The science of better workplace conversations

Finale: How work has changed since we started this show

After more than three years, and 153 episodes, this is the final Working It podcast. Isabel Berwick gathers three colleagues (and friends) to discuss what they’ve learned about the world of work since the show first launched. So please, if you will, join Isabel, Andrew Hill, Emma Jacobs and Anjli Raval in the kitchen for a slice of ‘Working It’ cake, and a heartfelt goodbye to the podcast. Subscribe to the Working It newsletter here. [https://ep.ft.com/newsletters/subscribe?newsletterIds=62039b7ea31d6577a31f70df] Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com [https://www.ft.com/content/0c573f81-f1a8-4c86-baff-ed3875c316e6] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Why being a CEO is so lonely (and how to fix that)

Running a business is rewarding in plenty of ways – not least in terms of salary. But it can also be extremely lonely. Having friends at work becomes complicated (or even impossible), and you can’t be sure if people like you, or if they’re just saying what they think you want to hear. If you’re the boss, how can you learn to live with those downsides? To find out, Isabel Berwick speaks to Allan Barton (former MD of the waste disposal firm Shanks), and Tiffany Gaskell, co-CEO at the coaching consultancy Performance Consultants International. Subscribe to the Working It Newsletter here [https://ep.ft.com/newsletters/subscribe?newsletterIds=62039b7ea31d6577a31f70df]. Want more? Free links: Lonely bosses seek opportunity in a crisis of disconnection [https://on.ft.com/4hiytWd] It feels lonelier at the top with everyone working from home [https://on.ft.com/3E1j51v] Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com [https://www.ft.com/content/54b7fa49-38cf-4ecb-817b-187d8939243b] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The science of better workplace conversations

What can we learn about the way we speak by analysing thousands of everyday conversations? That’s a question that fascinates Alison Wood Brooks. Alison, an associate professor at Harvard Business School, and author of the forthcoming book, Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves joins Isabel Berwick to discuss her research. She explains how to plan a conversation even when you don’t know who you’ll be speaking to, how we misunderstand apologies, and why there’s no such thing as too many questions. Want more? Free links: What we talk about when we talk about the office [https://on.ft.com/4fW2tp9] The difficult work conversation AI helped me with [https://on.ft.com/4appDTJ] Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com [https://www.ft.com/content/a058df24-22bf-4537-b171-2da604efcdc6] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Why are some bosses infuriating (and others inspiring)?

When you’re a leader, colleagues look for hidden meanings in everything you do. That can make gentle suggestions sound infuriating – and amplify the effect of even off-hand compliments. So how can a leader make sure their words and actions are understood as intended? To find out, Isabel Berwick speaks to Adam Galinsky, a professor at Columbia Business School, and author of the forthcoming book ‘Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others.’ Adam has asked tens of thousands of people about what makes a leader inspiring or infuriating. In this episode, he explains the perils of the ‘leadership amplification effect,’, how to praise colleagues judiciously, and why you should never tell someone to ‘drop by your office’. Want more? Free links: A Musk or a Ma: which type of manager are you? [https://on.ft.com/3ZYOj0o] How common are bad bosses? [https://on.ft.com/4h5yMCZ] Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com [https://www.ft.com/content/179f675d-d047-4f37-8b0f-5118430aa1e9] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Best of: How to master the art of schmoozing

This week's episode of Working It – the last of the year – is a repeat of one of our favourite episodes. It features a masterclass in chit-chat from Matt Abrahams, a lecturer in communications at Stanford University, podcast host, and author of the since published book Think Faster, Talk Smarter. Good conversation is an essential tool of self-promotion in the office. So what do we make of Matt’s advice here at the FT office? Host Isabel Berwick gets the views of award-winning FT columnist Pilita Clark and Stephen Bush, who writes the FT’s daily Inside Politics newsletter. Want more? Top ways to be a super schmoozer [https://www.ft.com/content/82a79138-ae35-4e50-97f3-4422713a5a64#?segmentld=85462057-4e57-56c2-164f-e4ce1f09e15f] Big Tech is doing small talk no favours [https://www.ft.com/content/efe6f570-e725-4966-8cf3-59572b640a61?segmentld=85462057-4e57-56c2-164f-e4ce1f09e15f] Work etiquette: How to make small talk at a diplomatic function [https://www.ft.com/content/68bc7e8d-77b5-46c1-a61a-ddeebdb4f335?segmentld=85462057-4e57-56c2-164f-e4ce1f09e15f] FT subscriber? Sign up for the weekly Working It newsletter with one click here [https://ep.ft.com/newsletters/subscribe?newsletterIds=62039b7ea31d6577a31f70df]. We cover all things workplace and management — plus exclusive reporting on trends, tips and what’s coming next.  Presented by Isabel Berwick. Produced by Laurence Knight and Audrey Tinline. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa and the sound engineer is Simon Panayi. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com [https://www.ft.com/content/d48dbda7-aff3-4f73-9268-7e3956bd638b] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.