Podcast appearances and mentions of zeynep ton

Globalization and deindustrialization have brought with them a sense among American workers that the good jobs they could once count on have disappeared. As family-supporting careers evaporate, service jobs with lower pay and unpredictable hours take their place in many communities across the country.Zeynep Ton, professor of practice at MIT's Sloan School of Management, joins Oren to discuss what a better future of work could look like. The two talk through what a “good job” means today, in a world where frontline service-sector work dominates U.S. employment. Plus, they unpack why stability, career growth, and supportive pay for the jobs that already exist—rather than a focus on training for the “jobs of the future”—is vital to supporting America's workers.Further reading:“Building a Strong U.S. Middle Class Requires High-Productivity, High-Dignity Service Jobs,” by Zeynep Ton

The Economist's Andrew Palmer asks how companies motivate employees to do their best work. He hears from Patty McCord, Netflix's former head of HR, and Zeynep Ton, author of "The Case for Good Jobs". Sir John Timpson, a British retail boss, preaches the virtues of "upside down management". And Andrew learns how to write a good purpose statement.Boss Class season one is free for a limited time. Season two will appear weekly starting May 12th. To hear new episodes, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plusIf you're already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Economist's Andrew Palmer asks how companies motivate employees to do their best work. He hears from Patty McCord, Netflix's former head of HR, and Zeynep Ton, author of "The Case for Good Jobs". Sir John Timpson, a British retail boss, preaches the virtues of "upside down management". And Andrew learns how to write a good purpose statement.Boss Class season one is free for a limited time. Season two will appear weekly starting May 12th. To hear new episodes, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plusIf you're already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

What are the key leadership insights and skills needed as we move into 2025? In this end-of-year episode, Kevin answers listener questions about leadership trends, challenges, and reflections on his latest book, Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence. Kevin believes that leaders must move beyond rigid leadership styles to embrace flexibility, adapting their approach based on context, team needs, and organizational goals. He also highlights the importance of mindset, skill set, and habit set for leaders. While skills provide the tools for leadership, mindset ensures alignment with goals, and habit set ensures sustained application. Listen For 00:00 Introduction 00:44 Joining the Live Experience 01:06 Flexible Leadership Book Promo 01:57 Introduction of Lisa Ritter-McMahan 02:59 Soft Skills Leaders Need 05:21 Transitioning from Peer to Leader 07:17 Hierarchical Leadership in Government Agencies 09:00 Highlight from Flexible Leadership Book 11:13 What Excites Kevin About His New Book 12:28 Balancing Empathy and Organizational Goals 14:55 Professional Development: Inside vs. Outside Work Hours 17:30 Mindset, Skill Set, and Habit Set for Leaders 20:14 Importance of Flexibility in Organizations 22:32 Clear Communication in Remote Work 25:58 Kevin's Reading Process for Podcasts 30:08 Memorable Moments from 2024 Guests 33:24 What Kevin Does for Fun 34:48 Kevin's Current Reading Recommendation 36:04 Closing Remarks Book Recommendations Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence by Kevin Eikenberry From Bud to Boss: Secrets to a Successful Transition to Remarkable Leadership by Kevin Eikenberry and Guy Harris  Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts by Annie Duke  On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything by Nate Silver  Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman  The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone's Work by Zeynep Ton  How to Work with and Lead People Not Like You by Kelly McDonald  Like this? A Guide to Excellence with Tom Peters  This is Strategy with Seth Godin Join Our Community If you want to view our live podcast episodes, hear about new releases, or chat with others who enjoy this podcast join one of our communities below. Join the Facebook Group Join the LinkedIn Group   Leave a Review If you liked this conversation, we'd be thrilled if you'd let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Here's a quick guide for posting a review. Review on Apple: https://remarkablepodcast.com/itunes    Podcast Better! Sign up with Libsyn and get up to 2 months free! Use promo code: RLP  

Zeynep Ton believes that low-wage work (in childcare, customer service, assembly lines and other essential industries) is front-line work — and that pay should be adjusted accordingly. She makes the case that fair and competitive compensation for front-line workers is a better business model, with a nearly endless list of benefits for people and society at large. Listen in to learn how higher pay leads to higher productivity, better services, and happier people everywhere.

Many of the jobs that keep the world running — like cleaning bathrooms, picking up trash, caring for the elderly — pay so poorly that workers can barely make ends meet. Nonprofit leader Zeynep Ton is intent on changing that, showing why everyone wins when companies pay their people livable wages and offer opportunities for growth. After the talk, Modupe digs into why money shouldn't be spent solely on recruiting, training and hiring new talent — but also investing in existing employees. 

Many of the jobs that keep the world running — like cleaning bathrooms, picking up trash, caring for the elderly — pay so poorly that workers can barely make ends meet. Nonprofit leader Zeynep Ton is intent on changing that, showing why everyone wins when companies pay their people livable wages and offer opportunities for growth.

Many of the jobs that keep the world running — like cleaning bathrooms, picking up trash, caring for the elderly — pay so poorly that workers can barely make ends meet. Nonprofit leader Zeynep Ton is intent on changing that, showing why everyone wins when companies pay their people livable wages and offer opportunities for growth.

Many of the jobs that keep the world running — like cleaning bathrooms, picking up trash, caring for the elderly — pay so poorly that workers can barely make ends meet. Nonprofit leader Zeynep Ton is intent on changing that, showing why everyone wins when companies pay their people livable wages and offer opportunities for growth.

The invention of the spinning jenny in 1764 upended the textile industry—and the women who earned a living weaving cotton and preparing fabrics in their homes. Suddenly, these jobs became obsolete. Just as the industrial revolution had a profound impact on how people worked and lived, structural forces are transforming global labor markets today, from slowing globalization to the advent of generative AI. The evolution of labor markets is poised to reshape the macro landscape in the years to come, posing broad implications across the investment portfolio. In this episode of PGIM's The OUTThinking Investor, we talk to three experts about the transformation of labor markets, the economic impact, and how investors can identify leaders and laggards as the world embarks on a new era of work. Our guests are Greg Wright, an associate professor of economics at the University of California at Merced and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution; Zeynep Ton, a professor at MIT Sloan and author of the book The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay and Meaning to Everyone's Work; and Jakob Wilhelmus, Director of Thematic Research at PGIM. For more on this topic, visit PGIM.com to explore our Megatrends report, The Transformation of Labor Markets: Winners and Losers in a New Era.

Don't believe the jobs reports: it's a tough labor market out there, and not in the way you're thinking. 44% of workers have what's considered a bad job, which is defined as a high risk, low wage position. The majority of these jobs are frontline, hourly positions, with little to no consistency or benefits. These organizations have some of the highest turnover rates, costing the U.S. economy 1 Trillion dollars per year.  This is where today's guest Zeynep Ton has set her sights on fixing. Zeynep is a professor of the practice in the operations management group at MIT Sloan School of Management and president of the nonprofit Good Jobs Institute, whose mission is to help companies thrive by creating good jobs and to redefine what it means to run a successful business. Her organization has advised the likes of Quest Diagnostics, Mud Bay, and many more. Zeynep's work and research on the benefits of supporting good jobs has been featured in publications like The Atlantic, the New York Times, and more, culminating in her book, “The Good Jobs Strategy: How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs and Boost Profits”. We wanted to catch up with Zeynep to hear first hand about why it's important to design good jobs for workers, and how it benefits everyone from the top to bottom of an organization. This is another one you're not going to want to miss, so with that…let's bring it in!

Welcome to the Meaningful Work Matters podcast! This episode features Zeynep Ton, a professor of the practice in the operations management group at MIT Sloan School of Management and President of Good Jobs Institute. Andrew and Zeynep discuss the financial, competitive, and moral case for implementing 'a good job strategy' in organizations. By prioritizing employees and designing their work for high productivity and contribution, organizations can create a virtuous cycle of low turnover and high customer satisfaction. Overall, Zeynep provides a roadmap for companies looking to implement a good job strategy and highlights the transformative impact it can have. Join Andrew Soren and Zeynep Ton as they explore the profound impact of meaningful work and the path to a brighter, more equitable future for workers. Lastly, be sure to check out Zeynep's new book, The Case for Good Jobs, which explores the concept of meaningful work and the stark contrast between good jobs and bad jobs.

EPISODE 1720: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Zeynep Ton, author THE CASE FOR GOOD JOBS, about why companies need to bring dignity, pay and meaning to all their employees' work Zeynep Ton is a professor of the practice at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Previously, she was on the faculty of the Har­vard Business School. Ton received numerous awards for teaching excellence at both schools. Her work has been featured widely in the media, including The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Bloomberg TV, and MSNBC. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband and four children. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to episode #896 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast. Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast - Episode #896. Renowned scholar and dynamic force in the business academia and consulting world, Zeynep Ton has dedicated her career to scrutinizing the nuances of operational management through a lens that values not just the customers and investors but the employees who are often regarded as mere cogs in the wheel. With her home base at the MIT Sloan School of Management, she leverages her role as a Professor to delve deep into the symbiotic relationship between employee satisfaction, customer service, and investor returns. Her insightful research has graced the pages of prestigious publications like the Harvard Business Review, Organization Science, and Production and Operations Management, making her a formidable voice in the business analysis sphere. Before her tenure at MIT Sloan, Zeynep honed her craft at Harvard Business School for seven years, earning accolades for her exceptional teaching acumen. In 2014, Zeynep pulled together a decade and a half of rigorous research in her ground-breaking book titled, The Good Jobs Strategy - How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs and Boost Profits. This work not just chalked out but vivaciously argued that a blueprint of superior returns and outstanding service is incomplete without weaving in investment in employee well-being with operational strategies that spur productivity and morale. Now, she's back with her latest book, The Case for Good Jobs - How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone's Work. It feels like perfect timing for a book like this, if you look at the workforce and how the economy is moving. Enjoy the conversation... Running time: 54:07. Hello from beautiful Montreal. Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts. Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Six Pixels of Separation. Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook. Check out ThinkersOne. or you can connect on LinkedIn. ...or on Twitter. Here is my conversation with Zeynep Ton. The Case for Good Jobs. The Good Jobs Strategy. Follow Zeynep on LinkedIn. Follow Zeynep on X/Twitter. This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'.

Welcome to a brand-new episode of FOMO Sapiens. In this episode, host Patrick McGinnis sits down with accomplished MIT Sloan School of Management Professor and best-selling author Zeynep Ton. Zeynep's extensive research and expertise in creating sustainable, successful companies that offer good jobs will captivate and inspire you. Ton's big idea from her first book "The Good Jobs Strategy" is that providing good jobs is a choice, even for low-cost retailers. It challenges the conventional wisdom that low wages and high turnover are necessary for profitability. Instead, Zeynep argues that these practices are more expensive than we may think. Her latest book delves deeper into the reasons why companies should make the choice to offer good jobs and provides practical insights on how to do so. Throughout the episode, Zeynep explores two key lessons that she has discovered through her research. Firstly, she reveals that paying employees low wages and operating with high turnover can actually cost companies more in the long run by generating hidden costs like lost sales and low productivity. Zeynep presents compelling evidence that changing to a good job system is not only less risky than commonly believed, but also yields positive financial returns. Zeynep also emphasizes that creating a good job system isn't just about human resources - it's about winning in business. She underscores the importance of investing in people, paying them enough, so they can focus on their jobs, and positioning your teams for success. Elements such as meaningful work, respect for employees' time, and trust in their decision-making abilities are key components of a good job. This approach not only benefits the workers but also increases productivity and contributes to overall company success. In the episode, Zeynep acknowledges the changing nature of the workforce due to advancements in AI and automation. She expresses concern about the prevailing belief that people can easily be retrained for different jobs, and highlights the pressure on employers and companies to respond to technological disruptions while still creating good jobs. She believes that technology doesn't happen to us; we have agency in how we respond to it. Drawing from real-world examples, Zeynep showcases how companies can adapt to a good job system and thrive in the face of change. One such example is Sam's Club, Walmart's wholesale club. Before 2017, Sam's Club was underperforming and falling behind Costco. However, a new CEO implemented key changes, including investing in employees by raising wages and implementing stable schedules. Reducing product variety also improved employee productivity and customer satisfaction. By leveraging technology to enhance and empower employees, companies can create better jobs and increase customer value. Zeynep reveals that even business school professors are at the forefront of exploring how capitalism can be improved. The rise of mission-driven companies allows customers to align their values with the businesses they support. Zeynep emphasizes that customers have a role to play in the conversation about what good jobs should look like. This engaging episode also explores the power of entrepreneurship and starting from scratch to create great companies. Zeynep shares the story of Jim Synagel, who started Costco in Seattle 40 years ago. By paying double the industry average for employees, Costco built a great team and achieved remarkable success. The key, Zeynep argues, is having conviction and creating a strong system from the beginning. Join us for this thought-provoking episode, that challenges the status quo and offers practical strategies for companies to embrace the good job model. Discover how companies can thrive in a changing world and create sustainable growth while prioritizing their most valuable asset - their employees. Don't miss out on this insightful conversation! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As jobs become harder to fill and high rates of turnover become an ever-present problem at many companies, you may be wondering how you can create great jobs to retain the awesome members of your team. As someone who has navigated the challenges of leadership and office management, I've learned first-hand the importance of fostering a positive work environment. But what inspired me to explore this topic further was a captivating speaker I had the privilege of hearing at one of my previous jobs.That speaker is Zeynep Ton, who wrote the book (literally) on the Good Jobs Strategy. In her first book identifies the key hiring and culture strategies of great companies like Trader Joe's, the beloved specialty grocery store known for its exceptional employee culture. So, what exactly is the Good Jobs Strategy? It involves investing in employees by providing them with adequate training, ample opportunities for growth, competitive wages, and benefits. But it doesn't stop there, the strategy also emphasizes operational efficiency and considering employee thoughts and feelings.As leaders, we need to take the time to figure out how we can make our jobs truly great. Many aspects of work can be significant stressors for employees, so finding ways to alleviate that burden can make a world of difference, helping you attract and retain top employees. In this episode, we'll explore practical strategies and actionable steps to help you create good jobs for your team.What you'll hear in this episode:[0:00] Today's topic: How to create good jobs for your team. [1:05] How I was inspired to do this episode because of a speaker I heard. [3:05] Trader Joe's is a specialty grocery store. [4:45] What is a good job strategy? [6:05] The second part of a good job strategy is operational efficiency. [7:55] How to create a culture of continuous improvement in your business. [9:40] Find out how to offer flexibility in work. [11:10] Think about how you can make great jobs. Listen to Similar Episodes:How to ACTUALLY Provide Mental Health Support in the WorkplaceAn Action Plan to Become a Better BossSetting Expectations for Salary Raise Conversations with Employees* Read the first 20 pages of Good Jobs Strategy by Zeynep Ton and find more information here: https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Good_Jobs_Strategy/kJeHAgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0* Read the first two chapters of The Case For Good Jobs by Zeynep Ton and find more information here: https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Case_for_Good_Jobs/q1R6EAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover* Connect with me on IG @jackie.koch_* Find more information on my website https://www.jackiekoch.com/

This month on the Well Woman Show, the topic is workplaces that work for women because when women thrive, families thrive. And when families thrive, whole communities thrive. I share my analysis of the future of work, workforce development and economic development ecosystems and interviews Zeynep Ton, a Professor of the Practice at the MIT Sloan School of Management. She is also president of the nonprofit Good Jobs Institute, where she works with companies to improve their operations in a way that satisfies employees, customers, and investors alike. Before joining MIT Sloan, Ton spent seven years on the faculty at Harvard Business School. She is the author of The Good Jobs Strategy: How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs and Boost Profits and the new book, The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay and Meaning to Everyone's Work. A native of Turkey, Ton first came to the US on a volleyball scholarship from Pennsylvania State University. She received her BS in industrial and manufacturing engineering there and her Doctor of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.100 Women Albuquerque members gather quarterly and donate $100 each to the same local nonprofit. Grassroots giving circles likes ours allow us to amplify our impact and turn your $100 donation into thousands. All money goes directly to the nonprofit. Learn more at 100WomenABQ.orgThe Power Up Conference and Concert, happening on August 26th, will bring together inspiring speakers, industry leaders, and performers to discuss and celebrate women's empowerment. And I'm excited to share that the Well Woman Show is a media partner for this event. This year, the event will be held both in-person and virtually, allowing everyone to participate, no matter where you are. It's an excellent opportunity to network, gain insights, and support the incredible work being done to close the gender gaps. So let's power up and be part of the movement towards gender equality. Remember, change begins with each one of us. And by supporting initiatives like Dr. Adia Gooden's work, Gloria Feldt's Take The Lead, and attending events like the Power Up Conference and Concert, we can create a more equitable and inclusive world for everyone.Power Up Concert & Conference 2023Saturday, August 26, 20238:00 AM 7:00 PMUCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center Los Angeles, CAYour ticket includes a fabulous night of fun and music celebrating Women's Equality Day.Use code: POWERUPWWShttps://www.taketheleadwomen.com/events/https/leadtaketheleadwomencom/event/power-up-conference-2023/e485160The Well Woman Show is thankful for support from The Well Woman Academy™ at wellwomanlife.com/academy. Join us in the Academy for the community, mindfulness practices, and strategy to live your Well Woman Life.

Low pay is obviously terrible for workers, but a growing body of research proves that it's bad for businesses, too. Smaller paychecks lead to higher turnover, decreased productivity, and poor sales. Will low-wage employers in the grocery, retail, and restaurant industries ever understand that their employees are their most important asset? Zeynep Ton hopes so. She's written a book explaining how labor investments can pay for themselves, and she joins us today to explain why better-paying jobs are good for everyone in the long run. Zeynep Ton is a Professor of the Practice in the Operations Management group at MIT Sloan School of Management. She is also president of the nonprofit Good Jobs Institute, where she works with companies to improve their operations in a way that satisfies employees, customers, and investors alike. Twitter: @zeynepton Good Jobs are Good Business https://time.com/6285516/good-jobs-good-business The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone's Work https://store.hbr.org/product/the-case-for-good-jobs-how-great-companies-bring-dignity-pay-and-meaning-to-everyone-s-work/10579 Website: http://pitchforkeconomics.com Twitter: @PitchforkEcon Instagram: @pitchforkeconomics Nick's twitter: @NickHanauer

Kelly sits down with Zeynep Ton, Professor of the Practice in the Operations Management group at MIT Sloan School of Management, to discuss her new book  “The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone's Work.”  “A jockey on an injured horse isn't going to win just because you doubled his pay.”  “Bad […]

In this podcast, we cover - 1. Why higher pay for workers doesn't mean higher prices for customers, and the Costco case-study 2. Employee turnover: what drives it & how it costs companies more than most executives think 3. Differences in mindsets between good jobs and bad jobs systems Zeynep Ton is a Practice in the Operations Management group at MIT Sloan School of Management. She is also president of the nonprofit Good Jobs Institute, where she works with companies to improve their operations in a way that satisfies employees, customers, and investors alike. Before joining MIT Sloan, Ton spent seven years on the faculty at Harvard Business School. She is the author of The Good Jobs Strategy: How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs and Boost Profits and The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay and Meaning to Everyone's Work.

It is staggering how many truly awful jobs Americans hold. Low pay, unpredictable hours, no opportunity for advancement and no chances of development. Little surprise then is that what we get as a result is high turnover, poor customer service and even higher risks in our everyday lives. In this masterful and entirely readable book, Zeynep Ton systematically dismantles the argument that bad jobs are the price we pay for profitable companies. If you combine operational excellence with good jobs, you can create a competitive advantage - and that's something competitors with the wrong mindset won't be able to match! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thoughtsparksritamcgrath/message

Two years ago, my 81-year-old mother, fell in love with Turkish culture. Credit Turkish men. Suffice to say, there's not a Turkish movie or soap opera she hasn't seen at least twice. She's even teaching herself the language. This means, of course, that possibly for the first time ever, she'll be excited to give one […] The post 480: The Case for Good Jobs with Zeynep Ton first appeared on Read to Lead Podcast.

When sales are down and overhead costs are skyrocketing, what's the instinct? Cut costs, maybe? Fire some folks? Trim down, get leaner? Zeynep Ton says that instinct is shortsighted. It's outdated. More than just old, it's a deadly cycle, because cutting costs continues to come at the expense of the foundational unit – the employee. Zeynep is a professor at MIT's Sloan School of Business, and her new book – The Case for Good Jobs – is out next month. By turning almost 40 years of Jack Welch-ian thinking on its head, Zeynep builds the argument that the only way to grow in those crucible moments is to spend more – on the employee. Shortsightedness will kill us, Zeynep says. Nothing beats a good job.

In this second installment of our Good Jobs series, Jessi sits down with Zeynep Ton, founder of MIT's Good Jobs Institute and author of the new research-driven book, The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone's Work. Zeynep argues that a good job should provide sufficient pay to give individuals agency in their personal and professional lives. She dives into the importance of stable schedules and adequate hours, as well as the need for companies to consider the entire system of a good job, not just isolated aspects. She emphasizes the need for businesses to break the cycle of mistrust and invest in their workforce to drive success. This conversation provides valuable insights into what constitutes a good job and how businesses can transform their approach to benefit both employees and the bottom line. Follow Zeynep Ton on LinkedIn, and check out her new book. Follow Jessi Hempel on LinkedIn and order her debut memoir.  Join the Hello Monday community: Subscribe to the Hello Monday newsletter, and join us on the LinkedIn News page for Hello Monday Office Hours, Wednesdays at 3p ET.  Join our new LinkedIn group for Hello Monday listeners and continue this week's conversation here: https://lnkd.in/hellomondaygroup

Episode page with video, transcript, and more Joining us for Episode #478 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Zeynep Ton. She is a professor of the practice at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Previously, she was on the faculty of the Har­vard Business School. Ton received numerous awards for teaching excellence at both schools. She was previously a guest in Episode 228 in 2015, discussing her first book The Good Jobs Strategy. Her new book, released in June, is The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone's Work. In today's episode, we discuss what's meant by “good jobs” — and how it's not just about compensation. What are good jobs and what's the case for them, in both human and financial terms? Among other topics, we discuss how it's a system, the “good jobs system,” and there is risk in trying to just copy a piece or two that sounds good (which reminds us both of issues around adoption of the Toyota Production System). Questions, Notes, and Highlights: What are “good jobs”?  Has this definition evolved at all? “Operate with slack” Nursing shortages — the effect of not operating with slack Improving call center jobs — reducing the need for calls to begin with  HBR piece — mental models of customer-centric vs. financial-centric The new book — “the case” for good jobs? Benefits of lower turnover Simple thinking vs. systems thinking — 2% margin business “can't afford” higher wages… or can't afford NOT to? 5 Corporate Disabilities when you have high turnover Tight labor markets — a greater need for companies to adopt “the good jobs strategy” or at least some practices?  Sam's Club — competitive pressure to catch up or emulate Costco? The good jobs SYSTEM — risk of copying just one piece, such as higher pay? Cost of Poor Quality vs. Cost of Bad Jobs — not on the financial statements Operational Indifference… vs operational excellence “There's a grave disconnect between what's happening on the front lines and what executives think is happening.” Finding balance? “standardizing processes when that makes sense and empowering employees to help customers” Obstacles to creating good jobs? The logical evidence-based case to be made vs. habits and beliefs of executives (mental models)? “Many leaders don't even consider frontline work critical to company performance.” Cost-benefit analysis — easy to calculate the cost of higher pay… predicting the benefits is seen as a leap of faith?  The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 

In her new book The Case for Good Jobs, Zeynep Ton explains why creating good jobs, particularly for frontline workers, will help companies thrive.Ton, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management and president and co-founder of the Good Jobs Institute, has long been an advocate of investing in employees. Traditional bad jobs systems—characterized by low pay, high turnover, and poor operational execution—harm customer satisfaction and undermine a company's ability to differentiate, innovate, and adapt. In a good jobs system, she explains, leaders unlock a virtuous cycle of employee engagement, which improves operational performance and will ultimately benefit employees, customers, and shareholders.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Ton discusses various aspects of the good jobs system—how it works, how to implement it, how to measure the value of good jobs, and what good jobs mean in an age in which labor is under threat of substitution by AI.Key topics discussed: 01:06 | The business value of good jobs03:54 | What makes the good jobs system work?12:21 | Data and metrics17:10 | AI and labor substitution20:29 | Good jobs beyond the frontline24:48 | How to implement the good jobs systemThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Zeynep Ton is the author of the Good Jobs Strategy - which holds the honour of being the book I refer to the most when it comes to talking about work. In that book she set about making the case for firms to create good jobs for their employees, not just for the moral reason but because it was a route to faster growth. Now she returns with a new book, The Case for Good Jobs, which not only explains the reasoning for creating better working conditions for workers, but also how any firm can set about doing it. At the heart of the discussion is a recognition that workers want to do a good job - and often find obstacles in their way.MIT Sloan Review: When Doing Less Adds Up to MoreThe Obstacles to Creating Good Jobs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From healthcare facilities to call centers, from fulfillment centers to factories, and from restaurants to retail stores, companies are struggling to find or keep workers — because the jobs they offer are low-paying, they're stressful, and they provide little chance for growth and success. In “The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone's Work,” Zeynep Ton, MIT professor and co-founder of the nonprofit Good Jobs Institute, lays out plainly what needs to be done to improve jobs and company performance. In this follow-up to her previous book, “The Good Jobs Strategy,” Ton examines the “why” and “how” of the good jobs system to help leaders and managers overcome the disconnect between recognizing a better model and having the courage to implement it. On May 10, the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program hosted a book talk with Ton to learn more about the disadvantages of low-paying and high-turnover jobs; the components of a good job system and the benefits this approach creates; how labor investments can pay for themselves; the obstacles to creating a good jobs system; and how leaders can break free and overcome these challenges to create good jobs that offer a living wage, dignity, and opportunities for growth to foster success for their employees and their organization. For more information about this event — including video, audio, transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources — visit our website: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/the-case-for-good-jobs-how-great-companies-bring-dignity-pay-and-meaning-to-everyones-work/

The secrets of better workplace cultures - simple everyday practices to improve how we all work together, which will lead to greater team and individual happiness and performance. In episode two of Better@Work, we welcome Bruce Daisley as our second guest for a super informative and wide-ranging chat. I am a big big fan of Bruce, and his podcast Eat Sleep Work Repeat.  Bruce is a best-selling author who spent 12 years running Twitter in Europe and was at YouTube before that. Bruce is a respected thought leader on what makes works good and what makes work matter, and his book The Joy of Work has been bible for me.  I chat with Bruce about how to keep our audiences engaged with crafting presentations that are attention grabbing, fresh, new, and current and realising that no-one cares anywhere as much of you, and how bringing entertainment to an audience is a must!!! Bruce and I unpack his fascination with what makes work good, touching on anti-work movement sub-cultures.  Bruce shares the secrets of good workplace culture and how making many small shifts creates a momentum of change. He cautions not to presume that just because you can understand it, you can do it. And brings to life how he and his teams tackled burnout culture and weekend emails habits. We laugh about the common act of ego when we know the science of the diminishing returns of long work hours, but delude ourselves that those rules don't apply to us   We marvel at how only 13% of Australian workers are engaged with their jobs, while the US is at 30% and for French workers it's only 3%! We then discuss the biggest determinant of being engaged at work is whether or not you have a friend at work, and how stress levels are lower in workplaces where a shared identity and a sense of belonging are strong. We cover research by Wharton's Sigal Barsade, demonstrating “companionate love” in the workplace is vital to employee morale, teamwork and customer satisfaction, and is proven to make work better and also drive better results. Bruce makes a best book recommendation, The Good Jobs Strategy by Zeynep Ton. We laugh about the “Mill owner” trap we can fall into and the illusion that high productivity correlates to big hours, when focus on outputs is what really matters. We also cover Bruce's Framework: Recharge  I  Sync  I  Buzz We wrap up on the power of humour to create togetherness, bonding and collective safety, “Crisp Thursday”, the Jewish concept of Simcha or Shared Joy. Also, that resilience is a toxic myth, Bruce's new book Fortitude, Unlocking the Secrets of Inner Strength and Bruce's best ever career advice on how not to overdo it. Let's Take This offline In our “Let's take this offline” segment I debrief on Bruce's key insights with my friend Annette and answer a question from Sita about her demotivated team Get in touch: Cathal@betteratwork.com.au or https://betteratwork.com.au Get in touch on Instagram: @betteratwork_ Get in touch on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathal-quinlan/ Send us a question or leave us a voicemail: https://betteratwork.com.au/contact-us/ Get the newsletter: https://betteratwork.com.au/ About Bruce Daisley: Bruce Daisley is one of the world's leading experts on our evolving relationship with our jobs - published in the Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, The Guardian and the Wall Street Journal. His first book, The Joy of Work, was a Sunday Times bestseller and was translated into 15 different international editions. It was shortlisted for the CMI Business Book of the Year. Formerly Bruce was the European Vice-President for Twitter and is the host of the UK's number one business podcast Eat Sleep Work Repeat.  https://eatsleepworkrepeat.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Companies around the world are struggling to fill open positions, while millions of unemployed people look for work. What's going on? Zeynep Ton, professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, says that organizations need to start offering better jobs. While old-school management thinking argued for paying workers only as much money as the market dictated and squeezing every last bit of efficiency out of them to maximize profits, the 21st century requires a new approach. This starts with higher wages but also includes more predictability and flexibility. In the wake of the global pandemic that brought essential workers to the forefront, Ton explains what companies have done - and can do - to create more good jobs in society.

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 operation management at MIT Sloan School of Management. She found herself looking at the challenges that some businesses had with high employee turnover. They were losing a lot of people. It was causing their service to suffer - it was also costing them a lot of money training and recruiting people. Sounds familiar?From this it lead to another understanding. Some organisations by thinking about and planning the employee experience of work create jobs that were less stressful and more rewarding. It struck her that quite often companies don't want to make decisions or create limitations for fear of upsetting customers. But in the process they become more muddled for customers and less rewarding for employees.Zeynep goes on to say that the firms who think about these things and set about creating good culture and good jobs (a) are more profitable and have higher revenue (b) build more sustainable businesses so their stock does better.Here are her 4 pillars:operational simplificationstandardisation AND empowermentcross-trainingoperating with slackGood more about the Good Jobs StrategyRead Zeynep's bookSign up for the Make Work Better newsletter See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Talking about compensation at a job (a.k.a. the total pay and benefits you get in exchange for your labor) can be excruciating. But why? It's not because compensation designers are inherently evil, argues David Buckmaster, Nike's Director of Global Retail Compensation. Rather, it's because our system of pay is broken and neglected. When it comes to pay, Buckmaster believes the greater sin is inertia, not malevolence. That's why he wrote a book—Fair Pay: How to Get a Raise, Close the Wage Gap, and Build Stronger Businesses—busting open compensation's black box; that's also why we spoke to him about pay transparency, accessible data, exciting compensation experiments, and why the so-called labor shortage is really a wage shortage. Learn more about David's work and check out his new book here: https://www.davidbuckmasterbooks.com/ 'The Good Jobs Strategy' by Zeynep Ton: https://www.zeynepton.com/book/ Apply to work at The Ready: In the United States: http://theready.com/team In Europe: http://theready.com/team Our book is available now at bravenewwork.com We want to hear from you. Send your thoughts and feedback to podcast@theready.com Looking for some help with your own transformation? Visit theready.com

The way we work is in constant evolution. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, do we have a chance to redesign the workplace and workforce for the better? Or will we go back to the way things were before the world locked down? Zeynep Ton, president of the nonprofit Good Jobs Institute, and Joan C. Williams, director of the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California's Hastings College of the Law, join us to examine how we might improve the future of work. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.

On this Conscious Capitalists Podcast Rewind we bring you a much loved conversation: Minimum wages? Living wages? Zeynep Ton, author of The Good Jobs Strategy describes her approach to combining increased wages with operational changes to create more value for customers AND create ‘good jobs'.  Originally released on March 9, 2021. ** If you enjoy this podcast, would you consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes only a few seconds and greatly helps us get our podcast out to a wider audience. Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. For transcripts and show notes, please go to: https://www.theconsciouscapitalists.com Thank you for your support!  Timothy & Raj

Minimum wages? Living wages? Zeynep Ton, author of The Good Jobs Strategy describes her approach to combining increased wages with operational changes to create more value for customers AND create ‘good jobs'.   ** If you enjoy this podcast, would you consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes only a few seconds and greatly helps us get our podcast out to a wider audience. Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. For transcripts and show notes, please go to: https://www.theconsciouscapitalists.com Thank you for your support!  Timothy & Raj

We need good jobs and we can have them! My dear friend and @MIT Professor Zeynep Ton joined me in a #FridayFiresideChat, to talk about the Good Jobs Strategy. Her pathbreaking book presented her research that showed that successful operations, combined with good jobs, can allow firms to outperform, even in historically low-margin sectors such as retail. She shared the results of a Brookings Institute study that showed we have a horrible bad jobs problem in the United States - 53 million U.S. employees work at jobs that pay $17,950 a year. In contrast, a firm such as Costco can offer a $23 hourly wage and still out-compete its rivals. The steps to creating a good jobs strategy? 1) simplify and focus; 2) standardize and empower; 3) cross-training and 4) provide for more hours of labor than the expected demand to cover peaks and dips. Zeynep has started the Good Jobs Institute to give these ideas a home - see goodjobsinstitute.org. We both fervently hope that as we rebuild after COVID-19 that we will do so based on good jobs. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thoughtsparksritamcgrath/message

Are your employees a cost or an investment? How can your company design and manage operations in a way that satisfies customers, employees, and investors? Join us to hear Zeynep Ton, adjunct associate professor in the operations management group at MIT Sloan School of Management and the author of The Good Jobs Strategy: How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs & Boost Profits, discuss how operational excellence and treating your employees like an investment leads to great employee experiences.   Zeynep Ton is an adjunct associate professor in the operations management group at MIT Sloan School of Management and the author of The Good Jobs Strategy: How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs & Boost Profits.  Before MIT Sloan, she spent seven years on the faculty at Harvard Business School. Ton's research explores how organizations can design and manage their operations in a way that satisfies employees, customers, and investors simultaneously.   *This spotlight is an excerpt from our 2019 interview.

Zeynep Ton, the author of the book The Good Job Strategy, discovered that many of the expensive, productivity-draining problems faced in retail came down to poor labor practices. By focusing on creating good jobs for employees that lead to great customer experiences, companies can both save money and make their employees happy.   Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Are your employees a cost or an investment? How can your company design and manage operations in a way that satisfies customers, employees, and investors? Join us to hear Zeynep Ton, adjunct associate professor in the operations management group at MIT Sloan School of Management and the author of The Good Jobs Strategy: How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs & Boost Profits, discuss how operational excellence and treating your employees like an investment leads to great employee experiences.

My guest today is Zeynep Ton. Zeynep is an adjunct associate professor in Operations Management at MIT Sloan School of Management and co-founder of the nonprofit Good Jobs Institute (GJI). Before MIT Sloan, Zeynep spent seven years on the faculty at Harvard Business School.   Zeynep’s research explores how companies can design and manage their operations in a way that satisfies customers, employees, and investors simultaneously. In 2014, Zeynep published her findings in a book, The Good Jobs Strategy: How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs and Boost Profits.   I wanted to speak to Zeynep because while cultivating healthy and adaptive cultures requires focus on issues such as purpose, mission and vision, behaviors. and skills, it also calls for something that we don’t talk about enough in the context of culture - making the right operational choices.   Zeynep shares her expertise, experience, and examples in this interview and gives us a lot of useful ideas on how to build the supporting architecture for better cultures.     Episode Highlights   In this interview, Zeynep and I discuss: Why bad jobs put companies in a vicious cycle of poor service, low profits, and low employee engagement How better operational choices can lead to reversing that cycle and creating superior value for employees, customers, and investors The 4 operational choices that drive performance and continuous improvement: Focus & Simplify, Standardize & Empower, Cross-train, and Operate with Slack What the right balance between standardization and empowerment might look like Why empowerment often doesn’t work and what companies who got it right do differently How one company saved 1.2 million just by giving their frontline employees an opportunity to contribute and make improvements to processes and solving issues

Want to improve your work experience and company culture? There’s a brand new book that writes about the best things that anyone can do, in any job, to work on improving your workdays. In this episode, we get to find out how the author, Bruce Daisley (who is VP of Twitter EMEA as well), found this out and why it works so well.  Turns out it is no wonder we’re increasingly feeling stuck, our neverending work days filled with meetings and emails  and open plan offices. What Bruce discovered is that actually most of the stuff we do at work is actually against all of the research, all of the evidence. And the best part is, he also found practical, real things you can do to make changes in your work environment. From the bottom-up. And wait for it... starting with how to find time and energy to actually do this.  To rediscover the joy of work. Have a listen and join in, it'll be worth it. Referenced:  The Joy of Work by Bruce Daisley  https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Work-Ways-Culture-Again-ebook/dp/B07D1GX76Z  Plezier in je werk (Dutch edition) door Bruce Daisley  https://www.managementboek.nl/boek/9789024585137/plezier-in-je-werk-bruce-daisley  Eat Sleep Work Repeat, podcast with Bruce Daisley and guest Zeynep Ton  https://eatsleepworkrepeat.fm/the-good-jobs-strategy/ 

Caitlin Rosenthal is a former McKinsey consultant turned historian of business practices, teaching at UC-Berkeley. Her recent book Accounting for Slavery traces how US business culture and practices were not born in the Industrial Revolution and northern factories as commonly believed, but on Southern and Caribbean plantations. She can be found on Twitter at @CC_Rosenthal . iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/farm-to-taber/id1418015843?mt=2 Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/farm-to-taber-podcast RSS subscribe: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:432549147/sounds.rss Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=5610560 Donate: https://paypal.me/farmtotaber Twitter: https://twitter.com/farmtotaberpod?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FarmToTaber/ Books, people, websites, & more mentioned in this interview:The Social History of Agriculture: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442209671/The-Social-History-of-Agriculture-From-the-Origins-to-the-Current-CrisisInvesting in Life: Studies in Early American Economy and Society from the Library Company ofPhiladelphia: https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/title/investing-lifeCreating Abundance by Alan L. Olmstead & Paul W. Rhode: https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Abundance-Biological-Agricultural-Development/dp/0521673879Environmental Defense Fund https://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/documents/farm-finance-report.pdfGood Jobs Strategy by Zeynep Ton: https://www.zeynepton.com/book/

Chris Summers is Global Director of Food Safety and Compliance for Mission Produce—an avocado company. Companies need people like Chris in them making sure crazy shit doesn’t happen. Some companies use that person better than others. I’ve done some work with Mission and liked what I saw, so today we’re having Chris on to talk about what he does.iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/farm-to-taber/id1418015843?mt=2Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/farm-to-taber-podcastRSS subscribe: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:432549147/sounds.rssPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=5610560Donate: https://paypal.me/farmtotaberTwitter: https://twitter.com/farmtotaberpod?lang=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/FarmToTaber/Books, people, websites, & more mentioned in this interview:Business research about how treat your people well makes your company work better:Zeynep Ton, The Good Jobs Strategy (https://www.zeynepton.com/book/)Taiichi Ohno, Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production(https://www.amazon.com/Toyota-Production-System-Beyond-Large-Scale/dp/0915299143)Costco’s wacky HR strategies that actually put employees first : https://i-sight.com/resources/employee-relations-best-practices-costco/Credits:Sound design & edits: Nat WeinerTranscript: Tanja DraytonIntro music: Fight ‘Em Down, Flash Fluharty

Read more on the Good Jobs StrategyPre-order the Joy of WorkIf you like this the easiest way to get it is to subscribe on Apple podcasts - give us a rating while you’re there.Zeynep Ton is a Professor of Operations Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management.She studies the retail sector and the way that some firms have invested in paying more and doing more for their workers. She studied firms like QuikTrip, Trader Joes, Mercador in Spain - she found that firms that treat their workers better achieve better results. Quik Trips profit is double the retail average - all of her firms are more profitable and show consistent growth. And this is work that needs doing in 2012 The Independent reported that only 1 in 7 British supermarket workers earned a living wage. We’ll talk about how they make their jobs happier but the key parts are they make some key decisions upfront (1) offer less (2) standardise and empower their teams (3) they train their workers to do all of the jobs and (4) they operate with slack - with spare capacity.When I studied Zeynep's work - and even more so when I chatted to her I thought there's something in this that every single company can use. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bad jobs are bringing down retailers like Toys R Us, but it doesn't have to be that way says Zeynep Ton, president of the Good Jobs Institute.

Featured interview with Dan Teran, co-founder and CEO of Managed by Q.   Molly Nugent reports on MIT professor Zeynep Ton's Good Jobs Strategy.   Natalie Foster explores why the basic income experiment underway in Stockton, Calif., is so significant.

A supply chain expert shows that happy, motivated workers can make big profits for big box companies - that the service and retail industries can provide well-paying jobs, compete on costs, and win. We speak with Zeynep Ton, Professor of Operations Management at MIT Sloan, author of "The Good Jobs Strategy" and founder of the Good Jobs Institute, about how good jobs can be great for business, and what it means for the future of work.

Zeynep Ton examines the case of Market Basket, its high-road business practices, and the worker protests that brought about the reinstatement of beloved CEO, Arthur T. Demoulas.

Prof. Kochan contextualizes the course and gives some personal background. The rest of the teaching team, Barbara Dyer, Zeynep Ton, Christine Riordan, Francesca Cicileo, and John McCarthy, introduce themselves and the topics they will cover in the course.

This week Allison and guest host Julia Hawthornthwaite discuss why feminist writer Roxane Gay dropped her publisher Simon & Schuster to protest hate speech. We talk about how Donald Trump’s executive orders on pipelines will affect Canada’s energy sector—and its climate change promises. AND Sophomore Magazine writer Stephanie Rotz introduces us to the Glass Runway. Julia is reading The Good Jobs Strategy: How the smartest companies lower costs and boost profits by Zeynep Ton. Allison is reading “Doomsday Prep for the Super-Rich” by Even Osnos. TUNES: Bodies by Farao Love Test by The Growlers I’m Better by Missy Elliott

Speaking with MIT Sloan School of Management prof Zeynep Ton, author of the Good Jobs Strategy, and the United Way's Michelynn LaFleche, we take a look at the changing nature of work. Specifically, we put on the spotlight on workplace instability and how bad jobs and precarious work are sending ripple effects across the economy. The Good Jobs Strategy http://zeynepton.com/book/ United Way - The Precarity Penalty http://www.unitedwaytyr.com/document.doc?id=307 Music in this episode: "Steppin'" by Wake; "The Last Ones" and "Siesta" by Jahzzar.

For this mini-episode we polled the MPI office about our own worst work experiences. We talk a lot about the shift from an industrial economy to a creativity and knowledge driven economy. Yet, what gets obscured is that that this shift hasn’t benefitted everyone; while those who have moved into creative fields enjoy both higher compensation and job satisfaction, an alarming number of people aren’t so lucky. They find themselves stuck in precarious service industry work – dead-end low pay, routine jobs that do nothing to stimulate the mind. Worst of all, these bad, service jobs now account for just under half of all jobs. In almost every case, the aspects of the MPI staff’s worst jobs mirrored the low-stakes, low rewards drudgery associated with many service work positions. For anyone in the Toronto area interested in learning more about this topic, Zeynep Ton, author of the Good Jobs Strategy is speaking at the Rotman School of Management on Monday, September 12th at 5:30pm. Register to attend here: http://martinprosperity.org/shiftdisturbers/schedule/

Mother of four. MIT Professor. Groundbreaking business researcher. Zeynep Ton doesn't believe in keeping these identities separate--she embraces them all and integrates them in the full picture of who she is and what she does. In the conclusion of the second season of #bizoba, Zeynep tells her full story from growing up in Turkey, playing volleyball at Penn State, and picking up her Ph.D. at Harvard Business School. She shares the inflection points along her path that led to changing her view of success and reprioritizing her life in favor of more time with her family and more meaningful work. While most companies tend to focus just on satisfying investors or creating value for customers, in her courses at MIT and her book "Good Jobs Strategy," Zeynep's research supports that the most successful companies in the long-term are those committed to designing great jobs and investing in the training and development of great employees. In this interview, Zeynep shows just how much she, like the companies she studies, is 100% committed to her values of investing in people and doing work that matters. #bizoba bullets from this episode are: 1. Continuously improve--it’s far easier to be mediocre than it is to be excellent--in both your work and your personal life 2. Invest in your family--whether that means your direct relations or the people in your life that you would call your family 3. Enjoy your life, make it matter, and make it meaningful In Zeynep's world of operations management, awesome businesses are made by way of continuous improvement. We think the same is true of awesome lives. So whatever that continuous improvement looks like for you, #bizoba ballers, we look forward to being along for the ride with you on the journey to a happier and more fulfilled life, both on and off the clock. We can't wait to hear all the ways you've been #busybeingawesome when we return in Season 3. Until then, stay in touch with us on social media @bizobapodcast, share your thoughts with us by emailing bizobapodcast@gmail.com, and rock out to two seasons of power songs on our "Bizoba power songs" playlist on Spotify.

Joining me for episode #228 of the podcast is Zeynep Ton, an Adjunct Associate Professor of Operations Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. You may have recently seen her being interviewed by Fareed Zakaria on CNN. She is author of the 2014 book The Good Jobs Strategy: How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs and Boost Profits. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/228. In this podcast, topics include: How she transitioned from industrial engineering and supply chain management to studying retail companies. In the vicious cycle of the "bad jobs strategy, " why is this considered conventional wisdom that the way to maximize profits in a low-margin industry is to offer minimal pay, training, and hours? What are the components (and system) of "the good jobs strategy?" What connections do you draw between the good jobs strategy and Toyota or Lean? Do the companies or founders that have a good jobs strategy sort of naturally embrace it? Of the "good jobs" components, is it most difficult to help people see that 100% utilization is often very harmful and that "slack" is necessary? Is it easier for privately held companies to pursue the good jobs strategy having less quarterly financial pressure? Any thoughts on why society focuses so much on wages, while seemingly ignoring other aspects of workplace conditions that need to be improved?

http://leanblog.org/audio62 Last week was an amazing week of learning and networking. I was in Dallas for the Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit (as I wrote about). As I mentioned yesterday, it was also my wife's five year reunion from her MIT master's program. As I also mentioned, I nerded out and sat in on a number of lectures that were part of the weekend.I'll also blog later about Steve Spear's lecture (you likely know him from the Lean community), but I also really enjoyed a lecture by MIT professor Zeynep Ton, from the Sloan School of Management (she's formerly of HBS... and also an industrial engineer, like me). Prof. Ton gave an engaging lecture on her book The Good Jobs Strategy: How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs and Boost Profits. I had heard of the book but hadn't yet gotten to the Kindle sample that I downloaded, yet alone the full book. The Kindle version is only $5.99, by the way, or it's free if you have a "Kindle Unlimited" membership. I've finally read the book and I highly recommend it. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lean-blog-audio/support

Zeynep Ton - The Values of Values and Meaning of Work by Cairnway

In MIT Sloan professor Zeynep Ton's game-changing book, The Good Jobs Strategy: How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs & Boost Profits, she discusses how companies such as Costco offer good jobs to workers, low prices and excellent service to customers, and great returns to shareholders all at the same time. What makes good jobs not only possible but very profitable—even in low-cost service businesses—is a set of counterintuitive choices that transforms the company's investment in workers into high performance. What are these choices? Offer less, combine standardization with empowerment, cross-train, and operate with slack. It's a combination that lowers operating costs, increases worker productivity, and, as “The Good Jobs Strategy” shows over and over, puts workers — yes, even cashiers and stockroom workers—at the center of a company's success. In this strategy, “everyone — employees, customers, and investors — wins.” In this discussion, Ms. Ton and Mr. Richard Galanti, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Director of Costco Wholesale Corporation, explore how the strategy works in a company like Costco and the implications for creating better jobs in our economy. This event features Susan Crane (Executive Director, SkillUp Washington), Sally Clark (Councilmember, Seattle City Council), Zeynep Ton (Associate Professor, MIT Sloan School of Business), Richard Galanti (Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Director, Costco Wholesale Corporation), and moderator Maureen Conway (Director, Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program). This event is part of the Working in America series, an ongoing discussion series hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program that highlights an array of critical issues affecting low- and moderate-income workers in the United States and ideas for improving and expanding economic opportunities for working people. For more information, visit as.pn/workinginamerica. The Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy. We recognize that race, gender, and place intersect with and intensify the challenge of economic inequality and we address these dynamics by advancing an inclusive vision of economic justice. For over 25 years, EOP has focused on expanding individuals' opportunities to connect to quality work, start businesses, and build economic stability that provides the freedom to pursue opportunity. Learn more at as.pn/eop.

There's no denying that service businesses like retail and fast-food chains have been engines of job growth. But, these industries typically offer bad jobs—low wages, scant benefits, and erratic work schedules. And not just low wages, but poverty-level wages. Nearly one in four working adults in America cannot support a family. Why such bad jobs? Many companies—especially those offering low prices—believe it's the only way to keep costs low and profits high. Even advocates for higher wages believe they will come at a cost—either higher prices for customers or lower profits for companies. In MIT Sloan professor Zeynep Ton's game-changing book, The Good Jobs Strategy: How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs & Boost Profits, she proves that it is possible to offer good jobs to workers, low prices and excellent service to customers, and great returns to shareholders all at the same time. What makes good jobs not only possible but very profitable—even in low-cost service businesses—is a set of counterintuitive choices that transforms the company's investment in workers into high performance. What are these choices? Offer less, combine standardization with empowerment, cross-train, and operate with slack. It's a combination that lowers operating costs, increases worker productivity, and, as The Good Jobs Strategy shows over and over, puts workers—yes, even cashiers and stockroom workers—at the center of a company's success. This event features Zeynep Ton (Adjunct Associate Professor, MIT Sloan School of Management) and moderator Maureen Conway (Executive Director, Economic Opportunities Program, The Aspen Institute). This event is part of the Working in America series, an ongoing discussion series hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program that highlights an array of critical issues affecting low- and moderate-income workers in the United States and ideas for improving and expanding economic opportunities for working people. For more information, visit as.pn/workinginamerica. The Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy. We recognize that race, gender, and place intersect with and intensify the challenge of economic inequality and we address these dynamics by advancing an inclusive vision of economic justice. For over 25 years, EOP has focused on expanding individuals' opportunities to connect to quality work, start businesses, and build economic stability that provides the freedom to pursue opportunity. Learn more at as.pn/eop.