Amy Edmondson is a professor of leadership and management at Harvard Business School and one of the world’s most influential management thinkers. She talks to host Isabel Berwick about her new book, Right Kind of Wrong, in which she argues that companies can only hope to succeed when they make it ‘psychologically safe’ for their teams to fail. Plus, Brooke Masters, the FT’s US financial editor, tells Isabel about the time, early on in her career, when she made a mistake. What did she learn from the experience and how does Amy’s thesis play out across the US corporate world?Do you have a workplace dilemma you’d like Isabel and Jonathan Black, director of the careers service at Oxford university, to help you with? Submit it using this link.Make the most of a discounted offer to Isabel’s Working It newsletter hereWant more? Free links:The art of making good mistakesFT 2023 business book of the year shortlistWhy bosses must take time to learn from failurePsychological failure: the art of encouraging teams to be openPresented 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.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Economics professor John Friedman and corporate lawyer Sophie Pender discuss the impact of childhood inequality and class discrimination in the workplace. They explore strategies for promoting diversity, overcoming discrimination, and addressing upward mobility challenges. The podcast highlights the formation of the 93% Club, a network dedicated to supporting state-educated students.

Why so many people are retraining as psychotherapists? FT journalist Bethan Staton explores the reasons, including fulfillment and flexibility. Michael Skapinker shares his experience as a former FT reporter who became a counselor, regretting not considering it sooner. They discuss the value of counseling training, the challenges and joys of being a psychotherapist, and the booming demand for therapists.

Host Isabel Berwick speaks to Ros Atkins, BBC News analysis editor and author of 'The Art of Explanation,' about the importance of clear communication in the workplace. They discuss the negative impact of jargon, the power of preparation, and the significance of concise and well-written emails.

Not all that long ago, you might have done the same job – or kind of job – for your entire career, but as life expectancy increases and social mores change, a growing number of people are pivoting to new jobs in middle age. In this episode, recorded at the FT Weekend Festival at London’s Kenwood House, Isabel Berwick speaks to three experts to find out why changing careers can have surprising benefits – and how to do it best. Isabel is joined by Jan Hall, founding partner of leadership consultancy No 4 and co-author of a book exploring career change for senior leaders; Ana Baillie, a former financial and professional services lawyer now studying to be a midwife; and FT contributing editor and columnist Camilla Cavendish, author of ‘Extra Time: 10 Lessons for an Ageing World.’Want more? For a limited time this summer, we're making related articles FREE to read for all Working It listeners:The City workers who swapped the office for the great outdoors New job, new you? Well, maybe . . .Would it be unwise to leave my well-paid job to pursue a career in film? I have done the same job for years — how do I now move my career on?FT subscriber? Sign up for the weekly Working It newsletter with one click here. We cover all things workplace and management — plus exclusive reporting on trends, tips and what’s coming next. We'd love to hear from you. What do you like (or not)? Which topics should we tackle? Email the team at workingit@ft.com or Isabel directly at isabel.berwick@ft.com. Follow Isabel on LinkedIn On X, formerly Twitter, you can follow Isabel at @IsabelBerwickSubscribe to Working It wherever you get your podcasts — and do leave us a review!Presented by Isabel Berwick. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa and the sound engineer is Simon Panayi.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brits love to moan about their managers – but maybe they have a point. The vast majority of bosses in the UK get no formal training on how to lead, and most MPs don’t think improving the quality of management should be a priority, according to polling and data from the Chartered Management Institute. Host Isabel Berwick speaks to Ann Francke, head of the CMI, to find out where British managers go wrong – and what better leadership could do for the British economy. Later, she speaks to the FT’s US financial editor, Brooke Masters, and Lucy Fisher, the FT’s Whitehall editor and host of the Political Fix podcast. They discuss what UK leaders could learn from their US counterparts, and why bad British leadership starts from the top.Leadership skills neglected for too long, warns UK management bodyCBI to recruit new president as part of governance overhaulWhat Lucy Letby tells us about the NHS culture of secrecy and denialWorkplace flattery gets you everywhereRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Explore the trend of office workers opting to work from home on Fridays. Hear experts discuss the future of work and the quietness of Fridays in the office. Learn about the shift towards longer weekends and remote work, and the importance of finishing early on Fridays for better performance and wellbeing. Discover how Fridays in the office have transformed since the pandemic.

Mike Fisher, founder of the British Association of Anger Management, and Liz Fosslien, bestselling co-author, discuss workplace anger, its impact, and effective management techniques. They share personal experiences, explore the root causes of anger in the workplace, and provide practical solutions for addressing and redirecting this powerful emotion.

Corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes are commonplace, and with good reason. They can help with staff satisfaction, retention and improve business outcomes. But all too often they are implemented in incoherent ways. Host Isabel Berwick speaks to Lily Zheng, a DEI strategist and consultant, about how companies can develop initiatives that make a lasting difference.Want more? For a limited time this summer, we're making related articles FREE to read for all Working It listeners. See:Corporate diversity in the crosshairs after US Supreme Court ruling Exits of diversity executives shake faith in US companies’ commitmentsRecession is no excuse for going backwards on diversity FT subscriber? Sign up for the weekly Working It newsletter with one click here. We cover all things workplace and management — plus exclusive reporting on trends, tips and what’s coming next. We'd love to hear from you. What do you like (or not)? What topics should we tackle? Email the team at workingit@ft.com or Isabel directly at isabel.berwick@ft.com. Follow Isabel on LinkedIn On Twitter, you can follow Isabel at @IsabelBerwickSubscribe to Working It wherever you get your podcasts — and do leave us a review!Presented by Isabel Berwick. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa and the sound engineers are Simon Panayi and Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guests: Laura Beales - co-founder and chief operating officer of Tally Workspace, Ebbie Wisecarver - head of Global Design and Development at WeWork, Simon Kuper - FT columnist. Topics include: adapting office design to changing work dynamics, the evolution of shared workspaces post-pandemic, addressing challenges like acoustics and privacy, the importance of beautiful design, and Simon Cooper's DIY office transformation in Paris.