Beyond Busy

Founding Director of The Inclusion Initiative, Associate Professor in Behavioural Science at LSE, Dr. Grace Lordan shares her views on diversity, cultivating a growth mindset and why people succeed. She is the author of “Think Big”, a book about giving tips to people who want to achieve their goals in life. Graham and Grace start the podcast by talking about issues on diversity and taking risks in career advancement.'If you have skills, talents, and ability, even if they don’t match the role that you’re actually going for, a risk-loving person is much more likely to get it because they’ll be putting their hat in the ring much more often.'Grace then discusses why diverse thinking is not confined to race or gender alone.'Diversity is really only a pulse point for diversity of thinking. So, all the evidence that we have that says diversity is good in business comes from diverse thinking, and having people who have these different perspectives.'Describing the book, Think Big, Grace breaks it down into how thinkin

Chief Pirate and co-author of the book “How to Be More Pirate”, Alex Barker, discusses the fine points of how adapting to the “Pirate” code gave her true freedom, saved her from burnout and how the Be More Pirate movement continues to inspire and motivate a community of “pirates” all over the world. Alex and Graham start out by discussing how Alex came to be the Chief Pirate and co-author of the book “How to Be More Pirate” with Sam Conniff Allende. Alex mentions how being burnt out at work made her think about what she really wants to do with her life, and how using her background working in the RSA became a crucial part of building a community.'I spent a bit of time really thinking about what I wanted to do, why I had ended up where I ended up, and what did I wasn’t really looking for out of my life and I basically just create some I just wrote some words. One of them was adventure. I then I broke it down a bit more and said like, I want a lack of routine. I want something more exciting. I want to connect w

The challenges of public speaking, glossophobia (the fear of public speaking) and what it takes to become an in-demand thought leader and public speaker with the Managing Director of Speaker’s Corner, Nick Gold. His book is called "Speaking with Confidence". Nick starts by telling Graham how he got into the business of public speaking and the rise of TED talks and speakers.'Everyone had their smartphones and people were watching the 17-minute speeches of TED speakers came to the realization that actually, thought leadership and people who can deliver an amazing experience, is the new rock and roll. It became quite a sexy thing to be discussing ideas and concepts from experience you’ve had listening to speakers.'Anxiety and nerves have always been a challenge for new and experienced public speakers. One of the key elements to overcoming this, according to Nick, is creating a routine that takes you away from overthinking those nerves.'What you have to do is embrace those nerves and not feed them - to not feed t

In this episode, we talk to author and marketing legend, Seth Godin. His latest book, "The Practice: Shipping Creative Work", is just chock full of brilliant stuff and is a must-read for everyone who wants to get "unstuck" and move forward with their goals in life.'I think that we are way happier when the work we do becomes our dream, not the other way around.'Seth also talks about what being *on the hook* means and why it is important to commit to doing your best work at all times.'This idea that our work pays forward, that it gives us a chance to make an impact as we'd like to have an impact made for us. I think that makes it a perfect circle.'Focusing on being productive and writing, Seth does not believe that there is a special tactic that can unlock it.'I find the strategy matters more than the tactic. And what's the difference? Strategy is something that doesn't change very often and that you can tell your competition about it and it won't make any difference.'Curiosity is a big motivator for Seth. He o

Giving people feedback that is honest, appreciative and that offers guidance, with cognitive scientist Therese Huston. Therese's book is Let’s Talk: Make Effective Feedback Your Superpower. Graham and Therese started by discussing music and sport, then transition into Therese’s experience of being given professional feedback in a less-than-professional setting.'37% of managers dread giving feedback, but 67% of employees want more feedback.'Centering on the US study cited in Therese’s book, she and Graham look at managers’ reluctance to give feedback, but also examine the benefits that regular feedback can bring and the emotional impact it can have.'Appreciation, coaching, and evaluation.'Taking three distinct viewpoints on management, Therese triangulates her approach to giving feedback, and then discusses ways to ask for feedback that is more specific and actionable. 'If you can say what was most important to the person, and how they felt about it, you’re on your way to becoming a really good listener.'There

Former BuzzFeed UK Managing Editor and author of How to Work Without Losing Your Mind, Cate Sevilla, discusses work identity, resilience, happiness and success.'To be honest, it felt more like the majority of British media just hated our guts.'After discussing working-from-home and audiobook recording, Cate talks openly about her time at the very beginning of BuzzFeed UK, before transitioning into founding the online women’s magazine BitchBuzz, which closed in 2013.'This was not my fault, and all I can do now is be as honest and as supportive, and try to sort out what I can.'Cate joined online women’s magazine The Pool, founded by Lauren Laverne and Sam Baker, which ran from 2015 to 2019. She discusses the difficult time she had as the magazine ran out of money, stopped paying freelancers and ultimately let go of its staff.'So much of the problems at work are down to people’s individual mental health and lack of boundaries.'In discussing her book, Cate talks about identifying herself by her job title, and for

As a journalist for Reuters, Tom has worked in a number of hostile environments. His conversation with Graham begins with travel hacks and preparedness.'I got the job at Reuters because nobody else wanted to do it.'Before the market crash in 2006, Tom worked as an energy broker and a funds manager before making a change in his 30s, moving to London and pursuing a new career in journalism, where he wrote about credit derivatives.'Just because it feels intuitive doesn’t actually mean it’s true.'Tom talks about his first book, which told “the inside story of BP”, and how a series of decisions would lead to a major oil spill. In Free Lunch Thinking, Tom “lifts the bonnet on economics”, examining cognitive bias and exposing the received wisdom many students of economics have taken for granted.Tom recounts a telephone encounter he had with Donald Trump, after challenging the former US President’s claim to be a great businessperson. He and Graham then discuss Trump’s approach to truth.'I had Donald Trump screaming d

Our three-part celebration of 100 Beyond Busy episodes concludes with motivation.In this episode: * Setting goals, with Ben and Jodie Cook * Olympic ambition, with Heather Moyse * Losing it all, with Gerald Ratner * Money and negotiation, with Natalie Reynolds * Family and reciprocity, with Abudu Sallam Waiswa * Legacy, with Marie Forleo * Making space, with Carl Honoré * Enjoying the moment, with Jessica Fostekew Graham Allcott is the founder of time management training company Think Productive.✔ Links:  Subscribe to Graham's Newsletter: https://www.grahamallcott.com/sign-up​​ Buy “How to be a Productivity Ninja”: http://amazon.co.uk/dp/1785784617​​  Our Show Sponsors: Think Productive - Time Management Training:http://www.thinkproductive.com​​ Useful links:https://www.grahamallcott.com/links See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our three-part celebration of 100 Beyond Busy episodes continues, with a focus on work-life balance. In this episode: * Boundaries, and the quest for acceptance, with Lorraine Pascale * Achieving work-life balance, with Seyi Obakin * Life hacks, with Katie Thistleton * Learning from success, with Simon Woodroffe * Criticism and writer’s block, with Grace Petrie * Putting your heart and soul into the world, with Josie Long * Toxic people, with Jonathan MacDonald * Powerful acts of kindness, with Louai Al Roumani * Leadership in turbulent times, with Tameika Isaac Devine Graham Allcott is the founder of time management training company Think Productive.✔ Links:  Subscribe to Graham's Newsletter: https://www.grahamallcott.com/sign-up​​ Buy “How to be a Productivity Ninja”: http://amazon.co.uk/dp/1785784617​​  Our Show Sponsors: Think Productive - Time Management Training:http://www.thinkproductive.com​​ Useful links:https://www.grahamallcott.com/links See acast.com/p

We celebrate one hundred episodes of the Beyond Busy podcast, with a three-part episode highlighting some of the fascinating conversations Graham has had with entrepreneurs, writers, speakers and leaders. In this episode: * Minimalism and attention, with Cal Newport * Storytelling, with Chester Osbourn * Going solo at a young age, with Eman Ismail * Navigating uncharted territories Erling Kagge * Leadership and dividing up work, L David Marquet * Speaking truth to power, with David McQueen * The origins of F*ck Being Humble, with Stefanie Sword-Williams * Investment and generosity, with Nick Jenkins * Procrastination, with Rachel Parris * Imposter syndrome, with Oliver Burkeman Graham Allcott is the founder of time management training company Think Productive.✔ Links:  Subscribe to Graham's Newsletter: https://www.grahamallcott.com/sign-up​​ Buy “How to be a Productivity Ninja”: http://amazon.co.uk/dp/1785784617​​  Our Show Sponsors: Think Productive - Time Management T

Ben and Graham discuss the events of 24th August 2011, which was towards the end of Ben’s seventh month tour of Afghanistan, in which Ben escaped serious injury at the hands of an improvised explosive device which had been set by Taliban forces in the area they were entering.'War is 90% boredom, 10% action.'Ben draws comparisons between the downtime in Afghanistan to the UK’s current lockdown, dispels the popular myth of warfare as being a constant stream of action, and explains how he used downtime as a way of processing the events of the 10%.'Excellence, integrity, self-discipline, and humility.'Ben describes the four values that are passed on to each Royal Marine, what they mean to him, and how they help him perform his duties the best he can. 'Inspiration, courage, enactment.'After initially coming up with his ICE model fairly quickly during a PowerPoint presentation, Ben explains how he refined it, and how inspiration can help build courage during challenging times.'We are England.'Ben recounts his exper

Oliver is the author of Help! How to Become Slightly Happier and Get a Bit More Done, and has been writing his Guardian column about self-help literature, This Column Will Change Your Life since 2006, so he and Graham begin by discussing the origins of the column, and how it has evolved.'There’s always too much to do.'Oliver lays out one of the first core principles in his book, and states that we don’t have to be resigned to the fact we’ll never get everything done, but instead pivot to focusing on the things that are most essential. 'Choose enlargement over happiness.'Oliver challenges the idea of happiness as a goal, instead choosing to ask the question of whether what we undertake enlarges or diminishes us.'The solution to imposter syndrome is to see that you are one.'Using the Covid pandemic as an example, Graham and Oliver discuss the idea that each of us is winging it, and that no-one really has the ultimate answer. 'You don’t start each morning in a kind of “productivity debt”.'On the subject of produ

In the wake of the re-release of Graham and Colette’s book on nutrition for better, more sustained productivity, the two authors discuss how the project came to be. 'I was making bad choices on a regular basis.'Colette describes how her busy international career left no room for her to consider diet, and sapped her energy leaving her saying no to things she otherwise would have wanted to say yes to. This realisation led her to retrain as a nutritionist, leaving her former career behind.'The title was broken.' Graham describes how the previous incarnation of the book was difficult to position within the market, despite readers finding it to be a “hidden gem”.'Choose how you want to feel.'The first point in the book’s nine-point plan empowers us to make choices as to what we eat and drink. 'Eat the rainbow.'By having a broader range of colours on our plate, we eat a broader range of nutrients, which is a factor that will improve our dietary health, so Colette describes how “each colour has different gifts to gi

Sir David Omand is a former GCHQ Director, and was a Permanent Secretary at the Home Office. During his time in public service he has played a key role in modern British history. Graham opens with Sir David by talking about secrecy, and how information is revealed to the public after a long delay. They then discuss the gulf between film and TV depictions of intelligence gathering. 'You stay and make sure the job gets done.'Sir David describes the attitude towards work-life balance, not only in intelligence work but also within civil service in general, which leads to a discussion on public service, and the importance of understanding what service really means. 'If you want to push change through, you’ve got to have a convincing story.'Describing how GCHQ had to change and adapt to the digital revolution that started in the US, Sir David sets out his attitudes towards change, and how various government departments have previously resisted it. 'What do you need to know to make a sound decision?'Sir David expla

This week, Graham is joined by Christina Kisley of Kisley and Wild, an organisation that makes it part of its mission to spread kindness. The episode features one of Think Productive’s free webinars on the productivity of kindness.'Rejecting the “business baddy” narrative.' Graham begins by talking about some of the leaders who’ve gained prominence in recent memory, and dispels the myth that you have to be ruthless and uncaring in order to succeed. He also discusses trust, and how building trust increases the likelihood of people wanting to work with you more than once.'The seven traits of kind leaders.'Chris and Graham layout their core values for successful, kind leadership: * Clear vision and values * Focus * People first, work second, always * Self-awareness * Trust-building * Being a cultural architect * Humility 'Kind people stand for things, but value and respect other people in the process.'Chris describes how being kind is about telling the truth for the benefit of the receiver, rather than being “n

Eleanor named her company Another Door after being told that “when one door closes, another door opens”, a sentiment that irritated her.'If they can do that, so can I.' Eleanor talks about how people’s apparent success in difficult times like redundancy can act as fuel, or can knock us sideways. She and Graham also explore the notion that redundancy offers the opportunity for people to think about what they’d like to do next, and that this thought is not a luxury. 'I’m not a different person than I was the day before I didn’t get the book.' Eleanor shares her experiences as a newly-published author working with Penguin, crediting her book coach and now agent with securing her a deal. 'We live in this space thinking that everyone’s going to care, and it holds us back.'After working in a corporate space, Eleanor wanted to try something a little different, so she discusses how she set up a market stall, selling beach towels, which gave her a unique insight into starting a new business after losing a job. She als

Max and Graham begin by sharing stories and experiences of improv, with Max offering his definition of improv and how it can help improve co-operation within teams. How do you know someone is genuinely listening to you?Max talks about the difference between active listening and listening to a scene partner in improv, then both he and Graham discuss their experiences in therapy, and how they can make sense of reactions they judge themselves harshly for. Yes, andGraham and Max run through improv’s first rule, which allows for scenes to develop organically through agreement and heightening, then Max explains how repeatedly hearing no prevents us from making more risky decisions. He and Graham then plan a party. Sweep the scene.'Max shares his views on productivity for creative people, including saving parts of his book that his editor has cut, drawing a line under an experience, a project or a single task and being able to start afresh. Graham Allcott is the founder of time management training company Think Prod

Anne is the founder of Starling Bank, one of the UK’s challenger banks that serves its customers online rather than via high street branches. Anne studied computer science, and worked her way up through the banking industry before founding Starling. 'I came to the conclusion that banking was broken.'After working at traditional banks like RBS, Lloyds and the Bank of Switzerland, Anne found the industry to be too inward-focused, and largely untouched by consumer tech. Although Starling is a tech-forward company, Anne is quick to point out that customers still get 24/7 phone support, and describes how many struggle with money, and what she sees as Starling’s role in helping people better manage their finances. 'The only thing that was different was the colour of the carpets.' After speaking with lots of banks following her work with AIB in Ireland, Anne started talking to tech firms instead, and came to the conclusion that if she started from scratch, she could build something with a new way of relating to cus

Graham and Colin begin by talking about the first meal of the day, and how getting protein in first thing can make a big difference. 'You’re either going to work forty years until you die, or you’re going to be able to create your own wealth… so take a shot at the second thing.' Midway through watching War Dogs and being frustrated at the lack of business acumen from one of the characters, Colin paused the film and wrote a business plan for a bed sheet company. Almost instantly he happened upon the name Sheets & Giggles, and bought sheetsgiggles.com straightaway. Three months later, he was laid off from his job, and three weeks after receiving this blow, he founded Sheets & Giggles. 'Spellable, sharable, memorable.'Colin shares his rules for company branding, one of the most important of which is connoting or denoting what the company does. 'Your greatest weakness is your empathy for others.' Colin recounts being told this at the hedge fund he was let go from in his early 20s, and how the toxic work e

Olivier has a long history of helping organisations make decisions. He is a professor at prominent business school HEC Paris, and has worked as a Director at McKinsey & Company. 'We’re not just economic human beings.' The discussion dives deep into the cognitive biases that shape how we frame world events like the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit. 'Don’t think that you’re going to get better at it on your own.' Olivier describes one of the “Nine Traps” outlined in his book, The Confidence Trap, and how that can affect planning and productivity. He also recommends putting a system in place to overcome cognitive biases. Graham and he also discuss group think, and the propensity for groups to converge on decisions too quickly, and Olivier offers advice on encoring healthy disagreement in meetings. Dialogue, divergence and dynamics Both fans of the Checklist Manifesto, Olivier discusses with Graham how checklists can be more intelligently deployed so they’re not simply rote lists of tasks that require no initiati