CoolTimeLife

Many high-profile companies these days are reflections of their superstar CEOs – people like Elon Musk and Jamie Dimon. Author Thomas Keil suggests that although they may be good for branding, just like regular rock stars, they can’t truly do it alone. His new book, co-authored with Marianna Zangrillo, is entitled The Next Leadership Team: How to Select, Build, and Optimize Your Top Team, and is a...

In June 2023, FORTUNE magazine published a piece entitled "Bosses are fed up with remote work for 4 main reasons. Some of them are undeniable." Well, I'm going to deny them.   If you're interested in supporting the CoolTimeLife podcast series, visit https://www.patreon.com/steveprentice

A career never should be a clear, straight highway laid out by someone else for you to follow. This is increasingly true in this age, where career mobility and self-determination are more valuable and more appreciated than ever. There has never been a better time to explore your options, and Chris Fontanella is here to share his story and his wisdom. Find Chris at https://chrisfontanella.com/ If y...

Have you ever thought of the word office as a verb? It changes everything, shining a light on the work we do rather than the place we do it. This is just one of many great ideas presented by futurist Bob Johansen in his new book, Office Shock. In this conversation, Bob shares his views on the future of work, the impact of AI on careers, the way we handle change, and much more, all through the lens...

One of the ways the workplace has changed is an increase in disrespectful leadership. Where did such disrespect come from, and what can leaders to to reverse the trend? Can we blame politics? Social Media? How about the fall of the Berlin Wall? Or maybe all those things. Here’s my interview with author and leadership expert Gregg Ward. Find Gregg's tour schedule at https://restoringrespectbook.com...

The 40 hour workweek is a myth in term of productivity expectations. The reality is people in knowledge work positions get far less than 40 hours of work done per week, in fact you’re lucky if you get 40 days’ worth or work done in a year. This episode looks at the numbers and a suggests it’s time for a better way for employers to assess what work actually is.

The "slacker barista". The "McJob". The Liberal Arts "Basket weaving" degree. These terms are routinely used to make fun of people who work hard in the food service industry, or who pursue education that does not seem to have a direct path to a set career. In all cases, these people are thought of as unmotivated and unsuccessful. But despite the fact they are working hard to make a living, there i...

Why Asynchronous meetings make more sense for the future of work. Email and meetings have been uncomfortable necessities for decades, and they both hearken back to a time when communication was formal and hierarchical. The fluid nature of collaboration technologies like Slack is a game changer.

How Human Reflex Stands in the Way of Digital Transformation Hidden behind the term digital transformation is the word “change,” and that does not sit well with most people because change represents a threat that strikes at the hearts of our greatest fear: losing our job. 

A discussion with author Alberto Silveira about his new book on managing distributed teams. There is a big difference between remote work teams and distributed work teams, and this is as much to do with workplace innovation as with how the team members are managed, and with how they interact from their separate locations. Author Alberto Silveira chats with Steve about his book and his career to da...

One of the chief pushbacks to virtual presence technology and the work-from-home lifestyle has been that people will miss out on networking and career enhancement opportunities. Steve assesses whether this is true or not.

For centuries, people in crowds have acted irrationally, passionately and violently, even if they didn't start out that way as individuals. This episode looks at the contagion of crowd madness and where it comes from.

Socializing through video in the era of the COVID-19 lockdown has given people a new perspective on how to relate to fellow humans, in terms of what we can do online and what we can no longer do in person. My interview with tech design guru Howard Suissa talks about being human online, the future of personal technology, the future legal status of your VR avatar, and even why Blade Runner is better...

Updated January 2024 - “I know what you did” is a type of leading phrase that cuts right through to your hidden guilt and fear. It gives the accuser enormous power over you, even if they know nothing about you. It has been used as a source of power throughout history and continues to be so, especially in politics and religion. In this podcast Steve looks at its enormous influential power.

Information no longer comes at us in alphabetical order. It swirls around us on social media, and there's a lot out there that could really help your business or career. Being able to find it is what I call part of "Digital Literacy." Join me as I explain just how to find it.

Thinking up passwords is a chore. Two factor authentication is complicated. And hacking and data breaches? They'll never happen to us. That's for the biggest of the big companies. Wrong on all counts. The practice of securing passwords, accounts and devices, is straightforward and easy. It's also vital. Not just at work, but at home, too. We are all connected - like a global game of six degrees of...

Unplanned events in the workday can cause stress. That’s a crisis. But in the world of project management, crises can be expected and planned for. Successful restaurants do this too, when they plan out their week. Here’s how to regain that power and mental peace.

At the end of every problem, task or opportunity, there is a person waiting for something. This means that the best way to manage stress, time and actual productivity is to ensure you focus on the needs and expectations of that person, and not just the work itself. In this podcast, you will learn four essential techniques for learning how to influence people to help ensure a more productive and he...

Email is a necessary tool of day-to-day business. But its candid and immediate nature swallows up a lot of time. In this podcast I want to share with you a method for pairing your email and calendar together in a way that will make your day healthier and more productive and will not leave you having to sacrifice your evening to returning all those messages.

We live in a go-go-go society, where taking breaks or signing off for the day seem like a cop-out. But the brain and body you call home operate on a set of rules far older than any technology you hold in your hands. When you learn to recognize the power of breaks, decompression, and stepping over that line between work and home life, that's when you can truly capitalize on your metabolic strengths...

Are you a workaholic? Do you want to be? Workaholism is not the same thing as being driven or dedicated, and it’s certainly not the same as being efficient and productive. It springs from a dark well of anger, and is an addiction, plain and simple. This episode of CoolTimeLife looks at the triple threat to productivity: workaholism, presenteeism, and the law of diminishing returns, and how becomin...

Explore the bizarre relationship between driving, food, and overwork. Have you noticed, for example how frustrating it is when the other lane of traffic seems to be moving faster than yours? This frustration not only leads to road rage, it also leads to “event-to-event thinking” in every area of your life, which leads to crammed schedules, overload, and no time allowed to eat lunch. It doesn’t hav...

Wouldn't it be nice if more things went your way? Can that even happen? Yes, it can, but it requires a specific type of awareness, and some easy-to-come by skills. In this episode of CoolTimeLife, I use a few memorable examples, one from one of the most famous artists of all time, and others more modern to describe how you can set the stage for a far more satisfying turn of events in your life. Th...

 It is easy to undervalue your time. But your time has great value. Every moment you spend at work is the product of years of study and practice. This has a tangible value. So why are we so ready to give it away, by waiting patiently for late meetings to start, wasting valuable time on emails, and working without a plan? This podcast discusses how to value your time and how to ensure it is never w...

Your body is your single most valuable and practical tool for managing time and balancing life. But it is so often overlooked. Most of us are sleep deprived, we eat the wrong things, and we expect the brain and body to be consistently "on" and responsive all the time. But it doesn't have to be that way. Understanding your metabolism is key to successfully achieving your goals. This podcast is pack...