Squiggly Careers

In this episode, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from the psychology of attachment styles and explore what this concept can teach us about working relationships. Sparked by a Harvard Business Review article on managing insecure leaders, they unpack the four main attachment styles and what they might look like in the workplace: secure, anxious, avoidant-dismissive, and fearful-avoidant.

If you’ve ever wondered why certain working relationships feel easy while others feel surprisingly tricky, this episode will give you a useful lens for understanding behaviour and adapting in ways that help you work better together.

Episode 543

🦞 Learn Like A Lobster:

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(00:00) Attachment styles at work

(01:14) The four attachment styles explained

(09:13) Helen and Sarah reflect on their own styles

(22:20) How secure styles show up at work

(25:06) Managing anxious behaviours

(29:01) Avoidant-dismissive patterns and how to adapt

(34:18) Avoidant-fearful behaviours and building trust

📚 Resources Mentioned

How to Manage an Insecure Leader (Harvard Business Review) https://hbr.org/2026/03/how-to-manage-an-insecure-leader

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email [email protected]

More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:

📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

🦞 Join the Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz

📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction

📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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Asking for feedback can feel uncomfortable. What if you hear something you don’t agree with? What if it confirms your worst fears? And how do you ask without it feeling formal or awkward? In this Squiggly Shortcut, Sarah shares 3 simple ways to ask for feedback that actually helps you learn and grow.

Episode 542

🦞 Learn Like A Lobster:

🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn

🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av 

📚 Resources Mentioned

3 Ways To Give And Get Constructive Feedback #457 - https://youtu.be/XbP49h60XE4?si=ya6IJS1nsJxbDCsC

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email [email protected]

More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:

📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

🦞 Join the Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz

📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction

📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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This week’s episode comes to you from a very snowy New York, where Sarah and Helen are launching the US edition of Learn Like a Lobster - in the middle of the biggest blizzard in ten years. Despite battling icy steps and snowy conditions, they’re diving into a topic that could transform how you approach ideas at work: prototyping.

Borrowing brilliance from Nesta, Sarah and Helen explore a practical 4-part framework to help you move from “this might be a good idea” to something tangible, testable and useful.

Episode 541

🦞 Learn Like A Lobster:

🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn

🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av

📚 Resources Mentioned

Say the Hard Thing Scenario Planner - https://www.saythehardthing.ai/

Learn Like a Lobster Profiler - https://www.learnlikealobsterprofiler...

Nesta Prototyping Framework - https://www.nesta.org.uk/toolkit/prototyping-framework/

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email [email protected]

More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:

📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

🦞 Join the Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz

📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction

📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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If networking feels awkward or transactional, this Squiggly Shortcut offers a simpler starting point: give to gain. Helen explores why focusing on what you can contribute, rather than what you can get, makes building relationships easier and more effective. Generosity strengthens connections and creates reciprocity, a concept backed by research from Adam Grant. To make it practical, she shares three easy ways to get started: reflect on what you’re recommended for, share lessons from your experiences, and offer your expertise in small, useful ways. A short, actionable guide to building career karma that feels genuine, not transactional.

Episode 540

🦞 Learn Like A Lobster:

🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn

🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av 

📚 Resources Mentioned

Are you a giver or a taker? | Adam Grant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyXRYgjQXX0

How to create career karma | Squiggly Careers E298 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rcBw84iTUA

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email [email protected]

More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:

📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

🦞 Join the Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz

📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction

📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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In this episode, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from a powerful Harvard Business Review article by James Elfer, Siri Chilazi, and Edward Chang on the science of behaviour change at work.They unpack the “Four T’s” model, a practical framework used in big organisations to drive measurable behaviour change. But instead of keeping it theoretical, they apply it to real team challenges like:

- Reducing interruptions in meetings

- Prioritising important work over easy tasks

- Keeping objectives alive (not just setting them)

- Moving from “busy” to genuinely impactful

You’ll hear how to get specific about the behaviour you want to change, design simple interventions that fit your culture, introduce them at the right moment, and measure whether they’re actually working. If you’ve ever said, “We know what to do… we’re just not doing it,” this episode will give you a structured, science-backed way to close that say-do gap, without adding more noise to your workload.

Episode 539

🦞 Learn Like A Lobster:

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🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av

(00:00) How to Change Behaviour at Work

(01:00) The Four T’s explained

(05:49) Step 1: Target the right behaviour

(07:02) Step 2: Build your theory of change

(08:28) Step 3: Make it timely

(09:27) Step 4: Test the effect

(10:48) Real examples from teams

📚 Resources Mentioned

To Change Company Culture, Start with One High-Impact Behavior: https://hbr.org/2026/01/to-change-company-culture-start-with-one-high-impact-behavior

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email [email protected]

More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:

📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

🦞 Join the Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz

📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction

📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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If influence sometimes feels uncomfortable or awkward, this is a fresh take that reframes it as collaboration rather than persuasion. In this Squiggly Shortcut, Sarah shares a practical, three-step approach to influencing with curiosity rather than control. Using the example of someone challenging the idea of squiggly careers, Sarah explores why pushing harder rarely works and why listening first is often your most powerful move. From opening up the conversation with genuine curiosity, to involving someone in shaping the solution, to landing on a payoff they actually care about, this episode is a simple guide to influencing in a way that feels thoughtful, not manipulative.

Episode 538

🦞 Learn Like A Lobster:

🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn

🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av 

📚 Resources Mentioned

Episode 239: Ask the Expert with Connson Chou Locke - https://shows.acast.com/amazingif/episodes/239-ask-the-expert-influence-with-connson-chou-locke

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email [email protected]

More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:

📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

🦞 Join the Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz

📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction

📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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How do you make your LinkedIn feed work harder for your career instead of just scrolling past the same ideas on repeat? In this episode, Helen and Sarah are Borrowing Brilliance from LinkedIn’s Top Voices list. They share three people worth following right now and why. This episode is all about curating smarter inputs, breaking out of echo chambers, and learning faster from the right voices.

Episode 537

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🎯 What You’ll Learn

- How to escape the LinkedIn echo chamber

- Three experts to follow for smarter career insights

- Small ways to influence your algorithm and improve what you see

📚 Resources Mentioned

LinkedIn Top Voices list: https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/meet-the-linkedin-top-voices-class-of-january-2026-6924764/

Dr Shani Dhanda: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/shanidhanda

Zoe Kleinman: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/zoe-kleinman-a057878

Cassian Horowitz: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/cassian-horowitz-3166a47b

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In this Squiggly Shortcut, Helen shares why self-awareness is one of the most important skills for your career and how to build it in small, practical ways. Rather than relying on reflection alone, she explains how self-awareness also means understanding how others experience you and offers three simple exercises to help you spot blind spots, manage your energy, and support your growth.

Episode 536

🦞 Learn Like A Lobster:

🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn

🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av 

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email [email protected]

More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:

📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

🦞 Join the Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz

📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction

📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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Do you ever find yourself going round in circles with the same problem or struggling to come up with fresh ideas at work? In this episode, Helen and Sarah are borrowing brilliance from the Deck of Brilliance - a creative thinking tool packed with prompts to help you break out of your default patterns and see things differently. Together, they explore three simple techniques that help you reset your thinking, unlock new ideas, and make better decisions when you feel stuck.

🦞 Learn Like A Lobster:

🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn

🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av

Episode 535

⏱️ Timestamps

(00:00) Why we all get stuck in our thinking at work

(01:48) Borrowed brilliance from the Deck of Brilliance

(06:16) Tool #1: Make the bug a feature

(12:46) Tool #2: Switch perspectives

(22:30) Tool #3: Put the audience to the test

🎯 What You’ll Learn

- How to recognise when your thinking is stuck

- Three simple tools to generate better ideas

- Ways to get fresh perspective without overcomplicating things

📚 Resources Mentioned

Deck of Brilliance: https://deckofbrilliance.com/

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email [email protected]

More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:

📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

🦞 Join the Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz

📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction

📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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In this Squiggly Shortcut, Sarah shares practical, low-pressure ways to network when you’re more introverted than extroverted. Rather than forcing yourself into energy-draining events or awkward small talk, Sarah reframes networking as learning, connection, and curiosity and offers simple strategies that feel more natural and sustainable.

Episode 529

🦞 Learn Like A Lobster:

🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn

🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av 

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email [email protected]

More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:

📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

🦞 Join the Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz

📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction

📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices