To get through this second COVID lockdown, Lisa has gone deep with her night-time reading. In this episode she discusses Henry David Thoreau's Walden: or, Life in the Woods with Steph Clarke facilitator and host of Steph's Business Bookshelf. Lisa explains how this book has helped her re-frame her approach to work and get a grip on her finances in these challenging times.

Last week on The Bonus: Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl

(And if you enjoy the show help us out by sharing and rating us with those little stars. Five thanks!)

When your boss mentions "brainstorming" what do you picture - rapid, creative, ideas generation or death by Post-it Note?

Pick up your permanent markers and unroll that butcher’s paper because we’re diving into the art and science of brainstorming - what works, what doesn’t and why some people are doing it all wrong.

GUESTS

Professor Gerard Puccio, organisational psychologist from Buffalo State

Art Markman, Professor of Psychology and Marketing at the University of Texas, Austin.

CASE STUDIES

Sarah Crowley, transport and precinct planning specialist

James Atkins, director and strategic planning facilitator

We nerd out on non-fiction books that can make us better at work with Steph Clarke, facilitator and host of the podcast Steph’s Business Bookshelf. Steph's pick is Man’s Search for Meaning: The classic tribute to hope from the Holocaust by Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl.

How deliberate are you about the way you make decisions at work? Bad decisions can result in wasted time, money and jobs. For example, when a company restructure goes badly, or when there is investment in a “sexy app” that ultimately no one uses. Dan Markovitz says that the number 1 reason that bad decisions are made are because people leap to a solution - what he labels the “conclusion trap”. 

Dan explains how we can all make better decisions by slowing down and paying more attention to the problem itself before we leap to the conclusion. He shares his four-step method to avoid the conclusion trap.

And author Carolyn Tate has used daily journaling for the past ten years, she explains how this free association style of writing has supercharged her output as a writer.

Virtual meetings are tough enough, but imagine starting a new job where you can’t meet your new team members face-to-face.

We hear some disaster stories but also how to best help workers start a new job or finish up including:

* the benefits of “coffee roulette” in "onboarding" new staff;

* how many "touchpoints" (human engagements) you need for someone to feel truly connected at work and

* how to properly acknowledge retirement virtually.

Guests:

Ethan Bernstein, associate professor of leadership and organisational behaviour at Harvard Business School.Gabrielle Harris, CEO at management consultancy Interchange

Case studies:

Larissa Dubecki, ABC communications team

Sandy Webster, former logistics manager 

Sara Summerbell employment lawyer who fled Houston

A trifecta of CEOs share why they introduced the four-day work week to their companies, how it has actually helped them navigate the economic downturn, and hard lessons learnt along the way.

GUESTS: Andrew Barnes, CEO Perpetual Guardian, Kath Blackham CEO Versa, Nikki Beaumont CEO Beaumont People.

Andrew's book: The Four Day Week: How the Flexible Work Revolution Can Increase Productivity, Profitability and Well-being, and Create a Sustainable Future.

WFH. We're about five months into the biggest global social experiment and for many of us one thing has become clear, we are in this for the long haul.

So, what have we learnt about what’s working, and what’s not for those who never or rarely go into the traditional office?

And with so many of us no longer commuting daily how will this shape our cities and the future of work? (And what the hell do petrol stations have to do with all of this?)

GUESTS:

Nick Bloom, professor of economics at Stanford Graduate School of Business

Mark Mortensen, associate professor of organisational behavior at Insead Business School

Jenny Brice, HR specialist and consultant on the future of work.

Ethan Bernstein, associate professor of organizational behaviour at Harvard Business School.

What are the crucial conversations every couple must have for their marriage AND their career to survive?

Dual-career couples are now the rule rather than the exception - in Australia 65 per cent of couples with children both work. 

Jennifer Petriglieri is a professor of organisational behaviour at INSEAD Business School and she shares her research on the crucial transitions couples must navigate to make sure they not just survive but thrive in love AND work. She covers the contract she and her now-husband signed at the start of their relationship, how to have the difficult conversations around career (often is more about a power struggle),

Jennifer's book is Couples That Work.

Thanks to our couple Scott and Laura, our anonymous doctor and Kate Bennett Ericksson for their time and honest insights.

(This program was first broadcast on 16 March, 2020.)

PRODUCER: Maria Tickle

Are you good at resting?

Hint: effective rest does not involve blobbing in front of the tv and eating a block of chocolate. Sorry!

Dr Alex Soojung-Kim Pang was so intrigued about how to bring his best self to work, that he started doing some deep research into the area of productivity where he discovered that one of the secrets to productivity is actually “deliberate rest” .

So, in this final episode in our series on Performing in a Pandemic, we explore the concept of rest. And we share how we can all be better at it!

And, if you are looking for a book to get stuck into whilst you are taking a break from your emails - Steph Clarke, facilitator and podcaster and Lisa share their favourite books helping them navigate work right now. 

GUESTS:

Dr Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, technology forecaster and futurist

Steph Clarke, presenter of podcast Steph’s Business Bookshelf

PRODUCER: Maria Tickle

Oncologist and writer Dr Ranjana Srivastava shares what she wish she had known earlier about her career choice and the challenges it presented along the way.

Books by Ranjana: A Better Death: Conversations About the Art of Living and Dying Well and What it Takes to Be a Doctor