Episode 300 is here! 🥂 To celebrate this massive milestone, Al and Leanne are joined by a very special guest, Dr. Jake Tuber. In this jam-packed anniversary edition, we’re tackling the "FOBO" phenomenon, the radical 10% pay rise experiment, and the truth behind high-performing diverse teams.

🔥 Stories Covered

1. The Rise of "FOBO": Why Gen Z is Resisting AI Move over FOMO—there’s a new acronym in town. FOBO (Fear of Becoming Obsolete) is driving a quiet backlash against AI among Gen Z workers. Leanne breaks down why younger employees are slowing down adoption as a form of self-protection against automation that threatens their long-term value.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/mar/24/fobo-fear-of-becoming-obsolete-ai-gen-z-workplace

2. The 10% Automatic Pay Rise: A Cure for Toxic Culture? Stockholm startup Lovable has ditched traditional performance reviews and negotiations. Instead, every employee gets an automatic 10% raise on their anniversary. We debate: Does guaranteed security make people work harder, or does a little "insecurity" keep you sharp?

Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/stockholm-startup-lovable-automatic-10-percent-pay-rise-anniversary-2024-3

3. Workplace Scandals & Economic Indicators Jake brings two contrasting stories: a massive $1M settlement offer in a high-profile JP Morgan lawsuit and the curious case of US job cuts—which are down everywhere except in the Tech sector. Is AI really the culprit, or is it just a convenient excuse for layoffs?

🧠 Truth or Lie: Do Diverse Teams Perform Better?

It’s the claim that has dominated business strategy since the 90s, but what does the research actually say? Dr. Jake reveals that while cognitive diversity (varied skills and perspectives) consistently boosts innovation, demographic diversity alone can sometimes increase conflict and slow down coordination if not managed correctly.

💬 Workplace Surgery: The Management Edition

In honor of Jake’s upcoming book, The Deliberate Manager, we tackle three burning questions:

The Drained Team Lead: Is the first year of management always this exhausting?
The Group Chat Trap: What do you do when you accidentally see what your team really thinks of you?
Executive Presence: How do you bridge the gap between being a "great executor" and looking like a VP?

🤝 Connect with Dr. Jake Tuber

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaketuber/
Website: http://www.ticonadvisory.com
Podcast (Forces at Work): https://www.ticonadvisory.com/podcast
Special Offer: Dr. Jake is offering our listeners six months of free access to his Substack, Workwise. Use this link to claim: https://workwise.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=1e481d0b

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
Email: hello@truthliesandwork.com
Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

Mental health support

UK & ROI — Samaritans: Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
UK — Mind: Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
Australia — Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
Global helplines: https://findahelpline.com