Curious Minds at Work

I have a confession to make. I enjoy talking to people I don't know. I like learning about them and hearing their stories. I'm sure it explains why I started this podcast over ten years ago. Yet I know a lot of people who avoid talking to strangers. And if, for any reason, they have to, they dread it. But these feelings of dread work against us. Study after study shows that when we talk to strangers, we nearly always feel good afterwards. And in a time where people feel more isolated and lonely than ever, the good feeling that comes from talking to strangers may be just the thing we need to bring us closer together. That's why I reached out to Joe Keohane to talk to him about his incredibly entertaining and enlightening book, The Power of Strangers: The Benefits of Connecting in a Suspicious World. He explains how we got to be so suspicious of strangers and what it's cost us. And for anyone who avoids talking to strangers because they don't know what to say, he's got you covered. Joe shares things he's learned from workshops he attended while writing the book.  Episode Links Why Talking to Strangers Can Make Us Smarter 'The Assignment Made Me Gulp': Could Talking to Strangers Change My Life? The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/curiousminds/CM_306_Jennifer_Garvey_Berger.mp3

In this engaging discussion, Maryellen MacDonald, a Professor of Psychology and Language Sciences, illuminates the myriad benefits of talking. She explains that talking is not just communication; it's vital for learning, emotional regulation, and focus. MacDonald highlights how self-talk enhances goal setting while warning that negative ruminations can intensify feelings. She also discusses how language evolves for ease of speaking and critiques society's decline in everyday conversations. Practical tips for incorporating more talking into daily life make this episode both informative and actionable.

How we think about toughness needs a reset. Too often, it’s been associated with brute forcing our way through things. Ignoring our feelings. Making an outward show of confidence and dominance. The problem is it just doesn't work. Performance coach and bestselling author, Steve Magness, offers another way. He’s done a deep dive on the latest research on toughness and performance. In his book, Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and The Surprising Science of Real Toughness, he discusses the misconceptions of our current model. Then he offers a new one informed by the latest in neuroscience and psychology research. Along the way, he translates research findings into practical steps we can take to make the shift. If you’re a performance junkie, you’ll gain a lot from this interview. You can also apply his ideas to managing your teams. If you enjoy Steve’s approach, check out my previous interview with him on finding your passion at work and in life, episode 142. Episode Links How to be More Resilient, According to an Elite Performance Coach The Secret to Developing Resilient Teams and Organizations Changing This 1 Word in Your Thoughts Can Boost Mental Toughness and Resilience, Psychologists Say Steven Callahan Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras, and Ella Morton The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.

You’re days into a work project, staring at a screen, feeling anxious about your tight deadline. Mid-afternoon your phone lights up with a call from a friend. You want to connect, but you feel like you don’t have a minute to spare. You let the call go into voicemail. On the surface, this decision may seem inconsequential. But what if you knew that a decision like this, centered on an opportunity for social connection, could make a difference in the health of your brain? Would you make time for the call? Ben Rein is author of the book, Why Brains Needs Friends: The Neuroscience of Social Connection. He studies the impact of social interactions on brain health and helps us understand, at a cellular level, the biological importance of human relationships. After listening to this interview, you may find yourself picking up the phone a whole lot more. Episode Links Wired for Connection, Cursed by Computers: How Social Media May Be Affecting Our Empathy The Sci-Fi Hypothesis that Explains Why You Click with Certain People Interview With Kasley Killam The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.

Digital exhaustion is real. We’re working across more apps than ever before, and since they’re always accessible, work-life boundaries have disappeared. Combine this with our personal tech, and we’ve got a recipe for burnout. Paul Leonardi is a Professor of Technology Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara. After decades of business consulting, he’s had a front-row seat to employees’ digital burnout. What he saw led him to create concrete solutions, which he outlines in his latest book, Digital Exhaustion: Simple Rules for Reclaiming Your Life. These are smart and sensible strategies leaders can put into practice to improve employees’ quality of life – and work. Episode Links Developing a Digital Mindset Are Collaboration Tools Overwhelming Your Team Interview with Gloria Mark The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.

We spend a lot of our lives in groups. Whether it’s at work. With friends. Even with family. Yet we tend to focus on everyone as individuals. We rarely think about things from the group’s perspective. Colin Fisher is an expert in organizational behavior and an associate professor at University College London, and he wants to change that. His book, The Collective Edge: Unlocking the Secret Power of Groups, is his insightful attempt at sharing the latest insights on high-performing teams and how to lead them. Episode Links Top Six Tips for Terrific Teams 5 Secrets for Getting the Most out of Working as a Group Interview with Keith Sawyer on groups’ collective genius The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.

Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, a senior research scientist at Yale's Center for Emotional Intelligence and author of The Creativity Choice, dives into the fascinating world of creativity. She discusses what holds people back from acting on their creative ideas and how emotional awareness can help us overcome these barriers. Zorana categorizes creativity into various levels and emphasizes the importance of social ties—both strong and weak—in the creative process. Tune in for insights on making proactive choices to harness creativity in everyday life!

Zach Mercurio, author of 'The Power of Mattering' and an expert in organizational learning, shares compelling insights on how feeling valued boosts engagement and happiness in the workplace. He discusses the vital role of authentic listening and meaningful interactions in fostering a culture of significance. Zach emphasizes the impact of self-awareness in communication and the essential human skills required to build strong relationships. He illustrates how leaders can create environments that enhance motivation and a real sense of belonging.

When’s the last time you ran an experiment? Not as a scientist. But as a person who wants to get unstuck or try something new. There are messages coming at us from all directions. A popular one encourages us to pursue big dreams often in service of a blanket version of success. For some, these messages are motivating. But for many others, they’re overwhelming. If, instead, we want to pursue our own path, how do we begin? This week’s guest is Anne-Laure Le Cunff. She’s felt these cultural pressures, and it’s what’s led her to develop a different approach. She tapped into a method that lowers feelings of overwhelm and brings back the joy of discovery. And it’s a strategy that led her to write her book, Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World. In this interview we talk about what a tiny experiment is and what it can do for us. We also discuss how to plan, run, and learn from them. I was energized by her approach. Episode Links The Trap of the Deadline High Self-Authorship: The Art of Trusting Your Own Authority Intellectual Self-Doubt: The Psychology behind Questioning Your Own Competence Interview with Leidy Klotz (Episode 192), author of the book, Subtract The Team Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.