Truth, Lies and Work

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.

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, we’re here to simplify the science of work.

Summer is over and we're back with This Week in Work, where we bring you the latest headlines, expert hot takes and answer your questions in our world famous weekly workplace surgery.

🔥 Stories Covered

📌 Nestlé CEO Fired Over Secret Romance

📰 Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1mpm9ee9p9o

📌 1,000 Days of ChatGPT

📰 Read more: https://www.cityam.com/1000-days-of-chatgpt-how-has-work-changed/

📌 19 Ways to Improve Your Life, According to Science

📰 Read more: https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/19-ways-improve-your-life

🔥 Hot Take: Rage Baiting at Work

More from Vanessa:

– Website: https://www.mosaicpd.com/

💬 Workplace Surgery

❓ Do employee engagement platforms really work — or are they just tick-box exercises?

❓ I was refused unpaid leave for health reasons, but my colleague was granted it months later. What can I do? - featuring Cat Coggins from The Curve Group: https://www.thecurvegroup.co.uk/

❓ Are we too focused on experience — and missing out on talent?

🧠 Support with Mental Health and Well-being

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

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 Tony Cooke, former VP of Human Resources at Adidas, who spent decades proving that HR doesn't have to be the department everyone dreads.

Episode Summary

Imagine you're the head of an HR team and you get asked to present the team's vision for the future workforce of the largest sportswear company in Europe. But instead of sitting down and putting together the usual dull PowerPoint slide presentation, you instead decide to make a James Bond style movie. You have the MD kidnapped, he's tied up, he's stuffed into a chest and he does multiple takes until he is bruised and battered.

That's exactly what happened at Adidas, where Tony Cooke was running HR. His approach was to make HR more human by appealing to people's sense of humor and showing genuine personality. His initiatives were so effective that HQ kept stealing them and rolling them out worldwide, earning his team the nickname "The North Mafia."

What We Cover

Why HR Became the Villain

How HR became the convenient pantomime villain in organizations

The Waggish Approach

What it means to be "waggish" and take formality out of HR

Maverick Initiatives

The "Addie Oscars" - cost-neutral recognition that packed halls to the rafters

Speed dating for talent across different markets

"DIVIN" (Diversity + Inclusion) - making difficult topics fun and engaging

The James Bond Movie

How Tony's team created a spy movie instead of PowerPoint slides for Workforce 2020

Key Takeaways

1. Collaborate with Senior Stakeholders Early

2. Learn the Business Inside and Out

3. Show Your Human Side

The Results

Adidas became known as a talent factory with a conveyor belt of leaders going to senior roles across America, Amsterdam, Germany, and beyond. That's the business impact of making HR genuinely human at one of the world's most recognizable brands.

Resources

Tony Cooke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-cooke-9706341b/

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 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, we’re here to simplify the science of work.

This week we’re sharing part two of our conversation with Jon White and Nick Korte, hosts of the Nerd Journey podcast. If you missed part one, it’s in our feed as episode 224. In that first half we explored the pressure on managers in flatter organisations. Today, we flip the lens: what it’s like to be in the team, and how to thrive in uncertain times.

🔥 What We Cover

📌 Clarity is everything

📌 Psychological safety in action

📌 The role of the quiet hero

📌 Managers need support too

📌 Becoming an entrepreneur of your own reputation

🎧 Want more from Jon & Nick?

Nerd Journey Podcast: ⁠https://www.nerd-journey.com⁠

Connect with Jon White on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwhite173/⁠

Connect with Nick Korte on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickkorte/⁠

👉 Listen to Part 1 on Nerd Journey here:⁠⁠https://nerd-journey.com/task-cohesion-managing-a-larger-team-in-a-flatter-organization-amidst-a-climate-of-uncertainty-with-al-and-leanne-elliott-1-2/⁠

🧠 Support with Mental Health and Well-being

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

Samaritans (UK): Call 116 123 or email ⁠[email protected]⁠

📬 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

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

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

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, we’re here to simplify the science of work.

This week we’re joined by Meghan French Dunbar — author, speaker, business anthropologist, and former CEO who built a nationally distributed magazine before realising she was chasing all the wrong metrics. Meghan has interviewed over a thousand business leaders and in her new book This Isn’t Working she argues that everything we’ve been told about business success is upside down.

🔥 What We Cover

📌 Banana-hoarding billionaires

📌 The power of active listening

📌 What’s really broken in business

📌 Redefining success

📌 Practical inspiration

🎧 Want more from Meghan French Dunbar?

🧠 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, we’re here to simplify the science of work.

This week, we’re doing something different. Think of this as your own personal coaching session. September is the season of fresh starts — kids are back at school, Q3 is ending, and it’s the perfect time to reset before the chaos of year-end.

Over 40 minutes, Al becomes the “coachee” while Leanne guides us through five evidence-based exercises designed to help you reflect, reset, and refocus for the final stretch of 2025. And yes — you can do them right alongside us.

🔥 What We Cover (and How to Do It Yourself)

📌 STOP: A Mindfulness Reset

S – Stop what you’re doing.

T – Take a breath.

O – Observe what’s happening: your thoughts, feelings, and body.

P – Proceed with greater awareness.

📌 Three Good Things: Gratitude with Science

📌 Future Self Vision: Planning with Perspective

What have you achieved?

What challenges did you overcome?

How do you feel?

📌 WOOP Goal Setting: Turning Wishes into Action

W – Wish: What do you want to achieve?

O – Outcome: What would it look and feel like if you succeeded?

O – Obstacle: What could get in the way?

P – Plan: What will you do when that obstacle shows up?

📌 Energy Intention: Carrying the Right Mindset

“How do I want to show up?”

“What energy do I want to bring to my team, my family, my work?”

🧠 Support with Mental Health and Well-being

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne