A Job Done Well - Making Work Better
Welcome to "A Job Done Well", the podcast that makes work better.
Each week, Jimmy and James will bring you an entertaining and informative show that will transform how you work. Their backgrounds – everything from running a multi-million-pound business to packing frozen peas – have given them a rich assortment of flops (and the occasional success) to learn from.
Whether you are the leader of your own business, manage an operations team, or just want to do your job better and enjoy it more, this podcast is essential listening. It provides insights, advice, analysis and humour to improve your performance and enjoyment at work.
The podcast is guaranteed to make your commute to work fly and may also help if you suffer from insomnia.
Contact us and let us know what you think.
Episodes
93 episodes
Mastering Decisions: The Manager's Essential Skill
In this week’s episode, we discuss effective decision-making. It is the cornerstone of good management, and makes up 80-90% of a manager’s role. While pressure and incomplete information are constants, improving this skill is the fastest route ...
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Season 3
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Episode 13
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32:32
Is Conflict Our Greatest Natural Resource?
This episode introduces special guest Charles Irvine, who proposes a provocative idea: Conflict is our greatest natural resource.Key Discussion PointsThe Problem with Denial: Jimmy, James and Charles discuss how much time, ...
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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38:15
High Performing Teams Part 2 – With Elana Friedman
Building on their previous discussion, this episode explores the second half of Elana’s Adaptable Team framework, focusing on two key areas: the learning rhythm within teams and the dynamics of team leadership.Elana shares practical insi...
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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36:17
Do You Need (or Want) Process Improvement?
In the latest episode of "A Job Done Well," James Lawther and Jimmy Barber confront a polarising topic: Process Improvement. They tackle the central debate—is it essential for organisational health, or simply bureaucratic overhead?
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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33:23
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High Performing Teams Part 1 – With Elana Friedman
Elana Friedman, an expert in organisational development and team dynamics, joins James Lawther and Jimmy Barber this week to discuss the secrets of high-performing teams.Elana shares her journey from South Africa to the UK, and how her e...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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38:16
How to Get Promoted Without Selling Your Soul
This week, hosts James Lawther and Jimmy Barber explore the subject of getting promoted and suggest how you can go about it without compromising your values or playing games. They discuss how promotions work in organisations, the im...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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30:58
How to Make Difficult Conversations Easy – with Amanda Gilbert
In this episode of "A Job Done Well," James Lawther and Jimmy Barber are joined by learning and development expert Amanda Gilbert to tackle a topic we all face but often dread: difficult conversations at work (and beyond).After a quick ...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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35:37
How to Prioritise Your Work and Increase Your Effectiveness
In today's world, we all face too many demands on our time—where do you start? How can you achieve more? The answer is never to work harder! This week, hosts James Lawther and Jimmy Barber explore ways you can prioritise the demands on your tim...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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27:25
How You Can Make Work a Source of Vitality
Do you end each day full of energy or drained and in need of recovery? This week's guest, Ben Simpson, believes that our working lives should be a source of vitality, and not something we have to recover from, and he shares his insights on how ...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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36:13
How to Inspire Your Team
Everyone wants to inspire people - it's an ambition, a badge of honour, but is it that easy? Hosts James Lawther and Jimmy Barber talk about their experience of how they've been inspired by their managers (rarely) or demotivated by them (often)...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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26:41
How to Thrive at Work
This week, hosts James Lawther and Jimmy Barber welcome Caroline Mabon, co-founder of Compassionate Cultures, to discuss the concept of thriving in the workplace. They explore how individuals can take care of themselves, find joy an...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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35:52
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How to Work With Difficult People
In this week's episode, hosts James Lawther and Jimmy Barber discuss strategies for dealing with difficult people at work. We all know them – those you dread interacting with – maybe they don't listen, or they snipe from the sidelines. Perhaps ...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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29:34
How to Make A.I. Work for You
Season 3 - we're back with a muddle of James's!To kick the season off, hosts James Lawther and Jimmy Barber explore how we can all use artificial intelligence at work with special guest James Crawford. Unless you're living under a rock, ...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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35:39
Season 3 Preview
We're back! Contrary to popular rumour we didn't get divorced over the summer. This season expect more insights, thought provoking experts, practical tips and hopefully a few laughs. All aimed at helping you improve your performance and enjoyme...
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2:33
Season Two Finale - Highlights, Lowlights and Outtakes!
This week marks the end of the second season, so James Lawther and Jimmy Barber have an extravaganza for you - well, it should at least be mildly entertaining! They share some of the highs and lows from the series, things that they've learned a...
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Season 2
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Episode 44
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22:50
How to Harness the Power of Innovation?
In this episode, James Lawther and Jimmy Barber delve into the topic of innovation, dispelling common misconceptions and emphasising its true value in enhancing performance and enjoyment at work. They share personal experiences and ...
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Season 2
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Episode 43
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29:29
Understanding Grief at Work: A Conversation with Lou Hynes
Nearly a quarter of us are impacted by grief every year - so why aren't we talking about it more at work?In this episode, hosts James Lawther and Jimmy Baber explore the crucial topic of grief in the workplace with special guest Lou Hyne...
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Season 2
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Episode 42
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39:47
Will Artificial Intelligence Take All of Our Jobs?
In this episode, hosts James Lawther and Jimmy Barber discuss the impact of AI on contact centres and back-office jobs. This follows a question from Rob, a member of the audience, who asked about the potential for AI to reduce conta...
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Season 2
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Episode 41
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38:47
Mastering the Art of Networking: Tips and Strategies
In this episode, hosts James Lawther and Jimmy Barber discuss the importance of networking with special guest Andy Warren - the best-connected person we know! They talk about the nuances of networking, what makes it effective, and how to overco...
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Season 2
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Episode 40
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28:48
How to Achieve Peak Performance by Using Flow State?
In this episode, James Lawther and Jimmy Barber discuss “Flow”, a mental state where we achieve peak performance whilst our actions feel effortless. They discuss how Hungarian-American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi discovered this phenom...
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Season 2
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Episode 39
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25:51
Unintended Consequences, and How to Avoid Them?
In this episode, hosts James Lawther and Jimmy Barber study unintended consequences and how they affect you personally and in business. Their discussion ranges from Donald Trump’s tariffs to the introduction of Cane Toads in Austral...
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Season 2
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Episode 38
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33:08
How to Boost Your Performance at Work by Debunking Workplace Myths?
In this episode, host James Lawther and Jimmy Barber discuss some common 'corporate myths' that hinder performance at work. They explain that while targets will drive performance, it necessarily result in the performance you want, t...
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Season 2
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Episode 37
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34:38
How to Navigate Your Midlife Career Crossroads? With Jess Spiers
This week, hosts James Lawther and Jimmy Barber delve into the topic of midlife career changes with expert coach Jess Spiers. They explore how to think about and approach a career crossroads - a point we all face at some point in ou...
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Season 2
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Episode 36
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35:20
The Insider's Guide to Getting Stuff Done, With Vick Grimes
This week, hosts James Lawther and Jimmy Barber welcome special guest Vick Grimes, a project management expert, to help them refine their delivery skills. Skills which are critical for everyone at work.They explore the need to create cla...
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Season 2
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Episode 35
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31:00
Understanding Your Values Helps You Be Happy and Successful at Work
In this episode, hosts James Lawther and Jimmy Barber are joined by Rachael Edmondson-Clarke to dive into the importance of understanding and aligning personal and organisational values to boost performance and enjoyment at work.Rachael ...
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Season 2
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Episode 34
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35:07
