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Truth, Lies and Work

Truth, Lies and Work

Hosted by HubSpot Podcast Network

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Episodes

331

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN

About the show

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.

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60 recent
August 18, 202653 min

328. Am I the Workplace A**hole? Summer Sessions #4, with Dr Jake Tuber

Are workplace dilemmas ever really black and white? Welcome back to another Summer Session of Truth, Lies & Work! For this episode, Al and Leanne are ditching the traditional workplace news to tackle some of the internet's most controversial, outrageous, and downright petty workplace dilemmas—Am I the Arsehole? style. Joining the panel is organisational psychologist and friend of the show, Dr. Jake Tuber. Together, they dissect real-life workplace conflicts to decide who is in the right, who is in the wrong, and who was completely out of order. ⚖️ The Dilemmas on Trial Today: The $1,800 Stolen Chair: What happens when a colleague steals your high-end office chair, your boss tells you "first-come, first-served," and the police get involved? The Tragic Firing: Is a company justified in firing a 22-year-old employee whose performance dropped right after losing both parents in a tragic accident? The Public Ultimatum: What should happen when an employee bypasses their line manager to escalate an issue publicly to senior executive leadership? Whether you're listening on your morning commute or relaxing by the pool, play along and see if you agree with the verdicts! 🤝 Connect with Dr. Jake Tuber LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaketuber/ Website: http://www.ticonadvisory.com Podcast: https://www.ticonadvisory.com/podcast 🎁 Special Offer: Get 6 months of free access to Jake's Substack, Workwise: https://workwise.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=1e481d0b 📬 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

August 13, 202656 min

327. Top 5 Tips to Actually Switch Off This Summer, with Dr Rachel Morris

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, the audio destination for business professionals. When was the last time you came back from a holiday genuinely refreshed? For many leaders, managers, and high-achieving professionals, summer isn't relaxing. You spend weeks clearing your inbox before you leave, spend your holiday feeling guilty for not working, check your emails "just in case", and come back to an overflowing inbox needing another break. So why is switching off so difficult? In this episode, hosts Al and Leanne are joined by Dr. Rachel Morris, former GP, keynote speaker, and host of the You Are Not A Frog podcast. Together, they explore why high achievers struggle to rest, how summer can inadvertently trigger burnout, and 5 practical strategies to genuinely recharge before September. 💡 What You'll Learn in This Episode The "Responsibility Trap": Why conscientious professionals struggle to unplug. The Pre-Holiday Firefight: Why working double time before taking leave backfires. Rest vs. Guilt: How to reframe the guilt you feel when stepping away from work. 5 Practical Recovery Tips: Actionable ways to protect your energy and return to work genuinely refreshed. 📌 Dr Rachel Morris's 5 Tips to Switch Off Book your recovery in before anything else Get clear on what’s in your control in the summer Stop rescuing other people Expect the guilt and use it as evidence You don’t need to earn your rest 🔗 Links & Resources Self-Assessment Resource: Download the Am I Stressed, Overwhelmed or Burned Out PDF Self Assessment Toolkit: https://youarenotafrog.com/toolkit/ Connect with Dr Rachel Morris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rachel-morris Listen to You Are Not a Frog Podcast: ⁠https://youarenotafrog.com/about/ 📬 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

August 11, 202654 min

326. We Play Corporate Family Fortunes with Danny Wareham! Summer Sessions #3

Welcome to another edition of our Truth, Lies & Work Summer Sessions! For this episode, Al and Leanne take a quick break from workplace news and heavy behavioural science to host a special summer game: Corporate Family Fortunes. Joining the fun is organisational psychologist, leadership expert, speaker, and author Danny Wareham. They dive into survey results on the most irritating workplace habits, awkward social activities, how people really unwind after a stressful day, and the hidden psychological traps of office life. ⏱️ Episode Chapters 00:00 – Intro & Summer Sessions Housekeeping 02:40 – Introducing Danny Wareham & Constellation 05:00 – Post-Book Tour Life, Award Season, & Authentic LinkedIn Content 09:50 – What Makes a True Christmas Movie? (In August!) 13:05 – Round 1: Most Annoying Office Habits & Smelly Food 16:45 – Round 2: What Makes People Angriest at Work? 20:50 – Round 3: Which Work Social Activities Do People Avoid? 28:00 – Round 4: What Keeps Employees from Quitting? 34:00 – Round 5: Annoying Communication Styles & Voice Note Debates 45:30 – Round 6: The Weirdest Things Found in Desk Drawers 51:00 – Round 7: How Workers Really Unwind After a Stressful Day 57:50 – Wrap-up & What’s Coming Next Week 🎧 Want more from Danny Wareham? – Website: dannywareham.co.uk – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-wareham/ – Buy Danny's Book: https://dannywareham.co.uk/constellation-leadership/ 📬 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

August 6, 202652 min

325. He cancelled his meetings for a week (and nobody noticed), with Chris Lovett, best-selling author

Have you ever looked at a calendar packed with back-to-back, colour-coded blocks and felt a strange sense of pride? In today’s workplace culture, a hectic diary isn’t just a schedule—it’s an identity. But what if all those reflex "yeses," endless Zoom syncs, and low-value emails are actually destroying your performance and pushing you toward burnout? In this episode of Truth, Lies & Work, host Al Elliott sits down with executive coach, author, and speaker Chris Lovett to discuss how applying a "less is more" mindset to your job can lead to radically better results. From stepping on an old 1990s CD case to convincing a senior leader to decline every meeting for a week, Chris shares actionable strategies to help you break free from busywork, reclaim your time, and become a true "corporate athlete." The Break Point: How stepping on a Mark Morrison CD case led Chris to sell almost everything he owned, board a flight to Copenhagen, and completely redefine success. The Meeting Experiment: What happened when a senior leader declined a whole week of meetings—and why only one person noticed? The "Needing to Be Needed" Trap: Why we treat calendar invitations like hits of dopamine, and how over-helping your team actually stunts their growth. Are You a Corporate Athlete? Why high performers build tactical rest into their days, and how back-to-back meetings drop your attention and engagement by up to 40%. Strategic Laziness & Small Rebellions: Tactical scripts and questions you can start using today to protect your time without burning bridges or looking uncooperative. Connect with Chris: Website: https://chrislovett.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-lovett-29176933/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok/@chris_lovett Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christolovett/ Books: Relentless & Discovery of Less 📬 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

August 4, 202659 min

324. Workplace Red Flag or Green Flag? Summer Sessions #2, with Meghan French-Dunbar

Welcome to another episode of our Summer Sessions! Every August, we take a short break from our usual news roundups and deep dives to bring you lighter, conversational, and debate-style episodes. These are designed to be enjoyed while you're out on a summer walk, driving, or taking a well-deserved break from work. In this second episode of the series, Al Elliott and Leanne Elliott are joined by author, speaker, and host of the Unbehaved podcast, Meghan French Dunbar. Together, they put some of the biggest workplace behaviours, leadership advice, and organisational trends to the test in a fast-paced game of Workplace Red Flag or Green Flag? From unlimited PTO and salary transparency to reception wall values and office dogs, we debate the unwritten rules of work—and challenge whether the things we accept as "normal" are actually helping or hurting workplace culture. Topics We Debate in This Episode: Unlimited Holiday: A genuine employee perk, or a trap that leads to taking less time off? Values on the Wall: Inspiration, or a clear sign of corporate virtue signaling? Salary Transparency: A green flag for pay equity, or a recipe for workplace chaos? Workplace Tropes: What do office dogs with email addresses, "we're like a family" statements, and founder-led interviews really say about a company? 🏢 Companies & Resources Mentioned: Barry-Wehmiller: https://www.barrywehmiller.com/ Torani Syrups: https://www.torani.com/ Zingerman's: https://www.zingermans.com/ 🎧 Want more from Meghan French Dunbar? – Website: https://www.meghanfrenchdunbar.com/book – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghanfrenchdunbar – Substack: https://meghanfrenchdunbar.substack.com – Email: meghan@frenchdunbar.com – Book: This Isn’t Working (use code TLW for 20% off) → https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/meghan-french-dunbar/this-isnt-working/9781541704862/?lens=basic-venture 📬 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 and Work is brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

July 30, 202659 min

323. Why you believe you're right, even when you're wrong, with Owen Fitzpatrick, social psychologist and author

When you hear the word propaganda, you picture a dictator, a politician, or an ad executive. You never picture yourself. But turns out, you are running the exact same campaign on yourself every day. In this episode, charter occupational psychologist Leanne Elliott and entrepreneur Al Elliott are joined by psychologist, speaker, and author Owen Fitzpatrick. Owen has spent the last 25 years studying how beliefs form, why they change, and how they shape our leadership, choices, and success. From coaching billionaires and Olympic athletes to speaking across 100 countries, Owen breaks down his concept of Inner Propaganda—the story you sell to yourself—and why logic bullying never works when trying to change minds. 🎙️ In This Episode: What is "Inner Propaganda"? Why beliefs aren't based on objective evidence, but on what feels true and protects who you think you are. The "It'll Be Grand" Effect: How your brain functions as a prediction machine designed for survival and stability, not necessarily your success. Desired Truth vs. Objective Truth: How startup founders (like James Dyson and Melanie Perkins) rely on desired truth to push boundaries—and how to avoid letting it blind you. Why "Logic Bullying" Fails: Why bombarding people with data rarely changes minds and why changing how someone feels is the real secret to influence. Leading Through AI & Future Change: How to frame organizational shifts around your team’s identity and potential, rather than triggering fear. Steve Jobs & Reality Distortion: How legendary leaders shift feelings to paint desired identities for executives and teams. 💡 Top Takeaways Stop Leading with Logic: Evidence comes last, not first. Work out how you want someone to feel before you deliver the arguments. Catch Your Desired Truth: Ask yourself whether you believe an idea because the data supports it, or because you need it to be true. Believe in Potential First: The leaders people willingly follow are the ones who believe in who someone can become, long before the evidence proves it. 👤 About the Guest Owen Fitzpatrick is a psychologist, international speaker, author of 10 books, and host of the Inner Propaganda podcast. He helps global companies, leaders, and individuals master belief leadership to drive better decisions, influence teams, and reduce polarization. Website: owenfitzpatrick.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owenfitzp/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/owenf23/ Listen to Owen's Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inner-propaganda-with-owen-fitzpatrick/id1441538919 📬 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.

July 28, 202651 min

322. The World’s Weirdest Jobs: Penguinologists, Snake Milkers, Ice Cowboys and more! Summer Sessions #1, with Georgia Hodkinson

Welcome to Episode 1 of our Summer Sessions on Truth, Lies & Work! For the next few weeks, Al and Leanne are taking a short break from the workplace news and heavy management analysis to bring you something a bit lighter, funnier, and completely fascinating. Joined by special guest host Georgia Hodkinson (Associate Producer and Organisational Psychologist), the team goes head-to-head in a battle of bizarre careers. Each host brings genuinely real, highly specialised, and wildly strange jobs to the table—guessing what they involve, breaking down how you actually get into them, revealing what they pay, and scoring them on a leaderboard for sheer weirdness. Whether you're lounging by the pool, commuting to work, or hiding from your inbox on holiday, hit play to discover the most unbelievable ways people make a living around the globe! Unbelievable Careers Revealed: Deep dives into penguinologists, snake milkers, ice cowboys, professional apologists, and golf ball divers. Day-in-the-Life Breakdown: What these jobs actually involve, how rare they are, and how much they pay. How to Land One: Do you need a PhD, niche training, or do you just fall into it by accident? The Weirdest Job Leaderboard: Scores for pure weirdness, "Would you actually do it?", and the ultimate dinner party conversation-starter! 🎙️ Special Guest Host Georgia Hodkinson (GMBPsS) – Associate Producer & Organisational Psychologist LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgia-hodkinson-gmbpss/ Company: Georgia's Psy Work 📬 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.

July 23, 202652 min

321. Is HR the Loneliest Job in the Building? With Tom Emery

HR leaders spend all day surrounded by people. So why does it often feel like the loneliest job in the building? In this episode, Tom Emery, former Chief People Officer at a top City of London wealth manager, 20-year corporate HR veteran (ex-HSBC), and founder of HEX Talent & Development, joins Al and Leanne to pull back the curtain on the reality of HR leadership. Tom shares his powerful "Vet Analogy" for HR: just like veterinarians enter the profession out of love for animals only to see them at their illest, weakest, or most aggressive, HR leaders enter the role because they love people, only to be brought in when people are backed into a corner. Together, they dive deep into how HR leaders can step out of the isolated "police officer" role and step into the room as true strategic drivers, how senior leaders can build psychological safety by simply asking for help, and why learning to disagree well is the missing ingredient in high-performing C-suites. 🎧 What We Cover in This Episode The Vet Analogy: Why HR professionals frequently meet employees at their lowest points—and how to handle the emotional toll. Breaking Out of the "Outside Looking In" Trap: How HR leaders can build true credibility with the board, C-suite, and CFOs by becoming commercial explorers. The Art of Disagreeing Well: Why storming and surfacing productive conflict is essential for high-performing, psychologically safe teams. Modelling Psychological Safety: Why asking for help as a senior leader increases trust rather than weakening authority. Humanising Workplace Change in the Age of AI: Navigating digital transformation, layoffs, and organisational shifts without losing the human touch. Setting Boundaries & Sitting in the Discomfort: Learning to accept that you can't fix every outcome or make everyone happy. ⚡ Top 3 Takeaways Get curious about the business, not just the people: The HR leaders who get taken seriously understand how the company actually makes money and manages cost levers as deeply as the CFO does. Build safety by asking for help yourself: Admitting you don't have all the answers isn't a sign of weakness—it's the fastest way for senior leaders to model and build trust. You can't fix every outcome: Chasing 100% approval or trying to solve every hard moment will lead straight to burnout. Sometimes the job is just sitting with someone in a difficult moment, not solving it for them. More from Tom: Website: https://www.hex-development.com/ Book (People, People): Claim a free UK copy at https://www.hex-development.com/ (or available globally on Amazon) Podcast (Beyond Potential): https://beyondpotential.podbean.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomemery-b8809818/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomemeryhex/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tomemeryhex YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HEX-development 📬 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.

July 21, 202656 min

320. Can you bulls*it a bullsh*tter? PLUS! The European hiring crisis, Gen-Z perfectionism and Tik Tok training

The Hiring Crisis, TikTok Training and Gen Z Perfectionism. PLUS How to Keep Quiet Teams Motivated 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. In this episode of This Week in Work, business owner Al Elliott and Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott break down why fewer than half of recruitment processes actually succeed, why TikTok-style L&D might be sabotaging employee memory, and how economic pressure is driving an epidemic of Gen-Z perfectionism. Plus, in Truth or Lie, we test the psychological myth: Can you bullshit a bullshitter? 🔥 Stories covered 1. Are we actually in a European hiring crisis? While corporate layoff headlines dominate the news, data from McKinsey’s HR Monitor survey reveals European hiring success sits at just 46% when accounting for offer acceptance and probation survival. With an aging workforce retiring and AI changing entry-level work, skilled talent is scarcer than ever. We discuss why smart companies like Spotify are shifting focus from external recruitment to internal mobility and growing talent from within. Source: https://apple.news/ATgORe8gTRY2tHZs98wLVag 2. Why short-form videos are terrible for L&D Thinking of using 60-second TikTok-style reels for workplace training? Think again. A new study demonstrates that chopping learning content into micro-clips tanks test scores and dramatically speeds up overnight forgetting. Brain scans revealed that continuous video syncs brain regions responsible for attention and memory formation, whereas micro-clips over-stimulate change-detection reflexes without actual absorption. Source: https://www.psypost.org/the-illusion-of-learning-from-short-videos/ 3. Is work making young people hyper-perfectionist? Analysing 35 years of data across 82,000 students, a major study in Psychological Bulletin shows a sharp rise in socially prescribed perfectionism—the belief that others demand perfection and will judge mistakes harshly. Rather than being "fragile" or "entitled," Gen-Z employees are operating under intense economic pressure and fear of failure. We cover how leaders can foster true psychological safety to overcome paralysis and indecision. Source: https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/perfectionism-young-adults-higher-ever-says-new-study 🧠 Truth or Lie: "You Can’t Bullshit a Bullshitter" It’s an age-old saying: frequent liars and exaggerators have a built-in radar for deception. But does the psychological research back it up? Leanne examines studies by Christian Blötner & Sebastian Bergold (2023) and Dr. Shane Littrell et al. (2021). We break down the crucial difference between persuasive bullshitters (who talk a big game with buzzwords) and evasive bullshitters (who dodge questions defensively). Want to dive deeper? Check out cognitive psychologist Dr. Shane Littrell’s research on Substack: https://bullshitology.substack.com/ Workplace Surgery In this week's Workplace Surgery, we tackle three real questions submitted by listeners: On Employee Perks: "Am I being naive putting in a free gym?" On Downtime Motivation: "How do you keep people motivated when work goes quiet?" On Inclusive Hiring: "I want to give someone a chance, but am I doing more harm than good?" 📬 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.

July 16, 202647 min

319. Why Nobody is Listening to You at Work, with Strategic PR Director, Ellie Glason

Have you ever put together a perfectly logical, data-backed presentation or sent a highly detailed company-wide email, only to be met with complete silence? Meanwhile, a seemingly trivial update or a random piece of news gets everyone talking. In this episode of Truth, Lies & Work, we unlock the secret to getting people to actually listen to you. It isn’t about louder voices, longer emails, or bigger slide decks. It is entirely about storytelling. Our guest is Ellie Glason, a leading PR consultant for founders and former publishing specialist. Ellie explains why our brains are hardwired to ignore dry information dumps and how you can use the classic "Seven Basic Plots" of human storytelling to get instant buy-in from your team, your board, or the media. 🎧 In This Episode, We Discuss: The "Baby with Tall Hair" Phenomenon: Why Al's data-heavy, perfectly logical press release from 20 years ago was completely ignored in favor of a silly human-interest story—and what it teaches us about workplace communication. The Inverted Triangle of Communication: How to hook your audience in the first few seconds instead of burying the lead under a mountain of context. The Seven Basic Plots of Business: How legendary stories like The Quest, Overcoming the Monster, and Rebirth can be used to handle tough internal corporate messages—like return-to-office mandates, budget cuts, and major digital transformations. The Pub Test: The quick, foolproof metric to test if your business update or pitch is actually interesting to another human being. The Credibility Ladder for Introverts: How leaders who hate the spotlight can still build powerful thought leadership and authority without having to yell on social media. The Future of PR in the Age of AI: How AI search is changing the game, making niche trade publications and trusted third-party sites more valuable than ever. 📖 Resources Mentioned in This Episode Why Nobody is Listening to You at Work: https://ellieglasonpr.com/ The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories by Christopher Booker: https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Basic-Plots-Tell-Stories/dp/0826452094 Connect with Ellie Glason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellie-glason/ 📬 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 If you or someone you work with is struggling, please reach out to one of the trusted support services below: 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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