Truth, Lies and Work 188. Is British Work Culture Holding Us Back? PLUS! Why People Quit and The Hidden Cost of HR, with Emma Djemil - This Week in Work 15th April 2025
Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning psychology podcast from the HubSpot Podcast Network, hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott.
This week, we’re asking one big question: Is British work culture quietly killing innovation, clarity and leadership?
🔥 Stories Covered This Week:
Buzzword Bingo Is Funny—Until It Isn’t
Christine Armstrong sparked a LinkedIn firestorm with her corporate jargon bingo card—featuring favourites like “sweat the asset” and “brain dump.” We explore why overusing buzzwords damages leadership credibility and trust.
Read more: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7310699571657998336/
Is British Work Culture Holding Us Back?
Tom Scourfield’s viral post questions whether UK businesses are too risk-averse and obsessed with tone over truth. We unpack the five reasons he thinks the UK is falling behind—and whether he’s right.
What Really Motivates People in a Crisis?
During Greece’s financial crisis, researchers found that non-financial motivators—recognition, trust and empowerment—kept teams going. So why do we still default to bonuses and job titles?
Read more: https://medium.com/@truthlieswork/what-really-motivates-employees-in-an-economic-crisis-cc4eb2559f6b
🔥 Hot Take: HR Burnout Is Real, with Emma Djemil
HR coach and founder of The HR Big Meet, Emma Djemil, joins us to call out the emotional toll of working in HR. From navigating toxic dynamics to being the organisation’s emotional sponge—Emma explains why HR needs its own support system now more than ever.
The HR Big Meet: https://thehrbigmeet.com
Emma on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-djemil
💬 Workplace Surgery: This Week’s Dilemmas
“Why do people quit instead of speaking up?”
One listener watched their most talented colleague walk away from the company without ever raising concerns.
“Gen Z text speak is confusing my Gen X boss. Should I stop using it?”
From “y” to “bet ✌️”, we unpack how language creates friction between generations—and how to find middle ground without compromising personality.
“Our startup has 30 employees and zero HR policies—am I right to panic?”
Leanne breaks down the actual risks and helps this founder figure out what they need to formalise (and what can wait).
🎧 Coming Up Thursday…
We’re joined by James Hawkins, co-founder of PostHog, who believes the future of work lies in small, autonomous teams with no hierarchy, no managers, and flat pay. But can that model scale without chaos? Find out Thursday.
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General Support with Mental Health and Well-being
If you have been affected by any of the themes in this episode, or are currently struggling with your mental health, the following resources may be useful.
Mind website: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/
If you are feeling in distress or despair, including feelings of suicide, please do consider calling the Samaritans for free on 116 123 (UK) or email jo@samaritans.org (Rest of World)
Connect with Al and Leanne
Join the Conversation on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork/
Connect with Al on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott/
Connect with Leanne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
Email: Hello@truthliesandwork.com
Book a Call with Al & Leanne: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat