How we used to work

How we used to work

Author: People Soup October 22, 2025 Duration: 11:13

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 34 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here.

P-Soupers - today it's another cuppa soup - a short episode where I continue to reflect on change. Last week I talked about the challenge of change. This week I'm reflecting on how we used to work. It's possible that the rate of change has accelerated over the last 30 years - and we're increasingly more preoccupied with the impact of Artificial Intelligence.

This week, I take a trip back in time to my first job in the UK Civil Service, circa 1991 — where paper files ruled, the typing pool clattered away, and the office bar was just a lift ride away.

I explores:

  • What “non-smoking” really meant in the early ’90s 🌀
  • The mysterious world of fitted for promotion annual reports
  • Early digital transformation — complete with barcode wands and a legendary “mouse moment”
  • And what all this tells us about change, adaptability, and humour at work

💌 Share your story!

I'd love to hear your memories of early work life — the quirks, the culture, the things that make you say “good lord, can you believe it used to be like that?”

Email peoplesoup.pod@gmail.com or share on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Bluesky.

For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are regular P Soupers - thanks for tuning in - we love it that you're part of our community.


Visit Ross' Website.

Connect with Ross on LinkedIn

People Soup on Instagram which also features plenty of Ross' photos of the Andalusian life

He's now also on Bluesky

The People Soup Website on CAPTIVATE


Ever wonder why we do the things we do, especially at work or when trying to lead others? People Soup digs into that question, but it doesn’t stop at theory. Each episode is built on a foundation of behavioural science, which means you’ll get more than just interesting stories-you’ll get a clearer understanding of the human ingredients that make up our daily interactions. The conversations here feel real and unscripted, often touching on the messy, rewarding, and sometimes frustrating experience of simply being human. You’ll find that this podcast operates at the intersection of our professional ambitions and our personal well-being, exploring how they influence each other in ways we might not immediately see. It’s for anyone who has left a meeting baffled by a colleague’s reaction, struggled to motivate a team, or just wanted to navigate their own goals with a bit more clarity and less friction. The ideas discussed are deliberately practical, designed to be used almost immediately, whether you’re looking to improve a process, a relationship, or your own mindset. Tune in for a blend of thoughtful analysis and actionable insight that aims to make the complex recipe of human behaviour a little easier to understand and work with.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

People Soup
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