“Fiction seems to do something in our brains that nonfiction doesn't.”

What was the last book you read? And did you know it gave you something more than just some relaxing downtime?

It turns out that books, especially fiction, can develop key skills needed for our careers.




Book and short story recommendations mentioned:
Poseidon, Franz Kafka
The Helpline, Katherine Collette
Out of Sheer Rage, Geoff Dyer

The case for reading fiction at work

Lisa Leong helps you navigate your way through the tough times, looking for the sunshine and the humanity in the world of work. From the quirky to the somewhat controversial, experts in the world of work and business share their ideas, experiments and fast fails, that you can apply to your own career. We’re cheaper than therapy and more fun than LinkedIn, think of us as your digital water cooler.

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Our childhood phantasy careers (different to fantasy with an ‘f’) help uncover our unconscious motivations and can unlock job satisfaction in our careers. Here’s how to figure out yours.




Guest: Paul Harvey - Lecturer and Executive Coach at the INSEAD Business School

And thanks to Afrouz, Karen and Ryan for sharing their stories.

What did you want to be when you grew up? Here's why it's still important.

"Don't we all hold many things? We all have to work jobs often we don't fully politically or ethically agree with because we have to pay our rent."

When we have the privilege to choose what work we do, how do we ensure we're ethically aligned with that career choice? And once we’re working in a job, how can we ensure we’re behaving ethically day to day?




Guests:
Dr Tim Dean - Senior Philosopher, The Ethics Centre
Maryam Kouchaki - Professor of Management & Organizations, the Kellogg School of Management
Jess Shane - radio and podcast producer




If you enjoyed this episode, you'd like our episodes about values at work (from April) and why good people do bad things (from June 2023). Find them in our podcast feed.

What does it mean to have an ethical career? And why should you care?

“I can honestly say this is a question that I’ve never encountered before.”

New Yorker magazine reporter and author of Supercommunicators - How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection, Charles Duhigg answers your questions about how to navigate tricky conversations at work, sharing advice and skills to truly connect with colleagues.




Thanks to listeners Lorissa Garcia, Louise Thomson and Tanmay Vora for your questions.

Charles Duhigg answers your curly questions on how to be a supercommunicator at work

A new person joins the team and immediately sparks fly... or perhaps you start seeing a colleague in a different light and the friendship turns into something more... 

Workplace romances are common and it’s no wonder - we spend a lot of time at work, and we have a lot in common with people in the same industry as us.

But what are the rules around falling in love or flirting at work? And what are the costs of dating a colleague, or even a boss? 




Guests:
Dr Amy Nicole Baker - Professor of Psychology, New Haven University
Mia Pantechis - Principal Lawyer, Maurice Blackburn

And thanks to Rose and Nick for sharing their story.

Workplace romances - Why do we flirt and fall in love at work?

Feel like you're cycling through the same old ideas? Or just tired and out of inspiration? 

Albert Read has some tips on how to use and strengthen your 'imagination muscle'.




Guest:

Albert Read is managing director of Conde Nast and author of The Imagination Muscle.




During the conversation, the concept of the T-shaped worker came up - which is being both a generalist and an expert. You can listen to our episode on that topic here or find it in our podcast feed entitled 'Forget expertise. Here's why being a generalist is great for your work' from 24 March 2023.

The case for reading fiction at work

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