Come As You Are' at Work (Terms & Conditions Apply) with Farah Harris

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Farah Harris, licensed psychotherapist, workplace wellbeing expert, and CEO of Working Well Daily. Her book "The Color of Emotional Intelligence" challenges us to rethink what authenticity and emotional intelligence really mean across different cultures and identities in the workplace.

Episode Highlights:

•  The hidden costs of "bringing your whole self to work"
•  Why emotional intelligence looks different across cultures and backgrounds
•  How our family dynamics shape our workplace emotional expression
• The real price of fitting into "professional" culture
• What looks like "high EQ" might actually be a survival strategy
• Why declaring "safe spaces" doesn't make them safe
• The problem with one-size-fits-all approaches to emotional intelligence
• How power dynamics affect workplace authenticity
• The importance of having "safe people" to process workplace experiences

 Quotable Moment:
"If you can't take what you're learning outside of the four walls of the workplace, then is it truly applicable? Is it truly authentic?"
- Farah Harris

Lyra Lens:
We're excited to introduce Lyra Lens, a new segment with our friends from Lyra Health. "The beauty of inclusion and diversity at work is shifting from 'why do you do it like that?' to 'what can I learn from someone who does it differently?'" Andrea Holman shares this and other insights in today's Lyra Lens segment, where she joins Jen Fisher to discuss cultural humility in the workplace.

Resources:
This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

'Reading' Emotion in Emails & Other Ways Our Brains Mislead Us with Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, and author of "How Emotions Are Made" and "Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain."

Episode Highlights:

• Why we can't actually "read" emotions in faces, voices, or body language
• The science behind your brain's "body budget" and how it affects workplace performance
• How social stress can impact your metabolism by up to 104 calories
• Why trust in coworkers and management significantly affects productivity
• The truth about psychological safety and why some discomfort is necessary for growth
• How to handle emotions in virtual environments and email communications
• Understanding the difference between guessing and reading emotions in workplace interactions
• Practical strategies for making yourself more predictable to reduce others' stress

Quotable Moment:

Resources:

Learn more about Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett's groundbreaking research on emotions and the brain at her website

Books: "How Emotions Are Made" and "Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain"

Your Brain On Goals: The Surprising Science of Motivation with Dr. Ayelet Fishbach

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher and special co-host Keren Wasserman from Lyra Health speak with Dr. Ayelet Fishbach, professor of behavioral science and marketing at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business and author of "Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation."

Episode Highlights:

• Common motivation strategies that can backfire, including rigid goal-setting and misaligned incentives
• How to overcome the "middle problem" in long-term goals by breaking them into shorter segments
• The connection between emotions and motivation as a feedback system
• When to focus on progress made vs. progress needed based on where you are in your journey
• Why experts tend to look ahead while novices benefit from looking back at progress
• The importance of social support and working with others to maintain motivation
• How failure can provide valuable information and novel insights for learning
• Leadership strategies for maintaining team trust and motivation during challenging times

Quotable Moment:

Resources:

This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution.
Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s  Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with Stephanie Harrison, founder of The New Happy and author of New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That’s Got It Wrong. In a wide-ranging conversation, Stephanie discusses her science-backed approach to happiness, and explains how accessing our unique gifts and giving back to the community can lead to joy and fulfillment.  

In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with speaker, workplace mental health consultant, and executive Morra Aarons-Mele, author of The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower to discuss how to manage the anxiety that comes with succeeding and leading.  

In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with climate psychologist Renée Lertzman to discuss the emotional effects of climate change and how we can become more resilient. Lertzman, the author of Environmental Melancholia: Psychoanalytic dimensions of engagement, offers suggestions about how individuals, organizations, and leaders can work together to alleviate climate anxiety, as well as finding ways to give back and have a positive impact. 

 In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with user researcher, writer, illustrator, and consultant Ximena Vengoechea, author of Rest Easy: Discover Calm and Abundance through the Radical Power of Rest. In a wide-ranging conversation, Jen and Ximena talk about the importance of resting and recharging in order to lead a fulfilling and productive life. Ximena offers guidance on how to get the deep rest we need for our well-being, and explains how rest helps us reconnect with ourselves and improves every aspect of our lives, from work to relationships.  

In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s  Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with grief expert Rebecca Soffer, author, co-founder, and CEO of Modern Loss. In a wide-ranging conversation, Jen and Rebecca discuss loss and resilience, and how to overcome the stigma of grief. 

In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s  Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with Dr. Vanessa Patrick , Professor of Marketing and Associate Dean of Research at the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston, and the author of The Power of Saying No: The New Science of How to Say No that Puts You in Charge of Your Life. In a wide-ranging conversation, Jen and Vanessa discuss why it can be so hard to say no, and Vanessa shares techniques for saying no that lead to clearer decision making, stronger boundaries, and better time management. 

 In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with Joanne Stephane, Executive Director of the Deloitte DEI Institute, and Kenji Yoshino, Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU and faculty director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. In a wide-ranging conversation, they discuss the practice of “covering,” in which people downplay aspects of their identity at work to avoid negative reactions. And they share ways that organizations can better support people and help them be their authentic selves.