Secrets Of The Most Productive People

Fifty percent of people say they’ve quit a job because of a bad boss. Why are so many managers unable to effectively manage? And is there a way to learn how to be a better manager? Leadership coach Lia Bosch joins host Kathleen Davis to talk about what companies get wrong about management and how bosses can be better at their jobs.

Welcome back to Season 12 of ‘The New Way We Work’!Even in the best of times, there’s always been an undercurrent of conflict between the priorities of corporate leadership and the needs of employees. But in the last several years, that tension has increased noticeably. Whether it’s the ongoing battles over employees returning to the office (or not), the renewed uproar over executive pay, or missteps in handling layoffs, the conflicts between employees and management only seem to grow. This season on ‘The New Way We Work,’ we’re looking at the problems with work, how we got here, and how to solve them. For this first episode, Work-Life editors Julia Herbst and AJ Hess discuss the most fundamental problem with work: that employees and management don’t see eye to eye.

The New Way We Work is back for a new season next week and we are unpacking the biggest problems with work! Problems like lack of pay transparency, how hard work too often goes unrewarded, how the wrong people end up as managers, and so much more.

The impact of AI on finance departments will be huge.

How artificial intelligence is shaping the product journeys from procurement to end customers.

In this podcast, leaders in HR and AI reveal what it will take for businesses to get their staff on board.

According to surveys, the average employee spends more than 4 hours a week in meetings, but around 90% of people consider their meetings to be unproductive. While it’s tempting to eliminate meetings altogether, they are often a necessary part of getting work done. In this recent LinkedIn Audio conversation with ‘Fast Company’ senior editor Julia Herbst, we talked about how to drastically cut down on the number of meetings and make the ones that remain more productive and inclusive. 

Work has changed a lot in the last few years: from the shift to remote work to the struggle over returning to the office, from the great resignation to mass layoffs at tech and media companies, from the rise in union organizing to the rise in AI in workplaces. So what does 2024 hold for companies, leaders, and employees?  Today’s episode is a recording of a recent LinkedIn Audio conversation with Fast Company Staff Editor AJ Hess breaking down advice and predictions for what to expect next.

The end of the year brings a lot of office traditions: holiday parties, year-end bonuses if you’re lucky, and often performance reviews. In this LinkedIn Audio conversation with senior editor Julia Herbst, we talk about common biases to avoid, what to say about areas of improvement, and how to get the most out of the process.

Kate Davis is joined by Fast Company podcast hosts KC Ifeanyi, Yasmin Gange and Josh Christensen to discuss the biggest stories from 2023

Workplaces move through design trends and conceptual themes just like other parts of modern interior commercial design. Remember the evolution of the cubicle farm, or the early 2000s’ startup office with a long communal desk (and ping pong table nearby)? But now, with our in-office and work-from-home routines in flux, what design elements will the future office feature? Fast Company writer Nate Berg talks through several design proposals centered around Gen Z employees, remote workers, and hybrid work styles with some of the top office design firms. Check out our deep dive into new office design concepts, including what both employers and employees are looking for, plus images of these hypothetical workspaces: RTO in 2024: Fast Company’s 8-point guide for designing an office your workers actually want to return to.

Sometimes, taking a scary, big career risk is the move that changes everything. We asked attendees at the Fast Company Innovation Festival a few months ago to share the biggest career risks they’ve ever taken. We heard everything, from switching to a new industry to dedicating their work to a cause they care about.

Emotional intelligence remains a workplace buzzword that confuses many people. On this episode from our LinkedIn Audio series, Farah Harris, author of ‘The Color of Emotional Intelligence,’ discusses how emotional awareness and management play into our office lives. It’s a skill often treated as optional, but mastering emotional intelligence—the ability to manage your emotions and understanding the emotions of those around you—is essential for weathering transitions, maintaining healthy relationships, and communicating clearly.

Quitting a job is a huge decision, so what are the signs that it’s time to go? Chronic burnout or toxic colleagues might be a few of the red flags.

For decades, the typical image of a midlife crisis has been a man buying a sports car or getting a divorce and marrying a younger woman. Whether or not that still rings true, for women in the workplace that has nothing to do with reality. Midlife for women is the time when menopause, family caregiving, career ambitions, and a range of other personal shifts come together. In fact, author and consultant Lucy Ryan calls it the “midlife collision” and advocates for workplaces to offer much more flexibility for women in this stage of life. She says we need to reframe the typical career timeline to include a robust, energetic, and creative period of work later in life, when women with a supportive workplace can adapt to these changes while staying engaged and productive in their jobs.

"What's your biggest weakness?" remains one of the trickier job interview questions frequently posed to an interviewee. How do you tout your skills and accomplishments while being honest about your challenges?

After hearing from experts about how AI is changing the office, we decided to test out a few AI tools and report back on how they brilliantly changed our workflow. But as it turns out, some of these tools are definitely not ready to deliver the productivity boosts they promise. 

Writing a cover letter, especially when not required by a job application, can feel like a big pain. But it really makes a big difference—here’s why. 

Companies now have mountains of data to help drive decisions and develop products, but a holistic approach to product development must also prioritize customers’ needs and preferences. In this podcast interview, Stephanie Mehta, CEO of Mansueto Ventures, the parent of Fast Company, sits down with Emily Roberts, Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise Consumer Product at Capital One to hear how to harness the power of technology and customer feedback loops to innovate products and experiences.

This year, funding for AI-related startups has surpassed $23 billion dollars, and thousands of AI tools promise to automate tasks in every type of job. But instead of thinking about how technology can replace humans, Aneesh Raman, vice president and head of the Opportunity Project at LinkedIn, believes this system-level change will bring more humanity into the workplace. Aneesh shared his thoughts on a skill-first approach to job searching, why philosophy and ethics are in-demand areas of expertise, and how to think about the growth of AI in the long term.