Shows
My Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 185: What is 'Sustainable Leadership'?This episode is the first in a new series where we'll unpack all aspects of leadership, leadership development and the wellbeing and performance of leaders. In this episode, Richard is joined by Dr. Wayne Mullen, an experienced leadership development expert, to set the scene, outline our rationale for focusing on leadership, and explore some of the ways leadership can go wrong. In the coming episodes, we're going to look at topics like the role of coaching in leadership development, the importance of leaders' mental health at work, and why resilience just isn't enough. We...2025-05-0837 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 183: Wellbeing is about moving towards what mattersIn episode 181, I explained how getting clear on what matters - our values - can be a great place to start when we want to improve our wellbeing. This time round, I look at the benefits of putting these values into action and being more intentional about our actions. Instead of framing our attempts at change as 'pass' or 'fail', we can frame our options as either moving towards what matters to us, or away from some form of psychological discomfort. This can take the pressure of perfection or completion off the table and intead allows us t...2025-04-0309 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 182: Dealing with challenges at work using Psychological FlexibilityI recently spoke at the Health and Wellbeing at Work conference in Birmingham on supporting employees to overcome challenges and setbacks. On the back of lots of positive feedback, I decided to record an episode outlining the main points I shared with delegates on the day, to share with a wider audience. And hopefully improve on my delivery! In this episode, I explain what Psychological Flexibility is, how psychological rigidity shows up, why flexibility helps us deal with the everyday challenges and setbacks we can expect to encounter at work, and how the skills that comprise the...2025-03-2035 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 181: Wellbeing - it starts with valuesIn this episode, we look at why it's so important to be clear on our values when making changes to improve our wellbeing. Values help us make authentic changes, help us persist when we don't feel like it, and give us an opportunity to take values-based action on a daily basis. Values remind us of the person we want to be, an incredibly useful touchstone as we progress on our change journey. Don't forget you can get in touch with your questions and comments by emailing 'podcast at worklifepsych dot com'. Thanks for lis...2025-03-0607 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 180: So you want to make a change?Change is at the very heart of the work that I do with my clients. Changing behaviour, changing attitudes. Changing in response to changes in the environment. In this episode, I take a look at some of the different levels at which change can take place - from daily habits all the way through to identity. This enables us to get nice and specific about what it is we actually want to change, and do so in an authentic and realistic way. Do get in touch with your questions and comments. You can always email t...2025-02-2017 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 179: What have I seen you in?And now for something completely different! Richard is joined by coach and actor, Lena Kaur for a discussion about coaching actors. We try to keep our definition of work and the workplace as broad as possible and in this episode, Richard and Lena explore the particular challenges faced by actors and how increasing their psychological flexibility can make all the difference. Lena explains how being can actor can help when coaching other actors, but also when it can get in the way. And we take a look at the wellbeing challenges that actors frequently face. ...2025-02-0652 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 178: Wellbeing - Is 'new' always better?In another of our 'Thriving at Work' episodes, Richard is joined by fellow workplace psychologist Jane Stewart. They look at some of the challenges with addressing workplace wellbeing and the common traps organisations can fall into. While it's so easy to get caught up with new wellbeing fads and fashions, these are often disruptive and fail to deliver results. Simiarly, even evidence-based approaches may not be right for your organisation right now. So, a more thoughtful and deliberate approach is what's required. We love to hear from listeners, so please do get in touch with you...2025-01-2338 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 177: Avoiding burnoutIn this episode in our 'Thriving at Work' series, Richard is joined by Hazel Anderson-Turner for a discussion all about burnout. Hazel describes what prompted her to write a book on the topic, as well as her significant experience coaching and training professionals on how to avoid burnout in the UK's National Health Service (NHS). Richard and Hazel discuss the benefits of using Acceptance and Commitment Coaching methods, the futility of self-blame when it comes to burnout, the key role that organisational context plays and what Hazel hopes readers will take away from her book.2025-01-1037 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 176: Workplace wellbeing - the power of difficult questionsWhat does it mean to be evidence-based when it comes to wellbeing at work? How do we know what works when it comes to wellbeing interventions? And does doing 'something' always beat doing nothing? In this episode, Richard is joined by James Carrier for a chat about the benefits of being more evidence-based when it comes to wellbeing and the importance of asking difficult questions. Full show notes for this episode can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/176 Thanks for listening! 2024-12-1250 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 175: Leadership, identity and thrivingWe continue our 'Thriving at Work' series with a look at leadership and leaders. Richard is joined by Leadership Development expert and executive coach, Dr. Wayne Mullen. They have a look at what it means to be a leader, why it's beneficial to challenge leadership stereotypes and explore some of the many challenges contemporary organisational leaders face. You can find full show notes for this episode at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/175 Thanks for listening!2024-12-0535 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 174: Sleep, wellbeing and... thriving?In this episode, another in the Thriving at Work series, we take a look at how sleep contibutes to our wellbeing and performance at work and ask: can you really thrive when you haven't had enough sleep? Full show notes for this episode can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/174 Thanks for listening!2024-11-2835 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 173: Are you having any fun?After a few 'heavy' episodes, it's time to turn to the lighter side of the workplace. Richard is joined by Dr. Mike Rucker for a discussion all about how to have more fun, inside and outside of work. Mike discusses his book about fun, the relationship between run, wellbeing and performance, the downsides of putting too much emphasis on 'future happiness'. You can find the full show notes for this episode at worklifeposych.com/podcast/173 Thanks for listening!2024-11-1452 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 172: Re-thinking self-careIn this latest episode of our 'Thriving at Work' series, Richard takes a fresh look at the concept of self-care. While it may conjure up images of bubble baths and cups or tea, there's a lot more to it than that. Richard outlines some quality markers to bear in mind when selecting self-care activities and flags some common pitfalls to avoid. Full show notes for this episode can be found at worklifepsych.com/podcast/172 Thanks for listening! 2024-10-3129 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 171 - Ostracism at workIn this episode, which is part of our Thriving at Work series, Richard is joined by two experts in ostracism at work, to discuss what it is, how it impacts employees and what we can do about it. Dr. Ian Tyndall and Dr. Daniel Waldeck discuss their research and why they got involved in this specific topic. Unlike the loneliness experience we discussed back in Ep 135 with Dr. Sarah Wright, where people aren't feeling enough connection with others, ostracism centres of feelings and beliefs about being shut out from a team, group or community and involves uncertainty...2024-10-1039 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 170: Thriving with Psychological FlexibilityIn this episode, Richard is joined once again by Ross McIntosh for a discussion about how increasing our psychological flexibility can improve our wellbeing. This episode is part of our 'Thriving at Work' series, which focuses on wellbeing at work and what individuals and organisations can do to improve it. Richard and Ross look at what we mean by wellbeing, and explore how increasing psychological flexibility can make a positive contribution to our physical, psychological and social wellbeing. As ever, you can get in touch with us about any aspect of this episode or the co...2024-10-0342 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 169: Chronic Health Conditions at WorkIn this episode, part of our Thriving at Work initiative, Richard is joined by Dr. Rachael Skews for a discussion about employees with chronic health conditions. They look at what constitutes a chronic health condition, while employees may be reticent to speak up about their condition or ask for assistance, and the ways that organisations can unintentionally exclude people from the workplace due to inflexibility about how work is organised. They then explore how we can look at the experience of these employees through the lens of Psychological Flexibility. This includes the role of acceptance...2024-09-2642 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 168: Menopause at workIn this episode of the podcast, the first in our new 'Thriving at Work series, Richard is joined by menopause researcher Kara Daly for a discussion about how menopause impacts women at work. It's a big topic, affecting so many people in the workforce, yet very often neglected. From myths and misconceptions, to the impact menopause has on women's identity and careers, through to the simple things organisations and managers can do to make the experience easier for women. FIND OUT MORE Our 'Thriving at Work' campaign: https://www.worklifepsych.com/thrivingatwork 2024-09-1239 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 167: Remembering to rememberIn this episode, Richard is joined by Antonina Pereira, Professor of Neuropsychology and Neuroscience at the University of Chichester. They explore Antonina's research into prospective memory - our ability to remember to do things in future - and how it relates to our wellbeing, our productivity and effectiveness at work, and discuss some simple ways to improve our ability to 'remember to remember'. Full show notes for this episode can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/167 Thanks for listening!2024-08-2947 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 166: Time for a break!I'm recording this episode just before I turn on my 'out of office' and head to Spain for my annual review. In this solo episode, I outline my reasons for taking an annual retreat each year, why you don't need to leave the country to do this, but why regular reflection is a great idea. Find the show notes for this episode at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/166 Thanks for listening!2024-08-1524 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 165: Psychological Flexibility - series finale, feedback and questionsIn this final episode of our series on Psychological Flexibility, Richard and Ross reflect on what it was like to create the episodes, share listener feedback and answer some more of your questions. You can find all the resources for this series at https://www.worklifepsych.com/PsychologicalFlexibility and some more detailed show notes at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/165 Thanks for listening! 2024-08-0148 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 164: A flexible self-conceptIn this, the latest episode in our series on Psychological Flexibility, Richard is one again joined by fellow psychologist Ross McIntosh. They explore the importance of noticing the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves - which we collectively call our self-concept - and holding these stories lightly. Full shownotes for this episode can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/164 Thanks for listening!2024-07-1845 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 163: Culture cracks!Richard is joined by fellow psychologist Sarah McLellan for a discussion about the role of organisational culture and the importance of shaping it intentionally. For full show notes for this episode, visit our website at worklifepsych.com/podcast/163 Thanks for listening! 2024-07-0443 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 162: Coaching Psychology - Theory, Practice and Bots!In this episode, Richard is joined by friend of the podcast Dr. Rachael Skews. They discuss a recent coaching psychology conference they both presented at, the nature of coaching research, the importance of evidence-based practice and ask the killer question: will your coach be replaced by a bot? Full show notes for this episode can be found on our website at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/162 Thanks for listening!2024-06-2133 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 161: AcceptanceIn this episode, Richard and Ross take a look at another important skill for increasing our psychological flexibility: acceptance. This doesn't mean a passive acceptance of the status quo, or simply pushing through difficulties with gritted teeth. It means authentically accepting the discomfort and other stuff we don't like in situations, while taking helpful action to get through it. Once we make room for it, we don't have to struggle with it, or delay action until the discomfort has gone. We explore the various ways we raise this topic with our clients in coaching contexts...2024-05-3045 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 160: Committed actionIn this episode of 'My Pocket Psych', Richard and Ross turn to the next skill in our psychological flexibility toolkit: committed action. This is all about taking our values and putting them into action. Doing more of the stuff that matters, not because it's easy or fun, but because it's important. You can find all the resources we mention in this episode on our dedicated series page at https://www.worklifepsych.com/psychologicalflexibility 2024-05-1734 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 159: Clarity of valuesIn this video, we continue our series focused on the skills that boost our Psychological Flexibility. This time round, Richard and Ross discuss the benefits of being clear on what really matter to us in life - our values. We look at what values are (and importantly, what they're not!), ways that we use values in our coaching practices with clients, and some simple ways to bring additional clarity to your own values. Remember, you can find all the resources for this series in one place, including all previous episodes, on the WorkLifePsych website: 2024-05-0349 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 158: Cognitive DefusionThis is the third part in our series exploring Psychological Flexibility. Richard and Ross look at the skill called 'Cognititve Defusion', where we learn to see our thoughts in a different light. You can find show notes and all the resources we mention at our dedicated online resource page: worklifepsych.com/psychologicalflexibility Thanks for listening!2024-04-1858 min
My Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 157: Present moment awarenessIn this second part of our series on how to develop your psychological flexibility, we look at the importance of being in the present moment, and minimising 'mental time-travel'. Richard and Ross look at some of the unhelpful ways our attention and focus are pulled from the here and now, along with some simple ways you can start to develop your capacity to just notice. We make the distinction between day-dreaming and all the benefits this can bring, and unwanted mental time-travel, where we can get taken to worrying imagined futures. It's the unwanted mental...2024-04-0535 min
My Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 156: Psychological InflexibilityThis is the first of a new series of the podcast where we focus on the skills that develop our psychological flexibility. Richard is joined by fellow psychologist Ross McIntosh, the host of the excellent People Soup podcast. In this episode, they discuss what psychological flexibility is, what it feels like to experience psychological inflexibility, and what you can expect from the remainder of this series. You can find the full show notes for this episode at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/156 and discover more about psychological flexibility at https://www.worklifepsych.com/psychologicalflexibility T...2024-03-2235 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 155: Pitfalls to avoid when it comes to valuesIn this episode, Richard is joined by fellow coaching psychologist Lucie Ilbury for a look at the common pitfalls to avoid when it comes to our values. Shownotes for this episode can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/155 Thanks for listening!2024-03-0737 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 154: Navigating deadlinesIn this episode, we take a look at deadlines and how to handle them effectively. Whether it's a deadline we've been given, or one we've decided upon ourselves, they can either be a motivating target or a mark in the calendar that fills us with dread. So we look at some of the ways we can make our deadlines actually work for us. Full show notes can be found at: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/154 Thanks for listening! 2024-02-2228 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 153: Why can't I stick to my habits?In our last episode. Richard and Rachael explored some of the reasons goals and goal-setting can work against us and make behaviour change even more difficult. This time round, Richard outlines some of the common reasons we can find it hard to stick to new habits. Full show notes for this episode can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/153 And if you'd like to watch this episode as a video, you can find it on YouTube at https://youtu.be/RiRhu1hrC48 Thanks for listening!2024-02-0820 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 152 - The dark side of goalsIn this episode, Richard is joined by Dr. Rachael Skews for a conversation about goals, goal-setting and the downside of focusing too much on goals. You can find the full show notes for this episode by visiting our website: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/152 Thanks for listening! 2024-01-2550 min
My Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceAre you considering coaching for 2024?A quick reminder of our upcoming webinar all about coaching. On Jan 25th, I'll be facilitating a free session to demystify coaching, explain what's involved and how it can contribute positively to your goal attainment, wellbeing, productivity and career clarity. To find out more and reserve your free place, simply visit https://www.worklifepsych.com/ConsideringCoaching Thanks for listening - and I look forward to seeing you there! 2024-01-1601 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 151: Authentic leadership with Ross McIntoshIn this episode, Richard is joined by fellow podcaster and expert in ACT, Ross McIntosh, for a discussion about leadership at work. Ross is the host of the excellent 'People Soup' podcast, and regularly trains professionals int he ACT skills that support psychological flexibility. Richard and Ross walk through a model of Authentic Leadership, exploring the skills and personal qualities that contribute to quality leadership performance. Looking at leadership through the ACT 'lens', Ross then explains how he's bringing these concepts to life for his leadership clients. We actually the recorded the video of...2023-12-201h 04My Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 150: Learning from the year gone byWe hit the 150 episode mark and take a look back at what we've learned along the way. We also look at the benefits of reviewing your year before making plans for the new year ahead. Full show notes for this episode are available at worklifepsych.com/podcast/150 Thanks for listening! 2023-12-0653 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 149: Mistakes to avoid when introducing coachingIn this episode, Richard and Pilar discuss some of the most common mistakes to avoid when introducing coaching to your organisation. Full show notes for this episode can be found at worklifepsych.com/podcast/149 Thanks for listening! 2023-11-2428 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 148: "Do you practice what you preach?"In this episode, we look at the concept of 'use of self' and authenticity in coaching. How would you answer the question: do you practice what you preach? You can find full show notes for this episode at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/148. 2023-11-0130 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 147: How does coaching differ from therapy?We take a look at another common coaching question: how does coaching differ from therapy? It's not as clear a line between the two as you might imagine. Full show notes for this episode can be found at worklifepsych.com/podcast/1472023-10-2527 min
My Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceAnnouncement: Free coaching webinarRichard here, to remind you of an upcoming free event that may interest you. If you’re considering coaching for yourself, or thinking about introducing it to your organisation this year, then our Considering Coaching webinar might be just what you need. On October 26th at 10am UK time, I’ll be facilitating a webinar all about coaching and the benefits it can bring. In this webinar, I’ll go through the basics of what coaching is, what it’s not and how to get the most from the experience. I’ll explain the benefits of working w...2023-10-1701 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 146: What should I do in between coaching sessions?In this episode, Richard and Pilar answer one of the most common questions when it comes to coaching: what to do in between the coaching sessions. Show notes for this episode can be found at worklifepsych.com/podcast/146 Thanks for listening!2023-10-1132 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 145: What is a coaching psychologist?In this episode, Richard explores what a coaching psycholoigist is and some of the differences between this and other specialisms within the profession. Full shownotes for this episode can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/145 Thanks for listening!2023-09-2915 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 144: Can you take a personal retreat?In this episode, Pilar interviews Richard about his recent personal retreat in Spain and they discuss how to get the most from a retreat - even if it's in a local park or coffee shop. You can find full show notes for this episode at worklifepsych.com/podcast/144 Thanks for listening!2023-09-1331 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 143: Calendars: the map is not the territoryIn this episode, Richard explores how to get the most from your calendar. A valuable tool when it comes to planning and productivity, but if mis-used, a source of overwhelm and stress. You can find full show notes for this episode at worklifepsych.com/podcast/1432023-08-3018 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 142: Beating your procrastination habitFollowing on from our last episode, where we took a fresh look at the roots of procrastination, this time we look at some simple ways you can replace your procrastination with proactivity. Show notes for this episode can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/142 Thanks for listening!2023-08-1621 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 141: The stories you tell yourself when you procrastinateRichard explores some of the stories we tell ourselves when we decide to procrastinate. The unhelpful, irrational stories that help us avoid some form of discomfort. In the next episode, we'll look at some simple things you can do to beat the procrastination habit. Full show notes for this episode are available at WorkLifePsych.com/podcast/141 Thanks for listening!2023-08-0424 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 140: Journalling and self-awareness with Dr. Amy RedmondIn this episode, we continue our focus on self-awareness and look at the power of journalling. Richard is joined by fellow psychologist Dr. Amy Redmond, author of ‘The Aha Journal’. Full show notes are available at WorkLifePsych.com/podcast/140 Thanks for listening!2023-07-2135 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 139: How to build your self-awarenessThis time round, Richard and Pilar discuss some of the simplest approaches to learning more about what makes us who we are, and how we can adjust our responses to the world around us. You can find show notes for this episode at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/139 Thanks for listening!2023-06-2836 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 138: Self-awareness: what is it, and why is it so difficult?In this episode, Richard and Pilar take a look at the concept of self-awareness. What do we mean when we use this phrase? Why is it so important for our experience of the workplace? And why can it be so difficult to develop? Show notes for this episode can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/138 Thanks for listening!2023-06-2136 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 137: Having 'difficult' conversationsIn this episode, Richard and Pilar take look at what makes some conversations at work 'difficult', and what we can do to overcome this. Full show notes for this episode are available at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/137 Thanks for listening!2023-06-0836 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 136: Exploring values and goalsIn this episode, Richard explores the important differences between our values and our goals, but also how we can use them together to achieve what's really important to us. Full show notes for this episode can be found at worklifepsych.com/podcast/136 Thanks for listening!2023-05-1724 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 135 Connect & ThriveIn this episode, Richard is joined by Dr. Sarah Wright, for a discussion about workplace loneliness. Sarah is an expert in workplace loneliness and interpersonal connection and together, they look at how loneliness impacts us - and those around us - and explore some simple steps anyone can take to beat the experience. They also announce the publication of our new free guide to beating loneliness 'Connect and Thrive'. You can find full show notes for this episode at worklifepsych.com/podcast/1352023-05-0435 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 134: Are you contributing to your own sense of overwhelm?In this episode, Richard explores some of the many ways we can contribute to our own sense of overwhelm. We'll all feel overwhelmed with the stuff life throws at us from time to time, but some of our habits and attitudes can make the experience even worse. Richard walks through some of the root causes of being overwhelmed and indicates those that are more under our control. Please get in touch with your questions and comments. You can contact us via email: podcast at worklifepsych dot com. And now you can follow us and get i...2023-04-2022 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp133: A routine is a process, not a prisonIn this episode, Richard and Pilar explore the benefits of treating our routines and habits with flexibility. ideally, they exist to hep us who we want to be - but we also need to pay attention to the context we're in, stepping away from routines and habits when they're no longer helpful or appropriate. Show notes for this episode can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/133 Thanks for listening!2023-04-1326 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 132: ACT in practice with Matt BrownIn this episode, Richard is joined by clinical psychologist Dr. Matthew Brown. Matt outlines how he brings the principles of ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Theory) to life in his work with patients living with cancer. You can find the show notes for this episode at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/1322023-03-3140 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 131: Busting some coaching mythsIn this episode, Richard and Pilar discuss some very common myths and misconceptions about coaching. Coaching is just about goals, right? And it's just a conversation. My coach will give me the advice I need! Just a few of the misconceptions we discuss. Get in touch with your own questions about coaching, or even some examples of coaching misconceptions you've come across. We love to hear from our listeners. Show notes for this episode are available at WorkLifePsych.com/podcast/131 Thanks for listening! 2023-03-1730 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 130: ACT in practice with Rachael SkewsWelcome to another episode of 'My Pocket Psych', where Richard is joined by Dr. Rachael Skews. Rachael has just joined the WorkLifePsych team and discusses how she brings Acceptance and Commitment Theory (ACT) to life in her coaching practice. After discussing Rachael's career journey to date, Rachael and Richard discuss how different aspects within ACT support the coaching process and how it differs from 'traditional' goal-oriented coaching. They explore the benefits of values clarification, developing the ability to see thoughts for what they are, and taking meaningful action. Finally, they outline the free webinar about i...2023-03-0246 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 129: Change for 2023: It's not too lateIn this episode, Richard and Pilar look at how you can get back on track when it comes to your goals for 2023. Learning from the past and being compassionate with yourself is a great start. but you can also ensure your regular routines and habits can reflect the changes you want to make. You can find all the resources mentioned in this episode at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/129 Thanks for listening!2023-02-2324 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 128: Avoiding derailment, with Lucie IlburyIn this episode, Richard interviews Lucie Ilbury, an experienced occupational psychologist and member of the WorkLifePsych team. They explore the concept of derailment and the role that self-awareness plays in avoiding this very negative workplace outcome. While traditionally viewed as happening to the 'snakes in suits', derailment is much more complex and nunced and can occur due to a combination of personality, behavioural and systemic factors. Do get in touch with your follow-up questions: you can email us at: podcast at worklifepsych dot com, or send us a message on any of our social media ac...2023-02-0950 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 127: Are you Planning, Predicting or Playwriting?in this episode, Richard Pilar take a look at the different kinds of future-oriented thinking we can do. As not all of it is helpful, it's useful to distinguish between our planning, our predicting and our 'playwriting'. Let us know if you have any follow-up questions or comments Email us at 'podcast at worklifepsych dot com' Thanks for listening! Resources for this episode Community Plus: worklifepsych.com/communityplus Blog post: Planning, Predicting or Playwriting? Podcast: First steps in Mindfulness: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/126/ Podcast: S...2023-01-2530 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 126: First Steps in MindfulnessWelcome to episode 126, where Richard is joined by Dr. Sarah Strohmaier, an expert in the science of mindfulness. In this episode, they look at the practicalities of adopting mindfulness practices and how even very brief mindfulness exercises can be beneficial. Despite the term being over-hyped in recent times, the evidence for its impact is quite clear. They also discuss the upcoming masterclass Sarah is running for the WorkLifePsych online community. If you have follow-up questions, you can drop us an email: podcast at worklifepsych dot com Resources for this episode 2023-01-1139 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 125: Preparing for the year aheadIn this final episode of 2022, Richard explores how we can reflect on the year gone by to better help us plan for the year coming. It doesn't have to mean big, demanding goals, but the reflection can help us be more realistic and practical about what we want to achieve. 2022-12-1416 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 124: Zombie tasks2022-11-2320 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 123: Reflections on my four-day weekThis time round, Richard and Pilar discuss Richard's experiment of working a four-day week. We look at why he decided to trial it, how it worked for him and how he benefitted from this working arrangement. The big question is: will he keep going with a four day week now the experiment is over? There are no one-size-fits-all solutions when it comes to flexible or alternate working arrangements, and this is very much a personal reflection. We'd love to hear your thoughts: are you considering a four-day week for your team or organisation? Have you t...2022-11-0924 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 122: Why you’re not reaching your goals2022-11-0225 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 121: Community PlusA very special episode! Richard and Pilar discuss the recent launch of the latest initiative from WorkLifePsych: Community Plus. It's the premium level membership of our existing WorkLifePsych online community and features a plethora of events to address all aspects of your personal development journey. In this episode, we look at why Richard launched it, who it's aimed at, and what you can expect from it. You can find out more by visiting worklifepsych.com/communityplus or, if you're already a member of our online community, just click on the 'Groups' menu and you'll see th...2022-10-1520 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 120: Putting PERMA into practice with Lyn Lanka---Welcome to episode 120 where Richard is joined by Dr. Lyn Lanka for a further exploration of the PERMA model for human happiness and flourishing. Together, they explore the impact of small behaviours, why there’s no need to make huge disruptive changes and how you can treat the PERMA model like your very own recipe. Big thanks to Lyn for her expertise and input into this episode. And don’t forget, if you’d like to more about positive psychology and the concept of flourishing, check out episode 113 of the podcast. Please get in tou...2022-09-3042 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 119: How you’re sabotaging your sleepIn this episode, we return to the vital topic of sleep. Sleep really is the bedrock of our wellbeing, and if we're not getting enough quality sleep, it undermines all the other things we do to stay healthy. We look at sleep through the lens of our daily habits and explore some of the ways we might be unintentionally depriving ourselves of the sleep we need. Resources for this episode 'How to have a good day' by Caroline Webb 'Why we sleep' by Matthew Walker Why your wellbeing initiative need...2022-09-0242 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 118: Your productivity toolkitIn this episode, Richard and Pilar look at the essentials of any productivity toolkit: a place to keep tasks, a place to keep track of commitments and a place to keep notes. With so many apps available, we'll look at some of our favourites and explain how they can support your productivity. They go from the totally free through to apps that need some investment. We'd love to hear about your productivity app recommendations and why they help you get your important stuff done. You can get in touch on Twitter @MyPocketPsych or send us an...2022-09-0144 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 117: The importance of restWelcome to episode 117, where we take a look at the importance of rest - for our productivity, our effectiveness and our wellbeing. It’s easy to take it for granted and ‘squeeze’ if in where we can. But being intentional about rest and breaks from work can pay dividends. Rest isn’t optional, it isn’t the last thing we should think of. Or only consider when we’re too tired to continue or when everything else on our todo list is done. Rest doesn’t have to mean sleep, either. We can take a break from work...2022-08-0923 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 116: What’s in your in-box?Welcome to episode 116, where Richard and Pilar explore the importance of getting intentional about managing our inbox. Rather than live in our email inbox, Richard outlines the benefits of another, separate inbox, accessible without delving into your email. Why? Because even in 2022, not all work comes to us via email! We look at how to get clarity on the tasks that come our way, apply some form of prioritisation to them and the importance of differentiating between individual tasks and projects. All in an attempt to focus on the right things and avoid the habit...2022-07-2833 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the Workplace115: Personal Knowledge ManagementWelcome to episode 115, where we take an introductory look at the concept of Personal Knowledge Management. This concept has evolved in response to the very real contemporary experience of information overload. When knowledge workers globally are inundated with information from the moment they wake up, how do we decide what to pay attention to? What should we keep for later? And how can we overcome the limitations of our memories, to ensure we can use this knowledge at a later date? Richard and Pilar take a look at the core ideas of knowledge management, how...2022-07-1433 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 114: Dealing with the 'Sunday scaries'In this episode, Richard and Pilar look at the way anxiety about the working week ahead can ruin our Sundays - the so-called 'Sunday scaries'. We discuss why we can feel this way and some simple approaches to lessen the impact of these thoughts and emotions. Resources mentioned in this episode: Interview with Gemma Roberts: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/112/ Defusion episode: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/ep-056-psychflex-in-action-4-seeing-thoughts-for-what-they-are/ Episode about anxious thoughts and feelings: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/ep-061-anxious-thoughts-and-feelings/ Our task management episode: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/ep-049-the-challenges-of-task-management/ 2022-06-2227 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the Workplace113: What is ‘flourishing?’ - with Dr. Lyn LankaIn this episode, Richard is joined by fellow psychologist Dr. Lyn Lanka, who explains the concept of flourishing. In particular, how we can flourish even though we're experiencing difficulties or in a particularly challenging context. As Lyn explains, it's not just about 'positive emotions' but more to do with taking helpful action to move towards what's important to us. Big thanks to Lyn for her time and her expertise. If you have follow-up comments or questions, reach out on Twitter @MyPocketPsych, or send us an email (postcast@worklifepsych.com). I’ll share links to t...2022-06-1533 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 112: Mindset Matters, with Gemma RobertsWelcome to episode 112. After our very short break, we’re back! Richard is joined by fellow psychologist and coach, Gemma Leigh Roberts. Gemma has just had her first book published, so we take a look at both what she’s hoping readers will take from ‘Mindset Matters’ and what it’s like to translate the science of resilience into something readers can put into action. Do get in touch with your comments and questions - we love to hear from our listeners. Thanks for listening! Resources mentioned in this episode: Gemma’s pre...2022-06-0145 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the Workplace111: What stops you from delegating?Welcome to the latest episode, where Richard and Pilar discuss delegation and the obstacles we need to deal with. While we might rationally understand the need for, and benefits of, delegation - lots of things can get in the way. Whether it's our beliefs about delegation, our workload, the competence of others or fear about it all going wrong - there's a lot we can do to cultivate a delegation habit and start to enjoy its benefits. If you've enjoyed this episode, let us know! And if you have questions about delegation, get in touch...2022-05-0531 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the Workplace110: How are you coping?Hello and welcome to episode 110 of my pocket psych, the podcast all about the psychology of the workplace. In this episode, we take a look at the concept of coping. Simply put, this is any of the things that we do in response to challenges, setbacks and adversity. Sometimes we use coping strategies and techniques intentionally. We decide to respond in a particular way. And sometimes the ways we cope with things going wrong are automatic, not really part of our conscious awareness. It’s important to know that not every way that we try to...2022-04-1327 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the Workplace109: Your Fifth SenseIn this episode, Richard is joined by Duncan Boake, the Chief Executive of Fifth Sense - a charity dedicated to the support of people experience taste and smell loss. Duncan explains what led him to establish the charity, his own person experience of sensory impairment and together, he and Richard explore what this means for people in and out of the workplace. Thanks for listening! Resources mentioned in this episode Fifth Sense webiste: https://www.fifthsense.org.uk Fifth Sense on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fifthsenseuk 2022-04-0624 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 108: Knowing isn't the same as doingWelcome to episode 108 of My Pocket Psych, where we take a look at some of the ways we’ve tripped ourselves up when it comes to productivity. Richard and Pilar take a look back at the lessons they’ve learned about getting stuff done in their careers and how it made a difference. Public humiliation aside (!!) we want to illustrate that knowing isn’t enough - we have to put our knowledge to use and practical application. We’d love to know what kind of journey you’ve been on when it comes to your pe...2022-03-1029 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 107: Dealing with self-limiting beliefsWelcome to episode 107, where we look at how to deal with the self-limiting beliefs that can get in the way of what we want to do. We discussed how personality assessment can lead to unintentionally over-simplified views of ourselves back in episode 106. But these aren’t the only source of over-simplified views. Richard and Pilar explore some ways to get a more nuanced and complete view of ourselves so we can see the bigger picture and sidestep limiting thoughts. This touches on seeing our thoughts for what they are, but also gaining an appreciation for th...2022-03-0932 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 106: Being your own Boss, with Dr Hayley LewisWelcome to episode 106, where Richard is joined by Dr. Hayley Lewis, a fellow occupational psychologist and specialist in people development at work. Hayley describes her career journey, her career decisions and her passion for working with middle managers. She also outlines some of the findings from her recent doctoral research into the experience of female entrepreneurs. What does it take to ‘be your own boss’? Whose advice should we take? Are the messages on social media really helping women who want to work for themselves? Hayley shares all. As ever, thanks for listening! 2022-02-2352 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 105: Productivity is not the goalWelcome to episode 105, where we look at the downside of productivity. While it’s helpful to be mindful about how we invest our time and attention, a focus on productivity as a goal can have some serious downsides. When we set productivity as our goal, it’s the same as chasing happiness - both are temporary states and can leave us feeling unfulfilled if we believe we should be that way all the time. Instead, we present productivity as a lens through we can can examine our life helping us to decide how to prioritise and understand what...2022-02-0935 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 104: The power of the weekly reviewWelcome to episode 104, where we explore the benefits of reviewing our working week - before launching into our weekend. Identifying learning points, successes and challenges can help us draw a line under the week and enables us to put our learning into practice the following week. When discussed in the productivity literature, the weekly review can seem like an overwhelming task to complete. So I ease my coaching clients into reviewing their week against five simple questions. They can of course add to this over time once their review habit is established. You...2022-01-2626 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 103: Personality: Don't fence me inWelcome to episode 103, where we take a look at personality - and the double-edged sword that comes with measuring it. While it’s great to build our understanding of our personality, the tool used, the way it’s used and the quality of the information shared from it can all combine to make the experience sub-optimal. There’s a big difference between the kind of personality ‘quiz’ you take online for entertainment and the scientifically rigorous assessment you’ll complete at work. But some less rigorous ones do make it into the workplace, and even the best ass...2022-01-1335 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 102: Building psychological safetyWelcome to episode 102, where we build on last episode's discussion about psychological safety. This time, Richard and Pilar explore some of the simple ways team leaders and managers can create a culture where psychological safety can grow. We highlight some reflections points - for example, how do you respond to errors or 'bad news' from your team members? We'd love to hear from our listeners about this topic - how would you rate psychological safety where you work? What have you done to improve it? What are you finding difficult about this? You can message...2021-12-1627 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 101: Psychological SafetyWelcome to episode 101, where we take a look at the concept of psychological safety. What is it? What difference does it make? What workplace factors can inhibit it? And just how is it different to trust? Next time, we'll look at some of the ways we can create a team culture that supports and cultivates psychological safety. Meanwhile, get in touch with your comments and questions. We love to hear from you! Leave us a voicemail: https://camflare.io/studio/61308a654fd12/ Send us an email: podcast@worklifepsych.com Twitter: https...2021-12-0126 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 100: Happy birthday, My Pocket Psych!Welcome to our 100th episode! In this special birthday episode, Richard and Pilar take a look back at their favourite episodes, what they've learnt from the podcasting experience and share some really lovely and heart-warming listener feedback. It's been a fantastic experience making these episodes and we hope you've enjoyed joining us on the journey. I want to reiterate my thanks to all the guests who've joined us on the show and to you, our listeners, for keeping us company along the way. It's been a blast! On that note, if you'd like to get...2021-11-1738 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 099: Dealing with distractionsIn this episode, Richard and Pilar discuss the impact of distractions. Given the context at the moment - with lots of people returning to their shared physical workspaces - it's timely to explore the factors that can distract us and disrupt our focus. We can find ourselves distracted both by events around us, but also our inner life: thoughts and emotions. We take a look at some helpful ways to think about distractions and some suggestions for how to deal with them more effectively. Resources mentioned in this episode Ep 070 - Micro-frustrations at home...2021-11-0435 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 098: Managing your boundariesRichard and Pilar take a look at the importance of proactively and intentionally managing the boundaries between our various life roles. How do we prevent one role absorbing the time and attention we'd like to invest in another? We're really close to episode 100, so don't forget to get in touch with your feedback and questions about the show so far. Anything you've enjoyed, put into practice - or something that has just given you another perspective on work. Send us a message on Twitter (@MyPocketPsych) via our contact form (worklifepsych.com/contact) or by email (p...2021-10-2028 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 097: A little bit of what you needIn this episode, Richard is joined by fellow chartered psychologist, Dr. Rachael Skews, who shares his interest in the factors that contribute to our wellbeing. Together, they explore the concept of 'self-care' - the many forms it can take and how it's needed in a busy and unpredictable world. Huge thanks to Rachael for once again taking the time to come on the podcast. Resources mentioned in this episode Richard's JustGiving page for Epilepsy Action: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/doctorworkpsych Leave us a voicemail here: https://camflare.io/studio/61308a654fd...2021-10-0638 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 096: Fresh startsWelcome to episode 096, where our focus is on fresh starts. Humans are attracted to what we call 'temporal landmarks’, which are date-based lines in the sand that allow us to make sense of our past and establish new chapters in our lives. These new chapters give us the opportunity to have a fresh start. Richard and Pilar discuss how to make best use of this mechanism, along with the risks of over-use or conflating it with procrastination. We can use a fresh start to commit to a new habit, to commence a new educational or employment focus or...2021-09-2332 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 095: Can a manager be a coach?Welcome to the final episode in our series all about coaching. This time, Pilar and Richard look at the role of managers in coaching and how they themselves can coach their team members. In some ways it's more difficult than being an external coach and requires a lot of objectivity and focus from the managers. But it pays off in the long term. We're rapidly approaching our 100th episode and we'd love to hear from you. What questions do you have about any of the topics we've covered? How have you put what you've learnt into practice? W...2021-09-0832 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 094: Coaching for effectivenessThis latest episode in our series on coaching looks at how coaching can support the key interpersonal skills and attitudes to support our effectiveness at work. Pilar and Richard look at the topics that come up in effectiveness-related coaching contexts and the ways in which these translate into performance at work. In a future episode, we'll answer all your questions about coaching, so please get in touch with anything you've always wanted to ask. Either on Twitter or on our contact form. Thanks for listening! Resources mentioned in this episode C...2021-08-1831 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 093: Coaching for wellbeingIn this fourth episode of our latest series on coaching, Richard and Pilar look at a very important topic: how coaching can support our wellbeing. We explore some of the common wellbeing topics, as well as how an ACT perspective can help coachees make the changes they really value. Resources mentioned in this episode: Coaching with WorkLifePsych: https://www.worklifepsych.com/coaching Ep065: Employee wellbeing with Dr. Kevin Teoh: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/ep-065-employee-wellbeing-with-dr-kevin-teoh/ Ep018: The importance of sleep: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/ep-018-wellbeing-the-importance-of-sleep/ 2021-08-1133 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 092: Coaching for productivityIn this third episode of our current series on coaching, Pilar and Richard take a look at the application of coaching when it comes to productivity. They look at how productivity manifests as a coaching topic, the role of mindset and habits and the common ways our approach to work can trip us up. Next time, we'll look at how coaching can help when it comes to the theme of wellbeing at work. Do get in touch with your questions and feedback via @MyPocketPsych or our contact form. Thanks for listening! Re...2021-07-2135 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 091: Common coaching pitfalls to avoidIn this second part of our latest coaching series, we look at some of the common pitfalls that coaches and coachees can encounter when working together. Pilar and Richard look at the importance of taking time to reflect between sessions, of honesty and openness and of being clear on the coaching focus. If you have questions about coaching, we'd love to hear from you. We'll be addressing listeners' questions in a later episode of this series, so either message us on Twitter or send a long note via our contact form at WorkLifePsych.com/contact. Res...2021-07-0730 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 090: How to approach coachingWelcome to episode 90, where we kick off a new series all about coaching. In this first episode, we look at what coaching actually is, how it can be used and how you can prepare for your first coaching session. Pilar turns the tables and asks all the questions! Resources mentioned in this episode: Episode 089: “Productivity plus…?” https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/ep-089-productivity-plus/ Coaching with worklifepsych: worklifepsych.com/coaching2021-06-2432 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 089: Productivity plus...?In this episode, Richard looks at some of the factors we sometimes neglect in our pursuit of productivity. Increased productivity can simply lead to more work, can impact our relationships if we don't account for our interdependence with others and can be extremely unfulfilling if we don't know why exactly we want to be productive in the first place! More than anything, our attempts to get stuff done this year need to come with a healthy dose of compassion - for ourselves and those around us.2021-06-0918 minMy Pocket Psych: The Psychology of the WorkplaceEp 088: Our relationship with emailWelcome to episode 88 (a pleasingly round number), where Pilar and Richard take a look at email and how it's so easy to mis-use. There are heaps of traps we can fall into when it comes to email and the resulting chaos in our in-boxes can be stressful and take us away from our real priorities. Our core message is to examine your automatic behaviour when it comes to email and explore other ways you can respond to that 'ping'. Resources mentioned 'A world without email' by Cal Newport: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wo...2021-05-2743 min
Funding the DreamEp 140 Mark MacKinnon Upon a FableMark MacKinnon has been in the board game industry a long time. When his first attempt at launching a Kickstarter project wasn't doing well, he cancelled, adjusted, and relaunched. He discusses the process behind this and why he did it.Mark MacKinnon is with Dyskami Publishing Company. 2013-05-0818 min