This week, Jimmy and James welcome back Dr. Jackie Le Fèvre—aka “Dr. Values”—to dissect the messy, often hypocritical world of organisational and team values. Spoiler: those shiny plaques in the foyer? Probably bollocks. But don’t despair—this episode is your survival guide to navigating the gap between what companies say they value and what they actually do.

Jackie pulls no punches: if your boss keeps “second-guessing” your work, it’s not (always) about trust—it’s about their own values. And if your company’s “core values” feel more like corporate wallpaper than a compass, you’re not alone. The trio digs into why stated values so rarely match reality, how to spot the difference, and what to do when your personal values clash with your employer’s. Turns out, values aren’t just fluffy HR buzzwords—they’re emotionally charged, stress-buffering, performance-boosting powerhouses. When aligned, they make work feel meaningful. When ignored or faked, they turn offices into soul-sucking pits of disengagement.

Key points:

• Explain yourself: If you’re a manager, your quirks (like obsessing over quarterly reports) make sense to your team—if you tell them why.
• Actions > words: An org that claims to value “innovation” but rewards cost-cutting is lying. Watch what they do, not what they post on the intranet.
• Team charters, not manifestos: For small teams, a shared “how we work” agreement beats a forced values workshop every time.
• The Enron effect: Nothing destroys trust faster than a company that preaches integrity while cooking the books.
• Do it well or don’t bother: Half-arsed values initiatives backfire. Either commit to the hard work of alignment, or save everyone the eyerolls.

With Jackie’s mix of neuroscience, war stories, and dry wit, this episode arms you with the tools to cut through the BS—and maybe even enjoy your job a bit more.

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Risk management—it’s the corporate equivalent of eating your greens. You know it’s good for you, but sometimes you’d rather scoop your eyeballs out with a teaspoon than sit through another risk workshop. Yet, as this episode of A Job Done Well reveals, risk management isn’t just about spreadsheets, buzzwords, and endless meetings. It’s about stopping bad things from happening, so you can actually get on with your job.

Joined by risk expert Richard, Jimmy and James dissect why risk management often feels like a bureaucratic nightmare, why people hide problems instead of addressing them, and how middle managers can use risk frameworks to their advantage—without losing their minds. Richard, who’s seen risk from every angle (and survived), explains how good risk management is less about ticking boxes and more about having honest conversations, making decisions, and owning your shop like a CEO.

The trio also tackle the absurdity of risk scores, the art of dissenting without getting fired, and why the real risks aren’t meteor strikes—they’re the small things piling up until everything goes belly up. So if you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a risk workshop or pretended everything’s “green” to avoid scrutiny, this episode is for you. Because, let’s face it, ignoring risk won’t make it go away—it’ll just make the fallout worse.

Five Key Points:

• Risk management isn’t just for auditors—it’s about owning your work and avoiding chaos.
• The best risk culture starts with honesty: if everything’s “green,” someone’s lying.
• Middle managers: run your team like a CEO, document your risks, and use the system to your advantage.
• Risk managers aren’t the enemy—they’re there to help you succeed (without the slip-ups).
• The real risks aren’t meteors—they’re the small failures that add up to disaster.

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Ever felt like you’re swimming against the tide at work, but can’t quite put your finger on why? Or maybe you’ve said “yes” to something only to regret it later, wondering why you ignored that gut feeling? Welcome to the world of values—the invisible compass that shapes your decisions, reactions, and even your stress levels. In this episode of A Job Done Well, James and Jimmy are joined by Dr. Jackie Le Fèvre, a values specialist with a PhD in the subject (yes, really), to peel back the layers on what values actually are, why they matter, and how understanding them can transform your work life.

Jackie, who started her career as a zoologist before diving into the psychology of human behaviour, breaks down how values act as emotional shortcuts—helping us navigate a world overflowing with information, demands, and corporate nonsense. They’re not just abstract ideas; they’re the lens through which we see the world, the filter that tells us what’s worth our energy and what’s not. And here’s the kicker: when we ignore them, we’re not just unhappy—we’re stressed, drained, and even physically unwell. Ever put off a simple task because it felt like scraping your nails on a chalkboard? That’s your values talking.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Jackie shares how becoming conscious of your values can turn conflict into clarity, self-doubt into self-compassion, and even help you reframe tasks you’d rather avoid (yes, James, that includes posting videos on LinkedIn). From journaling to noticing what makes your heart sing—or sink—she offers practical ways to uncover what truly matters to you.

So if you’re tired of feeling like a cog in someone else’s machine, or just want to understand why you react the way you do, this episode is your wake-up call. Values aren’t just for corporate mission statements—they’re your secret weapon for surviving (and thriving) in the workplace.

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