

Truth, Lies and Work
HubSpot Podcast Network
Truth, Lies & Work is the UK's #1 Management Podcast.Brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, this award-winning podcast is where behavioural science meets workplace culture. Hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott, the show has reached #2 in the UK Business Podcast Charts and consistently ranks as a Top 10 trending business podcast globally.With a unique blend of evidence-based insight and lived experience, Leanne and Al simplify the science of people and culture to help leaders attract, engage, and retain great talent.Episodes drop twice a week. Tuesdays feature a global people and culture news round-up, a hot take from an emerging or established voice, and the world-famous Workplace Surgery—where Leanne answers real listener questions with practical advice. Thursdays dive deeper with expert guests from across the business and psychology worlds, sharing fresh perspectives and actionable strategies.Whether you're scaling a startup or leading a large team, Truth, Lies & Work delivers the tools, thinking, and inspiration to build thriving, toxic-free workplaces that prioritise well-being and drive sustainable growth.Also, the hosts are married—so expect unfiltered honesty, occasional banter, and a real-life lens on work and life.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 22, 2022 • 27min
13. How to Support Your Team Through Redundancy: Lessons from the Twitter Layoffs (Part 2 of 2)
In the previous episode, we left things on a bit of a bombshell - the Global Head of Wellness at Twitter was unsure if Twitter would survive!Following Elon's acquisition of Twitter on the 27th of October 2022, he promptly fired almost 50% of the staff. However, it's how he did it that has angered people.In this episode, we continue our conversations with our experts and look more into the impact of these layoffs.
We get the expert opinion on how the brand and PR were handled from Stephen Waddington, a PR guru, the visiting professor of PR for Newcastle University and a former head of CIPR.
We get the Twitter inside story from Dr Candice Schaefer, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist & Mental Health and Wellness Strategist, and until earlier this year the Global Head of Employee Wellness at Twitter.
We learn best the practice for managing crisis from Arun Krishnakumar, Graduate of the University of Oxford & London School of Economics, and author of 'Restaup: A Founders Guide to Crisis Navigation'.
Leanne tells her story of how she was made redundant and outlines some great ways to deal with it.
Let's get stuck in!Links:You can find Steven Waddington on Twitter, on LinkedIn or subscribe to his newsletter here.You can follow Dr Candice Schaefer on Twitter or LinkedIn.You can see Arun Krishnakumar's articles on LinkedIn or follow him on Twitter. His book is available on Amazon here.

Nov 15, 2022 • 59min
12. What Led to Twitter's Layoffs? Uncovering the Truth (Part 1 of 2)
Well... it's been quite the month for the tech industry.Following Elon's acquisition of Twitter on the 27th of October 2022, he promptly fired almost 50% of the staff. However, it's how he did it that has angered people.In this episode we have exclusive interviews with 3 industry insiders:
We get the expert opinion on how the brand and PR were handled from Stephen Waddington, a PR guru, the visiting professor of PR for Newcastle University and a former head of CIPR.
We get the Twitter inside story from Dr Candice Schaefer, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist & Mental Health and Wellness Strategist, and until earlier this year the Global Head of Employee Wellness at Twitter.
We learn best the practice for managing crisis from Arun Krishnakumar, Graduate of the University of Oxford & London School of Economics, and author of 'Restaup: A Founders Guide to Crisis Navigation'.
Let's get stuck in!UPDATE: Part 2 out now!Links:You can find Steven Waddington on Twitter, on LinkedIn or subscribe to his newsletter here.You can follow Dr Candice Schaefer on Twitter or LinkedIn.You can see Arun Krishnakumar's articles on LinkedIn or follow him on Twitter. His book is available on Amazon here.

Nov 8, 2022 • 41min
11. Is WFH Dead? - The Impact Of The Cost Of Living Crisis
We’re all feeling the effects of the sharp increase in energy, mortgages, rents etc.And for leaders, the impact of the COLC will be as far-reaching as revenue performance, profitability, and employee well-being. This week, we’re going to chat specifically about how the COLC may impact remote or hybrid working – for better or for worse.Questions we answer:- What is the COLC?- What has the COLC got to do with WFH?- What does this mean for hybrid businesses- Why should business leaders care?- Tips and priorities for business leadersLinks mentioned in the showStep Change - https://www.stepchange.org/Provides the UK’s most comprehensive debt advice service. They help peoplewith debt problems take back control of their finances and their lives.Property Wealth - https://www.prosperitywealth.com/employee-benefits/Employee benefits advice and benchmarkingNational Debtline - https://nationaldebtline.org/Use the Cost of living hub to find out if you can pay less for your living costs and to learn about any extra help that might be available.Pirkx - https://www.pirkx.com/At Pirkx, we are all about making happier, healthier humans by providing affordable wellbeing benefits to everyone.

Nov 3, 2022 • 41min
10. Why Imposter Syndrome is Not as Common as You Think
Today, we’re going to dive deep into the famous ‘condition’ and figure out the truth, and lies, behind an affliction that some research suggests affects up to 82% of the population.We answer the following:
What is imposter syndrome?
Why do psychologists call it something different?
Is it all made up?
What are the facts?
Are there any upsides to imposter syndrome?
What should leaders do if they experience imposter syndrome?
What should leaders do if someone in their team experiences imposter syndrome?
Links mentioned in the episode:Interesting reads:
https://hbr.org/2022/10/4-ways-to-combat-imposter-syndrome-on-your-team
https://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2022/06/05/why-imposter-syndrome-isnt-all-that-bad/?sh=182b0c142fa8
https://hbr.org/2022/05/impostor-syndrome-has-its-advantages
https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2013/11/fraud
List of thinking errors:https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201501/10-thinking-errors-will-crush-your-mental-strengthSystematic Review in Fullhttps://www.mentalhealthjournal.org/articles/commentary-prevalence-predictors-and-treatment-of-imposter-syndrome-a-systematic-review.htmlDiversity & Inclusion Audits
The Real World Group Embracing Diversity Inventory (EDI) - https://realworld-group.com/embracing-diversity-and-inclusion/
https://www.diversematters.co.uk/our-services/diversity-and-inclusion-audit-consultancy

Aug 30, 2022 • 24min
09. What is Quiet Quitting? (And How Leaders Can Respond?)
There seems to be a lot of talk recently about 'Quiet Quitting', so Business Psychologist Leanne Elliott dives into the subject, and answers the important questions:
What is Quiet Quitting exactly?
How do we know if it's happening in our organisation?
How do we, as managers and leaders, tackle it?
What do we need to do to prevent it in the future?
Let's get stuck in. ---Want a chat with Leanne about how you can use psychometrics to run successful recruitment or development programmes? Email us: podcast@oblonghq.com.Want to check us out? Head on over to our website that talks all about building a great workplace culture.Got feedback, questions or future guest suggestions? Email us: podcast@oblonghq.com.

Aug 23, 2022 • 30min
08. How To Build A Positive Workplace Culture With Bottom Line Impact
You've may have heard of a 'positive workplace culture', and if you read this article in the Harvard Business Review, then you might be under the impression that you need to transition to it immediately. However, Is it really attainable?In this episode, Business Psychologist (and lead consultant at Oblong), Leanne Elliott goes through the suggestions that the original authors make, and explains what's good advice, what's not and what is downright impractical.Let's dive in!---Want a chat with Leanne about how you can use psychometrics to run successful recruitment or development programmes? Email us: podcast@oblonghq.com.Want to check us out? Head on over to our website that talks all about building a great workplace culture.Got feedback, questions or future guest suggestions? Email us: podcast@oblonghq.com.

Aug 9, 2022 • 23min
07. Why These 7 (Unlikely) Leadership Books Deserve Your Attention
It's August, and that means sunny days and more opportunities for downtime.We give you our top 7 book recommendations for when you've got some spare time and want to learn how other organisations lead. So grab a beer, a glass of crisp, white wine or a cup of tea, and let's dive in!---Want a chat with Leanne about how you can use psychometrics to run successful recruitment or development programmes? Email us: podcast@oblonghq.com.Want to check us out? Head on over to our website that talks all about building a great workplace culture.Got feedback, questions or future guest suggestions? Email us: podcast@oblonghq.com.

Aug 2, 2022 • 32min
06. Myers Briggs - Brilliant or Bulls**t..?
Dive into the fascinating world of psychometric testing, particularly the controversial Myers-Briggs. Discover the difference between personality assessments and behavioral evaluations in enhancing workplace culture. Explore how dark traits can impact high-stakes professions and the ethical concerns surrounding these tests. Learn about the importance of clarity and validity in assessment choices, as well as the necessity for professional insight to improve recruitment strategies. Get ready to rethink the value of personality tests!

Jul 25, 2022 • 39min
05. How to Master Hybrid Work: A Leader's Guide
In these post-pandemic times, it seems everyone wants to work remotely - but that's not actually the case.A recent survey revealed that most people just want some flexibility to work remotely sometimes.In this episode, Business Psychologist (and lead consultant at Oblong), Leanne Elliott digs into the why, when & how of implementing a Hybrid Workplace.You'll hear her draw on both her decade of experience managing remote teams, as well as explaining the science behind it all.Don't be put off by the idea of flexible/remote work - when done right you'll usually see a huge improvement in productivity and employee happiness, and a reduction in staff turnover.---Want a chat with Leanne about how you can build an amazing workplace culture? Email us: podcast@oblonghq.com.Want to check us out? Head on over to our website that talks all about building a great workplace culture.Got feedback, questions or future guest suggestions? Email us: podcast@oblonghq.com.

Jul 19, 2022 • 20min
04. How To Recruit For Culture Fit (HINT: Don't)
10 years ago, recruiting for culture fit was all the rage! But was it just a fad, or are there some genuinely useful lessons we can learn?In this episode, Business Psychologist (and lead consultant at Oblong), Leanne Elliott dispels the myths around recruiting for culture fit and explains how (and when) it can be the right strategy for recruiting great people.We hope this is helpful... oh, and if you are recruiting right now, stay positive - the process might take longer these days, but great people are out there.---Want a chat with Leanne about how you can build an amazing workplace culture? Email us: podcast@oblonghq.com.Want to check us out? Head on over to our website that talks all about building a great workplace culture.Got feedback, questions or future guest suggestions? Email us: podcast@oblonghq.com.