How to Be Awesome at Your Job

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**How to Be Awesome at Your Job**

Get more fun, wins, meaning, and money from your job! With 25,000,000 downloads and mentions in *The New York Times*, *Forbes*, and *Linkedin Learning.* This show helps grow your skills and impact at any job that requires thinking and collaborating.

Each week, Pete interviews thought-leaders and results-getters to discover specific, actionable insights that boost work performance. Their stories and advice sharpen the universal skills to flourish at work. Boost your time/energy management, leadership, confidence, career opportunities, and fulfillment—while still getting home earlier.

Try starting with episode 0: START HERE and listener favorite episodes we put at the beginning numbered: A, B, C, D, E, and F. (Subscribe and/or sort Old to New to find these starter episodes.) Welcome!

Latest Episodes:

557: How to Outthink Fear with Dr. Mark McLaughlin Mar 26, 2020

Show notes

Neurosurgeon and author Mark McLaughlin shares the science of fear and what to do about it.

You'll Learn:

1) How fear affects our decision-making

2) How to manage your fears effectively

3) The two techniques to help you outthink your fears

About Mark:

Mark McLaughlin is a practicing board-certified neurosurgeon, a national media commentator, author of the book Cognitive Dominance: A Brain Surgeon’s Quest to Outthink Fear, and acclaimed keynote speaker.

He is the founder of Princeton Brain and Spine Care where he practices surgery focusing on trigeminal neuralgia and cervical spine surgery. McLaughlin is also a thought leader in performance enhancement and physician hospital relations.

Book: Cognitive Dominance: A Brain Surgeon's Quest to Out-Think Fear
Website: MarkMcLaughlinMD.com

Items Mentioned in the Show

App: Ten Percent Happier
Book: Consilience: The Unity of Knowledgeby Edward Wilson
Book: 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works--A True Storyby Dan Harris
Book: Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews
Personality: Camillo Golgi
Personality: Rene Descartes
Personality: Sanjay Gupta
Personality: Santiago Ramon y Cajal
Planners: Franklin Planner
System: Cartesian Coordinate system
System: David Allen-Filing System
Term: Consilience
University: William & Mary

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formstack. Get home earlier with simplified workflows. Visit formstack.com/awesome for a 14-day free trial.
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556: What Drives Your Career Growth with Korn Ferry’s Gary Burnison Mar 23, 2020

Show notes

Gary Burnison shares what professionals need to start doing differently to advance in their careers.

You'll Learn:

1) Three mindsets to accelerate your career growth

2) The overlooked elements that determine career fit

3) Why most meetings are meaningless

About Gary:

Gary Burnison is the CEO and member of the board of directors for Korn Ferry, a global organization consulting firm. He is also an author, having written several books on career management. His latest book, Advance: The Ultimate How-To Guide For Your Career, is an insider’s look on everything professionals need to take control and get ahead in their careers.

He is also a regular contributor to Forbes, CNBC, Bloomberg, FOX Business, and other major international news outlets. Mr. Burnison earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Southern California and holds an honorary doctor of laws degree from Pepperdine University.

Gary’s book: Advance: The Ultimate How-To Guide For Your Career
Gary’s website: KornFerry.com
Gary’s website: Korn Ferry Advance

Resources mentioned in the show:

Website: Glassdoor
Book: Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson
Previous Episode: 273: Taking Control of your Career with Korn Ferry’s Gary Burnison

Thank you Sponsors!

Fender Play. Learn to play an instrument with your first two weeks FREE at fender.com/AWESOME.
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View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep556

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555: Why We Fail to Empower, Inspire, and Engage: Unmasking the The Advice Trap with Michael Bungay Stanier Mar 19, 2020

Show notes

Michael Bungay Stanier explains why we need to stop giving advice and start asking questions instead.

You'll Learn:

1) Three reasons why advice is overrated.

2) A step-by-step process for breaking your advice-giving habit.

3) How to ask more insightful questions.

About Michael:

Michael Bungay Stanier is an author and the founder of Box of Crayons, a company best known for teaching 10-minute coaching so that busy managers can build stronger teams and get better results. He was named the first Canadian Coach of the Year. He left Australia 25 years ago to be a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University.

Michael has been featured in several publications such as Business Insider, Forbes, The Globe & Mail, Fast Company, and The Huffington Post. He has held senior positions in the corporate, consultancy, and agency worlds. He has lived and worked in Australia, the UK, the US, and Canada. He currently lives in Toronto.

Michael’s book: The Advice Trap: Be Humble, Stay Curious & Change the Way You Lead Forever
Michael’s book: The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever
Michael’s website: TheAdviceTrap.com
Michael’s website: MBS.works

Resources mentioned in the show:

Book: A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
Past Episode: 297: Encouraging Insight Through More Coach-like Conversations with Michael Bungay Stanier

Thank you Sponsors!

formstack. Get home earlier with simplified workflows. Visit formstack.com/awesome for a 14-day free trial.
Blinkist. Learn more, faster with book summaries you can read or listen to in 15 minutes at blinkist.com/awesome
Fender Play. Learn to play an instrument with your first two weeks FREE at fender.com/AWESOME.

View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep555

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554: How Doing Less Results in Achieving More with Celeste Headlee Mar 16, 2020

Show notes

Award-winning journalist and speaker Celeste Headlee shares how doing nothing can help you accomplish everything.

You'll Learn:

1) Why idleness isn’t laziness

2) What’s causing you burnout

3) The productivity benefits of shorter work hours

About Celeste:

Celeste Headlee is an award-winning journalist, professional speaker and author of Heard Mentality and We Need To Talk: How To Have Conversations That Matter. In her 20-year career in public radio, she has been the Executive Producer of On Second Thought at Georgia Public Radio and anchored programs including Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. She also served as co-host of the national morning news show, The Takeaway, from PRI and WNYC, and anchored presidential coverage in 2012 for PBS World Channel. Celeste’s TEDx Talk 10 ways to have a better conversation has over 19 million total views to date.

Items Mentioned in the Show

Book: The Paris Library: A Novel by Janet Skeslien Charles
Previous episode: 221: Becoming a Great Conversationalist with Celeste Headlee

Thank you, sponsors!

Fender Play. Learn to play an instrument with your first two weeks FREE at fender.com/AWESOME.
ZipRecruiter is the smartest way to hire. Get a free trial at ZipRecruiter.com/HTBA

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553: How to Change Minds and Organizations with Jonah Berger Mar 12, 2020

Show notes

Wharton professor Jonah Berger discusses the biggest obstacles to successful persuasion—and how to overcome them.

You'll Learn:

1) Why persuasive arguments don’t work—and what does

2) A simple technique to win over stubborn naysayers

3) How to introduce big changes with minimal resistance

About Jonah:

Jonah Berger is a marketing professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and internationally bestselling author of Contagious, Invisible Influence, and The Catalyst.

Dr. Berger is a world-renowned expert on change, word of mouth, influence, consumer behavior, and how products, ideas, and behaviors catch on. He has published over 50 articles in top‐tier academic journals, teaches Wharton’s highest rated online course, and popular outlets like The New York Times and Harvard Business Review often cover his work. He’s keynoted hundred of events, and often consults for organizations like Google, Apple, Nike, and the Gates Foundation.

Book: The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind
Book: Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Website: JonahBerger.com
LinkedIn: Jonah Berger
Twitter: @j1berger

Resources mentioned in the show:

Book: A Matter of Taste: How Names, Fashion, and Culture Change by Stanley Lieberson
Term: Endowment effect
Term: Freemium
Clip: Heineken: Worlds Apart

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552: The Foundational Principle that Separates Good Leaders from Bad Ones with Pat Lencioni Mar 09, 2020

Show notes

Patrick Lencioni explores so many leaders fall short--and how to resolve it.

You'll Learn:

1) The mentality that separates great leaders from the rest

2) Why you shouldn’t be afraid of micromanaging

3) How leaders can have more joyful difficult conversations

About Patrick:

Pat is the founder of The Table Group and the author of 11 books which have sold over 5 million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages. The Wall Street Journal called him "one of the most in demand speakers in America." He has addressed millions of people at conferences and events around the world over the past 15 years. Pat has written for or been featured in numerous publications including Harvard Business Review, Inc., Fortune, Fast Company, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and BusinessWeek.

As CEO, Pat spends his time writing books and articles related to leadership and organizational health, speaking to audiences interested in those topics and consulting to CEOs and their teams.

Prior to founding The Table Group, Pat worked at Bain & Company, Oracle Corporation and Sybase. Pat lives in the Bay Area with his wife and four boys.

Patrick’s book: The Advantage
Patrick’s book: The Motive: Why So Many Leaders Abdicate Their Most Important Responsibilities
Patrick’s podcast: At The Table with Patrick Lencioni
Patrick’s website: TableGroup.com

Resources mentioned in the show:

Personality: Alan Mulally
Book: Brother Odd: An Odd Thomas Novel by Dean Koontz
Previous episode: 302: Curing the Under-Management Epidemic with Bruce Tulgan

Thank you Sponsors!

Care.com/Awesome. Save 30% on a premium membership to find the perfect caregiver for your child, parents, and home.

View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep552

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551: How to Save Massive Time, Energy, and Frustration by Solving Problems Before They Happen with Dan Heath Mar 05, 2020

Show notes

Dan Heath discusses how upstream-thinking can help solve problems before they even show up.

You'll Learn:

1) The power of “upstream thinking”

2) How to get to the root of the problem

3) How to avoid the blame game at work

About Dan:

Dan Heath and his brother, Chip, have written four New York Times bestselling books: Made to Stick, Switch, Decisive, and The Power of Moments. Heath is a senior fellow at Duke University’s CASE center, which supports entrepreneurs fighting for social good. He lives in Durham, North Carolina. The Heath brothers’ books have sold more than three million copies worldwide and have been translated into thirty-three languages.

Book: “Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen"
Website: UpstreamBook.com

Items Mentioned in the Show

Book: How Will You Measure Your Lifeby Clayton Christensen
Book: Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Muchby Sendhil Mullainathan
Study: Anita Tucker
Personality: Paul Batalden
Software: Toggl

Thank you, sponsors!

Pitney Bowes. Simplify your shipping while saving money. Get a free 30-day trial and 10-lb shipping scale at pb.com/AWESOME

View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep551

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550: How to Free Yourself from Conflict with Dr. Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler Mar 02, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler shares what to do when your attempts to resolve conflict fail.

You'll Learn:

1) The simplest way to stop conflict from overwhelming you

2) How to untangle the complex web of recurring conflict

3) The smartest thing to do when a conflict goes nowhere

About Jennifer:

Dr. Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler is founder and CEO of Alignment Strategies Group, the New York-based consulting firm that counsels CEOs and their executive teams on how to optimize organizational health and growth. Author of OPTIMAL OUTCOMES: Free Yourself from Conflict at Work, at Home, and in Life (HarperBusiness, Feb. 25, 2020), she is a keynote speaker at Fortune 500 companies, public institutions and innovative, fast-growing startups, where she inspires audiences of all kinds, including those at Google, Harvard and TEDx, and in her popular course at Columbia. A former counterterrorism research fellow with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, she is a graduate of Tufts University and holds a Ph.D. in Social-Organizational Psychology from Columbia University.

Jennifer’s book: Optimal Outcomes: Free Yourself from Conflict at Work, at Home, and in Life
Jennifer’s website: OptimalOutcomesBook.com

Resources mentioned in the show:

App: Calm
App: Insight Timer
Personality: Dr. John Gottman
Book: Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick by Wendy Wood
Book: The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker

Thank you Sponsors!

Blinkist. Learn more, faster with book summaries you can read or listen to in 15 minutes atblinkist.com/awesome

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549: Who Gets Raises and Promotions? Rick Gillis Reveals the Metric that Predicts our Fate. Feb 27, 2020

Show notes

Rick Gillis shares how knowing and improving your “quotient” can help you get raises and promotions at work.

— YOU'LL LEARN —

1) The factor that determines your compensation at work.

2) How to speak up for your work to your boss.

3) The perfect time to bring up your accomplishments.

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep549 for clickable versions of the links below.

— ABOUT RICK —

Rick Gillis is a speaker, author, and personal career advisor. He has spent over two decades writing books and sharing techniques to manage and maximize careers across the country. He is the founder of the Richard Gillis Company, LLC which provides training and career coaching to help job seekers land the best possible position at the highest possible pay.

Rick has appeared on several media outlets like Forbes.com, NPR, and the Wall Street Journal. Rick and his wife, Mary, live in Texas where he spends his free time riding along the Texas gulf coast on his Harley or in his music room and art studio.

• Book: "PROMOTE!: Your work does not speak for itself. You do."

• Book: “The Quotient”

• LinkedIn: Rick Gillis

• LinkedIn Article: "(In response to last week's post:)YOU are Responsible for Pointing Out Your Wins"

• LinkedIn Article: "It’s OK for Your Boss to Take Credit for Your Work (Ouch!)"

• Website: RickGillis.com

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Book: Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges

• Book: The Essential Guide for Hiring & Getting Hired: Performance-based Hiring Series by Lou Adler

• Movie: The Imitation Game

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! —

• Empower. Save more money, effortlessly. Get $5 free when you reach your savings goal at empower.me/awesome with the promo code AWESOME

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548: How to Get Your Points Across Clearly with Davina Stanley Feb 24, 2020

Show notes

Davina Stanley shares expert strategies for communicating with greater clarity.

— YOU'LL LEARN —

1) Why so many business presentations miss the mark.

2) The three-step “So what?” strategy.

3) The seven storyline patterns and when to use them.

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep548 for clickable versions of the links below.

— ABOUT DAVINA —

Davina Stanley has helped professionals communicate complex ideas clearly for more than 20 years. She offers a structured, ‘go to’ process that helps people think through their messaging so their good ideas get the traction they deserve.

She started coaching others when she joined McKinsey’s Hong Kong office as a communication specialist and has continued to help professionals of all stripes across many countries since then.

More recently she, along with her business partner, have published their first book The So What Strategy, which offers the seven most commonly used storyline patterns they see professionals use at work.

• Davina’s book: The So What Strategy

• Davina’s website: ClarityFirstProgram.com

• Davina’s program: Clarity First

• Davina’s Facebook: Communicating Up

• Davina’s LinkedIn: Davina Stanley

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Concept: The Pyramid Principle

• Book: The Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing and Thinking by Barbara Minto

• Book: Possum Magic by Mem Fox

• Book: Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox

• Book: The Diamond Hunter by Fiona McIntosh

• Book: Free to Focus: A Total Productivity System to Achieve More by Doing Less by Michael Hyatt