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Why ‘sh*t-fixers’ make the best managers
Few things at work are more frustrating than tedious bureaucracy – and few things make employees happier than when their managers get rid of it. Isabel Berwick speaks to Huggy Rao, professor of organisational behaviour at Stanford, and co-author of 'The Friction Project,' to find out how managers can become 'shit-fixers’, clearing unnecessary obstacles from the path of their teams, while making sure they don’t go too fast for their own good. Later, Isabel speaks to FT senior business writer Andrew Hill to learn what the consequences can be when managers introduce too few checks and balances – and why generative AI might actually make bureaucracy worse.
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‘I work in a frustration factory’: how to make workplaces run better
Letter: Frictions and frustrations of modern office working
Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.
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92. Luck makes careers. Here’s how to get more of it.
17:59||Season 2, Ep. 92Most successful people will tell you that hard work and talent can get you where you want to go. Fewer of them will admit that luck is at least as important. Some of us are born into luckier circumstances than others; but we can all do more to make our own luck, and be ready to capitalise on it when the opportunity arises. In this episode, Isabel Berwick speaks to Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, professor of business psychology at UCL and Columbia, chief innovation officer of ManpowerGroup, and author of books including ‘The Talent Delusion’ and ‘Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?’ Along with FT work and careers writer Emma Jacobs, they discuss why luck is a taboo subject, how it helps the wrong people thrive, and what managers can do to level the playing field.Want more? Free links:Why it’s often luck, not talent, that takes us to the topThe rich have advantages that money cannot buyThe untold career value of a little bit of luck at the outsetFT subscriber? Sign up to get Isabel’s free Working It newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday: ft.com/newslettersPresented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com91. How to get the long-term sick back to work
18:06||Season 2, Ep. 91The UK has a well-known problem with long-term sickness in the workforce – but it’s not alone. In several wealthy countries, the number of young people turning to disability benefits has risen. Why is that? What can managers do about it? And just how much could helping people back to work boost productivity? To find out, host Isabel Berwick speaks to John Burn-Murdoch, the FT’s chief data reporter, as well as Camilla Cavendish, FT contributing editor and columnist.Want more? Free Links:Out of work and unwell: the worrying rise of young people on benefitsHow companies can deal with in-work sicknessSickness and work is a disaster that must be fixedPresented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com90. What I wish I’d known when I started my career
21:07||Season 2, Ep. 90Isabel Berwick writes about how managers and workers can get better at their jobs. But that doesn’t mean she’s always been a perfect employee… In this special episode, Isabel speaks to her former boss (and good friend) Michael Skapinker about how she’s changed over the course of her career, her professional shortcomings, and some of the run-ins the two of them have shared. Later, Isabel and Michael discuss nuggets of career wisdom from FT colleagues including Stephen Bush, Claer Barrett and Jemima Kelly: how important is talent to a successful career? Does anyone care where you went to university? And what if the biggest career decision you’ll ever make is really to do with who you marry…?Want more? Free links:Starting out in work? Here’s what you need to knowMy first job: what I wish I had knownMy career race is in the home stretch, here’s what I knowPresented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com89. How to be a kind manager – without being a pushover
18:14||Ep. 89We do not always associate bosses with kindness. But being kind to your team can make workers more engaged, more likely to stick around and more productive. So how can managers weave kindness into their daily work, even if they’re annoyed or dealing with a colleague they are not keen on? Isabel Berwick speaks to Graham Allcott, author of ‘KIND: The quiet power of kindness at work’, and Bonnie Hayden Cheng, a professor at the Hong Kong University Business School and author of ‘The Return on Kindness’.Want more? Free links:How acts of leadership kindness make everyone betterKindness in the workplace too often goes unrewardedIs kindness a leadership superpower?Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com88. Best of: Has ‘retirement’ had its day?
19:53||Season 3, Ep. 88Retirement used to be a cliff edge: you’d be working one week, and gardening the next. That’s changing. Now, retirement can mean working on the things you enjoy at a slower pace, and staying engaged with new ideas. Isabel Berwick speaks to author, columnist and Harvard Professor Arthur C Brooks on the science of flourishing in later life, and what older brains can do that younger ones can’t. Later, Isabel talks to former FT journalist Michael Skapinker about the importance of staying engaged with old colleagues and new ideas – even if you’re not doing the same thing every day.Want more? Free links:It’s time we stopped talking about retirementThe sun is setting on traditional retirementPresented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read the transcript of this episode which was first aired in December 2023 on FT.com87. How to network without being inauthentic
17:02||Season 3, Ep. 87The idea of networking makes many of us shudder. But connecting with colleagues doesn’t have to mean cold emails and awkward encounters. Alison Fragale tells host Isabel Berwick how ‘strategic socialising’ can help us make genuinely helpful connections at work. They’re joined by Natasha Wood, head of strategy at the FT’s events business, FT Live. Natasha explains how joining colleagues in an ekiden — or long-distance relay race — helped her boost her professional status after coming back from maternity leave.Want more? Free links:Top ways to be a super schmoozerWorkplace friendships should be encouraged not policedHow do I get the most out of networking?Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com86. Why the pandemic couldn't kill the 100-hour week
17:35||Season 2, Ep. 86Bankers and lawyers have long had punishing work schedules. Has the pandemic – and a widespread move towards flexible working – changed that? Guest host Bethan Staton speaks to Craig Coben, a former senior investment banker at Bank of America and Deutsche Bank, as well as Suzi Ring, the FT’s legal correspondent. They discuss why client satisfaction trumps work-life balance, why law firms can’t just hire twice as many lawyers to work half as hard, and what bankers actually do during a 100-hour work week.Want more? Free links:The ‘80-hour circuit breaker’: Wall Street banks tackle workloads of junior staffHigh pressure, long days, crushing workloads: why is investment banking like this?London’s junior lawyers deserve their £150,000 payPresented by Bethan Staton, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com85. How to survive a corporate shake-up
17:15||Season 2, Ep. 85Corporate reorganisations can be hugely unsettling for employees, whose working lives can change overnight. What can managers do to make these periods of flux as easy as possible for their charges? Isabel Berwick speaks to work researcher Christine Armstrong, and Andrew Hill, the FT’s senior business writer. They discuss how to get ahead of gossip, why clarity is king when you deliver bad news, and the dirtiest office secret of all: that work isn’t your whole life.Want more? Free links:Silent lay-offs are rarely as quiet as bosses hopeWe’re all busy again’, say UK restructuring expertsThe anatomy of a corporate turnaroundPresented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com84. Amazon ends remote work. Will other firms follow?
18:55||Season 2, Ep. 84Amazon has ordered its staff back to the office five days a week from January. Will other companies follow its lead? Host Isabel Berwick asks Kevin Delaney, the editor-in-chief of media and research firm Charter, what the data says about the efficacy of remote work. They’re joined by the FT’s Emma Jacobs, who argues being in the office is not the solution to every workplace problem.Want more? Free links:Amazon orders staff back to office 5 days a weekAmazon says workers need to be in the office. Most of Silicon Valley disagrees. The office is not the only solutionPresented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Breen Turner. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com