The Busyness Paradox

Episoder

• Semantically Empty: Corporate BS and the Paradox of Sounding Smart 20.04.2026 55min

  In this episode, we tackle something everyone recognizes, but no one has really tested until now: corporate bullshit. Inspired by recent research and a Cornell study on the Corporate Bullshit Receptivity Scale, we break down what corporate BS actually is, why it works, and what it says about both the people delivering it and the people buying into it. We also put it to the test with a game of “Is It Corporate BS?” and discover that real executive communication is often indistinguishable from ...
• AI in HR: What’s the Worst That Could Happen? (Live from SMA) 23.12.2025 56min

  Live from the Southern Management Association conference in Greenville, SC, Frank hosts a special episode of The Busyness Paradox with guest Dr. Julie Hancock, Director of the People Center at the University of North Texas (https://cob.unt.edu/mgmt/tpc/index.html). With Paul “replaced by AI” for the day, the conversation explores the intersection of artificial intelligence and human resources—and what happens when algorithms meet employee lives. They tackle big questions: •Should we ac...
• Free Bagels Won’t Fix It: Why Gen Z Hates Work 07.10.2025 38min

  In this episode of The Busyness Paradox, Frank and Paul dive into Maya Sulkin’s viral article, Why Gen Z Hates Work, and unpack what’s really driving younger workers’ frustrations with traditional careers. From stalled job markets to the lure of influencer lifestyles, we explore how cultural shifts and economic realities collide in shaping Gen Z’s approach to work. ⸻ 🔑 Key Topics Covered •Why Gen Z unemployment is more than double the national average •How TikTok and influencer culture make c...
• Return to Office: Bagels, Spreadsheets, and the Productivity Pendulum 26.09.2025 1t

  After a long hiatus, Frank and Paul are back behind the mics for The Busyness Paradox, and this time they’re diving into one of the most divisive workplace topics of the moment: Return to Office mandates. From federal policies to corporate culture shifts, they explore who’s calling employees back, why some companies are thriving without it, and how different setups affect productivity, mental health, and team dynamics. Along the way, they detour into: •Paul’s 18-month spreadsheet project to t...
• Beyond the Bill: Tipping Trends and Research Revelations 15.11.2023 1t 28min

  Live from the Southern Management Association conference in St. Pete Beach, FL, Frank and Paul interview Cornel University's Dr. Mike Lynn, arguably the world's foremost researcher on service tipping. We discuss the pros and cons of tipping as a form of compensation, demographic differences in tipping rates and, of course, the sudden proliferation of tipping into seemingly every facet of our lives. If you're tired of tipping at self-service cash registers, you'll enjoy this one. And if you'...
• Kneeling at the Altar of Busyness 18.10.2023 58min

  Fans of American College Football were recently treated to a baffling display of heroic determination. Needing only to touch a kneecap to a blade of grass to secure a hard fought victory, the University of Miami's gridiron team bravely stole defeat from the jaws of victory. How? With unnecessary busywork, of course. Come visit us at busynessparadox.com to see episode transcripts, blog posts and other content while you’re there!
• Why Not Win? A Discussion with Larry Thornton and Dave Ketchen 20.09.2023 1t 24min

  Larry Thornton and Dave Ketchen join us to discuss their award-winning graphic novel, "You Have to Live, Why Not Win?" and Larry's journey from racial segregation to success as an entrepreneur, author, teacher and artist. This is our most inspirational interview yet and will make you question your perceptions of yourself and others. In a good way. We promise. If you listen to one episode of the Busyness Paradox, make sure it's this one. As Frank summarized in his review of the book (in press...
• The Paradox of Fearing Change 10.07.2023 53min

  We humans have a love/hate relationship with change. Many of us are probably alive today because some cave-dwelling ancestor said “on second thought, let’s not try that new shortcut through viper country cousin Erg suggested before he mysteriously disappeared.” Yet we also fear the consequences of NOT changing with the times: obsolescence, boredom and generally getting left behind as the world moves on. And so we cling to the familiar, instinctively pushing back against the mere sugges...
• Mo' Money, Mo' Busywork 31.05.2023 48min

  Have you ever gotten a pay raise and then, looking back, sort of wished you hadn't? It's become a surprisingly common phenomenon as employees have found hidden strings attached to the Covid-era generosity shown by employers. To discuss this unusual predicament, we sought out someone with a usual perspective on the workplace: meet Dr. Caleb Sanchez, a former police officer turned business psychologist. Join us as Dr. Sanchez, founder of Executive Equilibrium, shares his advice for adjusting to...
• Artificial Work Meets Artificial Intelligence 17.04.2023 55min

  With all the fanfare about artificial intelligence these past few months, listeners have asked us: "Will ChatGPT put an end to busywork?" Like all self-appointed experts, we took the question straight to ChatGPT. It tells us that "ChatGPT is designed to provide automated assistance and support...helping employees perform tasks more efficiently and effectively, reducing the amount of busywork they need to do." We’re…cautiously optimistic. Come visit us at busynessparadox.com to see episo...
• Who’s The Real Time Thief? 22.03.2023 45min

  It’s that time of year when endless news reports about March Madness-related “time theft” bubble up to the surface (get it? like teams on the bubble? anyone?) They all bemoan the incalculable dollar amount, which dozens of studies nonetheless claim to calculate, lost to employees watching basketball instead of working. Our take: if your employees are doing what you pay them to do and you’re furious that they didn’t do more because they were watching basketball, you’re the time thief. Mention...
• When Working Hard Looks Like Hardly Working 17.03.2023 1t 10min

  Join us as we pat ourselves on the back for reaching the fabled 52-episode milestone. Because 52 is way more exciting than 50. Not because we had already passed 50 episodes without realizing it. Why would you even think that? Anyways, publishing 52 episodes has taught us that podcasting shares a (wait for it…) paradox with many seemingly simple jobs: the more skill and effort you put into it, the less skill and effort the average consumer thinks it requires. This is a frustration well-known t...
• Excessively Lean: When a Lack of Slack Bites You in the Back 20.02.2023 49min

  We all know the story. After worshipping at the altar of "lean" for decades, we spent two years wondering where all the toilet paper and pickup trucks went. Covid reminded us that too much efficiency could be colossally inefficient, slack was back, hooray. Then you tried to board that Southwest flight a couple months ago and you realized the germ-like aversion to slack had taken root far beyond the manufacturing sector. In this episode, we discuss how keeping "slack in the system" in all aspe...
• Unions, Strikes, and Your Rights with Dan Gilmore 30.01.2023 1t 1min

  If you're like us, you grew up being told that American labor unions were a fading relic of the past. After a string of successful organizing drives and a stunning 406 strikes in 2022, we're beginning to question that assumption. Reflecting on the ongoing labor strife in the American railroad industry, we decided it was time to bring in an expert to discuss the current state of organized labor in the U.S. In this episode, Dan Gilmore, Attorney at Law and Founder of Squire Strategies, joins us...
• Repressing Workers With Busywork 12.01.2023 51min

  Back in March 2020, millions of workers around the world abruptly learned that their jobs didn't always require their presence at a specific desk in a specific building at a specific set of times each and every week. After a bumpy start, many began to appreciate the flexibility, autonomy and, to varying degrees, empowerment this new approach to work afforded. Others decided it wasn't for them. A few decided it wasn't for anyone. That a vocal minority is bent on pushing us all back into our of...
• Let's Get Down(sized)! 13.12.2022 44min

  “Everyone’s got a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” So says Mike Tyson, and so it is with layoffs. No one starts a new job expecting it to end with a pink-slip. Even when the grim employment reaper is seen milling about our own workplace, it’s easy to convince ourselves that he’s only harvesting other people’s jobs. And yet, almost half of us will be downsized at least once in our careers. Join us as we discuss some warning signs and proactive steps to take when layoffs are afoot. Al...
• Striking Back: Protecting Your Paycheck When Your Job Goes Off The Rails 27.09.2022 51min

  Almost three years in, we think it's safe to conclude that history will view the 2020's as "an interesting time to be alive." But a silver lining of these turbulent times has been the widespread rethinking about how work should "work." The resulting push toward previously-unthinkable levels of flexibility, empowerment and compensation has met with some friction, however. The resulting labor unrest, strikes, and (our favorite) the paradoxical threat of widespread layoffs amid historic staff sh...
• The Quiet Quitting Quagmire 12.09.2022 47min

  By now you've probably heard about "quiet quitting," the latest workplace trend to blow the minds of journalists and social media posters alike. This stunning act of rebellion involves employees doing the work they are paid to do. Seriously. That's what quiet quitting is. It's neither quiet nor quitting, but it's a movement nonetheless. The hoopla, of course, is about what these mutinous workers are NOT doing. They're not making charitable donations of their time and energy to their employe...
• People Don't Want to Work (for you) Anymore! 27.08.2022 32min

  We've all seen the signs and memes. We've heard the cranky scorn from talking heads, business owners, politicians and old men yelling at clouds. No one (except them) wants to work anymore! Everyone (except them) is lazy! In this episode, we challenge the ironically lazy thinking behind these claims and ask those who feel this way to consider an alternative explanation: maybe people just don't want to work for you? Mentioned in this Episode: 16:21 - A Brief History of Nobody Wants to Work An...
• Charlotte Lockhart and the 4-Day Week 02.08.2022 48min

  You asked us to talk more about four-day work weeks, we did you one better. Join us for a discussion with Charlotte Lockhart, founder and managing director of the 4 Day Week Global Foundation! With operations in North America, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Europe, Charlotte and her husband, Andrew Barnes (author of The 4 Day Week), are at the literal forefront of this movement. If you’ve ever questioned the Monday-Friday, one-size-fits-all approach to work scheduling, we think you'll lik...