This Working Life

In her new book Storytellers, Leigh Sales shares hard-won lessons on how to craft a story, how to listen and how to be brave enough to ask hard questions at work.

We also learn from her music practice, what helps her flow state, and how anxiety has been a pretty consistent part of her work life.

A colleague gets promoted. A friend lands their dream job.

You feel happy for them, but also, a pang of pain... what is that? Is that envy??

It’s natural to feel envious, but many of us deny it or try to ignore it.

But how we react to this feeling can be the key in unlocking its power.

So how can we use it for good?

What can guiding a horse teach us about leadership? 

In recent years, ‘Equine Assisted Learning’ has been used in leadership development. But what is it exactly, and what can it teach us about leadership for the workplace?

We spoke with original Matildas player Dr Shona Bass in our recent episode The Matildas Effect but we loved her insights so much we decided to bring you the whole interview. 

She reflects on what makes ace teamwork, the DNA of the Matildas that persists to this day, and what we can learn from them for our own working lives.

With thanks to intern Kate Lawrence.

Yesss, we’ve got World Cup fever! So what lessons can we learn for our work from the amazing gameplay the Matildas have shown, even without star player Sam Kerr playing in the first few games?

We’re unpacking the 'Matildas Effect' and figuring out how we can pull together as a team and unlock the power of ‘us’ to do our best work.

How can we best protect (and repair) our relationships at work?

When we start working with someone we tend to just dive into the work at hand. But what happens when we start by learning how we can best work together?

Coaching expert and author Michael Bungay Stanier believes this can be the key to building the best possible relationship. And it starts with five questions.

So what are they? And how can we best ask them?

Guest: Michael Bungay Stanier - Coaching expert and author, How to Work with (Almost) Anyone: Five Questions for Building the Best Possible Relationships

The Keystone Conversation Questions: 

The Amplify Question: What’s Your Best? When do you shine and when do you flow?

The Steady Question: What Are Your Practices and Preferences?

The Good Date Question: What Can You Learn from Successful Past Relationships?

The Bad Date Question: What Can You Learn from Frustrating Past Relationships?

The Repair Question: How Will You Fix It When Things Go Wrong?

What does it mean if you declare your workplace to be anti-racist? Where does lip service end and actual systemic change occur? How does this differ from diversity and inclusion?  

How do you begin to dismantle the structural racism in your workplace and rebuild an organisation where everyone feels safe, where everyone thrives?   

This episode will cover the multifaceted approach of anti-racism education in the workplace and offer some solutions to address the psychological impacts of racism. 

There's the age old saying, do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life. But how easy is it to find what you love? What energies you, what fulfils you?  

Acclaimed author and researcher Marcus Buckingham helps us bring love into the workplace and helps us find love in what we do every day, no matter our job.  

Micro stressors - they’re just a normal part of the day, right? From when you wake up and check your messages, listen to the news, wrangle your kids, jostle your way to work, and then deal with that colleague…you’re stressed without anything major actually happening.

Rob Cross says the people who maintain and prioritise their social connections, often through shared activities, are way less affected by these micro stressors.

This week we meet some of the next generation of Indigenous entrepreneurs who are influencing the way we think about business and community. Drawing on the strength and resilience of their elders, these business leaders show us what makes First Nations businesses stand out and what helps them thrive.