A collection of narrated essays exploring the everyday drama, quiet rituals, and unspoken rules of work life.
Written and voiced by Al Morales, these pieces blend storytelling and reflection on organizational culture, leadership, and the evolving workplace.
Originally published on LinkedIn — now made to be heard.

The Unexpected Mentor

In Praise of The Office Lore

A Casual Job Interview

The Hidden Cost of Talented Tyrants

Gone with AI

Behind the Workplace Curtain

Your Career, According to the Machine

The Curious Case of Purpose Fatigue is a spoken essay that explores how modern workplaces have stretched the language of purpose to the point of exhaustion. Narrated by Alejandro Morales Loaiza, the piece questions the growing demand for moral alignment at work and offers a modest, grounded alternative: fair pay, decent structure, and a life outside the office. Blending philosophy, cultural critique, and recent research, this is a reflection on the quiet dignity of caring just enough—and the freedom that comes with it.

The Curious Case of Purpose Fatigue

In this conversation, Henry Poydar joins Dave on the podcast to discuss the innovative platform Steady, which aims to enhance team coordination and communication in the workplace. Henry shares his extensive background in engineering and web development, emphasizing the importance of context and intentions in project management. They explore the challenges of cross-team coordination, especially in the wake of the pandemic, and how Steady seeks to unburden teams from the coordination crisis. The discussion also highlights the concept of 'echoes' as a new way to provide contextual insights and the significance of celebrating individual contributions within teams. Overall, the conversation sheds light on the future of work and the role of technology in fostering collaboration and productivity.

Takeaways

- The importance of context in team coordination cannot be overstated.
- Intentions should be prioritized over commitments in project management.
- Writing down intentions serves as a forcing function for clarity.
- The pandemic has highlighted the need for better cross-team coordination.
- Steady aims to unburden teams from coordination challenges.
- The concept of a shared brain can enhance teamwork and communication.
- Echoes are a new way to provide contextual insights to team members.
- Nudges can help optimize workflows and improve productivity.
- Celebrating individual contributions is essential for team morale.


Chapters

04:22 Introduction to Steady and Henry's Background
07:25 The Evolution of Engineering and Design in Tech
10:17 The Importance of Context in Team Coordination
13:05 Intentions vs. Commitments in Project Management
16:08 The Role of Writing in Clarifying Intentions
18:55 The Impact of the Pandemic on Team Dynamics
22:07 Cross-Team Coordination Challenges
25:04 The Cost of Poor Coordination in Knowledge Work
27:54 Steady's Approach to Reducing Coordination Burden
30:58 Creating a Shared Brain for Teams
38:26 Contextualizing Team Dynamics
34:04 Empowering Autonomy in Project Management
39:50 Leveraging AI for Enhanced Collaboration
43:27 The Importance of Personal Recognition
46:00 Tailored Insights for Effective Decision Making
50:28 Vision for a Meaningful Work Environment

Contacting Henry:
 - Steady: https://runsteady.com/
 - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henrypoydar/

Other Links from the Podcast:
 - Dave and Stuart’s Book: “No One Is Coming to Save You” www.stuartyoung.uk/copy-of-human-skills-1
 - AI Readiness for Professionals Course tinyurl.com/y79kassb
 - Dave’s Upcoming Scrum Certification Classes www.scrumalliance.org/courses-events…=14153&cnty=US

Revolutionizing Team Coordination with Steady featuring Henry Poydar

Japan’s “lost generation” came of age during the employment ice age of the 1990s and early 2000s. Promised stable jobs after graduation, they instead faced hiring freezes, temporary contracts and decades of low wages.

Now in their 50s, many are still struggling with low pensions, limited savings and social isolation. The government has pledged new support through reskilling programs and pension reform, but critics question whether it’s too late.

🎥 Watch the full Spotlight episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/UYAyCwzT1F4

Sept. 19, 2025 | Why Japan's 'lost generation' is still losing

A weekly roundup of the week's biggest — and smallest — national news, crime, politics and entertainment stories from Japan Today with a dash of opinionated commentary and a sprinkling of readers' comments. Ready for you every Friday evening (JST).

A podcast about Agile and Project Management

Hey, I’m Al Morales.
I read out my essays on work culture, leadership, and the strange beauty of office life.
Originally written for LinkedIn — now voiced here, one story at a time.

New tracks tagged #Work Culture