Inside Job

In this episode we get deep into the topic of values. It's a subject we've referenced in a dozen or more previous shows, but it's never received a devoted conversation. So we get back to basics and talk about this important and fundamental characteristic of the inside job.

There are a lot of websites, journals, and outlets that have been talking about values over the last few years but few treat them as more than buzzwords, and even fewer get deeper than providing assessments to identify them.

We're not afraid of the deep work, so we use our conversation to investigate values intensely. We talk about the evolving nature of our values, what it means to live a life – and manage a career – that is in line with our values, how to notice when our values conflict with our work, and what to do when we are asked to work closely with someone who has a very different set of values.

And we talk about the Barefoot Contessa, how weird it is to hear our own voices, and why Eric should not do impressions.

You can continue the conversation with us through our new, free, online Inside Job Podcast Community, which you can find here: https://insidejobthecommunity.mn.co/feed

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about us and our work and to join our mailing list, visit www.insidejobthepodcast.com or email us at [email protected].

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, check out our show notes.

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Warning: This episode of the Inside Job Podcast is not perfect. That's not only okay – that's the point.

It is now socially acceptable to reject the label of "perfectionist" – in fact, it's hard to find someone who would say that perfect is their goal. However, it's extraordinarily easy to find colleagues, friends, and/or family members who say:

"I have no margin for error on this project."

"I hold myself to an extremely high standard."

"I never settle for less than the best."

What's the old saying – a rose by any other name is still a rose? Well perfect by any other name is still perfect. And the language we use and the actions we take as a society still suggest we're trying to be perfect.

We simply can't.

In this episode we talk about how self-punishing it is to live and work in environments with no allowance for mistakes, despite language we may use to suggest otherwise. We discuss the origin story of our perfectionist expectations and highlight how to recognize when we're trying to achieve the impossible.

We also talk about how to know when we've done enough, when to realize that our goal should be to do "B+" work, and why it's important to define success in advance of our efforts.

And we wish Nayla a happy birthday!

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about us and our work and to join our mailing list, visit www.insidejobthepodcast.com or email us at [email protected].

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, check out our show notes.

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"Am I working hard enough?"

"Does this make sense as a next professional step?"

"Should I be asking for more?"

At various times in our lives, we all pose questions like this about next steps, choices, or knowing where we stand.

Does the answer live on the outside, or on the inside, or somewhere in between?

We're navigating the dance between external and internal validation this week on the Inside Job podcast. We talk about what can be answered on the outside, what must be answered from the inside, and how to know where to look for the answers to some of the biggest questions in work and life.

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about us and our work and to join our mailing list, visit www.insidejobthepodcast.com or email us at [email protected].

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, check out our show notes.

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Maybe it's because of colleagues who have left, cultures that have changed, futures that felt certain that are now not – clients and friends are feeling sad at work. In some cases, that's grief you're feeling.

It makes sense that we'd experience the full suite of emotions through our work, after all many of our most meaningful contributions, our most important relationships and most of our time happens at work.

Yet for some reason, when something hurts, we're often met with "It's just work, it's not personal, don't let it get to you."

We're here to say: We know work can be personal, and we know grief shows up in our relationships with work, as it does in so many others. And we're here to support you through it.

We talk through what we're seeing, and how our clients are navigating through the hard emotions at work, this week on Inside Job.

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about us and our work and to join our mailing list, visit www.insidejobthepodcast.com or email us at [email protected].

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, check out our show notes.

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As we head into a series of holidays in the United States, clients, friends and we are wondering: How do I take time off well this go round?

We sometimes have ideas that vacation should look a certain way or should include or not include certain things (we're talking about you, email) but those ideas can be quite far from how things actually go when we're officially away from work.

We dive into some of the social and internal beliefs we have about what time off SHOULD look like and the pressure to 'get it right', and offer a few practical suggestions around setting ourselves up to get what we need from our time away from work.

Here's hoping all of you take the time off you need – in the way you want to - in the next few weeks!!

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about us and our work and to join our mailing list, visit www.insidejobthepodcast.com or email us at [email protected].

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, check out our show notes.

Let's connect!

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There's a certain way of talking about change that's become heralded in these times, especially at work: "I just love change!". This week, we're uncovering if that's true.

Most of us have endured, and even thrived when change has been thrust upon us. Our nature requires that we adapt, and most often, we do – even if we gnash our teeth along the way.

Many of us also like variety – new people, places, foods, experiences… as long as WE get to stay more or less the same.

Most of us don't want to change ourselves. Or if we do want to make a change, we find it hard to succeed at being consistent with new behaviors. In this episode we talk about why that's true, and share our favorite tool for going deeper and understanding what's really going on inside.

We're running a workshop on the Immunity to Change framework, for anyone who has ever wanted to change something in their work or lives, but finds themselves stuck. Based on Robert Kegan's model of adult development, a practical, action-based toolkit to help you move forward with change that will have a positive impact on your work and/or life.

• Two Wednesdays, November 17 and December 1 — 3:30 pm ET

Learn more and register here: https://hive.insidejobthepodcast.com/product/immunity-to-change/

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about us and our work and to join our mailing list, visit www.insidejobthepodcast.com or email us at [email protected].

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, check out our show notes.

Let's connect!

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As we hit the home stretch of 2021, we know doing a good thing for someone else is a way to bring resolution to another long, confusing year and do something healthy for ourselves at the same time. The world needs support, love and our good wisdom more than ever.

This week we talk about being a force for good through our work – how to bring others along and pay it forward by offering our time and expertise. We believe deeply that all of us – regardless of our level of experience or our formal leadership role, has something to give, and this week's episode is an invitation to do something great for someone else.

We explore the differences between mentors, sponsors, teacher, peer leaders and more… We also use this opportunity to talk about our passion for coaching and how we distinguish coaching as a force of good from all the other wonderful ways to help.

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about us and our work and to join our mailing list, visit www.insidejobthepodcast.com or email us at [email protected].

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, check out our show notes.

Let's connect!

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"Don't screw your friends over, especially at work." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt (or not)

Great friendships often develop at work, and usually this is a good thing. It's important to work with people we like and people we trust, especially given how much of our time and energy goes into our jobs.

So what happens when the power dynamic shifts between friends? What changes when a friend is suddenly the boss? Or when you hire a friend? What shifts when there is suddenly a significant shared outcome that requires input, effort, and accountability between buddies?

We tackle these questions and more on this episode of the podcast. We talk about:

• How to recognize and process what is gained and lost
• What to discuss when designing a new alliance, both as colleagues and as friends
• What to do with the inside information already known about each other
• How to handle the resulting shifts when getting together outside of work
• How to avoid assumption traps by developing a beginner's mind
• Not using friendships as an excuse to cut corners or deprioritize work
• And more

We also get into the difficulties of seasonal allergies and nasal probes.

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about us and our work and to join our mailing list, visit www.insidejobthepodcast.com or email us at [email protected].

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, check out our show notes.

Let's connect!

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"It's not fair!"

What is fair, what is unfair, and who gets to decide have been prevalent topics in our coaching and our lives recently. What do we do when we feel like we aren't getting what we deserve despite believing we have done everything we were supposed to do? We tackle all of this, and more, on the latest episode of the Inside Job Podcast.

We know that making sense of "unfair" situations is at the very heart of the inside job. If we don't do the work when we feel slighted, then we can become emotionally arrested. The longer these situations become unresolved the more resentment we build up and the more toxic the situation will feel. We must break the cycle and find a better path forward.

So what are our options?

We need to start by noticing what's happening on the "ladder of inference", a tool we reference and explain during our conversation. In doing so we can notice how we are assigning meaning to what's happened, how we are allowing assumptions to become reality, and how we are populating simple stories with partial data and biases. We need to move from our own subjectivity about the situation to one with more objectivity, often by getting clearer about the motives and intentions of others who are involved.

Sometimes this work will help us understand that things were fairer than we realized. And sometimes, it will turn out that we were right – things are unfair. When unfairness is reality, we have to work through sense-making, acceptance, choice, and action. It's an uncomfortable and painful place to be -- you don't have to get over it, but you do have to do something about it. You must choose the pain you are willing to sustain for the best possible outcome for you.

In this episode we help you determine how to do that in a conscious and deliberate way. We also talk about the origin of the phrase "Johnny on the spot" and why it's not just a portable toilet company in the Northeast.

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about us and our work and to join our mailing list, visit www.insidejobthepodcast.com or email us at [email protected].

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, check out our show notes.

Let's connect!

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We'd love to hear from you.

"I LOVE office politics." ~ No one, ever.

Office politics has shown up a lot in our coaching conversations recently, as well as in discussions with our friends and family. It makes sense, as budgets for 2022 are being discussed, end-of-year performance reviews are being prepared for, and businesses get back to pre-pandemic working conditions. Of course, for most of us office politics need to be navigated regardless of the time of year or cycle of the business.

But what are office politics really? And are they always bad? We talk about this and more on this episode of the Inside Job Podcast.

In summary, office politics are about how people relate to each other and how resources get allocated – so relationships and power. They tend to be experienced when we believe there is an imbalance of influence, which leads us to believe we're getting the short end of the stick.

Office politics, however, are more about what's happening inside of us than they are about what's happening to us. Most of the perceived unfairness of politics stems from the stories we tell ourselves, the assumptions we're making about what's happening when people get together, and the existence of healthy networks that we're simply not a part of.

During our conversation we talk about how to make sense of these circumstances, and what to do about it. We talk about personal power versus political power and how to stand up for ourselves when we want to have more influence at work. We also talk about gathering and evaluating evidence, and how to get to the heart of what's really at stake when we think we're missing out.

These things will even help your book club run more effectively. Just ask Nayla.

Inside Job is brought to you by Nayla Bahri and Eric Johnson.

To learn more about us and our work and to join our mailing list, visit www.insidejobthepodcast.com or email us at [email protected].

To learn more about the ideas and resources discussed in this episode, check out our show notes.

Let's connect!

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We'd love to hear from you.