Happier At Work: Leadership, Culture, Performance

In this bonus episode, Aoife shares her key takeaways from her conversation with Jeff Wetzler about genuine curiosity and psychological safety at work. It works as a refresher if you've heard the full episode, and as a nudge to put the ideas into practice. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why applying pressure when someone hasn't done what you expected tends to backfire, and why genuine curiosity...

How can leaders create enough psychological safety for people to share what they really think? In the latest episode of the Happier at Work podcast, Jeff Wetzler, author of ‘Ask: Tap into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You’, explains how curiosity, thoughtful questions, and active listening can help leaders access the collective intelligence within their teams and organisations. In This Episod...

Are you sure someone is underperforming, or are you missing what’s preventing them from doing their best? In this solo episode of the Happier at Work podcast, Aoife O'Brien explores the assumption that people are doing their best and what it changes for leaders. Rather than quickly labelling someone as lazy, difficult, unmotivated, or incapable, she encourages you to look more closely at capabilit...

In this bonus episode of the Happier at Work podcast, Aoife O'Brien shares her key takeaways from her insightful conversation with Kate Donovan on burnout. Drawing on Kate's upcoming book Mismatch , Aoife unpacks the idea that burnout isn't about needing a perfect fit at work, most of us just need a "good enough" match most of the time. When that match breaks down across areas like workload, auton...

How can you recognise burnout, understand its root causes, and create a better match between people and the workplace? In this episode of the Happier at Work podcast, Aoife O'Brien speaks with Cait Donovan, author of the upcoming book ‘Mismatch: Why Good People Burn Out in Good Organisations’, about the difference between chronic stress and burnout, the role of workplace mismatches, and why burnou...

How do you know what your team is truly capable of? In this episode of the Happier at Work podcast, Aoife O'Brien explores why current performance, job titles, CVs, and manager perceptions don’t always reveal someone’s full capability. She shares her own experience of working in a role that didn’t fully use her strengths, and explains how limited opportunities, low confidence, a lack of psychologi...

Are you taking charge of your career, or leaving things to chance? In this bonus episode, Aoife shares her key takeaways from her conversation with Wanda Wallace, and offers some extra insights that didn't make it into the full interview. If you haven't listened to the full episode yet, make sure to go back and give it a listen. Here are some of the key insights from Aoife’s chat with Wanda: Caree...

Do you want to take more control of your career and navigate difficult workplace situations with greater confidence? In this episode of the Happier at Work podcast, Aoife O'Brien speaks with Wanda Wallace, executive coach, speaker, and author of Taking Charge of Your Career. Wanda shares practical advice for managing your career, building an authentic personal brand, defining success on your own t...

How can AI help us redesign work instead of simply making it faster? In this solo episode of the Happier at Work podcast, Aoife O'Brien explores how artificial intelligence could change the way work gets done. Rather than focusing only on automation and efficiency, she asks a more fundamental question: what work needs to happen at all, and where does it create value? Drawing on her experience in m...

In this bonus episode, Aoife revisits her conversation with Josh Levine to dig into one big question: what actually is work, and what makes it valuable, especially now that AI has made specialist knowledge a commodity? She unpacks why the instinct to use AI to simply do current work "more efficiently" is the wrong starting point, and argues instead for using AI as a prompt to redesign work from a...

How should we rethink work in the age of AI? In this episode of the Happier at Work podcast, Aoife has a thought-provoking conversation with Josh Levine, author, educator, culture strategist, and advocate for better work futures. Together, they explore what work actually means, how organisations create value, and why AI is forcing leaders and knowledge workers to rethink how work gets done. In Thi...

Have you ever considered how the dynamics of bullying in the workplace affect belonging and psychological safety? In this thought-provoking solo episode of the Happier at Work podcast, Aoife O'Brien opens up about her personal experiences with bullying, from her childhood to her professional journey. Inspired by a recent post from Amy Cuddy, Aoife examines the often-overlooked complexity of bullyi...

Are you ready to discover what truly drives high performance at work? In this thought-provoking mashup episode of the Happier at Work podcast, host Aoife O'Brien brings together insights from 8 powerful conversations with global experts on communication, psychological safety, leadership, generational differences, job design, employee experience, and the impact of AI in the modern workplace. Explor...

With AI transforming the way we work, many leaders are asking what this means for their role. Will AI replace managers, or will it make great leadership more important than ever? In this episode, host Aoife O'Brien shares why she believes the future belongs to leaders who focus less on having all the answers and more on creating the conditions for their people to succeed. While AI can help us auto...

Do you feel stuck when career progression isn’t an option for you? In this solo episode of the Happier at Work podcast, Aoife O'Brien explores what you can do to support employee growth and fulfillment, especially when promotions and pay rises aren’t on the table. Drawing from her No-Show-Grow framework, Aoife shifts the conversation from traditional career ladders to the untapped potential and de...

In this bonus episode, Aoife shares the key takeaways from her insightful conversation with Owen Fitzpatrick, breaking down what beliefs are, how they're formed, and most importantly, the specific actions you can take today to start reshaping the beliefs that hold you back. What you’ll take away: What a belief actually is (hint: it's not a fact) and why the certainty behind our beliefs can fluctua...

How do your beliefs shape your identity and your success at work? In this thought-provoking episode of the Happier at Work podcast, Aoife O'Brien is joined by author and psychologist Owen Fitzpatrick for a deep dive into the hidden power of beliefs in both personal and organisational contexts. Centered around Owen’s new book, ‘ Inner Propaganda: Leading Hearts and Minds Through Turbulent Times’, t...

If you've ever thought, "I'm not good enough," despite having the skills, experience and evidence to prove otherwise, you're not alone. In this listener question episode, host Aoife O'Brien explores why capable people often experience self-doubt and why confidence isn't always an accurate reflection of capability. Drawing on insights from her latest Imposter Syndrome Report, she discusses how our...

Have you ever wondered how imposter syndrome could be quietly costing your organisation top talent and innovative ideas? In this solo episode of the Happier at Work podcast, Aoife O'Brien dives deep into the data behind her State of Imposter Syndrome at Work report, revealing how imposter syndrome isn’t just an individual’s challenge, it’s a pressing organisational issue. She shares her own experi...

In this bonus episode, Aoife revisits her conversation with John Bernatovicz and offers her expert insight on purpose, HR culture, ownership, and finding meaning at work. If you haven't listened to the full episode with John yet, make sure to give it a listen. Here are some of the key takeaways: Most companies don't actually have a defined purpose John's research found that outside of not-for-prof...

What does it truly mean to be purpose-driven at work, and how can HR play a pivotal role in transforming workplace culture? In this episode of the Happier at Work podcast, Aoife sits down with John Bernadovich, author of “HR Like a Boss” and founder of Willory. John shares his journey from math-loving HR professional to published author and business owner, delving into his passion for creating peo...

Why do some people on your team seem to thrive while others struggle, even though they're all working for the same manager? It's a question many leaders ask themselves. The instinct is often to assume they're doing something wrong or that they need to become a "better" manager. In this episode, host Aoife O'Brien explores why the answer isn't usually about becoming a different leader, it's about r...

Is perfectionism really holding you back, or could it be your secret superpower? In this solo episode of the Happier at Work podcast, Aoife O'Brien challenges the common belief that perfectionism is always a bad thing. Reflecting on her personal experiences as a "recovering perfectionist," she explores how a desire for perfection can actually add value, both professionally and personally when appl...

In this bonus episode, Aoife O'Brien breaks down the key insights from her conversation with Rebecca Hines about AI, productivity, and human judgment at work. If you haven't caught the full interview yet, this is your highlight reel, and a great reason to go back and listen to our chat. What we Cover The AI Productivity Paradox Why individual productivity gains from AI aren't translating into gain...

Are you making the most out of AI at work, or is it leaving you overwhelmed? In this thought-provoking episode of the Happier at Work podcast, Aoife O'Brien sits down with Rebecca Hinds, leader of the Work AI Institute at Glean, to explore the cutting edge of artificial intelligence in the workplace. Drawing from the latest findings in Glean’s AI Work Index Report, Rebecca unpacks the paradox betw...