Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work — the award-winning podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture, brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

Hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott, this week’s headlines dive into generational friction, AI disruption, and Amazon’s latest layoffs — plus the psychology behind “Your vibe attracts your tribe.”

🔥 This Week’s Stories

🧃 Gen Z vs Everyone Else

📰 Source: The Telegraph – Six ways Gen Z are “ruining” the workplace

🤖 40 Jobs AI Might Replace (and 40 It Can’t)

📰 Source: Sky News – The 40 jobs most at risk from AI

📦 Amazon’s AI-Fuelled Layoffs

📰 Source: Fortune – Amazon plans new round of layoffs

🧠 Truth or Lie: “Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe”

Does your energy really shape the people around you — or is it just another social media myth? Leanne examines the science behind attraction, similarity, and social mirroring. From the “chameleon effect” to homophily, find out what really draws people together (and what pushes them apart).

💬 Workplace Surgery

A remote employee might secretly be working two full-time jobs — what should you do?

How do you motivate your team to actually upskill?

You’ve started a new job full of red flags — do you fix it or flee?

🧠 Support with Mental Health and Well-being

– Mind UK: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

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

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture — brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

Our guest is Mamie Kanfer Stewart — host of The Modern Manager podcast, author of Momentum, and founder of Meeteor — who has dedicated her career to transforming meetings from time-wasting nightmares into spaces for decision-making, creativity, and genuine collaboration.

🔥 What We Cover

📌 Why most meetings fail
Mamie shares how growing up in a culture that encouraged open, challenging conversations gave her a unique perspective — and why most organisations get the fundamentals of meetings wrong.

📌 Feedback conversations that don’t implode
Learn Mamie’s frameworks for difficult one-to-one meetings, including how to give feedback to someone more senior without tanking your reputation.

📌 Group decision-making without the chaos
From dominant voices to silent stakeholders, Mamie explains how to prepare for and run complex meetings that lead to real decisions instead of endless back-and-forth.

📌 The “zero to five” strategy
Mamie reveals a simple but powerful technique that turned a potentially hour-long battle into a 15-minute consensus — and how you can use it too.

📌 When meetings should be emails — and when they really shouldn’t
We tackle the internet’s favourite complaint. Mamie explains the real issue behind “this could’ve been an email” and why the answer isn’t fewer meetings, but better ones.

🎧 Want more from Mamie Kanfer Stewart?
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamiekanferstewart/
– Meeteor: https://www.meeteor.com/
– The Modern Manager: https://www.themodernmanager.com/
– Mamie KS: https://www.mamieks.com/

🧠 Support with Mental Health and Well-being

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work — the award-winning podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture, brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network. Hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott, every Tuesday we unpack the biggest workplace news stories, decode the psychology, and tackle real listener dilemmas.

🔥 This Week’s Stories

🍞 Breadcrumbing at Work
A new HR buzzword has arrived. Originally a dating term, “breadcrumbing” describes when managers hint at promotions, raises, or development opportunities but never follow through. In a shaky economy where pay rises and mobility are stalling, leaders may be tempted to keep talent with vague promises — but the psychology shows this kills trust and motivation.

Source: Cangrade, “2025 HR Buzzwords”
https://www.cangrade.com/blog/talent-management/24-hr-buzzwords-to-know-in-2025/

☕ Starbucks’ “Fabricated Empathy” Problem
New CEO Brian Nichol’s “Back to Starbucks” plan mandates scripted customer interactions — eye contact, cup messages, four-minute service times — alongside tighter dress codes and reduced remote work. The goal: revive sales. The risk: forcing fake connection and alienating both staff and customers.

Source: Minda Zetlin, Inc.com
https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/starbucks-just-announced-a-new-policy-its-a-failure-of-leadership/91243638
https://x.com/mindazetlin

📞 The Dubai Sales Machine
Would you make 100 calls a day for £24,000 a year? A London firm is hiring trainee wealth managers in Dubai with brutal daily quotas and little base pay. They call it “resilience.” We break down why high pressure without autonomy or purpose can wreck motivation.

Source: Louis Goss, The Telegraph
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/l/lk-lo/louis-goss/

🧠 Truth or Lie

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is on every business school slide, but is it actually true? We dig into the real history — including the missing “sixth level” Maslow added — and what modern psychology says about human motivation.

💬 Workplace Surgery

What do you do when your top performer is destroying team morale?

How can you keep remote teams genuinely connected?

And how do founders protect their wellbeing when the business never switches off?

🧠 Support with Mental Health and Well-being

– Mind UK: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

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

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

Hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott, this episode features Josh Levine, work futurist, author of "Great Mondays," and culture consultant who's helped companies like Credit Karma navigate the treacherous waters of hypergrowth.

Episode Summary

Picture this: You've built something special. Your team of 15 feels like family. Everyone knows everyone. The culture just works. But now you're staring down growth - maybe to 50, maybe to 100 employees. And there's this gnawing fear: what if scaling breaks everything we've built?

What We Cover

The 50-Employee Breaking Point

From Implicit to Explicit

The Three-Step Framework

Why Most Values Fail

Recognition Done Right

Trust as Infrastructure

The WD-40 Case Study

Measuring Culture at Scale

Resources

Connect with Josh Levine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akajoshlevine

Mental Health Support

This episode discusses workplace stress, burnout, and the challenges of scaling culture. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health:

UK:

US:

International:

Connect with Your Hosts

Want a chat about your workplace culture? [email protected]

Got feedback/questions/guest suggestions? Email [email protected]

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

Hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott, bringing you the latest workplace stories that actually matter.

News Round Up

Digital Hangover - The New Workplace Epidemic

Psychologies Magazine article: https://pocketmags.com/us/psychologies-magazine/oct-25/articles/the-science-of-wellbeing-how-to-shake-off-a-digital-hangover?srsltid=AfmBOorVwGPxFvEpTNB5EZru-bMQUVahEMrR_Nk5KLVp4daxRgI7CV3W

Is Workplace Humour Too Risky?

Research article: https://phys.org/news/2025-09-funny.html

MrBeast's Vibe Check: Smart Hiring or Commitment Avoidance?

Business Insider article: https://www.businessinsider.com/why-mrbeast-vibe-checks-new-hires-2025-10

Truth or Lie?

Are Tall People Really More Successfully

Workplace Surgery

Real listener questions this week:

Mental Health Support

This episode discusses workplace stress, burnout, and the impact of digital overload on mental wellbeing. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health:

UK:

US:

International:

Connect with Your Hosts

Want a chat about your workplace culture? [email protected]

Got feedback/questions/guest suggestions? Email [email protected]

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

Hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott, this episode features Professors Ina Purvanova and Alanah Mitchell, authors of "The New Workplace" and experts who've spent years studying remote, hybrid, and in-office work arrangements.

Episode Summary

What if hybrid working isn't the best of both worlds, but actually the worst? Professors Ina Purvanova and Alanah Mitchell have mapped nine different work personas - from "officers" who never want to leave the office, to "avatars" who live entirely online, to "integrators" trying to bridge both worlds. Their research reveals that 65% of workers are now aligned with their company's workplace strategy, but that still leaves 35% struggling with misalignment that affects engagement, commitment, and ultimately performance.

This conversation explores what happens when work personas collide, why hybrid can create more conflict than clarity, and how leaders can move their teams from misaligned to at least half-aligned without losing their best people. You'll hear heartbreaking stories of young workers describing themselves as "soulless husks" when forced to work remotely, and female executives who prefer office work for unexpected reasons.

What We Cover

The Nine Work Personas

Why Hybrid Creates Conflict

The Alignment Problem

Task-Location Fit

Who Decides the Strategy

Personas Change Over Time

Recruitment Reality

The Future of Work

Resources

The New Workplace book website: https://thenewworkplacebook.com/

Mental Health Support

The episode discusses some difficult workplace experiences, including feelings of isolation, loneliness, and depression. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health:

UK:

US:

International:

Connect with Your Hosts

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

Hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott, bringing you the latest workplace stories that actually matter.

News Round Up

Office Frogging - Gen Z's Job-Hopping Trend

Forbes article on Office Frogging: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2025/09/18/office-frogging-gen-zs-career-trend-disrupts-employer-expectations/

Workslop - AI's Productivity Problem

Harvard Business Review article: https://hbr.org/2025/09/ai-generated-workslop-is-destroying-productivity

Deloitte's £4.9m Pay Rise Problem

The Times article: https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/companies/article/deloitte-uks-chief-executive-receives-17-percent-pay-rise-to-49m-kshc08cqr

Truth or Lie?

Left-Handed People Are More Creative Because They Use the Right Side of Their Brain

Workplace Surgery

Real listener questions this week:

Connect with Your Hosts

Want a chat about your workplace culture? [email protected]

Got feedback/questions/guest suggestions? Email [email protected]

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

Hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott, this episode celebrates friend of the show Isabel Berwick and the paperback release of her bestselling book "The Future-Proof Career."

Episode Summary

We're thrilled to welcome back Isabel Berwick, the Financial Times' work and careers editor and host of the "Working It" podcast. With her bestselling book "The Future-Proof Career" now available in paperback, Isabel shares her insights on making working work for you in our post-pandemic world.

This conversation covers everything from the characteristics that make managers truly effective to emerging workplace trends like "greedy jobs" and workplace polarisation. Isabel also tackles some of our toughest listener questions about managing difficult relationships, career development for younger workers, and finding balance in an increasingly demanding work environment.

What We Cover

The Accidental Manager Crisis

Social Media's Workplace Impact

What Makes Managers Actually Effective

2024's Biggest Workplace Trends

Career Advice for Younger Workers

The Power of Reverse Mentoring

Managing People You Don't Like

Listener Q&A

Resources

Follow Isabel on X: https://twitter.com/isabelberwick

Connect with Your Hosts

Want a chat about your workplace culture? [email protected]

Got feedback/questions/guest suggestions? Email [email protected]

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

Hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott, bringing you the latest workplace stories that actually matter.

This week we explore "job hugging" - the new workplace trend where people stay in roles they don't love out of fear rather than engagement. Plus troubling reports from inside Microsoft suggest a cultural shift leaving employees feeling powerless, and we launch our new "Truth or Lie?" segment examining whether white noise actually helps concentration.

News Roundup:

Job Hugging - The New Workplace Trend

Nicole Williamson's LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nicolewilliamsorganisationalpsychology_first-we-had-quiet-quitting-now-its-activity-7373611657425559552-NZL-?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAPpxk8B1ivB8GiszIgdppDkaIkcd6hBmOo

Microsoft Culture Crisis

Microsoft story: https://www.financialexpress.com/trending/its-scaring-me-microsoft-employee-of-7-years-says-current-work-culture-has-changed-for-the-worse/3982230/

Arthur Brooks on Career Risk

Simon Sinek article: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/18/simon-sinek-backwards-career-moves-can-make-you-happier-more-successful.html

Truth or Lie?!

Workplace Surgery:

Real listener questions this week:

Get in touch:

Want a chat about your workplace culture? [email protected]

Got feedback/questions/guest suggestions? Email [email protected]

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

Hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott, this episode features one of the most brutally honest interviews we've ever had about what it really takes to lead people the right way.

Episode Summary

Picture this: you're in your mid-twenties, walking into a Detroit manufacturing plant for your first day as head of labor relations. Your job involves firing at least one person every single week, and you discover that you are a very different person to everyone who did this job before you - because you're the first woman in the role, and more importantly, the first one who doesn't carry a gun.

Today's guest, Amy Bouque, Chief People Officer at Kelly Services, shares stories from her 30-year career in HR that most C-suite executives would never dare share publicly. From devastating personal loss that changed her leadership philosophy to investigating phantom poopers and naked Barbies in compromising positions, Amy gives us an unfiltered look at the messy reality of leading people.

What We Cover

Transformative Career Moments

Amy's early days in Detroit manufacturing plants where armed security walked her to her car

Leadership Myths Busted

Why the myth that "leaders are born, not made" is holding organizations back

Real-World Advice for Small Businesses

How to build culture when money is tight using the "Yes, And" approach

Having Difficult Conversations

The Content-Pattern-Relationship framework for performance issues

Key Takeaways

1. Connection Beats Command Amy learned the hard way that moving fast and making decisions quickly meant nothing if her team didn't want to work for her. Slow down, invest in relationships, and yes - it matters if your team likes you.

2. Embrace the Messy Middle Sometimes you do work Sundays. No, you might not be comfortable with someone working 20 hours for 40 hours of pay. It's okay to admit the complex reality instead of pretending everything's perfect.

3. Have the Conversation Script it, practice it, breathe through it - but have the difficult conversation. Not having these conversations isn't kindness; it's disrespectful to your team who already knows who's not pulling their weight.

Resources

Amy Bouque on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-bouque-she-her-hers-520a855/

Connect with Your Host

Want a chat about your workplace culture? [email protected]

Got feedback/questions/guest suggestions? Email [email protected]

Amy's confessions remind us that even C-Suite executives are learning as they go. The difference is Amy is brave enough to admit it. We all deserve leaders who see our humanity, even when they're having to make the hard decisions - even if those decisions involve investigating naked Barbies.