WorkLife Stories from School of WorkLife

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES Episode: Introducing Professional Self-Coaching — Get the Job Today marks the introduction of Professional Self-Coaching — a new collection of School of WorkLife resources created for one important professional moment at a time. Each resource is distilled from more than twenty years of professional coaching, writing and practice, enabling you to coach yourself through a...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES Today's Question: What comes naturally to you without effort? What comes naturally to you without effort? In this episode of The WorkLife Question, I sit with David and the question — exploring what it costs when the thing that feels most natural to you goes unnamed. Not just for you. For everyone around you. RESOURCES Today's question is from The Longest Way...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES The Stories Behind the Stories: Mary Mary had always noticed who was left out.  Who hesitated before speaking.  Who might benefit from knowing someone they'd never thought to approach. In this episode of The Stories Behind the Stories, I go deeper into the character traits at the heart of Mary's story — community building, connection and collaboration instinct...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES:  WorkLife Stories from School of WorkLife Episode: How Research-Based Reading Strengthens Connection and Develops Collaborative Intelligence  How research-based reading strengthens connection and develops collaborative intelligence is rarely what leaders expect — but for many, it becomes the insight that changes everything about how they understand the people they work...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES Today's Question: What makes someone's stories visible to them? What makes someone's stories visible to them? In this episode of The WorkLife Question, I explore what Rachel discovered — that the stories which transform how a business sees itself are always already there. In the work already done. In the values already lived. What makes them visible is a...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES: WorkLife Stories from School of WorkLife Episode: How to Use Your Values as a Compass to Navigate Career Transitions Learning how to use your values as a compass to navigate career transitions begins with recognising that the emptiness you can't explain away is often the clearest signal you have. Jack had built exactly the technical career everyone said he should...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES The Homegoing Practice: How to Develop Cultural Intelligence and Lead Across Difference is the newest School of WorkLife Book Club online live class. It draws on Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing — and a framework exploring what cultural intelligence actually asks of us, not in major conflicts alone, but in the everyday conversations, assumptions, and misunderstandings where t...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES Today's Question: What makes sharing your stories feel vulnerable? What makes sharing your stories feel vulnerable? In this episode of The WorkLife Question, I stay with Daniel and the question — exploring the belief he carried for five years that made sharing feel risky. Not a fear of failure. A belief that polish was what professionalism required. And what one qu...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES: WorkLife Stories from School of WorkLife Episode: How to Build Sustainable Wellbeing by Developing Internal Validation Learning how to build sustainable wellbeing by developing internal validation begins with recognising that the search for reassurance protecting your confidence may be quietly exhausting the clarity that makes your best work possible. Josh had exceeded...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES The Essun Practice: How to Stay Effective Through Change and Ongoing Uncertainty is the newest School of WorkLife Book Club online live class. It draws on N. K. Jemisin's The Fifth Season — and a framework exploring what endurance and adaptive leadership actually ask of us, not when change is temporary, but in the periods when instability becomes ongoing and where...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES Today's Question: What signals indicate engagement or disconnection? What signals indicate engagement or disconnection? In this episode of The WorkLife Question, I explore what Sarah discovered about reading signals — not in her own breakthrough moment, but in the three leadership situations that followed. The acquisition. The Tom conversation. The leadership devel...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES: WorkLife Stories from School of WorkLife Episode: How to Recognise Resilience as a Character Trait to Transform Your Professional Value Learning how to recognise resilience as a character trait to transform your professional value begins with paying attention to what emerges in you when everything around you stops working. Ger had spent five years as a logistics coordi...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES The Evelyn Practice: How to Develop Systems Thinking and Solve Complex WorkLife Problems is the newest School of WorkLife Book Club online live class. It draws on Taylor Jenkins Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo — and a framework exploring what systems thinking actually asks of us, not when problems are obviously connected, but in the moments when they keep...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES Today's Question: How do you bring your story full circle? How do you bring your story full circle? In this episode of The WorkLife Question, I explore what Marcus discovered about circular story structure — not just in his own story, but in the three client stories he helped bring full circle. The ending isn't a return to the beginning. It's the recognit...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES: WorkLife Stories from School of WorkLife Episode: How Strategic Opening Lines Transform Leadership Communications Learning how strategic opening lines transform leadership communications is what separates messages that build culture from ones that get politely read and promptly forgotten. Declan had been sending company-wide messages that employees dutifully read and p...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES The Remains Practice: How to Strengthen Professional Judgement and Develop Discernment at Work is the newest School of WorkLife Book Club online live class. It draws on Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day — and a framework exploring what professional judgement and discernment actually ask of us, not in situations of obvious deception, but in the ordinary moment...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES Today's Question: How do you create emotional connection? How do you create emotional connection? In this episode of The WorkLife Question, I explore what Emma discovered about emotional connection — not in her opening, not in her close, but in the middle of three pitch conversations where the right question changed everything. Not through performance. Through maki...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES: WorkLife Stories from School of WorkLife Episode: How Historical Fiction Strengthens Perspective-Taking and Develops Cultural Intelligence Learning how historical fiction strengthens perspective-taking and develops cultural intelligence begins with recognising that the coordination problems in your international team may not be coordination problems at all. Andy had be...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES The Life of Pi Practice: How to Build Resilience and Lead Through Uncertainty is the newest School of WorkLife Book Club online live class. It draws on Yann Martel's Life of Pi — and a framework exploring what resilience and adaptive leadership actually ask of us, not in stable situations, but in the moments when plans stop working and the ability to adapt makes th...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES Today's Question: What makes your first sentence compelling? What makes your first sentence compelling? In this episode of The WorkLife Question, I explore what David discovered about opening sentences — not through theory, but through three specific moments where the difference between a compelling opening and a forgettable one determined whether his expertise sha...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES: WorkLife Stories from School of WorkLife Episode: How Developing Self-Awareness Transforms Defensive Reactions Into Professional Growth Learning how developing self-awareness transforms defensive reactions into professional growth begins with the moment you hear feedback that isn't an attack — and feel it land like one. Matt had built an eight-year reputation on b...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES The Liesel Practice: How to Navigate Ethical Complexity in Working Life is the newest School of WorkLife Book Club online live class. It draws on Markus Zusak's The Book Thief — and a framework exploring what ethical leadership asks of us, not in moments of obvious wrongdoing, but in the situations that are not clearly right or wrong and still require judgement, re...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES Today's Question: What does this passion reveal about who you are? What does this passion reveal about who you are? In this episode of The WorkLife Question, I stay with Lisa and the question — exploring what her passion revealed about who she was, not in one moment, but over months of living it more consciously. The answer she found went deeper than sustainability...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES School of WorkLife Live Story Classes are now available. Forty-five minutes.  A maximum of six participants.  Online. Each class follows a four-part structure:  The Reading Room — where stories open things up.  The Writer's Table — where ideas become personal.  The Workshop — where thinking becomes something you can use.  The Rehearsal Space — where you begin to pu...

Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES: WorkLife Stories from School of WorkLifeEpisode: How to Build Sustainable Wellbeing Through Change Adaptation Learning how to build sustainable wellbeing through change adaptation begins with recognising that the ability to keep adapting isn't the same as the capacity to keep functioning. Laura had spent eight months as Operations Director absorbing every restruct...