How I Work

How are you coping with this whole global pandemic thing? I'm in Melbourne in lockdown 6.0 and it's pretty tough going. I feel like I'm more reliant on my devices than ever before - it's like a window to the outside world. But I have a feeling that checking ABC news 10 times a day isn't very good for my mental health. So in today's show, I have an alternative to share.

Try out Amantha's favourite calendar software here:

usemotion.io

Check out Lisa's ABC podcast This Working Life.

Connect with Lisa on Linkedin.

Connect with me on the socials:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber

Twitter: https://twitter.com/amantha

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai/

If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short fortinghtly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co

Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at [email protected]

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being a CEO is tough… Being CEO of two companies? That’s a whole different game. 

For Nicky Sparshott, CEO of Unilever ANZ and Global CEO of T2, the trick to staying on top of everything is sometimes as simple as a post-it note. 

She shares how she filters her priorities from a five-year horizon all the way down through yearly, quarterly, monthly and daily to-do lists. She also highlights the importance of blocking out time for deep thinking, the unexpected benefits of working with a global team, and some tricks for bringing levity into your business.

Connect with Nicky on Linkedin.

Connect with me on the socials:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber

Twitter: https://twitter.com/amantha

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai/

If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co

Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at [email protected]

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Production Support from Deadset Studios

Episode Producer: Jenna Koda

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You’ve got a huge decision to make - the common advice would be to ‘sleep on it’.

Carsales CEO Cameron McIntyre says even if ‘sleeping on it’ actually looks more like lying awake in bed thinking about it all night, taking 24 hours before you make a crucial decision, or reply to a frustrating email, is worth it. 

According to Cameron, leaders don’t get the benefit of throwing their hands up in defeat - that kind of behaviour can be contagious in an organisation. 

He shares how you can remain calm and composed for those around you.

Connect with Cameron on Twitter or Linkedin

You can find the full interview here: How to remember names and influence people - with Carsales’ CEO Cameron McIntyre

Connect with me on the socials:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber

Twitter: https://twitter.com/amantha

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai/

If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co

Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at [email protected]

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hear me out - what if you stopped trying so hard to be productive? Most of us only get a total of four thousand weeks on this earth. Do you really want to spend them answering emails?

Oliver Burkeman is a “recovering productivity geek” and he wants you to make peace with the reality that you'll never get everything done. He says once you’ve accepted that hard truth, you’ll finally be free to focus on what’s truly important.

Oliver Burkeman is a journalist and the author of The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking and the forthcoming Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. 

He shares why it’s valuable to recognise and wrestle with your limitations head-on, why it’s worth keeping a “Done List,” and gives you permission to decline to clear the decks. 

Connect with Oliver on Twitter or via his website. 

Get a copy of Oliver’s book 4000 Weeks.

Connect with me on the socials:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber

Twitter: https://twitter.com/amantha

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai/

Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at [email protected]

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co 

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Production Support from Deadset Studios

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yep, harsh feedback can sting like a rotten tomato right to the face, so how can you tell which criticism is ripe for the picking?

Sam McMillan is a musical comedian, satirist, writer and radio presenter who performs under the stage name Sammy J. 

Sammy knows that not all feedback is created equal. He shares why he takes on every bit of feedback from his team at ABC Radio, and why he’s more selective about what to take seriously when it comes to audiences and social media. 

Connect with Sammy on Twitter.

You can find the full interview here: Getting creative with a time limit - the new life of ABC Radio breakfast host Sammy J 

Connect with me on the socials:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber

Twitter: https://twitter.com/amantha

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai/

If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co

Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at [email protected]

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if you’re sabotaging yourself without even realising it?  

You know that feeling, when you’ve got the skills, the reputation and the experience, but you just can’t land that top job?

Just three letters could be standing in your way.

According to comedian, writer, podcast and radio host, and self-described “probably pretty bad” Buddhist Meshel Laurie, it’s time to say “YES.” You ARE interviewing, you ARE looking at new people, and you ARE taking applications for new friends and new opportunities

Meshel shares why now is the best time to take the plunge on that next big challenge, whether it be starting your own business, making new friends or implementing that elusive meditation habit. 

With a decades-long career in hosting radio, and now as a celebrated author, co-host of multiple popular podcasts, and a parent of twins, Meshel is no stranger to pressure. So when she tells you it’s ok to be kinder to yourself, she’s the one to listen to. 

Connect with Meshel on Instagram or Linkedin and get Meshel's latest book CSI Told You Lies.

Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at [email protected]

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co 

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Production Support from Deadset Studios

Episode Producer: Jenna Koda

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How can you inject a bit of humour into your work day?

And why does the work feel so much better when you’re able to share a few laughs with your colleagues?

Naomi Bagdonas teaches humour as part of a purpose and leadership course at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. She also coaches top executives in the art of comedy. 

She shares some comedy one-on-one that will give you a simple framework to start bringing more humour into the workplace and more comedy into your next presentation.  

Connect with Naomi at Humour Seriously or on Twitter

You can find the full interview here: How to bring more comedy into your next stand-up meeting, with Naomi Bagdonas

Connect with me on the socials:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber

Twitter: https://twitter.com/amantha

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai/

If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co

Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you make big decisions - especially when the outcome affects the people you love?

When it falls on you to make a really big choice - should you take that new job, what school should your kids go to - I bet you’ve wished there was some kind of decision-making framework you could apply. And it’s so much easier to weigh up the pros and cons when you actually have some information to hand. 

When economist Emily Oster decided to become a parent, she was immediately confronted with so many decisions - each of which could impact her future child’s life differently. So many choices to make, all of them important - but where was the cold, hard data?

Could she maintain her four-cup-a-day coffee habit while pregnant? There was no data to back the medical advice!  

Surely parenting books had the answers? No hard data analysis in those pages either!   

So what’s an economist to do? Run her own analysis. Three books later, the Brown University Professor has not only broken down all the data parents need to make decisions, but she’s worked out how we can all be making better decisions. 

And in the process she discovered her four-step decision making matrix can be applied to a wide range of important life choices. 

She also shares why some of life's biggest decisions should be made over email. 

Read Emily’s parentdata series, Expecting Better, Cribsheet, and The Family Firm. 

Connect with Emily on Linkedin or Twitter. 

Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at [email protected]

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co 

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Production support from Deadset Studios

Episode producer: Jenna Koda

Sound engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“You’re on mute, Dave!” How are you supposed to build chemistry and work effectively with colleagues when you’re rarely in the same room anymore?

Organisational psychologist Adam Grant says it is possible to make your time with them energetic and bursting with ideas that move the work forward effectively.

“I don't think there's anything about human psychology that leaves me convinced that we have to be physically in the same room to trust each other and collaborate effectively.”

So how does he achieve independent thinking and creative collaboration with his remote colleagues? 

Adam also shares his trick for fast tracking a deep connection with strangers. 

Connect with Adam through his website or on Twitter

You can find the full interview here: Why Adam Grant wants you to schedule a regular life check-up

Connect with me on the socials:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber

Twitter: https://twitter.com/amantha

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai/

If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co

Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at [email protected]

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since opening a small pheasant farm and restaurant with her husband back in the 70s, Maggie Beer has become the master of making the most out of every opportunity. 

She’s no stranger to creating new and hugely popular new food products from excess harvest, and shares how to look for inspiration in something that can, at first, appear to be a problem. 

Maggie has been helping us up our game in the kitchen for years. She says the best way to drastically improve your cooking is to master the basics. So I couldn’t miss an opportunity to ask for help in perfecting the perfect home roasted chicken. 

Maggie also shares how she’s grown her businesses over the years, and what was the biggest game-changer.

Connect with Maggie through her website or join Maggie’s Food Club to receive her monthly newsletter. 

Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at [email protected]

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co 

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Production support from Deadset Studios

Episode producer: Jenna Koda

Sound engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.