The Floorplan

Season 7 of The Floorplan introduces you to UK journalist, author and workplace commentator Ellen Scott, who challenges some of our assumptions about work, ambition and purpose.

Ellen explores hustle culture, quiet quitting, burnout and boredom, drawing on her own experiences with OCD and depression to discuss how we can build healthier, more intentional relationships with work.

Libby and Ellen talk about finding meaning beyond work, understanding the role work actually plays in our lives, and what to do when you're simply trying to survive rather than thrive in your job.

A thoughtful and honest conversation about contemporary working lives, identity, and purpose.

What are the legal ramifications of being pressured to act unethically at work?

In this fascinating episode of The Floorplan, Libby Sander speaks with Bond University’s Dr Wendy Bonython about moral injury in the workplace.

So what's moral injury?

Glad you asked!

Moral injury is the psychological harm caused when employees are pressured to act against their ethical values or witness wrongdoing they feel powerless to stop.

Dr Bonython explains why moral injury is becoming increasingly recognised across industries, the toll it can take on mental health and wellbeing, and why fear, economic uncertainty and organisational pressure often stop people from speaking up.

A thought-provoking discussion on ethics, leadership and workplace culture.

About Dr Wendy Bonython

Wendy Bonython is an Associate Professor of Law at Bond University.

Her research interests include torts, health law, and regulation and ethics of technology. She has published widely on issues including research ethics and regulation; legal capacity and culpability; genetic privacy; property in body parts and derivative data; regulation of medical devices and pharmaceuticals; and medical negligence.

Her teaching interests include developing student and professional well-being and resilience skills; understanding interdisciplinarity; and developing student communication skills, including through the use of existing and emerging technologies.

In this first solo episode addition to The Floorplan lineup, Libby reflects on a trip to New York for an AI in leadership event, shares insights from the field, and explores the spaces she worked from—cafes, hotel lobbies, bookstores—and what the research reveals about why they matter. She also answers listener questions. Libby will be back with a guest interview next week.You can watch this episode on YouTube if you’d like to see the spaces Libby talks about it in this ep.

https://youtube.com/@drlibbysander?si=4Ku8KUiSMLP_hc1C

This week Libby and Matt contemplate the value of boredom.

These days boredom is easily avoidable - instant entertainment is only a short scroll away courtesy of the complex multimedia platforms we carry in our pockets.

It wasn't always thus, of course.

Can we benefit from being bored? What about boredom in the workplace? What is the science of boredom? And given a choice, would you take boredom over an electric shock?

These questions and more touched on by world-renowned workplace boredom expert, Professor Cynthia Fisher.

Also, some fascinating research has emerged linking psychopathy with workplace management.

We also ponder research into the best ways to holiday.

So much to discuss this week.

Is a simultaneous bias by employers against both younger and older workers starting to gather steam? Data out of an Australian Human Rights Commission report seems to suggest it. But when all the talk is 'skills shortage' and when younger workers aren't so keen on tackling management roles, how have things come to this?

Also, Libby chats with ex-Googler, Tristan Cameron. What is life really like at one of the world's most sought-after workplaces?

A bumper edition this week with Libby back from the Big Apple!

Both Libby and Matt share some tales from the road and ponder whether the secret to a happy workplace may be found through its (collective) stomach.

Also, Libby enjoys an in depth chat with Stanford University economics and management guru Professor Nick Bloom who - among lots of other things - has all the numbers on working remotely (and isn't afraid to use them!).

About Professor Nicholas Bloom

Nicholas (Nick) Bloom is the William Eberle Professor of Economics at Stanford University, a Senior Fellow of SIEPR, and the Co-Director of the Productivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship program at the National Bureau of Economic Research. His research focuses on management practices and uncertainty. He previously worked at the UK Treasury and McKinsey & Company.

He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the recipient of the Alfred Sloan Fellowship, the Bernacer Prize, the European Investment Bank Prize, the Frisch Medal, the Kauffman Medal and a National Science Foundation Career Award. He has a BA from Cambridge, an MPhil from Oxford, and a PhD from University College London. 

On the personal side he is English, living with his Scottish wife and American kids on Stanford campus, in a multi-lingual English household.

This week Libby and Matt discuss the Governor of Tokyo's workplace initiative that he thinks will prop up Japan's sluggish population growth - as long as marriage is the end goal, of course.

Libby is surprised to learn Darwin has something similar on the go (sort of).

And a fascinating practical insight into organisational behavioural change when Libby meets Leschen Smaller.

Leshcen is Director, Element Business & Accounting Solutions.

Her business analysed 4-day week data, applied lessons learned, and now reaps significant workplace rewards.

In their final episode of the year, Libby and Matt discuss the latest research on work from home (WFH) practices and ponder a Gallup report that suggest the time may now for those who want to trade down their work ambitions to focus on a better life.

Workplace wellbeing expert Dr Jenna Mikus and Founder and Managing Partner of the Eudae Group talks about her researching for and advising clients seeking architectural and organisational transformational change, and how work environments can be curated for health and wellbeing.

There's even a bit of cricket talk Well it is summer...

Organisational psychologist and leadership expert Dr Vicki Webster returns to the podcast to encourage us to think a little differently about how we handle workplace conflict.

While on conflict, can we 'AI' our way out of difficult workplace conversations?

Also, do stand-up desks help or hinder workplace health? A new UK study might shift the furniture...

And, as always, plenty more!

Libby and Matt deliver a quick whip around of the organisational behaviour stories and issues making headlines.

Among them:

• The insane economics of boozing on a school night.
• Do workplace incentives do what they're meant to?
• Which jobs make us happiest?
• Do underperforming nice people have their own special value?

All this and more!

Dr Libby and Matt ponder why modern organisations are almost always big on the idea of innovation but often really small on implementing the change required for it.

Dr Libby and Matt discuss neurodivergence in the workplace. They gain insight from psychologist and speaker Ella Cotterell who was diagnosed with autism at 26. Ella is also a Somatic Trauma Educator and Feminine Embodiment practitioner.

Dr Libby and Matt reflect on their unusual career trajectories as they consider the method in searching for an ideal working life. They are joined by author Lola Berry who talks resilience, happiness, and challenging yourself.

This week Libby and Matt dig into the scourge of 'zombie leadership' and ponder the broader ramifications of it.

Zombie leadership is an idea built on the popular perception that that leaders are special, and that we can’t work or succeed without them.

Libby speaks at length to Professor Alex Haslam from UQ’s School of Psychology.

He recently led widely-publicised research into the idea of zombie leadership.

Professor Haslam argues that perceptions of 'all-knowing' leadership remain popular despite being demonstrably harmful in an organisational behaviour context and need to be challenged.

Freshly returned from a Bond University Business School Japan Study Tour, Dr Libby reports on dream Tokyo workspaces occupied by clothing giant Uniqlo and real estate group JLL. This episode also explores 'pseudo-productivity' and busyness.

This episode unlocks organisational mysteries. We also chat with work futurist Ben Hamley from real estate giant Jones Lang LaSalle.

Dr Libby and Matt ponder why we seem to be stuck on the idea of a 5-day working week. Their special guest is Dr Dale Whelehan, CEO of 4 Day Week Global.

Dr Libby and Matt speak to Professor Gretchen Spreitzer about the value of thriving at work, and explore why we might not be thriving in our lives.

Dr Libby and Matt look at the merits of legalising a right to switch off from work and ponder the issues most likely to emerge in the next twelve months.

In the final episode of Season 1, Dr Libby and Matt discuss 2023's recurrent organisational behavioural themes. They also have a stab at predicting the issues that will dominate in 2024.

Meetings are highly unpopular, often demotivating, usually inefficient, and definitely costly. Here's the science on how we can make them better.

In this episode, Dr Libby and Matt talk about the research on networking. Dr Libby chats with relational expert Julia Palmer about simple skills to improve our relationships.

Dr Libby and Matt talk us through the financial, mental, and physical cost of a messy office. They also explore what the research says about less mess.

Dr Libby and Matt look at the research on "teamwork making the dream work". They are joined by organisational behaviourist Professor Markus Baer from Washington University.

Dr Libby and Matt look into the uglier side of organisational behaviour. Joining them is organisational psychologist Dr Vicki Webster.

Dr Libby and Matt take a look at the hit-and-miss of cult workplaces. Think workplace mediation spaces, Michelin-star cafes, puppy daycare, and slippery slides. Libby talks to management consultant Priyal Sodha who lifts the lid on the culture of overwork.

Dr Libby and Matt ponder the covid pandemic as 'the great workplace disruptor'. Libby also talks to Alice Drew about her role as Head of Place Futures at Lendlease.