This Working Life

By ABC listen

Business Careers

What's This Working Life about?

Helping you navigate your way through the tough times, looking for the sunshine and the humanity in the world of work.

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This Working Life episodes:

07.17.2022
Managing yours and others' ADHD to thrive at work
What if ADHD wasn't seen as a deficit or a disorder? What if it's actually harnessed as a superpower? We show how, given the right support and understanding, workplaces have the ability to turn ADHD into an asset and create...
07.10.2022
A Seat at the Table: embracing the power of First Nations representation on your board
We speak with proud Torres Strait Islander woman (Kubin; Moa Island descendant) Carla McGrath and proud Yorta Yorta man Ian Hamm about what First Nations perspectives bring to governance and management.
07.03.2022
Susan David on Why You Need Emotional Agility at Work
Emotions at work - do you repress or ruminate? Both could be dangerous for your career. Harvard Medical School psychologist Dr Susan David is one of the world's leading management thinkers. Her Ted talk has been viewed more than five...
06.26.2022
'Mass disabling event': Long COVID is hitting Australian workplaces
We take a deep dive into this medical mystery and look at how workplaces and individuals can navigate the world of work as they recover from long COVID.
06.19.2022
From the field to the boardroom: what business can learn from sport
Teamwork, resilience and grit – just some of the skills from sport that we can all learn from when it comes to our work. So how can the corporate world harness these skills, and what can we learn from the...
06.12.2022
Feeling lonely when working from home? You’re not alone. Here’s how to reconnect.
It’s not just about getting the job done when we’re working hybridly, it’s about the connections we make. And this has been lost when we’re working from home, and this is making us feel lonely. In the second part of our...
06.05.2022
Finding your flow in hybrid work
Hybrid is here to stay. So, what is pandemic-driven hybrid work doing to our ability to focus and what do we need to do to find that elusive flow state in this brave new world of work? In the first part...
05.29.2022
Are family ghosts of the past messing with your career?
What is your role in your family of origin? Jester, responsible one, black sheep or peacemaker, we all have one. But did you know the role you have inherited or the values and beliefs your family held could be holding...
05.22.2022
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Why knowing your personality traits can help improve your work performance and job satisfaction
Would you call yourself an introvert, or an extrovert? Or are you a bit of both? When it comes to personality traits and states, it’s not black and white. It’s a spectrum. But sometimes we still desire a label or a name...
05.15.2022
The power of the first job: Why it’s more important than you think it is
What was your first job, and what did it teach you? We’re turning back the clocks and heading back into the supermarket and greasy fast-food joints to find out just why first jobs are so crucial in our careers and what...
05.07.2022
Biohacking your way to your best work
Cryotherapy, sleep apps and binaural beats, are just some or the more than 20 biohacks Lisa Leong uses to perform her best at work. Are they useful or a complete waste of time and or money? We recruited three scientists...
05.01.2022
Smashing the class ceiling: The invisible barrier to inclusion at work
Even today, the class you are born into can largely determine your career. Research by Diversity Council Australia shows that more than any other diversity demographic, it was social class which most determined Australian workers’ experience of inclusion or exclusion...
04.24.2022
“The CV is dead” - How AI is transforming recruitment
Imagine you’re applying for a job. You’re asked a few questions and have a conversation online. But it’s not with a human. It’s with a chatbot. How would you feel? Possibly relaxed? Maybe even a bit more confident? More likely...
04.17.2022
Opportunity knocks in The Great Resignation
Call it what you like, The Great Resignation, The Great Reshuffle, or even The Great Reimagination, the employment landscape in Australia has changed radically in the past two years. CEO of the Australian HR Institute Sarah McCann Bartlett and career coach...
04.10.2022
Belonging, inclusion, and connection: The first steps in getting diversity at work right
Australia’s renowned for its multiculturalism. But when it comes to the workplace and leadership positions, that diversity isn’t represented. So, what’s going on? In part two of our special series, we dive into some solutions to improve diversity and inclusion at...
04.03.2022
'Tick a box' and 'tokenism': We are still getting diversity wrong and it's hurting everyone.
Australia’s renowned for its multiculturalism. But when it comes to the workplace and leadership positions, that diversity isn’t represented. So, what’s going on? In part one of our special series we dive into cultural diversity and inclusion at work - what’s...
03.27.2022
Managing the Manager's 'Covid Shiftstorm'
We’ve been living through the greatest workplace disruption in generations. Now, two years and counting of Covid here in Australia, that volatility isn’t going anywhere and business managers are struggling. Energy is low, resilience is low, and staff numbers are fluctuating...
03.20.2022
Harnessing the power of stress to improve your work and well-being
We all know the impact of stress on our minds and bodies. But it turns out that it’s not the stress itself that’s impacting our health - it’s how we think about it. We hear from people about their experiences of...
03.13.2022
How to recognise and transform a destructive leader
What we want in our leaders has evolved; we’ve seen a growing desire for more ethical and empathetic leaders. But destructive leaders are still in charge in many workplaces and their impacts are far-reaching. So how can we identify them...
03.06.2022
The four-day week in 2022: Its global growth and what’s been learned by early adopters
Since the start of the pandemic, the global take-up of the four-day work week has accelerated. We first looked into the pros and cons of the four-day work week back in 2020 when it was very much in its early...
02.27.2022
"I lost sleep; I'd vomit before going to work." The human cost of bullying in the workplace.
Workplace bullying is a complex and insidious problem that one in 10 of us in Australia experience at some stage in our careers. We look at the organisational structures behind bullying itself, how many of us might be unwilling bystanders, and...
02.20.2022
Zoom Fatigue is real. Here’s how to prevent it
Do you feel exhausted after being on Zoom? You’re not alone. Thanks to COVID-19, we’ve been on Zoom more than ever. From our day-to-day work to meetings and after-work social catch ups, our time spent video conferencing seems endless and...
02.20.2022
Zoom Fatigue is real. Here’s how to prevent it.
Do you feel exhausted after being on Zoom? You’re not alone. Thanks to COVID-19, we’ve been on Zoom more than ever. From our day-to-day work to meetings and after-work social catch ups, our time spent video conferencing seems endless and...
02.13.2022
Don’t regret your regrets. Use them to work smarter.
If we confront our regrets and use them as signals, they're a powerful force for working smarter and living better. That’s according to New York Times best-selling author Daniel Pink. He’s collected the regrets of thousands of people around the world...
02.06.2022
How to kick your motivation into gear
Forget what you think you know about motivation. We’ve done the work for you and found some science-based motivation hacks, so you can get the job done and actually enjoy it. We bust some myths and find out what really motivates...
01.30.2022
How to begin: Set yourself a worthy goal
Resolutions don't work. Set goals the right way. For us to really commit to a goal and achieve it, we should ensure we’re making a ‘worthy’ goal. That’s according to author Michael Bungay Stanier who, in his new book How To...
01.23.2022
Working through life changing ideas via non fiction
Let's kickstart this 2022 working life with a few transformative ideas.
01.16.2022
Who do you think you are? Reframing imposter syndrome to power, not cripple, your career
Beauty industry entrepreneur Kate Morris has given her imposter syndrome's voice in her head a name: "That's just Kevin, you can zip it Kevin," she laughs. And she gets on with her day. And she's not alone. Researchers have found...
01.10.2022
Adam Grant on the power of knowing what you don't know
Stay curious, find comfort in being wrong and create a "challenge circle" of people who actively challenge your beliefs - these are all steps towards knowing what you don't know according to Adam Grant.
01.09.2022
Adam Grant on the power of knowing what you don't know
Stay curious, find comfort in being wrong and create a "challenge circle" of people who actively challenge your beliefs - these are all steps towards knowing what you don't know according to Adam Grant. And he argues in today's rapidly changing...
01.02.2022
How to pull off a radical career change at any age, we bust some myths
Changing careers isn’t easy - overcoming inertia is hard and knowing where to start can seem really difficult. Career coach Kate Richardson debunks some myths and steps us through the process. We also meet some brave souls who’ve pulled it off...
12.26.2021
Harnessing the power of an ancient Maori code to create team spirit
Owen Eastwood shares how the Maori principle of whakapapa has helped create dynamic, inclusive cultures in some of the world's most diverse elite teams, including the England Football team for the past five years. (This program was first broadcast on Monday...
12.19.2021
How to win at work through less, not more, effort
Do more of what matters without burning out. In Effortless Greg McKeown implores us to move away from the cult of busy and overwork. He argues to achieve breakthrough results, we need to save our energy by inverting the question “How can I work harder?” to become “How can I make this easier?” (This program was first broadcast...
12.12.2021
Turning hobbies into careers
How do you turn a hobby into a career?
12.05.2021
Warning! Collaboration overload
How do you avoid the stress and burnout from too much collaboration?
11.28.2021
Dirty data
How reliable is that research data you are collecting and analysing?
11.21.2021
Play to your strengths with a hyperpersonalised workplace
How might we individualise our work environment to optimise our performance
11.14.2021
Healthy boardroom, healthy workplace
Board members play a pivotal role in influencing the culture of their organisations.
11.07.2021
Decision making — Trust ya gut?
What role do your organs and the inner workings of your body play when you're making decisions?
10.31.2021
Ideas — Let 'em flow
Are you willing to recognise that a different way of thinking is required when you're stuck in a rut?
10.24.2021
I'm your junior colleague not 'IT' support
How do you prove yourself or foster trust when you're seen as just the tech savvy junior or if you haven't worked for an organisation for very long?
10.17.2021
Retirement Reimagined
Not everyone wants to stop working when they reach retirement age.
10.10.2021
Tapping into our inner captain in times of crisis
How do we tap into our inner captain to better lead ourselves and others in times of crisis?
10.03.2021
The pros and pitfalls of secondments
From finding love to making the incredibly weighty call to lockdown a city, when you put yourself out there and accept a secondment, you never know where it might lead. And if you have a hunger to learn on the...
09.26.2021
"Power can be a sword or a torch", women speak out about power at work
Women at the top of their game share their stories about the good, the bad and the ugly of power in the workplace. And to you blokes out there, this isn't a "stacks on men", it's really worth a listen. (Hear...
09.19.2021
Power makes you more likely to cheat, steal, talk over people and swear at work. Why?
The cliche of bright red lipstick and shoulder pads as symbols of power for women went out of style in the 80s, thank goodness. But who gets power at work today and why? And what do you need to do to...
09.12.2021
Buckle up, The Great Resignation is heading Australia's way
Thinking of quitting your job? Join the club! The COVID pandemic has led to what’s being dubbed The Great Resignation in the US. And apparently this seismic shift in the workforce is about to hit our shores, especially in the tech...
09.05.2021
A regional cannery led the way with mandating the COVID vaccine, why aren't others following?
Australians are constantly told the only way out of rolling lockdowns is vaccination. So why aren't most workplaces mandating COVID-19 jabs so everyone get back to business? We dig into tricky legal, ethical and practical issues with workplace relations lawyer...
08.29.2021
Cal Newport on a world without email
Does your inbox make you miserable? Is the constant barrage of back and forth emails stopping you from doing deeper, more focussed work you actually need to do? You are not alone. According to Cal Newport, on average, email interrupts...
08.22.2021
How to use music to focus, build teams and avoid burnout in lockdown
On the verge of burnout or feeling disconnected from your workmates? Don't underestimate the power of working music into your workflows and even meetings. Psychologist and classical musician Greta Bradman explains how our brains respond to music and runs through...

What's This Working Life about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

This Working Life episodes:

Managing yours and others' ADHD to thrive at work

A Seat at the Table: embracing the power of First Nations representation on your board

Susan David on Why You Need Emotional Agility at Work

'Mass disabling event': Long COVID is hitting Australian workplaces

From the field to the boardroom: what business can learn from sport

Feeling lonely when working from home? You’re not alone. Here’s how to reconnect.

Finding your flow in hybrid work

Are family ghosts of the past messing with your career?

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Why knowing your personality traits can help improve your work performance and job satisfaction

The power of the first job: Why it’s more important than you think it is

Biohacking your way to your best work

Smashing the class ceiling: The invisible barrier to inclusion at work

“The CV is dead” - How AI is transforming recruitment

Opportunity knocks in The Great Resignation

Belonging, inclusion, and connection: The first steps in getting diversity at work right

'Tick a box' and 'tokenism': We are still getting diversity wrong and it's hurting everyone.

Managing the Manager's 'Covid Shiftstorm'

Harnessing the power of stress to improve your work and well-being

How to recognise and transform a destructive leader

The four-day week in 2022: Its global growth and what’s been learned by early adopters

"I lost sleep; I'd vomit before going to work." The human cost of bullying in the workplace.

Zoom Fatigue is real. Here’s how to prevent it

Zoom Fatigue is real. Here’s how to prevent it.

Don’t regret your regrets. Use them to work smarter.

How to kick your motivation into gear

How to begin: Set yourself a worthy goal

Working through life changing ideas via non fiction

Who do you think you are? Reframing imposter syndrome to power, not cripple, your career

Adam Grant on the power of knowing what you don't know

Adam Grant on the power of knowing what you don't know

How to pull off a radical career change at any age, we bust some myths

Harnessing the power of an ancient Maori code to create team spirit

How to win at work through less, not more, effort

Turning hobbies into careers

Warning! Collaboration overload

Dirty data

Play to your strengths with a hyperpersonalised workplace

Healthy boardroom, healthy workplace

Decision making — Trust ya gut?

Ideas — Let 'em flow

I'm your junior colleague not 'IT' support

Retirement Reimagined

Tapping into our inner captain in times of crisis

The pros and pitfalls of secondments

"Power can be a sword or a torch", women speak out about power at work

Power makes you more likely to cheat, steal, talk over people and swear at work. Why?

Buckle up, The Great Resignation is heading Australia's way

A regional cannery led the way with mandating the COVID vaccine, why aren't others following?

Cal Newport on a world without email

How to use music to focus, build teams and avoid burnout in lockdown

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