Squiggly Careers

In a world full of words, the people who communicate with clarity, humanity and story will stand out. In the fifth and final episode of this special series, Helen and Aneesh Rahman close out Open to Work with the last of the five Cs, communication, and why it might be the skill that ties everything together. From Martin Luther King to Pixar to the pressure of a TED Talk, this is a conversation about why great communication has never been more human, and what you can do to make yours more so. 🎯 What You'll Learn – Why AI making generic communication universally available raises (not lowers) the value of human storytelling – Why the most important story you'll ever tell is the story of yourself – How clarity fits into communication, and why speaking simply doesn't mean thinking simply – Two practical things you can do right now to make your next presentation more human: add a story or make an analogy – Why the future of communication comes down to four words: speak human, be human 📚 Resources Mentioned Open to Work: Aneesh Rahman and Ryan Roslansky For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if compassion isn't just a nice-to-have, but one of the most important skills for the future of work? In day four of this special five-part series, Helen and Aneesh Rahman explore the fourth C, compassion, and why the new world of work demands something the industrial age actively discouraged. From quietening your inner critic to really listening to a colleague, this is a conversation about what it means to be more human at work, starting with yourself. 🎯 What You'll Learn – Why compassion wasn't valued in the industrial age (and why that's changing fast) – Why compassion for yourself has to come first, and what that looks like in practice – How to show genuine (not performative) compassion for the people you work with – Why phone calls and walk-and-talks might be better than video calls for building real connection – One simple exercise to anchor yourself in your own strengths, without listing a single job title or degree 📚 Resources Mentioned Open to Work: Aneesh Rahman and Ryan Roslansky For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Creativity isn't a talent some people have and others don't, it's a skill. In day three of this special five-part series, Helen and Aneesh Rahman explore the third C, creativity, and why it's becoming one of the highest-value human skills in an age when AI can generate generic content at scale. From Pixar's science of storytelling to the neuroscience of flow, this is a conversation that will change how you think about your own creativity, and how to bring more of it to your team. 🎯 What You'll Learn – Why AI making generic creative content widely available actually raises the premium on human creativity – What the neuroscience of flow tells us about when we're at our creative best (and what gets in the way) – Why creativity is a team sport, and what that means for how you design your working week – A simple question to ask in your team: when are you at your creative best and what contributes to it? – One practical thing anyone can do right now to build their creative muscle, even if they don't feel creative at all 📚 Resources Mentioned Open to Work: Aneesh Rahman and Ryan Roslansky Creativity Inc.: Ed Catmull Peak: Anders Ericsson For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Even if you're not changing jobs, your job is changing. In day two of this special five-part series, Helen and Aneesh Rahman explore the second C, courage, and why it's becoming one of the most important skills you can bring to work right now. From Polynesian wayfarers to Apollo 13 to leaving a high-profile CNN career to become an unpaid intern on a presidential campaign, courage has always been at the heart of how humans do anything worth doing. The good news? You don't have to start with a giant leap. 🎯 What You'll Learn – Why courage is necessary for curiosity (and why being told to be compliant at work has made courage harder than it should be) – Why if you aren't failing, you aren't doing enough in this new world of work – How micro courage compounds over time (and why small, uncomfortable actions build to bigger leaps) – What companies and leaders need to do to create environments where courage is actually possible – One thing you could do tomorrow that feels uncomfortable today 📚 Resources Mentioned Open to Work - Aneesh Rahman and Ryan Roslansky Email Helen and Sarah to share your moment of courage and get an accountability partner: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if the future of work isn't less human...but more human? In this special episode, Helen kicks off a brand new five-part series borrowing brilliance from Open to Work, a brilliant new book by Aneesh Rahman, Chief Economic Opportunity Officer at LinkedIn, and former Obama speechwriter. Over the next five days, Helen and Aneesh will explore the five human skills that matter most in the age of AI: curiosity, courage, creativity, compassion and communication. Today, they start with curiosity - and why it might be the most important career advantage you can build right now. 🎯 What You'll Learn – Why AI raises the value of human skills rather than replacing them (and what that means for your career) – What real curiosity looks like at work (hint: it's not just reading more, it's finding a thread and pulling on it) – Why outsourcing your curiosity to AI creates cognitive debt, and what to do instead – How to use AI as a starting point for building curiosity, not an ending point – How to create more curiosity in your team through debate, discussion and the willingness to say "I don't know" 📚 Resources Mentioned Open to Work - Aneesh Rahman and Ryan Roslansky For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you a fix-it-fast problem solver? In this Squiggly Shortcut, Helen makes the case for slowing down before you jump to solutions. 🎯 What You'll Learn – Why surface-level fixes create ping pong problems that just keep coming back – How to use two simple questions "why is this a problem?" and "why is this an issue?" to get to the cause – How to turn your answers into better, more targeted solutions rather than sticking plasters – Why solving problems as a team (rather than solo) means people are more bought into what comes next 📚 Resources Mentioned Squiggly Careers Skills Sprint Increasing Your Impact: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever noticed how much more you get done in the week before a holiday? In this episode, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from the goal gradient effect; the research-backed finding that the closer we are to a finish line, the harder and faster we push, and turn it into something genuinely practical for your career. Sarah introduces Finish Line Fridays: a simple way to use the psychology of progress to build momentum towards goals that matter, one week at a time. Helen tests it live with her PhD as the goal, and together they explore whether you're more of a fresh start effect person or a finish line focus person, and why pairing the two might be useful. 🎯 What You'll Learn – What the goal gradient effect is and why it explains so much about how we work (and why rats are involved) – The difference between the fresh start effect and finish line focus (and which one you're more naturally wired for) – How to run your own Finish Line Fridays: from picking your goal to setting your first action before you've even finished the current week – Why knowing the "when" matters as much as the "what", and how to actually protect time in your diary – How shared finish lines might be even more motivating than solo ones 📚 Resources Mentioned Farnam Street, Goal Gradient Effect: https://fs.blog/goal-gradient-hypothesis/ Sketchplanations: https://sketchplanations.com/ For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever sent a reply you immediately regretted, or said something in the heat of the moment you wish you hadn't? In this Squiggly Shortcut, Sarah makes the case for the 24 hour rule, and shares the research that backs up why waiting is almost always worth it. 🎯 What You'll Learn – Why giving yourself 24 hours moves you beyond fight, flight or freeze (and why sleep is doing more work than you think) – 3 things to do in that 24 hours while you're processing: name it to tame it, separate facts from feelings, and ask whether you'll still care about this in 12 months – Why it's okay to say "I'll come back to you tomorrow" (and why people actually find it reassuring when leaders do this) – What to do when you don't have 24 hours and an hour is the best you can get 📚 Resources Mentioned Episode 364: How to improve your judgement: https://www.amazingif.com/listen/how-to-improve-your-judgement/ For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How much of your working week are you spending on things you're genuinely great at, and how much is quietly draining you? In this episode, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from Gay Hendricks' Zone of Genius framework, sparked by Emma Grede's book Start With Yourself, and turn it into one of the most practically useful exercises they've tried in a while. They work through all 4 zones live, competence, incompetence, excellence, and genius, sharing their own honest examples (including payroll, passive meetings, and branding). Then Helen shares a surprisingly simple way to use AI to analyse your diary and find out exactly how your time is really being spent. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Post-it® Brand. If today's episode sparked an idea, stick it down. Find out where to buy Post-it® products at go.3M.com/squiggly 🎯 What You'll Learn – What the four zones actually mean, and why spending too much time in your zone of excellence can be just as much of a trap as your zone of incompetence – How to map your own work across the four zones using Post-it® Notes – A simple diary audit method and how to use AI to turn your ticks into percentages (and real insight) – Why this is one of the best team exercises Helen and Sarah have come across for making strengths visible and actionable 📚 Resources Mentioned Start With Yourself — Emma Grede Zone of Genius — Gay Hendricks For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Does your inner critic get loudest exactly when you need it to be quiet? In this Squiggly Shortcut, Helen unpacks what self-sabotage actually looks and feels like at work, and shares four simple things you can do to start turning the volume down. 🎯 What You'll Learn – Why self-sabotage tends to show up hardest in the moments that matter most (and what that costs you over time) – How to spot the specific situations where your inner critic is having the biggest impact – Why "name it to tame it" is one of the most useful things you can do with a worry – One simple language swap, from "I can't" to "I don't", that shifts you from feeling stuck to feeling in control 📚 Resources Mentioned Episode 283 - How to stop self-sabotage: https://www.amazingif.com/listen/how-to-stop-self-sabotage/ For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever finished a week at work and wondered what you actually did that mattered? In this episode, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from David Graeber's book Bulls*it Jobs...and find it uncomfortably relatable. Helen and Sarah explore what pointless work actually looks like, why it's more common than most of us admit, and, crucially, what you can do if you find yourself in it. 🎯 What You'll Learn – What makes a job "pointless" according to Graeber's definition (and why it's more about your own assessment than anyone else's) – Why high-paid pointless jobs are often more draining than they sound – Five practical strategies for surviving and escaping a job that doesn't feel real (from scanning sideways to pitching yourself a new role) – Why treating your career as a series of experiences rather than an identity makes these moments easier to navigate – When to leave (and why calling it fast is increasingly the right move) 📚 Resources Mentioned Bullsh*it Jobs — David Graeber I Don't Want a Job (Not a Real Job) — Amy McNeese, The Pony Project For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feeling overwhelmed at work? In this Squiggly Shortcut, Sarah shares three strategies that got her through a particularly full-on week, starting with something most of us don't do nearly enough. 🎯 What You'll Learn – Why signalling early to the people around you is one of the most useful things you can do when you're overwhelmed (and how to tell them what kind of help you actually need) – Why emptying your head onto paper (without worrying about making it make sense) creates more space than any prioritisation system – How to make an honest list of where good enough is fine this week — and where you genuinely need to be great 📚 Resources Mentioned Episode 199: How to cope with overwhelm at work https://www.amazingif.com/listen/how-to-cope-with-overwhelm-at-work/ For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Could a framework change the way you think about your time, your strengths, or your team? In this episode, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from three tried-and-tested strategic models, and put them to the test with AI prompts, Post-it® Big Notes, and a live coaching conversation to see how useful they actually are. From a classic time management matrix to a strengths development tool to a team effectiveness framework that's been around since the 70s, this episode is brought to you in partnership with Post-it® Brand. If today's episode sparked an idea, stick it down, find out where to buy Post-it® products at go.3M.com/squiggly 🎯 What You'll Learn – How to use the Eisenhower Matrix to see where your time is really going (and what to do if it doesn't give you new answers) – How to adapt the Ansoff Matrix to grow your strengths into new contexts and with new people – How the McKinsey 7S framework can reveal surprising gaps in how your team works together – Which frameworks are best done alone, in a pair, or with your whole team – How AI can help you get more from a model that feels too simple on its own 📚 Resources Mentioned Podsheet with AI prompts and framework diagrams: amazingif.com For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Should you stay or should you go? In this Squiggly Shortcut, Helen shares a simple matrix to help you think more clearly about one of the most common career questions she gets asked, and move beyond gut feeling alone. 🎯 What You'll Learn– How to use a two-by-two matrix to work out where you are right now in your career– What to do if you love where you work but aren't learning (and why this isn't a reason to leave)– How to make the most of a role where you're growing but not happy– Why "not learning, don't love it" is the one quadrant that calls for action, and how to make a considered move rather than a leap– What to do when you've got the dream scenario, because doing nothing would be a missed opportunity 📚 Resources MentionedEpisode 282: How to know whether to switch or stay in your role: https://www.amazingif.com/listen/how-to-know-whether-to-switch-or-stay-in-your-role/For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.comNeed some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you a "track everything" person or a "just do the thing" person? In this episode, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from the world of gamification — and have a genuinely fun debate about whether it actually works for your career. Helen comes in as a convert (she gamifies her sleep, her deep sleep, her exercise, her steps, and possibly her vegetables). Sarah comes in as a sceptic. What unfolds is an honest, practical exploration of when gamification helps, when it doesn't, and how to design a game that works for you — not one that makes you feel judged by an app. 🎯 What You'll Learn – What gamification actually is and why it taps into some very human motivations – Four games you could play at work right now — from your to-do list to your energy, relationships and learning – Why the question to ask of any game is: does this make me feel more capable, or just more compliant? – How teams can play together without it turning into an uncomfortable competition – The rules of the game: how to design your own two-week experiment 📚 Resources Mentioned The Big Think Tim Harford's newsletter Squiggly Careers Skills Sprints For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if mentoring had nothing to do with seniority — and everything to do with strengths? In this Squiggly Shortcut, Sarah makes the case for a more inclusive, more accessible approach to mentoring that every team can make happen straight away. 🎯 What You'll Learn – Why strengths-based mentoring is more useful than traditional senior-to-junior mentoring – Three ways to make it work: one way, two way (strengths swapping), and one to many – How to make your ask for mentoring specific, easy to say yes to, and genuinely flattering to receive – Why building a spreadsheet of team strengths could be one of the most useful things your team does this year 📚 Resources Mentioned Episode 122 — How to make your strengths show up and stand out  For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? Download our free career tools Sign up for our Skills Sprints Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When did you last draw something at work? In this episode, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from the science of drawing — and make a surprisingly strong case for why picking up a pen (or a Post-it® Note) could be one of the most useful things you do this week. From boosting your mood to supercharging your memory, drawing does things for your brain that writing simply can't. Helen and Sarah put this to the test live, working through four drawing exercises — some just for you, some brilliant for teams — including how you're feeling about work this week, a strength you want to make stronger, your confidence gremlins, and your dream work day.Want to see Helen and Sarah's drawings for yourself? Make sure you're signed up to the Squiggly Careers Newsletter — we'll be sharing them there.This episode is brought to you in partnership with Post-it® Brand. If today's episode sparked an idea, stick it down — find out where to buy Post-it® products at go.3M.com/squiggly 🎯 What You'll Learn – Why drawing beats writing for memory and mood — and the research behind it– Four drawing exercises to try by yourself or with your team– Why "I'm not a good drawer" is the one thing that should never hold you back– How drawing someone else's dream day can tell you more about their values than almost any other team exercise 📚 Resources Mentioned Squiggly Careers on YouTube (watch the drawings in action)Squiggly Careers on SpotifyFor questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? Download our free career tools 1. Sign up for our Skills Sprints 2. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools 3. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you get people to actually listen — and say yes — more often? In this Squiggly Shortcut, Helen shares three simple, research-backed ways to become more influential at work. Whether you're trying to get an idea across, shift an outcome, or build stronger working relationships, this episode will give you practical things you can do both in the moment and over time. 🎯 What You'll Learn Why mirroring language (not just body language) is a subtle but powerful way to build connection– How likability works as a persuasion tool — and why it's less about being smiley and more about genuinely listening– Why reciprocity is a long game, and how to think about what you have to give 📚 Resources Mentioned Influence with Robert CialdiniFor questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does it actually take to go from good to great at work — and is "mastery" even the right word for it? In this episode, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from The Big Think's collection of articles on mastery, and make it feel a lot more relevant to everyday squiggly careers than the word itself might suggest. They explore two big ideas: how to master your response to tricky situations (think: the passive aggressive Canva comment, the "I'll just do it" default, or the unexpected tears in a meeting), and how to master your ability to succeed — including how elite athletes think about risk and failure in a way that's surprisingly useful for anyone with an ambitious goal. 🎯 What You'll Learn How to move from a default response to a deliberate decision — and why that space in between is everything– What elite athletes do differently when things go wrong (and how to apply it to your own goals)– Why naming your version of success — and stress-testing the risks — makes you more likely to actually get there– How to reframe failure as a data point rather than a verdict on you 📚 Resources Mentioned The Big Think newsletter The Big Think — Mastery collection For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

90% of us think we're good listeners — but we retain about 20% of what we hear. In this Squiggly Shortcut, Sarah shares five practical ways to close that listening gap, starting with the one thing most of us never even notice. 🎯 What You'll Learn – Why listening isn't just about words — and what to pay attention to instead – How the pressure to respond is the biggest enemy of good listening – Why repeating back the words someone uses can unlock a whole new conversation – What a no-interruption meeting feels like — and why it's worth trying with your team – The simple summarising habit that will make you a noticeably better listener overnight 📚 Resources Mentioned Episode 319 — Listening with Kate Murphy You can also find Kate Murphy's book I Never Said I Was a Good Listener via your usual bookshop. For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? Download our free career tools 1.Sign up for our Skills Sprints 2.Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools 3.Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if the way you read could transform how much you actually learn, remember and use? In this episode, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from Ryan Holiday's video How to Read Like a Pro — and add a few rules of their own. From building an anti-library (the books you'd never normally pick up) to treating your books like they're meant to be used, not preserved, this is a practical and personal exploration of how to get more from your reading. Helen also unveils her new Post-it® Note system, and there's a genuine debate about whether folding a page corner is an act of ownership or an act of disrespect. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Post-it® Brand. If today's episode sparked an idea, stick it down — find out where to buy Post-it® products at go.3M.com/squiggly 🎯 What You'll Learn – What an anti-library is and why reading outside your comfort zone changes how you think – How to read with a pen and Post-it® Notes in a way that actually sticks – Why rereading a book you love can be more valuable than picking up a new one – The five rules for reading nonfiction more intentionally — plus Helen and Sarah's personal additions – Books Helen and Sarah would both reread and recommend right now 📚 Resources Mentioned How to Read Like a Pro — Ryan Holiday (please swap in direct link if you have it) Unreasonable Hospitality — Will Guidara Right Kind Wrong — Amy Edmondson Uncharted — Margaret Heffernan The Wonder Box — Roman Krznaric Mash-Up — Ian Sanders How to Have a Good Day — Caroline Webb The First 90 Days — Michael D. Watkins Essentialism — Greg McKeown Toby Sinclair on LinkedIn For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1.Download our free career tools 2.Sign up for our Skills Sprints 3.Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools 4.Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Does work feel a bit knotty right now? In this Squiggly Shortcut, Helen shares three practical ways to find your footing when everything around you feels uncertain — whether that's a restructure, a shifting role, or just the general noise of a complicated economic moment. 🎯 What You'll Learn – Why focusing on what you do know is the best antidote to feeling overwhelmed by what you don't – How to use uncertainty as a trigger for learning — and how to build a simple learning list that puts you back in control – Why "mental time travel" — fast forwarding 12 months into the future — can help you get unstuck and decide what to do differently right now For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com Need some more squiggly career support? 1.Download our free career tools 2.Sign up for our Skills Sprints 3.Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools 4.Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore how to 'Kaizen your squiggly career', borrowing brilliance from the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement. They discuss why big career changes can feel overwhelming and how focusing on small, manageable improvements can help you build momentum without triggering fear or overthinking. Along the way, they introduce four key Kaizen ideas and translate them into simple, actionable tools for your working week. From spotting where you might be waiting rather than creating, to eliminating wasted effort, to building in better reflection habits, Helen and Sarah share how to move from intention to action in a way that actually sticks. If you’ve ever felt busy but not progressing, unsure where to focus your energy, or stuck in cycles of overthinking, this episode will help you take small steps that lead to meaningful change. 🦞 Learn Like A Lobster: 🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn 🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av Episode 547 (00:00) Introducing Kaizen for careers (02:00) What Kaizen actually means (and why it works) (06:30) Gemba: why observation beats speculation (11:15) Muda: eliminating waste in your work (17:45) Are you busy… or actually productive? (22:10) The risks of “waiting” in your career (25:10) Hansai: the power of reflection (29:00) Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) explained (34:00) Why reflection is often overlooked (38:00) Standardising what works (41:00) Small changes that create big impact 📚 Resources Mentioned Kaizen: The Japanese Method for Transforming Habits by Sarah Harvey - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kaizen-Japanese-Method-Transforming-Habits/dp/1529005353#:~:text=Kaizen%20by%20Sarah%20Harvey%20brings,working%20style%2C%20preferences%20and%20personality. For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers: 📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 🦞 Join the Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz 📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction 📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this Squiggly Shortcut, Sarah shares how to bring small, low-pressure moments of play into team days, without falling into the trap of forced fun. She shares why play matters for learning, connection, and wellbeing, and offers simple, practical ideas that teams can try in just a few minutes. Episode 546 🦞 Learn Like A Lobster: 🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn 🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av  📚 Resources Mentioned Play by Stuart Brown - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Play-Shapes-Brain-Imagination-Invigorates/dp/1583333789 The 100 Year Life by Lynda Gratton - https://www.100yearlife.com/ Humor, Seriously by Jannifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Humour-Serious-Business-Superpower-Work/dp/0241405939 Episode #441 How to fit more play into your day - https://youtu.be/hSsiRr0WXWE For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers: 📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 🦞 Join the Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz 📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction 📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from a talk by Lord Michael Hastings at the London Interdisciplinary School about leading responsibly in an uncertain world. The conversation sparks the question: what happens when cynicism creeps into our careers? They explore how everyday thoughts like “there’s no point applying", ” “the system is rigged,” or “nothing will change anyway” can quietly stall progress in a squiggly career. Instead of staying stuck in that mindset, Helen and Sarah share practical ways to shift from cynicism to a more proactive and generous approach. If you’ve ever felt frustrated with work, doubtful about opportunities, or tempted to disengage, this episode will help you replace cynicism with curiosity, action, and generosity. Episode 545 🦞 Learn Like A Lobster: 🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn 🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av (00:00) How Cynicism Shows Up in Your Career (01:54) The London Interdisciplinary School (06:35) Common “cynical” thoughts at work (11:34) The danger of the cynicism echo chamber (13:47) Small actions add up (17:53) Learning from people who think differently (25:05) Why generosity matters at work (29:00) The power of the five-minute favour (31:41) Finding ways to stay grounded 📚 Resources Mentioned LIS - https://www.lis.ac.uk/ For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers: 📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 🦞 Join the Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz 📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction 📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices