The New Way We Work: Recent Episodes
Fast Company
Fast Company deputy editor Kate Davis takes listeners on a journey through the changing landscape of our work lives and explains what we need to build the future we want.
The next season of The New Way We Work starts next week! This fall, we might not be heading back to school but policies around coming back to the office (or not!) are still on a lot of people's minds. We'll also be digging into how the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action in college admissions might affect the workplace, anxiety over AI, and the pushback against productivity culture. Plus, what would your dream office look and feel like?
Late last year, everyone thought we were headed for a recession. But now we’re doing great. What’s going on? James Surowiecki, author of The Wisdom of Crowds and a Fast Company contributing writer, explains how “Bidenomics” is actually helping boost the economy. Courtney Tracy calls herself the truth doctor on TikTok. This came about after she’d dealt with a serious life event in 2019 and thought she needed to hide her struggle. She realized that if an up-and-coming licensed therapist was going to hide her mental health problems, what does that say about mental health overall? That we should hide it, be embarrassed about it . . . really? She was struggling, and she thought the world needed a therapist who was significantly struggling. So she called herself the truth doctor and, in fact, told the truth about her struggles to encourage other people to be honest with themselves and tell the truth about their struggles. And we’re sorry to hear about Britney’s divorce . . . Don’t forget to check out our upcoming Innovation Festival at: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23 And apply for MIC! https://www.fastcompany.com/apply/most-innovative-companies
Thinking of quitting your job? Whether you are miserable and dream of quitting your job in a dramatic TikTok-worthy fashion, or if you’re just feeling stagnant and uninspired, leaving your job is a huge decision. In this special LinkedIn Audio conversation, Fast Company Editors Kathleen Davis, Julia Herbst, and AJ Hess offer advice on red flags to look out for, steps to take once you know it’s time, and how quitting can be a good career move.
The Women’s World Cup is coming to an end this weekend! The international soccer championship is down to its final week in which Spain and England will be facing off in the final match. Fast Company senior editor Amy Farley and staff editor AJ Hess catch us up on the drama and break down what this tournament means for pro women’s sports. Also, SKIMS cofounder and CEO Jens Grede explains how Kim Kardashian is like the Michael Jordan of the influencer generation and why the pumpkin spice latte is so important. And Broadway’s back, baby! Our personal fave is Spamalot. Don’t forget to sign up for our upcoming Innovation Festival on September 18-21: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23
It’s looking like the future won’t be spent in the office. Based on a recent Deloitte study, 66% of mid- to executive-level financial services professionals do not want to come back to the office full-time. Writer and journalist Shalene Gupta breaks down the numbers and explains the impact that this will have on future pathways toward leadership. And historically, financial advice has been “male, pale, and stale,” according to Vivian Tu. The popular FinTok influencer explains why she’s passionate about teaching financial literacy. In addition to her proprietary “STRIP” method for achieving financial independence, she recommends setting up a “money date” with a close friend. Find out how much they make and pay for rent, and what their various expenditures are, she suggests. Tu says we need to ask each other these questions so we can set realistic expectations. “That’s real intimacy. Get financially naked with your friends!” And then we chat about periods, because they’ve been a taboo subject for so long, and . . . mustard Skittles, because that’s a thing. Fast Company Innovation Festival is coming up! Check it out here: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23 Find out more about Vivian Tu’s forthcoming book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/735755/rich-af-by-vivian-tu/
The new visual platform, Spill, is not trying to become the next Twitter—it’s aiming to create an entirely new social media platform. Spill’s cofounder and CEO Alphonzo “Fonz” Terrell said he wants to create a fun, safer, and more rewarding space for its users, especially black, female, and queer folks. In order to create a safer and more inclusive community, Spill is building its algorithms based on specific data sets that will not just flag certain terms, but also look at who’s saying those terms. This will create a context-based model for content moderation. While the app is in its beta phase, it’s still invite-only; but since they’re moving at the “speed of culture,” Terrell said they’re aiming to scale up as soon as possible. There is already a vibrant kaleidoscope of diverse channels where “Spillionaires” are interacting and engaging with one another. Then we talk about the resale industry with Charles Gorra, founder and CEO of Rebag. He explains how the market has shifted and consumers have gotten past the “ick” factor of resale. Now it means you’re a smart shopper and you’re contributing to a circular economy: “It’s not consumption anymore, it’s investment.” And finally, we chatted about 46,000-year-old worms that may give researchers insight into how to “elongate” humans’ lives . . . maybe.
Our show today was produced by Mariam Kiparoidze with help from Avery Miles and Blake Odom. And special thanks to Max Ufberg for stepping in to host this week! Mix and sound design by Tad Wadhams and our executive producer is Josh Christensen.
AI is poised to upend the music industry, and Fast Company Associate Editor David Salazar joins us to discuss what AI generative music is and how the music industry is combating it. Antidiabetic medication Ozempic is all over the news these days, but it's not as new as it seems. Beyond the TikTok trends and celebrity shout-outs, it's been used to treat diabetes for years. But now talk of this medication has reached a fever pitch. Found CEO Sarah Jones Simmer talks about how her company prioritizes comprehensive weight care management, the ongoing discussion about Ozempic, and the very complicated history of weight in this country. Basically, how do we thread the needle between self-acceptance and positive body image and the existing health challenges, like the skyrocketing rates of diabetes? Then we discuss Barbenheimer because, well, we have to.
In this special interview from LinkedIn Audio, Judith Humphrey, Fast Company contributor and author of the new book "The Job Seeker’s Script" gives her best advice for job searching. What pieces of your resume can you trim, and what parts should you highlight? How important are cover letters...really? And once you land the interview, how do you answer the classic prompt, "Tell me a bit about yourself"?
We have to talk about the new Twitter on the block: Threads. How does it work? And more importantly, how does it compare to Twitter? Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Max Ufberg is back to explain what Mark Zuckerberg’s newest platform is, the drama between the two companies, and how Threads' algorithms won't promote hard news or political discourse. And e.l.f CMO Kory Marchisotto talks about the company’s successful media strategy on TikTok . . . and why it decided to make a Chipotle-inspired, guac-themed eye-shadow palette.
When you have a chronic illness or debilitating condition, you start turning to alternatives for answers. This is what one of our colleagues did. Fast Company Video Producer and host of the new docuseries “Future Me,” Emma Wheylin, takes us through her biohacking journey. She tried out the Peak Brain Institute and the BallancerPro where she learned a lot about lymphatic drainage. Yaz chatted with Fast Company Senior Staff Writer Liz Segran and Senior Editor Amy Farley about what the direct-to-consumer Daily Harvest’s recall and lawsuits reveal about how unregulated food startups are. They dove into how this resulted in several hospital visits, emergency surgeries, and thousands of dollars in healthcare costs. It came down to a novel ingredient called tara flour. Also, for more info about Fast Company premium, check out: https://www.fastcompany.com/premium
Pedestrian and cyclist deaths have hit their highest levels in 40 years. There’s one major way we could bring those numbers down and that’s if we got rid of the law that allows drivers to turn right on red. Yaz spoke with Fast Company contributing writer David Zipper. David is a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and he focuses on road safety, climate change, and the future of micromobility, among other things. And Fast Company Executive Editor Mike Hofman sat down with Jason Del Rey about his latest book, “Winner Takes All.” In it, he explores the rivalry between Amazon and Walmart and the traditional retail giant’s attempts to reinvent itself. For more on the right-on-red ban, you can read David's article here: https://www.fastcompany.com/90908929/its-time-for-a-nationwide-ban-of-right-on-red?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss
After World War II, the U.S. had to change the way it communicated if it was going to keep up with the Soviets in the Cold War, especially once Sputnik was launched. It was the vision of a Missouri boy called Lick that would solve those communication issues and spark the creation of the internet.
Fast Company's fourth annual Queer 50 list, which publishes on Tuesday June 13th, celebrates the representation and influence of LGBTQ women and nonbinary leaders across industries. The individuals on the list have a seat at the table among the highest ranks for billion-dollar companies and powerful positions in advocacy, politics, and entertainment. They are also, in many cases, doing critical work to ensure that other marginalized folks have access to the same positions in the future.
Kate Davis explains five red flags to watch out for when interviewing for a job. For more tips, check out the article link below.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90734998/10-signs-you-shouldnt-take-the-job
Kate Davis talks with Dorie Clark about how to future proof your career (as much as possible). Dorie has been a guest on the show before, she’s also a contributor to Fast Company, Harvard Business Review and others and has been named the #1 Communication Coach and one of the Top 50 Business Thinkers in the World. She teaches at both Duke and Columbia Business Schools, and she is the author of several books, including The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World.
How do you prepare for a looming recession and the possibility of layoffs? Is there such a thing as a recession proof job? Kate Davis is joined by Amanda Augustine to answer these questions. Amanda is an expert in career advancement, ranging from developing one’s professional brand to acing job interviews. She’s a speaker and contributor for many publications including Fast Company and has served as a career expert for Top Resume since 2015.
Kate Davis is joined by Kim Rittberg, host of the podcast Mom’s Exit Interview, to discuss what the next career chapter is for some of those women who left the traditional workforce in 2020
In this special podcast episode, hear the latest on what’s taking place in edge computing and hybrid cloud from a top industry executive at AWS. Also learn how these innovations can ultimately help you transform your business.
On this fourth and final episode of Ambition Diaries, Kate examines is ambition really matters anymore after the pandemic and how we are recalibrating in the new world of work.
In this episode we’ll hear from several of the mothers and daughters in the series about how decisions around marriage and children played out in their homes and careers. From the cost of childcare limiting career options, to delegating responsibilities to a babysitter. From grappling with questions of fulfillment in motherhood to approaching child rearing in more creative ways. And finally how mothers navigate model for their daughters what it’s like to love their jobs, even when it means less time at home.
On the second episode in Ambition Diaries, we hear stories of workplace discrimination. ” it calls to mind a bygone era of Mad Men style overt sexism and racism. And while that kind of egregious behavior does still happen, the discrimination most prevalent in workplaces of all types can fly under the radar of those note experiencing it. It’s in many of the issues that we try to root out regularly on The New Way We Work
Over the course of several months, seven reporters from across the country recorded intimate conversations between mothers and daughters about issues like unpaid labor, discrimination, pay gap, career advancement, work life balance, and how the pandemic has changed our relationship to work. The result is a 4-part mini series called Ambition Diaries. In this first episode of the series we explore economic mobility.
Kate Davis hosts a live episode of The New Way We Work at Fast Company Innovation Festival. She talks about burnout and why so many employees are unhappy at work with Ludmila Praslova and Phoebe Gavin. Ludmila is a professor of Organizational psychology at Vanguard University of Southern California with extensive experience in talent systems, inclusion and wellbeing. She is a frequent contributor to Fast Company and Harvard Business Review. Phoebe is a career and leadership coach specializing in career strategy, negotiation, and self-advocacy. She’s also the Executive Director of Talent and Development at Vox.com where she oversees the employee life-cycle from candidate to employee to alumni. A new season of The New Way We Work starts October 3rd with a special four-part mini series called Ambition Diaries.
On this week's Most Innovative Companies Podcast, Nicolas Julia, CEO and cofounder of Sorare talks about his vision for democratizing NFTs through the world’s biggest sports.
On this week’s Most Innovative Companies Podcast, Alexandr Wang, CEO and founder of Scale AI, explains how his company is using data to tackle problems from access to healthcare to supplies for the war in Ukraine.
On the latest episode of the Most Innovative Companies podcast, Irving Fain, founder and CEO of the vertical farming company Bowery, explains how being an outsider to agriculture has helped him come up with new ideas.
James Vincent is joined by Rebekah Jefferis, Stephen Butler and Nick Barham, his partners at FNDR, to discuss lessons they've learned from their work with 126 founders.
Every company’s success is tied to its talent - recruiting and retaining the employees needed to deliver high-level customer experiences that support the bottom line. Yet rapid transformation has disrupted many things that organizations used to do to maintain great company cultures. So how can business leaders reimagine their employee experiences to meet the needs of their workforces? How does that translate into better customer experiences? In this thought-provoking podcast episode, FastCo Works will hear from Freshworks CMO Stacey Epstein as she shares some of the latest industry best practices and learnings for companies navigating these work culture shifts.
On this week’s Most Innovative Companies Podcast, Nate founder and CEO Albert Saniger discusses the role technology plays in our lives, and the autonomy we hold over our decisions and our data.
Kate Davis talks to Dr. Courtney McCluney, assistant professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University, about code-switching at work and what companies really mean when they talk about "culture fit".
On this week’s Most Innovative Companies podcast, Joanna Coles explains the business case for all leaders to surround themselves with independent working minds that are connected to culture, both within the broader world around us as well as the communities we live, work, and thrive in.
On this week’s episode of Most Innovative Companies podcast, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence talks with James Vincent about why companies should embrace innovation even when they don’t need to.
Kate Davis is joined by Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic to discuss how the people who end up in leadership positions often possess the traits least suited to manage and lead people. Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic is the Chief Innovation Officer at Manpower Group, Professor of Business Psychology at University College London and Columbia University, a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review and Fast Company and the author of several books including “Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? (and how to fix it)”
On this week's Most Innovative Companies Podcast, Jack and Sam dive into why the creator economy isn’t new, but a fresh iteration of a much older phenomenon, as well as the beauty of Web3 as it applies to ownership. By focusing on “love” as opposed to “likes”, Patreon has helped change the way art is brought back autonomy to artists and creators around the world, enabling them to receive fair pay—as opposed to fractions of cents—for their creative output.
Subscribe to Most Innovative Companies on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
On this week's Most Innovative Companies, Joe Percoco, cofounder and co-CEO of Titan, shares his thoughts with host James Vincent about why, while a financial crisis is undeniably a challenge to companies, it can also bring key opportunities for growth. His company Titan is a consumer fintech opening up access to expert-led investment opportunities for as little as $100. Operating in that space means that Percoco has seen this crisis from the eye of the storm. You can listen and subscribe to Most Innovative Companies on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Kate Davis talks with Dr. David Rock about what makes for meaningful work. David is the Co-Founder & CEO of NeuroLeadership Institute, a cognitive science consultancy that has advised some of the biggest companies. He is also the author of four books including Your Brain at Work.
Kate Davis is joined by Kim Kelly to discuss what’s behind the new labor movement and what both employees and managers should be thinking about at their workplaces. Kim is the author of FIGHT LIKE HELL: The Untold History of American Labor. Her writing on labor, class, politics, and culture has appeared in The New Republic, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and more.
On this episode we take a look at some of the most infamous bosses from TV and film and see if there are any leadership lessons we can learn from their mistakes.
On the latest episode of The New Way We Work, we hear from Emma Hernandez about her experience accessing abortion care at two different points in her life: with and without employer support. Access to safe and legal abortion over the last five decades has had a tremendous impact on women. Women’s labor force participation went from about 43% in 1970 to 58% in 2019. It’s an issue that impacts labor force participation and career opportunity, as well as the health of the economy. As we reported in our recent package, The Business Case for Abortion Access, state-level abortion restrictions also reportedly already cost the U.S. economy about $105 billion each year, due to women leaving the workforce, reducing overall earnings, and increasing turnover. That will increase exponentially as more bans and restrictions go into place.
Kate Davis talks with Diana Kander about the pitfalls even the most well meaning manager might fall into and how to avoid them. Diana is an author, keynote speaker, and host of The Growth League podcast, which catalogs rules for growth from remarkable women. She also co-authored a Fast Company article titled “We interviewed 50 ‘bad bosses’ to learn it only takes a few toxic behaviors for everything to go”
Kate Davis talks to Nena Martin about what the office of the future should look like. Nena is Global Technology Leader and Director of Workplace for the design and architecture firm Gensler. She has extensive experience in commercial architectural interiors of all types, she’s worked with clients including Apple, Google, Facebook,and many more in the process of creating new headquarters and corporate campuses.
Kate Davis and Josh Christensen talk about how to make friends at work. The two Fast Company articles we pulled tips from for this episode are How to make office friends if you’re planning to keep working from home By Corey Weiner and You can make friends at work. Here is how to foster life-long connections By Tracy Brower https://www.fastcompany.com/90644805/how-to-make-office-friends-if-youre-planning-to-keep-working-from-home https://www.fastcompany.com/90739266/you-can-make-real-friends-at-work-here-is-how-to-revitalize-your-connection-building
Kate Davis talks with Mark C. Crowley about The Great Reentry and what leaders need to know to make this transition work.
Kate Davis talks with Sara Horowitz about the future of portable benefits. Sara is the founder and former executive director of the Freelancers Union and founder of the mutualists society. She is also an author whose most recent book is “Mutualism: Building the Next Economy from the Ground Up”.
Kate Davis talks with Hayden Brown about why so many workers are freelancing and how this trend will only continue to grow. Hayden is president and CEO of Upwork, a work marketplace that connects businesses with highly-skilled talent.
Kate Davis is joined by The New Way We Work producer Josh Christensen and Fast Company's senior VP of Entertainment Scott Mebus to talk about their work meeting audit. If you'd like to audit your own meetings, you can find instructions in this Fast Company Article: https://www.fastcompany.com/90727966/you-can-cancel-most-of-your-meetings-if-you-do-these-5-things
Kate Davis talks with Melissa Boteach about what it would look like if we paid for unpaid labor. Melissa is Vice President for Income Security, Child Care and Early Learning at the National Women’s Law Center. Melissa also oversees their advocacy, policy, and public education strategies on these issues.
On today's episode, The New Way We Work producer talks with Irenka Krone and Nina Prochazka about job sharing. They cohead communication, network and knowledge management at CINFO, and work together at Association PTO, advocating for flexible work models and coaching job share partners.
Kate Davis joined by Kenzo Fong and Josh Foreman to discuss the future of workplace flexibility. Kenzo is CEO & Founder of Rock who recently wrote for Fast Company about asynchronous work. And Josh is the CEO and Founder of Indebted who recently wrote about how his company moved to a 4 day work week.
Kate Davis and her producer, Josh Christensen, take the Myers-Briggs and Big Five personality tests.
If you'd like to take the Big Five, follow this link: https://openpsychometrics.org/tests/IPIP-BFFM/
Kate Davis talks to Dr. Art Markman about why everyone's favorite personality test--The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator--is unreliable, especially when used in the hiring process. Art is a professor of Psychology and Marketing at the University of Texas at Austin and Founding Director of the Program in the Human Dimensions of Organizations.
We are taking a short break from new episodes of The New Way We Work. We will be back with new episodes this February where we will talk about personality assessments, unions, retirement and so much more. To hold you over, here is a panel from Fast Company's Innovation Festival this past fall called "Working 9-to-5: Workplaces and Workspaces in the Zoom Era" hosted by Staff Editor--and regular contributor to The New Way We Work--Julia Herbst.
Today we have a special holiday episode where Kate Davis is joined by KC Ifeayni--host of Creative Conversation--and Talib Visram--host of World Changing Ideas--to reflect on the past year here at Fast Company and to share some new year's resolutions
Kate Davis is joined by Dr. Jessica Jackson to discuss what mental health support should look like at work. Dr. Jackson is a psychologist and the Global Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Care Lead at Modern Health. Plus, we have a custom segment from Fast Co. Works and McKinsey & Company about how we take the speed and innovation we achieved during COVID and lock it in by design for sustained performance with Brooke Weddle, partner at McKinsey & Company.
Kate Davis and her producer, Josh Christensen, take the Narcissistic Personality Inventory assessment to see just how narcissistic they might be. If you'd like to take the assessment yourself, follow this link: https://openpsychometrics.org/tests/NPI/
Kate Davis is joined by Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic to discuss how the people who end up in leadership positions often possess the traits least suited to manage and lead people. Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic is the Chief Innovation Officer at Manpower Group, Professor of Business Psychology at University College London and Columbia University, a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review and Fast Company and the author of several books including “Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? (and how to fix it)”
On today's episode, we here from a childcare provider who left the industry after 20 years in the business.
The fragility of the country’s childcare infrastructure is one of America’s most enduring economic and societal challenges. This special recording of The New Way We Work podcast will explore public policy proposals, private sector initiatives, and other solutions that will help strengthen the economy and put people back on the job. Plus, a bonus segment from Fast Co. Works in partnership with McKinsey & Company. Fast Co. works correspondent Ted Brown talks with Liz Hilton Segel, McKinsey & Company’s Global Leader for Industry Practices, about the importance of well-being and the role leaders play in prioritizing this.
Staff editor Lydia Dishman dives deep into the all too familiar history of sexual harassment in the workplace.
Kate Davis talks with Ellen Pao about the rise in workplace harassment during the pandemic, what's possibly causing the problem, and what companies should be doing to fix it. Pao is a tech investor and advocate, the former CEO of reddit, and CEO and cofounder of the diversity and inclusion nonprofit Project Include.
Kate Davis talks to staff editor Lydia Dishman about her appreciation of going back to the office
Kate Davis talks with Natalie Nixon about creativity, collaboration and company culture. Natalie is the president of Figure 8 Thinking, author of The Creativity Leap: Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation and Intuition at Work and a contributor to Fast Company
On today's episode we hear from someone who loves remote work despite initial reservations. Plus, we have another custom segment from Fast Co. Works and McKinsey & Company about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with Lareina Yee, Senior Partner at McKinsey and Company
Kate Davis talks with Dorie Clark about how to advance in your career when you are working from home. Clark is an author, professor of business at Duke and Columbia, and a contributor for the Harvard Business Review and Fast Company
On this week's episode, we hear from a retail worker about what led them to quit their job and join the great resignation. Plus, we have a custom segment from Fast Co. Works and McKinsey & Company about getting hybrid work right with Bryan Hancock, partner at McKinsey & Company and global leader of its talent work.
Kate Davis talks with Fast Company contributor Stephanie Vozza about why so many people are quitting their jobs, who they are most likely to be, and what industries are most affected.
In this week's episode, Fast Company reporter Lydia Dishman dives deep into the history (and future) of the office.
On this week's episode, Kate Davis talks to Fast Company contributor Gwen Moran about who should--and shouldn't--return to the office. Subscribe to The New Way We Work wherever you listen. If you liked this episode, leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. We want to hear from you. How do you feel about returning to the office? Did you make the decision to stay remote? Are you transitioning into a new job or career? Email us at podcasts@fastcompany.com or tweet at us with the hashtag #NewWayWeWork The New Way We Work is produced by Joshua Christensen.
For more on the return to the office: https://www.fastcompany.com/90655710/the-unspoken-reasons-employees-dont-want-remote-work-to-end
https://www.fastcompany.com/90652534/employees-say-these-4-things-can-ease-the-transition-back-to-the-office
https://www.fastcompany.com/90648555/6-pandemic-work-habits-we-shouldnt-lose-in-our-new-normal
https://www.fastcompany.com/90641007/6-ways-to-reduce-anxiety-about-going-back-to-the-office
https://www.fastcompany.com/90643759/we-still-need-conference-rooms-heres-what-they-should-look-like-post-pandemic
The New Way We Work returns with new episodes on September 13. We will be diving deep into the return to the office, "The Great Resignation", and the child care crisis.
In this episode, we’re talking about social media. While Facebook and Twitter still dominate the space, apps like TikTok and Clubhouse are offering people new ways to express themselves and form communities. Amy chatted with Maria Raga, the CEO of Depop, the fashion resale app that’s become popular with Gen Z. The platform has 30 million registered users: 90% of them are under 26 years old. They discuss Depop’s unique approach to social commerce and how it has fostered a deep connection with younger users.
In today's modern environment, it's impractical to live a completely digital-free life. But as Newport points out, you can keep your smartphone and stay sane at the same time. The key is to practice digital minimalism, and spend your online time "on a small number of carefully selected activities that strongly support things you value, and then happily miss out on everything else."
In this weeks 'Best Of' episode, Fast Company reporter Pavithra Mohan spoke to Nir Eyal, author of Indistractable: How To Control Your Attention And Choose your life. Nir gets to the heart of what’s really behind procrastination, and why discipline and willpower are a myth when it comes to combating distraction. And if you like what you hear in this episode, Nir is leading a workshop on this topic at Fast Company’s Innovation Festival on Tuesday September 28th, go to events.fastcompany.com to sign up.
On this episode, we’re going to talk about the gaming industry, which is worth more than 160 billion dollars globally. Over the past year and a half, as people have gone from sheltering at home to tentative re-engagement with the world to….whatever is in store for us this fall, games have taken on an outsized role in our lives. Amy sat down with Roham Gharegozlou, CEO of Dapper Labs, the company behind NBA Top Shot, to discuss why he wants to do far more than just digitize the age-old pastime of buying and selling trading cards.
Fast Company has been writing about how to beat distractions and find more focus at work for years, but right now all of the normal advice feels less practical. Between the stress and worry that has accompanied the pandemic and economic crisis--coupled with the tumultuous presidential election--staying focused can feel impossible. On today's 'Best Of' episode, we go back to November of 2020 when Kate Davis talked to Dr. Art Markman about how to manage stress and focus when it's all just too much.
In this episode, we’re talking about biotech and health. If this past year and a half is any indication, investment in these sectors is critical. We’ve seen how we can confront a global pandemic with fast-tracked RNA-based vaccines. We’ve harnessed genomics to track and diagnose illness as it spreads. And the rise of telemedicine has made healthcare more accessible to all. Amy talked with Twist Bioscience CEO and Co-founder Emily LeProust about the MIC winner's cutting-edge technology that has pioneered what’s known as synthetic DNA. It’s used in therapeutics and precision medicine, but has applications across agriculture, biomaterials, and even data storage.
Once upon a time, putting your head down, doing good work, and staying loyal to a company may have been enough to get a promotion. But these days, that's no longer the case. In today's constantly changing workforce, companies reward employees who can bring results and aren't afraid to be vocal about it. It's often on the individual to devise their own strategies and sometimes even design their own path. Sometimes, that preparation may take longer than you think. In this 'Best Of' episode of The New Way We Work, Kate and Anisa examine how to ask for--and land--that promotion.
On this week's 'Best Of' episode, we go back to 2019 when Kate and Anisa broke down how to prepare for a job interview and what employers are really asking with those common interview questions.
We're talking about AI in this episode. Once the villain of Sci Fi thrillers, AI is one of the most crucial—and misunderstood—sectors that we cover here at Fast Company. The truth is, AI—in some form or another—underpins the operations of just about every company these days, from powering self-driving technologies in our cars to serving up product recommendations when we’re shopping online. And though we’re increasingly aware of how algorithms can perpetuate and amplify inequities, AI is also being used by companies to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems, increasing crop yields, fighting disinformation, and helping us track and control a global pandemic. We're featuring one such company: Pachama, an MIC honoree that’s taking on climate change with the help of some advanced AI and data science. Amy speaks with Co-founder and CEO Diego Saez Gil about how Pachama is revolutionizing the fight against global warming.
On this "Best of The New Way We Work" episode, we go back to 2019 when Kate and Anisa dove into all things career-related, starting with the most basic tool to get your foot in the door: your resume. What are some resume mistakes you should stay away from? Are there common advice you’ve unknowingly follow that hiring managers and recruiters actually hate? The cohosts answer listener questions about resumes and Kate challenges her boss to debate common resume advice.
Of all the decisions that you'll have to make over the course of your career, one of the biggest is when it's the right time to leave a job? Like many career decisions, the answer isn't straightforward. As we discuss in this week's "Best Of" episode of The New Way We Work, some signs are more obvious than others. For starters, a toxic workplace is almost always never worth staying in. When a role or company no longer offers you the opportunities to grow, it might be time to look elsewhere. And when your job starts to impact other areas of your life in a negative way, you should, at minimum, assess the possibility of change.
Taking a vacation is not a given in our work culture and if you do, it's likely that you'll check a few work emails here and there. But not taking the time to disconnect can actually make you less productive.
On this episode, The New Way We Work is back with another one of our greatest hits. This one is from late 2019 and it’s a fun bonus episode where Kate Davis debates VP of Entertainment, Scott Mebus, on the controversial topic of unlimited vacation. The idea that employees can choose how much vacation they take has inspired passionate opinions on what’s appropriate for workers to expect, what a company hopes for in offering something so elusive, and how it plays out differently in practice than in theory. This is another one that’s gotten more relevant with time as the pandemic saw burned our workers taking even fewer vacation days.
This episode is from early 2019 where Kate Davis and former co-host, Anisa Purbasari-Horton, spoke to former lawyer turned burnout and resilience expert Paula Davis-Laack about why our work and achievement-centric culture might be to blame for the high rates of burnout in America, along with what signs we should look out for, and how we can prevent it from taking over our lives.
It has been over 100 episodes since this podcast began, first as Secrets of the Most Productive People and now The New Way We Work, so we are rebroadcasting some of the best episodes from the past 4 years this summer. In this episode from 2018, Kate Davis and Anisa Purbasari-Horton talked to author Tiffany Dufu about how to find work life balance.
On this week's episode, we feature highlights from Fast Company's Black in Tech special report. For the full report, follow this link: https://www.fastcompany.com/90644593/1-year-3-8-billion-later-how-2020s-race-reckoning-shook-up-big-tech
In this bonus episode, Kate Davis talks to senior staff editor Julia Herbst about Fast Company's second annual Queer 50 list. Plus, we hear highlights from interviews with this years honorees including Black Lives Matters co-founder Alicia Garza. To see the full list, follow this link: https://www.fastcompany.com/queer-50/2021
Kate Davis talks to Gabriel Arkles, Senior Counsel at the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, about trans rights at work, healthcare disparities and his work on Aimee Stephens Supreme Court case last summer.
Produced by Joshua Christensen
The New Way We Work would like to introduce you to a new podcast from Fast Company that we think you are going to love. It’s called Hit the Ground Running and it’s all about how to navigate the ever changing world of work as an early career professional. The show is hosted by Yasmin Gagne and Christina Royster, two women in their 20s on staff here at Fast Company. In this episode they talk about how to use social media as a working professional. Subscribe to Hit the Ground Running by following the links below: Apple Podcasts Spotify Fastcompany.com
Kate Davis talks to LaFawn Davis, Group Vice President of Environmental, Social & Governance at Indeed, about how to make a more inclusive workplace for LGBTQ+ employees, intersectionality, and the spike of anti-trans legislation in states across the country.
Produced by Joshua Christensen
According to Simply Insurance, nearly 6% of Americans will experience a short-term disability each year, and around 40% of those people will have their applications for disability insurance declined. On this episode, Kate Davis reports on how difficult it can be to qualify for temporary disability.
More on this topic from Fastcompany.com: https://www.fastcompany.com/90414895/exclusive-i-left-google-because-of-pregnancy-discrimination
Produced by Joshua Christensen
Kate Davis speaks with Hiren Shukla, the founder and global leader of Neuro-Diverse Centers of Excellence at EY Global, about how neurodiverse persons are so often marginalized in the workforce.
Read more on fastcompany.com: https://www.fastcompany.com/40421510/what-is-neurodiversity-and-why-companies-should-embrace-it https://www.fastcompany.com/90424650/too-often-neurodiverse-hiring-efforts-overlook-female-job-seekers https://www.fastcompany.com/90543909/how-companies-can-support-neurodiverse-employees-who-choose-to-come-out
Produced by Joshua Christensen
We take a look back at the history of disabled workers rights legislation over the past century and how there are still loopholes and gaps that employers can exploit to discriminate. See full text of the ADA here
Kate Davis talks with Lydia X. Z. Brown about how disabled workers have to go about disclosing disabilities at work and what companies should be doing to make their hiring processes more equitable. Lydia is a scholar and advocate in disability studies and technology policy and also the Policy Counsel for the Privacy & Data Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology.
Kate Davis takes a look back at two moments in U.S. history when our government nearly had universal childcare, but failed to follow through. Fast Company has been reporting on the recent attacks on AAPI people and ways you can get involved and help, from places you can donate and volunteer to how you can help build a more inclusive workplace for everyone. Here are links to those stories: https://www.fastcompany.com/90616185/these-groups-are-fighting-anti-asian-violence-in-america-heres-how-you-can-help-them https://www.fastcompany.com/90622433/how-to-support-asian-owned-businesses-yelp-just-made-it-easier https://www.fastcompany.com/40590269/asian-americans-on-being-likable-in-the-modern-workplace https://www.fastcompany.com/90201530/heres-another-reason-why-the-model-minority-myth-is-so-damaging
Kate Davis talks with author, speaker and podcast host Claudia Reuter about the penalty women face when they decide to have children.
Fast Company reporter Pavithra Mohan explains the history of women being pushed out of the workforce going back to the beginning of the 20th century.
Kate Davis talks to Michelle Ryan about her research on the glass cliff. Ryan is a professor of social and organisational psychology at the University of Exeter. She’s also the incoming director of the Global Institute of Women’s Leadership at the Australian National University. She, along with Alex Haslam, coined the term “glass cliff” as part of their research back in 2004.
On this bonus episode, we hear Jenna's story of landing her dream job in broadcast news and leaving that industry behind to find a more equitable workplace that allowed her to have a family without sacrificing income and stability.
Kate Davis talks to Maria Colacurcio, CEO of Syndio, about the gender pay gap, pay equity, and what companies can do to make real progress in closing the gap.
Links to more reporting on the pay gap from FastCompany.com: https://www.fastcompany.com/90609641 https://www.fastcompany.com/section/short-changed
On this bonus episode, Kate Davis and her producer, Josh Christensen, recap lessons learned from the last five episodes on race in the workplace. Then, we hear from Kelly and his experience as a Black man in white dominant work culture.
Kate Davis talks to Dr. Courtney McCluney, assistant professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University, about code-switching at work and what companies really mean when they talk about "culture fit".
On this bonus episode, Fast Company reporter, Lydia Dishman, takes us through the history of diversity and racial bias training. From the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to Reagan's deregulation to the events of this past summer.
Kate Davis talks to Mimi Fox Melton, acting CEO of Code 2040, about how white privilege manifests in the work place and tone policing. Subscribe to The New Way We Work on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
Fast Company Staff Writer, Pavithra Mohan, dives into the limitations of diversity reports like the ones we've seen from companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon since 2014.
Kate Davis talks with Racial Equity Strategist and Leadership Coach, Dorianne St. Fleur, about where companies can start in building a more equitable workplace. Then, Kate talks with Porter Braswell, co-founder and CEO of Jopwell, about the myth of the pipeline problem.
This episode of The New Way We Work is sponsored by Cove, the stress cancelling wearable. Cove is now available at FeelCove.com
Secrets of the Most Productive People returns January 25 with new episodes and new name.
In this bonus episode, you'll hear highlights from interviews with Brandy Zadrozny, Bubba Wallace, N.K. Jemisin, Gina McCarthy and Jacqui Guichelaar.
On December 16, Fast Company Podcast Network went live on Facebook and Youtube. Creative Conversation host, KC Ifeanyi, was joined by Kate Davis--host of Secrets of the Most Productive People--and Talib Visram--host of Fast Break--to talk about 2020.
Kate Davis is joined by Fast Company Staff Writer, Pavithra Mohan, and Alana Kaufman LCSW, a psychotherapist and the founder and director of the Talk Suite, to discuss how to cope with isolation this holiday season.
Kathaleen Pittman, who runs Hope Medical Group for Women--one of three clinics that provide abortions in Louisiana--shares her story about the continued threats to reproductive rights in Louisiana and running a clinic during the pandemic.
Kate Davis talks to Gemma Hartley--writer, reporter, and author of Fed Up: Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward--about the disproportionate burden of emotional and unpaid labor women bear both at home and in the workplace.
This past June, after the world saw the horrific video of George Floyd being killed, millions took to the streets to protest the continued systemic oppression of Black Americans. This tragedy--and the activism that followed--made individuals examine their own complicity, families have tough conversations and workplaces reckon with their own culture, policies and approach to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. For a lot of companies this, sadly, may be the first time they are thinking about how equitable their office is...or, at the very least, that they haven’t done nearly enough. For many people of color, navigating work life is a minefield of microaggressions and ignorance. This is certainly the case for Shantelle. Shantelle is a Black woman who started her career in finance, but changed career paths about 10 years ago and began working in Marketing. This is her story.
Fast Company has been writing about how to beat distractions and find more focus at work for years, but right now all of the normal advice feels less practical. Between the stress and worry that has accompanied the pandemic and economic crisis--coupled with the tumultuous presidential election--staying focused can feel impossible. On today's episode, Kate Davis talks to Dr. Art Markman about how to manage stress and focus when it's all just too much.
On this week's Productivity Dispatch, we hear from Pedro who spent Election Day working at a polling place in his neighborhood.
Dorianne St. Fleur joins Kate Davis to discuss microaggressions in the work place, how to be an ally and DARVO. Dorianne is a Racial Equity Strategist and Leadership Coach who specializes in helping organizations build anti-racist workplaces.
Liz Neitge is an actor and bartender from New York City. When the pandemic hit in March, both her industries shut down over night. As restaurants began to re-open this summer, Liz attempted to re-enter the work force, but the risks gave her pause. This is her story.
Fast Company staff writer, Pavithra Mohan, joins host Kate Davis to discuss her reporting on individuals experiencing long term, lingering effects of COVID-19 and how they are fighting for understanding from employers.
The coronavirus pandemic has forever changed the world and the way we work. Right now, millions of American workers across every industry are on the front lines of figuring out this new normal. To highlight the stories of everyday people, Secrets of the Most Productive People is launching its new series, Productivity Dispatch: Stories From the New Way We Work. Our first story is from Jeanne, an emergency manager from New York.
A custom series on science, technology, and innovation in partnership with GSK. In this episode, we hear from GSK's Chief Scientific Officer and President of R&D Hal Barron as he explains how GSK collaborates with its competitors to solve the world's biggest problems.
Find our 2020 listener survey at fastcompany.com/mostproductivesurvey and submit your responses by October 9th for a chance to win a $50 gift card.
In this last episode in Secrets of the Most Productive Peoples “Reinventing Education” mini series, where we take a look at how school nurses are preparing for school reopening as well as what epidemiologists are thinking about how to emerge from this crisis.
In today’s episode we are take a look at the possible solutions to the child care crisis. Host Kate Davis is joined by Staff Writer Pavithra Mohan to discuss what businesses are doing to support working parents. Then, Kate talks to Lauren Hogan, Managing Director at the National Association for the Education of Young Children, to explore ideas of what bigger institutional changes can be made on a public policy level.
There’s no question: School looks different this year. Some students will attend in-person classes. Others will participate in a hybrid model, mixing online and in-person classes. Still others will stay entirely virtual, logging into classes from their bedrooms or kitchen tables. In this episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People's Reinventing Education series, contributing editor, Lydia Dishman, joins Kate Davis to discuss how teacher's across the country are preparing for the coming school year.
Amidst a growing global pandemic with persistent outbreaks and a patchwork of reopening plans, one of the biggest issues facing our nation is what to do about education and childcare for the countries over 73 million children. The far reaching impact of ongoing school closures in America has the ripple effect on all aspects of life and the economy. Over the next month we will talk to teachers about how they are dealing with remote learning or the idea of returning to the classroom. We’ll hear from epidemiologists about how we should be planning for inevitable outbreaks, and explore both the private and public sector solutions to both taking care of kids' education and well being and retaining and supporting working parents. On today's episode, Fast Company Associate Editor, Yazmin Gagne, joins host, Kate Davis, to tell the story of three families and the struggles they are facing while working, caring for and educating their kids.
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 Spotify The 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.
In this bonus episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People, Pavithra Mohan moderates a debate between Scott Mebus and Ruth Reader to determine who is more productive: night-owls or morning-birds.
COVID-19 has upended every aspect of our life, including the way we work. For many office workers who are fortunate to remain employed during this period, that can mean working from home for the foreseeable future. That in itself comes with its challenges, as we’ve discussed in previous episodes. But add other household members to the mix—whether that be spouses, children, siblings, or roommates—and it’s a whole new dilemma altogether. On this week’s episode of Secrets Of The Most Productive People, Anisa Purbasari Horton and Pavithra Mohan discusses their experience working from home while their significant others are also doing the same. They also speak with Dr Rachel Sussman a New York-based licensed family and marriage therapist and relationship expert, to speak about what couples, parents, and roommates can do to take care of their mental health while keeping their relationships strong. Scott Mebus, head of video and podcasts for Fast Company and Inc, will also make an appearance to talk about what it’s like to be a parent during this time. 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 this bonus episode, the Secrets of the Most Productive People team talks through how they've been coping working from home and provides some tips for how you can be more productive.
Now introducing Book Smart, a new podcast from our friends at Inc. Magazine. Each week, host Cameron Albert-Deitch highlights the books beloved by well-known founders and entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Warren Buffet. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
We're currently living in a time where uncertainty is our reality. The global pandemic that is Covid-19 has disrupted almost every aspect of modern life, including the way we work. On this week's episode of Secrets Of The Most Productive People, co-hosts Anisa Purbasari Horton, Pavithra Mohan, and Julia Herbst discuss all of the ways that stress and anxiety have impacted their working lives and the different ways that they are learning to tackle it. They also share some tools and practices that have helped them stay sane and ways to look for a silver lining in these challenging times.
Companies in industries from tech to retail to hospitality have found a novel way of getting their employees to be more productive: They let their staff pursue their passions, on company time. It may seem counterintuitive, but by allowing personnel the opportunity to do anything from volunteer to create a fully operational nonprofit, firms are giving their people a chance to connect with their communities, learn new skills, and come back to the office energized and invigorated. In this episode of Productivity Confidential, we talk to Richard Achée, global technology partnerships lead on the Google Chrome enterprise team, about his experience in Google’s famed “20% Time” program, where employees can use a full fifth of their time to pursue personal projects. Achée discusses his own 20% Time project, how its helped him do his day job better, and how other companies can let their staff follow their dreams without hurting the bottom line.
Impostor syndrome is something that cohosts Pavithra Mohan and Anisa Purbasari Horton have had to battle throughout their professional lives. But as they both discussed on this week's episode of Secrets Of The Most Productive People, it never quite goes away. They learned that rather than trying to make it disappear, they needed to learn how to act in spite of their impostor syndrome tendencies. Mohan also spoke to Fast Company contributor, and author and CEO of The Memo, Minda Harts, about why impostor syndrome is especially prevalent to women of color and under-represented minorities in the workplace. While there are things that individuals can do to not let impostor syndrome get in the way of their success, workplaces also have a responsibility to ensure that they are creating a better and more inclusive culture.
Innovation in employee benefits has a long history. Take sabbaticals, a benefit that began in academic institutions. These long breaks allowed professors and researchers to take time off to pursue personal projects or simply recharge their creativity over the course of several months off. Those novel approaches are slowly inching themselves into the corporate world and companies from Patagonia to McDonald’s to Intel. And it’s not just sabbaticals that are growing in popularity, perks like unlimited PTO, 4-day work weeks, and company-funded personal experiences are becoming more widely accepted across industries. Company leaders see these perks as a way to give back to loyal personnel, and employees are increasingly searching out organizations that are embracing new approaches to time off.
But it’s not as simple as awarding staff a bundle of PTO and walking away. How do you pick up the slack for key team members when work hours aren’t the same as extended leave? How do you decide when an employee is eligible for different tiers of perks? And how do you measure the “performance” of such unique benefits? In this episode, we talk to Mike DeFrino, CEO of Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, about the benefits he’s implemented, the challenges they present, and how these benefits help keep employees engaged.
In Season 1 of Secrets of the Most Productive People, we examined why people found it so difficult to focus in an open office. This week, we try to figure out how beat the distractions that make open office work so hard. Fast Company editorial assistant, Talib Visram, tried out three different methods to combat open office distractions and then reported back to co-host Pavithra Mohan on what he learned, what he'd do differently, and how effective each method was in helping him be more productive.
On this bonus episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People, Fast Company assistant editor, Pavithra Mohan, and Fast Company staff editor, Julia Herbst, break down the pros and cons of where we get our work done. Open offices have become common place in many industries. While they may give you an opportunity to collaborate at a higher level, you can't always shut out the distractions when you need to get a solitary task done. You can always work from home to beat the distractions, but what are the downsides? Leave Secrets of The Most Productive People a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. You can follow Fast Company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
On this episode of Secrets of the Most Produtive People, Scott Mebus, VP of video and podcasts for Fast Company and Inc., shires his longtime battle with getting enough sleep with co-host Anisa Purbasari-Horton. Some of his issues include a long commute, having a son who is an early riser, and the day-to-day stress of modern work life. He spoke to Dr. Janet Kennedy, psychologist and founder of NYC Sleep Doctor, about what we can all do to get a little bit more shut-eye. Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts
Winning a Formula 1 race is about more than pure speed. Drivers, pit crews, and team managers need to make hundreds of decisions in the blink of an eye, all while flying around a winding track at speeds up to 200 miles per hour. For decades, those decisions were driven by instinct and experience. But modern Formula 1 races are increasingly driven by technology and information, with teams analyzing massive data sets to uncover advantages that can mean the difference between standing in the winner’s circle and coming up a few milliseconds short. Christian Horner, team principal of Red Bull Racing, knows more about what it takes to lead a winning Formula 1 operation than almost anyone. In this episode of Productivity Confidential, we talk to Horner about staying cool under pressure, how data has revolutionized racing, and what it takes to keep a winning team hungry.
Secrets of the Most Productive People returns in February 2020 with Season 4. In the meantime, make sure to catch up on episodes you might have missed on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.
This week's episode is all about YOU. On this bonus episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People, Kate and Anisa answer your most pressing questions about your career, the workplace, and all those other awkward job-related topics.
Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts
Doctors and nurses have to remain productive under pressure. Their decisions are quite literally life-and-death, and quick access to patient data is vital to making informed decisions about patient needs. For years, that data was managed on pen and paper, but the recent revolution in healthcare data has fueled a technology-driven revolution in how healthcare providers do their jobs. On this episode of Productivity Confidential, we talk to Dr. Anil Jain, chief health information office of IBM’s Watson Health initiative, about how data is creating a brand new frontier of care from state-of-the-art hospitals to rural medical centers around the world.
If you've ever attempted to meet an ambitious goal, you're probably familiar with just how difficult it is to change your habits. You're also probably aware of how much influence the mind has in determining whether or not you'll be successful in that endeavor. Some days, it feels like your brain corresponds with your body and your actions. Other days, it feels like they don't want to do anything to comply. In a bonus episode for Secrets Of The Most Productive People, recorded live at the Fast Company Innovation Festival, we hear from neuroscientist and Fast Company contributor Tara Swart, as well as author and behavioral designer Nir Eyal, as they talk about the relationship between our brains and our actions. We debunk misconceptions like the right brain/left brain concept and the (false) belief that you only use 10% of your brain. Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Productivity and creativity have always been talked about as if they’re two sides of the same coin. You could only be creative if you didn’t have to think about productivity and vice versa. Joe Brown, senior portfolio director at legendary design firm IDEO, thinks that conventional wisdom is faulty. Brown has spent years not only designing products but designing the systems in which those products live, and he’s learned that creating an infrastructure that separates your creative and productive work is less than the sum of its parts. In this episode of Productivity Confidential, we talked to Brown about where creativity and productivity meet—and how technology is making that convergence clearer than ever.
Once revered as a magical work-perk, unlimited vacation has become a polarizing debate among office dwellers. The concept that an individual worker can choose how much vacation they are allowed to claim has inspired passionate opinions on what’s appropriate for workers to expect, what a company hopes for in offering something so elusive, and why any of these opinions matter in the first place. On this BONUS episode of The Secrets of the Most Productive People, Host Kate Davis is joined by the VP of Video and Podcasting, Scott Mebus, to face each other head-to-head and defend their personal stance on unlimited vacation. Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.
After years of fighting tooth and nail for it, the labor movement in America finally won the battle for the 40-hour work week. Workers were no longer expected to work day and night without fair compensation. It was a victory that changed the way we think about work, and the modern work week was born. That was nearly 80 years ago, and since then there hasn’t been much of a discussion about whether or not, with the rise of next-generation technology, it’s still a valuable guide rail for the majority of workers. But, business leaders are beginning to look critically at whether the traditional work week is worth maintaining with all the new technology available to keep employees engaged, and the results have been satisfying. On this episode of Productivity Confidential, we talk to Natalie Nagele, cofounder of Wildbit, about her mission to institute a 32-hour work week in her company and why sometimes the best thing you can do for a company’s success is telling employees to stop working so hard.
Of all the decisions that you'll have to make over the course of your career, one of the biggest is when it's the right time to leave a job? Like many career decisions, the answer isn't straightforward. As we discuss in this week's episode of Secrets Of The Most Productive People, some signs are more obvious than others. For starters, a toxic workplace is almost always never worth staying in. When a role or company no longer offers you the opportunities to grow, it might be time to look elsewhere. And when your job starts to impact other areas of your life in a negative way, you should, at minimum, assess the possibility of change. If you have a problem in your career or on the job hunt, tell us about it. Leave us a voicemail at (201) 371-3278 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, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Once upon a time, putting your head down, doing good work, and staying loyal to a company may have been enough to get a promotion. But these days, that's no longer the case. In today's constantly changing workforce, companies reward employees who can bring results and aren't afraid to be vocal about it. It's often on the individual to devise their own strategies and sometimes even design their own path. Sometimes, that preparation may take longer than you think. If you have a problem in your career or on the job hunt, tell us about it. Leave us a voicemail at (201) 371-3278 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, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.
We are sharing an episode from another Fast Company podcast, Creative Conversation. As an editor and writer for Fast Company magazine, Kc Ifeanyi covers some of the most creative minds in film, television, business and beyond. In this podcast, he unpacks the most frustrating parts of the creative process by talking to psychologists, scholars, and experts who are on the forefront of understanding creativity. Subscribe to Creative Conversation on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.
On the long list of crucial job skills that you aren't taught in school, how to manage up ranks high. You may enter the workforce with the belief that your boss is there to manage your performance, and their management style is something you have no control over. Learning the best way to manage your boss, however, is an essential skill that you'll use throughout your career (it also works with colleagues who have different working styles). Whether you have a micromanager who needs constant updates, or the opposite—a boss who is totally MIA—there are usually subtle ways you can help them adjust their style to make your working life easier. If you have a problem in your career or on the job hunt, tell us about it. Leave us a voicemail at (201) 371-3278 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, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Reporting to a boss keeps many employees focused and productive. But how do you stay accountable to your goals when you are your own boss? Chris Denson, host of Innovation Crush and innovation consultant, shares his strategies for getting things done. If you have a problem in your career or on the job hunt, tell us about it. Leave us a voicemail at (201) 371-3278 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, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Starting a new job is stressful for anyone. Not only do you have to get used to new people, new environment, and maybe a new commute. You also have to figure what the unwritten rules and etiquettes are, and who you should talk to for specific questions. Then there's the challenge of actually doing good work and impressing your hiring manager. That in itself can feel like an overwhelming challenge. On this week's episode of Secrets Of The Most Productive People, we tackle this tricky (yet necessary) step of starting a new job. If you have a problem in your career or on the job hunt, tell us about it. Leave us a voicemail at (201) 371-3278 or tweet with #FCMostProductive and we will find an expert to answer your question. Subscribe to this episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.
On this mini episode, marketing expert Dorie Clark is back on the show to answer a listener’s question. This listener recently moved to a new city and asks if his presence online is hurting his chances while job hunting. When you google his name, you get pages and pages of results about an internationally known mass murderer. Dorie Clark gives expert advice to help this listener navigating a tricky situation. If you have a problem in your career or on the job hunt, tell us about it. Leave us a voicemail at (201) 371-3278 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, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Talking about money can be really uncomfortable. No matter how you frame the conversation there is a lot of potential for missteps. Which is why on this episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People, the cohosts break down how exactly what to frame your ask and the common minefields to avoid (hint: don't mention how expensive your rent is or how your co-worker makes more). Stever Robbins, the host of the Get-it-Done Guy podcast, answers questions from listeners. If you have a problem on the job search or in your career, tell us about it. Leave us a voicemail at (201) 371-3278 or tweet with #FCMostProductive and we will find an expert to answer your question.
On this episode we’re answering an intern’s question about overtime. How do you approach your manager when you’re working overtime and not getting paid for it? Donna Morris, the Chief Human Resources Officer of Adobe, offers advice. This is the first episode of a series called Work Smarter Wednesdays—expert advice for your most challenging questions. You’ll find Work Smarter Wednesdays during the weeks between regular episodes of Secrets of the Most Productive People. If you have a problem on the job search or in your career, tell us about it. Leave us a voicemail at (201) 371-3278 or tweet with #FCMostProductive and we will find an expert to answer your question.
For many people the entire job interview process can feel like blind dating: Do you like them? Do they like you? Is there a future? And just like with dating, even if that first meeting went well, it's totally possible to screw it up if you follow up in the wrong way.
With job interviews there's a well-known way to make a good impression: send a thank you note, and a sure-fire way to sour a good thing: annoy the hiring manager by checking in too frequently or too aggressively. But there is still a lot in the process that can be confusing: What exactly should your thank you note say? How long should you wait before checking in? What if you get another job offer?
(Presented by Citrix) When Nicole Wolfe, director of partnerships at ClassPass, first started her career, wellness was defined by numbers. There were weight loss goals, daily step counts, weekly activity goals. But wellness has undergone a sea change in the last decade, with both people and firms understanding that health goes way beyond counting calories and building up a sweat. On this episode of Productivity Confidential, we talk with Wolfe about the transforming wellness landscape, and how companies are beginning to understand that healthy, happy teams are productive teams.
On this episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People, co-hosts Kate and Anisa help listeners figure out exactly what to say (and what to avoid) in sticky situations. How do you answer some tricky questions such as “What are you weaknesses?” “What questions do you ask at the end of an interview?” Here are three ways to make a good impression at a job interview. 1. Build rapport and relationships with everyone you meet during the interview process. That includes the receptionist, the team member who spoke to you while you were waiting, and of course, your interviewer. Remember that everyone you interact is forming their first impression of you, even when your interview hasn't officially started. 2. Have anecdotes and statistics ready. If you listened to our previous episode, you know that the more you can quantify, the better. Make sure can articulate these in your interviews as well. The interviewer might have glanced at your resume, but an interview is your opportunity to remind them why your experience and achievements makes you a perfect candidate for this role. 3. Ask smart questions. It's a red flag when a candidate doesn't have any questions at the end of an interview, because it can give off the impression that they're not interested in their role. When you ask specific questions, that tells the hiring manager that you've put a lot of time and effort into learning more about the company, which is a characteristic that any manager would want to see in an employee. We’re answering your questions: What’s the career question that Google can’t help you out with? In the next few episodes we’ll be tackling how to answer the most common interview questions, how to negotiate your starting salary, and more. Leave a voice mail with your question at (201) 371-3278, and your question might be featured on an upcoming episode.
(Presented by Citrix) For decades, the image of the American office was a grim one. Endless rows of cubicles; harsh, humming, fluorescent lighting; stiff task chairs that make your back ache just looking at them. Recently, though, there’s been a shift, with employers injecting best practices from the wellness industry into the workplace and seeing productivity skyrocket. Rachel Gutter, president of the International WELL Building Institute, has made it her mission to make wellness a central component of any office. Think of IWBI as a LEED rating for wellness, with buildings and offices awarded designations based on how they integrate employee wellness into the workplace. On this episode of Productivity Confidential, we sat down with Gutter to talk about why focusing on wellness can be the key to unlocking a company’s potential.
Not so long ago, most people didn’t have to worry about their online presence or personal brand. Unless you were a celebrity, politician, or prominent CEO or entrepreneur in a public-facing company, doing well in your career involved doing good work and making in-person connections. Applying for a job meant mailing (or physically dropping) off your résumé and cover letter.
Social media changed all that. As we’ve discovered in this week’s episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People podcast, marketing strategist and Duke University professor Dorie Clark recounted a story of when a client almost didn’t hire someone because they couldn’t find any information about the candidate online. At minimum, employers expect an updated LinkedIn profile. The more content you can create (such as a blog post), the better.
Here are three things you should consider when you’re auditing your online presence:
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Keep everything as up-to-date as possible. This includes LinkedIn, Twitter, and your personal website if you have one. You never know when people might need your expertise, or when your dream company wants to hire someone with your skills and qualifications.
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Make yourself accessible. You want to have some way for people to contact you, whether it’s by email, Twitter direct messages, or messages on your personal website. There’s no point showcasing the value that you can bring, only for people to struggle to get in touch with you.
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Stay true to yourself. It’s easy in the social media age to feel like you need to present a certain image, but in a world of curated filters, anything that doesn’t come across as genuine is going to be obvious. Just be strategic about what you share.
And new this season, we’re answering your questions: What’s the career question that Google can’t help you out with? In the next few episodes we’ll be tackling how to answer the most common interview questions, how to negotiate your starting salary, and more. Leave a voice mail with your question at (201) 371-3278, and your question might be featured on an upcoming episode.
No one likes writing them, and recruiters just skim them. Is it finally time for cover letters to die? Not so fast.
On this episode, cohosts Kate and Anisa share why this tool is still crucial in a job search. They talk to Jamie Hichens, a senior talent acquisition programs manager at Glassdoor. She reviews hundreds of cover letters a month, so she knows all the best practices and mistakes to avoid.
If you don't know where to start, here are three tips to write a compelling cover letter:
- Address it to the right person.
- Give the hiring manager a reason to keep reading.
- Includes specific examples.
And new this season, the cohosts are answering your questions: What's the career question that Google can't help you out with? In the next few episodes we'll be tackling how to answer the most common interview questions, how to negotiate your starting salary, and more. Leave a voicemail with your question at (201) 371-3278, and your question might be featured on an upcoming episode.
If this episode was helpful to your job search, please let us know. Leave us a review wherever you listen.
(Presented by Citrix) Whether we see it as a threat or a practical productivity booster, artificial intelligence is shifting the way we work. Embracing AI at work and harnessing its power to find efficiencies can open up a new realm of possibilities. AI allows people to focus more on distinctly human tasks like creativity, empathy and intuition by freeing workers from repetitive tasks and managing high volumes of data. On this episode of Productivity Confidential, we sat down with Chris Heilmann from Microsoft, to discuss what AI means for the workforce, productivity and its effect on the job market.
This season of Secrets of the Most Productive People dives deep into all things career-related, starting with the most basic tool to get your foot in the door: your resume. What are some resume mistakes you should stay away from? Are there common advice you’ve unknowingly follow that hiring managers and recruiters actually hate? The cohosts answer listener questions about resumes and Kate challenges her boss to debate common resume advice.
(Presented by Citrix) If you check emails by phone on-the-go or work from home occasionally, you’re part of the remote workforce. Cutting-edge technology and a new generation of entrepreneurs and managers are transforming the concept of the 9 to 5. In today’s always-on work culture, employees who want flexibility in their schedule, location, and commute are finding more ways to work how, when and where they want than ever before. On this episode of the Productivity Confidential podcast, we sat down with Sara Sutton, CEO and founder of FlexJobs, to talk about the challenges and opportunities of building a remote-first office, why she's a telecommuting evangelist, and how to get your office to embrace the future of work.
New Episodes of Secrets of the Most Productive People start June 12. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
There’s a reason why so many successful people are intentional about how they start their day. On the final episode of season 2 of Secrets of the Most Productive People, the cohosts talk to Benjamin Spall–coauthor of My Morning Routine: How Successful People Start Every Day Inspired–about what successful people have in common when it comes to how they spend their mornings. What is ideal for one person might not work for another, but the one thing that sets many successful people apart is that they use that time to take control of their day, rather than letting the day control them.
Fast Company deputy editor Kate Davis and assistant editor Anisa Purbasari Horton speaks to Intern Queen CEO and founder Lauren Berger about seeing failure as part of the journey to success.
There are many misconceptions about introverts and extroverts--introverts are shy, extroverts are not. The reality is that shyness has nothing to do with introversion or extraversion. Whether you're one or the other depends on how you draw your energy source. Do you recharge by being alone, or would you prefer to be surrounded with people? This week, Kate Davis and Anisa Purbasari Horton spoke to bestselling author and award-winning speaker Susan Cain about how to determine whether you're one or the other, why a lot of people fall somewhere in-between, and why the workplace is often designed in favor of extroverts.
The creative process is long and messy. When you need to come up with a novel solution to a thorny problem is precisely when your brain seems to shut down. As Anisa Purbasari Horton and Kate Davis found out on this week’s episode of Secrets Of The Most Productive People, often our journey to creativity involves a lot of activity that seems “unproductive.” As psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman said, we need to change how we think about productivity when it comes to creativity—and embrace the non-linear path that comes with it.
We spend most of our lives “in our heads,” processing the world and other people though our own beliefs and biases. Yet, most of us understand very little about how our brains really work, and what they are actually capable of. On this week’s episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People, We spoke to Tara Swart to understand exactly what our brains are capable of and how to build new neuro-pathways in our brain.
Chronic stress and burnout are common occurrences in today’s workplace. About one in five “highly-engaged” U.S. workers reported experiencing some sort of burnout, according to a 2018 study conducted at the Yale Center of Emotional Intelligence. This week, we spoke to former lawyer turned burnout and resilience expert Paula Davis-Laack about why our work and achievement-centric culture might be to blame, what signs we should look out for, and how we can prevent it from taking over our lives.
In today's modern environment, it's impractical to live a completely digital-free life. But as Newport points out, you can keep your smartphone and stay sane at the same time. The key is to practice digital minimalism, and spend your online time "on a small number of carefully selected activities that strongly support things you value, and then happily miss out on everything else."
When it comes to one of productivity's most basic elements, the to-do list, everyone has their own approach. So in this episode of "Secrets of the Most Productive People" we talked to the creator of the popular bullet journal about how to figure out what system works for you.
Shorter workweeks can improve productivity and boost morale. But while a 3-day weekend sounds great, American work culture and expectations aren't there yet. We talk to CEO and founder of FlexJobs, Sara Sutton, about the pros and cons of a 4 day workweek.
So many of us (close to half of all Americans) make New Year's resolutions. The bad news is that just 8% of us will actually keep them all year.
New Episodes of Secrets of the Most Productive People start January 2nd with "How Can You Keep Your New Year's Resolutions?" Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Are morning people more productive than night owls? Do successful people have to give up work-life balance? Psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman and time management expert Laura Vanderkam busted some of the biggest productivity myths at the Fast Company Innovation Festival.
In our always-connected universe, achieving work-life balance can seem impossible. In this final episode of season one, Tiffany Dufu insists that to feel at peace, we need to learn to let go of our high expectations, and forgive ourselves from falling short from time to time.
When it comes to making or breaking habits–there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Learn what some habit-building strategies might be, along with why certain personality types don’t do well with accountability partners.
Telling someone you're "busy" is a surefire way to shut down the conversation. This is how you can change the way you look at your time and your life.
Researchers have long debated whether or not our willpower and decision-making capacity is finite. One thing is clear, though–not all decisions are created equal–and some will require more brain juice than others. Decision-making expert Sheena Iyengar joins Kate and Anisa to tell us about how we can train ourselves and structure our lives to to make better decisions.
Some of us are not just that productive in the morning and forcing us to concentrate at a 9 a.m. meeting is a recipe for a wasted day. Fortunately, there are ways to get around this dilemma if you don't have complete control of your schedule.
You probably spend many of your working hours multitasking--whether you realize it or not. Does working with multiple tabs open (guilty) or eating your lunch in front of your screen (guilty again!) really cause your productivity to suffer?
Taking a vacation is not a given in our work culture and if you do, it's likely that you'll check a few work emails here and there. But not taking the time to disconnect can actually make you less productive.
There are two types of people in the world: those who have hundreds or even thousands of unread emails, and those who break out in hives just thinking about that first group.
In this episode, senior editor Kate Davis and editorial assistant Anisa Purbasari Horton talk about their struggles with working in an open-office, and the workarounds that work for them.
In this first episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People, senior editor Kate Davis and Editorial Assistant Anisa Purbasari Horton dive into what's ruining their sleep (anxious mind and toddler, respectively) and then are joined by expert Gary Zammit, Executive Director of the Sleep Disorders Institute who offers some solutions.
Join Fast Company editors Kate Davis and Anisa Purbasari-Horton as they try to figure out how to get it all done. In this bi-weekly podcast they’ll sort out fact from fiction on things like multi-tasking, sleep, and email and get expert advice on how to work smarter instead of harder.