Episode 160: Five Reasons You Need White Space on Your CalendarIn this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson delves into the crucial yet often neglected practice of preserving white space in your calendar. She outlines five compelling reasons, including fostering strategic thinking and enhancing creativity, that make unscheduled time vital for both personal and organizational success. By advocating the importance of reflection, focus, work-life balance, and preparing for the unexpected, Dr. Anderson provides listeners with actionable steps to improve their productivity and well-being. This is a must-listen for anyone seeking to optimize their calendar for better professional outcomes and a more balanced life. Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/160

Episode 159: Why You Need a Work BFFIn this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson explores the profound impact of forging close friendships in the workplace, revealing their contribution to both individuals and organizations alike. She notes some of the dramatic business outcomes that arise when people report having a close friend at work, including a 36% decrease in safety incidents and robust profit surges of 12%, while also alleviating loneliness and increasing employee engagement. She outlines strategies to cultivate these relationships, emphasizing mentorship and team-building exercises. Crucially, her insights extend to remote and hybrid work environments, highlighting the personal and organizational benefits of strong friendships. Dr. Anderson underscores the value of work friendships for fostering supportive, efficient, and resilient teams—an essential facet for the future of work dynamics.Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/159

Episode 158: Office Peacocking and What it Means for YouIn this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson digs into the trend of "office peacocking," where companies go to great lengths to entice employees back to the physical office through extravagant amenities and perks. She discusses the potential pitfalls of inequity and distractibility that come with such flashy office perks and emphasizes the importance of prioritizing flexibility, inclusivity, and purpose-driven work. Dr. Anderson advocates for a balanced approach, where companies invest in well-being, development, and technology tailored to employee needs and the organization's mission. And it doesn’t hurt if there’s fancy coffee, but that’s not what it’s all about. Ultimately, she highlights the need to foster a culture of respect, support, and empowerment in the evolving landscape of modern work culture.Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/158

Episode 157: Exposing Affinity Bias to Create a Fair and Just WorkplaceIn this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson delves into the intriguing world of affinity bias in the workplace. Covering the subtle yet impactful ways in which this bias can shape hiring decisions, team dynamics, performance evaluations, and even mentorship opportunities, Dr. Anderson sheds light on the hidden influences that may impact career trajectories. She offers a thought-provoking affinity bias test to help listeners become more aware of their own biases and provides strategies to navigate its effects in the professional realm. Join us as we challenge assumptions, broaden perspectives, and strive for a fair and just workplace.Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/157

Episode 156: Clear Your Mental Cache by Decluttering Your MindIn this episode of the Working Conversations podcast, Dr. Janel Anderson delves into the concept of clearing mental clutter and applies the principles of clearing the cache on a computer to our own minds. Drawing from her personal experience with a glitchy app, Dr. Anderson shares how she discovered the power of decluttering the mind and provides practical tips and strategies for boosting productivity and focus. She discusses the principles outlined in the book "Getting Things Done" by David Allen, highlighting the significance of capturing and organizing open loops to regain mental bandwidth. Tune in to learn how clearing the cache in your brain can lead to greater control, productivity, and a sense of freedom.Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/156

Episode 155: Handle with Care: Return to Office or Not?Research at the end of 2023 projected that 90% of companies would be requiring staff to return to the office by the end of 2024, but remote workers are saying “not so fast.” The tension is continuing to mount and returning to the office has become a hot-button issue between many employees and the companies who employ them. “Why go back if there’s nothing of value there?” employees rightfully ask. In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson provides employers with some targeted and strategic advice about whether or not to have employees return to the office. Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/155

Episode 154: Tulsa Pays You $10K to Move ThereTulsa, Oklahoma will pay you $10,000 to move there as a remote worker. You get not only $10,000, but also a housing stipend, co-working space, and a built-in community of other remote workers. All you have to bring is your job. The program, called Tulsa Remote, is now in its fifth year and it has landed Tulsa a whopping 2,800 new remote working residents. In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson dives into the unique path that Tulsa Remote is carving for employees and cities alike. This small, urban experiment has compelling benefits for the remote worker, the companies that employ them, and the Tulsa economy. Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/154

Episode 153: 6 Tips for Better Virtual MeetingsVirtual meetings are here to stay – that’s not up for debate. And Zoom fatigue is real. So are disengaged meeting participants and multitasking. But with a few new tips and tricks up your sleeve, you can drive engagement, interest, and collaboration in your online meetings. In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson shares some of the latest research on virtual meetings and translates it into tips and techniques that you can use in your next Zoom or Teams meeting to get more agenda items accomplished with higher and higher levels of engagement. Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/153

Episode 152: The 10 Best Things I’ve Done in My CareerIn this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson shares the 10 best career decisions she’s ever made. From being on both sides of mentoring relationships to investing in her own professional development to getting a certification that few in her industry attain, she shares universally applicable strategies she has followed to build a thriving career. Regardless of your industry or sector of the market, in this episode, you will find helpful ideas for making decisions that drive your career and your professional development forward. Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/152

Episode 151: 7 Things to NEVER Do in AIGenerative AI can be incredibly beneficial in many aspects of your life and it is tempting to think it can do it all, but there are a few places you should absolutely not be using ChatGPT and its counterparts. In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson explains where relying on ChatGPT or Google’s Bard will lead you astray. Join her on this reality check so you can avoid potential AI mishaps ranging from job applications to legal and medical advice to inaccuracies that could cost you your job.   Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/151

Episode 150: 7 Things to Try in AIGenerative Artificial Intelligence has a multitude of uses in everyday life, not just at work. In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson explains how ChatGPT, Google’s Bard, and other similar tools can be of great use across a great many areas of your life. From boosting creativity to improving your technical understanding of complex concepts to learning a new language, these tools can accelerate your productivity and cut your learning curve dramatically. Listen in as she shares fun and interesting ways to put AI to use in your life. Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/150

Episode 149: The Power of Generative AI to Transform MeetingsImagine showing up 10 minutes late to a meeting and instead of wondering what you missed, or worse yet, having the meeting facilitator catch you up, the meeting platform’s Generative AI bot catches you up as soon as you enter the online meeting room. It shares all the details that are the most relevant to you, including Amy in the marketing department’s eye roll when Rachel in accounting said Amy was going over budget on the latest marketing campaign. Sound futuristic? As Dr. Janel Anderson explains in this episode, that future is not so far away. Listen in as she shares the upcoming features in meeting platforms and the larger concerns that accompany them.   Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/149

Episode 148: Is the Return to Office War Over?A recent headline declared that the return to office wars are over. Dr. Janel Anderson says, “Not so fast.” One of her predictions for 2024 is that hybrid work will become the norm, but she believes the battleground between work from home and return to office is not behind us yet. In this episode, she offers a two-fold explanation of why senior leaders want people back in the office: Firstly, organizational culture is harder to cultivate in remote environments and secondly, on average 84% of the value of a company is comprised of the people in the company. Senior leaders want to hold their culture and their value close. Understanding these factors is key to finding an equilibrium where a healthy hybrid work environment can thrive.  Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/148

Episode 147: The Epidemic of Loneliness at Work It's not uncommon to make friends at work. Your coworkers become your work friends and your work friends become your real friends. But these days, that is happening far less frequently. We have emerged from a global pandemic and found in its place a global epidemic of loneliness.   In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson shares what caused the epidemic of loneliness, the mental and physical impacts it has on individuals, the economic impact it has on organizations, and most importantly, how to overcome workplace loneliness. She’s got tips and strategies for insulating yourself against loneliness (for those who aren’t experiencing it now) and for moving through it and feeling more connected (for those who are). Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/147

Episode 146: My Digital Detox Results If you’ve ever thought about doing a digital detox where for a set period of time, you significantly cut back on your screen use – especially smartphones, then this episode is for you. Six weeks ago, Dr. Janel Anderson shared on this podcast her plan to do a digital detox. Now she’s back with the results of her experiment. Tune in to this episode to find out about her struggles, her triumphs, and the strange outcomes of her investigation on herself and her screen habits. From not reading work emails on her smartphone to cutting back on certain types of social media and gaming on her phone, she shares her wins, losses, and new insights. Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/146

Episode 145: The Dos and Don’ts of Performance Reviews Performance reviews: the annual ritual that brings a mix of anticipation and anxiety to employees worldwide.  We’ve all been there – the dance of feedback that includes the good, the bad, and the sometimes downright awkward! In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson shares practical and informed techniques for what TO DO in the performance review and what NOT TO DO in the review. She’s got tips and strategies for managers and employees alike, so no matter which side of the desk you’re on, you’ll learn how to navigate reviews with grace and leverage them for professional and personal development.  Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/145

Episode 144: Do This Instead of New Year’s Resolutions Every year, millions of people make New Year's Resolutions, only to have them fail within a few days or a few weeks. They simply don’t work. In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson shares a different ritual for the beginning of the year. It’s called Your Life: An Annual Inventory. This is a time-tested process she developed for being complete with the previous year and setting the stage for the coming year. She teaches this process to her executive coaching clients and has been following it herself for over 15 years. Listen to this episode and then carve out some “me time” so you can complete your inventory and have an amazing year ahead!Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/144

Episode 143: My Predictions for Work Life in 2024 In this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson looks into her crystal ball and predicts the future of work in the coming year. Thinking about the future can help us understand the present and be ready for what’s coming next. Dr. Anderson’s predictions address whether the era of remote work is coming to a close or not, companies doubling down on employee well-being, and how artificial intelligence will revolutionize your meetings – from taking notes to catching you up when you show up late. Be ready for 2024 by putting these predictions to use in your work life. Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/143

Episode 142: Hits or Misses? A Review of My 2023 Workplace PredictionsAt the start of each year, I make predictions about what the future of work holds for us in the coming year.  In this episode, I take inventory of my predictions and score myself on how accurate those predictions played out as the year unfolded. From the labor shortage to return to office (or not) to generative AI to generations to the importance of interpersonal skills, the predictions for 2023 covered a lot of ground. Join me as I look back on my predictions for 2023 and evaluate whether I had hits or misses. Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/142

Episode 141: On Turning 25 – An Interview with My Oldest SonIn this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson catches up with her oldest son, Apple Crider, on his 25th birthday. He’s an entrepreneurial young man making his mark on the content creation industry. In this wide-ranging conversation, they discuss career advice, leadership, life choices, and not being limited by conventional career choices.  The ideas shared in this episode will shake up your thinking and encourage you to try new things. Plus, you’ll find out why he goes by the moniker “Apple” and you’ll hear the advice he offers his younger brother and sister (which might apply to you, too). Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/141