Truth, Lies and Work

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 ultimate audio destination for business professionals.

In this episode of This Week in Work, hosts Al and Leanne Elliott are joined by a very special guest: Rebecca Taylor, host of the HR Voices podcast! Together, they unpack the hilarious reality of unhinged leadership conversations, dive deep into the newly stalling progress of women at work, put "forced fun" to the test under the psychological microscope, and answer some incredibly sticky workplace relationship questions.

🔥 Stories Covered

1. The HR Rebel Calling Out Unhinged Leaders

You might not be surprised to hear that some of the conversations HR professionals have to have with leaders are… somewhat unhinged. But what happens when an HR professional calls them out on LinkedIn in the best, most direct way ever? We dive into the viral waves being made by the brilliant Emma Djemil (Founder of Be Unstoppable and The HR Club).

Follow Emma on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/be-unstoppable/

Check out the post: https://lnkd.in/p/dHKzfSRe

2. Is the "Lean In" Generation Now Leaning Out?

Women have made extraordinary gains in the past few decades across the world of work, but are things stalling? Sheryl Sandberg’s infamous 2013 book advised women to "lean in," but new data suggests women's progress at work appears to be stalling. Leanne and Rebecca dissect the learned behaviours—from over-apologising and avoiding conflict to taking on invisible "empathy tax" work—that are holding talented people back, and ask: Have workplaces actually changed enough?

Read the original article in The Economist: https://archive.is/20260706073156/https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/07/05/womens-progress-at-work-appears-to-be-stalling

🧠 Truth or Lie: Does Fun at Work Undermine Performance?

For generations, work has been treated as the serious part of life, while fun is something you earn once the job is done. If people are laughing or messing around, it must mean less work is getting done… right? Leanne dives deep into decades of organizational psychology to give you the ultimate verdict.

The "For" Case: Research shows that forced, "managed fun"—like mandatory pajama days or awkward icebreakers—can cause employee cynicism, frustration, and emotional exhaustion. Additionally, blurring work and play too closely can encourage workaholism and make it harder for people to switch off.

The "Against" Case: On the flip side, spontaneous humour and micro-breaks (even short personal internet breaks!) actually restore attention, boost mental energy, and increase productivity by up to 9% when done in moderation.

The Verdict: Forced fun rarely works. True workplace fun isn't something managers can force; it’s a natural byproduct that emerges when organizations get the psychological safety, autonomy, and human elements right.

💬 Workplace Surgery❓

In this week's workplace surgery, we take on your real-life culture and management dilemmas:

"I’ve been casually seeing someone at work for about a year. Until now we’ve worked in different departments, but I’ve just been promoted and will be managing their department. Should I tell my employer about the relationship, or keep it private unless it becomes an issue?"

Plus we answer:

Should a manager judge an employee’s private social media? What to do when a team member runs a public account following adult content but is otherwise an excellent employee.

What do you do when the toxic person is the founder? How to handle senior leadership when the person destroying the culture owns the entire business and there is no board.

🎙️ Connect with Our Guest: Rebecca Taylor

We are thrilled to be joined this week by Rebecca Taylor, host of HR Voices—the incredible scenario-based podcast for People Leaders who have to make the tough calls in real-time employee relations.

Listen to the HR Voices podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hr-voices/id1833927442

Connect with Rebecca Taylor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebebeccataylor2/

Support for HR Professionals: Check out AllVoices, the ultimate platform to manage employee relations, documentation, and investigations in one secure place: https://www.allvoices.co

📬 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: hello@truthliesandwork.com
– 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

Have you ever hit a massive milestone—like selling the business you spent a decade building—only to feel an unexpected wave of grief instead of pure joy?

In this episode of Truth, Lies and Work, we sit down with Richard Clarke, founder of software company Secret Source. He did what every entrepreneur dreams of: he grew his business, put team happiness at the absolute center of his culture, and successfully exited. But instead of finding ultimate contentment, Richard fell face-first into the ultimate happiness trap: "I’ll be happy when..."

Richard opens up about the bittersweet reality of exiting a business, the sudden loss of community, and how he had to use his own behavioral science background to climb out of the post-exit slump. Plus, he breaks down the 5 essential needs every human requires to be truly happy at work and thoroughly busts the famous myth surrounding Google's "20% time."

Key Takeaways from This Episode

The 5 Workplace Needs: Based on the US Surgeon General’s framework, everyone requires five core elements to thrive: Safety, Community, Autonomy, Growth, and Purpose.

The Post-Exit Slump: Founders often find that while an exit checks off the "safety" and "autonomy" boxes, it completely strips away their daily sense of "community" and "belonging."

Ask, Don't Guess: Richard shares a brilliant case study where simply mapping out his team's anonymous scores on these five needs revealed a massive, easily fixable issue with scheduling meetings.

The Google 20% Myth: Think Google employees spend a fifth of their week working on passion projects? Richard talks to ex-Googlers who have a very different story to tell.

Connect with Richard Clarke

📬 Grab Richard's short ebook outlining the fundamental science of workplace happiness, or reach out to him directly on social media:

– Free Ebook: https://www.richardclarke.eu/ebook
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardmclarke/
– Website: https://www.richardclarke.eu/

📬 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: hello@truthliesandwork.com
– 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 proud to be part of the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

Is AI really making us more productive, or are we spending more time managing it than benefiting from it?

Should employees pay the price when leadership gets strategy wrong?

And is Growth Mindset really the performance booster it's often claimed to be?

This week on Truth, Lies & Work, Leanne introduces a brand new Word of the Week: Botsitting – the hidden work of feeding AI context, checking its answers and correcting its mistakes. Drawing on new research from Glean's Work AI Index, we explore why AI may be creating a new form of invisible labour that's leaving employees exhausted rather than empowered.

We also unpack Microsoft's decision to cut around 3,200 Xbox jobs after CEO Asha Sharma admitted the business had "lost focus", asking where accountability should lie when strategy fails. Plus, new UK research suggests many senior finance professionals are choosing better leadership, career opportunities and work-life balance over higher salaries, challenging long-held assumptions about what motivates top talent.

In Truth or Lie, Leanne is joined by Professor Rob Briner, one of the UK's leading experts in evidence-based management, to separate the science from the hype around Growth Mindset. Together they explore what the research actually says, why fashionable workplace ideas often outpace the evidence, and why organisations should focus less on finding the next big trend and more on understanding the problems they're trying to solve.

Finally, in Workplace Surgery, we answer your questions about rebuilding team energy, supporting employees who don't want promotion, and whether exit interviews really reveal why people leave.

Resources & Links

Lincolnshire's unusual place names:https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/strange-place-names-lincolnshire-list-438323

Rebecca Hinds' LinkedIn post:https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rebecca-hinds_we-recently-published-our-first-work-ai-index-share-7478531898693066752-jv9u/

Glean Work AI Index:https://www.glean.com/work-ai-institute/reports/work-ai-index

HR Director:https://www.thehrdirector.com/business-news/remuneration/finance-candidates-no-longer-choosing-roles-salary-alone-report-finds/

Full Croft&Co Finance Professionals Report:

www.croftandco.com/report

Fortune:https://fortune.com/2026/07/06/exclusive-xbox-ceo-asha-sharma-job-cuts-studios-axed-layoffs/

More from Rob Briner

Rob Briner on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-briner/

Rob Briner’s Is That Really a Thing LinkedIn posts (including one on Growth Mindset):

https://tinyurl.com/2rzzzus3

Corporate Research Forum’s Work Psychology Network:

https://tinyurl.com/4s4pmz9e

Work Psychology Network report on behaviour change in organizations:

https://tinyurl.com/3p3rwerb

Connect with Truth, Lies & Work

– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork

– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott

– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne

– Email: hello@truthliesandwork.com

– 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 proud to be part of the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

Welcome to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture.

How do you steady your team and maintain trust when everything around you is chaotic?

This week, we are joined by Andrew Blotky, an executive coach, author, and the founder of Azure Leadership Group. Andrew has managed internal communications at global scales, building Facebook’s first global employee communications function during a period of intense growth and scrutiny, and leading HR communications at Johnson & Johnson.

In this episode, Andrew shares practical wisdom on leading with integrity through periods of change, crisis, and uncertainty. Moving past standard PR templates, he dives deep into the human side of leadership, discussing how authenticity, self-reflection, and mindfulness can help you stay grounded when you are under fire.

💡 Key Takeaways From This Episode


The First 24 Hours: Why speaking early—even without all the answers—is critical to preventing people from creating their own negative narratives.


Honesty vs. Oversharing: Navigating the boundaries of what you can say, what you can't, and how to admit uncertainty without losing your credibility.


The Power of Pre-Work: Why the best crisis management happens long before the crisis hits by grounding your organisation in true core values.


Compassion in Commercial Decisions: Dealing with the fallout of modern workplace challenges, like mass layoffs and the anxiety surrounding generative AI.


Level 2 Listening: How to move out of a reactive "fight-or-flight" state and practice deep, curious listening to understand what your team truly needs.

👤 About the Guest


Guest Name: Andrew Blotky


Job Title: Executive Coach, Founder/CEO


Organisation: Azure Leadership Group


Website: https://www.azureleadership.com


LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewblotky/


Instagram: @blotblot


Andrew’s Book: Honestly Speaking: How the Way We Communicate Transforms Leadership, Love, and Life


Get the book here: https://www.azureleadership.com/honestlyspeaking

📬 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: hello@truthliesandwork.com
– 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.

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture. This week, we are breaking down major shifts in the AI landscape, the science behind how we handle workplace friction, and a deep dive into why we naturally root for the underdog.

🔥 Stories Covered

NatWest Group Commits to Responsible AI Training for All 60,000 Staff

While many companies are rushing into AI deployment, NatWest is taking a human-centric approach by prioritizing data ethics. They have announced mandatory AI and data ethics training for all 60,000 employees, rolling out principles previously built in partnership with the University of Edinburgh's Edinburgh Futures Institute. The most fascinating takeaway? Over 50% of staff actively opted into extra training completely off their own back. With formal regulation still lagging behind, the bank is actively setting its own standard for corporate judgment and digital responsibility.


NatWest Case Study: https://www.business-school.ed.ac.uk/executive-education/case-studies/ai-data-ethics-programme-natwest-group-leaders-colleagues


NatWest Insights Article: https://www.natwestgroup.com/news-and-insights/latest-stories/ai-and-data/2025/may/upholding-ethical-use-of-ai-and-data-management.html

2. Ford’s AI Rollback: Rehiring 300 Human Engineers

In a major corporate pivot, Ford has confirmed it is rehiring more than 300 veteran quality inspectors after its automated, AI-driven quality checks failed to match human engineering expertise. Ford learned the hard way that automation cannot replicate decades of tacit institutional knowledge. These veteran engineers are returning to factory floors not just to inspect vehicles, but to mentor the next generation and properly train the AI systems moving forward.


BBC News Coverage: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgrkd41n2v9o

3. Talk or Type? The Psychological Reality of Disagreements

When friction arises at work, our immediate instinct is often to hide behind a carefully drafted email or Slack message. However, new research featured by the British Psychological Society highlights that talking it out outperforms typing every single time. Spoken conversations naturally foster more active listening language, lower conflict, and build better mutual understanding. Despite this, 84% of people still choose text over talk. Al and Leanne discuss why it's time to pick up the phone.


BPS Research Digest: https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/better-disagreement-use-your-voice

🧠 Truth or Lie: Do We All Love an Underdog?

From global sports tournaments to workplace dynamics, there is an assumption that humans are universally wired to root for the underdog. Leanne dives into the behavioural science behind this phenomenon, looking at the "effort heuristic" and why we value struggle over raw talent. However, this preference comes with a massive catch: the moment the stakes get high or personal risk is involved, our support for the underdog evaporates.

💬 Workplace Surgery

This week, Al and Leanne tackle three real-world questions from the listener mailbag:


The Accidental Manager: "Nobody prepared me for management. I got promoted because I was good at my job, but managing people is a completely different skill. What is the one thing you wish someone had taught you before you took the role?"


The Workplace Drain: How do you handle watching a line manager slowly drain the happiness out of a stellar colleague when it's happening outside your department?


Pre-Meeting Chit Chat: Is a leader being a misery for wanting to skip the weekend catch-up and get straight to business, or is casual social time a vital team-building tool?

📬 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: hello@truthliesandwork.com
– 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 proud to be part of the HubSpot Podcast Network, the ultimate audio destination for business professionals