Truth, Lies and Work

283. How Google and Netflix design engagement surveys that actually work, with Bill Yost

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture, brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network. This week, we are joined by Bill Yost, a People Analytics powerhouse who has operated at the very highest levels of data-driven culture. Bill spent four years running Googlegeist, Google’s legendary annual survey that consistently achieved a staggering 90% response rate. Now leading analytics at Netflix, Bill joins Al and Leanne to explain why your employee engagement survey is likely failing—and how to fix it. In this episode, Bill pulls back the curtain on the "snake eating itself"—the cycle of performative surveying that destroys employee trust—and shares the exact framework used by tech giants to turn data into genuine organizational change. 🔥 What we cover in this episode: The "Goodwill Account": Why asking for feedback without the intention to act is a withdrawal from a bank account you can’t afford to drain. Confidential vs. Anonymous: The "taboo" of anonymity and why confidential surveys are the gold standard for identifying specific team issues without compromising trust. Closing the Loop: How Google built an entire new department based on survey feedback, and why you must "close the loop" loudly to maintain engagement. The Art of the Dashboard: Distinguishing between data "curation" for executives and "exploration" for analysts to avoid the misery of a bad dashboard. The Return-to-Office Bias: How leaders use their own "personal lens" to interpret messy data to fit their existing biases. 📚 About Bill Yost Connect with Bill for the best spreadsheet humor and blunt data truths: – Website: www.billyost.net – Website: www.billyost.com – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billyost/ (Look for the pirate flag 🏴‍☠️) Special Offer: If you are in the US and want to try some incredible cookies, visit https://cookiesworthsharon.com/ and use the code TLW for 15% off (valid for two months from the release of this episode). 📬 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 Truth, Lies & Work is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

282. No Tech Bros Allowed, The Death of Coworking and Managing Zero Ambition. PLUS! Can we really multitask?

Truth, Lies & Work is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals. In this episode: We explore why "Brand Well-being" is the new secret to a 47% ROI, why a Silicon Valley startup is banning "tech bros" in favour of over-50s, and why the coworking dream is being replaced by the "proworking" revolution. Plus, we debunk the multitasking myth and solve your workplace dilemmas. 🔥 This Week in Work: The News Round-Up Brand Well-being: The Competitive Advantage Is your brand just a logo, or a healthy ecosystem? Leanne introduces "Brand Well-being"—the idea that success depends on the health of employees, internal culture, and customers. With research showing a 47% ROI on well-being programmes and the Work Wellbeing 100 outperforming the market, we ask: why is this still treated as an optional extra? Fast Company Article: https://www.fastcompany.com/91474208/what-is-brand-well-being-and-can-it-give-you-a-competitive-advantage-leadership-brands-well-being The Silicon Valley "Anti-Tech-Bro" Shift Startup Snowcap Compute is flipping the script by hiring a team with an average age of over 50. In a hardware industry where one mistake costs nine months of progress, CEO Mike Lafferty argues that "veteran" skepticism beats "youthful" trust in models. We discuss why deep experience is becoming a primary competitive advantage. Inc Article: https://www.inc.com/kevin-haynes/tech-bros-need-not-apply-a-silicon-valley-hiring-twist/91313738 The Death of Coworking & The Rise of "Proworking" Is the "Bromad" era over? Al explores why serious professionals are quietly leaving open-plan coworking spaces. As home becomes the default for many, the office must offer something better: quiet, privacy, and "proworking" spaces that offer a door that actually shuts. Forbes Article: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2025/12/15/the-private-office-revival-why-professionals-are-quietly-leaving-coworking-behind/ 🧠 Truth or Lie: Can Some People Genuinely Multitask? We put the "supertasker" under the microscope. While 2.5% of the population might handle heavy cognitive loads more efficiently, for the other 97.5% of us, multitasking is just expensive "task switching." We also look at how AI isn't making us better at juggling—it’s just taking some of the balls out of the air for us. 🏥 The Workplace Surgery The "Zero Ambition" Contributor: Is it a problem if a top performer just wants to do their job and go home? Leading Hard Conversations: Advice for HR pros and managers on staying neutral when things get emotional. Podcast ROI: Is starting a business podcast in 2026 a smart growth strategy or a vanity project? 📬 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

281. "I was the adult at Facebook", with FB's #57 employee & author Tom LeNoble

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture, brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network. This week, we are joined by the "adult in the room" from the early days of Facebook, Tom LeNoble. Tom has led in boardrooms and fought for his life in hospital rooms, surviving multiple life-threatening illnesses. From shaping growth at Facebook (META), Walmart.com, Palm (HP), and MCI (Verizon) to now serving as CEO of the Academy for Coaching Excellence and a leadership coach with Santa Clara University’s Miller Center for Global Impact, Tom helps others navigate adversity with courage and clarity. In his best-selling book, My Life in Business Suits, Hospital Gowns, and High Heels, Tom shares unflinching lessons on risk, resilience, and reinvention. 🔥 What we cover in this episode: The Early Days of Facebook: What it was like interviewing with a 19-year-old Mark Zuckerberg in a tiny office above a Chinese restaurant. The Secret Struggle: How Tom managed a high-octane Silicon Valley career while being given six months to live—three separate times. Leading Through Crisis: The philosophy of laying off 100 people (and eventually himself) with dignity and a "head held high" approach. The Philanthropic Mindset: Why philanthropy isn't about the size of the check, but the intention behind a simple "hello." The Story of Rita Dayworth: Reclaiming all parts of your identity, from executive suits to high heels. 📚 About Tom LeNoble Tom’s book is available on Amazon, and you can learn more by visiting www.tomlenoble.com. Follow @lenoble.tom on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also reach out to Tom directly at resilience@tomlenoble.com. 📬 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+1 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 Truth, Lies & Work is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

280. Jack Dorsey’s A.I. Gamble, Friction-maxxing and The 10:47 PM Email. PLUS: Are Leaders Born or Made?

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture, brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network. This week, we explore why "friction" might be the secret to better judgment, the brutal reality of AI-driven layoffs at Block, and why your boss's 10:47 PM emails are exhausting your entire team. Plus, we dig into the science of whether leadership is written in your DNA. 🔥 Stories Covered 1. The Rise of "Friction-maxxing" Leanne introduces a new term: friction-maxxing. Inspired by reporting in the Financial Times, this movement sees workers deliberately choosing slower, more effortful ways of working—like handwriting notes or reading full documents instead of AI summaries—to combat "cognitive atrophy" and build nuanced judgment. Source: https://www.ft.com/content/fd5e65df-83c7-42f3-9658-377c99df42d1 2. Jack Dorsey’s AI Gamble Al discusses the recent layoffs at Block (formerly Square/Twitter), where CEO Jack Dorsey cut 4,000 jobs—40% of the workforce—and explicitly blamed AI productivity gains. We debate whether this "rip the plaster off" honesty is refreshing or a dangerous precedent for the future of work. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/27/block-ai-layoffs-jack-dorsey 3. The Climate of Constant Connectivity New research in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology reveals that when leaders use smartphones for work after hours, they create a shared "climate of constant connectivity". This doesn't just annoy individuals; it leads to collective emotional exhaustion across the entire team. Source: https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/joop.70067 🧠 Truth or Lie: Are Leaders Born or Made? We tackle the "Great Man" theory of leadership. While studies of identical twins show that between 37% and 59% of leadership style variation can be linked to genetics, that still leaves more than half the equation down to environment, experience, and development. The Verdict: It’s a Lie—leadership is not a genetic script; it is a practicable skill shaped by opportunity and self-awareness. 💬 Workplace Surgery This week, we answer three tough listener questions: The Nepotism Trap: How do you push back when a senior leader pressures you to hire their less-qualified relative? The Vanishing Spark: What do you do when "star" employees suddenly settle for "just fine" without being dramatic about "quiet quitting"? The Transparency Gap: Your manager is telling the CEO a project is "on track" when you know it's failing. Do you speak up or stay complicit? 📬 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 Truth, Lies & Work is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals. Find out more at: https://www.hubspot.com/podcast-network

279. The Leadership Assessment Tool we're ALL using wrong, with Chartered Occupational Psychologist, Juliette Alban-Metcalfe

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets organisational culture. In the corporate world, we are obsessed with personality. We use DISC, Myers-Briggs, and Enneagrams to "colour-code" our colleagues and predict who will be a great leader. But what if we’ve been looking at the wrong data? In this episode, we sit down with Juliette Alban-Metcalfe, a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and CEO of Real World Group. Juliette is at the forefront of leadership research, building on the groundbreaking work of her mother, Professor Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe. Juliette argues that personality only explains a tiny fraction of leadership success. Instead, the real "magic sauce" is behaviour—the specific, observable actions that leaders take to engage their teams and foster success. In this episode, we discuss: Personality vs. Behaviour: Why what you do matters infinitely more than who you are according to your personality test results. The "Accidental Manager" Trap: Why founders and technical experts often struggle to transition into leadership and how 360-degree feedback can bridge the gap. Predictive Validity: The science behind why leadership behaviours can predict up to 60% of a team's motivation and fulfilment. Psychological Safety: How to use assessments to build trust and development rather than fear and judgement. Actionable Advice for Leaders: Two simple things every leader can do today to immediately improve team engagement. If you’ve ever felt like you’re "not a natural leader" or if you're an HR professional frustrated with the lack of ROI from personality workshops, this episode is a masterclass in the science of what actually works. 🔗 Connect with Juliette – LinkedIn: Juliette Alban-Metcalfe – Website: Real World Group 📬 Connect with Al & Leanne – LinkedIn: Truth, Lies & Work – Al Elliott: LinkedIn – Leanne Elliott: LinkedIn – 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 Truth, Lies & Work is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.