To work at mysterious corporation Lumen, Mark Scout has undergone a “severance” procedure: when he’s at work, he only remembers what happens work, and when he’s at home, he only remembers what happens at home. But when a former coworker shows up at his home, Mark starts to questions what exactly he’s doing during his 9-5. In other words, it’s the perfect scenario to examine:
- The return to the office (1:45)
- What it means to bring your “whole self” to work (6:33)
- Psychological safety and vulnerability in the workplace (10:06)
- Opting in and out of sharing at work (13:07)
- Work-life balance and burnout (15:17)
- Company purpose, meaning, and impact (19:03)
- Leaving a legacy at work (22:54)

Bringing Your Whole Self to Work in "Severance"

Does your workday last an eternity? Ever wondered if you’ve sold your soul just for a paycheck? In this very special Halloween episode, we look at literal offices from Hell as portrayed in The Good Place, The Devil’s Advocate, and Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell. It’s a devilishly good time as we discuss: 1) Psychic prisons, instruments of domination, and other metaphors for the organization, 2) Office politics, evil bosses, conference calls, and other things that make the workplace hellish, and 3)your personal version of Hell as determined by your Myers-Briggs type.

Offices from Hell

For the Roy family, business is nastily, backstabbing-ly personal: when their father, the founder of Waystar Royco, is incapacitated, it sets off a battle for leadership of the media conglomerate. In other words, it’s a great case study for talking about: the unique challenges facing family businesses, what happens when (and if) a founder leaves, influencing others when you don’t have a title, and difficult conversations and delivering bad news. Hosted by Paula Cizek, Jane Garza, and Dr. Kim Perkins. Credits: Armstrong, Jesse, creator. Succession. HBO, 2018. HBO Now. “Work of Fiction” Theme Song: Matt Garza

Succession (Season 1)

Join NOBL and adopted elf Buddy as we journey through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest and the Lincoln Tunnel, exploring the very different workplaces cultures of Santa’s Workshop, Greenway Press, and Gimbel’s. Cozy up with a cup of hot maple syrup as we discuss: how your work relates to your personal identity (5:51); how different leadership styles impact the culture of workplaces (13:39); what happens when firing is used as a threat (20:37); and the rituals companies must adopt to be more effective (24:28).

How Leaders Impact Company Culture: Visiting Santa's Workshop and More in Elf

Perhaps no fictional leader better represents the “brilliant jerk” than Willy Wonka—the candy-making genius who invites five children to his factory to find his successor. This episode is your golden ticket to learning: How “geniuses” and “brilliant jerks” impact the rest of the workforce—especially when they’re in charge (2:21), what companies can learn from Wonka’s unorthodox methods of product development (7:44), why front-line workers like Oompa Loompas are an overlooked source of innovation, better ways to select successors and transition to new leaders.

Hosted by Paula Cizek, Jane Garza, and Dr. Kim Perkins.

Credits: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Dir. Mel Stuart. Perf. Gene Wilder, Peter Ostrum. Paramount Pictures. 1971. “Work of Fiction” Theme Song: Matt Garza

Brilliants Jerks and Innovation at Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory

To work her way up the career ladder, Tess McGill will have to overcome casual sexism and backstabbing bosses, all while navigating a relationship with her business partner. It’s a fascinating look at how women’s roles in the office have evolved—or not—since the 80’s, including:
- How sexism and classicism in the workplace have changed since the 80’s. (3:10)
- The unique challenges female leaders face, and how women can support women in the office. (10:28)
- Managing inter-office romantic relationships. (20:49)
- Taking career risks and growing as a leader—including an invitation to NOBL’s new leadership retreat. (23:34)

Workplace Sexism and Female Leadership in Working Girl

When developer Richard comes up with a new technology for file compression, he finds himself suddenly launched into the heart of startup culture in Silicon Valley. We take a look at the early stages of Pied Piper, and what it means for: 

- The difference between purpose, mission, vision, and values—and why they matter (3:53)
- The different stages of culture at startups, and how to scale your team effectively (14:45)
- The four different types of company cultures (17:40)
- Hiring for culture fit vs. culture add (23:20)

Startup Culture in "Silicon Valley"

Quarantine making you stir crazy? Can’t take one more Zoom meeting with colleagues? Then you’ll appreciate the predicament facing the two characters in The Lighthouse: stuck on an island for four weeks, living in close quarters, with no one else to distract them from their endliess chores.  We discuss:
- How to start a relationships with colleagues on the right foot (3:50)
- The risks of having no separation between work and life (10:30)
- Managing conflict and the stress of social isolation (19:24)
- Mental health in the office (32:02)
- Bonding with colleagues in stressful times (41:40)

How Not to Murder Your Coworkers: The Lighthouse

While the monsters of Monsters, Inc. might think they’re in the business of scaring children, they’re the ones who should be scared: their workplace is a culture of cutthroat competition, toxic colleagues, cover-ups, and misplaced company values. This delightful children’s movie is really an opportunity to uncover the impact of fear on organizations; dealing with toxic colleagues and whistle-blowing; maintaining personal integrity in toxic workplaces, and more.

Working in a Culture of Fear: Monsters, Inc.

When Mae gets a job at Amazon/Google/Facebook stand-in The Circle, her work quickly becomes her life: constant customer feedback tracks her performance, tiny cameras follow her every movement, and her social profile keeps her  engaged with other employees. As companies demand ever more from their employees, it’s a chance to discuss:

- Customer-centric teams and feedback (2:18)
- Building trust and the “trust triangle” (10:35)
- The problems with “mandatory fun” at the office (15:21)
- The line between employee engagement and cult-like culture (24:27)
- Increasing accountability on your team without increasing surveillance (27:50)
- Dealing with micromanagers (29:37)

Trust and Workplace Surveillance in The Circle

As a newly promoted manager at San Francisco startup SPRQPoint, Zoey must build team spirit, placate a demanding boss,  and navigate office relationships—all while people break into song and dance around her, expressing their innermost thoughts and desires. Whether you’re stepping into a leadership role for the first time, stepping up into a new role, or managing a new leader, you’ll learn:
- How to transition from a peer- to leader- relationship with former colleagues (2:47)
- Where to find training and coaching for leaders (16:10)
- How to manage a first-time manager (20:35)
- How to retain great talent on your team (31:40)
- How to come back from a big, public mistake (34:24)
- Ways to identify leadership potential (42:36)

Managing First-Time Managers from Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist

We're members of NOBL, an organizational design collective that helps leaders align company culture to strategy. Every month, we take a break from helping real organizations change to discuss fictional leaders and organizations from movies and TV: What works? What doesn’t? And most importantly, we talk about the simple tools they (and you, our listeners) can implement to make the workplace better.

Bringing Your Whole Self to Work in "Severance"

Work of Fiction by NOBL Collective

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