Defensiveness is one of the most common and costly problems in the workplace.

When employees take feedback personally, they shut down, resist change, and repeat the same mistakes. This leads to poor communication, lower productivity, and ongoing frustration for leaders.

In this episode, Shane Jacob explains why defensiveness happens and how it’s rooted in the way people interpret feedback about their work as a judgment of their value.

He introduces The Worth Work System, a practical framework that separates a person’s worth from their behavior making it easier for teams to accept feedback, take ownership, and improve performance.

If you lead people, this episode will change how you approach feedback, accountability, and culture.