This Working Life

900,000 people read Alex Reiff's searingly honest account of how he felt when he lost his job. Much to his amazement the searingly honest LinkedIn post in which he shared his fear and uncertanties quickly went viral.

This Indianapolis sales executive’s experience of loss is being repeated globally. Around 700, 000 Australians, across a multitude of industries, have lost their jobs due to the fallout from the pandemic. 

Now the word “unprecedented” has been bandied around a lot, but this kind of mass layoff hasn’t happened in this country since the “recession we had to have” in the early 90s. For many, losing their job will be not only an economic crisis but a psychological one.

Alex Reiff, full-time dad 

Aliya Rao, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Singapore Management University author of forthcoming book Crunch Time: how married couples confront unemployment.

Janna Koretz , clinical psychologist specialising in mental health challenges associated with high pressure careers, founder of Azimuth Psychological in Boston.

Deirdre Dowling, freelance classical musician, based in Paris, now back in Australia due to the pandemic.

Silvia Regos, business growth advisor and coach who made a major transition in her career two years ago.

Producer: Maria Tickle

Identify the gifts in your struggles to help you lead through chaos: That's the message of Bobby Herrera, co-founder and CEO of Populus Group, one of the fastest growing HR Services companies in the US.

No stranger to struggle, Bobby is one of 13 children and his family immigrated from Mexico to the US in the 60s with little to their name.

He shares his powerful stories of struggle and how what he has learn has helped him lead his company through four recessions.

And he also talks about the current struggle - including how he leads through VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity).

Then self-professed introvert and author of Quietly Powerful, Megumi Miki, turns the microphone on extreme extrovert, Lisa Leong to hear how she is coping with working in ISO. And it's not been pretty.

PPT (paid pajama time), WFH -  whatever you want to call it - for many of us, it’s the first time we’ve been forced to work outside the office environment. 

So, how might we best navigate remote work - and keep our jobs and minds intact?

Mark Mortensen is Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour at INSEAD Business school. He’s been researching virtual working for 20 years and he walks us through what he’s learnt about remote collaboration and team dynamics.

And to raise the bar even higher, if you have school-aged children in Victoria, you may be experiencing a rising tide of tension in your home as your kids log in to remote learn. And other states, listen up 'cause you may be next!

As executive general manager of marketing and sales for MYOB and mother to three kids, Natalie Feehan has navigated an integrated work life for a long time. She shares what’s worked and hasn’t in this brave new world where school, home and work collide. Just don’t mention the cake.

How well do you listen to people at work? No, stop and think - how well do you really listen, not just wait for your turn to talk or be distracted by the chatter in your head: "Wish he would hurry the hell up!" or "Here she goes pushing that agenda again, now I will be late for the gym."

Executive coach Oscar Trimboli and author calls it deep listening and he says it involves not just listening to the content but also the meaning, context and most importantly, the unsaid. And it can change your life and your career.

And if you are struggling a little in finding your mojo after being suddenly thrust into WFH, organisational psychologist, podcaster and founder of Inventium, Amantha Imber, shares her science-based tips on how to better structure your day to get stuff done.

Oscar's book: Deep Listening - Impact Beyond Words.

Deep listening quiz

Producer: Maria Tickle

This is make or break time for leaders. So how should our bosses be communicating with us and what should they be saying, and NOT saying in this, the biggest global crisis of our time?

A few leaders have stood out from the pack: leadership expert Dr Kirstin Ferguson breaks down what has made their leadership exceptional and what we can learn from it; and communications specialist Jayne Dullard steers leaders in what to say, how to say it and when. And that time, she says, is now. GUESTS

Dr Kirstin Ferguson,  leadership expert, member of multiple boards and deputy chair of the ABC, co-author of Women Kind.

Jayne Dullard, communications specialist who has worked extensively in crisis communications.

FURTHER INFORMATION:Jacinda Adern’s Facebook post: https://bit.ly/2UXfV4H

Arne Sorenson’s LinkedIn post: https://bit.ly/2UEmA51

PRODUCER: Maria Tickle

By consciously naming and understanding our grief around the myriad losses the COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it, we can move through it.Professor Kim Felmingham, clinical psychologist from the University of Melbourne shares how to deal with the collective grief that is accompanying mass layoffs, change and job uncertainty.And then Colin James, business coach, facilitator and remote meeting guru gives us some guidance on taking the pain out of video conference meetings.

Both divorces and births are predicted to rise this year thanks to coronavirus-induced isolation. Many people have been thrust into remote working alongside their partners for the first time. So how can you immunise your relationship? Jennifer Petriglieri, is a professor of organisational behaviour at INSEAD Business School and author of Couples That Work. She guides us through best practice for co-working couples. We also hear how to handle rising anxiety in your staff and work colleagues from organisational psychologist Dr Laura Kirby and CEO and founder of digital agency Versa, Kath Blackham.

Hear a longer interview with Jennifer Petriglieri on the career contracts all couples should have and if you are feeling a bit stir crazy pop on the lycra and leg warmers to exercise at home with Sporty's Amanda Smith.

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.

We separate fact from fiction when it comes to prepping for the coronavirus at work. 

Norway, Iceland and Germany have cracked the code in terms some of the world's biggest work problems, so what can we learn from them?

Policy adviser Andrew Wear travelled the globe meeting local experts to try to understand what has worked - from reducing gender inequality and raising living standards to keeping manufacturing alive, each country had a tale to tell. And we hear how we can apply those lessons here in Australia.

Andrew's book is called Solved!

And people management expert Karen Gately, confronts the dos and don’ts when dealing with the thorny issue of conflict at work.

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Producer: Maria Tickle