We've all had to work with 'that' difficult person that we just clash with. It's tense. It's stressful. And it's exhausting.

So, do we have to get along to do our best work? Or is it in our best interests to make peace and move on? And how can we best do that? The solutions might surprise you.

When we make a mistake or fail at work we might want the earth to open up and swallow us whole. But what makes a fail ‘right’ and how can we talk about it at work?

Amy Edmondson is a Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School. Renowned for her world-leading research into the concept of psychological safety, a crucible movement in the 1990s helped her understand our relationship with failure and how we can better embrace it at work.

In her new book Right Kind of Wrong, Amy explains the three archetypes of failure and which ones help us fail in the right way.

We know curiosity is good for us and our work, but few of us actually feel it day to day. So what’s causing this gap?

We find some answers and solutions so you can feel more curious in your work and career.

From loud chewing to breathing and keyboard tapping, many of you have your pet peeves when it comes to sounds at work that drive you to distraction.

But for some of you, it’s a disorder that can cause extreme reactions like anger, panic, and fear. It’s called misophonia and in this episode you’ll understand exactly what it is, how it impacts people at work and what you can do about it.

“If I can just get to Christmas, fall over the finishing line, it’ll all be fixed.”

Sounds about right, but unfortunately it’s not true.

In this episode we’re diving into why we’re feeling so tired, how it’s impacting our work and what we can do about it while avoiding the ‘Great November’ disease.

“Fiction seems to do something in our brains that nonfiction doesn't.”

What was the last book you read? And did you know it gave you something more than just some relaxing downtime?

It turns out that books, especially fiction, can develop key skills needed for our careers.

Book and short story recommendations mentioned:

• Poseidon, Franz Kafka
• The Helpline, Katherine Collette
• Out of Sheer Rage, Geoff Dyer

How do we go from wanting to do something to actually doing it, and doing it well?

According to Organisational Psychologist and Professor Adam Grant, we need to tap into our hidden potential and hone our character skills.

“I remember I wrote 500 words of my thesis on Christmas Day. I was really proud of that at the time.”

Dr Thomas Curran is bruised from the perfection trap but he slowly made his way out of it. But how did he do it?

He shares insights from his own experience, unpacks why perfectionism is on the rise, what it can look like at work, and how you can move away from perfectionist tendencies yourself.

They’re not creatures of the night, but creatures in every workplace.

Ever had a colleague that left you feeling drained of energy after a conversation? Or perhaps you’ve been feeling low in energy yourself and worried you might be the one sucking the fun out of the room?

Either way, we’re here to help. Learn how to identify the workplace energy vampire and arm yourself not with a garlic necklace but with some useful tools to help restore energy levels without drawing blood.

Why do our ‘old’ concepts of “High Performance Team” and "Peak Performance” need a rethink?

Recorded live at SXSW Sydney, we interrogate these concepts and why it can lead to burnout, brittleness and budget blowouts.

Ben and Aubrey share stories about their own burnout and the powerful role that values can play when it comes to our performance.