This Working Life

Job sharing could soon be back in vogue as some businesses and governments push for return to office policies.   What are the pros and cons of job sharing and could it be the answer to work life balance?  Guests: Rosalind Dixon, Professor of Law at the School of Global & Public Law, UNSW  Mariebelle Malo, job sharing consultant  Angela Dally and Kath Slack, job sharing lawyers for a large corp...

In helping young people prepare for a life of work, asking them what they want to do for a job, or what they’re good at may limit their options.  Learn a different way of thinking about careers that focuses on challenges, rather than job titles.  Learn a different way of thinking about careers that focuses on challenges, rather than job titles.  Guests: JP Michel,  organisational psychologist and...

Most of us are faced with managing multiple changes in our work lives , sometimes all at once.  Learn how to anticipate, accept and grow with change, and be the "pilot" of your own career.  Guest: Andrea Clarke , futurist and author of Adapt

The CEO is retiring, your team leader is moving interstate, your key IT architect has been poached by a competitor. How do you keep an organisation running smoothly without people who can step up into key roles?  The answer lies in careful succession planning. Here's how it works. The answer lies in careful succession planning. Here's how it works. Guests: Donald (DJ) Schepker,   Associate Profess...

Dealing with sweaty palms, talking for too long, and fumbling your answers are all possible scenarios that can kill off your chances of getting the job.   So how can you prepare yourself and perform in a way that gives you a solid chance of landing the role?  Guests: Dave Wolovsky , Career coach, Effortwise consulting  Annique Teycheney , Careers Counsellor 

An anti-diversity, equity & inclusion rhetoric is gaining steam in politics.  So why is there resistance to “DEI” in the workplace?  Are there ways to improve implementation of programs so that everyone is on the same page?  Guests: Colin D. Ellis , global workplace culture expert and author, Detox Your Culture  Michelle Lim , organisational culture, intersectional DEI and ethics specialist, a...

From AI to DEI, we’re looking at the year ahead, and what’s on the agenda for organisations and employees.  What are you picking up at work that might be signalling a future change at work? And how can you prepare for it?  Guest: Dr Ben Hamer , futurist 

It’s time to plan for the changes you want to make at work this year. What are you trying to do differently, and how are you going to make that happen?  Learn how to understand your behaviours and form new habits to improve your work life.  Guests: Dr Kelvin Wong , clinical psychologist and senior lecturer, Swinburne University  Dr BJ Fogg , behaviour scientist and creator of the Tiny Habits metho...

Are you feeling ready to tackle another year at work? Or are you a little detached and uninspired?   Many of us are kicking off the new year by asking, ‘why are we here’ ?! So 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

Friction is everywhere - from our systems to our relationships at work. But there’s good news - not all friction is bad and if you know how, you can be a friction fixer. Robert (Bob) Sutton is Professor of Organizational Behaviour at Stanford Business School and co-author of The Friction Project. He takes us through the different types of friction and how we can fix it. Meanwhile, we hear personal...

Our childhood phantasy careers (different to fantasy with an ‘f’) help uncover our unconscious motivations and can unlock job satisfaction in our careers. Here’s how to figure out yours. Guest: Paul Harvey - Lecturer and Executive Coach at the INSEAD Business School And thanks to Afrouz, Karen and Ryan for sharing their stories. This story was first broadcast on 19 May 2024

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...

Have you ever been in a room with a leader who has you hanging on every word, and leaves you feeling inspired?  Some would say that person has  ‘executive presence’.  But what do they have really?  And are the qualities that make employees willing to really listen to and follow a leader, changing? Guests: Colin James , speaker, lead facilitator, executive coach, author, How to Influence Anyone, An...

Put a pin in it, leverage that, circle back, LMK (let me know) - ugh! Some of us are drawn to use jargon and buzzwords, while others are annoyed by them. Learn when and how to use jargon so that you can avoid miscommunication at work. Guests: Dr Howie Manns, senior lecturer in linguistics, Monash University A/Professor  Zachariah Brown , Hong Kong University of Science and Technology This story wa...

Close relationships can contribute to personal happiness, and that can extend to work too. But can having besties at work sometimes get in the way of organisational goals, or cause other problems?  Get some tips on how to manage the roles of friend and co-worker at the same time.  Guests:  Shelley Rogers , founder, From Mates to Manager  Dr Amanda Ferguson, organisational psychologist  Steph Clark...

Leave entitlements are building up on business balance sheets. At the same time, some employees feel they don't get enough flexibility around when they can take holidays. We explore the reasons why workers are accumulating leave, and what it says about workplace culture in Australia. Guests: Sarah McCann-Bartlett , CEO, Australian Human Resources Institute Dr Libby Sander , Assistant Professor of...

Stepped entry points, heavy doors, images and documents without screen reader access: these are just a few of the things that make work harder for those with a disability.  Hear from two workers about the adjustments and supports they use to help them thrive at work, and an expert explains how to design a workplace that’s accessible, for the benefit of everyone. Guests: Teresa, support worker Jame...

Many returning ex-pats who have worked overseas find it hard to transition back to work in their home country, and feel their overseas experience is not always welcomed. We get advice on how to plan the career move and learn how to support a fellow Australian who is trying to break back into the job market here.   Guests: Margot Andersen, founder Insync Network Group Kate McQuestin, CEO  Advance G...

You may love your work, but are you working too much? Despite awareness of burnout, many of us still see working long hours as a badge of honour. We hear from reformed 'workaholics' and experts to uncover how to address our culture of overwork, and what recovery looks like. Guests: Malissa Clark , Associate Professor of industrial-organisational psychology, University of Georgia and author, Never...

The preference for hybrid work is strong among employees and managers alike. So what's the winning formula for communication, workflow and team harmony?

Amazon wants all staff back in the office, and other return to office mandates are being issued here and abroad. But what is the evidence for that being a good idea?

Recorded live at SXSW Sydney 2024, Lisa Leong is joined by a panel of industry leaders to explore the transformative shifts of managers in the not-so-distant future.

How do we go from wanting to do something to actually doing it, and doing it well? According to Organisational Psychologist and Professor Adam Grant, we need to tap into our hidden potential and hone our character skills. Guests: Adam Grant - organisational psychologist, Professor of Psychology, Wharton school at Pennsylvania University. Author, Hidden Potential  Thanks to Siba Diqer, Ali Killaly...

Saying "yes" too often can leave you feeling overwhelmed and perhaps a bit resentful. You might hear yourself saying "yes of course I can" when your inner voice is screaming "no!" So here's how you can say "no" more often at work, without feeling rude. Guests Natalie Lue — Author, The Joy of Saying No Benjamin Law — Writer and broadcaster Hema Kangeson — Founder, The Leaders Circle Bruce Tulgan —...

Experts say balance may not be the best thing to aim for. So is the concept of work life balance itself, flawed?  Learn ways to put life first and make small changes that can help you get more satisfaction in life and work.    Guests: Tim Duggan , author, Work Backwards Dr Stacey Parker , Centre for Business and Organisational Psychology, University of Queensland Carly Hopgood , engineer and work...