How we used to work

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 34 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here. P-Soupers - today it's another cuppa soup - a short episode where I continue to reflect on change. Last week I talked about the challenge of change. This week I'm reflecting on how we used to work. It's possible that the rate of change has accelerated over the last 30 years - and we're increasingly more preoccupied with the impact of Artificial Intelligence. This week, I take a trip back in time to my first job in the UK Civil Service, circa 1991 — where paper files ruled, the typing pool clattered away, and the office bar was just a lift ride away.I explores:What “non-smoking” really meant in the early ’90s 🌀The mysterious world of fitted for promotion annual reportsEarly digital transformation — complete with barcode wands and a legendary “mouse moment”And what all this tells us about change, adaptability, and humour at work💌 Share your story!I'd love to hear your memories of early work life — the quirks, the culture, the things that make you say “good lord, can you believe it used to be like that?”Email [email protected] or share on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Bluesky.For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are regular P Soupers - thanks for tuning in - we love it that you're part of our community.View the programme and book your tickets for the ACBS UKROI Conference in NovemberInteractive Q&A: ACT in the workplace - Contextual ConsultingHere's the People Soup Website.Visit Ross' Website.Connect with Ross on LinkedInPeople Soup on Instagram which also features plenty of Ross' photos of the Andalusian lifeHe's now also on Bluesky