Truth, Lies and Work

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work. This is part two of our Predictions 2026 series, where we ask leaders, researchers and thinkers what they believe is coming our way next year. If part one was warm and reflective, part two brings the heat! 🧠 What We Cover: The Big Predictions for 2026 Hybrid Will Fracture Before It Settles – Professors Ina Purvanova & Alanah Mitchell The authors of The New Workplace predict deeper relational fractures across hybrid teams. As employees split across offices, homes and third spaces, meaningful connection weakens and culture becomes harder to sustain. Expect more intentional design, stronger tech integration and a rising demand for purpose and meaning as AI reshapes traditional work. More of the Same… but With More Pressure – Danny Wareham Danny sees 2026 as a magnified version of 2025: tighter budgets, rising expectations and leaders forced to think smarter rather than scale bigger. His hope? A shift toward evidence-based people practices — job analysis, behavioural data and hiring decisions that finally move past “gut feel”. Unionisation Will Surge – Rebecca Taylor Rebecca predicts a new wave of unionisation across industries. As job insecurity rises and workers feel increasingly squeezed, collective bargaining will gain momentum. Anti-union stigma is fading, and younger generations will be the ones to push workplaces toward shared power. AI Will Break Management Before It Fixes It – Vince Sanderson Vince foresees a period of chaos where leaders delegate too much emotional labour to AI — and employees do the same. AI responding to AI, while real connection disappears. The result? Frustrated teams, resentful managers and widening distrust. But he also predicts a competitive edge for companies that stay human-first. The Death of Assimilation – Sonia Thompson Sonia says the old norm of “fit in at all costs” is over. Employees are less willing to hide their identities to succeed, and organisations must adapt. The future belongs to brands that embrace difference rather than smooth it out. Inclusion is shifting from compliance to cultural courage. AI Will Become a Dealbreaker for Candidates – Becky Simms Becky predicts top talent will increasingly judge companies on their approach to AI. If tools are outdated, restricted or slow, candidates will simply move on. Transparency, experimentation and a clear AI strategy will become as important as salary or flexibility. A Reality Check for Leaders – Jeanette Ramsden Jeanette highlights a growing disconnect between what leaders think they are communicating and what people actually hear. Feedback fatigue, message overload and constant change will demand a new level of clarity, groundedness and empathy if leaders expect teams to follow them. 🔗 Connect with the Contributors Danny Wareham – ⁠https://firgun.co.uk/⁠Rebecca Taylor – ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccataylor2/⁠Vince Sanderson – ⁠https://www.vincentsanderson.com/⁠Sonia Thompson – ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniaethompson/⁠ ⁠www.frictionlessgrowthlab.com⁠ ⁠www.frictionlessgrowthlab.com/roadmap⁠Jeanette Ramsden – ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanette-ramsden-0946a83/⁠Becky Simms – ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckyreflectdigital/⁠Alanah Mitchell – ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanah-mitchell/⁠Ina Purvanova – ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/ina-purvanova/⁠ 📬 Connect with Al & Leanne LinkedIn (Show): ⁠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 Podcast Website: ⁠https://truthliesandwork.com/⁠ 💚 Mental Health Support Samaritans (UK & Ireland) – 116 123Mind (England & Wales) – 0300 102 1234988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US) – Call or text 988Find A Helpline (Global) – ⁠https://findahelpline.com/⁠

Welcome back to a very special edition of Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture, brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network. This episode features Part 1 of our annual Predictions for 2026. Join Leanne and Al as they speak to top experts who share their contrasting views on how AI, leadership, identity, and productivity are about to fundamentally shift the world of work. 🔮 Your Panel of Experts: Prediction Headlines Phill Agnew (The Nudge Podcast): AI Must "Show Its Working" & the Rise of Text Speak. Find Out More: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/ Meghan French Dunbar: AI Will Advance Humanity & Job Creation Trumps Destruction. Find Out More: https://www.meghanfrenchdunbar.com/book Erica Breuer: Identity Deviates from Work: Explore Over Optimize. Find Out More: https://www.ericabreuer.com Anthony Taylor: Clarity and Middle Managers are the New Superpower. Find Out More: https://www.aqrconsulting.co.uk/ Georgia M. Hodkinson: Clarity is the New Productivity Metric (Not Time). Find Out More (Event): https://www.psychbizinc.com/eventpage and (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgia-hodkinson-gmbpss/ Josh Levine: The Death of the Resume: Relationships are the New CV. Find Out More: https://greatmondays.com/ 🗓️ Coming Up Next The next episode is Part 2 of our Predictions for 2026 and will be released on New Year's Day (January 1st). 💚 Mental Health Support Resources If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Please reach out to one of the following confidential services: Samaritans (UK & Ireland): Emotional support for anyone struggling to cope, available 24/7. Call: 116 123 (Free, 24/7) Mind (England & Wales): Advice and support for mental health problems. Phone: 0300 102 1234 (Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm) 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US-based): Confidential, free, 24/7/365 support for those in crisis. Call or Text: 988 (24/7) Find A Helpline (Global): Connects users to over 1,600 free and confidential support resources worldwide. Website: https://findahelpline.com/ 📬 Connect with Al & Leanne (Truth, Lies & Work) Do you have your own prediction for 2026? A question for the Workplace Surgery segment? Or a comment on the episode? Podcast Website: https://truthliesandwork.com/ LinkedIn (Show): 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

Merry Christmas! And welcome back to This Year in Work! Today we’re back with Part 2 of our 2025 highlights series, and this time it’s all about our guest interviews. If you’re new here, welcome along. This is Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture. Brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network. ⭐ Our Favourite Guest Interviews of 2025 Steve Carse — Work Should Be Fun Episode 181: https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/181 We kicked things off with King of Pops founder Steve Carse, who turned a layoff into a $10M ice-pop empire built on one radical belief: work should be fun. Andrew Palmer — Fall in Love With the Problem Episode 217: https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/217 Then came an absolute pinch-me moment for both of us: talking to Andrew Palmer, senior editor at The Economist and host of the Boss Class podcast. James Hawkins — Chaos, Autonomy and Building Better Teams Episode 189: https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/189 Al’s pick was James Hawkins, co-founder of PostHog — the dev tools company that ditched managers and meetings in favour of tiny autonomous teams. Dr Marie-Hélène — The Science of Strategic Resilience Episode 171: https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/171TEDx talk link: “Crossing the River: Resilience in the Age of AI” - https://youtu.be/JEdr2cvHF5M?si=OB07KHvgSjldYKmg Leanne’s pick was Dr MH, who reframed resilience as a state — not part of your personality. It moves, fluctuates, and can be strengthened through movement, nutrition, sleep, and relationships. 💬 Listeners’ Choice Award 2025 Elina Teboul — Feminine Intelligence and the Future of Leadership Episode 197: https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/197 Your messages, comments and LinkedIn posts made this one clear.Elina Teboul, executive advisor and author of Feminine Intelligence, challenged assumptions about power, masculinity, intuition, balance and the psychological patriarchy. Whether listeners agreed or disagreed wasn’t the point — the episode sparked reflection everywhere, which is exactly what great conversations do. 🥇 Most Downloaded Expert Episode of 2025 Dr Enya Doyle — The Workplace Rules No One Explains Episode 175: https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/175 No surprises here. The episode you downloaded most — and shared most quietly — was with Dr Enya Doyle, the harassment and inclusion specialist known online as The Harassment Doctor. This was a true masterclass in navigating messy, awkward and sometimes frightening management moments. From appearance standards to ageing workforces to tricky inclusion issues, Dr Enya cut through the nonsense with clarity, humour and absolute precision. A must-bookmark episode for every manager. 🎧 Episodes Mentioned Today Ep 181 — Work Should Be Fun with Steve Carsehttps://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/181 Ep 217 — Andrew Palmer on Better Bosseshttps://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/217 Ep 189 — James Hawkins: Autonomous Teams & Faster Deliveryhttps://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/189 Ep 171 — The Science of Resilience with Dr Marie-Hélènehttps://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/171 Ep 197 — Feminine Intelligence with Elina Teboulhttps://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/197 Ep 175 — The Workplace Rules No One Explains with Dr Enya Doylehttps://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/175 Support Links: Mind UK — https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/ Samaritans — 116 123 or [email protected] Connect with us: LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork Al — https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott Leanne — https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne Email — [email protected] Book a chat — https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

Welcome to This Year in Work! As we countdown to Christmas, we’ve pulled together the standout moments from our Tuesday episodes across 2025 — the stories, segments and listener questions that defined the year. From new workplace vocabulary to tech scandals, CEO tantrums and the wildest listener dilemmas, this episode is a celebration of everything that made TWIW what it is. Word of the Year: Duck Shuffler Our unanimous pick. A perfect term for those colleagues making a lot of noise on the surface while quietly shuffling chaos underneath. Straight from Episode 202 — and yes, the Bosnia-and-Herzegovina reference still makes sense in context. Stories of the Year: Big Toddler Energy When we first discussed CEOs behaving like overgrown toddlers, we didn’t expect the avalanche of DMs, confessions, and even a YouTube thumbnail featuring us as actual toddlers. From Episode 196. Rule-Bending Leaders From Episode 200, the unforgettable debate on rule-breaking founders… including Al’s confession about his beer-delivery business days. The Great Employment Heist Episode 214 gifted us one of the wildest workplace stories of the year: a single engineer secretly working for 22 startups and earning over $1m without doing the work. Hot Take of the Year: Gossip is Good Rebecca Taylor argued that workplace gossip isn’t just normal — it’s useful. One of our most talked-about segments of the year (Episode 194). Truth or Lies of the Year: The triangle that never was. From Episode 240, the myth-busting moment that sent LinkedIn into meltdown. Workplace Surgery Question of the Year: My Ex is My New Boss!! From Episode 180 — still one of the most awkward, gripping dilemmas we’ve ever received. 🎧 Episodes Featured Duck Shuffler – Ep 202http://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/202-divorce-disruption-and-the-death-of-the-watercooler-plus-are-you-a-duck-shuffler-with-kristyna-hawkett-this-week-in-work-3-rd-june-2025 Big Toddler Energy – Ep 196https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/196-does-your-ceo-have-big-toddler-energy-plus-touching-grass-accidental-bullies-and-hiring-mistakes-with-stuart-mace-this-week-in-work-13th-may-2025 Rule Benders – Ep 200https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/200-rule-benders-quiet-quitting-and-the-dei-dilemma-plus-is-happiness-overrated-with-julian-hayes-ii The Great Employment Heist – Ep 214https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/214-the-wildest-overemployment-scam-in-tech-history-plus-fake-empathy-nepo-hires-and-salary-secrets-with-rameez-kaleem Gossip at Work – Ep 194https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/194-secret-jobs-leadership-mic-drops-and-spotify-s-remote-gamble-plus-the-case-for-gossip-at-work-this-week-in-work-6th-may-2025 Maslow’s Hierarchy – Ep 240https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/240-starbucks-ceo-fail-toxic-superstars-and-dubai-s-wolf-of-wall-street-plus-is-maslow-s-hierarchy-a-myth My Ex Is Now My Boss – Ep 180https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/180-my-ex-is-now-my-boss-and-other-toxic-promotions-plus-dei-is-doing-more-harm-than-good-with-sarah-gashier 🎧 Coming Up Thursday Part 2 of our highlights special: the best interview moments of 2025, including Steve Carse, Elaina Teboul, and our most downloaded guest of the entire year. 🧠 Support with Mental Health and Wellbeing 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. Today we’re doing something a little different for the Christmas break. We’re sharing an episode from our friend Jeremy Cline’s podcast Change Work Life, where Al joined him to reflect on Jeremy’s first year as a full-time coach. This conversation marks Jeremy’s 200th episode, and instead of interviewing someone else, he turns the spotlight on himself. It’s a rare, honest look at what actually happens when you leave a stable career after 20 years and try to build something new from scratch. No glossy “quit and make six figures” narrative — just the real, messy middle that most founders and coaches quietly go through. Al and Jeremy dig into the emotional, financial and identity shifts that come with starting your own business, what surprised Jeremy the most, and why meaningful conversations — not logos or websites — became the backbone of his first year. If you’re thinking of going out on your own, supporting someone who is, or you're simply curious about what a year of reinvention looks like behind the scenes, this is the perfect listen for the quieter days of December. 🧠 What We Cover: The Reality of Year One Life after a 20-year careerJeremy left a long legal career to become a coach, and the biggest challenge wasn’t logistical — it was the identity shock of asking “who am I now?”. Self-employment and the fear of the first stepInstead of hiding behind planning, Jeremy forced himself into real conversations — the uncomfortable kind that actually move a business forward. The messy middle of reinventionTesting ideas, discarding bad ones, refining offers, working through insecurities — the emotional work was bigger than the strategic work. Why conversations matter more than everDespite global connectivity, genuine, real-time conversations are becoming rare. Jeremy argues that this is where opportunity lives. Opportunities come from putting yourself out thereJeremy explains how reaching out to people — including Al — created unexpected relationships, support and new directions for his business. The truth about coaching as a businessHe talks candidly about client work, self-doubt, capacity and the grind of turning passion into something that pays the bills. 🔗 Connect with Jeremy 🌐 Episode page & resources: https://changeworklife.com/one-year-in-lessons-from-my-first-year-as-a-full-time-coach/ 📬 Connect with Al & Leanne 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyjcline/ LinkedIn (Show): 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 Podcast Website: https://truthliesandwork.com/ 💚 Mental Health Support Samaritans (UK & Ireland) – 116 123Mind (England & Wales) – 0300 102 1234988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US) – Call or text 988Find A Helpline (Global) – https://findahelpline.com/