How I Work

Latest Episodes:

Michelle Poler on how she overcame 100 fears and the key question she asked to help conquer them May 06, 2020

Show notes

My guest today is Michelle Poler. While doing her Masters in Branding back in 2015, Michelle started a project where she would conquer 100 fears in 100 days. This Masters project turned into a global movement that impacted millions of people and received coverage on The NBC Today Show, Fox News, CBS, CNN, to name a few.

Since that project, Michelle now travels the world speaking to people at companies such as Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Netflix, Microsoft, P&G, Toyota, Coca-Cola, and many more, about getting out of their comfort zone.

Michelle’s first book, Hello Fears, is coming out on May 5, and teaches readers how to create their own 100 days of fear project.

In this chat, we cover:

How her life as a keynote speaker has changed dramatically post-COVID
How she reacted when her diary was literally wiped of all speaking events and work
The detail Michelle goes into when constructing and improving her keynote speeches
How she keeps her keynote speeches fresh for every audience
Her process for helping her 100 Days of Fear project go viral to millions of people
The one question Michelle recommends asking to help overcome fears.

Get Michelle’s book Hello Fears, follow her on Instagram, and find out more about her here.

Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three surprising ways to foster social connections in virtual meetings May 04, 2020

Show notes

In today's mini-episode, I explore three science-backed ways to foster social connections in virtual meetings.

Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ask Me Anything with Dr Amantha Imber: Working From Home Apr 29, 2020

Show notes

My guest today...is me! A week ago, my team mate Charlotte Rush and I hosted an Ask me Anything webinar on the topic of Working From Home. We had over 700 people join us and submit questions and we tried to get through as many as possible. This is a recording of the live event and we cover all sorts of tips for working from home, such as:

the ideal home office set up
how to stay connected with co-workers
how to run better virtual meetings
how to maintain motivation during this challenging time
how to keep your energy levels high when it feels like Groundhog
how to juggle homeschooling with your other full-time job
and much, much more.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My Favourite Tip: Envato co-Founder Cyan Ta'eed on overcoming imposter syndrome Apr 27, 2020

Show notes

***BEST OF HOW I WORK***

I'm currently taking a few weeks off, so today's episode is a Best Of episode. I've gone back through the archives of the last 2.5 years of hosting How I Work and picked out my absolute favourite episodes!

My guest today is Cyan Ta’eed. Cy is one of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs, having co-founded Envato in 2006 and growing it to being valued at over $1 billion. Last year she tried her hand at chocolate (why not?!) and Hey Tiger is now one of Australia’s fastest growing purpose-driven brands. Oh, and in her spare time, she recently launched Milkshake.app, which allows users to make a free website for their Instagram profile all on their phone, instantly.

In this chat, we cover:

How Cy went from spending four hours a day on her phone to just 15 minutes
How Cy changed her mobile phone to make it less addictive
The game that Cy’s family play on January 1, every year
The five minute activity that Cy does every morning to set herself up for the day
How Cy manages her energy levels as a self-described introvert who presents as an extravert.
Cy’s approach to constant learning and development
How and where Cy has found great people to work in her businesses.
Cy’s strategies for overcoming Imposter Syndrome
How Cy mentally prepares herself for stressful events
Why Cy had an app on her phone that reminded her she is going to die 5 x per day
Cy’s go-to apps and gadgets
What happened when Cy had an eyesight-threatening ulcer and had to rest in darkness for several weeks.
Balancing sprints with periods of rest

Find Cy on Instagram at @cyantaeed, check out her amazing chocolate social enterprise Hey Tiger and her most recent business Milkshake that allows users to create a webpage from their Instagram account.

Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Barnes on the productivity tips that make condensing a five day week into a four day week possible Apr 22, 2020

Show notes

My guest today is entrepreneur and philanthropist Andrew Barnes. What you might know Andrew for is the person behind creating the Four Day Work Week, where as the founder of Perpetual Guardian, he trialled having his 200+ staff do a four day work week - that is, fit five days worth of work into four. Andrew now consults to companies around the world, helping them do what he did at Perpetual Guardian.

Andrew also wrote a book about his experience with implementing the four day work week, called, The Four Day Week, which looks at the results the firm has achieved and how you can create a shorter week at your organisation.

We cover:

How Andrew sets boundaries between work and non-work life
Andrew’s morning routine
Andrews strategies for staying off email on his weekends
How Andrew helps his staff stay off their mobile phones at work
Andrew’s rules for making meetings more efficient
Why Andrew has banned people from eating lunch at their desk
How Andrew links meetings to individual productivity outcomes
How Andrew transformed his office environment to make it more conducive to productivity
Why Andrew’s down time is when he does his best creative and strategic thinking
How Andrew’s staff are maintaining connectedness during COVID

Learn more about the Four Day Week here.

Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My Favourite Tip: Cal Newport on why changing your workflow, not your habits, is the key to boosting productivity Apr 20, 2020

Show notes

***BEST OF HOW I WORK***

My guest today is Cal Newport. Cal is a computer science professor at Georgetown University. Cal is the author of six books, including, most recently, the New York Times bestseller, Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. Cal’s work has been published in over 20 languages and has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New Yorker, Washington Post, and the Economist.

It’s probably an understatement to say I was excited for this chat because I am a complete and utter fan girl of Cal’s and it’s fair to say that his work has had an enormous impact on how I work. We cover a bunch of different aspects of the way Cal approaches his work including:

Cal’s different Deep Work rituals and why he recommends having different rituals for different types of Deep Work
How to know if you are actually doing Deep Work
Strategies to break your Shallow Work habit
The critical conversation to have with your manager to get them supporting you doing more Deep Work
Cal’s ritual for "shutting down” his work day
Why Cal rejects the idea that we need to have a phone on us at all times
How Cal deliberately builds solitude into his day
Why changing workflows is more effective than changing habits when trying to increase productivity
The workflow Cal designed while on his book tour to minimise back and forth communication
Why giving your time a job is better than using a to-do list
How Cal uses weekly and daily time blocking to use his time effectively
How to take a “Deep Break"
The two key elements of Cal’s email system to minimise communication
The topic Cal is exploring for his next book

You can find Cal at http://calnewport.com/ and grab his books Deep Work and Digital Minimalism.

Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloom creator Glen Dolman’s unusual strategies for helping to get unstuck and produce great ideas Apr 15, 2020

Show notes

My guest today is Glen Dolman. Glen is one of Australia’s most sought-after screenwriters. Glen most recently wrapped on the second season of his supernatural series for Stan, Bloom, which he created and executive produced. The first season was nominated for an AACTA for Best New Drama Series and the second season kicks off on April 9.

Glen has written for a variety of different shows including Britain’s longest running crime drama, The Bill (ITV). He also wrote the highly acclaimed telemovie Hawke for Network Ten, about the controversial life of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, which won the AWGIE Award for Best Original Telemovie and three AFI’s (Australian Film Institute Awards), including for Best Telemovie or Mini-Series in 2010.

In this chat, we cover:

What the role of a Showrunner entails
How to recruit for a writer’s room
Glen’s strategies for building the optimal dynamic in a writer’s room
Where the idea for Bloom came from
Tips for overcoming writer’s block when working in a team
Knowing when to trust your ideas
The best writing advice he has received.

You can check out Bloom on Stan.

Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(How I Work) From Home: Six apps to manage distractions when working from home Apr 13, 2020

Show notes

***Ask Me Anything: Working From Home***

On Tuesday April 21, at 10am, I’ll be hosting an Ask Me Anything Webinar dedicated solely to the topic of working from home. I’ll be drawing on my two decades of experience as an Organisational Psychologist, tips and tricks I have picked up from my guests on the How I Work podcast, and the thousands of scientific journal articles and books I have read on productivity, connectedness, and motivation. All I need are questions to answer!

I imagine we will cover topics such as:

How to create the ideal physical space for your "home office"
How to overcome feelings of social isolation
How best to structure your day when working from home
Hacks, tips and rituals to help you be more productive
Setting boundaries between work and non-work life
How to get work done when you are also trying to be a pseudo school teacher
And much, much more.

So if you are struggling with home working life, or perhaps you are just looking to further optimise what you are already doing, register for the Ask me Anything - Working From Home Webinar and then send over any questions you would like answered.

Oh - and it’s completely free to attend!

***

Here are links to the six apps from today's show:

Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guardian columnist Oliver Burkeman on overcoming procrastination and how to trick yourself into a flow state Apr 08, 2020

Show notes

Oliver Burkeman is a Guardian writer based in New York. He writes the weekly psychology-based column This Column Will Change Your Life. He is also the author of The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking.

In this interview, we cover:

Oliver’s tips for parenting in the age of COVID
Oliver’s personal method for time management
How Oliver decides which projects to prioritise
Oliver’s personal Kanban system to planning his time
How to overcome procrastination using self-talk
Strategies for overcoming writer’s block
How Oliver trick’s his brain into getting into flow
How Oliver find’s new ideas for his columns every single week
Oliver’s go-to sources for inspiration and information

Get Oliver’s book The Antidote, follow him on Twitter @oliverburkeman, and check out Oliver’s column for The Guardian.

Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How I Work From Home: How to Shut Down your workday Apr 06, 2020

Show notes

In this How I Work From Home episode, I explore the science behind how to Shut Down your work day.

Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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