The People Work Podcast: Creating workplaces with fewer people problems and better bottom lines

Hosted by Shane Jacob

Business Careers

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Episodes

123

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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About the show

In The How People Work Podcast, Shane Jacob breaks down why people problems show up at work and what to do about them so performance actually improves. If you’ve ever walked away from a conversation and thought, “That didn’t fix anything,” this is for you. If the same issue keeps coming back, there’s a reason. This will show you what’s happening and how to handle it so the work actually changes. Most teams don’t struggle because people are incapable. They struggle because performance isn’t being addressed in a way that leads to change. A problem shows up, a conversation happens, and the work stays the same. So the issue comes back again. That costs time, money, and results. This podcast is about fixing that. Shane teaches a practical way to handle people and performance that separates the person from their behavior so you can address the work clearly and directly. When that changes, conversations lead to better work, accountability becomes consistent, and teams produce more without constant management. If you’re a business owner, executive, or team leader dealing with performance issues, conflict, or inconsistency, this podcast will show you a better way to handle it. Fewer people problems. Better results. Learn more at https://www.shanejacob.com/

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 21, 202655 min

What Employers Are Really Looking For in People

In this episode Shane shares what Leaders Should Look For When Hiring. If ten people meet the basic requirements and you have one job, what makes the difference? In this Episode you will Discover: The three things Shane looks for when he hires someone Why basic job requirements are only the starting point How to pick a high performer Shane also shares a real example from Jacob Livestock involving a lost bale of hay and shows how a leader's response can determine whether an employee learns to hide problems or becomes willing to bring them forward. If you're hiring people, entering the workforce, or trying to become someone employers can trust, this episode will give you a different way to think about what actually matters. Your value is non-negotiable.

August 13, 202635 min

What To Do With Your Time

What if you could get to the end of your day and feel good about how you spent your time? Not because you got everything done. Because you did what was most important to you. You did what you said you were going to do. You lived according to your priorities. You became a person you can count on. Shane Jacob talks about what happens when you manage yourself and your time around what actually matters to you. The result is bigger than productivity. You begin to trust yourself more, feel better about yourself, and have less regret, stress, and overwhelm. What happens when the way you spend your time starts matching the way you actually want to live? That's what this episode is about.

August 8, 202622 min

The Most Important Days in an Employee's Career

Most leaders believe onboarding is about teaching someone how to do the job. It's much more than that. Every new employee walks into your organization asking one question: "Am I going to make it here?" The way leaders answer that question determines how quickly people learn, how much they contribute, and whether they stay. In this episode, workplace culture speaker and trainer Shane Jacob explains why the first days of employment shape trust, accountability, and long-term performance. You'll learn: • Why onboarding is about more than policies and procedures • How uncertainty affects every new employee • How to reduce turnover before it starts If you lead people, this episode will change the way you think about onboarding.

July 31, 202633 min

5 Results of The Worth Work System

Every leader wants better results. More trust. Better accountability. Higher productivity. In this episode, Shane Jacob explains why those results begin with changing what people believe, not simply changing what they do. Learn why the Worth Work System creates stronger teams, happier people, and workplaces where better performance becomes the natural result.

July 24, 202644 min

Why Your Team Doesn't Trust You in 3 Seconds (and What Horses Taught Me About Fixing It)

Trust is built faster than most leaders realize. In this episode, Shane Jacob shares what horses taught him about human behavior, why employees stop speaking up, and how the Worth Work System helps leaders build teams with more trust, ownership, and better performance.

July 16, 202643 min

The Two Seconds That Decide Whether Your Employee Trusts You

When someone on your team makes a mistake, what happens inside your mind before you respond? In this episode, Shane Jacob shares a real example of implementing The Worth Work System and explains why leaders must protect the person before they judge the work. Learn the three-step process: Recognize. Separate. Protect. Because accountability works better when people trust their value is not on trial.

July 10, 202635 min

The Separation Skill: Fix Behavior Without Triggering Your Employees

Why does feedback turn into conflict? In this episode, Shane Jacob explains the Separation Skill: how to separate behavior from worth. Learn how leaders can fix behavior, maintain accountability, and avoid turning every correction into a people problem. Judge the work. Protect the person.

July 2, 202630 min

Doing the Opposite of What We Are Taught to Get the Best From Your Team

People don’t shut down because of feedback. They shut down when a mistake feels personal. Shane explains how trust and performance change when leaders separate the work from the person What you'll discover: 3 takeaways that you can implement immediately to improve your teams attitude Why trying to make everyone "equal in power" doesn't actually build trust The difference between judging someone's work and judging who they are

June 26, 202641 min

Why Judge the Work, Protect the Person Stops Working And What to Do When It Does

You know the system. You use the words. So why isn't it working? In this episode, Shane Jacob explains why Judge the Work, Protect the Person fails and it has nothing to do with what you say. It has everything to do with what you believe when things go wrong. He gives you a three-step process to catch your thinking before it costs you the trust you've been building. Worth listening to if your team is still getting defensive even when you're trying to do it right.

June 18, 202627 min

The Top 3 Steps to Create Trust in the Workplace

Trust is not built when things are going well. Trust is built when mistakes happen. In this episode, Shane shares three practical ways to implement the Worth Work System so people focus less on protecting themselves and more on improving the work. WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER • Why people often focus on themselves instead of the problem • Three practical ways to create trust during correction • How to judge the work without attacking the person