This Working Life

Beauty industry entrepreneur Kate Morris has given her imposter syndrome's voice in her head a name: "That's just Kevin, you can zip it Kevin," she laughs. And she gets on with her day. And she's not alone. Researchers have found around 70 per cent of us feel like an imposter some of the time at work (...and let’s face it the other 30 per cent are probably lying). So since these feelings are so common, we've decided it's time we gave this ‘syndrome’ a rebrand and learned how use it to help, not hinder, our careers.

Beauty industry entrepreneur Kate Morris has given her imposter syndrome's voice in her head a name: "That's just Kevin, you can zip it Kevin," she laughs. And she gets on with her day. And she's not alone. Researchers have found around 70 per cent of us feel like an imposter some of the time at work (...and let’s face it the other 30 per cent are probably lying). So since these feelings are so common, we've decided it's time we gave this ‘syndrome’ a rebrand and learned how use it to help, not hinder, our careers.

What is your personal brand at work? Not sure? And does it matter? Well replace "brand" with "reputation" as our guest entrepreneur and author Dorie Clark suggests, and it matters a lot. We hear how to optimise your personal brand and the steps to take to kick off a career as an entrepreneur. And researcher and executive coach Tom Loncar gives Lisa the hard truth about whether her power pose has any scientific validity or if it's just another stretch.Producer: Maria Tickle

Are Australian trade unions losing their teeth? Union membership has been in sharp decline for decades. In 1976 just over half of Australia workers were members of a union but by 2018 that figure had dropped to just over 14 per cent.With the rapid increase in the number of people in casual and gig work, unions should be more important than ever. We investigate what has led to this dramatic drop, in particular amongst younger workers. And hear what unions need to do to modernize and adapt to remain relevant in the future.GUESTS:Anthony Forsyth is a professor of workplace law at RMIT, and author of “The Future of Unions and Worker Representation: The Digital Picket Line” which will be published in 2022. Sally McManus is the Secretary of the ACTU. PRODUCERS: Kara Jensen-Mackinnon and Maria Tickle

Sex, religion and politics have long been hot button topics at work. But in 2021 we can now add another. Vaccinations. So how do we talk about the COVID-19 jab without coming to blows?GUESTS:Dr Norman Swan host of the Health Report and co-host of Coronacast.Professor Julie Leask, social scientist specialising in vaccination uptake, programs and policy. She is a visiting fellow, National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, University of SydneyDistinguished Professor Richard Osborne, epidemiologist and director of the Centre for Global Health and Equity at Swinburne University of TechnologyMichael Byrnes, employment, workplace relations and safety specialist, Swaab LawyersThanks also our voices of the people: musician Emily, paramedic Phil, and tertiary educator, Francesca.Producer: Maria Tickle

Even today, the class you are born into can largely determine your career. Recent research by Diversity Council Australia found that more than any other diversity demographic, it was social class which most determined Australian workers’ experience of inclusion or exclusion at work. Talking about class at work can be awkward, especially when most Australians believe we live in the land of a “fair go”. But, talk about it we must.Amanda Rose has dealt with the stigma her whole life, simply because she comes from Western Sydney. When an event MC introduced her as “from Parramatta…but that’s ok because she’s gorgeous” she knew things had to change. Amanda has since gone on to found six businesses including Western Sydney Women, an organisation which offers free programs and workshops designed to help women from the area thrive in the workplace. Author and journalist Rick Morton grew up in poverty in rural Queensland, and believes his acute understanding of the class experience has shaped his career.  As an award-winning journalist, Rick has broken stories on aged care, refugees and the NDIS for some of Australia’s biggest news publications. Lisa Annese, CEO of Diversity Council Australia shares the surprising findings in their ground breaking class research, and how workplaces might overcome our unconscious class biases. Report by Diversity Council Australia: Class at Work Producers: and Maria TickleProducers: Kara Jensen-Mackinnon and Maria Tickle

Arguing can actually make teams more innovative and productive. Yes really. According to journalist and writer Ian Leslie, not rocking the boat may make for a nice work life it but may not actually be good for business. For his book Conflicted, Ian interviewed conflict resolution experts from around the globe to understand how it can be harnessed as a superpower and he shares what he’s learned. (And spoiler alert turning conflict into a positive is all about how it is framed and managed in the company culture.)And when it comes time to kiss and make up why do we find it so hard to apologize? Media trainer Brett de Hoedt has had to wrangle many an apology for his clients and he shares his top tips for an effective “sorry”.For more on the artful apology hear Brett’s podcast The Hardest Word.Producer: Maria TickleProducer: Maria Tickle

Coaching is not just for leaders but we should all become "coach like", according to Michael Bungay Stanier. Michael knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a great coach, he was recently named world's number one thought leader in coaching and his book The Coaching Habit has sold more than 700,000 copies. Michael unpacks his seven essential coaching questions:1. What's on your mind?2. And what else?3. What's the really challenge here for you?4. What do you want?5. How can I help/so what do you want from me?6. If you're saying yes to this, what are you saying no to?7. What was most useful/valuable here for you?And one of the least favourite days of the working year for many employees and more than a few managers is that of the performance review. You may feel they are futile at best and damaging at worst if not done properly so we asked people management specialist Karen Gately how we can get the most of of our performance reviews.(This program was first broadcast on ABC Radio National on December 3, 2019)Producer: Maria Tickle

How old is "old" at work and why are some employers admitting they are reluctant to hire older workers in spite of Australia facing a skills shortage? We dig into ageism at work and what needs to change with Age Discrimination Commissioner Dr Kay Patterson and CEO of Australian HR Institute, Sarah McCann-Bartlett. And ad agency Thinkerbell co-founder Adam Ferrier runs us through his internship program for over 55s.Producer: Maria Tickle

Even though the majority of workers are concerned that they don't have the skills required for the future, a recent national survey has revealed that more than half of Australian workers spend less than an hour a week on any form of learning. We weigh up the value of university degrees versus micro-credentials and hear how life-long learning can keep you in the game.We also crystal ball gaze to understand what work and learning might look like for our newest generation - Generation Alpha. GUESTS:Dr Sean Gallagher - director of the Centre for the New Workforce at Swinburne University.Sean’s report is Peak Human Workplace.Professor Liz Johnson - Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education at Deakin UniversityMark McCrindle, social analyst and futurist.  Mark’s book is Understanding Generation Alpha.PRODUCER: Maria Tickle