Can organisations repair toxic culture? Two experts say how they would fix the Met Police

Can organisations repair toxic culture? Two experts say how they would fix the Met Police

Author: brucedaisley.com March 15, 2022 Duration: 1:15:50

This episode is greatly enhanced by reading the newsletter that comes with it.


In today’s podcast I talk to two guests who have slightly different perspectives on how to fix the culture of the Met Police.


Dr Megan O’Neill is Associate Director at the Scottish Institute for Policing Research. She has extensively studied the police and has worked closely with them - most notably helping to revise a stop and search policy that was found to be failing. She explains the challenges of the job, and how we should think about getting buy in to reform.

Simon Holdaway is Professor emeritus of Criminology at the University of Sheffield. He joined the police after he left school and was promoted to sergeant. His study about the police has explored the culture of the profession and how themes of race could be more effectively tackled. 

While the police (and the Met) might not feel adjacent to your business there are critical lessons about cultural change.


Four lessons of what good culture requires:

  • Space - good culture can't exist when there is no slack in the system
  • Voice - workers need to feel like they are heard (Megan says this is part of 'organisational justice') - this makes workers feel valued
  • Values - explaining what the organisation stands for,
  • Middle management - behind any culture problem there's the need to purge the organisation of cultural misfits - getting the middle management right is the best way to make this take hold


Further information:

Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website.

Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


There’s a conversation happening about how our jobs shape us, and Eat Sleep Work Repeat sits right at the heart of it. Host Bruce Daisley approaches workplace culture not with prescriptive advice, but with genuine curiosity, digging into the science and social dynamics behind why we work the way we do. Each episode feels like a thoughtful exploration, blending research from management, psychology, and sociology with real-world stories. You’ll hear discussions that challenge conventional wisdom about productivity, teamwork, and wellbeing, moving beyond simple fixes to understand the deeper systems at play. This podcast recognizes that improving work isn't just about office perks; it's about examining the rhythms, relationships, and expectations that fill our days. It’s for anyone who has ever wondered how to make their team more resilient, their own work more meaningful, or simply how to disconnect at the end of the day. With millions of listens, it’s become a trusted resource for rethinking the modern work experience. The tone is engaging and accessible, turning complex ideas into practical reflections. For more from Bruce Daisley, visit brucedaisley.com.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Eat Sleep Work Repeat - better workplace culture
Podcast Episodes
The UK's top careers coaches want to solve your job worries [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:59
As we start a new year considerations about the jobs we do have never been more prominent. One headline this year has already suggested that up to three-quarters of us might be considering changing jobs. Intriguingly mon…
Reflecting on how we use our phones in 2022 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:06
Pre-order DisconnectedAt this time of year I find myself listening to more podcasts I’ve released two episodes this week. One is a truly brilliant discussion about how simple decisions can transform workplace culture. An…
Workplace culture: being nice isn't enough [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:09
How did thinking about workplace culture increase the profitability of firms?I was doing some thinking for some businesses over the last few weeks and the work of one person sprung to mind. Zeynep Ton is a professor of o…
Will loneliness kill remote work cultures? With Noreena Hertz [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:01
Over the last few weeks the newsletters that have achieved the most resonance were related to having a friend at work. For many of us our favourite jobs were enhanced by having a desk buddy - or a group of friends we cou…
The Future Office [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:16
What can we learn about what is going to happen next with work by chatting to the leaders of the sector that supplies our workplaces? You might think very little. There’s certainly no shortage of people in the commercial…
Beating the To Do List [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:13
Oliver Burkeman was a productivity geek. He was the guy trying to get it all done. He was that person, convinced he could optimise living to get the most out of life, writing about it in a wry, detached way in a Guardian…
Our work went fully remote - Ask Me Anything! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:13
Sign up for the newsletter Over the last few weeks I've been intrigued with the firms who have chosen to bite the bullet and ditch their office. What are their philosophies about getting colleagues together in person? Ho…
How to tell if your boss is a narcissist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:19
How can we use the power of psychotherapy to help us in our jobs? A brilliant discussion with psychotherapist Naomi Shragai where we talk about how her practice has increasingly brought workplace issues to her coach.We c…
The Power of Us [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:09
Today’s episode is one for those who have an appetite for psychology. It is by two authors of a brand new book that I was interested to check out because it covers some of the biggest themes that hybrid working is going…

«1...678910