Where Work Meets Life™ with Dr. Laura

Dr. Laura explores more on the subject of toxic bosses, a topic she is passionate about researching for the benefit of people suffering under one. In this episode, she explains some of the defining and brutal behaviors of a toxic boss. Since a toxic boss can be anyone from a first-time manager to a CEO, it’s the psychological and physical health damage they cause to people working under them that makes them toxic. Understanding their behavior will help people to identify a toxic boss and, ideally, leave their sphere of control.

There are fourteen categories of behaviors that Dr. Laura and her research assistant, Renee Pye, have learned through their study. Toxic bosses have many different ways of presenting themselves. Dr. Laura addresses three types of behavior in detail today: 1. Control and micromanagement, 2. Power dynamics and favoritism, and 3. Self-serving and exploitative behavior. She describes each set of behaviors in detail, addressing how the toxic boss comes across and the damage they inflict. The more information Dr. Laura uncovers and shares about toxic bosses, the sooner people struggling under them can see warning signs and get help to navigate the situation.

“The only way to know if a leader is a great leader, a mediocre leader, or a toxic leader, is to find out from the people that report to him or her. So with that said, I think that whether the leader is controlling and micromanaging, whether they're creating power dynamics and divides in their team, or whether they're self-serving and exploiting others, all of these things are brutal behaviors and are causing a lot of harm to people.”  Dr. Laura

About Dr. Laura:

Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett is a work and career psychologist and thought leader on the evolution of work. She has always been fascinated by how work intersects with life and loves to use her expertise to improve organizations and help people thrive. Her passion for taking creative ideas and launching them into successful business strategies led her to start three counselling psychology practices (Calgary Career Counselling, Canada Career Counselling, and Synthesis Psychology), as well as six different business brands offering organizational assessment and consulting services.

Dr. Laura is honoured to have been selected as a Woman of Distinction in Canada in 2014 and received a Canadian Woman of Inspiration Award as a Global Influencer in 2018.

Resources:

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

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Dr. Laura welcomes special guest Erin Diehl to the show to talk about radical empathy and Erin’s new book “I See You!: A Leader’s Guide to Energizing Your Team Through Radical Empathy”. Erin Diehl is a Business Improv Edutainer, author, and keynote speaker who hosts the improve it! podcast. Dr. Laura and Erin talk about Erin’s recent journey of self-exploration and why she was called to write her book after emerging from an oppressive hustle mentality.

Erin understands how people get to a place of being overloaded, stressed, burnt out, and feeling like they don’t matter. Her desire through the book and her work is to help people, including leaders, give to themselves and take moments of self-reflection. She shares her journey through struggles with infertility and the physical pain that came from overwork. Erin’s story of how she decluttered her life, found her purpose, and claimed inner peace is inspiring. The revelations and discoveries in her book are for everyone to apply to their own lives, especially those in management positions so toxic leadership can be replaced by leaders who are empathetic and supportive.

“And it's so crazy how our thoughts really affect every cell in our body. And I'll tell you this, I didn't heal, I had chronic back pain, like shoulder pain and back pain that was so tight... I would literally cry myself to sleep at night because I was just so frustrated. … I took every ergonomic chair on Amazon into my office. I tried all the things, all the pillows, and went to all the doctors. And no one could say what was wrong. And I finally realized it was just my own mental emotions and my own thoughts that were really stagnating me. And I had not dealt with a lot of things.” Erin Diehl

About Erin Diehl:

Erin “Big” Diehl is a Business Improv Edutainer, Failfluencer, and Professional Zoombie. Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn, play, and grow. Among her many accolades, Erin is most proud of successfully coercing over 30,000 professionals to chicken dance.

Erin Diehl is a graduate of Clemson University, and a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater and The Annoyance Theatre.

Erin has spoken on global stages both virtually and in person - with companies like Uber Freight, Walgreens, Motorola, LinkedIn and The Obama Foundation (to name a few)! She is a member of The Chicago Innovation Awards Women’s Cohort and a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program. She is also the proud host of a Top 1% Global Podcast, The improve it! Podcast, which you can find anywhere you listen to pods!

When she's not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys walking on the beach with her husband, son, and eight-pound toy poodle, BIGG DIEHL.

Resources:

Website: LearnToImproveIt.com

The improve it! Podcast

Erin Diehl on Instagram

“I See You!: A Leader’s Guide to Energizing Your Team Through Radical Empathy” by Erin Diehl

Marie Kondo

“When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress” by Gabor Maté MD

Bestseller Masterclass with Gabby Bernstein

“The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Laura is pleased to welcome special guest Dr. Bill Howatt to the show to talk about mental health in the workplace and the myths surrounding it. Bill Howatt is the Founder of Howatt Human Resources Consulting and an international expert in workplace psychology and psychological health and safety. His newest book, out of 60 written throughout his career, is titled No Regrets and focuses on the very issue of workplace mental health and what can be done about it.

Dr. Howatt describes how the pandemic inspired his latest book, No Regrets, by detailing how he noticed people languishing instead of flourishing and realized that we have never really been taught how to deal with the unpleasant emotions that are part of existence. His book is a strategy of sorts to help people move through unpleasant emotions and work on their mental fitness. Dr. Laura and Dr. Howatt explore why the quick band-aid fixes of pop-up wellness programs in workplaces are not addressing the underlying mental health crisis and what leaders should be doing instead. The conversation covers a lot of ground and brings fundamental issues to light, providing a roadmap for improvement.

“Mental health literacy in our country, we haven't really gotten sophisticated yet in this conversation where we confuse mental illness with mental health. So mental illness is a functional impairment very much like being deaf and it impacts your potential to function to your potential. Where mental health is different. It's basically how we are actually seeing the world and experiencing the world through our emotions.” Dr. Bill Howatt

About Dr. Bill Howatt:

Dr. Bill Howatt is the founder of Howatt Human Resources Consulting and an international expert in Workplace Psychological Health and Safety. 

He is a highly sought-after speaker on leadership, mental fitness, and creating inclusive, psychologically healthy and safe workplaces. A behavioural scientist, he is passionate about supporting employees and leaders to create thriving workplaces. 

Dr. Bill’s 30-plus years of professional experience includes providing services in clinical mental health, teaching courses for colleges and universities, being a committee chair, and filling various senior leadership roles in Canada and the United States, including the Wall Street financial district. His firm provides HR consulting globally, focusing on employees’ psychological safety. 

Dr. Bill has published over 60 books and 600 articles and regularly contributes to workplace mental health research like WSPS Moving to Action: Implementing Workplace Safety and Prevention Services’ Mental Harm Prevention Roadmap and Boston Consulting Group’s recent study, The Next Frontier of Workplace Culture, viewed by over 30 million readers. 

He is the founder of www.MFIQinc.com and creator of the University New Brunswick’s Certificate of Completion in Psychologically Safe Leadership. He publishes a weekly workplace mental health newsletter for leaders and workers called Exploring Workplace Mental Health. 

Resources:

Website: BillHowatt.com

LinkedIn

“No Regrets: How to Live Today for Tomorrow’s Emotional Well-Being” by Dr. Bill Howatt

“Navigating Workplace Wellness Programs in the Age of Technology and Big Data” by Hannah-Kaye Fleming for the ‘Journal of Science Policy & Governance’

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Sponsor For This Podcast:

This episode is brought to you by The improve it! Podcast with Erin Diehl, a top 1% global podcast.

Are you ready to transform your life through laughter, lifelong learning, and a little bit of improv magic?

Well, get ready because The improve it! Podcast with Erin Diehl is here to add a dose of playfulness to your Wednesdays. Erin sits down with personal and professional development gurus to explore the pesky and beautiful aspects of life. They dive deep into the things that make us tick, laugh, and sometimes even cringe. 

You can find The improve it! Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or learntoimproveit.com. Subscribe today!

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Laura welcomes best-selling author, speaker, consultant, and president of Careerstone Group, Mary Abbajay, to the show to talk about her book Managing Up: How to Move Up, Win at Work, and Succeed with Any Type of Boss. Through Careerstone Group, Mary offers different organizational and leadership solutions for businesses and government. Her vast experience with all types of bosses, which her book focuses on, compliments Dr. Laura’s research into the toxic ones.

Mary speaks to how the relationship with one’s boss needs to be managed and requires effort to be productive. Through her work, she hears a lot of complaining from both sides without evidence that there’s enough attention put towards creating a positive relationship. Mary and Dr. Laura discuss the differences between sucking up and managing up, the positive reactions from bosses and managers to her book, why HR may not be the best place to get help for dealing with a toxic boss, and how to handle toxic management in the workplace. This conversation is filled with real insight from Mary’s experience dealing with all manner of leadership. 

“But managing up the way I see it is about not managing the person, but managing that relationship. It's like taking that power differential and turning it on its side, because in a relationship we all have agency, right? We all have advocacy. And so managing up is about making a concerted and intentional, sometimes a strategic effort to build a productive and positive working relationship so that you can succeed.” Mary Abbajay

About Mary Abbajay:

Mary Abbajay, author of the best-selling, award-winning Managing Up: How to Move Up, Win at Work, and Succeed with Any Type of Boss is the president of Careerstone Group, LLC, a full-service organizational and leadership development consultancy that delivers leading-edge talent and organizational development solutions to business and government. As a sought-after author, speaker, consultant, and trainer, Mary helps clients develop the strategies, skills and sensibilities needed for success in the 21st century. Mary is the co-host of the weekly workplace advice podcast, Cubicle Confidential, and is a highly-rated LinkedIn Learning instructor. As a frequent expert contributor for television, radio, and print publications Mary provides practical leadership and career guidance. Her work and advice have appeared in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Huffington Post, Money Magazine, Southwest Airlines Magazine, CNN.com, Monster, CNBC, and the BBC. 

Resources:

Website: CareerstoneGroup.com | ManagingUpTheBook.com

Mary Abbajay on Instagram

Mary Abbajay on LinkedIn

Mary Abbajay on YouTube
Podcast: Cubicle Confidential

“Managing up: How to Move Up, Win at Work, and Succeed with Any Type of Boss” by Mary Abbajay

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Sponsor For This Podcast:

This episode is brought to you by The improve it! Podcast with Erin Diehl, a top 1% global podcast.

Are you ready to transform your life through laughter, lifelong learning, and a little bit of improv magic?

Well, get ready because The improve it! Podcast with Erin Diehl is here to add a dose of playfulness to your Wednesdays. Erin sits down with personal and professional development gurus to explore the pesky and beautiful aspects of life. They dive deep into the things that make us tick, laugh, and sometimes even cringe. 

You can find The improve it! Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or learntoimproveit.com. Subscribe today!

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Laura explains more about toxic bosses and what they do in this episode. Toxic bosses can be at any level in an organization, from a supervisor up to the CEO, and they impact people negatively through harmful behavioural patterns. How do they impart the damage they do? And how can you identify not only their toxic behaviour but when it’s time to get out? Dr. Laura draws on her own experiences and her professional expertise to offer guidance.

Toxic bosses can do damage in a myriad of ways, including abusive supervision, extreme narcissism, gaslighting, and eroding your confidence. They are not leaders because leaders inspire and motivate, the opposite of a toxic boss. Dr. Laura shares the story of a friend currently engaged in a court battle against a toxic boss who tried to derail her career. How do you identify the behaviour and know it’s not you at fault but your toxic boss? And when should you consider leaving the job? Dr. Laura offers insight into what to look for and the things to consider when looking at leaving. Above all, she empathizes with anyone currently suffering under a toxic boss.

“And you may be suffering under a toxic boss or one of your loved ones might be. And what happens is you start to see all these impacts on the person. They're dreading going to the office on a Monday. They are increasingly not sleeping well. And when you're not sleeping well, that impacts everything! That impacts your ability to think clearly, that impacts your emotionality and your reactivity to things. It really does a lot of damage.”  Dr. Laura

About Dr. Laura:

Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett is a work and career psychologist and thought leader on the evolution of work. She has always been fascinated by how work intersects with life and loves to use her expertise to improve organizations and help people thrive. Her passion for taking creative ideas and launching them into successful business strategies led her to start three counselling psychology practices (Calgary Career Counselling, Canada Career Counselling, and Synthesis Psychology), as well as six different business brands offering organizational assessment and consulting services.

Dr. Laura is honoured to have been selected as a Woman of Distinction in Canada in 2014 and received a Canadian Woman of Inspiration Award as a Global Influencer in 2018.

Resources:

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Sponsor For This Podcast:

This episode is brought to you by The improve it! Podcast with Erin Diehl, a top 1% global podcast.

Are you ready to transform your life through laughter, lifelong learning, and a little bit of improv magic?

Well, get ready because The improve it! Podcast with Erin Diehl is here to add a dose of playfulness to your Wednesdays. Erin sits down with personal and professional development gurus to explore the pesky and beautiful aspects of life. They dive deep into the things that make us tick, laugh, and sometimes even cringe. 

You can find The improve it! Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or learntoimproveit.com. Subscribe today!

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Dr. Laura branches away from the specific subject of career fulfillment and speaks with her guest, country music star George Canyon, about spirituality and servanthood. George Canyon has recently released his memoir, My Country, and the book reveals the challenges and adventures he’s faced, his determination to help others dealing with Type One diabetes, and the faith that keeps him going.

George tells Dr. Laura that though his book is full of vulnerability and authenticity, he shied away from relating negative stories. He chooses positivity wherever he can because, as he says, “nobody needs to read more negativity”. The conversation delves into the challenges his teenage diagnosis of Type One diabetes brought him, how hard he worked to succeed in the music industry, and his spirituality and faith in The Creator that drives him day to day. It’s a more spiritual conversation than is usually had with Dr. Laura’s guests but it’s not tied to any specific religion and it’s a conversation full of hope that everyone can benefit from. 

“... we're humans, we put titles to everything - everybody has to title something, I don't know why. It's just, I guess, to make us feel more safe and conformed. Church, the title church, is a community. It's a community of people. The original churches were held in people's homes. It wasn't a big building you went to with four walls. It was a home where you got together to talk about your faith, to talk about what the Creator's done for you, to encourage each other, to pick each other up, not to be judgmental and condemn each other.” George Canyon

About George Canyon:

George Canyon rose to become one of Canada’s hottest Country Music stars in the early 2000s and has won countless accolades and awards, including Juno Awards, CCMA Awards, and ECMA Awards to name a few. He has been inducted into the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame, recorded 12 albums, and was recently presented a certified Platinum Award for his debut album ‘One Good Friend’. With country hits like Just Like You, I Believe in Angels, Drinkin’ Thinkin’, Daughters of the Sun, I Got This, I Want You To Live, Slow Dance and many, many more. He is also a highly regarded humanitarian, a strong supporter of the military, and, most importantly, a proud father and devoted husband.

Over the years George has also had the privilege of collaborating with fellow talents, a prime example being when he joined forces with multi-platinum pop and rock icon Richard Marx to produce two albums, 2008’s ‘What I Do’ and 2011’s ‘Better Be Home Soon’, the latter of which featured When Love Is All You Got, written for George by Marx and the legendary Kenny Rogers. ‘What I Do’ was an enormous success, going Certified Gold during the first three weeks of release.

George is so much more than an award-winning musical talent. Helping others has always been a huge priority for him, particularly for children with Diabetes and his work as a spokesperson for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).  It’s a cause close to Canyon’s heart, starting from when he himself was diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes at the age of 14. 

In addition to his work with JDRF, George is an ardent supporter of our military, having performed many times for troops overseas and even releasing a moving tribute with the single I Want You to Live, which touches on the very heartbreaking fact that in fighting for our country, some of our troops won’t make it back home. The music video for the single features several real soldiers talking about their lives and careers, putting faces to the group of people working to make our country safe.

Among his many identities, Canyon is also a proud Canadian and huge hockey fan, and roots for his team, the Calgary Flames, for which he just completed his 8th season singing the national anthem during the home games.

Resources:

Website: GeorgeCanyon.com

“My Country” by George Canyon

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Gerald Auger on Instagram

Episode 54 | Special Episode on the LiLoHia Project: with guests Gerald Auger and Sass Jordan

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Laura welcomes Joe O’Connor, co-founder of the Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence, to the show to continue exploring the topic of the 4-day workweek. Joe originally served as CEO of 4 Day Week Global, the company co-founded by the last episode’s guest, Andrew Barnes. Joe and Dr. Laura explore the 4-Day workweek in great detail, examining both myths and truths about the four-day week and looking at the future of this global movement.

Joe O’Connor points out that the adoption of the five-day workweek and eight-hour workday over a century ago was driven by major technological advancements.  Yet more recent technology, such as the internet, email, and digital communication, haven’t shifted that structure despite gains in productivity. Joe and Dr. Laura discuss significant research that supports shifting to a 4-day workweek and Joe dispels common myths that prevent companies from considering the change. Joe addresses the flexibility of this possible structure, trusting and empowering employees, and why company leaders need to course correct in order for the change to work. Their conversation provides yet more eye-opening evidence that points to variations of the 4-day workweek as a compelling choice for the future of workplace productivity and wellbeing.

“... we often advise leaders that are looking at this to think about it in terms of by the time you push the button to move to a shorter workweek, so by the time your trial starts or you've introduced the policy, you really want to have figured out to a pretty significant extent what are the things that we need to change in order to make this work operationally. You don't want to be doing those things after you've already started the trial. You don't want to be figuring it out, kind of building the aircraft while it's in flight.”  Joe O’Connor

About Joe O’Connor:

Joe is CEO and co-founder of the Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence, a consulting and research organization based in Toronto, which specializes in shorter workweek models and reduced-hour, outcome-focused working. Internationally acclaimed as one of the leading experts on the shorter workweek, Joe developed the world’s first pilot program for the four-day workweek in Ireland at the onset of the pandemic in 2020. In collaboration with Boston College and University College Dublin, he codesigned a pioneering research project to measure the impact of the pilot. As CEO of 4 Day Week Global throughout 2020 and 2021, he expanded this model to lead the large-scale, heavily publicized trials of the four-day week in the UK, North America, and Australia. In this role, he supported hundreds of organizations and thousands of employees to shorten their work hours and optimize their productivity. Joe also led a research project on work-time reduction as a visiting research scholar at Cornell University.

Resources:

Website: WorkTimeReduction.com

Joe O’Connor on LinkedIn

Joe O’Connor’s 2023 reading list

4-Day Workweek joint research study by Josh Bersin Company with The Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence

“Work-Life Bloom” by Dan Pontefract

“Irresistible” by Josh Bersin

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Sponsor For This Podcast:

This episode is brought to you by The improve it! Podcast with Erin Diehl, a top 1% global podcast.

Are you ready to transform your life through laughter, lifelong learning, and a little bit of improv magic?

Well, get ready because The improve it! Podcast with Erin Diehl is here to add a dose of playfulness to your Wednesdays. Erin sits down with personal and professional development gurus to explore the pesky and beautiful aspects of life. They dive deep into the things that make us tick, laugh, and sometimes even cringe. 

You can find The improve it! Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or learntoimproveit.com. Subscribe today!

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Laura welcomes author, entrepreneur, and pioneer of the 4 day week movement, Andrew Barnes, to the show to examine the benefits of his innovative 4 day work week movement. Andrew explains why he originally piloted a 4 day week and how that led to a global research program involving academics from leading universities. Would this benefit us? And in what ways would we realize that benefit?

Dr. Laura’s conversation with Andrew Barnes starts with the big question: how can fewer days lead to more productivity? Andrew first defines what productivity is before diving into how the 4 day week can change our work-life wellness. It’s clear from the statistics and research Andrew shares that the 4 day week is a viable alternative companies should be considering. Rather than reducing one’s pay to 80%, people are paid their full-time salary but complete their work over 4 instead of 5 days. This reduced workweek increases productivity and efficiency, leading us to have more control over our time,  in turn improving our health and wellness. Dr. Laura and Andrew Barnes have a compelling discussion that will change the way we perceive work structure.

“So one of the most interesting pieces of research that we run is when we've had people on a four day week, and at the end of the pilot we ask them: how much do I have to pay you to go back to five days from four days? And about 15% say you just physically can't pay me enough, just not doing it. About another 15% will need a 75% pay rise. And then, you know, a large chunk of them are going to need about 50%. So what that says is that an employee values the time off at a higher price than you are actually paying for it.” Andrew Barnes

About Andrew Barnes:

Entrepreneur Andrew Barnes has made a career of market-changing innovation and industry digitisation leading and transforming companies in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. In 2018, he made international headlines across the world with an idea that he believed would raise productivity in the workplace, while also contributing to the personal wellbeing of his staff – a 4 day work week. Through his company – New Zealand's largest corporate trustee company, Perpetual Guardian – Andrew announced a 4 day week trial, with staff receiving an extra day off work, on full pay, each week. The trial was an undeniable success, sparking widespread international interest and winning a number of global awards. 

Today, Barnes is considered the pioneer and architect of the global 4 day week movement. As co-founder of 4 Day Week Global with his partner, Charlotte Lockhart, they are conducting the largest ever trials, currently taking place across the UK, US, Canada, South Africa, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. More than 250 companies around the world with over 100,000 staff are taking part in the trials to change their workplaces combined with a global research programme involving academics from leading universities including Boston College, Cambridge, Oxford and many more. 

Additionally, in the last 4 years Andrew has worked with companies such as Unilever and has been part of the advisory process for close to a dozen country and regional governments who are all effecting change to the way their populations will work now and in the future. Recently he was recognised Introducing The Forbes Future Of Work 50 as a leader in workplace innovation. 

Andrew and Charlotte’s vision is to provide a community environment for companies, researchers/academics and interested parties to be able to connect and advance this idea as part of the future of work. Through this work he is on the advisory boards of both the US and Ireland 4 day week campaigns and the board of the newly created Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford University and is a founding member of the World Wellbeing Movement.

In 2019 he wrote The 4 Day Week book, as a how to guide for companies trying to reduce work hours and increase productivity.

Resources:

Website: 4DayWeek.com

Andrew Barnes on LinkedIn

“The 4 Day Week” by Andrew Barnes with Stephanie Jones

“The Worst Journey in the World” by Apsley Cherry-Garrard

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Laura talks with guest Sterling Hawkins, a keynote speaker and the author of “Hunting Discomfort”, about the possibilities inherent in working through our discomfort. Sterling shares a bit of his story, which started with amazing opportunities, and then plunged him into the depths of discomfort. He reveals how much he learned from that experience.

One of the things that spurred Sterling out of his ultimate low point was something his mother said, “the way out is through”. That piece of advice inspired him to move through the uncomfortable, the painful, and the embarrassment to get to the other side where things improve. Sterling took that advice, and all the experiences he pushed himself into after it, and channelled it into his book, “Hunting Discomfort”. He and Dr. Laura break down the five types of discomfort people experience and discuss how they can be used to one’s advantage. This episode is a look at how resilient we can be if we choose to embrace discomfort and push through it. It’s a key lesson with a success rate Sterling can personally attest to. 

“...sometimes people hear ‘hunting discomfort’ or conversations about discomfort and they're like, Sterling, look at my career, my relationships, my bank account. I don't need to hunt discomfort, I'm surrounded by it. But my answer is always the same, which is if you're surrounded by discomfort, you're not hunting it, you're living with it, you're placating it. You're rationalizing why you have to live with those things in your life. When I'm talking about hunting discomfort, I'm talking about getting to the source, the root of what's driving that discomfort, and freeing yourself from that place that leaves you forever and permanently free.” Sterling Hawkins

About Sterling Hawkins:

Sterling Hawkins is out to break the status quo. He believes that we can all unlock incredible potential within ourselves, and he’s on a mission to support people, businesses and communities to realize that potential regardless of the circumstances.

From a multi-billion dollar startup to collapse and coming back to launch, invest in and grow over 50 companies, Sterling takes that experience to work with C-level teams from some of the largest organizations on the planet and speaks on stages around the world. 

Today, Sterling serves as CEO and founder of the Sterling Hawkins Group, a research, training and development company focused on human and organizational growth. He has been seen in publications like Inc. Magazine, Fast Company, The New York Times and Forbes. 

Based in Colorado, Sterling is a proud uncle of four and a passionate adventurer who can often be found skydiving, climbing mountains, shark diving or even trekking the Sahara. Maybe you’ll even join him for the next adventure – and discover the breakthrough results you’re looking for. He’ll have your back, #NoMatterWhat.

Resources:

Website: SterlingHawkins.com

Book: “Hunting Discomfort: How to Get Breakthrough Results in Life and Business No Matter What” by Sterling Hawkins

Sterling Hawkins on LinkedIn

“The Presence Process” by Michael Brown

Huberman Lab Podcast

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a companion episode to Dr. Laura’s last episode on burnout (E73), she addresses what we need to know to identify and treat our burnout. Rather than talking to workplaces about how to prevent burnout in employees, this episode is all about us as individuals. What does burnout look like? What contributes to it? And what can we do about it? How do we help ourselves?

Dr. Laura first defines burnout as “a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress” which means that personal and relationship stress, though impacting burnout, do not define the syndrome. She explains that mental health is on a continuum on which four main stages of depletion exist. We start off Healthy, move into Reacting, then if our needs are not addressed we enter into the Injured stage until, finally, we are deeply unwell in Illness. Each of these stages of burnout comes with increased mental and physical symptoms that must be recognized. Dr. Laura shares her insight on how we start to feel, the things we start to give up, and the ways in which we become ill. She explains how we need our work lives to foster our mental wellness so we can avoid burnout and mental illness in general.

“I want to leave you with the fact that there is a way to address burnout once it happens, once you reach that end stage of burnout and you just feel a lack of energy, cynical, like you're not good enough, there is a way to get well again. And that burnout is not your fault. Oftentimes it's the organizational conditions you're in. It's the overload. It's the brutal boss that you're working for. It's the unhealthy team dynamics that are grating and wearing away at you. So it's not your fault, but you have the power to get the help you need.” Dr. Laura

Note: If you wish to see the images Dr. Laura references, this episode can also be found on her YouTube channel here.

About Dr. Laura:

Bringing nearly 25 years of expertise as an Industrial/Organizational and Career Psychologist and pioneer in the future of work, Dr. Laura helps organizations evolve their cultures, and leaders and employees to thrive in their work and lives.

She shares her expertise through keynote speaking, the Where Work Meets LifeTM podcast, strategic career coaching, and writing articles and books.

Resources:

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

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