314. Why do we all love an underdog? PLUS! Responsible A.I., Ford’s human rehiring spree AND the psychology of disagreements.

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

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