Beyond Busy

Productivity Ninja, Grace Marshall is back on Beyond Busy to talk about life's sh!tty moments, overcoming trauma, and how difficult times inspired her new book "Struggle".

Graham welcomes Grace and asks her about where she got her inspiration for her newest book "Struggle".

'Sometimes, the fact that we're struggling with something doesn't mean that we're in the wrong place. Sometimes it means we're absolutely in the right place. And so, I felt like there was this thing around struggle that we weren't talking about in productivity, but generally, in the world as well. I just wanted to have a different conversation about struggle.'

Grace talks about different kinds of struggle and the shame we feel when we talk about it.

'Sometimes the most dignity you can give somebody is to allow them to speak into your world, to allow them to help you.'

Graham and Grace then cover the topic of crisis management when it comes to work. They talk about their experiences when the lockdowns were fairly new and the challenges their team at Think Productive faced.

'We expect to feel tired or stressed or whatever, in the moment. But actually, sometimes it's not until afterwards that it catches up with us. I think, yes, we can absolutely respond to crisis but if that's ongoing, and we don't have time where we can collapse then actually that's not sustainable. That's when we get to burnout.'

Grace also discusses the importance of rest and why high achieving people are scared of it.

'I think you there's the reason why it's terrifying to rest is because it catches up with you. And when you rest is when everything catches up with you. It's when you can actually start to kind of process what's been going on rather than just react to it. There's also a lot of trust involved in rest, because you're stepping away and you're releasing, I guess some people say, the illusion of control, but like you're releasing control.'

Grace then also tells us about the 'three sh!ts' mentioned in her book and why it's important to recognize things that make life beautiful in these 'sh!tty' moments.

'It’s recognizing that actually, if you know that there is treasure to be found, then when you’re waiting in sh!t, yes, it is still sh!tty, but it’s not just sh!t. There will be light in the middle of that.'

Grace's book 'Struggle' is available on Amazon.

You can listen to Grace's first guesting on Beyond Busy here.

Graham Allcott is the founder of time management training company Think Productive.

This podcast is produced by Rizelle Paredes and is hosted by Podiant.

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FreelanceHER100 ambassador and mentor, and author of the book ‘Survival Skills for Freelancers’, Sarah Townsend talks about the Pomodoro technique, how freelancing has changed over the years, curbing perfection and how important community is over competition.

Graham and Sarah first talk about her 20 years of freelancing and what her freelancing journey has been like.

'I wanted to achieve that perfect sort of idyllic balance that we all think about when we think about going freelance, the flexibility and the freedom to kind of do the things you love, and also to get paid good money for doing the work that you enjoy. Working from home and maintaining a balance between running a freelance business and being a mom can be a challenge.'

Sarah covers the important topic of setting healthy boundaries and switching off.

'Anne Lamott said "almost everything will work again if you reboot it, including if you reset it, turn it off and on again", you know, that kind of concept. And it’s so true because we rarely think to do that with our brains. And we need to build in time to do the other things, the flow of activities that the things that you do - you lose track of time and you’re completely focused and mindful in the activity that you’re working on.'

Graham and Sarah also talk about how helpful the productivity hack called the “Pomodoro” technique is.

'I recommend every time you get your five-minute breaks, make sure you get up and away from your desk, have a bit of a shakeout.'

Sarah then talks about how curbing perfection can prevent procrastination.

'If you just actually realize that done is better than perfect. If you let the thing go, you know, when it’s good enough, it doesn’t have to be perfect and sometimes it’s just better to allow yourself the freedom to kind of put something out there that isn’t perfect.'

Sarah then ends the podcast by sharing her views about the importance of community over competition.

'That support that you can get from the people who do the same job as you can be just immense because they’ve been there and they’ve done it. And if they haven’t, and they’re new to the game, just think how much support you can give to them and you’re giving back to the community.'

You can find out more about Sarah on her website. Check out her book here: Survival Skills for Freelancers.

Graham Allcott is the founder of time management training company Think Productive.

This podcast is produced by Riz Paredes and is hosted by Podiant.

✔ Links: 

Subscribe to Graham's Newsletter: 

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Buy “How to be a Productivity Ninja”: 

http://amazon.co.uk/dp/1785784617​​ 

Our Show Sponsors: Think Productive - Time Management Training:

http://www.thinkproductive.com​​

Useful links:

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See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Founding Director of The Inclusion Initiative, Associate Professor in Behavioural Science at LSE, Dr. Grace Lordan shares her views on diversity, cultivating a growth mindset and why people succeed. She is the author of “Think Big”, a book about giving tips to people who want to achieve their goals in life.

Graham and Grace start the podcast by talking about issues on diversity and taking risks in career advancement.

'If you have skills, talents, and ability, even if they don’t match the role that you’re actually going for, a risk-loving person is much more likely to get it because they’ll be putting their hat in the ring much more often.'

Grace then discusses why diverse thinking is not confined to race or gender alone.

'Diversity is really only a pulse point for diversity of thinking. So, all the evidence that we have that says diversity is good in business comes from diverse thinking, and having people who have these different perspectives.'

Describing the book, Think Big, Grace breaks it down into how thinking big and acting small can help with achieving life goals.

'It’s about kind of reframing how we think about big achievements and demonstrating through behavioural science that it’s possible to have big achievements... if you’re a bit more patient with yourself and you commit to very, very small changes every week.'

Graham also asked about time auditing and how important it is to make time for other people and things in your life. Grace comes up with a great tip for those struggling in this area.

'If you’re somebody who says to yourself routinely, “I don’t have time to commit to small steps for my future.”, take a week and write everything that you actually did in the week and then look back and see whether things were actually productive, and what things you can actually cut out.'

Grace shares her battle with procrastination.

'With procrastination, just because you’re aware of it doesn’t mean that you will actually ever do anything about it. And not even that you’ll ever do anything about it, but it doesn’t mean that you’ll actually overcome it.'

Graham and Grace end the conversation by listing down valuable skills one can learn for the future.

'Definitely more tech and digital. But I really like soft skills. And the other reason why I like them is because, actually, they’ve been shown to be malleable across our lifetime. So, whereas it’s harder to teach people as they get older, digital skills, it’s very easy to teach them and to get them to improve on things like creativity, adaptability, and, curiosity.'

Graham Allcott is the founder of time management training company Think Productive.

This podcast is produced by Riz Paredes and is hosted by Podiant.

✔ Links: 

Subscribe to Graham's Newsletter: 

https://www.grahamallcott.com/sign-up​​

Buy “How to be a Productivity Ninja”: 

http://amazon.co.uk/dp/1785784617​​ 

Our Show Sponsors: Think Productive - Time Management Training:

http://www.thinkproductive.com​​

Useful links:

https://www.grahamallcott.com/links

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Chief Pirate and co-author of the book “How to Be More Pirate”, Alex Barker, discusses the fine points of how adapting to the “Pirate” code gave her true freedom, saved her from burnout and how the Be More Pirate movement continues to inspire and motivate a community of “pirates” all over the world.

Alex and Graham start out by discussing how Alex came to be the Chief Pirate and co-author of the book “How to Be More Pirate” with Sam Conniff Allende.

Alex mentions how being burnt out at work made her think about what she really wants to do with her life, and how using her background working in the RSA became a crucial part of building a community.

'I spent a bit of time really thinking about what I wanted to do, why I had ended up where I ended up, and what did I wasn’t really looking for out of my life and I basically just create some I just wrote some words. One of them was adventure. I then I broke it down a bit more and said like, I want a lack of routine. I want something more exciting. I want to connect with lots of different people, and I don’t know, a bit of serendipity, I think, and just be learning all the time.'

Alex tells us how pirates came to be and what a true pirate does is challenge how everyone else is thinking or acting a certain way.

'This is something I’ve learned through our community, that practicing challenge in the right way is really important. So you’re prepared, you’re confident, you’re not backing down, but you're understanding where the resistance is likely to be and take on board other people’s views.'

Graham invites Alex to share the Four Rules of Breaking the Tyranny of Emails.

'Break the tyranny of emails by thinking before an email: Can I have a conversation instead? Taking protected time away from email and spending it on focusing on the stuff that will make the biggest difference. Checking my tone, and my structuring my email in a way I’d be pleased to receive and if it’s bad news, I won’t deliver it by email. Four rules created to make e-mails better and quite simple.'

Alex sheds a bit more light on why the Pirate Code helps one think more creatively and how not being constrained by “rules” can be one of the best ways to face a challenging situation.

'That’s why I like people taking the ideas, and just making them their own and adapting and going “well this bit doesn’t work”. And for us, we need to do it this way. That’s why I say with the Pirate Code, like, there is no one way to do this. There’s no magic formula of principles that will make you right. It’s your culture, decide what works here based on the dynamics.'

Graham then asks Alex about “switching off”, how to create a healthy work-life balance and avoid burnout.

'It’s not just about the fact that I was productive at work. It’s about how I show up in every respect, and I need to protect that by limiting the stuff at work that drains me. So I think this is like a kind of reorientation; how we think about work.'

You may read all about the How to Be More Pirate movement here.

Listen to Sam Conniff Allende's Beyond Busy podcast interview here

Graham Allcott is the founder of time management training company Think Productive.

This podcast is produced by Riz Paredes and is hosted on Podiant.

✔ Links: 

Subscribe to Graham's Newsletter: 

https://www.grahamallcott.com/sign-up​​

Buy “How to be a Productivity Ninja”: 

http://amazon.co.uk/dp/1785784617​​ 

Our Show Sponsors: Think Productive - Time Management Training:

http://www.thinkproductive.com​​

Useful links:

https://www.grahamallcott.com/links

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The challenges of public speaking, glossophobia (the fear of public speaking) and what it takes to become an in-demand thought leader and public speaker with the Managing Director of Speaker’s Corner, Nick Gold. His book is called "Speaking with Confidence".

Nick starts by telling Graham how he got into the business of public speaking and the rise of TED talks and speakers.

'Everyone had their smartphones and people were watching the 17-minute speeches of TED speakers came to the realization that actually, thought leadership and people who can deliver an amazing experience, is the new rock and roll. It became quite a sexy thing to be discussing ideas and concepts from experience you’ve had listening to speakers.'

Anxiety and nerves have always been a challenge for new and experienced public speakers. One of the key elements to overcoming this, according to Nick, is creating a routine that takes you away from overthinking those nerves.

'What you have to do is embrace those nerves and not feed them - to not feed that feeling inside of you.'

Graham and Nick also talk about the “whys” of giving a speech and how important content is to deliver a speech that drives impact.

'I suppose my catchphrase is very much around its speaker understanding that they’re not the stars, the audience are the stars. And it’s that shift to understanding that the best speech - that kind of you could ever get, it’s not how you perceive the speech to be, it’s what people take when they leave that room.'

Nick ends the conversation with valuable tips on how to make a presentation with slides better, work-life balance and the highs and lows of the business of public speaking amid the pandemic.

Grab a copy of Nick Gold’s book "Speaking with Confidence" or get in touch with him by sending him an e-mail.

Graham Allcott is the founder of time management training company Think Productive.

This podcast is produced and edited by Riz Paredes and is hosted on Podiant.

✔ Links: 

Subscribe to Graham's Newsletter: 

https://www.grahamallcott.com/sign-up​​

Buy “How to be a Productivity Ninja”: 

http://amazon.co.uk/dp/1785784617​​ 

Our Show Sponsors: Think Productive - Time Management Training:

http://www.thinkproductive.com​​

Useful links:

https://www.grahamallcott.com/links

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, we talk to author and marketing legend, Seth Godin. His latest book, "The Practice: Shipping Creative Work", is just chock full of brilliant stuff and is a must-read for everyone who wants to get "unstuck" and move forward with their goals in life.

'I think that we are way happier when the work we do becomes our dream, not the other way around.'

Seth also talks about what being *on the hook* means and why it is important to commit to doing your best work at all times.

'This idea that our work pays forward, that it gives us a chance to make an impact as we'd like to have an impact made for us. I think that makes it a perfect circle.'

Focusing on being productive and writing, Seth does not believe that there is a special tactic that can unlock it.

'I find the strategy matters more than the tactic. And what's the difference? Strategy is something that doesn't change very often and that you can tell your competition about it and it won't make any difference.'

Curiosity is a big motivator for Seth. He outlines that skills are learned and that talent has nothing to do with how successful you can be.

'I don't believe in talent. I think almost nothing is innate. I've never met a six-month-old kid who could ride a bike or juggle or speak a sentence that was worth listening to. So somewhere along the way, we learn all these things. They're skills and being curious is definitely a skill. We end the conversation by talking about willpower and how developing this skill is essential to productivity.'

Don't forget to drop by Akimbo's Creative Worskhop.

Read more about what Seth is up to on his blog.

Graham Allcott is the founder of time management training company Think Productive.

This podcast is produced by Rizelle Marie Paredes and is hosted on Podiant.

✔ Links: 

Subscribe to Graham's Newsletter: 

https://www.grahamallcott.com/sign-up​​

Buy “How to be a Productivity Ninja”: 

http://amazon.co.uk/dp/1785784617​​ 

Our Show Sponsors: Think Productive - Time Management Training:

http://www.thinkproductive.com​​

Useful links:

https://www.grahamallcott.com/links

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Giving people feedback that is honest, appreciative and that offers guidance, with cognitive scientist Therese Huston.

Therese's book is Let’s Talk: Make Effective Feedback Your Superpower.

Graham and Therese started by discussing music and sport, then transition into Therese’s experience of being given professional feedback in a less-than-professional setting.

'37% of managers dread giving feedback, but 67% of employees want more feedback.'

Centering on the US study cited in Therese’s book, she and Graham look at managers’ reluctance to give feedback, but also examine the benefits that regular feedback can bring and the emotional impact it can have.

'Appreciation, coaching, and evaluation.'

Taking three distinct viewpoints on management, Therese triangulates her approach to giving feedback, and then discusses ways to ask for feedback that is more specific and actionable.

'If you can say what was most important to the person, and how they felt about it, you’re on your way to becoming a really good listener.'

Therese outlines strategies for listening, identifying what’s most important to the person asking for feedback, and avoiding questions that can make people defensive.

'Do you want to promote the person who’s compassionate and helpful, or the person who’s a visionary game-changer?'

Drawing on Harvard research, Therese picks apart gender-biased language and its use in evolution, and the hiring and promotion of men vs women. She and Graham also discuss unconscious bias, and how identifying conscious biases doesn’t necessarily free us from them.

'Writing the book on productivity is like making a rod for your own back.'

Their conversation ends with the responsibilities of writing a book that sets an example and a meta discussion on receiving feedback on Therese’s book.

Graham Allcott is the founder of time management training company Think Productive.

This podcast is produced by Origin.

✔ Links: 

Subscribe to Graham's Newsletter: 

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Buy “How to be a Productivity Ninja”: 

http://amazon.co.uk/dp/1785784617​​ 

Our Show Sponsors: Think Productive - Time Management Training:

http://www.thinkproductive.com​​

Useful links:

https://www.grahamallcott.com/links

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Former BuzzFeed UK Managing Editor and author of How to Work Without Losing Your Mind, Cate Sevilla, discusses work identity, resilience, happiness and success.

'To be honest, it felt more like the majority of British media just hated our guts.'

After discussing working-from-home and audiobook recording, Cate talks openly about her time at the very beginning of BuzzFeed UK, before transitioning into founding the online women’s magazine BitchBuzz, which closed in 2013.

'This was not my fault, and all I can do now is be as honest and as supportive, and try to sort out what I can.'

Cate joined online women’s magazine The Pool, founded by Lauren Laverne and Sam Baker, which ran from 2015 to 2019. She discusses the difficult time she had as the magazine ran out of money, stopped paying freelancers and ultimately let go of its staff.

'So much of the problems at work are down to people’s individual mental health and lack of boundaries.'

In discussing her book, Cate talks about identifying herself by her job title, and forming strong relationships with the companies she works for. In her book and Dream Nation talk, Cate uncovers the less glamorous side of working for large organisations, including Google.

Speaking to Graham, she reveals her personal approach to happiness and success.

'How do we relate to other women, work with other women, and compete with other women in a healthy way and know that that’s a healthy thing to do?'

Graham and Cate tackle social media, and especially the effect comparison culture has on millennial women, and the personal pressures that are put on women in general.

'I cannot think about the “correct” way in which I am supposed to be managing this or going through some sort of corporate script or strategic negotiation mode.'

Drawing on her experiences working for a start-up called _DRIVETRIBE_ which was founded by Clarkson, Hammond and May as well as other moments from work, Cate gives her views on kindness at work, trust, empathy, and human connection.

Graham Allcott is the founder of time management training company Think Productive.

This podcast is produced by Radio Burrito.

✔ Links: 

Subscribe to Graham's Newsletter: 

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Buy “How to be a Productivity Ninja”: 

http://amazon.co.uk/dp/1785784617​​ 

Our Show Sponsors: Think Productive - Time Management Training:

http://www.thinkproductive.com​​

Useful links:

https://www.grahamallcott.com/links

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As a journalist for Reuters, Tom has worked in a number of hostile environments.

His conversation with Graham begins with travel hacks and preparedness.

'I got the job at Reuters because nobody else wanted to do it.'

Before the market crash in 2006, Tom worked as an energy broker and a funds manager before making a change in his 30s, moving to London and pursuing a new career in journalism, where he wrote about credit derivatives.

'Just because it feels intuitive doesn’t actually mean it’s true.'

Tom talks about his first book, which told “the inside story of BP”, and how a series of decisions would lead to a major oil spill. In Free Lunch Thinking, Tom “lifts the bonnet on economics”, examining cognitive bias and exposing the received wisdom many students of economics have taken for granted.

Tom recounts a telephone encounter he had with Donald Trump, after challenging the former US President’s claim to be a great businessperson. He and Graham then discuss Trump’s approach to truth.

'I had Donald Trump screaming down the phone at me, telling me that I was an idiot.'

Graham and Tom finish by talking about productivity, defining scope of work, and motivation.

'Productivity is about trying to break down a somewhat abstract idea or objective into clearly defined activities.'

Graham Allcott is the founder of time management training company Think Productive.

This podcast is produced by Origin.

✔ Links: 

Subscribe to Graham's Newsletter: 

https://www.grahamallcott.com/sign-up​​

Buy “How to be a Productivity Ninja”: 

http://amazon.co.uk/dp/1785784617​​ 

Our Show Sponsors: Think Productive - Time Management Training:

http://www.thinkproductive.com​​

Useful links:

https://www.grahamallcott.com/links

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our three-part celebration of 100 Beyond Busy episodes concludes with motivation.

In this episode:

* Setting goals, with Ben and Jodie Cook

* Olympic ambition, with Heather Moyse

* Losing it all, with Gerald Ratner

* Money and negotiation, with Natalie Reynolds

* Family and reciprocity, with Abudu Sallam Waiswa

* Legacy, with Marie Forleo

* Making space, with Carl Honoré

* Enjoying the moment, with Jessica Fostekew

Graham Allcott is the founder of time management training company Think Productive.

✔ Links: 

Subscribe to Graham's Newsletter: 

https://www.grahamallcott.com/sign-up​​

Buy “How to be a Productivity Ninja”: 

http://amazon.co.uk/dp/1785784617​​ 

Our Show Sponsors: Think Productive - Time Management Training:

http://www.thinkproductive.com​​

Useful links:

https://www.grahamallcott.com/links

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.