Happier At Work

We are switching things up a little in this latest Happier at Work episode! Instead of focusing on workplace psychological impacts, this week, we will be concentrating on workplace physical wellness with special guest Annette Cashell. Annette is an ex-corporate with a managerial marketing background of 10 years. Following harrowing health concerns and avoiding a neck fusion operation, Annette is now a distinguished Pilates teacher and movement coach, passionate about helping others undo and prevent any excessive sitting damages. Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and to this day, many individuals across the globe are continuing to work from home or are adjusting to a hybrid working model. In this fascinating discussion, Annette will highlight the impact of excessive sitting and unsuitable office equipment and why we should allow ourselves permission to move. Annette kindly offers valuable tips on how you can boost muscle movement into your daily routine. Key points covered throughout include:  In

Welcome back to Happier at Work! Long-time listeners of the podcast will know that with each new episode, I interview business experts to discuss various topics, including leadership, diversity, well-being, inclusion, and unlock what ultimately makes each of our guests happier at work. To coincide with the launch of my new program, Imposter to Empowered, I will be releasing solo episodes throughout the podcast focusing on a range of business topics. Did you know that up to 70% of people experience Imposter Syndrome at some point in their career!? If you have ever felt out of place, felt like a fraud, or experienced an overwhelming sense of self-doubt, rest assured that you are not alone! In this episode, I explore what is Imposter Syndrome and share my personal experience with overcoming Imposter Syndrome and igniting empowerment. Key points covered throughout include: What is Imposter Syndrome?  The signs and triggers of Imposter Syndrome. New Level, New Devil.  Who experiences Imposter Syndrome? Impost

Welcome back to Happier at Work! After a lovely break, I am delighted to kickstart this brand-new series with Truthsayers CEO & Co-founder Simon Stapleton. Simon and his team are on a mighty mission to enable happier and more productive workplaces across the globe by helping leaders understand their employees at an emotional level via Truthsayers cutting-edge Neurotech® platform. In this episode, both Aoife and Simon offer their insights into workplace engagement and share their previous experiences of feeling a lack of psychological safety at work. Simon also shines a light on the importance of bringing authenticity to work and the positive impacts that doing so will bring. Main points covered throughout the show include: - An introduction to Simon Stapleton. - The importance of being honest. - Bringing authenticity to work. - How a lack of engagement and psychological safety can affect a business. - Taking responsibility for the business culture. - Aligning recruitment with company values. - Cre

Announcement: The Happier at Work podcast will return on Friday 1st October 2021. I have some great guests lined up between now and the end of the year. I'll be doing some solo episodes - if you have a topic you'd liked covered, please reach out! Also announcing the launch of my programme, Imposter to Empowered. More details can be found at https://www.impostersyndrome.ie

Welcome back to Happier at Work! Do you feel there is something missing from your work life? Have you ever let fear get in your way!? If so, you will thoroughly enjoy this discussion with Torch podcast host and social media & branding powerhouse Tiana Madera. Tiana has a deep passion for personal development, identifying wants and not allowing fear to limit any career or lifestyle moves. In this episode, Aoife and Tiana discuss how to let go of fear and craft your career. Tiana shares a beautiful insight into her world, including how she carved her professional path and shares how she successfully built a social media department for a $1 billion corporation through her self-belief and self-leadership skills. Main points covered throughout the show include: - An introduction to Tiana Madera. - Self-management: identifying our wants & needs. - The professional impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. - The importance of autonomy. - Tapping into your creativity and letting go of fear. - How to create psy

‘’The first time I came across the concept of values was as part of my executive coaching course, and it was one of those massive a-ha revelations that changed my life.’’ – Irial O’Farrell. Founder of Evolution Consulting, Irial specialises in delivering change, enhancing business performance, and building better companies. On this latest Happier at Work episode, host Aoife O’Brien and guest Irial O’ Farrell dive into the subject of values. We as individuals all hold values consciously and subconsciously. Throughout this episode, Irial discusses the values of business and the impact of identifying, defining, and reflecting values throughout the organisational culture. Irial also shares insights on conflicts in work as our values might not always be on par with others from time to time, and this disparity could lead to clashes and trust erosion throughout the workforce. Points throughout the show include: - An introduction to Irial O’Farrell. - The concept of workplace values. - The importance of defin

"If you haven't started focusing in as a leader on building trust, well, there's an old Chinese adage, right? The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, and the second-best time is to do it today." – Brenda Neckvatal. Joining Aoife on this latest Happier at Work episode is amazon bestseller and award-winning HR professional Brenda Neckvatal. Brenda will treat listeners to her HR perspective, discussing building workplace trust, how the time to make change is now and why leaders need to understand that their people are their greatest asset. Brenda's work and practices have impacted businesses on an international level, and whilst listening to the episode; you'll quickly understand why Brenda is often referred to as the "HR force of nature" by her clients. Key points throughout the show include: - An introduction to Brenda Neckvatal. - The influence of great leaders. - The powerful combination of leadership and HR. - Getting the people side of the business right. - The value of investment. - Sett

Ever wondered what the difference is between stress and burnout!? In this latest Happier at Work episode, Aoife chats to expert in hope Lindsay Recknell about burnout, her personal experience dealing with it and how it navigated Lindsay into her career today. Lindsay is a workplace mental health consultant, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for helping companies increase and embrace psychological health & safety in the workplace. In this episode, Aoife and Lindsay explore how burnout can impact us, why we need to normalise mental health conversations in the workplace, the power of being proactive and how we can close cycles of stress. Key moments throughout the episode include: - Introduction to Lindsay Recknell. - What is burnout, and how does it affect us? - How to close the cycle of stress. - The significance of having a creative outlet. - Creating Psychological Safety environments. - Normalising conversations about mental health. - Coping throughout a pandemic. - Vulnerability in the wo

‘’As long as you’re still producing the work and collaborating like you need to and hitting those key results, we can offer that flexibility.’’ – Karen Weeks. You are in for a treat! Joining Aoife on this latest Happier at Work episode is HR specialist Karen Weeks. Karen exited stage left from the world of theatre 20 years ago and has been a celebrated HR leader and coach ever since. With a drive for helping organisations create incredible cultures and a passion for guiding individuals to get unstuck from their careers and leading them to a professional path of fulfilment, it is no surprise that Karen was listed as one of the Notable Women in Talent by Crain’s New York Business in 2020. In this episode, you will get the perspective of an HR leader as Aoife and Karen dive into how HR can impact work environments and create happier employees, discuss why igniting employee experience matters, and review how the future of work is looking flexible. Key takeaways include: - Karen’s career journey from theatre

Jennifer Dowling is a Chartered Work and Organisational Psychologist and Director of Train Remote. She specialises in remote, flexible and hybrid working. Jennifer has a strong background in people development, psychometrics, selection, training and coaching. In this episode, Aoife and Jennifer discuss the future of hybrid-remote working in the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the power of autonomy in work and the benefits of effective time management and self-observation. Main points covered throughout the episode include: - An introduction to Jennifer Dowling. - The future of work and flexibility. - Transitioning from an interactive environment to remote work. - The power of autonomy in work. - The importance of self-awareness and understanding your working needs and values. - Understanding individual differences. - Building, communicating and demonstrating trust in the workplace. - The impact of self-limiting beliefs VS empowering beliefs. - Temporal awareness and mastering time management at work. -

Duena is the author of “Emotional Banking” and “People Before Tech: The Importance of Psychological Safety and Teamwork in the Digital Age”. She is a doer, an entrepreneur, an industry influencer, a blogger with a cutting-edge opinion style, a writer for Forbes, an international keynote speaker and the creator of the Emotional Banking™ and Human Debt™ concepts. Duena is the Co-Founder and CEO of PeopleNotTech - a company designing a revolutionary team software solution measuring and increasing Psychological Safety for high performing teams. In this episode, Aoife and Duena dive into the hot topic of workplace Psychological Safety and discuss effective team dynamics. Duena also shares her drive for making teams and humans happier at work by increasing psychological safety and reducing human debt. Main points covered throughout the episode include: - An introduction to Duena Blomstrom and her professional background. - The concept of human debt. - The impacts of not speaking up and being heard. - Toxicity i

Listeners interested in psychology, sociology and leadership are in for a real treat with this special extended Happier at Work episode with father-son duo Edgar and Peter Schein. Ed and Peter co-founded the Organizational Culture and Leadership Institute (OCLI.org) in 2015. Ed and Peter have just completed their fourth collaboration, the upcoming 2nd Edition of Humble Inquiry. In this episode, Aoife O’Brien, Edgar Schein and Peter Schein discuss the importance of communication, the gentle art of Humble Enquiry and the benefits of moving forward with an open and curious mind to create a better culture. Key points covered throughout the episode include: - An introduction to Ed and Peter Schein’s backgrounds. - What is Humble Inquiry? - Why we should attack the culture of telling and promote a culture of inquiry. - The importance and influence of personal & trusting relationships. - Psychological safety and cultural evolution. - Encouraging people to speak up. - Rewarding courage in the workspace.

‘’In times of trauma, we look to our leaders to support us.’’ – Katharine Manning. Katharine Manning has over 25 years of experience training and consulting on trauma and victimization. She is the author of The Empathetic Workplace: 5 Steps to a Compassionate, Calm, and Confident Response to Trauma on the Job. As a senior attorney advisor with the Justice Department, for 15 years she counselled on victim rights in high-profile cases like the Boston Marathon bombing, the South Carolina AME church shooting, the Madoff investment fraud, and the case against Olympic Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. In this episode, Katharine and Aoife discuss overcoming trauma at work, the psychological impacts of trauma and how best to practice empathy at work. Katharine and Aoife also explore trauma in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, looking at how everyone is simultaneously navigating through various levels of trauma and hardship right now. Key points covered in the episode include: - An insight into Katharine’s p

Susan Ní Chríodáin founded Beyond the Numbers to work with teams and individuals in organisations who recognise that putting people first generates the greatest return. Her experience and business acumen stems from a wide variety of commercial and non-profit roles. Putting people first and looking beyond the numbers is a significant contributor to happiness in the workplace. In this episode, Aoife and Susan explore how Psychological Safety at work has a profound impact on the work environment - it enhances trust, creation, innovation, and performance. Key points covered in the show include: - An insight into Susan’s career background. - Seeing beyond the numbers and putting people first. - How Toxicity and negativity can spread throughout the workplace. - How to identify & deal with being in a psychologically unsafe environment. - The benefits to communicating effectively on a human level. - Building courage to deal with difficult conversations. - Finding Calm with inner turmoil and being comfortabl

For more than two decades, Cali Williams Yost has been a leading authority on high-performance work flexibility. A visionary workplace futurist, strategist, and author, Yost is the Founder and CEO of the Flex+Strategy Group, a solutions company helping organizations unlock performance and engagement by reimagining how, when, and where work is done. In this episode, Aoife and Cali discuss how organisations have pivoted their businesses over the last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cali shares insights into how businesses recalibrated, looks at the contingency plan for moving forward, and discusses why remote working and flexibility within the workplace shouldn’t be feared. Key points throughout the show include: - Cali’s introduction to workplace flexibility. - The benefits of optimising flexibility in the workforce. - What makes a forward-thinking leader? - New methods of working and retaining culture. - A look at how businesses have adapted, and how they will innovatively move forward. - The

‘’A network gives you reach but a community gives you power. Networks connect and communities care.’’ – Ted Rubin. Ted Rubin is a leading Social Marketing Strategist, Speaker, Photofy CMO... Author, Connector, Provocateur. In 2009 he started using/evangelizing the term ROR, Return on Relationship, (#RonR). Many people know Ted for his enthusiastic, energetic, and undeniably personal connection to people. In this episode, Aoife and Ted discuss the impact of creating a business community, and how empowering employees can motivate, instill greater trust and improve longevity as well as performance results. Key points covered in the episode include; - Ted’s introduction to business, working on Seth Godin’s start-up and his shift from sales into marketing. - Empowered employees power your brand. - Identifying your core values and showing the human side to your business. - How negative feedback or criticism can bring opportunities. By giving your employees or customers a voice, you can act on their feedback.

Dan Norenberg is a thought leader, advisor and coach to senior leadership teams. Dan improves leadership performance and organizational results through a system called Executive Ownershift, a top down, team of leader’s approach to breakthrough growth. Most leadership teams are a collection of highly talented and experienced professionals, yet the majority of these teams don’t play at their best. When leadership teams don’t play at their best, this hurts the entire organisation. Dan’s work enables leadership teams, and everyone that reports to them, to raise their game. In this episode Aoife and Dan discuss the value of effective leadership and look at how businesses can transform and achieve great results through Executive Ownershift. Key points covered include: - An insight to Dan’s personal and professional journey. - The surprising success rates of strategies. - The importance of understanding culture and the operational function of the leadership team. - How meetings can have a positive impact on per

Paul Walker is currently the Chief Commercial Officer at Consumer Intelligence, the independent voice of insurance and retail banking, helping businesses see the world through the eyes of the consumer. Paul is a senior business leader who has a track record of empowering people to thrive as part of trusting, inclusive, autonomous and accountable workplace cultures. In this episode Aoife and Paul discuss the strength in vulnerability and how this attribute can lead to less pressure, stronger meaningful relationships and great achievements. Key points covered include: - What is vulnerability and how it is personal to each individual. - Building meaningful relationships at work. - The impact of human connection - opening yourself up and presenting your human side. - Putting perceptions aside and people first. - Freely being an authentic doer and removing your armour. - How vulnerability can help you become an effective leader. - Self-actualisation and being content with yourself. Staying true to you rather th

Lucinda Carney is a Chartered Psychologist with 20 years Corporate HR experience. She is considered a thought leader in a range of people management and change related business topics. In this episode, Aoife and Lucinda discuss how to lead effectively through change and look into how businesses have adapted over the last year. Key points covered in the episode include; - Culture change within the workplace. - A look into the Kubler-Ross transition curve and the journey individuals embark on when faced with transition. - The importance of clear communication and empathy through challenging times. - The managerial role and how to handle modifications within an organisation. - Embracing change and flexibility. - An insight to the perform program. Lucinda is the Founder and CEO of Actus Performance Management Software which was launched in 2009 and has since gone from strength to strength with more than 70,000 users across the globe. Lucinda is an accomplished Speaker, Consultant and Coach. She was named ‘

Following a long and successful corporate career having worked in a variety of customer facing, team leadership and senior business management roles, Seamus experienced at first hand the stresses and strains of living in an increasingly busy world. In this week’s episode, Aoife & Seamus discuss the importance of listening to our bodies and making significant lifestyle tweaks to enhance our quality of life, performance and overall harmony. Key points covered in the episode include; - The impact that stress has on our clarity of mind. - Influence of Modern Lifestyle Behaviours. - Busyness and losing the sense of balance. - The importance of taking breathers and time outs to reconnect with our self. - Behavioural skills. - Understanding our stressors & warning signs. - The concept of emotional intelligence. - The power of self-alignment, labelling our feelings, acceptance and diffusion techniques. Seamus became convinced that the rate of change and the pressure many people were experiencing in thei