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 of my episodes a listen because Turkey is from where my guest today originally hails.

Her name is Zeynep Ton (Zeynep, according to my mother, is a popular girl’s name in Turkey. It’s even the name of a leading character on one of her “shows.”).

And Zeynep’s new book, released just a few weeks ago, is called The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay & Meaning to Everyone’s Work.

From healthcare facilities to call centers, fulfillment centers to factories, and restaurants to retail stores, companies are struggling to find or keep workers, Zeynep says, because the jobs they offer are low-paying, stressful, and provide little chance for growth and success.

Workers want good jobs, and many leaders want to provide them.

But they don’t think they can offer higher pay and more motivating work without hurting the bottom line. Most business leaders want to win with customers, but their companies are hobbled by a host of service and operational problems largely driven by high employee turnover—turnover that’s partly driven by low pay.

With expertise drawn from spending time on the front lines with workers and their managers, Zeynep knows what’s keeping most companies mired in mediocrity and how implementing a good jobs system makes them more competitive, more resilient, and more likely to attract and retain loyal customers and dedicated employees.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Zeynep and her work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

Join in on our chat below

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In today’s episode, I ask Zeynep about:

• Some of the ways in which low pay, coupled with high turnover, is far more expensive than many leaders think it is
• Her response to leaders who suggest some people aren’t worth more pay, or some jobs don’t create the value to warrant more money
• The general lack of trust that many leaders have in frontline employees today
• And lots more!

Order Zeynep’s Book

You can order your copy of The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay & Meaning to Everyone’s Work right now!

Consider Ordering My Book Too!

Purchase a copy of my new book (written with Jesse Wisnewski) Read to Lead: The Simple Habit That Expands Your Influence and Boosts Your Career. There, you can also download the introduction and first chapter for free!

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Zeynep in Action

Books Zeynep Recommends

Sam Walton: Made In America by Sam Walton and John Huey

The Machine That Changed the World by James P. Womack

Rivethead: Tales From the Assembly Line by Ben Hamper

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond

The Works of W. Edwards Deming

Check Out These Additional Resources

Grab a copy of Zeynep’s book now.

Find out more about Zeynep at her website.

Consider inviting Zeynep to speak to your group or organization.

Connect with Zeynep personally on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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Finally, thanks for listening and remember, “Leaders read and readers lead.”