Working Conversations

Episode 104: What To Do When Employees Abuse Unlimited PTO

In order to remain competitive in recruiting and retaining the best talent, companies have turned to increasingly attractive employee benefits. One of those is unlimited paid time off or PTO. It provides several of the things that so many job candidates are looking for these days: flexibility and work-life balance. How does unlimited PTO work and even more interestingly, what happens when unlimited PTO gets abused by employees? In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson explores unlimited PTO in-depth and offers specific advice on how to handle situations when unlimited PTO – or any other attractive employee benefit – is being abused.

Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/104

Episode 103: Why Some People are Slow to Change

Why is it that some people are eager to change or try new things and others are much slower to try something new, like a piece of software or a gadget? In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson explains the Diffusion of Innovation, a model first proposed by Everett Rogers many decades ago. The model explains that there are five different categories of adoption that fall along a bell curve: Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority, and Laggards. The categories are explained in depth, including the stages in which new ideas get evaluated prior to adoption as well as the factors that influence whether someone will, in fact, adopt an innovation. The episode ends with examples of companies and where they fall on the innovation curve. Spoiler alert: Apple is not as innovative as you think it is.

Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/103

Episode 102: How Gen Z is Shaping the Future Workplace

Generation Z, or those born between 1997 and 2012, are having a dramatic impact on the workplace. Currently, they comprise only 13% of the workforce, but by the end of the decade they will account for 30% of the workforce. Gen Z were the first true digital natives, growing up in a world where smartphones and iPads and laptops were never “new.” They were always part of the fabric of their lives from the start. Already Gen Zers are driving significant change in the workplace – from seeking a values-driven employer and a hybrid workplace to expecting to have work-life balance and equality in the workplace for everyone. And they’re not hesitant to speak up about it . . . or leave if the work environment doesn’t suit them. Dr. Janel Anderson explores all of this and more in this episode.

Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/102

Episode 101: Do Careers Matter as the Future of Work Unfolds?

As the pace of change in how work life is constructed and conceived of, is the concept of having a “career” still relevant or meaningful? In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson explores the notion of traditional careers and how that notion has changed over the past couple of decades and will continue to evolve into the future. And instead of “preparing children for careers that don’t currently exist” she provides actionable advice that will prepare the young and old for the future of work. (She also debunks the statistic that 65% of the jobs kids entering school now will have don’t exist.)

Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/101

Episode 100: What the Most Persistent People Do

Where does persistence come from? Why are some people able to persevere in the face of setbacks and obstacles and others are more likely to throw in the towel and give up? In this 100th episode, Dr. Janel Anderson explores the art and science of persistence and uncovers that it is not simply mind over matter. Some of us have a genetic pre-disposition toward being more persistent. Does that mean those without that special gene are doomed to fail? Absolutely not! There are many different behaviors and habits that you can learn that will make you more resilient and persistent in the face of setbacks, obstacles, and challenges. 

Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/100

Episode 99: Where Smart Appliances are Headed in the Next 5 Years

In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson explores the Internet of Things and specifically smart appliances. She takes a critical look at what smart appliances can offer the consumer and what the downsides are, both in terms of privacy and practicality. She also shares the latest research on consumers taking advantage (or not) of the features of their smart appliances and predicts where this trend is headed in the next five years.

Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/99

Episode 98: How to Get Laid Off

You can’t avoid the headlines about the massive number of people who are getting laid off in the tech industry. In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson analyzes the substantial layoffs in this sector and offers some fresh insights. If you are laid off (or want to be), she’s got some advice for you, including what to do, what not to do, and when to ignore other people's feedback. If you are on the other side of the desk, planning and initiating the layoffs for others, she’s got some advice for you too: how to share the news with humility, integrity, and respect. She shares examples of companies who got it right and those who got it terribly wrong. She also distills some business lessons of rapid growth and the course correction that invariably happens at some point after rapid growth.

Find show notes at https://www.janelanderson.com/98

Episode 97: Why Interpersonal Skills are THE Most Important Skills for 2023

In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson continues to explore the future of work in 2023 by offering a deeper look at her fifth prediction for the year: Interpersonal communication skills are the most important skills to develop and maintain this year. Analysis of 12 million job postings show that communication skills are the most important skills that employers are looking for. Dr. Janel shares why that is the case and how to go about developing your interpersonal communication skills (or refreshing them if you have a solid skillset already).

Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/97

Episode 96: The Tug-of-War Between WFH and RTO

In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson explores her fourth prediction for the year as she continues to delve into her predictions for the future of work in 2023. She offers a deeper look at the current tug-of-war going on between those who want to work from home and those who are starting to require employees to return to the office. She reviews the main reasons for both camps, noting that there are varied and nuanced reasons for both. This accidental experiment of working from home may well come to a head in 2023 with a looming possibility of a recession landing on the side of employers . . . or the worker shortage currently underway may tip the scales in favor of the workers.

Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/96

Episode 95: AI Won’t Steal Your Job But Here’s What It Will Do

In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson continues to explore the future of work in 2023. She offers a deeper look at her third prediction for the year, that Artificial Intelligence will become more useful in everyday work. She explores the new AI platforms like ChatGPT that have made their way into the headlines and popular use in the past few months in creative endeavors like writing and graphic design. As background, Dr. Anderson explains the differences among Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning and offers up examples from other industries that have been using AI for years, if not decades. You’ll learn how AI can speed up your work and realize that it’s not quite ready to replace you. Yet.

Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/95