The New Way We Work

Secrets of the Most Productive People will be back in your feeds on August 31st where we'll be exploring one of the biggest issues facing our nation during the COVID-19 pandemic: the reopening of schools.

Dorianne St Fleur--Diversity & Inclusion Strategist, Career Development Coach and Founder of Your Career Girl Inc.--joins Secrets of the Most Productive People to discuss how to look for a job during the pandemic.If you have a problem in your career or on the job hunt, tell us about it. Leave us a voicemail at ‪833-582-3278, send an email to MostProductive@fastcompany.com or tweet with #FCMostProductive and we will find an expert to answer your question. Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

On this week’s episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People, we talk about the mental health struggles so many of us are facing right now. We also speak with Alice Boyes, a former clinical psychologist and the author of The Healthy Mind Toolkit and The Anxiety Toolkit. Boyes gives us insight into the accommodations that employees have a right to at work and offers tips on how to broach the subject of mental health issues with your manager.If you have a problem in your career or on the job hunt, tell us about it. Leave us a voicemail at ‪833-582-3278, send an email to MostProductive@fastcompany.com or tweet with #FCMostProductive and we will find an expert to answer your question. Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week we’ll learn about a new toy robot that could help children socialize, a good alternative to Rosé and some handy productivity tips.  Be sure to check in with us next week for another roundup of helpful tips and creative ideas to stay positive throughout this challenging time. You can subscribe to Fast Break on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.If you like this show, please leave us a rating or a review.

This week, Fast Company deputy editor Kate Davis and Head of Video and Podcasting Scott Mebus are talking about parenting during a pandemic. How can working parents attempt to get everything done, what should managers do to support all of their employees, possible tensions among those without kids, and how this unprecedented time may be forcing us to rethink work overall. When shelter in place orders went into effect in most of the country in March, parents across industries had to scramble to find childcare. For those of us lucky enough to not only keep our jobs but have jobs that can be done from home has meant trying to do the impossible: work and take care of children full time. They also talk with Dr. Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler, an expert on conflict and organizational psychology, the founder of Alignment Strategies Group, and the author of the new book Optimal Outcomes: Free Yourself from Conflict at Work, at Home, and in Life. You can listen and subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenting Fast Break, a new podcast from Fast Company Magazine.This week we’ll learn about how some companies are adjusting their advertising game, why the L.A Clippers are helping change the way people watch sports, and some self care tips for working moms.You can subscribe to Fast Break on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.If you like this show, please leave us a rating or a review.

As COVID-19 has spread, many aspects of our working lives have changed. Some of us wear masks and face-shields; some join meetings from our couches; others juggle conference calls and toddler nap times. For leaders overseeing teams, there are also new challenges. As information about the virus and economic conditions change rapidly, leaders must make quick (and often painful) decisions about staffing, shutting down offices, and pivoting business plans overnight.Meanwhile, there are the more mundane—but still critical—day-to-day challenges of overseeing a team effectively during a global pandemic. How do you hold meetings when your team is suddenly all remote? How can you accommodate more flexible employee schedules while still meeting productivity goals? How often should you be communicating with your employees? To get answers to these questions, on this week’s episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People, assistant editor Pavithra Mohan and I speak with Eric Pliner, CEO of YSC consulting. Pliner, who is an executive coach for Fortune 500 companies, also shares his thoughts on the importance of thinking long term and acting in a way that will elevate company culture beyond the immediate crisis.You can listen and subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.

In the this bonus episode of Secrets of Secrets of the Most Productive people, hosts Pavithra Mohan and Julia Herbst discuss how you can continue your professional connections and develop career skills while sheltered at home during this pandemic.

As far as obstacles to productivity go, procrastination is a challenge that many run into over and over again. Add the uncertainties caused by COVID-19 and the distractions that working in unsettling environment brings, tackling things that require effort and brainpower can feel downright impossible.That's because as my cohost Pavithra Mohan and I discuss on this week's episode of Secrets Of The Most Productive People, procrastination—at its core—is about our unwillingness to deal with unpleasant emotions. It's not a time-management issue, nor is it an issue about willpower and discipline. We often procrastinate because in our heads, we assume that as soon as we start that thing we're putting off, we will experience bad feelings.Mohan also spoke to Nir Eyal, author of Indistractable: How To Control Your Attention And Choose your life about why discipline and willpower is a myth when it comes to combating distraction and procrastination, and the role of internal and external triggers. We also discuss how self-compassion can go a long way in combating distraction and procrastination.You can listen and subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.

From our friends at Inc. Magazine, please enjoy this trailer to What I Know. Subscribe to What I Know on Apple Podcasts or SpotifyThe greatest businesses weren’t born from moments of genius. They emerged after years of discovery--and often after years of failure. What I Know from Inc. magazine takes you inside the messy, painful, and --every so often -- transcendent journey of starting a company. Through candid interviews, Inc. senior writer Christine Lagorio-Chafkin draws out the real grit and true lessons behind innovative companies and remarkable brands.