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This Working Life

ABC Australia

You spend so much time on work, why accept the status quo, when there are ways to do it better? Get expert advice, research and hacks that will crush your inertia.

Join Lisa Leong and other This Working Lifers as we experiment and explore the latest in the world of work.

We cover policy issues, like hybrid workplaces and remote work, employee wellbeing and organisational culture, the use of AI, employee surveillance, employee engagement, diversity and inclusion. We talk about progress on wider issues that relate to work, like work life balance, organisational change, restructures, and casualisation. On This Working Life our focus is on everything related to the people in a workplace too, including culture, individual experiences, performance management and career advice.

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  • 30 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 25 min
  • English
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • June 7 · 25 min

    Don't be left out in the cold: why you should care about your organisation’s strategy

    Tying together what your team does within your organisation’s strategy is a key skill for middle managers and something workers at all levels can benefit from.   Learn how a strategy is put together and ways you can work towards it.  Guests:  Brandon Lee, Associate Professor at Melbourne Business School, consultant, researcher and executive educator    Rebecca Murray, principal of strategy consultancy, Marlborough and Ferdinand 

  • May 31 · 25 min

    Tackle overwhelm with the 'Teamwork Doctor'

    If you’re always busy but feel as though you’re not getting on top of things, you may be experiencing cognitive and emotional overload.  Liane Davey, the ‘Teamwork Doctor’, calls this “thoughtload” and offers ways to manage overwhelm and focus attention, to improve productivity and wellbeing in individuals and teams.  Guest:  Liane Davey PhD organisational psychologist and author Thoughtload: Manage the Madness and free your Team to do great Work 

  • May 26 · 16 min

    Try This: how to quit

    Once you’ve made the decision to quit your job, it’s worth considering how to do it in a way that fits the situation.  The researcher who coined the term, “The Great Resignation” shares his insights on different resignation styles, from the “grateful goodbye” to “bridge burning” and what managers can learn from the way employees quit.   Guest:  Professor Anthony C. Klotz, UCL School of Management, author Jolted, Why we Quit, When to Stay and Why it Matters  Check out our companion episode Sh

  • May 24 · 25 min

    Should you really quit your job, like Oprah?

    The researcher who coined the term, "The Great Resignation", says most of us are only one event away from quitting our jobs.  He calls them “jolts” and describes the one that led Oprah to quit her new job at 60 Minutes, and Jürgen Klopp to give up his successful role as manager of Liverpool FC.  What motivates us to quit, what should we consider before we do it?  Guest:  Professor Anthony C. Klotz, UCL School of Management, author Jolted, Why we Quit, When to Stay and Why it Matters  Look o

  • May 17 · 25 min

    AI will change your job. Here’s the SMART way to redesign it.

    The narrative around AI at work is moving away from “job apocalypse” towards jobs transforming.  So how do you redesign roles to improve productivity and take care of the psychosocial safety and wellbeing of workers? Guests:  John Curtin Distinguished Professor Sharon Parker, Director of  Centre for Transformative Work Design, Curtin University  If you’d like to try the S.M.A.R.T. job design assessment, the link is here.  

  • May 10 · 25 min

    Nir Eyal on how to stop sabotaging your career

    Have you struggled to make lasting behaviour change at work, and wondered why you can’t get to the next level?   The author of bestsellers Hooked and Indistractable, spoke with readers who loved his books but couldn’t nail the change part. He spent the next five years researching what was missing, Beyond Belief is the result.   Nir Eyal, behavioural design expert, author, Beyond Belief: The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limiting Yourself and Achieve Extraordinary results 

  • May 3 · 27 min

    Sir David Attenborough is doing it, what about you? How to work until you're 100

    Working for longer can help you financially, as well as giving you purpose, a social life and a healthier brain.  We speak with three Australians working past retirement age, and an expert coach who helps individuals and organisations achieve longevity goals. Guests:  Ronni Kahn AO, social entrepreneur, Founder and Visionary in Residence, OzHarvest   Brian James, co-founder, The Copper Doctors  Alison Hernandez, co-founder, Re-create 100  Scientia Professor Henry Brodaty, co-director of Ce

  • April 26 · 24 min

    Why 9am meetings might be failing your team

    Circadian rhythms dictate our peak times or chronotypes and they vary across the workforce, so why does everything start so early?  Learn how these biological rhythms interact with cognitive and emotional performance and how practicing circadian-influenced leadership can help get the best out of your team.  Guest:  Stefan Volk, Professor of Management at the University of Sydney Business School 

  • April 19 · 25 min

    Kyle and Jackie O safety complaint heads to Federal Court

    Jackie O’s lawyers claim ARN breached workplace health and safety obligations by failing to protect her psychosocial health while she was working with co-host Kyle Sandilands.   As the case heads to court this week, find out how leaders should manage psychological safety at work, and learn the potential consequences if they fail to do so.  Guests:  Martyn Campbell, former Chief Executive of SafeWork SA and Secretary-General of the International Association of Labour inspection.  Fay Calderon

  • April 12 · 25 min

    Marcus Buckingham says love is the most powerful force in business

    Marcus Buckingham’s latest research shows that love is a driver of super productive human behaviour. He argues the case for "designing love in" to experiences at work. Learn how to create experiences that inspire your colleagues and staff to say, "I love that!" Guest:  Marcus Buckingham, global researcher focused on unlocking strengths, increasing performance and pioneering the future of work. Author, Design Love In 

Showing 21–30 of 30 episodes