Do you remember the first time you had to lead and manage people? Organising and communicating with people who you're responsible for can be daunting at first; learning the difference between telling and asking, delegating and influencing and having tough conversations is just part of managing others well. Margie Hartley speaks with Chief Human Resources Officer of SEEK, Kathleen McCudden about stepping up to people management in order to lead effectively, the qualities that define a great manager and how to continue to grow and develop as a leader.

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It's rare to find people raving about the experience of starting a family and navigating work; the balancing act of getting enough time off while managing a professional career is often precarious. Australia's maternity and parental leave is still considered to be one of the least generous parental schemes in the world, so has it developed enough to really make a difference? Margie Hartley speaks to Head of HR for Asia Pacific Spotify, Michael Kim about the possibilities of making parental leave work for everyone, the philosophy that sits behind Spotify's people-centric approach and what other businesses and employees should look for when creating or asking for family and parental leave benefits.

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The way finances are managed is a constant issue for business, affecting everything from sales, marketing, human resources, research and development to production and procurement. So why does it feel like a mystery for so many of us who aren't CFO's and how can we demystify it? Margie Hartley talks with Michelle Kvello, Managing Director & CFO of Lantern Partners to find out how she helps businesses gain clarity around their finances and why it's so important to understand how business decisions are made internally in order to be commercially successful in any corporate role.

 

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In a period of such uncertainty and low control, a common phenomenon has arisen - a feeling of apathy, restlessness and a sense of monotony in the day to day, which filters through to our work life. Sociologists use the term languishing to refer to this psychological state which commonly manifests in trouble focusing, low motivation and lack of purpose. Margie Hartley speaks to psychologist and co-founder of Connect Psych services Dr Natalie Flatt Ph.D about why so many of us feel this way at the moment, what impact languishing is having on our brains and some practical tips we can put into practice to move from languishing to flourishing and thriving.

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Many of us strive for perfection in our work life, with often unrealistically high standards and goals we set for ourselves and the highly critical voice in our heads that gives us a hard time when we're not perfect. So how can we manage perfectionism at work and is there such a thing as healthy perfectionism? Margie Hartley speaks to best selling author, teacher of the most popular class at Harvard University on Positive Psychology and happiness and a PHD in organisational behaviour, Tal Ben-Shahar to learn why we're so drawn to pursuing perfection, whether perfectionism can be a strength rather than an obstacle and why he encourages his students to fail.

 

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When the concept of remote work became common practice in 2020, it was praised as the holy grail of better work-life balance and an effective way of replenishing our mental and physical resources. But it soon became clear that several issues arose from not being able to separate our workday from our home life and the number of work decisions increased significantly - and as a result we have a greater cognitive load to manage. Margie Hartley talks with Sophie Deutsch, Deputy Editor of HRM, the member publication of the Australian Human Resources Institute to find out what prolonged periods of working from home could be doing to our brains, what steps we can take to alleviate some of those detrimental effects and how work will change so that learning and development can still flourish in a remote work setting.

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Negativity and insecurity can be common symptoms of a high-pressure work world, and the concept of self-compassion is often misconstrued by images of self-indulgent wellness warriors. But in fact self-compassion is an evidence-based methodology for improving the quality of our lives in the every day and at work. Margie Hartley speaks with Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas and author Kristin Neff to find out why self-compassion is the opposite of self-obsession and how we can harness kindness to speak up, claim our power and thrive in the workplace.

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Do you feel like you don't have a clue when seeking to understand First Nations people and culture? Margie Hartley talks to Shelley Reys AO, CEO of Arrilla Indigenous Consulting, Partner at KPMG Australia, and a pivotal leader in the reconciliation space who helps the Australian workforce to work in the Indigenous space with greater skill and confidence. They discuss the role that corporate Australia has to play in reconciliation and action for First Nations People, removing the eggshells around cultural competency and why Shelley has a vision of becoming redundant.

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Not many people enjoy conflict, and many of us avoid it as much as possible. We've never been taught the skills to feel comfortable with conflict or view it as a normal part of the human relationship cycle - harmony, disharmony then repair. Margie Hartley talks to Nina Harding, nationally accredited Mediator and expert in the area of dispute resolution, to understand why we hate conflict, what mediation looks like and why it works, and what behaviours and mindsets set us up for successful resolution of complex issues.

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How do we break new ground in our personal career or even an industry; particularly when there are well-established barriers and the challenges of low diversity and inclusion? Margie Hartley speaks with Chelsea Roffey, journalist, author and the first woman to officiate an AFL Grand Final, about how it was being a young woman in a very visible, highly scrutinised, starkly male domain and how it led her to find the opportunities for inclusion and diversity in organisations moving forward.

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