Eat Sleep Work Repeat - better workplace culture

Danny Meyer is one of the most respected restaurateurs in the world, but beyond the success of the likes of Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern and Shake Shack he's also become famous for writing a book, Setting the Table , that has become an inspiration to hundreds of thousands of readers around the world. The book is used as training manual beyond the hospitality trade by businesses who want to be famous for providing strong customer service. Danny talks about service being a monologue, whereas hospitality is a dialogue. In his new book, What Could Possibly Go Right? , he updates his story. His first book documented many slips on the way to running a series of beloved restaurants; he was proud that he'd never closed an eaterie. The new book catalogues closures, missteps, Covid and an even an intervention by his leadership team when the culture of the business was on the wrong tracks. Danny tells Bruce that restaurants are the perfect space to watch culture on fast forward, and how anyone can learn lessons from his businesses as they strive to be the most beloved venues in New York. Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Proper ding dong this week. I have a fabulously enjoyable back-and-forth with the brilliant Professor Rob Briner. At one stage Rob says: ‘If you tell someone - whose favourite thing is organisational culture - and you tell them it’s not a very useful idea - they don’t like it.’ Well, I felt seen. To be fair I’d already acknowledged that I agreed on what he was saying that behaviours are more important than culture. Also I’m more than a culture fan, I promise. But it’s a sign that it’s an outstanding discussion. Rob’s key point was that the idea of culture is vague and subjective. Rob says that culture is ‘a description. So if you want to change something, you don’t change the description of it, you change the cause of it.’ He says we should be specific about what we're trying to change, not just wave our arms and mouth 'culture'. We discuss if an obsession with scale is the curse of modern business. How to build effective organisations. Why you should focus on being specific about culture. It's worth checking out some of Rob's posts. For example: Does changing culture change behaviour? Rob asked me to share the following bio: Rob Briner is Professor of Organisational Psychology (Queen Mary University of London) and a Research Director at Corporate Research Forum ( rob@crforum.co.uk ). He has been promoting Evidence-Based Practice in Management, HRM and Work Psychology for almost three decades. His recent research with Corporate Research Forum includes reports on Evidence-Based HR and how HR can more effectively drive organisational performance . He also leads CRF’s Work Psychology Network which has produced reports summarizing the best available and most practical work psychology theory and evidence around a range of topics including motivation and performance, assessing potential and behaviour change in organisations . He has also produced a series of short posts on LinkedIn where he explores various popular ideas about behaviour at work (e.g., learning styles, psychological safety, growth mindset, happy-productive worker) and asks about each: Is that really a thing? That question is answered through a combination of critical thinking and using reviews of scientific evidence. There's a full transcript at the website. Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah O'Connor is a journalist for the Financial Times who specialises in writing about work and the evolution of our jobs. Over the last year or so that has meant a lot of reflection about AI job displacement. In her new book, We Are Not Machines , Sarah reflects on how technological change is reshaping the workplace - and the invisible enshittification it often brings with it. Sarah has a strong message: firstly that we should have more belief in the unique strengths of human labour, and secondly that individual agency is the most important differentiator in our favour. It's a brilliant conversation that gives a flavour of her book. Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kate Murphy is the author a new book called Why We Click . It combines the very latest research into interpersonal synchrony - how we form bonds with others. It's an intriguing read - at times compelling, at times challenging. I chatted to her to understand 'the bad apple effect' and her take on whether we need face-to-face communication at all costs. There's a full transcript on the website. Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Gillian Sandstrom is a researcher whose work explores her fascination with our conversations with other people - whether colleagues, friends or strangers. She’s just published a fabulous new book ‘Once Upon A Stranger’ . Her work says that we often have a ‘liking gap’ when we talk to people - we think they like us less than we like them - even if they are work colleagues. It turns out not to be true - our co-workers like us more than we realise. It's a brilliant discussion - and potentially a prompt for you to change how you live your life. This week's newsletter is about talking to colleagues. Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A return interview with Dr Pippa Grange, a performance ("regenerative") psychologist who has worked with the England men's football team and who has earned the admiration of Brene Brown. I'm always excited to hear from the likes of Pippa, elite practioners who have earned the respect of the most respected high performers in the world. Pippa has a new book out, Life Reclaimed , which is a reflection on burnout, the need for overperformance and how to achieve balance in life. It's partly informed by her work with some of the most talented people in the world and certainly bears the trace of her own experiences with burnout. She also previews the BBC TV adaptation of Dear England featuring a character based on her. Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I saw a post by Professor Rob Briner about the enigma of psychological safety , and in the replies it was discussed that in fact PS isn't so much an enigma, there's evidence that it is the output of group identity. It felt important to talk to Katrien Fransen about her work exploring this. This conversation (and the papers that led into it) were real penny drop moments for me. There's a full transcript on the website. Check out more: We spend a lot of time talking about Katrien’s paper: The impact of identity leadership on team functioning and well-being in team sport: Is psychological safety the missing link? We also discuss Unlocking the Power of ‘Us’: Longitudinal Evidence that Identity Leadership Predicts Team 5 Functioning and Athlete Well-Being Her website focuses on the services that she and her colleagues provide for organisations. Katrien is the co-author (alongside former guest Alex Haslam and Filip Boen) of The New Psychology of Sport and Exercise: The Social Identity Approach Here's Rob Briner's post about psychological safety being hard to reproduce on demand. More about Professor Katrien Fransen I talk about a podcast featuring the boat race, you can check that out here . Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's conversation is with Professor Benjamin Laker , someone I've long admired for his cutting edge work on the evolution of culture. His article on Meeting Free Days is probably the piece of research I've shared the most in the last 5 years. Laker is Professor of Leadership at Henley Business School, which is part of the University of Reading. As well as writing multiple bestselling books on work like Too Proud to Lead and Job Crafting , he's also published dozens of articles in HBR and MIT Sloan Management Review. He's worked with government helping to develop policy on work and it's evolution. I could have chatted to Benjamin about dozens of things but I specifically wanted to dive into a sensational piece he wrote in Harvard Business Review at the end of last year about changing culture inside of organisations. Full transcript on the website Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daniel Coyle returns to reflect on what has changed since we last spoke. He's moved attention to an examination of what contributes to us getting a fulfilling experience from work - and life. We talk attention, community and the way that great teams demonstrate 'group flow'. We also delve into some research by Nick Epley that I've covered on the newsletter, that suggests we're terrible at predicting what will make us happy. If you like this check out the previous episodes with Daniel: Dan Coyle can fix your broken culture The Culture Code Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm joined by Daniel Zhao, chief economist of Glassdoor, who talks me through their new rankings of the best places to work in 2026. It's an intriguing list, is a car wash really better than some of the most famous tech brands in the world? The ranking allows us to explore what we want in a job: culture, connection, progression and autonomy. Bad culture is 7 times more powerful driving quitting than salary: hear Charlie and Donald Sull talk about Glassdoor data Glassdoor: Top US places to work Glassdoor: Top UK places to work Full transcript on the website Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kevin Green is the Chief People Officer for First Group. He's set about reinventing the culture of the organisation from the ground up. I heard Kevin speak at an event last year was completely bowled over by the way he talked about culture and the way he was trying to build it. I think you'll love this discussion. There's a full transcript on the website. Also mentioned: Waitrose culture episode with Lord Mark Price Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Karen Bridbord is the author of a new book, The Relationship-Driven Leader that invites us to bring a psychologist's lens to our job and the relationships with those around us. Her perspective is to use psychology to understand the person in front of you to interpret the world through their eyes. If you’ve got a controlling boss or someone who behaves in a way that impacts your life she helps you unpick what’s going in their head. The Relationship-Driven Leader: Strengthening Connections to Enhance Productivity and Wellness at Work Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gen Z have been shaped by recessions, the pandemic, geopolitical instability, not to mention financial insecurity and world changing technology. That's the finding of the Edelman Gen Z Lab as told to me by the leader of the project Jackie Cooper. Most powerfully she explains that Gen Z's have a ' visceral need for safety' - that's financial, social, cultural and even physical. They respond to fear by asking questions and wanting to be heard , which older generations often misread as entitlement or disrespect for hierarchy. Politically, Gen Z is fragmented . Younger Gen Zs, especially boys/young men , are leaning more conservative and drawn to strong-man archetypes; older Gen Zs, shaped by Obama / BLM, are more idealistic about progressive politics. Algorithms and “TikTok-isation” amplify those splits. I was blown away to see Jackie Cooper from Edelman talk about the research that the company has done to understand the new generation of workers entering the workplace - I think you'll love this discussion. You can read the report here Full transcript on the website. Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most company training is a waste of time that turns firms into bureaucratic sludge holes. That’s roughly the conclusion of today’s episode which is a conversation with Andre Spicer and Mats Alvesson They have a new book out The Art of Less . Andre has been a guest a few times before - way back in 2018. This podcast is old. In 2018 this podcast was ahead of Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO at the top of the podcast charts. ( Andre talking about open plan offices ) The idea that much of what companies do is related to their self identity, what the company aspires to be in the world - with the end result that it doesn’t achieve these things. Things we discuss: 'The Death of the Corporate Job' how 'initiative-itis' is dragging down organisations how training is corporate sludge that doesn't achieve its goals corporate culture as an act of 'grandiosity' Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeremy Holt is a psychologist and leadership coach who has spent more than 20 years helping teams get better. Read his research about better team results. This episode is the third part of a series about the power of identity in teams. Listen to the other Eat Sleep Work Repeat episodes about identity. Jeremy posting about identity Watch the Lebron documentary More Than a Game Jeremy's book For the Love of the Game Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the second part of an interview with Professor Alex Haslam, the world's leading voice on the study of social identity. You can hear the first part of this interview on the website. In this discussion we talk how social identity can help us understand leadership. Alex talks about the CARE model of leadership. C - Create the group A - Advance the group (sometimes over themselves) R - Represent the group E - Embed the group identity in everyday life for the group If you're interested in exploring Alex's recent contributions to discussions on leadership and culture these papers are a great place to start: Zombie Leadership Human Me-sources or Human We-sources - exploring leader narcissism Alex Haslam is Professor of Social and Organisational Psychology at the University of Queensland. He is one of the world’s leading researchers on group dynamics, leadership, and identity. Over the past three decades, Alex has helped reshape our understanding of how people think, feel, and behave as members of groups, and why social identity is central to motivation, resilience, and effective teamwork. Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“ Why are we so fixated on the individual self? I think it was a big con. The individual self is a relatively modern invention. The idea that human psychology is about the individual self was really an analytical fiction that was devised in the 20th century.” This is the first part of a wide-ranging discussion with Professor Alex Haslam. He talks us why our group identities are so essential to us and define who we are as adults. He quotes his mentor John Turner who said, 'Social identity is what makes group behaviour possible'. By the time you've finished with this episode I'm sure you'll agree. Check out an utterly brilliant talk by Alex - consider this the best training you could send yourself on. Alex mentions his partner Cath Haslam , who is also a psychologist. Full transcript and notes are on the website - along with an Identity playlist of episodes. Alex Haslam is Professor of Social and Organisational Psychology at the University of Queensland. He is one of the world’s leading researchers on group dynamics, leadership, and identity. Over the past three decades, Alex has helped reshape our understanding of how people think, feel, and behave as members of groups, and why social identity is central to motivation, resilience, and effective teamwork. Alex is co-author of The New Psychology of Leadership and The New Psychology of Sport and Exercise , and his work has been applied widely—from health and education to business, politics, and the military. With over 300 research articles and multiple international awards to his name, Alex is recognised as a pioneer of social identity theory in practice, showing how a sense of “us” can unlock extraordinary human potential. Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon Gilbody talks loneliness at work The Loneliness of the American Worker - Wall Street Journal Make Work Better on loneliness More on solving loneliness Loneliness in teams Derek Thompson on elective isolation Professor Simon Gilbody is a psychiatrist and clinical epidemiologist at the University of York. His work specialises in 'taking a population approach to mental health', trying to understand the aspects of modern life that contribute to how we feel. I was impressed by a talk that Simon did with the Financial Times on the topic of workplace loneliness. In our discussion Simon reflects on the toll of loneliness, how workplace loneliness can leave us with invasive thoughts, and what to do about it. Some links we discuss: Dr Lucy Foulkes - I really enjoy her TikToks, I think I gave a shout out to her book on adolescents a few weeks ago . Red Cross Report on Loneliness Thank you to Mary Howarth at University of York for helping to arrange the discussion. Transcript on the website Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This sponsored episode is brought to you by Deliveroo for Work Spencer Walker is the global director of Deliveroo for Work. The podcast has returned several times to the idea of food as a cultural trigger, something that catalyses connection and allows cohesion. We explore that idea further this week with Spencer Walker who runs Deliveroo For Work the workplace service provided by the delivery firm. The Deliveroo Feeding Employee Engagement Report I mention a book by Robin Dunbar and Samantha Rockey, it's this: The Social Brain - Tracey Camilleri, Samantha Rockey, Robin Dunbar . They talk about giving curry to bond teams (because the sharing plates require people to pass them around). Hear them talking about it here. Deliveroo for Work The Deliveroo Feeding Employee Engagement Report More about food, rituals and culture Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Delighted to post this small conversation with Nick Shackleton-Jones. Nick posts brilliantly witty rants on TikTok that are just the best things I hear about work and the futility of bureaucracy. TikTok is a fame machine and if creators drop a banger they can end up reaching a vast audience. Nick has posted some content about work, neurodiversity and philosophy that has had millions of views. It was his take on why middle aged men wanted to return to the office that I put in the newsletter last week and made up the reason why we chatted but there’s so much more to this - not least him talking about adaptive behaviours and masking for people on the spectrum. Great listen. If you don’t use TikTok then I’ve given a selection of his best posts below: Nick on LinkedIn Shackleton Consulting Nick on TikTok - this is the good stuff Best posts to check out: Middle aged men don't get on with their wives The original on middle aged men What I miss about corporate More of what he misses about corporate (on company values) Adaptive processes for neutrodivergent people Pedestrian bell Chase difference Get the newsletter here Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.