

On the reg
Thesiswhisperer
Inger and Jason talk about work, but you know - not in a boring way. Practical, implementable productivity hacks to help you live a more balanced life. Find us at ontheregteam.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 17, 2021 • 1h 5min
Jason is back in The Matrix
Can't be bothered with email or speak pipe? Text us!Jason just got back from 14 weeks driving around Australia on #epictrip2021! So it seemed like a good idea to throw him right into podcasting via a live key note for Australian Educational Podcast Conference 2021. The event was called "Planning for podcasting: dissecting the process", so we did a normal On The Reg... but with a time limit, in front of a live audience, while people watched the show notes scroll by... This wasn't at ALL anxiety provoking.We talk about the problem of Context collapse, why young people think about computers like they are laundry baskets and the benefits of meditation (yes, really) for the first 42 minutes. Then Narelle Lemon from Swinburne university interviewed us about the process of putting together an episode. We left this bit in! If you're interested in podcasting, we have a lot of tips and tricks for getting a show together, on the reg as they say!Links mentioned in the episode:File not FoundHyperfocusDescript editing softwareThe TextExpander guide for academicsBuzzcast podcastGot thoughts and feel pinions? Want to ask a question? You can email us on <pod@ontheregteam.com> - Leave us a message on www.speakpipe.com/thesiswhisperer. - See our workshop catalogue on www.ontheregteam.com. You can book us via emailing Jason at enquiries@ontheregteam.com- Subscribe to the free, monthly Two Minute Tips newsletter here (scroll down to enter your email address) - We're on BlueSky as @drjd and @thesiswhisperer (but don't expect to hear back from Jason, he's still mostly on a Socials break).- Read Inger's stuff on www.thesiswhisperer.com. - If you want to support our work, you can sign up to be a 'Riding the Bus' member for just $2 a month, via our On The Reg Ko-Fi site

Oct 2, 2021 • 1h 12min
Bottoming our way through pandemic lockdowns (with lavender mist and pills)
Can't be bothered with email or speak pipe? Text us!Inger recorded this guestapooloza version of On The Reg just before Canberra was locked down... as she says in the pod "things might change before you hear this".Luckily her guest was Narelle Lemon from the Wellbeing Whisperer, who was able to impact many relaxation tips. Inger is crap at relaxing, so Narelle's suggestions were extremely helpful. The pair have a surprisingly intense conversation about sleep: how to fall asleep, stay asleep and annoy your partner with the pillow that must go between your knees when you have 'academic back'.Amongst other topics discussed are 'data knitting', the importance of the inner rebel, how to take a compliment, acupuncture and the online attention economy. In other words, this was a pretty typical episode of On The Reg, sans JD - but he does call from On The Road in Covid Free WA!LinksWhy you can’t escape the attention economy:All about sleep stages You may have heard that adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. But, the quality of sleep you get also matters.Why it breaks your brain to take a complimentTeaching matters podcastBrene Brown Unlocking us Beating the Odds: A practical guide to navigating sexism in Australian universitiesGot thoughts and feel pinions? Want to ask a question? You can email us on <pod@ontheregteam.com> - Leave us a message on www.speakpipe.com/thesiswhisperer. - See our workshop catalogue on www.ontheregteam.com. You can book us via emailing Jason at enquiries@ontheregteam.com- Subscribe to the free, monthly Two Minute Tips newsletter here (scroll down to enter your email address) - We're on BlueSky as @drjd and @thesiswhisperer (but don't expect to hear back from Jason, he's still mostly on a Socials break).- Read Inger's stuff on www.thesiswhisperer.com. - If you want to support our work, you can sign up to be a 'Riding the Bus' member for just $2 a month, via our On The Reg Ko-Fi site

Sep 18, 2021 • 1h 24min
Articulation work isn't just a cool research paper from 1992 (even though it kind of is)
Can't be bothered with email or speak pipe? Text us!After hearing briefly from Jason, who seems to be making progress on his digital detox, Inger is joined by Dr Ben Kraal. Ben used to be an academic, but escaped into the wilds of UX consulting where he makes a very nice living - but still runs an excellent academic-ish newsletter on the side which is called '1992'.Ben tells Inger about the inspiration for 1992, particularly the concept of Articulation work. This is a concept which comes from an early book on the Social organisation of Medical work by Straus, Fagerhaugh, Suczek and Weiner. Articulation work is a fancy way of talking about:Putting tasks in an order (to complete some arc or work)Doing tasks sequentially or simultaneously (to complete some arc of work)Assigning people to do tasks (to complete some arc of work)Basically all the stuff Inger and Jason do in their #Bujos or Omni or whatever else. Ben explains to Inger that Kjeld Schmidt and Liam Bannon applied the ideas from articulation work to computers and invented Google Docs and Zoom in 1992 - or rather, imagined them in a paper called 'Taking CSCW seriously: Supporting Articulation Work'. This paper is pretty amazing when you consider at the time you had to use a physical phone hand set to access the internet through a phone line. This short history lesson on human computer interaction (naturally?) leads into a discussion of what meetings are really FOR and how Cal Newport has discovered the principles of Agile Project Management, not a whole new way to email. The nerd is very strong in this discussion, but Inger came away from it very enlightened and now understands why all those books that promise to solve your project management problems, never will (and why everyone hates Jira).In our reading section, Ben recommends a book on forest management (that is very relevant for understanding public health in pandemics - just trust us) and Inger shares an article on the importance of 'cooling off' before saying 'yes' to a new idea. In the 2 minute tips section, Inger shares some writing planning secrets and Ben changes your life with the Highlighted App.LinksSocial organisation of Medical work by Straus, Fagerhaugh, Suczek and Weiner.Taking CSCW seriously: Supporting Articulation Work' Schmidt and BannonThe Got thoughts and feel pinions? Want to ask a question? You can email us on <pod@ontheregteam.com> - Leave us a message on www.speakpipe.com/thesiswhisperer. - See our workshop catalogue on www.ontheregteam.com. You can book us via emailing Jason at enquiries@ontheregteam.com- Subscribe to the free, monthly Two Minute Tips newsletter here (scroll down to enter your email address) - We're on BlueSky as @drjd and @thesiswhisperer (but don't expect to hear back from Jason, he's still mostly on a Socials break).- Read Inger's stuff on www.thesiswhisperer.com. - If you want to support our work, you can sign up to be a 'Riding the Bus' member for just $2 a month, via our On The Reg Ko-Fi site

Aug 28, 2021 • 1h 18min
Networking is more than nibbling wine and cheese (in a doomsday bunker)
Can't be bothered with email or speak pipe? Text us!Inger has a guest host while @Jasondowns is gallivanting his way around Australia on #epictrip2021. Tseen Khoo (@tseenster) from the Research Whisperer Blog joins Inger to talk about a topic that gets them both fired up: networking. They share their networking tips and techniques, especially the stuff that works online during Covid times when the dreaded wine and cheese events are no longer available (hooray!). Inger reckons they are both pretty judgy about how networking is taught to researchers, but Tseen prefers to think they are 'discerning'. They share their tips for shy people who want to network, as well as musing about the burnt tire aroma of International Roast coffee and the reason their children don't know how to send actual letters.Inger has been reading a book about doomsday bunkers while Tseen has a couple of excellent newsletters scooped from Substack. We finish with 2 minute tips as usual, and include a bonus bit of Jason who phoned in from an underground cafe in Cooper Pedy. If you want to leave a message like his, you can do it via a webrowser using SpeakpipeLinks we mentioned:Research Whisperer BlogPostAc appJason's Epic Trip on InstagramProlifiko newsletterOliver Burkeman's newsletter 'The Imperfectionist'NicoleDonutBunker: building for the end of timesGot thoughts and feel pinions? Want to ask a question? You can email us on <pod@ontheregteam.com> - Leave us a message on www.speakpipe.com/thesiswhisperer. - See our workshop catalogue on www.ontheregteam.com. You can book us via emailing Jason at enquiries@ontheregteam.com- Subscribe to the free, monthly Two Minute Tips newsletter here (scroll down to enter your email address) - We're on BlueSky as @drjd and @thesiswhisperer (but don't expect to hear back from Jason, he's still mostly on a Socials break).- Read Inger's stuff on www.thesiswhisperer.com. - If you want to support our work, you can sign up to be a 'Riding the Bus' member for just $2 a month, via our On The Reg Ko-Fi site

Aug 14, 2021 • 1h 38min
Academic permafrost and the vital few
Can't be bothered with email or speak pipe? Text us!It's the last episode of On the Reg before Jason goes on #epictrip2021 but don't worry - Inger will keep the ship afloat with a guesthostapolooza until he returns. Before he leaves Jason just has a bit more marking to do as well as tricking out the Jeep. Inger is relieved her dislocated toe no longer looks like a balloon animal and that Thesis Whisperer Jnr will still put the seat warmers on in the Tesla when he picks her up from work.We are excited to announce the release of our first book together! We've written a 50, A4 page 'look book ' of TextExpander snippets to inspire you to automate some of your academic email life. You can buy the book from The Thesis Whisperer here.In the word problems segment, Inger reads 'The Culture Code' by Daniel Coyle and finds out all the starting conditions for teams to perform well are essentially missing in academia. She now plans to send the book to her Vice Chancellor, Brian Schmidt, so that he can get to work on fixing it!Jason read 'Essentialism' by Gary McKeown while standing in the queue to get vaccinated for 6 hours and was annoyed to discover that it only took Inger 2 hours to read the same book. Her dominance at competitive reading is now fully explained! We decided that it was a good book with lots of juicy nuggets, once you get past the first chapter.Jason has read a paper on Vaping and Inger owns up to being an ex-smoker who misses it, and is happy to get a contact high at parties. Meanwhile Inger has read a paper which measures how long academics go over time on conference talks and the results will - and won't - surprise you.Finally in our 2 minute tips, Jason has an app to make lists with and Inger has a quick way to make sure you don't go over time on your next conference talk (it's easy people!).Links:Our TextExpander book!The Culture Code Essentialism Gender balance in time keeping at life science conferencesGot thoughts and feel pinions? Want to ask a question? You can email us on <pod@ontheregteam.com> - Leave us a message on www.speakpipe.com/thesiswhisperer. - See our workshop catalogue on www.ontheregteam.com. You can book us via emailing Jason at enquiries@ontheregteam.com- Subscribe to the free, monthly Two Minute Tips newsletter here (scroll down to enter your email address) - We're on BlueSky as @drjd and @thesiswhisperer (but don't expect to hear back from Jason, he's still mostly on a Socials break).- Read Inger's stuff on www.thesiswhisperer.com. - If you want to support our work, you can sign up to be a 'Riding the Bus' member for just $2 a month, via our On The Reg Ko-Fi site

Aug 7, 2021 • 1h 27min
'Good waste' and yak shaving
Can't be bothered with email or speak pipe? Text us!This week Inger is joined by Jonathan O'Donnell from the Research Whisperer as Jason is still away on #epictrip2021. Jonathan has given us lots of suggestions for On The Reg, so now is the time to talk to him directly!We start off talking about why innovation is hard inside universities, which have been fine tuned to avoid waste and increase transperency and accountability. This increases their sensitivity to risk. Sometimes the best way to get things done is through what Jonathan calls 'skunk works', which is exactly how Inger started Bootcamp at ANU.We travel over a lot of ground before we get to our reading segment. Inger has been reading Julia Banks' new book 'Power Play' and musing over 'Cognitive Flexibility'. Aside from reading about Anglo-Saxon history in the 900s, Jonathan has a fun read on the ridiculous morning routines of the influencer class and a fascinating article on 'ask vs tell' cultures, which can really help us work with others.There's a two minute tip about email that Inger is definitely going to try and a brief, but enlightening discussion about advanced Google searches - this episode has it all!Links:Potts, J. (2009). The innovation deficit in public services: The curious problem of too much efficiency and not enough waste and failure. Innovation, 11(1), 34–43. https://doi.org/10.5172/impp.453.11.1.34.Potts, Jason. ‘Innovation by Elimination: A Proposal for Negative Policy Experiments in the Public Sector’. Innovation 12, no. 2 (1 August 2010): 238–48. https://doi.org/10.5172/impp.12.2.238.Potts, Jason, and Tim Kastelle. ‘Public Sector Innovation Research: What’s next?’ Innovation 12, no. 2 (1 August 2010): 122–37. https://doi.org/10.5172/impp.12.2.122.Brandão, Soraya Monteiro, and M. Bruno-Faria. ‘Inovação No Setor Público: Análise Da Produção Científica Em Periódicos Nacionais e Internacionais Da Área de Administração’, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-76122013000100010.5 to 9 (Dolly Parton) video on side hustles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8jF96hoF9M 'IQ tests can’t measure it, but ‘cognitive flexibility’ is key to learning and creativity' on the conversation “The exact morning routines 18 successful high-achievers implement to start their day.”Got thoughts and feel pinions? Want to ask a question? You can email us on <pod@ontheregteam.com> - Leave us a message on www.speakpipe.com/thesiswhisperer. - See our workshop catalogue on www.ontheregteam.com. You can book us via emailing Jason at enquiries@ontheregteam.com- Subscribe to the free, monthly Two Minute Tips newsletter here (scroll down to enter your email address) - We're on BlueSky as @drjd and @thesiswhisperer (but don't expect to hear back from Jason, he's still mostly on a Socials break).- Read Inger's stuff on www.thesiswhisperer.com. - If you want to support our work, you can sign up to be a 'Riding the Bus' member for just $2 a month, via our On The Reg Ko-Fi site

7 snips
Jul 25, 2021 • 1h 14min
Dealing with other people's procrastination (and a few tips on how to keep your feet warm)
Can't be bothered with email or speak pipe? Text us!Jason is wondering how long he is going to be constrained to a 25km radius as he tries to plan #epictrip2021 around Australia. Meanwhile Inger's Tesla is complaining about a cold battery. While Jason contemplates 14 weeks off work for long service leave, Inger is powering on with her PostAc work (you can find out more about the PostAc project here).This week we conclude (for now) our 3 episode long opus on procrastination with some thoughts on managing other people's procrastination. Afterwards Inger shares a bunch of depressing research on bias in CV assessment. We finish with a very warm 2 minute tip from Inger.Links:Text ExpanderCold Busters (see Inger's foot warmer on Insta here).What’s in a name? How recruitment discriminates against ‘foreign’ applicantsThe Impact of Gender on Researchers’ Assessment: A Randomized Controlled TrialGot thoughts and feel pinions? Want to ask a question? You can email us on <pod@ontheregteam.com> - Leave us a message on www.speakpipe.com/thesiswhisperer. - See our workshop catalogue on www.ontheregteam.com. You can book us via emailing Jason at enquiries@ontheregteam.com- Subscribe to the free, monthly Two Minute Tips newsletter here (scroll down to enter your email address) - We're on BlueSky as @drjd and @thesiswhisperer (but don't expect to hear back from Jason, he's still mostly on a Socials break).- Read Inger's stuff on www.thesiswhisperer.com. - If you want to support our work, you can sign up to be a 'Riding the Bus' member for just $2 a month, via our On The Reg Ko-Fi site

Jul 3, 2021 • 1h 18min
Procrastination reconsidered and driving through spider rain.
The hosts dive into the quirky phenomenon of spider rain while juggling grading essays and personal adventures. They explore the nuances of procrastination, debating creative versus passive techniques and the emotional layers behind task avoidance. A humorous chat about the odd history of filing cabinets ensues, alongside tips on managing procrastination effectively. The conversation wraps up with entertaining cleaning hacks for Mac keyboards and strategies for tackling post-holiday email overload, leaving listeners ready to embrace their own quirks.

16 snips
Jun 13, 2021 • 1h 30min
Procrastination and the poisonous algorithmic 'nudge'
The hosts dive into procrastination, shedding light on its psychological roots and offering insights tailored for students. They compare procrastinators, dissect decision fatigue in academia, and emphasize the challenges faced by university leaders. The dangers of algorithmic nudges in the workplace raise ethical concerns, while personal anecdotes and productivity tips keep the conversation lively. Plus, there's a sprinkle of jiu-jitsu joy and the struggles of writing a new book, making for a captivating blend of humor and serious reflection.

Jun 3, 2021 • 27min
An emergency Melbourne pandemic lockdown broadcast!
Can't be bothered with email or speak pipe? Text us!Where Inger and Jason release an emergency broadcast in support of everyone who is working through conditions which have heightened levels of difficulty. Jason has just heard that the snap lockdown announced in Melbourne a week ago has just been extended for another 7 days (and maybe more). This got Jason and Inger thinking - how do you cope with this? What are some of the ways that a person can take back control over something that is definitely outside of their usual control?Note: We did invite guests in - but lost the audio so had to cut around the gaps. There's a bit of an awkward cut at the 12 minute mark or so - but we decided to just roll with it because, you know - pandemic.You do miss out on @Anitranot giving you an excellent lock down cookie recipe and @AJBuntine sharing an excellent 'virtual commute' coping strategy. We're hoping Inger can diagnose what went wrong because having guests was so much fun! Thanks Andrew and Anitra for jumping on the line at short notice - you lifted our spirits :-)Links mentioned:The Semel institute for Neuroscience and Human Behaviour which appears to be part of the University of California (UCLA) - coping research: https://www.semel.ucla.edu/dual-diagnosis-program/News_and_Resources/How_Do_You_CopeTwitter or Instagram check out #meditations54321 June is for Joy meditation from @WellbeingWhispererWellbeing Whisperer resources on control when things are not in your controlGot thoughts and feel pinions? Want to ask a question? You can email us on <pod@ontheregteam.com> - Leave us a message on www.speakpipe.com/thesiswhisperer. - See our workshop catalogue on www.ontheregteam.com. You can book us via emailing Jason at enquiries@ontheregteam.com- Subscribe to the free, monthly Two Minute Tips newsletter here (scroll down to enter your email address) - We're on BlueSky as @drjd and @thesiswhisperer (but don't expect to hear back from Jason, he's still mostly on a Socials break).- Read Inger's stuff on www.thesiswhisperer.com. - If you want to support our work, you can sign up to be a 'Riding the Bus' member for just $2 a month, via our On The Reg Ko-Fi site