BS At Work with James Healy: designing work that works for humans. Rethinking culture, change and human behavior.

Ever felt like so much of what happens at work is utterly meaningless, wasteful and backwards?

You're not alone.

In this eye-opening conversation with James Healy, founder of Behavior Boutique and author of "BS at Work," we dive deep into why modern work often feels like bullshit.

What if the biggest problem in modern work isn’t lack of effort, technology, strategy, or "better humans" but the simple fact that we keep designing for humans as if we were some logical machines… instead of messy, emotional, social creatures we are?

James reveals the fascinating disconnect between how organizations design systems and how humans actually operate.

We've built workplaces on the false assumption that humans are rational, logical beings making careful calculations, when in reality we're "social, emotional, tribal storytelling animals" who often make decisions based on context, ease, and what others are doing.

Take modern communication crisis. The average worker now faces 153 Teams messages and 117 emails daily, with interruptions approximately every two minutes. This constant barrage prevents deep work, destroys focus, and fuels burnout. And with AI potentially supercharging this problem.

But there's hope.

James offers practical principles for creating more human-centered workplaces.

What you’ll learn:

• Why burnout is 100% preventable if we stop treating humans like machines.
• The shocking origin stories of tools like Myers-Briggs and DISC (and why they’re no more valid than a Harry Potter quiz).
• Why e-learnings and endless policies fail.
• How context, not individual willpower, drives behavior change at scale.
• Why sometimes the most effective solution is illogical, creative, or has to do with removing, not adding things.
• The power of storytelling as a leadership tool for influence, motivation, and culture change.

... and so much more!

👉 If you’re a leader tired of wasting energy on initiatives that don’t stick, this conversation will show you how to make work more human and more effective.

Ready to question the workplace BS you've accepted as normal?

Listen now and discover how behavioral science can transform your work experience from meaningless to meaningful.

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👤 James Healy is a keynote speaker, executive advisor, and author passionate about using behavioral science to build better organizations. He is the Founder and Managing Director of The Behaviour Boutique, has led transformation projects in 60+ countries, and previously co-founded Deloitte’s Behaviour First offering.

James is the author of The Future of Change Management, Adopting AI: The People-First Approach, and BS at Work, and hosts The B-Word podcast, featuring leading voices in behavioral and social sciences.

Connect with James:

• Website: thebehaviourboutique.com
•  LinkedIn: James Healy
•  Podcast: The B-Word
•  Book: BS at Work: Why so much of modern work is bullshit and how behavioural

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction
• 10:05 Why Modern Work Is Bullshit
• 17:57 The Origin of Personality Tests
• 31:01 Communication Overload and Burnout
• 45:36 Principles for Better Work Design
• 1:07:16 The Power of Storytelling