It’s been said if you love your job, you’ll never work a day in your life. But how do you get there? This is a playbook for the modern employee experience, and it’s more relevant than ever as we redefine the way we work in the wake of a pandemic. You’ll hear inspirational and practical advice from experts in the industry, and lessons to help you be your best self at work and beyond. Host Dr. Sonia Kang explores key themes in the workplace, like diversity and inclusion, how to be resilient through massive change, how to stand out at work even virtually, how to ensure the company you work for aligns with your personal values, how to develop in your career, and how to foster a psychologically safe workplace. Visit fortheloveofwork.ca for more information.
Hybrid. Team. Work.
When companies began designing hybrid workplaces, they came to an unexpected discovery... managers would now be responsible for two employee experiences — remote and in-office. Both at the same time. From one location to another.In this episode, Sonia explores how best to get hybrid teams on the same page, what it takes to lead from home when your team is in the office, and why it takes extra effort to build trust in a hybrid environment.Betsy Bula, all-remote evangelist at GitLab, explains what proximity bias is and why providing equal access to technology is even more important in a hybrid workplace.Heidi K. Gardner from Harvard Law School teaches us how building a trust staircase fosters both competence trust and interpersonal trust in hybrid teams.Jason McMaster, head equipment manager for the Winnipeg Jets, gives us a behind-the-scenes peek at how he has successfully managed a hybrid workplace during away games for more than a decade.Learn more about the podcast at fortheloveofwork.ca. Or rate or review the show here. We'd love to know what you think.
11/29/2021 • 25 minutes, 18 seconds
The Power of Belonging
Belonging means you feel seen for your unique contributions, connected to your coworkers, and supported in your daily life and career development. Offering a culture of belonging is an increasing priority for companies, and a lot of the responsibility for building it falls to new and middle managers.In this episode, we'll explore the key elements of creating a sense of belonging in your team: how to work against bias, the downsides of being an insider, and how to be an ally.Pooja Jain-Link, Executive Vice President at Coqual, explains what belonging actually means, the pitfalls we need to be mindful of, and how it applies to all of us.Stephanie Creary, Professor of Management at the Wharton School, provides step by step examples of things you can do with your own team to foster belonging, including her LEAP system.Learn more about the podcast at fortheloveofwork.ca. Or rate or review the show here. We'd love to know what you think.
11/15/2021 • 26 minutes, 11 seconds
The Art of Listening
Emotional intelligence is the ability to read emotions in yourself and those around you, then adjust your behaviour accordingly. This is the superpower of listening. But it isn’t something that happens automatically — listening at work takes intention and serious know-how.In this episode, you’ll learn how to hear what people are not saying, how to practice psychological safety, and how to use active listening to draw your team closer together.Helena Seo, Head of Design at Doordash, HelenaSeo, teaches Sonia the Korean art of listening called noon-chi, and how reading between the lines helps her create a level playing field for employees of all kinds, especially in team meetings.Nate Brown, Chief Experience Officer at Officium, explains how serving customers in call centres taught him how to care for his employees as a manager.HR expert Nora Jenkins Townson teaches you how to check in with team members using the 1-to-10 method and why silence is your best friend during one-on-ones.Learn more about the podcast at fortheloveofwork.ca. Or rate or review the show here. We'd love to know what you think.
11/1/2021 • 25 minutes, 8 seconds
The Employee Influence
Anyone can create meaningful change at work, even you. Yes, you! You don’t need positional authority to practice leadership. The secret is learning how to wield influence. Spot the difference between authority and power, and learn how to use your new skill set for good, regardless of your job title.In this episode, we’ll show you where to carve out your area of influence, how to make a difference from the bottom up, and why sponsorship is the ultimate win-win situation.Professor Tiziana Casciaro explains what power mapping is and how it will unlock your understanding of influence.Leadership coach Lara Hogan teaches you how to use three tools in the influence toolkit: coaching, mentorship, and sponsorship.Learn more about the podcast at fortheloveofwork.ca. Or rate or review the show here. We'd love to know what you think.
10/18/2021 • 24 minutes, 10 seconds
The Reinvention Mindset
Time away from the office during the pandemic has given people a chance to cultivate new interests and consider new career goals. As they return to the office, the question is this: what do you want to pursue? Whether it’s vying for a promotion, or moving into a different department, or just leveling up your management style, now is a great time for a fresh start, or re-start.In this episode, Sonia explores the building blocks of reinvention — reinvention that can be achieved without leaving your current company.Dorie Clark, author of Reinventing you, and The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World, outlines the best in-office strategies for workplace reinventions.Angela Duckworth, author of Grit, describes the different mindsets one must adopt for success.Chris Murphy is a member of the rock band Sloan. When the pandemic put their tour schedule on hold, it gave him time to reinvent one aspect of his performance repertoire.
10/4/2021 • 25 minutes, 47 seconds
Taking The Lead
Congratulations! Getting that first manager role is a huge accomplishment. But wait, do you know how to lead a team? The majority of first time managers don't receive enough training to succeed and lead their team.In this episode, we’ll show you how to overcome imposter syndrome, how to communicate effectively with your team, and how to lead with vulnerability. How often should you check in with your remote team? What do you do if someone doesn’t respect you in your new role? And, one of the scariest things about being a manager...how do you give constructive feedback?Basima Tewfik from MIT’s Sloan School of Management explains how to flip the narrative of doubt in your mind and unleash the benefits of so-called imposter syndrome.Rachel Pacheco at the Wharton School teaches you how to make the implicit explicit in assigning work to team members, how to provide constructive feedback, and how to manage people who are older and more experienced than you. Learn more about the podcast at fortheloveofwork.ca. Or rate or review the show here. We'd love to know what you think!
9/20/2021 • 23 minutes, 56 seconds
Announcing Season Two!
This season we’re back with six brand new episodes that explore the changing nature of leadership in a post pandemic world. Against the backdrop of the modern employee experience, host Dr. Sonia Kang uncovers how practicing vulnerability, trust building, setting clear expectations, modeling psychological safety, and designing inclusive approaches in a hybrid environment can help managers of any level, with an emphasis on the value of these strategies for first time managers and aspiring leaders.
Made Possible by Rogers, For the Love of Work launches on Monday, September 20. Check out fortheloveofwork.ca for more.
9/7/2021 • 2 minutes, 44 seconds
We are coming back!
Great news! The team at For The Love Of Work has started production on a second season. Host Sonia Kang has all of the details plus a special call out to listeners in this short but exciting announcement.