How I Work

Last week marked a very special kind of anniversary for me: being a Melbournian, I have now clocked up over 200 days in lockdown. For most of those 200 days, I feel like I've coped pretty well.But last week, things felt really hard. I didn't feel like myself and people close to me were struggling too. And I was just sick of hearing the same old advice for how to cope. So I reached out to someone I knew would be thinking differently - Dom Price, head of R&D and resident Work Futurist at Atlassian. So if you're struggling with lockdown, or maybe just everything that is going on in the world right now, I hope that you'll be able to take at least one thing out of this chat to help make things a tiny bit better right now. Find a buddy for News Duty Do a Ritual Reset (and check out Atlassian's Team Central for doing Status Updates asynchronously) Day of Yes Treat Day (and check out The Power of Moments) Plan an act of service Conduct Atlassian's Work-Life Impact exercise Nudge yourself towards better behaviours Design your week Five-minute social media timer The Balance of Happiness Connect with Dom on his website, Linkedin, and via Atlassian's Team Playbook.Connect with me on the socials:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimberTwitter: https://twitter.com/amanthaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai/ If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.auCREDITSProduced by InventiumHost: Amantha ImberSound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How are you coping with this whole global pandemic thing? I'm in Melbourne in lockdown 6.0 and it's pretty tough going. I feel like I'm more reliant on my devices than ever before - it's like a window to the outside world. But I have a feeling that checking ABC news 10 times a day isn't very good for my mental health. So in today's show, I have an alternative to share.Try out Amantha's favourite calendar software here:usemotion.ioCheck out Lisa's ABC podcast This Working Life.Connect with Lisa on Linkedin.Connect with me on the socials:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimberTwitter: https://twitter.com/amanthaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai/ If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short fortinghtly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.auCREDITSProduced by InventiumHost: Amantha ImberSound Engineer: Martin Imber See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicky Sparshott, CEO of Unilever ANZ and Global CEO of T2, shares tips on prioritizing tasks with post-it notes, blocking out time for deep thinking, and the unexpected benefits of working with a global team. They also discuss reverse mentoring, bringing fun into the workplace, and the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people in your career.

You’ve got a huge decision to make - the common advice would be to ‘sleep on it’. Carsales CEO Cameron McIntyre says even if ‘sleeping on it’ actually looks more like lying awake in bed thinking about it all night, taking 24 hours before you make a crucial decision, or reply to a frustrating email, is worth it.  According to Cameron, leaders don’t get the benefit of throwing their hands up in defeat - that kind of behaviour can be contagious in an organisation.  He shares how you can remain calm and composed for those around you. Connect with Cameron on Twitter or Linkedin You can find the full interview here: How to remember names and influence people - with Carsales’ CEO Cameron McIntyre  Connect with me on the socials:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimberTwitter: https://twitter.com/amanthaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai/ If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.auCREDITSProduced by InventiumHost: Amantha ImberSound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hear me out - what if you stopped trying so hard to be productive? Most of us only get a total of four thousand weeks on this earth. Do you really want to spend them answering emails? Oliver Burkeman is a “recovering productivity geek” and he wants you to make peace with the reality that you'll never get everything done. He says once you’ve accepted that hard truth, you’ll finally be free to focus on what’s truly important.Oliver Burkeman is a journalist and the author of The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking and the forthcoming Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals.  He shares why it’s valuable to recognise and wrestle with your limitations head-on, why it’s worth keeping a “Done List,” and gives you permission to decline to clear the decks.   Connect with Oliver on Twitter or via his website.  Get a copy of Oliver’s book 4000 Weeks.  Connect with me on the socials:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimberTwitter: https://twitter.com/amanthaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai/ Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co CREDITS Produced by InventiumHost: Amantha ImberProduction Support from Deadset StudiosSound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yep, harsh feedback can sting like a rotten tomato right to the face, so how can you tell which criticism is ripe for the picking? Sam McMillan is a musical comedian, satirist, writer and radio presenter who performs under the stage name Sammy J.  Sammy knows that not all feedback is created equal. He shares why he takes on every bit of feedback from his team at ABC Radio, and why he’s more selective about what to take seriously when it comes to audiences and social media.  Connect with Sammy on Twitter. You can find the full interview here: Getting creative with a time limit - the new life of ABC Radio breakfast host Sammy J   Connect with me on the socials:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimberTwitter: https://twitter.com/amanthaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai/ If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.auCREDITSProduced by InventiumHost: Amantha ImberSound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if you’re sabotaging yourself without even realising it?   You know that feeling, when you’ve got the skills, the reputation and the experience, but you just can’t land that top job? Just three letters could be standing in your way. According to comedian, writer, podcast and radio host, and self-described “probably pretty bad” Buddhist Meshel Laurie, it’s time to say “YES.” You ARE interviewing, you ARE looking at new people, and you ARE taking applications for new friends and new opportunities Meshel shares why now is the best time to take the plunge on that next big challenge, whether it be starting your own business, making new friends or implementing that elusive meditation habit.  With a decades-long career in hosting radio, and now as a celebrated author, co-host of multiple popular podcasts, and a parent of twins, Meshel is no stranger to pressure. So when she tells you it’s ok to be kinder to yourself, she’s the one to listen to.  Connect with Meshel on Instagram or Linkedin and get Meshel's latest book CSI Told You Lies. Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co CREDITS Produced by InventiumHost: Amantha ImberProduction Support from Deadset StudiosEpisode Producer: Jenna KodaSound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How can you inject a bit of humour into your work day? And why does the work feel so much better when you’re able to share a few laughs with your colleagues? Naomi Bagdonas teaches humour as part of a purpose and leadership course at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. She also coaches top executives in the art of comedy.  She shares some comedy one-on-one that will give you a simple framework to start bringing more humour into the workplace and more comedy into your next presentation.   Connect with Naomi at Humour Seriously or on TwitterYou can find the full interview here: How to bring more comedy into your next stand-up meeting, with Naomi Bagdonas Connect with me on the socials:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimberTwitter: https://twitter.com/amanthaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai/ If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you make big decisions - especially when the outcome affects the people you love? When it falls on you to make a really big choice - should you take that new job, what school should your kids go to - I bet you’ve wished there was some kind of decision-making framework you could apply. And it’s so much easier to weigh up the pros and cons when you actually have some information to hand.  When economist Emily Oster decided to become a parent, she was immediately confronted with so many decisions - each of which could impact her future child’s life differently. So many choices to make, all of them important - but where was the cold, hard data? Could she maintain her four-cup-a-day coffee habit while pregnant? There was no data to back the medical advice!   Surely parenting books had the answers? No hard data analysis in those pages either!    So what’s an economist to do? Run her own analysis. Three books later, the Brown University Professor has not only broken down all the data parents need to make decisions, but she’s worked out how we can all be making better decisions.  And in the process she discovered her four-step decision making matrix can be applied to a wide range of important life choices.  She also shares why some of life's biggest decisions should be made over email.  Read Emily’s parentdata series, Expecting Better, Cribsheet, and The Family Firm.  Connect with Emily on Linkedin or Twitter.  Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co CREDITS Produced by InventiumHost: Amantha ImberProduction support from Deadset StudiosEpisode producer: Jenna KodaSound engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“You’re on mute, Dave!” How are you supposed to build chemistry and work effectively with colleagues when you’re rarely in the same room anymore?Organisational psychologist Adam Grant says it is possible to make your time with them energetic and bursting with ideas that move the work forward effectively.“I don't think there's anything about human psychology that leaves me convinced that we have to be physically in the same room to trust each other and collaborate effectively.”So how does he achieve independent thinking and creative collaboration with his remote colleagues? Adam also shares his trick for fast tracking a deep connection with strangers.  Connect with Adam through his website or on TwitterYou can find the full interview here: Why Adam Grant wants you to schedule a regular life check-up Connect with me on the socials:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimberTwitter: https://twitter.com/amanthaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai/ If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.auCREDITSProduced by InventiumHost: Amantha ImberSound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.