

How I Work
Amantha Imber
You know those annoyingly successful people who seem to have it all figured out? Time to steal their playbook. Organisational psychologist Dr Amantha Imber gets world‑class achievers to spill their secrets - the daily strategies behind their success through to life hacks and productivity hacks they’d rather keep to themselves. We’re talking practical tips for boosting your output (including clever AI tools and shortcuts that’ll make you look like a genius), managing overwhelm without losing your mind, and optimising both work and wellbeing. No motivational fluff. Just battle‑tested tactics from people who’ve cracked the code.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 23, 2020 • 44min
BEST OF: Rachel Botsman's tips for saying no, making a productive start to the day, and her one-minute mindfulness routine.
***BEST OF HOW I WORK***I'm currently taking a few weeks off, so today's episode is a Best Of episode. I've gone back through the archives of the last 2.5 years of hosting How I Work and picked out my absolute favourite episodes!Rachel Botsman is a world renowned expert on technology and trust, and the author of bestselling books “Who Can You Trust?” and “What’s Mine Is Yours". Rachel is a Trust Fellow at Oxford University and has been recognised as one of the “Most Creative People in Business” by Fast Company and as one of the 50 most influential management thinkers in the world.We cover a lot of ground in this conversation, including: Why Rachel never sleeps near her phone “Big stride days” and how to have one How the weather effects her productivity Her unusual but very awesome way of crafting presentations How Rachel hit a ridiculously tight book deadline Why she finishes her day midway through writing a paragraph Her one minute mindfulness routine Rachel’s “tips” to make it easier to say no And a whole lot more. You can find Rachel on Twitter and Linkedin at @Rachelbotsman and via her website.Comprehensive show notes on this episode can be found right here.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 here.Want to get in touch? Reach out at amantha@inventium.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 21, 2020 • 9min
My Favourite Tip: Rice University Professor Scott Sonenshein on to make better decisions
My favourite tip from my chat with Rice University Professor Scott Sonenshein was on to dramatically improve meetings.You can find the full interview here: Rice University Professor Scott Sonenshein on how to clean up your meetings, decisions and inboxLearn more about Scott right here.Subscribe to my new podcast How To Date in Apple Podcasts or Spotify.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.coVisit 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.

Dec 16, 2020 • 37min
BEST OF: Adam Grant on how to turbo-charge productivity and motivation
***BEST OF HOW I WORK***I'm currently taking a few weeks off, so today's episode is a Best Of episode. I've gone back through the archives of the last 2.5 years of hosting How I Work and picked out my absolute favourite episodes!On today’s show, I speak to organizational psychologist, best-selling author and Wharton’s highest-rated professor, Adam Grant. His books Give and Take, Originals, and Option B have sold over one million copies and have been translated into 35 languages. Adam has been recognized as one of the world's 10 most influential management thinkers, was named one of Fortune’s 40 under 40, and he also happens to be the host of one of my favourite podcasts, WorkLife which is a TED original podcast.In this conversation, we cover a whole bunch of topics such as: How to make email more bearable How becoming a parent completely changed Adam’s way of working How Adam approaches social media usage How Adam starts every week Why meetings kill productivity The podcasts Adam is listening to and books he is reading And a whole lot more.You can sign up to Adam’s e-newsletter Granted (one of my faves!) here: https://www.adamgrant.netFor comprehensive show notes on this episode, go to www.amanthaimber.com/podcastIf 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.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 14, 2020 • 11min
My Favourite Tip: Atlassian's Dom Price on making virtual meetings not suck
My favourite tip from my chat with Atlassian's Dom Price was on making virtual meetings not suck.This extract is from my second time having Dom on the show - you can check out the full interview here.And check out my first interview with Dom here.Connect with Dom: Twitter Linkedin Atlassianteamplaybook.com Atlassian.com/remote Subscribe to my new podcast How To Date in Apple Podcasts or Spotify.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.coVisit 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.

Dec 9, 2020 • 37min
Perry Marshall on how to do more $10,000 per hour tasks and less $10 per hour tasks
Perry Marshall is one of the most expensive business strategists in the world. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Labs use his 80/20 Curve as a productivity tool. His reinvention of the Pareto Principle is published in Harvard Business Review. He founded the $10 million Evolution 2.0 Prize, with judges from Harvard, Oxford and MIT, it is the world’s largest science research award. And his book the Ultimate Guide to Google Ads is the world’s best selling book on internet advertising. Perry’s latest book is called Detox, Declutter, Dominate.In this chat, we cover: How to apply the 80/20 rule to business How to do more $10,000 per hour tasks and less $10 per hour tasks How to do less of your $10 per hour tasks Why you need to get a virtual assistant - no matter what your role Perry’s top tips on how to write persuasive copy The importance of understanding and leveraging your natural selling modality Perry’s favourite structure for writing persuasive copy Perry’s daily "Renaissance time” ritual Get your copy of Detox, Declutter, Dominate and connect with Perry here and here.Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.auIf 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.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 7, 2020 • 16min
My Favourite Tip: Jake Knapp on winning the battle against email (and why it's so addictive)
My favourite tip from my chat with Jake Knapp was on winning the battle against email (and why it's so addictive) .This extract is from my second time having Jake on the show - you can check out the full interview here.And check out my first interview with Jake here.Find out more about Jake here: Running remote Sprints The Jake and Jonathon podcast Jake’s website Jake’s books Sprint and Make Time Subscribe to my new podcast How To Date in Apple Podcasts or Spotify.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.coVisit 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.

Dec 2, 2020 • 41min
eBay Australia's Managing Director Tim MacKinnon on how to actually be an authentic leader
My guest today is Tim MacKinnon. Tim is the Managing Director and Vice President for eBay Australia, a role that he has had for the last three years. At eBay, Tim’s purpose is to help Australian retailers grow and take advantage of opportunities in online, mobile, local and global commerce. Enabling businesses and entrepreneurs has been the connecting thread in his career at eBay, Intuit in Silicon Valley, and before that Advising the Minister responsible for IT industry and as a corporate lawyer.We cover:* How Tim approaches Deep work and his Deep work rituals* How Tim dramatically improved how people at eBay make decisions* How Tim’s leadership team approaches decision-making* Some of the unusual policies eBay has around meetings and interruptions* Unique ways Tim has built a “one team culture” at eBay* eBay’s version of virtual hot desking* How to be a truly authentic leader* How to show vulnerability as a leader* And much more.Check out the Frances Frei TED talk we spoke about.Connect with Tim on LinkedIn or via email at tmackinnon@ebay.comVisit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.auIf 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.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4 snips
Nov 30, 2020 • 5min
My Favourite Tip: Mia Freedman on how to get a quick read on staff's mental wellbeing
Mia Freedman shares valuable insights on gauging staff mental wellbeing with easy check-ins. By simply asking team members to rate their feelings at the start of meetings, leaders can promote open communication. This practical approach, especially useful during COVID, encourages addressing individual needs. It’s a refreshing reminder of how small gestures can significantly impact team morale and foster a supportive work environment.

Nov 25, 2020 • 49min
Superhuman Founder Rahul Vohra on why the key to productivity is to stop touching your mouse
My guest today is Rahul Vohra. Rahul is the founder and CEO of Superhuman, the fastest email experience in the world. Users get through their inbox twice as fast — and many see Inbox Zero for the first time in years. Previously, Rahul founded Rapportive, the first Gmail plugin to scale to millions of users. Rapportive was acquired by LinkedIn.In our chat, we cover: Rahul’s approach to becoming as efficient as possible with the software he uses Rahul’s email workflow How Rahul divides his inbox into different sections to help him prioritise his day Why Rahul only checks email twice a day Why Rahul never checks his email on the weekend How Rahul uses automation to reduce time in his inbox Why learning the keyboard shortcuts in software is critical to productivity How Rahul designed the most joyful software induction process I have ever experienced How Rahul batches and staggers his meetings Rahul’s method for time tracking and how he uses the data Rahul’s method for running effective meetings at Superhuman How to create a great pitch Rahul's favourite software for being more productive Rahul’s favourite new software Connect with Rahul at rahul@superhuman.com and on Twitter.Check out Superhuman at: https://superhuman.com/ and enter How I Work podcast for how you found out about Superhuman.Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.auIf 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.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 23, 2020 • 5min
Strategies to help you have a tough conversation with your boss
This episode answers a listener question about how to have a tough conversation with your boss.Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.auIf 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.coSubscribe to my new podcast How To Date in Apple Podcasts or Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


