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Can you really go through the rest of your life without ever getting into another fight or argument?
n this episode, trial lawyer turned professional peacemaker Doug Noll explains how "affect labeling" and nervous system leadership can de-escalate even the most explosive conflict - from maximum-security prisons to corporate boardrooms.
Doug shares the fascinating neuroscience behind why conventional active listening fails, how to calm a dysregulated brain in 90 seconds, and why empathy is a critical leadership capability rather than a "soft skill."
Key Takeaways:
Nervous System Leadership: Conflicts worsen when leaders fail to realize they are managing dysregulated threat responses rather than rational actors.
The 90-Second Rule: Naming someone's underlying emotions directly ("You are angry," "You feel disrespected") activates the prefrontal cortex and calms negative emotional centers in under 90 seconds.
Avoid "I" Statements & Questions: Asking questions or using "I" statements forces an escalated person to use their prefrontal cortex, which is temporarily offline, leading to further frustration.
The Three Core Questions: Every nervous system constantly asks: Am I safe? Can I trust you? Do I matter to you?
Connect with Doug Noll:
Connect with Al & Leanne
Mental health support
Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture, brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.
Every New Year's Eve, hosts Al and Leanne make bold, confident predictions about what the next year of work will look like. Some are rooted in occupational psychology, some in business experience, and some... are just Al getting carried away.
In this special Summer Sessions episode, we dig through four years of predictions from 2023 through 2026 for a brutally honest, self-deprecating review of our past calls. From the rapid rise of AI agents and skills-based hiring to the over-hyped promises of AI burnout prediction and corporate transparency, find out who actually holds the ultimate workplace crystal ball.
🔥 What We Covered
2023 Predictions: Skills-based hiring vs. degree requirements, ChatGPT as a personal workplace coach, and the permanent shift to hybrid working.
2024 Predictions: Employee retention strategies, corporate transparency fails, and why AI missed the mark on predicting workplace burnout.
2025 Predictions: Why empathy became the defining AI-era leadership skill, the explosion of autonomous AI agents, and personalized financial wellbeing.
2026 Halfway Progress Report: Are human-centric skills becoming more valuable? Is AI fading into invisible infrastructure? And how are we measuring outcome-based productivity?
💡 Key Takeaways
Skills Over Degrees: Leanne accurately called the shift to competency-based, skills-first hiring as employers moved away from rigid qualification requirements.
AI as a Thinking Partner: Employees routinely use generative AI as a personal sounding board for difficult workplace conversations and leadership prep.
The Burnout Miss: AI was heavily leveraged for workplace productivity, meeting summaries, and administrative tasks—not for predicting employee burnout or monitoring mental health.
Agentic AI Arrives: Workflows shifted rapidly from basic AI prompt-writing to autonomous AI agents acting as digital colleagues.
Human Skills Matter Most: As routine tasks automate, empathy, judgment, ethics, and emotional intelligence have become the ultimate leadership differentiators.
📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
Mental health support
This week, we are taking a short break from our usual format for a Summer Sessions feed drop. We are sharing a special episode from Unbehaved, where host Meghan French Dunbar turns the tables and interviews us!
We dive deep into how we met during an overnight shift volunteering at the Samaritans, the real story behind building the UK's number one management podcast, and how to stop making decisions based on what other people think. We also discuss why we decided to leave traditional career paths behind to become digital nomads, how we navigate working together as a married couple, and our take on the latest workplace trends like AI fears and shifting DEI dynamics.
Check out Unbehaved:
Find Unbehaved on your favorite podcast app or visit https://www.meghanfrenchdunbar.com/podcast
Connect with Meghan French Dunbar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghanfrenchdunbar/
Content Warning:
This episode opens with a discussion about a call regarding a suicide in progress from our time volunteering at the Samaritans. If you prefer to skip this section, fast-forward to around the six-minute mark.
📬 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
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.
Ever wondered what really goes on behind the closed doors of an HR office? In this Summer Session episode, Al and Leanne open up the anonymous HR filing cabinet—and it gets wildly unhinged.
We're joined by viral content creator, HR consultant, and founder of Be Unstoppable, Emma Djemil. We dive into the hilarious reality behind her viral HR house tracks and parody videos that have taken the HR community by storm.
Then, Emma joins Al and Leanne for a round of raw, anonymous HR Confessions sourced straight from the depths of Reddit and online forums. From employees peeing out of car windows and a 7-hour bathroom standoff, no topic is off-limits.
Expect cringing, laughing, and a lot of 'inappropriate behaviour'!
🔥 Episode Highlights & Confessions Covered
Emma Djemil's Viral HR Tracks: How parody videos turned HR pain points into viral house tracks, and why comedy is the ultimate antidote for workplace stress.
The Parking Lot Incident: The physics, the shock, and the tattoo identification behind an employee using her car window as a restroom.
The 7-Hour Bathroom Standoff: A wild story of drug testing, bathroom floor meals, and complete benefit confusion.
Speed Round Shockers: Masturbation in cubicles, golf course "working from home," and pants-changing protocol.
👤 Connect with Emma Djemil & Be Unstoppable
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/be-unstoppable/
Website: https://thehrbigmeet.com
Email: [email protected]
📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
Mental health support
Global helplineshttps://findahelpline.com
Truth, Lies and Work is brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.
Is Burnout an Individual or Organisational Problem? (Feed Drop: Fried: The Burnout Podcast)
In this special summer feed drop, we’re taking a short break from our regular format to bring you a conversation from a show we genuinely love and listen to: Fried: The Burnout Podcast, hosted by the brilliant Cait Donovan!
In this episode, Cait puts our very own Chartered Occupational Psychologist, Leanne Elliott, in the hot seat. They dive deep into the messy, nuanced reality of workplace culture, systemic stress, and employee wellbeing. Cait doesn't let Leanne off lightly, challenging her on everything from the validity of psychometric tests to where manager training fails and where individual responsibility ends and organizational responsibility begins.
If you’ve ever wondered why workplace stress persists despite wellness initiatives, or how we can build truly supportive work environments, this honest, no-bullshit discussion is for you.
🎙 Key Takeaways
The System vs. The Individual: Burnout isn't just about an individual's resilience or biology, nor is it purely an organizational failure. Sustainable workplace mental health requires looking at both the person and the system they operate in.
Middle Managers Are Set Up to Fail: Managers have the single biggest impact on employee engagement and mental health, yet over 90% of new managers receive zero formal training. We must equip leaders with prosocial skills, empathy, and listening tools.
Culture is Defined by What You Tolerate: From micro-incivilities to vague role expectations, toxicity often starts in subtle daily behaviors. True psychological safety means creating an environment where friction can be addressed safely before it turns toxic.
🕒 Timestamps & Chapter Markers
00:00 – Introduction: Welcome to Truth, Lies & Work & Feed Drop Announcement
02:00 – Leanne Joins Fried: Being Real on LinkedIn & Ethical Gray Zones
08:00 – Occupational Psychology vs. Medical Science in Burnout Research
10:30 – Diagnosing Workplace Culture & Psychosocial Risk Factors
15:30 – Psychosocial Risks vs. Culture: Which Comes First?
21:00 – "Right Parcel, Wrong Address": Bad Fit vs. True Workplace Toxicity
24:30 – Recognizing Subtle Incivility & Emotional Manipulation at Work
31:00 – Generational Myths vs. Managing Early-Career Employees
38:00 – The Middle Manager Crisis: Why 92% of Managers Are Unprepared
48:00 – Constructive Conflict, Self-Reflection, and Building Awareness
56:30 – Wrap-up & 3 Key Takeaways from Al & Leanne
🔗 Connect with Cait Donovan & Fried: The Burnout Podcast
To learn more about Cait's corporate workshops, keynote speaking, and her mission to eradicate chronic stress, visit her website or connect with her on social media. Don't forget to listen to Leanne's guest appearance on Fried: The Burnout Podcast this week!
Listen to Fried: The Burnout Podcast: https://caitdonovan.com/podcast
Website: https://www.caitdonovan.com
BurnBold Website: https://www.burnbold.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caitdonovanspeaks
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitdonovan
📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
Mental health support
Are workplace dilemmas ever really black and white?
Welcome back to another Summer Session of Truth, Lies & Work! For this episode, Al and Leanne are ditching the traditional workplace news to tackle some of the internet's most controversial, outrageous, and downright petty workplace dilemmas—Am I the Arsehole? style.
Joining the panel is organisational psychologist and friend of the show, Dr. Jake Tuber. Together, they dissect real-life workplace conflicts to decide who is in the right, who is in the wrong, and who was completely out of order.
⚖️ The Dilemmas on Trial Today:
The $1,800 Stolen Chair: What happens when a colleague steals your high-end office chair, your boss tells you "first-come, first-served," and the police get involved?
The Tragic Firing: Is a company justified in firing a 22-year-old employee whose performance dropped right after losing both parents in a tragic accident?
The Public Ultimatum: What should happen when an employee bypasses their line manager to escalate an issue publicly to senior executive leadership?
Whether you're listening on your morning commute or relaxing by the pool, play along and see if you agree with the verdicts!
🤝 Connect with Dr. Jake Tuber
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaketuber/
Website: http://www.ticonadvisory.com
Podcast: https://www.ticonadvisory.com/podcast
🎁 Special Offer: Get 6 months of free access to Jake's Substack, Workwise: https://workwise.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=1e481d0b
📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
Mental health support
Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture, brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.
When was the last time you came back from a holiday genuinely refreshed? For many leaders, managers, and high-achieving professionals, summer isn't relaxing. You spend weeks clearing your inbox before you leave, spend your holiday feeling guilty for not working, check your emails "just in case", and come back to an overflowing inbox needing another break.
So why is switching off so difficult?
In this episode, hosts Al and Leanne are joined by Dr. Rachel Morris, former GP, keynote speaker, and host of the You Are Not A Frog podcast. Together, they explore why high achievers struggle to rest, how summer can inadvertently trigger burnout, and 5 practical strategies to genuinely recharge before September.
💡 What You'll Learn in This Episode
The "Responsibility Trap": Why conscientious professionals struggle to unplug.
The Pre-Holiday Firefight: Why working double time before taking leave backfires.
Rest vs. Guilt: How to reframe the guilt you feel when stepping away from work.
5 Practical Recovery Tips: Actionable ways to protect your energy and return to work genuinely refreshed.
📌 Dr Rachel Morris's 5 Tips to Switch Off
Book your recovery in before anything else
Get clear on what’s in your control in the summer
Stop rescuing other people
Expect the guilt and use it as evidence
You don’t need to earn your rest
🔗 Links & Resources
Self-Assessment Resource: Download the Am I Stressed, Overwhelmed or Burned Out PDF Self Assessment Toolkit: https://youarenotafrog.com/toolkit/
Connect with Dr Rachel Morris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rachel-morris
Listen to You Are Not a Frog Podcast: https://youarenotafrog.com/about/
📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
Mental health support
Welcome to another edition of our Truth, Lies & Work Summer Sessions! For this episode, Al and Leanne take a quick break from workplace news and heavy behavioural science to host a special summer game: Corporate Family Fortunes.
Joining the fun is organisational psychologist, leadership expert, speaker, and author Danny Wareham. They dive into survey results on the most irritating workplace habits, awkward social activities, how people really unwind after a stressful day, and the hidden psychological traps of office life.
⏱️ Episode Chapters
00:00 – Intro & Summer Sessions Housekeeping
02:40 – Introducing Danny Wareham & Constellation
05:00 – Post-Book Tour Life, Award Season, & Authentic LinkedIn Content
09:50 – What Makes a True Christmas Movie? (In August!)
13:05 – Round 1: Most Annoying Office Habits & Smelly Food
16:45 – Round 2: What Makes People Angriest at Work?
20:50 – Round 3: Which Work Social Activities Do People Avoid?
28:00 – Round 4: What Keeps Employees from Quitting?
34:00 – Round 5: Annoying Communication Styles & Voice Note Debates
45:30 – Round 6: The Weirdest Things Found in Desk Drawers
51:00 – Round 7: How Workers Really Unwind After a Stressful Day
57:50 – Wrap-up & What’s Coming Next Week
🎧 Want more from Danny Wareham?
– Website: dannywareham.co.uk
📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
Mental health support
Have you ever looked at a calendar packed with back-to-back, colour-coded blocks and felt a strange sense of pride?
In today’s workplace culture, a hectic diary isn’t just a schedule—it’s an identity. But what if all those reflex "yeses," endless Zoom syncs, and low-value emails are actually destroying your performance and pushing you toward burnout?
In this episode of Truth, Lies & Work, host Al Elliott sits down with executive coach, author, and speaker Chris Lovett to discuss how applying a "less is more" mindset to your job can lead to radically better results.
From stepping on an old 1990s CD case to convincing a senior leader to decline every meeting for a week, Chris shares actionable strategies to help you break free from busywork, reclaim your time, and become a true "corporate athlete."
The Break Point: How stepping on a Mark Morrison CD case led Chris to sell almost everything he owned, board a flight to Copenhagen, and completely redefine success.
The Meeting Experiment: What happened when a senior leader declined a whole week of meetings—and why only one person noticed?
The "Needing to Be Needed" Trap: Why we treat calendar invitations like hits of dopamine, and how over-helping your team actually stunts their growth.
Are You a Corporate Athlete? Why high performers build tactical rest into their days, and how back-to-back meetings drop your attention and engagement by up to 40%.
Strategic Laziness & Small Rebellions: Tactical scripts and questions you can start using today to protect your time without burning bridges or looking uncooperative.
Connect with Chris:
Website: https://chrislovett.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-lovett-29176933/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok/@chris_lovett
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christolovett/
Books: Relentless & Discovery of Less
📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
Mental health support
Welcome to another episode of our Summer Sessions! Every August, we take a short break from our usual news roundups and deep dives to bring you lighter, conversational, and debate-style episodes. These are designed to be enjoyed while you're out on a summer walk, driving, or taking a well-deserved break from work.
In this second episode of the series, Al Elliott and Leanne Elliott are joined by author, speaker, and host of the Unbehaved podcast, Meghan French Dunbar. Together, they put some of the biggest workplace behaviours, leadership advice, and organisational trends to the test in a fast-paced game of Workplace Red Flag or Green Flag?
From unlimited PTO and salary transparency to reception wall values and office dogs, we debate the unwritten rules of work—and challenge whether the things we accept as "normal" are actually helping or hurting workplace culture.
Topics We Debate in This Episode:
Unlimited Holiday: A genuine employee perk, or a trap that leads to taking less time off?
Values on the Wall: Inspiration, or a clear sign of corporate virtue signaling?
Salary Transparency: A green flag for pay equity, or a recipe for workplace chaos?
Workplace Tropes: What do office dogs with email addresses, "we're like a family" statements, and founder-led interviews really say about a company?
🏢 Companies & Resources Mentioned:
Barry-Wehmiller: https://www.barrywehmiller.com/
Torani Syrups: https://www.torani.com/
Zingerman's: https://www.zingermans.com/
🎧 Want more from Meghan French Dunbar?
– Website: https://www.meghanfrenchdunbar.com/book
📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
🧠 Mental Health Support
– UK & ROI — Samaritans: Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
Truth, Lies and Work is brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.
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