A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle
Jimmy Barber and James Lawther
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About This Podcast
A Job Done Well: for managers caught in the middle
A Job Done Well is for managers caught in the middle of large organisations—stuck between the strategy from above and the reality on the ground. Hosted by Jimmy Barber and James Lawther, this is a straight-talking, often funny look at what work is really like inside big businesses. With decades of experience—from shop floors to senior leadership—they’ve seen the decisions, the dysfunction, and the small wins that actually make a difference. Each episode unpacks real situations, practical ways to handle them, and the mindset shifts that make work not just more effective—but more bearable.
If you’ve ever thought, “surely it’s not just me?”—it isn’t.
Contact us and let us know what you think.
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Recent Episodes
S3E33 Everything We Get Wrong About High Performers
Everyone wants a team of high performers. Or do they? This week, Jimmy and James dismantle the corporate obsession with “high performers”—a label so vague it could mean anything from “top…
S3E32 Why Nothing Ever Changes At Work
Ever sat in a meeting where the same problem gets rehashed for the nth time, only for nothing to change? Welcome to the world of organisational inertia—where analysis paralysis, over-collaboration,…
S3E31 Why Performance Reviews Make Companies Worse (And What Actually Works)...
Performance management systems: the corporate treadmill to nowhere. Organisations preach the gospel of improvement, then build systems so convoluted they’d make Kafka weep. Ratings are political,…
S3E30 Everything at Work Is Really About Status
Ever wondered why your team’s brilliant technical expert turns into a bumbling fool the second they’re promoted? Or why your boss would rather launch a doomed rocket than admit a mistake? Welcome to…
S3E29 Why You’re Doing Everyone Else’s Job (And How It Creeps Up on You)
Ever noticed how the most capable managers end up drowning in work that isn’t theirs? This episode of A Job Done Well dives into the maddening cycle of overworked employees who absorb tasks like a…
S3E28 The Way You’re Solving Problems Is Probably Wrong
Let’s be honest: most managers don’t know how to solve problems. They spend their days firefighting issues they don’t understand, slapping on plasters, and praying the next disaster waits until they…
S3E27 When You Don’t Agree With The Message (But Still Have To Deliver It)
Ever been stuck delivering a message at work that makes you froth at the mouth like a rabid dog? Welcome to the club. This week on A Job Done Well, Jimmy and James tackle one of the most…
S3E26 How to Deal With a Bad Boss
Bad bosses: the office equivalent of a microwave with a broken timer. It either leaves your career frozen in the middle or burns it to a crisp, and you’re never quite sure which setting it’s on…
S3E25 Stuck in the Middle: Why Managers Burn Out
Welcome to another episode of A Job Done Well, where Jimmy and James dissect the brutal reality of middle management—a role where you’re accountable for everything and in control of nothing. This…
S3E24 The Job You're Never Fully Prepared For: Managing People
Managing people is the corporate equivalent of being handed a live grenade with the pin already pulled. You’re promoted because you’re brilliant at your day job—only to discover that managing humans…
S3E23 Why Your Tech-First Transformation Is a Waste of Money – With Paul Howley
This week, Jimmy and James are joined by Paul Howley—a former radio astronomer turned corporate transformation expert—to dismantle the myth that technology is the answer to all organisational change.…
S3E22 100 Episodes In: The Hard Truths About Management
After a hundred episodes of dissecting corporate nonsense, Jimmy and James finally admit what you already knew: the system is rigged, your boss matters more than your paycheck, and no one cares about…
S3E21 Fitting In: Is the Corporate Mask Exhausting You?
Fitting in at work isn’t just about wearing the right shirt or laughing at the boss’s jokes—it’s about survival. Or at least, that’s how it feels. This week on A Job Done Well, James and Jimmy are…
S3E20 Your System Is the Problem (Here Is How You Fix It) - With John Seddon
Welcome to the 100th episode of A Job Done Well—where we celebrate the art of calling out corporate nonsense and replacing it with something that actually works. This week, we’re joined by John…
S3E19 You Don’t Have a Time Problem—You Have a ‘Saying Yes’ Problem
You don’t need better time management.You need to stop agreeing to things you shouldn’t be doing. Saying no isn’t about being difficult—it’s about protecting your priorities, your sanity, and,…
S3E18 Corporate Noise: How to Keep Calm When Everyone’s Shouting
Work is noisy. Not just the hum of open-plan offices or the ping of endless emails, but the soul-sapping, productivity-killing corporate noise—the meetings that should have been emails, the politics…
S3E17 Values at Work: Are They Just Corporate Wallpaper?
This week, Jimmy and James welcome back Dr. Jackie Le Fèvre—aka “Dr. Values”—to dissect the messy, often hypocritical world of organisational and team values. Spoiler: those shiny plaques in the…
S3E16 Risk Management: Why You Hate It and How to Make It Useful
Risk management—it’s the corporate equivalent of eating your greens. You know it’s good for you, but sometimes you’d rather scoop your eyeballs out with a teaspoon than sit through another risk…
S3E15 Understand Your Values: Are You Clashing With the Machine?
Ever felt like you’re swimming against the tide at work, but can’t quite put your finger on why? Or maybe you’ve said “yes” to something only to regret it later, wondering why you ignored that gut…
S3E14 Hybrid Working: How to Make It Work Without Losing Your Mind (or Your Team)
Welcome to A Job Done Well, the podcast for managers who want to improve their performance—and enjoy their jobs. Hosted by Jimmy Barber and James Lawther, this episode tackles hybrid working, a topic…
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A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle has published 113 episodes since October 2023, covering topics in Business, Careers.
A Job Done Well - For Managers Caught in the Middle is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 29m.
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