This Working Life
ABC listen
You spend so much time on work, why accept the status quo, when there are ways to do it better? Get expert advice, research and hacks that will crush your inertia.
Join Lisa Leong and other This Working Lifers as we experiment and explore the latest in the world of work.
We cover policy issues, like hybrid workplaces and remote work, employee wellbeing and organisational culture, the use of AI, employee surveillance, employee engagement, diversity and inclusion. We talk about progress on wider issues that relate to work, like work life balance, organisational change, restructures, and casualisation. On This Working Life our focus is on everything related to the people in a workplace too, including culture, individual experiences, performance management and career advice.
Join Lisa Leong and other This Working Lifers as we experiment and explore the latest in the world of work.
We cover policy issues, like hybrid workplaces and remote work, employee wellbeing and organisational culture, the use of AI, employee surveillance, employee engagement, diversity and inclusion. We talk about progress on wider issues that relate to work, like work life balance, organisational change, restructures, and casualisation. On This Working Life our focus is on everything related to the people in a workplace too, including culture, individual experiences, performance management and career advice.
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 19, 2023 • 25min
“Had I done this in my last job, I don’t know that I would have left it.” Say hello to the magic of Job Crafting
Do you feel frustrated at work? Maybe you feel like you're not playing to your strengths, or not being valued. Well, before you chuck it all in: have you heard of Job Crafting?Since this foundational work started over 20 years ago, it’s come into its own with the rise of hyper-personalisation of work through the pandemic.So how can we craft our jobs? Surprisingly, it’s much easier than you think.And managers - there’s something in the research for you too. And it even shocked Amy…Guest: Dr Amy Wrzesniewski - Michael H. Jordan Professor of Management at Yale University’s School of Management
May 12, 2023 • 25min
Help! Get me out of this box! How generational stereotypes are boxing us in and harming us at work
We’ve got more generations in our workplaces than ever before. And as a shortcut we often box people according to their age - known as generational stereotyping. In this episode we look at how we box others, and even ourselves, and learn how it affects our workplaces and how we can change this behaviour.
May 5, 2023 • 25min
‘Glossy’ work: When your dream job is not so dreamy
You’ve finally landed your dream job. You’re filled with excitement and optimism but after only a couple of months something doesn’t feel right. And you realise that this job is not so dreamy after all, and even becoming a nightmare.Welcome to Glossy Work.So what’s going on here and what can we do about it?
Apr 28, 2023 • 25min
Slaying dragons is good for your work. Yes, really.
Why is Dungeons & Dragons good for the workplace?Since it came out in the 1970s, D&D has gone from geek subculture to the pop-culture mainstream. And now, it’s being recognised as a great way to develop skills for work. Yes, now you can finally say that your time spent playing games is actually upskilling.But it’s not just D&D - card games, board games and other fantasy games give us skills for work: critical thinking, strong communication, empathy and teamwork to name a few.
Apr 23, 2023 • 25min
How AI is leading teams and why you’re loving it
A new study has revealed that we trust management decisions made with AI involvement more than those made by humans alone. But what does the future of this digital co-worker look like?And how many of us actually trust the technology, and how does where we live change that level of trust?
Apr 14, 2023 • 25min
The personal costs of unreasonable work hours
“It’s not reasonable to ask people to function without daylight, sleep and proper food for weeks and months at a time” - Ruby, lawyer.There’s been a lot of talk lately about reasonable and unreasonable work hours, thanks to a certain high profile legal case.Research has found Australians are working some of the longest hours in the world. It’s costing us tens of billions of dollars in unpaid wages, with experts calling it 'time theft'.So when is it ok for your boss to ask you to work overtime? And what is overwork doing to our brains and bodies?
Apr 6, 2023 • 25min
How to harness the power of the weekend for a better workweek
The weekends are easy to fill with a long list of things you want to get done. Chores, errands and, yes, even work make their way onto that list.Then all of a sudden it’s Sunday night and you feel like you haven’t rested at all, and another work week is right around the corner.So how can we better harness the power of the weekend for an energised and productive week ahead?The good news is that it’s a simple solution you can implement immediately.
Mar 31, 2023 • 25min
Who’s looking after our minds at work?
It’s being called “world’s best practice” and we’re being told to take it seriously.A new code of practice and regulation will be protecting your psychological health at work from April 1st. It explicitly addresses psychological harm and the psychosocial hazards at work that can cause things like burnout, depression and anxiety.So what are these hazards exactly, and how will the code work in practice?
Mar 24, 2023 • 30min
Forget expertise. Here's why being a generalist is great for your work
Picture a capital T. The vertical line is the Expertise line - your deep experience in your field.Then the horizontal bar is the Generalist line - your other interests and experiences that can combine with your expertise to strengthen it.This is called the T-shape - and it’s being recognised as a powerful tool for people and teams to innovate at work. But what exactly we can put into the horizontal line that can add to our vertical expertise line might surprise you.
Mar 17, 2023 • 30min
How people are rediscovering meaning in their unretirement years
Meaning, purpose, identity – all of these are wrapped up in our work and career. So it's no surprise that when we step away from work we can feel a bit unmoored.In the second half of our two-part special on the 'unretirement' movement, we look at what's underpinning this return to work in retirement years.It can come down to rediscovering purpose and meaning in both life and work. But how can we do that?
