Working Conversations

Episode 225: Turning Technical Expertise Into Everyday Leadership In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson challenges traditional notions of leadership by highlighting the hidden leadership skills within technical teams. Drawing on real-world examples, she demonstrates how technical professionals routinely showcase leadership through skills like debugging, systems thinking, process design, and rapid pr...

Episode 224: The Hidden Leadership Power of UX Thinking In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson redefines user experience (UX) beyond digital design, exploring how UX thinking can transform leadership and company culture. Drawing from her extensive background in UX and leadership, she explains how principles like empathy, clarity, and iterative improvement can be applied to team management, policy cre...

Episode 223: Owning What’s Mine and Coming Full Circle In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson explores her journey back to her roots in user experience (UX) thinking and how it shapes her approach to leadership. She recounts the launch—and abrupt pause—of a keynote on "The Experience of You" just as the pandemic began, and how she pivoted to support organizations through virtual leadership ch...

Episode 222: Netflix and the Adjacent Possible: What Streaming Made Possible In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson dives into the concept of the “adjacent possible,” exploring how game-changing innovations often emerge from small, strategic steps rather than giant leaps. Using Netflix’s pivotal shift to streaming as a contemporary example, she illustrates how new futures can open up when we recogniz...

Episode 221: The Power of Small Gestures In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson explores the power of small but meaningful gestures at work. Drawing on personal stories and neuroscience, she highlights how quick compliments, handwritten notes, and offers of help can make lasting impressions, boost engagement, and strengthen workplace culture. Dr. Janel unpacks why we often overlook these simple acts—...

Episode 220: Five Ways Humans Outperform AI In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson introduces the EPOCH framework developed by researchers from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, offering a refreshing perspective on the future of work alongside AI. By breaking down Empathy, Presence, Opinion, Creativity, and Hope, Dr. Anderson highlights five uniquely human skills that machines can’t replicate and exp...

Episode 219: Unlocking the Power of S.M.A.R.T. Work Design In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson introduces the SMART Work Design model, a research-backed framework created by organizational psychologist Sharon Parker. She breaks down the acronym—Stimulating, Mastery, Agency, Relational, and Tolerable demands—showing how each component contributes to motivating, sustainable, and human-centered work....

Episode 218: Mini-Retirements for Mid-Career Professionals In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson explores the concept of mini-retirements—self-funded, intentional career breaks taken for rest, exploration, or personal growth. Drawing on her friend Steve’s early experience taking a self-funded sabbatical and research from thought leaders and positive psychology, Dr. Janel unpacks why mini-retirements...

Episode 217: Future Proof Your Career and Organization In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson outlines five practical micro-habits to help you future-proof your career and organization. Drawing from research on the rapidly decreasing half-life of workplace skills, she discusses the importance of small, intentional daily habits—like scanning industry headlines, micro-networking, reflecting on daily le...

Episode 216: How to Anticipate (and Create) the Future In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson unpacks the concept of the “adjacent possible” and how it can help you anticipate and seize new opportunities in the workplace and beyond. Drawing on examples from history, including the printing press and modern innovations like AI, she explains how each change creates a new set of possibilities. Dr. Anders...

Episode 215: The Latest in AI – Autonomous Agents Working for You In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson demystifies the emerging world of agentic AI—autonomous systems that proactively manage tasks and workflows without constant human input. She explains how agentic AI differs from assistive and generative AI, and details real-world applications, from managing speaking engagements to handling travel...

Episode 214: Turning Curiosity Into a Competitive Advantage In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson explores the often underestimated power of curiosity in the workplace. Drawing inspiration from the inquisitive primate the marmoset, she explains how cultivating curiosity leads to innovation, deeper relationships, and increased team performance. Citing research from Harvard and the Academy of Manageme...

Episode 213: E.A.S.E. Elective Avoidance of Social Exchanges In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson delves into the transformative power of mindfulness in combating burnout. She explains how mindfulness, defined as being fully present without judgment, can rewire our brains, reduce stress, and enhance resilience. From micro-mindfulness moments to structured meditation practices, Janel shares practica...

Episode 212: The Paradox of Connection: So Hyperconnected and So Alone In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson unpacks the paradox of feeling disconnected in our hyper-connected world. She traces the roots of social isolation, from the erosion of community outlined in "Bowling Alone" to today’s dominance of digital communication. Exploring how technology has traded intimacy for immediacy, Dr....

Episode 211: Mindfulness & Burnout: The Surprising Connection In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson delves into the transformative power of mindfulness in combating burnout. She explains how mindfulness, defined as being fully present without judgment, can rewire our brains, reduce stress, and enhance resilience. From micro-mindfulness moments to structured meditation practices, Janel shares pra...

Episode 210: White Space in Your Calendar and Your Brain In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson dives into the importance of creating white space in your calendar for strategic thinking. Highlighting the drawbacks of a jam-packed schedule, she discusses the neuroscience of brainwaves and how constant busyness impedes strategic thinking. Dr. Anderson provides actionable strategies, like incorporating...

Episode 209: Breaking Free from Doom Scrolling In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson dives into the phenomenon of doom scrolling, discussing why our brains are wired for it, its detrimental effects on mental health, and strategies to break free from the cycle. From her analysis of the neurological underpinnings like negativity bias and dopamine loops, to advice on setting boundaries and curating you...

Episode 208: Navigating Uncertainty at Work (and in the World) In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson delves into the pervasive issue of workplace uncertainty and how it impacts our mental and physical well-being. Exploring the neuroscience behind our innate reaction to ambiguity, she offers tactical, research-backed strategies to help listeners manage their responses effectively. From focusing on co...

Episode 207: The Power of Personal Narrative: Why Story Matters at Work In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson explores the transformative power of framing your career and daily work as a story. Sharing the impactful experience of mentoring a stay-at-home dad transitioning back into the workforce, she illustrates how viewing work as a narrative can redefine purpose and impact. Dr. Anderson offers a s...

Episode 206: Brain Waves & Peak Performance: Unlocking Your Competitive Edge In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson explores the intriguing world of brainwaves and their impact on work performance, creativity, and well-being. In discussing the five main types of brainwaves—delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma—Dr. Anderson explains how to harness them to optimize focus, generate innovative ideas,...

Episode 205: Difficult Conversations in the Hybrid Workplace In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson addresses the challenges of having difficult conversations in a hybrid work environment. She explains why text-only messages often lose vital social cues and shares strategies for effective communication using the "3 Vs": verbal, vocal, and visual. Dr. Anderson provides a detailed seven-step ap...

Episode 204: The Courage to Change What’s Working In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson explores the courage to update and change successful practices. Reflecting on revising her keynote "Reconnecting in a Disconnected World," she shares her experience of tearing down and rebuilding content to keep it fresh and relevant. Dr. Anderson discusses how hard it is to change what IS working and hig...

Episode 203: Finding Sweet Relief from Digital Clutter In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson welcomes Erika Connelly, founder of Sweet Relief Solutions, to tackle the issue of digital clutter that plagues many people – both at work and at home. Erika shares her expertise in organizing both digital and physical workspaces, offering transformative strategies to improve productivity and mental clarity....

Episode 202: From Cubicles to Creative Spaces: The Office Revolution In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson explores the post-pandemic office revolution, highlighting how companies are redesigning workspaces to be dynamic, inspiring, and human-centric. She discusses the shift from traditional cubicles to flexible layouts, amenities, and tech-forward environments that enhance collaboration. Dr. Anders...

Episode 201: Why Return to Office Mandates Will Fail In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson delves into the rising trend of return to office (RTO) mandates and their implications. She explores whether these policies are savvy cost-cutting measures or shortsighted tactics that erode trust. Highlighting examples from Amazon, Salesforce, Tesla, the United States Federal government and more, Dr. Anderson...