What can you bring into the workplace that can significantly strengthen team bonds, enhance individual self-expression, and contribute to a healthier work environment?

Mette Oscar Pedersen is a facilitator who’s worked with communities, companies, and other groups to bring joy and connection to their work.

In this episode, you’ll

• Learn how to increase connection and empathy in the workplace
• Understand the benefits of incorporating joy into your daily routine
• Discover ways to enhance your relationships with colleagues

Episode highlights

• [00:07:36] Breaking down the fear of moving in public
• [00:14:25] Strengthening community
• [00:19:38] Long-lasting benefits with your colleagues
• [00:21:27] Movement begins at home
• [00:22:43] Mette's book recommendation
• [00:24:38] Takeaways from Pia and Dan

Links

• Connect with Mette via LinkedIn
• The Dance Cure: The surprising secret to being smarter, stronger, happier, by Dr Peter Lovatt
• Discover what Squadify can do for your team
• Leave us a voice note

People often don't speak up in meetings out of fear, a sense of futility, a lack of confidence, or because they just can't be bothered. But active participation and speaking up can significantly advance visibility and career prospects. So leaders and participants alike need to take responsibility for making meetings meaningful and encouraging open communication.

Betina Szkudlarek is a professor in International Management at the University of Sydney Business School. Betina has conducted extensive research on why people often do not voice their opinions and what can be done to encourage people to speak up. In this episode, she shares findings from her research, and offers practical steps for both leaders and participants to ensure everyone’s voice is heard…not just the loudest.

Three reasons to listen

• Understand the common reasons why people often refrain from speaking up in meetings and how it impacts team dynamics
• Learn strategies to encourage active participation and meaningful discussions in meetings
• Discover the importance of restructuring meeting formats to facilitate better engagement and contribution from all attendees

Episode highlights

• [00:08:13] What Betina found in her research
• [00:12:09] Common reasons people don't speak up
• [00:15:34] Administrative bloat
• [00:17:52] Disengagement in meetings
• [00:22:16] Making space for introverts
• [00:25:53] What participants can do in meetings
• [00:29:55] How family dynamics play out in meetings
• [00:32:04] Make just one contribution
• [00:33:14] Betina's media recommendation
• [00:34:54] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

• Connect with Betina via LinkedIn
• Doing Silence: How Silence Is Produced in Meetings – Betina’s research
• The Stupidity Paradox: The Power and Pitfalls of Functional Stupidity at Work, by Mats Alvesson and Andre Spicer
• Harnessing the power of silence – Episode 85, with Bastian Overgaard
• Leave us a voice note

How much responsibility do leaders have for the psychological safety of their teams? Aren’t psychological hazards an HR issue?

Recent changes in Australian law require employers to take steps to ensure not only the physical but also the psychological safety of their employees. This includes identifying and mitigating psychosocial hazards in the workplace, which can have a profound impact on employees' mental health. But what is “reasonable”?

This week's guest is Ian Bennett, a legal expert specialising in employment and safety law. He lends his expertise to discussions on workplace safety, specifically focusing on psychological safety and psychosocial hazards in the workplace.

Three reasons to listen

• Understand new legislation that necessitates employers to ensure the physical and psychological safety of their employees, currently in place in Australia, but likely to spread
• Learn about the implications of these laws for team leaders and what lessons can be drawn from this approach globally
• Discover how to create healthy, productive workplaces where everyone still strives to do their best work

Episode highlights

• [00:08:18] Expectations on employers to provide psychological safety
• [00:13:40] How is new legislation being implemented?
• [00:16:52] The Australian public's reaction
• [00:20:29] What leaders should bear in mind
• [00:24:57] What employees are entitled to
• [00:27:06] Psychological safety in performance management
• [00:30:15] The downsides of remote work and "always being on"
• [00:32:14] What can leaders do today?
• [00:34:43] Ian's media recommendations
• [00:37:46] Takeaways from Dan and Pia

Links

• Connect with Ian via LinkedIn
• Conversations on Love, by Natasha Lunn
• Ant Middleton’s Head Game podcast
• Leave us a voice note