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
Sep 5, 2021 • 25min
A regional cannery led the way with mandating the COVID vaccine, why aren't others following?
Australians are constantly told the only way out of rolling lockdowns is vaccination. So why aren't most workplaces mandating COVID-19 jabs so everyone get back to business? We dig into tricky legal, ethical and practical issues with workplace relations lawyer Michael Byrnes (partner at Sydney firm Swaab) and infectious diseases social scientist Dr Holly Seale (UNSW).Producer: Maria Tickle
Aug 29, 2021 • 26min
Cal Newport on a world without email
Does your inbox make you miserable? Is the constant barrage of back and forth emails stopping you from doing deeper, more focussed work you actually need to do? You are not alone. According to Cal Newport, on average, email interrupts knowledge workers work every six minutes. There is an alternative. Cal walks us through why our relationship with email is dysfunctional and how to break up with it. Cal's book: A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in the Age of OverloadProducer: Maria Tickle
Aug 22, 2021 • 25min
How to use music to focus, build teams and avoid burnout in lockdown
On the verge of burnout or feeling disconnected from your workmates? Don't underestimate the power of working music into your workflows and even meetings. Psychologist and classical musician Greta Bradman explains how our brains respond to music and runs through research-backed ways we can use music to connect, help focus and manage stress.Greta consults on culture with organisations across technology and creative industries. She also hosts ABC Classic weekend mornings. Hear the playlists from her series Music For Wellbeing.Producer: Maria Tickle
Aug 15, 2021 • 27min
How the role of HR is changing and why it matters to you
What do psychometric tests, workers comp and Sydney bin chickens have in common? Well they can be all in a day’s work for human resources professionals.But their responsibilities and place in the company is rapidly changing in organisations today. Jacqui Curtis is chief operating officer of the Australian Tax Office and is also in charge of this change in HR for the Australian Public Service.Jacqui explains why HR must have a seat at the boardroom table and how AI and data analytics can help the people management.Producer: Maria TickleIllustrator: Tatum Kenna
Aug 8, 2021 • 25min
How to pull off a radical career change at any age, we bust some myths
Changing careers isn’t easy - overcoming inertia is hard and knowing where to start can seem really difficult.Career coach Kate Richardson debunks some myths and steps us through the process. We also meet some brave souls who’ve pulled it off including criminologist turned crime writer Mark Brandi, former lawyer now psychiatrist-in-training Nicca Grant and Monique Ross who left a 12-year career in digital media to follow her passion and become a forest therapy guide.Producer: Maria Tickle
Aug 1, 2021 • 26min
The power of everyday routines to boost your work life
Routines and rituals boost productivity and wellbeing - but how? We explore why we need routines and rituals, how to create your own and how they can improve your work ethic, output and satisfaction. (This show was first broadcast on Radio National July 20, 2020.)GUESTS:Dr Sean O’Connor, Director of Sydney University’s Coaching Psychology Unit Casper ter Kuile, Harvard Divinity School fellow and author of The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful PracticesWith thanks to: Kate Christie, time management expert Steph Clarke, podcasterSusie Hopkins, TWL listenerProducer: Zoe Ferguson
Jul 25, 2021 • 25min
Wake me up in 2022: working through uncertainty fatigue
Are you feeling absolutely exhausted at work right now? What you are feeling may be uncertainty fatigue.For ideas on how to work through the overwhelming and heavy feelings that come with yet another lockdown, psychologist Dr Shanta Dey from the University of Sydney Business School and leadership expert and coach Julia Steel share what they’ve learned through the COVID chaos.Producer: Maria TickleResearcher: Kara Jensen-McKinnon
Jul 18, 2021 • 26min
How to win at work through less, not more, effort
Do more of what matters without burning out. In Effortless Greg McKeown implores us to move away from the cult of busy and overwork. He argues to achieve breakthrough results, we need to save our energy by inverting the question “How can I work harder?” to become “How can I make this easier?”Producer: Maria Tickle
Jul 11, 2021 • 25min
Harnessing the power of an ancient Maori code to create team spirit
Owen Eastwood shares how the Maori principle of whakapapa has helped create dynamic, inclusive cultures in some of the world's most diverse elite teams, including the England Football team for the past five years.Producer: Maria Tickle
Jul 4, 2021 • 25min
"You're fired!" Surviving the sack, and the pros and cons of a career break
What getting sacked taught former journalist Andrea Clarke about future proofing her career and the the pros and cons of a career break.
