What Works

This is the 5th installment of Strange New Work, a special series that explores how speculative fiction can help us imagine radically different work futures.Think the future of housework looks like Rosey the Robot from The Jetsons? Or maybe just a fleet of Roombas keeping every inch of a house free of dust or dirt? Think again. Housework is ready for a much, much bigger disruption. Of course, housework is rarely portrayed in pop culture space cowboy science fiction. And when it is, it's all about the high-tech solutions to trivial issues like making dinner or scrubbing dishes. But many quieter (and more constructive) speculative stories do consider how housework might evolve in a completely different direction.How we restructure housework—domestic and reproductive labor—is key to rethinking how we approach the future of all kinds of work. How we live impacts how we work. And how we work impacts how we live. And this episode is going there.Footnotes:Frances Gabe's Self-Cleaning HouseAfter Work by Helen Hester and Nick SrincekA Closed and Common Orbit by Becky ChambersEmbassytown by China MiévilleToo Like The Lightning by Ada Palmer"What Communes and Other Radical Experiments in Living Together Reveal" on The Ezra Klein ShowEveryday Utopia by Kristen GhodseeThe Perennials by Mauro Guillén"The demographics of multigenerational households" via Pew ResearchRecord of a Spaceborn Few by Becky ChambersA Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk and Robot) by Becky ChambersA Spectre, Haunting by China MiévilleCan't Even by Anne Helen PetersenLove What Works? Become a premium subscriber for just $7 per month. Your subscription helps make my work sustainable and gets you access to twice-monthly This is Not Advice episodes, quarterly workshops, and more. Click here to learn more and preview the premium benefits! ★ Support this podcast ★

Charlie Gilkey, an expert in speculative fiction and its relation to social and professional norms, discusses the harms of imperialism and how supremacy culture forms the basis of professionalism. They explore indigenous futurism and challenging Western systems, as well as the importance of team habits in creating inclusive work environments. A thought-provoking episode on imagining new ways of working.

This is the third installment in Strange New Work, a series that explores how speculative fiction can help us imagine the future of work. Today's work happens in tiny slivers of time. And we try to optimize each minute or hour for all its worth. But remarkable work? Well, that takes time. And lots of it. The kinds of work that are central to our evolving economy—care work, maintenance work, creative work—require more time rather than more optimization. In this episode, I consider how viewing work through the long-term lens can help us reimagine projects and systems in a way that's more just, equitable, and beneficial for all involved.Footnotes:Find out more about Jordan Maney Follow Jordan on Substack and InstagramFind out more about Joanna L. CeaGrab a copy of Beloved EconomiesThe Terraformers by Annalee Newitz"How to Build a Planet" on Our Opinions Are Correct"The Seven Practices" from Beloved EconomiesThe Parable of the Sower & The Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler"A Few Rules for Predicting the Future" by Octavia ButlerLove What Works? Become a premium subscriber for just $7 per month. Your subscription helps make my work sustainable and gets you access to twice-monthly This is Not Advice episodes, quarterly workshops, and more. Click here to learn more and preview the premium benefits! ★ Support this podcast ★

This is the 11th edition of This is Not Advice, a "not advice" column for premium subscribers of What Works. In this episode and essay, I tackle the assumed quid pro quo that's at the heart of content marketing. It's that quid pro quo that causes us to see the ideas, information, and stories we share online as a favor that demands something in return—follows, subscriptions, and sales. When we say, "I'm tired of sharing all this stuff for free and not seeing sales in return," we're hinting at the quid pro quo beneath the surface.Enjoy this excerpt from the larger piece or, to hear the whole thing, go to whatworks.fyi and upgrade your subscription for just $7 per month!View the original post here. ★ Support this podcast ★

This is the second episode in my new series, "Strange New Work." Artist and writer Morgan Harper Nichols is a world-builder. She says, "Worldbuilding, for me, [is] a form of expansive hope—a necessary imagination for being alive." What is world-building? It's the process of creating secondary, fictional worlds. There's world-building in all sorts of fiction—but especially science fiction, speculative fiction, and fantasy.And world-building as a practice—a necessary imagination—can be a tool for mapping a better work environment, too.Footnotes:Find out more about Morgan Harper Nichols on Substack, her website, and Instagram.Read the piece that inspired this conversation.The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley RobinsonN.K. Jemisin on world-building on Wired and LitHubTo Write Love On Her Arms"What is capitalist realism?" by Tara McMullin, featuring Iggy PerilloEvery episode of What Works is also shared as an essay at whatworks.fyi—become a free subscriber to get weekly posts delivered to your inbox or upgrade to a premium subscription for access to bonus content and quarterly workshops for just $7 per month!All of the books I mention in this series are in the Strange New Work Bookshop list. ★ Support this podcast ★

The future of work doesn't have to be an extension of today's reality.This is the first installment in Strange New Work, a new series from What Works about imagining radically different ways of working and doing business.In this episode, I take a closer look at speculative fiction and its role in the collective imaginary. Is science fiction all space operas and apocalyptic battles? Not hardly. Science fiction isn't really about the future. It's a commentary on and reimagining of the present.Footnotes:All of the books I mention in this series can be found here.No Time to Spare by Ursula K. Le GuinThe Immortal King Rao by Vauhini VaraThe Jewel-Hinged Jaw by Samuel Delaney"The Epistemic Value of Speculative Fiction" by Johan de Smedt and Helen de Cruz"Sci-Fi Idea Bank" by Packy McCormickUrsula K. Le Guin in conversation with The Nation on YouTubeVauhini Vara on Amanpour and Company on YouTube"The Measure of a Man" Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 2, Episode 9)Each installment in Strange New Work is published in essay form at WhatWorks.FYILove What Works? Support the show and my work by becoming a premium subscriber for just $7 per month. Learn more! ★ Support this podcast ★

Join Tara McMullin for a journey into the far future of work, and consider how we can create more humane, inclusive, and supportive work environment. The first episode of Strange New Work drops September 14! You can find Strange New Work wherever you listen to podcasts—and each new episode will drop in the What Works feed, too!Support the show at: whatworks.fyi Strange New Work is brought to you by What Works with Tara McMullin and YellowHouse.Media. ★ Support this podcast ★

"When The Voice In Your Head Whispers... Meritocracy" explores the concept of meritocracy and its impact on marginalized groups. It proposes an alternative system that values social usefulness and discusses the historical origins of willpower. The podcast also delves into changing one's relationship to work and introduces the Work in Practice program.

Charlie Gilkey, author of Team Habits, discusses the importance of explicit rules, understanding social dynamics, and improving team habits to create a sense of belonging and high performance. They also mention their upcoming series featuring Charlie and his book, 'Team Habits: How Small Actions Lead to Extraordinary Results'.

Mauro Guillén, the author of "The Perennials: The Megatrends Creating a Postgenerational Society," discusses the sequential mode of life and proposes a new story for navigating through life. He challenges traditional milestones and expectations, encouraging flexibility in work and learning. Guillén suggests adopting a long-term mindset, making career switches, and supporting older workers. He also explores the concept of creating a post-generational society through quality of life guarantees.