This week, guest host Danny Wareham (organisational psychologist and author of Constellation Leadership: Reimagined for a Connected Age) joins Al and Leanne Elliott to break down the science of work, debunk popular workplace myths, and solve real listener dilemmas.


            🔥 Stories covered

            1. Technostress and the Digital Mindfulness Scale

              2. Leanne shares new research from the University of Nottingham revealing the concept of "technostress" and how the Digital Mindfulness Scale measures intention, attention, and attitude to protect employees from exhaustion and burnout.
              Source: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/mindful-use-of-digital-technology-could-reduce-workplace-burnout-study-finds

            2. Executive Instagram: How much should leaders share?

              3. Al explores the line between being human and being the boss on social media. Using Kelvin Kao’s article on the dangers of oversharing and the concept of "discerned disclosure," we look at how to build real trust with your team without dumping unprocessed stress on them.
              Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/today/voices/oversharing-boss-workplace-boundary-leadership-trust-social-media-6318726

              🧠 Truth or Lie: Does returning to office actually improve collaboration?

              Danny Wareham dives into the research behind Return-To-Office pushes from companies like Amazon, Disney, and John Lewis. Does forcing people back to the desk genuinely drive teamwork, or is collaboration just an excuse for management control?


              Research mentioned:
              Brucks, M. S., & Levav, J. (2022). Virtual communication curbs creative idea generation. Nature, 605, 108–112.

              Bloom, N., Han, R., & Liang, J. (2024). Hybrid working from home improves retention without damaging performance. Nature, 630, 920–925.

              Yang, L., Holtz, D., Jaffe, S., et al. (2022). The effects of remote work on collaboration among information workers. Nature Human Behaviour, 6, 43–54.

              Schwenk, C. R. (1990). Effects of devil's advocacy and dialectical inquiry on decision making: A meta-analysis. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 47, 161–176.


              💬 Workplace Surgery

              This week we answer three pressing workplace dilemmas:
              • My former nightmare boss now reports to me
              • I think I've become the bottleneck in my own team
              • Does culture really matter if people are doing a good job?


              More from Danny Wareham

              • Website: https://dannywareham.co.uk
              • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-wareham


              📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

              – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
              – Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
              – Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
              – Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat


              Mental health support

              UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
              UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
              US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
              Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
              Global helplines
              https://findahelpline.com



              55 min
            3. 335. How storytelling saved Jurassic Park's company, with Corey Rosen

              How you deliver news to your team has a huge impact on how they react. Whether it's bad news and you want to allay fears, or good news and you want everyone to be excited - the very best way to do this is with a story.

              In this episode, professional storyteller and Moth host Corey Rosen explains why the way you deliver information matters more than the information itself, and how a single story once saved a company from the inside out. Corey should know: his career started at Industrial Light & Magic, where he accidentally erased Harrison Ford's ear from a Star Wars film, before he went on to work on Jurassic Park, the Star Wars prequels, and Jim Henson Productions.

              Corey shares the moment his old boss, legendary stop-motion animator Phil Tippett, called an all-hands meeting everyone assumed meant layoffs, and instead told a story that changed the entire mood of the room. Al and Leanne dig into why bullet points make people forget, why stories make people remember, and exactly when a leader should reach for a story instead of just giving the answer.

              Key Takeaways:

              • How You Deliver News Matters: The same information can create fear or buy-in depending on whether it's delivered as data or as a story.
              • Lead Change With the Why: Before rolling out something new, start with the story behind the decision, not the announcement itself, so people come with you instead of resisting.
              • Know When to Skip the Story: If someone just wants a status update, give them the status update. Save story for moments that need real understanding or buy-in.
              • Facts Fade, Stories Stick: Information delivered as a story activates more of the brain and is far more likely to be remembered and repeated.

                • Connect with Corey Rosen:

                – Website: https://www.yourstorywelltold.com
                – Book: A Story for Everything

                Connect with Al & Leanne

                – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
                – Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
                – Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
                – Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

                Mental health support UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au Global helplines: https://findahelpline.com


                46 min
              • 334. Overthinking, holiday hoarding and Gail's menopause plan. PLUS! Can you bank sleep?

                Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture. This week on This Week in Work, we explore AI for mental health, annual leave trends, and progressive workplace policies, plus dive into sleep research and take on your workplace surgery questions.


                🔥 Stories covered

                1. AI for Overthinkers

                  2. Psychologists in Berlin have launched Mindflex, a psychological AI designed around Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to support the 73% of young adults who overthink. Is an AI companion reaching out to check on you a breakthrough or a threat to real human connection?

                  Source: https://www.einpresswire.com/article/939689893/berlin-psychologists-launch-mindflex-a-psychological-ai-for-the-73-percent-of-young-adults-who-overthink


                2. The "Holiday Hoarding" Crisis

                  3. With half of UK workers failing to use their full holiday entitlement due to job insecurity and workload pressure, holiday hoarding is driving massive year-end burnout. We explore why leaders need to evaluate performance based on output rather than hours logged.

                  Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91589261/holiday-hoarding-is-a-workplace-crisis


                3. Gail’s Menopause Action Plan

                  4. Ahead of upcoming UK employment legislation, Gail’s Bakery is breaking workplace taboos by introducing menopause action plans and 24/7 digital GP access for employees across its 200 locations.

                  Source: https://www.thetimes.com/business/companies-markets/article/gails-menopause-plan-djlnj706k


                  🧠 Truth or Lie: Can You Bank Sleep?

                  Can you deposit extra hours of sleep before a hectic week or long trip and withdraw them when you need them? Leanne breaks down the science—from 2009 US Army studies to new research challenging the piggy bank model.

                  Sleep research sources:

                  https://sleepdebtcalc.com/blog/can-you-bank-sleep-before-a-busy-week

                  https://sleepdebtcalc.com/blog/weekend-sleep-catchup

                  Klerman, E. B., Banks, S., & Roenneberg, T. (2025). Con: sleep is a credit card, not a piggy bank. SLEEPJ, 48(12), zsaf251.

                  Thompson, M. A., Jones, C. B., & Thornburg, C. J. (2017). Sleep banking. Mil Rev, 97(1), 91-97.



                  💬 Workplace Surgery

                  This week we answer three listener questions:

                  • "I manage a fully remote team and I’m struggling with something I never really had in an office. I can see whether work gets delivered, but I can’t easily tell who’s overloaded, who’s coasting, or who might quietly be struggling. How do you get proper visibility of a remote team without turning into a micromanager?"

                  • "I run a growing business and I’ve started noticing signs that some people are stretched. How do you work out whether burnout is an individual issue or a business design problem?"

                  • "A guy on my team has been blocking out a couple of hours every afternoon with fake meetings because whenever he puts 'focus time' in his calendar, people book over it. My manager has now asked me which client he keeps meeting with. Do I tell my manager what’s going on?"


                    • 📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

                    – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork

                    – Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott

                    – Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne

                    – Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat


                    Mental health support

                    UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org

                    UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk

                    US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org

                    Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au

                    Global helplines

                    https://findahelpline.com

                    57 min

                  About Truth, Lies and Work

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