This Working Life

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

Do you have trouble focussing on a work task because of distraction, especially by the endless pings and dings of your phone and computer? You are not alone.

We find out how to turn the secrets behind habit-forming products like your mobile phone, and social media apps to your advantage to make you “indistractable” at work. 

The man who actually wrote the book on what is happening psychologically with those “pings and dings”, former Stanford lecturer and behavioural design expert Nir Eyal shares his antidotes. 

Nir’s insights include:

*The real reason you get distracted (hint: it isn’t about the tech).

*Why you should step away from your To Do list.*How to time box your calendar*How the company Slack ensures that their workers aren’t distracted by...Slack!

Nir Ayal, author of Indistractable and Hooked: how to build habit forming products.

And hear Nir's "hack backs" for email, group chat and meeting on The Bonus.

Producer: Maria Tickle

The Bonus is our little offering of hump-day help to get you through these trying times at work.

Routines and rituals boost productivity and wellbeing - but how? We explore why we need routines and rituals, how to create your own and how they can improve your work ethic, output and satisfaction.

GUESTS:

Dr Sean O’Connor, Director of Sydney University’s Coaching Psychology Unit Casper ter Kuile, Harvard Divinity School fellow and author of The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices

With thanks to: 

Kate Christie, time management expert

Steph Clarke, podcaster

Susie Hopkins, TWL listener

Producer: Zoe Ferguson

Melbourne is again in lockdown - many businesses who just weeks ago opened their doors have been forced to close, again. First time around, this was tough, but what challenges will this second round bring - and what can they do to cope?

Clinical psychologist Professor Kim Felmingham specialises in traumatic grief and she suggests a lot of what we feel as we go through this crisis, is actually grief.

What to eat, how to move for peak brain power.

We dig into what science says about what to feed your brain and how to move your body in order to perform at your best at work in these stressful times.You'll hear:* The good oil on the good fats and how NOT to cook with them. * Are supplements useful additions to our diet or just expensive wee?* Coffee, yay or nay?* And the best way to exercise to increase focus and creativity at work. This one may surprise you, it surprised the researchers!

GUESTS:Dr Delia McCabe, is a nutritional neuroscientist [and luckily she shares my obsession] - Delia has researched how what we eat affects our brains and her book is Feed Your Brain.

Dr John Ratey, is a psychiatrist and Clinical Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, who has studied the effect of exercise on the brain for more than 40 years.

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Producer: Maria Tickle

Sporty's 60-day fitness challenge.

Many of us are doing it tough at work at the moment so let's take a minute to learn from those who have gone before. This week's show was all about burnout at work and we wanted you to hear a little more of Marie-Cecile Godwin's story because there is a lot we can all learn from her experience of coming back after burnout.

GUEST: UX designer Marie-Cecile Godwin.

Producer: Maria Tickle

If this episode has raised any issues for you the number for Lifeline is 13114