PODCAST · business
The Humanizing Work Show
by Humanizing Work
A show about making work more fit for humans and all of us humans more capable of doing great work
Episodes
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#209 Quarterly Planning Done Right
Quarterly planning often starts with good intentions and ends in frustration. Teams leave planning sessions with detailed plans and optimistic commitments, only to watch reality undo them weeks later. In this episode of The Humanizing Work Show, Peter Green and Richard Lawrence explore why most...
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#208 The Surprising Move That Ended My Leadership Frustration
Most of us know the feeling of being frustrated with a leader who micro-manages, goes silent, or keeps changing expectations. It’s easy to get stuck replaying every misstep and planning some kind of confrontation. In this episode, Peter shares a recent experience where he hit that point with a...
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#207 A Better Way to Practice Gratitude
Most gratitude practices focus on making a list. In this conversation, we explore a deeper, more effective approach. It’s called counterfactual gratitude, a research-backed practice where you reflect on the good things in your life that almost didn’t happen. We walk through how this method works,...
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#206 Feature Mining: Find the Smart First Slice of a Big Complex Idea
Most teams start big initiatives with a slice that’s too big, too obvious, or too fuzzy to deliver anything useful. Feature Mining gives you a simple, reliable way to find the smart first slice of a big complex idea. It helps you uncover the real sources of complexity, align stakeholders early…
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#205 Three Strategies to Reduce the Pain of Cross-Team Dependencies
Most agile practices have become widely adopted—but cross-functional team structures remain the exception. Despite clear benefits like faster learning, shorter time to market, and simpler coordination, many teams still depend on others to get work done. In this episode, Peter Green and Richard...
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#204 The Life-Changing Focus of a Clean Backlog
An overgrown backlog is not a promise—it’s a drag on focus and trust. Peter and Richard explain how to release the weight of GTD-style open commitments, use a Kondo-inspired “thank it and let it go,” and sort work into Active / Archive / Someday-Maybe. When needed, declare Backlog Bankruptcy and...
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#203 5 Research-Backed Ways to Say No Without Being a Jerk
If your calendar is full of “quick requests” and constant context switching, you’re not alone. In this episode, Peter Green and Richard Lawrence explore why saying no at work is so hard—and how to do it well. They share five practical, research-backed ways to protect focus and maintain trust:...
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#202 How to Run a Retrospective That Actually Improves Things (Ep 61 Rebroadcast)
We just passed 200 episodes of The Humanizing Work Show! To celebrate, we’re bringing back one of our most practical episodes—Two Key Moves for Better Sprint Retrospectives. If your retros have become stale, repetitive, or ineffective, this conversation will help you turn them into one of the…
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#201 Scrum vs Kanban – When to Use Each (and Four Ways to Combine Them)
Agile expert Richard Lawrence breaks down the differences between Scrum and Kanban, two of the most widely used approaches for managing work. He explains how each method works, where each one excels, and how you can decide which is best for your team or project. You’ll learn the core distinction...
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#200 Metrics, Trust, and Escaping the Status Report Trap
When leaders ask for more data, dashboards, and reports, it’s often a signal of low trust. The trouble is, giving them more data doesn’t build it. So what do you do instead? In this episode of the Humanizing Work Show, we unpack why reporting fails to create trust and what actually does. You’ll...
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#199 How to Overcome Resistance to a Complexity-First Approach
Leaders may know the value of early learning, but teams may have built up resistance tackling the hardest, most uncertain work first. Instead, they chase quick wins that feel safe but create nasty surprises later. In this episode of the Humanizing Work Show, Richard Lawrence and Peter Green share...
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#198 Presenting to Leadership? Here's How to Get Great Results
Most presentations to leaders don’t lead to decisions. They’re overloaded with slides, but they don’t result in action or support. In this episode of the Humanizing Work Show, Peter and Richard share a proven formula for presenting to leadership that gets results. Learn how to: Do the right...
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#197 Vibe Coding Gotchas to Watch Out For
Vibe coding prototypes can feel magical. With just a few prompts, an AI builds a working app you can click around and test. But when something looks real, it’s easy to fall into common product traps. In this episode of the Humanizing Work Show, Peter shares his positive experience vibe coding a...
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#196 How to Fix Story Point Estimation
Story points are everywhere in agile teams, but too often they’re misunderstood and frustrating. In this episode, we explain how story points really work as a form of Reference Class Forecasting and show you how to use them the right way. You’ll learn: Why story points often fail teams The simple...
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#195: Why Forecasting Works (and Estimating Fails)
Estimating feels responsible and concrete, but decades of research and real-world examples show it’s systematically wrong. In this episode, we share Kahneman’s work on the planning fallacy, Flyvbjerg’s analysis of megaprojects, and our own stories of estimation gone sideways. Then we show how...
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#194 From Debate to Decision: Three Strategies to Keep Feedback Useful
Feedback makes decisions better, but only if it stays in the zone of healthy debate. In this episode of the Humanizing Work Show, we share three practical strategies to keep feedback from tipping into unhelpful argument—and how to recover fast when it does. You’ll hear real stories of feedback…
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#193 Using Deliberate Practice to Take Your Work From Good to Great
Going from “good enough” to “great” takes more than time on task — it takes deliberate practice. In this episode, we explore the research behind deliberate practice, bust the myths around the “10,000 hour rule,” and show how to apply these principles to product work and team improvement. You’ll...
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#192 PI Planning Is Broken. Here’s a Better Way
What if PI Planning didn’t just need tweaks—it needed a reframe? In this episode, we dig into the painful reality many teams face with SAFe’s PI Planning. We revisit its origin in Toyota’s “obeya” rooms, unpack how the intent was lost, and offer a better approach rooted in complexity science.…
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#191 How to Build a Calm, Supportive Culture (and Why It Works)
Many companies try to attract talent with flashy perks, parties, and ping-pong tables—but what if calm and supportive beats "cool" every time? This week, Peter and Richard reveal why a calm culture is the hidden key to long-term productivity and employee satisfaction. They cover how to foster...
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#190 Beyond Retrospectives: Team Resets Can Boost Productivity, Direction, and Connection
Is your team feeling stuck even after retrospectives? In this episode, Richard and Peter share how issues in a team’s productivity, direction, and connection may be a red flag that you need a bigger reset than a typical retro, and what to do instead.
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#189 Designing Work for Flow with Hollywood & Tech Exec Steven Puri
Steven Puri left a career in Hollywood—where he worked on Independence Day, Die Hard, and Transformers—to help people find focus and ease in their work. In this conversation, Peter and Steven explore the journey from film exec to startup founder, the psychology of flow states, and what it takes…
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7-7-25 Humanizing Work is on Vacation This Week, New Content Next Week!
We are off this week, but will have new content next week! Catch up on past episodes at https://www.humanizingwork.com/humanizing-work-show/
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#188 [REBROADCAST] How Mark Ethier Built a High-Performing Organization at iZotope
Special rebroadcast episode: Mark Ethier founded iZotope and built it into an award-winning audio technology powerhouse by prioritizing empowerment, innovation, and purpose. In this conversation, Mark reveals the insights and lessons he learned about modern leadership, organizational...
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#187 Advice for Internal Product Owners
Most Product Owner advice is built for market-facing roles—helping visionary products succeed in the market. But internal Product Owners operate in a very different world. If you're working on internal systems, platforms, or tools, you've probably felt caught in the middle—between shifting...
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#186 Which Parts of Scrum are Essential
Do we really need this part of Scrum? It’s a common—and valid—question. Scrum can feel heavy or mismatched for some teams. In this episode, we look at each part of Scrum through a practical lens: what purpose it serves, what advantages it brings, and what trade-offs come with skipping it. Whether...
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#185 Using Breakouts to Improve Team Meetings
Too many team meetings are dominated by the same few voices, leaving others hesitant to speak up. In this episode, we share how small breakout groups create space for everyone to contribute, leading to better outcomes individually and for the team. We'll share the rules we follow for using...
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#184 The Surprising Upside of Tough Feedback
One hard conversation changed how Peter showed up at work—and improved collaboration and creative output on the team. In this episode, Peter and Richard unpack a moment of honest, uncomfortable feedback and the ripple effects it set in motion. They share the emotional reality of both giving and...
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#183 When Teams Get in a Rut, Great Facilitators Play a Wildcard
When a team gets stuck—circling the same ideas without progress—the pressure is on the facilitator to do something. In this episode of the Humanizing Work Show, we share one of the most effective moves we’ve found to break that cycle: using a wildcard. You’ll hear two real stories of teams that...
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#182 The Top 3 Traits of Successful Leaders, & Quick Habits to Develop Them
Want to be a more effective leader without overhauling your entire approach? Research from the Leadership Circle Profile reveals three specific competencies that are most highly correlated with great leadership: Purposeful Visionary Fosters Team Play Mentoring & Developing In this episode, we…
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#181 How to Give Feedback That’s True, Useful, and Kind
Giving feedback is hard—and most of us get it wrong. In this episode, we share a practical framework for giving feedback that’s more likely to be true, useful, and kind. Learn how to ground feedback in what actually happened, say it clearly and at the right time, and share it in a way that builds...
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#180 Use a Team Empowerment Map to Fix Delegation Theater
Delegation Theater: Is your team truly empowered—or just playing the part? In this episode of the Humanizing Work Show, Peter and Richard introduce the Team Empowerment Map, a practical technique for clarifying decision-making across teams. Built on Jurgen Appelo’s 7 Levels of Delegation, this…
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#179 Agile Burnout? Two Ways to Reenergize Your Team
If your team feels worn out, it's not just you—and it's not because you're doing Agile wrong. In this episode of the Humanizing Work Show, we describe two simple, proven techniques to help teams recover from the constant pressure to improve. From refreshing your retrospectives to scheduling...
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#178 Three Keys to Productive Backlog Refinement
Backlog refinement shouldn't be the most painful meeting of the week—but for many teams, it is. Too much detail too early. Vague stories. Half the team checked out. And eventually, no one shows up at all. In this episode of the Humanizing Work Show, we’ll show you three practical changes that…
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#177 One Breakthrough Tip to Improve Each Scrum Meeting
One tip. One meeting. Big impact. In this rapid-fire episode, we show how a small change to each Scrum event can eliminate frustration and create flow. If your Backlog Refinement, Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, or Sprint Retrospective has become stale, bureaucratic, or unproductive,...
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#176 Great Strategy in a Complex World
Most organizations invest heavily in strategy to gain alignment—only to see those plans fall apart when complexity enters the picture. In this episode of the Humanizing Work Show, Peter Green and Richard Lawrence share a better way to build product strategy—one designed for complexity. They...
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#175 How to Split a User Story
In this episode of the Humanizing Work Show, we tackle one of the most-requested topics in Agile and Scrum: how to split a user story effectively. Drawing from our best-selling 80/20 Product Backlog Refinement course, Richard walks through the widely-used Story Splitting Flowchart, breaking down...
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#174 How to Make Change Management Joyful and Collaborative
Leading change doesn’t have to feel like a struggle—it can be joyful, creative, and deeply collaborative. In this episode, we explore a powerful shift in mindset that turns resistance into partnership, using Eli Goldratt’s Levels of Resistance model. Instead of fighting pushback, what if you...
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#173 Making a Split Product Owner Role Work
Should you split the Scrum Product Owner role? Many organizations do—but is it the right move? In this episode, we break down why companies divide the PO role (often into Product Manager, Product Owner, and/or Business Analyst), the hidden downsides that can hurt product success, and the key to...
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#172 CAPED Phases 3-4: Creating Predictability While Keeping Adaptability
Many organizations struggle to balance predictability with adaptability in large initiatives. Too much planning creates rigidity, while too little leads to chaos. In this episode of the Humanizing Work Show, we dive into Phases 3 & 4 of CAPED—our Complexity-Aware Planning, Estimation, and…
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#171 CAPED Phase 2: The Secret to Planning Complex Work
Software teams have used Agile techniques to iterate during execution for years. But what if the cost of iteration is too high to change after planning is complete? In Phase 2 of the CAPED process—Active Planning—we resolve complexity before committing to a full-scale execution plan. In this...
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#170 CAPED Phase 1–Complexity Aware Project Kickoffs
Traditional project kickoffs assume predictability, but large, complex projects—especially in regulated industries—don’t work that way. In this episode, we take a deep dive into Phase 1 of our CAPED approach: Strategic Planning. Learn how to align stakeholders, map complexity, and use Reference...
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#169 CAPED: A Smarter Way to Plan Complex Work
Struggling to balance Agile’s adaptability with the predictability leaders demand? You’re not alone. Many teams try to blend Agile and Waterfall, only to end up with the worst of both—rigid upfront planning that falls apart or chaotic iteration with no clear direction. In this episode, we…
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#168 Should You Backfill That Leadership Role—or Rethink It?
When a key leader leaves, the instinct is to backfill the role. But what if the real need has changed? In this episode, we break down how to make a smart, intentional hiring decision using three key insights: Not Backfilling a Role Is a Strategic Choice, Not Just a Cost-Saving Move. If you don’t...
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#167 "But in the Real World...": Overcoming Resistance to Change
Have you ever heard (or said), "That sounds great, but in the real world…"? This common objection can block meaningful change in teams and organizations. In this episode, we explore where this resistance comes from, how to interpret it, and—most importantly—how to work through it. Whether you're...
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#166 Five Lessons to Build Stronger Trust at Work and Home
Trust is the foundation of every successful relationship, whether it’s between teammates, managers, or customers. In this episode, Peter shares key insights and actionable takeaways from Rachel Botsman’s audiobook How to Trust and Be Trusted. Discover the five big questions about trust, including...
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#165 Three Things You Need for Empowerment
Are you tired of talking about empowerment without seeing real results? In this episode, Peter and Richard dive into the common trap of "empowerment theater"—when leaders say the right things about autonomy but fail to back them up with meaningful action. Discover the three essential elements of...
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#164 How the Progress Principle Can Help Your Goals Stick This Year
Tired of setting goals that fizzle out by February? Discover the key to sustained motivation with Teresa Amabile's groundbreaking "Progress Principle." In this episode, we share practical steps to apply this research to your personal and work goals, helping you turn ambitious resolutions into...
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#163 Five Ways to Get Fired Up for 2025
If you’re ready to leave 2024 behind and make the most of 2025, this episode is for you! We’ll share five powerful ways to take charge of your growth and well-being this year. From embracing new habits to thriving in complexity, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you find…
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#162 Leadership Lessons from the Vineyard: A Conversation with Steven Thompson
Discover how leadership and regenerative farming intersect in this inspiring conversation with Steven Thompson of Analemma Wines. Steven shares the challenges of running a biodynamic winery, the power of shared purpose, and what it takes to build thriving ecosystems—both in the vineyard and among...
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#161 4-Steps to Go From Resistance to Action
Feeling stuck by team resistance or organizational inertia? Learn the 4-Step Roadblock Buster, a proven process to go from “That Won’t Work Here” to “How Might We?” Peter and Richard share practical steps and real-world success stories to inspire your next breakthrough. Episode page:...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A show about making work more fit for humans and all of us humans more capable of doing great work
HOSTED BY
Humanizing Work
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Humanizing Work Show have?
The Humanizing Work Show currently has 204 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Humanizing Work Show about?
A show about making work more fit for humans and all of us humans more capable of doing great work
How often does The Humanizing Work Show release new episodes?
The Humanizing Work Show publishes regularly with 204 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Humanizing Work Show?
You can listen to The Humanizing Work Show on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Humanizing Work Show?
The Humanizing Work Show is created and hosted by Humanizing Work.
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