How To Be Awesome At Your Job: A Podcast For People Who Love Learning Improvement Tools For Happier Work, Career & Achieving

Psychiatrist Jody Foster offers handy categorizations and pro tips for handling the distinct kinds of difficult people in your workplace.   You'll Learn: How to spot and deal with 10 personality types prone to being difficult Key rules of engagement in the workplace Pro tips on how to confront someone or something in the workplace   About Jody: Jody J. Foster, MD, MBA is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Vice Chair of Clinical Operations for the Department of Psychiatry in the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Pennsylvania Hospital. She attained her masters of business administration, with a concentration in finance, from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.    View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep139

Innovation consultant Roopa Unnikrishnan highlights why and how to use the same principles companies use to innovate...to jolt your career.   You'll Learn: Principles for catapulting your career Productive stalking to follow innovations and trends How to manufacture your own serendipity   About Roopa: Roopa Unnikrishnan has almost two decades of experience in roles where she has seeded and driven change and innovation in several Fortune 500 companies. Roopa works with Consumer Goods, Education and Technology clients, helping them establish and improve key processes around strategic planning, innovation space identification and idea development. A master coach, she works with senior executives to drive personal and career change. Roopa was previously at Pfizer as VP, Corporate Strategy and Global Head of Pfizer’s worldwide talent and organizational team for Sales (2007-2012), at BlackRock as HR lead for sales and Citicards as Strategy Director. A Rhodes scholar with an MPhil and an M.B.A. from the University

Professional sports coach Tom Hanson lets us in on the secrets of top-performing athletes also help reach optimal performance at work. You'll Learn: How to work out the “yips” in corporate performance like a pro athlete An easy ABC framework for overcoming anxiety Why promises are so often broken… and how to do it better   About Tom: Tom Hanson, Ph.D. CEO of Heads-Up Performance, Inc., Tom is a certified professional coach with 17 years experience coaching, speaking and training. He’s worked with the Rangers, Yankees, and numerous other professional teams. He has a doctorate in sport psychology from the University of Virginia and uses his expertise in human performance to evoke excellence in professional athletes, CEOs and other corporate performers. Formerly a tenured professor at Skidmore College (NY), Hanson co-authored the book “Heads-up Baseball: Playing the Game One Pitch at a Time,” “Who Will do What By When” and more.   View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep137

Backstories Studio Principal Ted Frank shows how to apply Hollywood tools to create and give great presentations. You'll Learn: The fundamental key to captivating people Best practices to help your audience remember the crucial points Keys to keeping it simple and real in your presentation   About Ted Ted Frank is the principal and story strategist for Backstories Studio, with clients like Netflix, ESPN, and Twitter. He is the author of Get to the Heart, a book on how to apply movie style storytelling to presentations.   View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep136

Law Partner Andrew Sherman talks about the crisis of disengagement at work, along with approaches to beat apathy and disconnection in the workplace. You'll Learn: How to use Gallup’s numbers to improve engagement in the workplace Andrew’s three Cs for teambuilding Insights from the “How was your day?” test   About Andrew Andrew Sherman is a partner at Seyfarth Shaw LLP, an adjunct professor at both the University of Maryland and Georgetown University, and a prolific author with nearly 30 books to his name. He has also served as an advisor to Fortune 500 companies, and has been featured on CNN, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and many others.   View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep135

Machines are quickly taking over many of our everyday tasks, but Bhoopathi Rapolu shares how to survive and why you might still find your dream job. You'll Learn: The implications of improving artificial intelligence on your current job A rule of thumb to know if you can be replaced by a machine – and how to deal A killer way to make a great interview impression   About Bhoopathi: Bhoopathi is an international speaker, blogger and bestselling author of The Race for Work. He helps working professionals find their career fulfilment by exploiting the fast growing disruptive technologies. Visit www.bhoopathi.com for more details and additional resources.   View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep134

Lee Caraher returns to talk about why it’s unrealistic to expect employees to stay for long stretches and the mutual benefits by “boomeranging.” You'll Learn: A fresh definition of lifelong loyalty for the changing times How to make a graceful exit for both employees and employers How to tell if you’re boomerang ready   About Lee: Lee is the founder and CEO of a highly sought after communications firm known for producing great results with its innovative approach to traditional, digital and experiential programs. She has a long history of leading high-performing, multi-generational teams that enjoy working together. Lee is a champion for creating a positive workplace culture that fully supports its talent, even when they choose to move on. She takes the long view to support employees building their own personal brands that balance loyalties to themselves and their employers. Lee believes that companies able to inspire lifetime loyalty from employees — currently or formerly employed — are the companies that

Shannon Clark shares the story of her rise to exceptional expertise in human factor studies, sharing lessons learned for improving product and career concepts along the way. You'll Learn: How to become invaluable in what you love to do Ninja tactics for improving the validity of your ideas – and  career path How stress prevents you from getting to the next level   About Shannon: Shannon Clark is the CEO of UserWise Consulting, working to promote self-sufficient usability engineering programs in companies and the development of safe, usable, and effective medical devices. Prior to starting her own company, she worked as a human factors engineer at Intuitive Surgical and Abbott Medical Optics.   View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep132

Dr. Ray Hull discusses how you can develop your skills in public speaking to make more memorable presentations – and we go “meta” comparing speaking rates - Ray/Pete/Walter Cronkite/TED Talkers/YOU – how we stack up? You'll Learn: How to overcome public speaking jitters Approaches to starting and ending a speech strong Perspective on the optimal rate of speech   About Ray: Ray H. Hull, PhD is Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders/Neuroscience, College of Health Professions at Wichita State University. He is CEO/President of Communication Solutions, Inc. He has authored 14 books on the art of communication and disorders of communication, over 600 presentations on communication-the art of at conferences in the U.S., Europe, Canada and South America, and over 70 professional articles, with numerous national awards for his professional service including the Public Health Service Award for service on behalf of persons with communicative disorders, Fellowship of the American Speech-Language-Hearing As

Mark Babbitt serves up a double portion of insight on the topics of working with interns and working your personal brand. You'll Learn: How internships can be more mutually beneficial than you think A step by step guide to building high-quality internships Two simple questions for accelerating your career   About Mark: Mark Babbitt is a career and leadership mentor, and the CEO and founder of YouTern, a community for young talents looking for internships, mentorships, and actionable advice. He is also the President of Switch & Shift, a consultancy firm looking to bring leaders to the Social Media age. He has written for the likes of the Business Insider, the Huffington Post, and the Harvard Business Review. He has published two books, The Ultimate Guide to Internships and A World Gone Social. View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep130

Ben Bratt identifies critical elements of great teams to help get strategic view on how to build your team’s strengths and confront your team’s weaknesses. You'll Learn: The 16 variables of a great team Why 80% of the teams you’re on are not effective – and what to do about it An approach to creating an open discussion of the key strengths and weaknesses of your team   About Bennett: Bennett Bratt’s passion is engaging teams and transforming people-related systems. In his current role as the Principal and Founder of The Team Effectiveness Project, Ben's quest is to unlock the true power of teams, leaders, and communities.  His Team Elements™ approach helps teams de-mystify their team experience and take positive ownership for their current situation and path forward in truly inclusive way. Over 20+ years, Ben gained global experience and broad leadership expertise at T-Mobile, Sun Microsystems, Ford Motor Company, and Silicon Valley start-up company Model E. He earned graduate degrees in Political Science f

Infosys Senior Partner Jeff Kavanaugh talks about key skills and differentiators of winning professionals. You'll Learn: The powerful career distinguisher of “leaning forward” with critical thinking, professionalism, and delivering “done-done” work The Pyramid Principle for communicating with impact Three concrete steps to take to level up in your field   About Jeff: Jeff Kavanaugh is a Senior Partner at Infosys, one of the world’s largest consulting firms with over $10bn a year in revenue and a market cap in the 11-figures. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas at Dallas and writes at JeffKavanaugh.net.   View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep128

Matt Bodnar shares tools and mental models to be high-leverage as possible through better decision-making. You'll Learn: Why decision-making skills are a timeless key to being high-leverage Approaches to build a powerful tool box of mental models How to apply the 80/20 principle to life and work decisions   About Matt: Matt Bodnar has been named to Forbes “30 Under 30”, called a “Rising Restaurateur Star” by the National Restaurant Association, and a “Strategy Pro” by Restaurant Hospitality Magazine. He’s a partner at early stage investment firm Fresh Hospitality. Bodnar joined Fresh in 2011 after several years at Goldman Sachs. He sourced and lead the firm’s investment in I Love Juice Bar, vertical farming startup Square Roots, Vui’s Kitchen, Grilled Cheeserie, and several more deals. Bodnar is a board member and works closely with a number of portfolio companies including Tazikis, I Love Juice Bar, Martins BBQ, Octane Coffee, and Fresh Technology. Bodnar is also the co-founder of Fresh Capital, which focu

Psychologist and executive coach Dr. Melanie Greenberg shows how to make the most of the stress work brings to the table. You'll Learn: The key differentiators that make stress enriching vs. debilitating How meditation practices provide helpful distance between you and your thoughts The STOP and RAIN methods for bringing mindfulness into situations   About Melanie Dr. Melanie Greenberg is a practicing psychologist and executive coach in Marin county, CA and an expert on managing stress, health, and relationships using proven techniques from neuroscience, mindfulness, positive psychology, health psychology, and cognitive-behavioral therapies. With more than 20 years of experience as a professor, author, researcher, clinician, and coach, Melanie has delivered talks and workshops to national and international audiences, businesses, nonprofits, and professional organizations like The American Psychological Association. She writes the Mindful Self-Express blog for Psychology Today which has more than 8 million p

AdoptTogether founder Hank Fortener provides tools to celebrate your team members and create a workplace conducive to reaching optimal performance. You'll Learn: How to create a culture of celebrating each other in the workplace A quick approach to accelerate team camaraderie How regular questions direct what teammates think about   About Hank: AdoptTogether founder Hank Fortener understands both the harsh realities and sweet victories that are part of the adoption process. After seeing 36 foster kids move in and out of his parent’s home in Waynesville, Ohio, Hank saw the transformational power of adoption when his parents gave forever homes to eight kids from five different countries. AdoptTogether is a non-profit, crowdfunding platform that bridges the gap between families who want to adopt and the children who need loving homes. Hank is also a popular speaker who shares his leadership lessons learned along the path of creating AdoptTogether with clients such as Sony and Cardinal Health.   View transcript

Paul Zak illuminates how the brain chemical oxytocin relates to how we can develop a higher trust, lower-stress work culture. You'll Learn: How to measure and manage trust in the workplace The benefits of a high trust workplace Why hugs should be the new handshake   About Paul: Paul J. Zak, PhD, is founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology, and Management at Claremont Graduate University.  He was part of the team of scientists that first made the connection between oxytocin and trust – his TED talk on the topic has received more than 1.4 million views. Paul is the author of the new book Trust Factor: The Science Of Creating High-Performance Companies. Also the author of The Moral Molecule, he has appeared on ABC World News Tonight, CNN, Fox Business, Dr. Phil, and Good Morning America.  He lives in Claremont, CA. View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep124

Adam Hansen identifies eight inherent cognitive biases, how they developed, and what we can do to overcome them.   You'll Learn: When you can still trust the wisdom of your instincts The massive power of taking six extra seconds to breathe and think How to apply the “for-ness” mindset to overcome negativity bias   About Adam: Adam Hansen is VP of Innovation/Innovation Process Consultant at Ideas To Go and a career-long innovation leader, student and devotee. He received his MBA in product management at Indiana University. He has served on the board of the Product Development and Management Association and as an innovation and strategy expert with select causes in education and public health care. View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep123

Fellow podcaster Eric Zimmer shares how you can nourish your “good wolf” to help you reach optimal performance at work. You'll Learn: Pro-tips for wisely allocating your time and energy among all the roles you play An effective way to sustain your good habits, when you feel like quitting How being more yourself at work can help you be more awesome at your job   About Eric Eric Zimmer is the host of a podcast called The One You Feed. It was named a Best of 2014 podcast by iTunes and has gotten over a million and a half downloads to date. He’s been helping build startup companies for 15 years, been involved in technology for longer than that. Recently he has been doing e-commerce consulting for Fortune 500 companies. He started a solar energy company, Tipping Point. View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep122

Dr. Nicole Lipkin outlines the factors that derail you from optimal performance at the workplace and the mindset to overcome them. You'll Learn: Three common emotional derail-ers of success How technology is hurting your wellbeing Approaches to cultivating the growth mindset About Nicole Dr. Nicole Lipkin is an organizational psychologist, coach and keynote speaker. She is the CEO of Equilibria Leadership Consulting. Nicole is the author of What Keeps Leaders Up At Night and the co-author of Y in the Workplace: Managing the “Me First” Generation. Nicole is a regular contributor to the broadcast community and has been featured on NPR, NBC, CBS, Fox Business News, New York Times Magazine, Entrepreneur magazine, Forbes, and numerous other media outlets both nationally and internationally. View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep121

Dr. Beatrice Chestnut discusses how using the Enneagram can help build an understanding yourself and the personality types of people you work with. You'll Learn: What is the Enneagram and how it aids in understanding people Why 9 is the Enneagram’s key number Key practices for developing emotional intelligence About Beatrice Beatrice Chestnut, PhD MA is a licensed psychotherapist, coach, and business consultant based in San Francisco. She has a PhD in communication studies, and an MA in clinical psychology. She is the author of the books, The Complete Enneagram: 27 Paths to Greater Self-Knowledge, and The 9 Types of Leadership: Mastering the Art of People in the 21st century Workplace and was President of the International Enneagram Association from 2006-2007. She offers trainings on the Enneagram internationally, focusing on using it as a tool for personal transformation. View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep120