This Working Life

It’s estimated we make up to 35,000 decisions every day so how can you make better decisions at work?  Before you start drawing up pros and cons lists, listen to this episode to hear how you can make decisions with less stress and a lot more satisfaction - from small everyday ones, to big ones like changing career. Guests: Dr Ellen Langer - Professor of Psychology, Harvard University. Author, The...

We can learn a lot about gaining influence when you don't have power, from those who work on Capitol Hill.  A leadership adviser reveals how Congressional Chiefs of Staff navigate a volatile political environment, with challenging bosses.  This is a masterclass in how to manage up and build relationships that can further your career. Guest: Margie Warrell , Leadership advisor, author The Courage G...

Have you ever been told that if you follow your passion, you’ll never work a day in your life? As it turns out, the research doesn’t support that narrative.  We explore what’s really going on with passion at work, and discover how to sustain and nurture it over time. Guest: Jon M. Jachimowicz , Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School Thanks to Renata, Yin and Meliss...

It can be hard to know what to say when your colleague or employee is going through a difficult time.  We explore how to support someone who is dealing with grief.  Guest: Tasha Broomhall , founder and Director of Blooming Minds  Also check out our companion episode: How to handle grief at work

The death of a loved one, a divorce, an illness, a job loss or another challenging personal issue will be experienced by just about everyone in the workplace at some point.  What are the practical, and emotional considerations that can help?   Guests: Diane Bergeron , social psychologist and Senior research scientist at the Centre for Creative Leadership  Chris Hall , Psychologist & CEO of Gri...

Videos of job applicants being interviewed by artificial intelligence avatars are being posted on social media. How can job seekers and recruiters navigate the AI-powered recruitment process in a way that keeps things human?   Guests:  Dr Natalie Sheard , lawyer and McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Melbourne with expertise in discrimination by AI systems    Daryl Keeley , Managing...

It's mid way through the year and many of us are still asking ourselves, ‘ Why are we here’ ?  What is it about the culture of work that’s leading to that feeling? And what can we do about it?   Guest: Jennifer Moss , workplace culture strategist, author, Why Are We Here: Creating a Work Culture Everyone Wants This story was first broadcast on 20th January, 2025

It's an important part of monitoring and improving performance, but when feedback is given or received in the “wrong” way, it can damage relationships and affect work.  Here’s a masterclass to help you get better at giving and receiving feedback.  Guests:  Roisin McCann , facilitator who works with organisations to build leadership capacity and develop a better culture of feedback and strategic co...

When you’re under the pump, it can feel like taking a break at work is impossible. But that can be habit forming, and bad for your physical and mental health.  Learn the benefits of building breaks into your workday, and how to do it in a way that feels manageable.  Guests: Kira Schabram , Assistant Professor of Management & Organisation at Smeal College of Business, The Pennsylvania State Uni...

If you have trouble sleeping, work may be part of the equation. Here’s some expert tips on what works best to get a good night’s sleep, and advice some of you shared about your sleep hacks.  Guest: Alex Sweetman, Senior Program Manager, Australasian Sleep Association  You can apply to access Bedtime Window here .

Four in ten Australians are not getting enough sleep, and work could be a part of the problem.   Whether you work 9 – 5 or irregular hours, lack of sleep impacts performance, safety and can compound work stress. So how can you balance work responsibilities and sleep?  Guests: Dr Moira Junge, CEO Sleep Health Foundation, Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor, Monash University Dr Charlotte Gupta, Se...

AI tools are making it easier for employers to gather data on where, when and how you're working.  But when it comes to workplace surveillance, how do you find the balance between an employer’s need to know and protect staff, and their privacy?   Guests:  Associate Professor Penny Williams , Director of the Centre for Decent Work and Industry and Senior Research Fellow in School of Management, QUT...

Being in charge means making decisions, and whether they’re right or wrong, managers often feel they need to make them in order to display leadership.   But in an uncertain world, the most successful leaders are recognising their blind spots before they act. We'll teach you how.  Guest:  Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM, author , columnist and expert in leadership and culture 

Career regret is a common phenomenon, so what practical advice is there for people who are at a career crossroads?  Guests:   Leah Lambart , Career and Interview Coach, resident career expert for SEEK   Annie Louey , celebrant, comedian and writer who has experienced and interviewed others about career breaks

More than 50 years ago, an American sociologist published a game-changing paper that illustrated just how important casual acquaintances are in our work lives. Mark Granovetter's The Strength of Weak Ties was a groundbreaking paper that changed the way we looked at networking forever. So, how vital are 'weak ties' in today's workforce?

If you think of productivity as hustle culture, endless multi-tasking, and constant busyness, you might be on the wrong track and you may be on the way to burnout. New York Times bestselling author Cal Newport is a long-time advocate for making changes to the way we work. Now he has a new work philosophy: Slow Productivity. He says doing fewer things, working at a natural pace, and obsessing over...

From pets to pot plants, comfy clothing to noise-cancelling headphones. There have never been more ways to bring a personal touch to your office experience.   But what happens when different employees have conflicting approaches?  Guests: Christhina Candido , Professor of Environmental and Sustainable Design, University of Melbourne Dr Amantha Imber , organisational psychologist, founder, Inventiu...

Pick something you enjoy doing and you can 'leisure craft' it! We learn about the benefits of this technique as a way of improving your personal wellbeing, and your performance at work.  Plus we'll give you some practical tips on how to 'leisure-craft' in Try This. Guest:  Alex Hamrick , Assistant Professor of Management, Robins School of Business, University of Richmond 

From our phones to social media, to search engines, artificial intelligence is becoming a part of our everyday lives. Learn how organisations are incorporating it into their workflows, and explore the ethical considerations and other concerns people have about using artificial intelligence at work.  Guests: Jeremy Utley , adjunct professor, Stanford University, co-host Beyond the Prompt Mark Pesce...

The junior person feels like they’re being micromanaged, but the manager feels like the job is not being done properly. When does good supervision tip into micromanagement? Shona Ryan had such a difficult time being micromanaged as a millennial worker, that she decided to  research the topic.  We hear what she learned, and get advice from an expert on how to break the pattern of micromanagement. G...

What are your memories about your parents and work, and how have they influenced the way you manage your own work-life?   We explore these origin stories and the changing landscape of workplace flexibility.  Guests: Professor Lyndall Strazdins, clinical psychologist and researcher of work and family life, Australian National University, and Director and Chair of the University Mental Health and We...

Tips and advice on how to prepare for your performance review ahead of time.  Plus, how to handle feedback during the meeting and go for that performance rating you're after. Guest: Emma Power ,  education-focused lecturer, Melbourne Business School and independent HR consultant And check out the companion episode: Can performance reviews "exceed expectations"?!

Whether you’re having one or doing one, it can feel like the official performance review process is missing the mark. We explore the art and science of performance reviews and get some ideas about what could make them better.  Guests: Michelle Brown , Professor of Human Resource Management, in the Department of Management and Marketing, University of Melbourne  Dr David Burkus , former business sc...

Studies show more of us are looking for purpose and meaning at work. But what if the work we do doesn't fill that need? From group giving activities to individual arrangements that allow you to volunteer in an area that means something to you, explore the different ways organisations are attempting to facilitate the need for purpose at work.  Guest: Debbie Haski-Leventhal , Professor of Management...

If you have a tendency to take on too much, you might want to look at the boundaries you have with your co-workers and your boss.   It seems hard, but setting boundaries could improve your life, and your work as well. Boundaries expert Nedra Glover Tawwab teaches you how.  Guest: Nedra Glover Tawwab , therapist and author of New York Times best seller, Set Boundaries, Find Peace