Episode 4 | Does doing good work excuse us from doing it badly?
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Episode 4 | Does doing good work excuse us from doing it badly?
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About this listen
We’re back with episode four of A Little Bit Forward — short, five-minute episodes designed to slow you down, challenge comfortable assumptions, and create space for better thinking.
In this episode, Simon Waller asks an uncomfortable question: can doing good work sometimes give us permission to do it badly? Drawing on the public and not-for-profit sectors, he reflects on how purposeful work can quietly lower expectations around effectiveness, accountability, and performance.
Through a personal story and a closer look at the systems and norms around “good” work, this episode challenges the idea that intent alone is enough. If the work truly matters, shouldn’t it demand more from us — not less?
This isn’t about questioning dedication. It’s about examining outcomes, noticing where standards slip, and asking whether moral purpose should drive excellence rather than excuse mediocrity.
Five minutes. One idea.
A small pause to think more deeply — and move, just a little bit forward.