Inside Job

An old Stoic philosophy says, "The only thing you have control over is how you respond to your circumstances." While that is absolutely true, it's also a deeply unsatisfying response to give someone when they say, "I feel helpless" or "I feel out of control." In this episode of the Inside Job Podcast we discuss the topic of control, and the fact that our clients and colleagues are often struggling...

In this episode, we address the popular concept of work-life balance, and why it is often misunderstood and is an unintentional source of stress. (Plus you get to hear Eric react to the phrase itself – priceless.) The bottom line is that for most of us escaping work isn't possible anymore. We discuss why the idea of "balance" is misleading or unattainable, and how it can sometimes even set us up f...

There are at least two truths when it comes to careers: progression is rarely linear, and reality often fails to meet our expectations. When faced with these truths we can experience frustration, anxiety, and disappointment; we can also feel like our options are limited and are forcing us to compromise or settle. In this week's episode, we discuss how to make sense of career choices when what we e...

Actual quote from episode 22: "I think some of the best episodes we have are when we take the leash off of Eric's ego and just let it lead us into the forest of wonderment." He's kind of a big deal (in his own mind). We did that, and yes wonderment ensued -- all the way into the effin' sunset. In a previous episode we talked about knowing when it's time to leave, and this week we build on that ide...

At some point, we all think our manager should *know* what we need, what we want, and what it takes to bring out the best in us. But how can they know if we never share that information, or even know ourselves well enough to know what drives us? Our managers may be our coaches, mentors and people we truly value, but they are not mind readers or sorcerers. We make the case that it is OUR role as em...

It's really easy to complain about how much we hate email because we get so much of it. It overwhelms us, delays us and infuriates us. Let's get beyond the complaining to understand that we can do about this. We dive a little deeper – what are the professional habits that lead us to overuse this tool – laziness, fear of conflict, lack of accountability? And, when is email useful and enjoyable?   I...

We've talked about who you know when it's time to leave a job or professional situation, but how much do you know about how to explore what could be next? We discuss some of the ways we have managed our own exploration about our next steps, from daydreaming, to values and skills assessment, to enlisting the support of others. We hope this will motivate our listeners who feel stuck or bred at work...

When is it okay to complain about work? To whom?  What is the difference between griping, unloading, advocating and expressing our true feelings at work? We talk about the emotional hot potatoes at work and the things we do to relieve our own pressure that are constructive and less constructive.  We talk about the draw of drama and griping and work, and how we have to learn to manage our instincts...

How do you know when is enough is enough? What are the signs and signals that tell you it's time to move on professionally? We talk about the importance of noticing when boredom or resentment at work, or skepticism about your organization are pieces of information telling us we need a change. We explore the need to identify not only what we're moving away from, but also what we're moving towards a...

Ever been blindsided by a piece of professional news, an organizational change or tough feedback?  We have, and nearly everyone we know has been unpleasantly surprised at some point at work. We talk about the different kinds of workplace bombshells and what you can do to manage your reactions and maybe even minimize the impact. We also offer some ideas about what you can do to be more aware of bot...

Why is it so hard to ask for real help when we need it, especially at work? We talk about the messages of perfection, expertise, reputation and looking like we've got it under control. Sometimes even knowing how to ask for help when the overwhelm is great seems like more work than we can handle. We offer a few thoughts on how we can enlist the support of people around us, give ourselves the freedo...

What if there aren't enough opportunities, time and money? Don't we all have days where we worry that there just isn't enough to go around? We talk about the limiting beliefs around scarcity, the ironies of how these beliefs that are meant to protect us from losing things we value actually trap us, and some ideas (including one of Nayla's favorites – data collection) to wrest yourself free of this...

Have you ever heard yourself say: I'd love to do that (apply for that job, ask for that promotion, launch that personal project…) but I'm just not ready? In the first in a series of conversations about limiting beliefs, we explore the ways in which aiming for an ideal of 'readiness' for what's next can hold us back from taking chances, from asking for what we want, or seeing how much we've already...

There are a number of things we thought we'd lose when we were sent to work from home…creativity, collaboration, community…Eric and Nayla talk about the steps they've taken to mitigate some of these losses.   We also explore the surprising gains of being home full time.   We talk about using Zoom to build rather than bore, Artists Dates, and the joy of experiencing someone else's toddler on the ph...

Oh, boundaries… are any of us handling them well?   Exhaustion, resentment, stress (not to mention doing three things at once and neglecting our non-negotiables) are all the signals that our boundaries need some strengthening. We talk about people-pleasing, saying yes when we mean to say no, and the ways in which we're telling ourselves this is what work requires.  We also explore the origin stori...

Work can hurt.  Maybe it's a layoff or firing, maybe it's a professional disappointment or a plan that doesn't work out. Our instincts and our culture tell us that we should get back to work – it's just a job after all – figuring out what's next.  We know though, that there's a time to experience the feelings and learn from them.  Nayla and Eric talk about their own work heartbreak, and offer some...

Eric and Nayla talk about building and expanding their networks of colleagues and friends through some of their new work and personal interests.  This opens a conversation about the high value of having strong, restorative relationships with people who challenge us, open us to new ways of thinking, and support us.  We talk about the people on our board of directors (our closest network), the peopl...

There's a dominant storyline around work being something we endure out of necessity. Think of the images of the workplaces in pop culture, shows, movies and even songs – work suffers from a reputation problem. At the Inside Job, we think it's great to feel good at work, and to learn from the moments where we experience flow, productivity and positive emotions. We talk through some the guilt we mig...

In our roles as coaches, teachers and leaders in higher education and business, Eric and Nayla are often asked for advice.  It's part of the job, and a rewarding part of the job, to share our insights and learnings with the people who trust us. Yet, we both know that during a long career, it's possible that we've given advice that we wish we hadn't. Today we talk about Eric's advice to 'find work...

In the midst of this global crisis of Spring 2020, we're facing record unemployment and the distressing prospect of more layoffs ahead.  Today, Nayla shares some of the insights she's gained in her study and work with professionals who were laid off in the 2008 Recession and since.  We focus on the ideas of balancing the need to manage the practical realities of layoff (insurance, cost-cutting mea...

Students graduating from college or graduate school in the Spring of 2020 are facing a different global economy than they (or anyone) was expecting.  We offer a glimpse into the guidance Eric is offering his students graduating from a top US business school that we think is relevant for anyone completing their studies this year.  We offer both mindset and practical tips for opening your options, i...

We share our stories of our personal experiences of being too attached to our job titles, and what we had to do to create professional identities that are based less on our titles, more on our work itself.   We argue that while our titles can offer access and signal achievement in our career, they can also limit our sense of creativity and imagination when it's time for a change. Practical ideas o...

Is work supposed to make us happy? Or is work supposed to mean something else? We introduce the idea that we are in a relationship with the work we do, and how we believe that idea sets us up to derive greater meaning from work. Knowing how to create meaning at work comes from practice in really understanding ourselves, our needs and our values, so we introduce a few ideas to help listeners gain c...

We share some early thoughts about how to navigate and take some action if you're feeling job insecurity during a period of rapid change. We offer a number of strategies and ideas of how to use the time you have to both reflect and take action. We talk about effective networking during difficult times, researching companies or leaders you admire during this time, and some thoughts on using social...

We talk about the first reactions we're having in our professional and personal lives as we adjust to the realities of staying home in Spring 2020. We talk about the criticality of reaching out and connecting, even as circumstances having us staying at home, apart from one another. We talk about some of the actions we're taking – including honest, vulnerable conversations with friends, taking one...