But I'm a Professional!

This week's episode is about the F word... yep. Failure. *gasp* Do not worry - this is not one of those podcast episodes where I'm going to explain how you need to 'fail fast' or 'forward' or some such trash. No, no. Over here in BIAP Land, we're more interested in considering how the shame and fear of failure negatively impacts our professional development. Let us cons...

Last episode was about meta-narratives, big beliefs, and overarching ideas as they relate to storytelling and how we understand our world (of work). This week we're considering the nuts and bolts of stories - how do we ultimately shape structure for effective delivery and reception? We'll talk a bit about narrative paradigm theory - my degree in Literature finally being put to good use! We...

This is part one of a two part-er ... which means it's a topic so large and in charge, I needed two rounds with it - storytelling! What are the stories you tell yourself, and what are the ones you tell others? How do we construct and participate in narratives that impact how we engage with our work? Big thoughts to think, dear listener, but well worth your time. This episode I'll offer you...

In today's episode we shall discuss how our loneliness is killing us. Well, no killing per say - but definitely not making life any easier.  In the Context section, I'll share some stats about loneliness in the US and the UK where (fairly consistently) 50% of the listeners tune in - and talk about some differing perspectives on what adds to our loneliness more broadly in society.  In the C...

Who are you, professionally speaking? What group do you belong to? How do you know you belong?  What motivates you? What are you interested in? What makes you feel capable and competent?  Where are you going and where have you been? If these types of questions make you draw a blank and/or teeter close to an existential crisis, an inquiry into your Professional Identity may be of some use.  To bett...

Because I have no doubt that the very word 'teamwork' makes you hit replay on all the times it hasn't, in fact, made the dream work for you - I offer you this final episode on Relationship Management.  Perhaps it hasn't worked because either it wasn't designed in a way to apply it in real-life spaces. Perhaps it hasn't worked because instead of actually training you and you...

Do you aspire to inspire? Perhaps you're wondering why you should bother. Shouldn't everyone just listen to your brilliant ideas?  Good points all - but if you were interested in learning more about why inspirational leadership is an approach worthy of developing, and how much crossover the skills have in one's ability to manage relationships more broadly - this is a good place to star...

Continuing on the road toward improving the ability to perceive, understand, and manage emotions - we set our sights on Conflict Resolution in this episode. If you happen to work with humans, a bit of conflict resolution practice will help make your professional life a little easier.  In this episode I'll talk about rethinking conflict, some potential causes for it, and why you shouldn't l...

In this episode, I'll return to our investigation into Emotional Intelligence and how we can apply and utilise it in work spaces. A while back on the podcast we looked at the EI domain of Self Management . Now, we'll shift our learning to Relationship Management . Under this domain, there are several competencies we can develop and this episode will focus on Coaching.  What is it? Who is i...

What is it that you fear, dear Professionals? Is it failure? Is it change? Is it just a vague, all-encompassing fear of the Great Unknown??? Before you enter another day at work with the burden of fear heavy on your mind, listen to this episode. I'll talk about when fear is useful and when it isn't. I'll discuss how it potentially (negatively) impacts your professional development. And...

Tricky conversations at work have their own special flavour of challenge, wouldn't you say? Whether you have to take someone on a journey of why-did-you-do-that-stupid-thing-you-did or you're the one who did the thing, we're not very well equipped to navigate these spaces skillfully.  Let's change that.  Let's go through some different types of hard conversations we're likely to encounte...

Have you been suffering a bout of disengagement recently? Perhaps you or your team hasn't exactly been exemplifying the savvy motivated personnel practices you once did. What's wrong? Probably a couple of things - as is usually the case with anything that involves humans.  Let's get things sorted into digestible chunks. First, let's remember why we care about engagement in the first place (hi...

Should I go after that promotion? Do I tell my employer to stick it and go join a different organisation? Should I take on a qualification course right now? Is this the right time? Decisions, decisions!  Decision needs come at us quick and hard in various shapes and sizes. In fact, the sheer magnitude of unrelenting requirements to yay or nay something can often overwhelm and paralyze us. So,...

I'm sure by now you've considered (and hopefully have developed some skills on) how you can build trust in your romantic and your friendship-focused relationships. May I ask if you've done the same in your professional life? Whyever not??  There has been a noticeable shift in the recognition of how impactful trust is to an organisation, and those who work within them. We are not speaking abou...

The past few years have been a whirlwind of change and chaos in our working lives. We've lost old habits, formed new ones, and are still dragging along some things we probably should not have added to the cart. Whoops.  Never fear - it's nothing we can't change with a bit of unlearning and relearning. Not sure what I mean by all that? Well, let me walk you through it. Bring come bright...

Continuing on with our sub-theme of leadership development, we turn our attention to decision-making. The skill to make decisions well is incredibly important to your team, your organisation, the bottom line, and - last but most certainly not least, you sanity. If there is anything more maddening than the email 'conversation' that never ends, I have yet to encounter it. All talk, no action...

This episode is an acknowledgement that there is a gap in most organisations around adequate leadership training and development versus an ever-growing need. Surely you've been on some sort of 2 day training programme and it may have even been useful! However, that pesky transfer gap haunts many of our organisations whereby we learn something and think it's fab (and it is) but when we get...

Have you ever found yourself starting the process of taking on a professional opportunity only to hear a voice in the back of your head asking, "Are you the right person for this?" Did you listen to that voice and not bother with the application first nor last? Self selecting isn't just a case of you taking yourself out of the running - it's also a phenomenon that comes out of pe...

In the final installment in this itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny mini series on Emotional Intelligence, we bask in the warm sunlight of having a Positive Outlook. If you fear this is going to turn into a parade of cliches and a strong appeal to make you feel guilty for not having 'manifested' a senior leadership position yet - put those fears down. This is not me telling you the grass is always gr...

Do you work with someone who just always seems to get stuff done? Doesn't do the drama, nor the emotion - just cracks on. Have you ever looked at your flaming pile of an inbox and thought, "I could never." Rubbish! You absolutely can - you just need a better approach.. a better orientation to achieving your goals, you might say.  In this 3rd episode of our mini series on Self Managem...

This is the second in a mini-series of episodes focussed on developing our Emotional Intelligence. The previous episode talked about Emotional Self Control - of course it would help to go back and listen, but no need to worry about playing these in any order. Just make sure to listen to all four episodes to get the full benefit. This series will look at the four domains of Emotional Intelligence,...

This is the first in a mini-series of episodes devoted to the very important business of developing our Emotional Intelligence. Why are we trying to be more emotionally intelligent? Because it improves our focus, our decision-making skills, and our sense of well-being at work. Also, for those of you more concerned with bottom lines, it improves employee turnover numbers and boosts productivity. Ya...

Do you find yourself losing it at work - either via a shouting match with a colleague or seething quietly behind a screen as you fantasize about logging off and cartwheeling out of that hideous office, never to return again? We've all been there.. several times. Anger is a basic emotion that is triggered by a very long list of work-related stimuli and unfortunately, not having a developed abil...

What is driving our current obsession with productivity? Why are there so many articles telling me how to get more done in less time, and other ones telling me it's exploitative and harmful? Which is it - purposeful or problematic? And how does it relate to my ability to stay well at work?  Those are a lot of questions for an innocent bystander. Let's press on and parse what we ponder about t...

Feeling burnt out and a little all-over-the place at the office? Here are four habits that you can immediately start to action in your professional life. There are no superlative-filled promises here, just some achievable ways to make your working hours work better for you.