Why ‘sh*t-fixers’ make the best managers
Good bosses eliminate obstacles, but introduce friction where necessary
Episode 50 of the Working It podcast, hosted by Financial Times, titled "Why ‘sh*t-fixers’ make the best managers" was published on February 13, 2024 and runs 15 minutes.
February 13, 2024 ·15m · Working It
Summary
Few things at work are more frustrating than tedious bureaucracy – and few things make employees happier than when their managers get rid of it. Isabel Berwick speaks to Huggy Rao, professor of organisational behaviour at Stanford, and co-author of 'The Friction Project,' to find out how managers can become 'shit-fixers’, clearing unnecessary obstacles from the path of their teams, while making sure they don’t go too fast for their own good. Later, Isabel speaks to FT senior business writer Andrew Hill to learn what the consequences can be when managers introduce too few checks and balances – and why generative AI might actually make bureaucracy worse.Want more? Free links:‘I work in a frustration factory’: how to make workplaces run betterLetter: Frictions and frustrations of modern office workingPresented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode Description
Few things at work are more frustrating than tedious bureaucracy – and few things make employees happier than when their managers get rid of it. Isabel Berwick speaks to Huggy Rao, professor of organisational behaviour at Stanford, and co-author of 'The Friction Project,' to find out how managers can become 'shit-fixers’, clearing unnecessary obstacles from the path of their teams, while making sure they don’t go too fast for their own good. Later, Isabel speaks to FT senior business writer Andrew Hill to learn what the consequences can be when managers introduce too few checks and balances – and why generative AI might actually make bureaucracy worse.
Want more? Free links:
‘I work in a frustration factory’: how to make workplaces run better
Letter: Frictions and frustrations of modern office working
Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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