This Working Life

Have you ever turned up to work and thought...where is everyone?! Empty offices and flexible work is part of the reason why so many people are experiencing work loneliness, but it's not the whole picture.

We explore how organisations can diagnose work loneliness and build more connected workplaces. 

Guest:

Connie Noonan Hadley, organisational psychologist, Research Associate Professor, Boston University Questrom School of Business and Founder, Institute for Life at Work. 

And big thanks to "Jade" for sharing their experience of loneliness at work.

Lisa is joined by Panio Gianopolous, co-founder and editorial director of the Next Big Idea Club, as they each nominate three non-fiction books related to work that have changed the way they work and live. 

Tune in to Radio National’s Top 100 Books countdown, Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th October from 1pm. Or catch up anytime on the ABC Listen app.

Panio’s picks:

The Work of Art: How Something Comes from Nothing by Adam Moss  

Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport 

Grit: Passion, Perseverance, and the Science of Success by Angela Duckworth 

Lisa’s picks:

The Design of Everyday Things, Don Norman 

Improv Wisdom, Patricia Ryan Madson 

The Art of Possibility, Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander 

Extra pick: 

Atomic Habits, James Clear 

How can reorganisations, restructures and redundancies be managed in a way that works for everyone?

With obligations to manage psychosocial hazards now front of mind, this process has never been more important. 

Guests:

Melinda Bell, partner at Norton Rose Fulbright in Melbourne 

Leonie Green, founder and consultant, Conscious Workplace

Also check out our related episode Your role is being made redundant, now what?

There are lessons you can take from the careers of David Bowie and Oprah about identity and authenticity.

Being “authentic” in your life and career is something we’re told to aspire to. But can that be taken too far?

Dr Tomas, Chamorro- Premuzic, Professor of Business Psychology at University College London and Columbia University, author, Don’t Be Yourself: Why Authenticity is overrated and what to do instead  

Julianna Pillemer, Assistant Professor of Management and Organisations, NYU Stern School of Business 

Need help organising your desk or kitchen table workspace? Get decluttering tips that will help clear your mind and your home. 

Guest:

Amy Revell, decluttering expert 

For more on the psychology of decluttering, check out the All In the Mind episode, Is clutter making you feel bad? 

When you validate someone, it shows that you’re there, you get it and you care, even if you don't agree with their point of view.

Learn the difference between validation and praise, and how you can use the former to strengthen relationships and build influence at work. 

Guest:

Dr Caroline Fleck, licensed psychologist, corporate consultant and author, Validation: The New Psychology of Influence 

Whether you approve of it or not, research shows gossip does have value within organisations, especially when it’s used positively.  

Learn how you can harness gossip to improve relationships and communication with colleagues. 

Guests:

Amy Gallo, workplace expert and contributing editor, Harvard Business Review. Author, Getting Along: how to work with anyone

James Greenslade-Yeats, Research Fellow in Management, Auckland University of Technology 

Learn how to build co-operation rather than war, between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers.

Instead of leaning on stereotypes, there are ways to work to the strengths of people in teams that include multiple generations.  

Guests:

Megan Gerhardt, Professor at Farmer School of Business, Miami University and co-author of Gentelligence

Florence Potter, founding director, No umbrellas

We've reached the one year anniversary of the right to disconnect regulations, which now also apply to small businesses. 

What are the challenges of managing this change to the ways we contact each other outside of work hours, and how is it impacting work life balance? 

Guests: 

Anna Volkova, People and Culture leader, Hi Bob 

Matthew Addison, Chair, Council of Small Business of Australia (COSBOA) 

Lisa Heap, senior researcher and labour lawyer, Centre for Future Work, Australia Insitute 

And thanks to Jeromine Alpe from Corporate Diversity Pathways for sharing her tips for small businesses 

More information for small businesses navigating the right to disconnect can be found at www.smallbusinesspeak.org.au

Soon more people will be leaving the workforce than joining it, but most organisations don't encourage older workers to stay on and thrive.

Experts say redesigning work to retain mature-age workers across the life cycle is part of the solution to Australia’s ageing population and productivity challenges. 

We explore how planning for "longevity work" across the career cycle, can help eliminate bias and ageism well before workers hit retirement age.

Guests:

Daniela Andrei, Associate Professor in the School of Management and Marketing at Curtin University, Associate Investigator with CEPAR Stream 3, Organisations and the Mature Workforce  

Chris Eaton, General manager, People and Culture, Chobani 

And thanks to contributors: 

Julian Williams, Maturious, a talent platform for hidden mature age talent 

Alison Hernandez, co-founder, Recreate100 

Michele Lemmens, longevity work advocate, strategic innovation expert