Secrets Of The Most Productive People

On this episode of Secrets of the Most Produtive People, Scott Mebus, VP of video and podcasts for Fast Company and Inc., shires his longtime battle with getting enough sleep with co-host Anisa Purbasari-Horton. Some of his issues include a long commute, having a son who is an early riser, and the day-to-day stress of modern work life. He spoke to Dr. Janet Kennedy, psychologist and founder of NYC Sleep Doctor, about what we can all do to get a little bit more shut-eye. Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts

Winning a Formula 1 race is about more than pure speed. Drivers, pit crews, and team managers need to make hundreds of decisions in the blink of an eye, all while flying around a winding track at speeds up to 200 miles per hour.  For decades, those decisions were driven by instinct and experience. But modern Formula 1 races are increasingly driven by technology and information, with teams analyzing massive data sets to uncover advantages that can mean the difference between standing in the winner’s circle and coming up a few milliseconds short.  Christian Horner, team principal of Red Bull Racing, knows more about what it takes to lead a winning Formula 1 operation than almost anyone. In this episode of Productivity Confidential, we talk to Horner about staying cool under pressure, how data has revolutionized racing, and what it takes to keep a winning team hungry.

Secrets of the Most Productive People returns in February 2020 with Season 4. In the meantime, make sure to catch up on episodes you might have missed on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week's episode is all about YOU. On this bonus episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People, Kate and Anisa answer your most pressing questions about your career, the workplace, and all those other awkward job-related topics. Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts

Doctors and nurses have to remain productive under pressure. Their decisions are quite literally life-and-death, and quick access to patient data is vital to making informed decisions about patient needs. For years, that data was managed on pen and paper, but the recent revolution in healthcare data has fueled a technology-driven revolution in how healthcare providers do their jobs. On this episode of Productivity Confidential, we talk to Dr. Anil Jain, chief health information office of IBM’s Watson Health initiative, about how data is creating a brand new frontier of care from state-of-the-art hospitals to rural medical centers around the world.

If you've ever attempted to meet an ambitious goal, you're probably familiar with just how difficult it is to change your habits. You're also probably aware of how much influence the mind has in determining whether or not you'll be successful in that endeavor. Some days, it feels like your brain corresponds with your body and your actions. Other days, it feels like they don't want to do anything to comply. In a bonus episode for Secrets Of The Most Productive People, recorded live at the Fast Company Innovation Festival, we hear from neuroscientist and Fast Company contributor Tara Swart, as well as author and behavioral designer Nir Eyal, as they talk about the relationship between our brains and our actions. We debunk misconceptions like the right brain/left brain concept and the (false) belief that you only use 10% of your brain. Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Productivity and creativity have always been talked about as if they’re two sides of the same coin. You could only be creative if you didn’t have to think about productivity and vice versa. Joe Brown, senior portfolio director at legendary design firm IDEO, thinks that conventional wisdom is faulty. Brown has spent years not only designing products but designing the systems in which those products live, and he’s learned that creating an infrastructure that separates your creative and productive work is less than the sum of its parts. In this episode of Productivity Confidential, we talked to Brown about where creativity and productivity meet—and how technology is making that convergence clearer than ever.

Once revered as a magical work-perk, unlimited vacation has become a polarizing debate among office dwellers. The concept that an individual worker can choose how much vacation they are allowed to claim has inspired passionate opinions on what’s appropriate for workers to expect, what a company hopes for in offering something so elusive, and why any of these opinions matter in the first place. On this BONUS episode of The Secrets of the Most Productive People, Host Kate Davis is joined by the VP of Video and Podcasting, Scott Mebus, to face each other head-to-head and defend their personal stance on unlimited vacation.  Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

After years of fighting tooth and nail for it, the labor movement in America finally won the battle for the 40-hour work week. Workers were no longer expected to work day and night without fair compensation. It was a victory that changed the way we think about work, and the modern work week was born.  That was nearly 80 years ago, and since then there hasn’t been much of a discussion about whether or not, with the rise of next-generation technology, it’s still a valuable guide rail for the majority of workers. But, business leaders are beginning to look critically at whether the traditional work week is worth maintaining with all the new technology available to keep employees engaged, and the results have been satisfying. On this episode of Productivity Confidential, we talk to Natalie Nagele, cofounder of Wildbit, about her mission to institute a 32-hour work week in her company and why sometimes the best thing you can do for a company’s success is telling employees to stop working so hard.

Of all the decisions that you'll have to make over the course of your career, one of the biggest is when it's the right time to leave a job? Like many career decisions, the answer isn't straightforward. As we discuss in this week's episode of Secrets Of The Most Productive People, some signs are more obvious than others. For starters, a toxic workplace is almost always never worth staying in. When a role or company no longer offers you the opportunities to grow, it might be time to look elsewhere. And when your job starts to impact other areas of your life in a negative way, you should, at minimum, assess the possibility of change. If you have a problem in your career or on the job hunt, tell us about it. Leave us a voicemail at ‪(201) 371-3278 or tweet with #FCMostProductive and we will find an expert to answer your question. Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Once upon a time, putting your head down, doing good work, and staying loyal to a company may have been enough to get a promotion. But these days, that's no longer the case. In today's constantly changing workforce, companies reward employees who can bring results and aren't afraid to be vocal about it. It's often on the individual to devise their own strategies and sometimes even design their own path. Sometimes, that preparation may take longer than you think. If you have a problem in your career or on the job hunt, tell us about it. Leave us a voicemail at ‪(201) 371-3278 or tweet with #FCMostProductive and we will find an expert to answer your question. Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

We are sharing an episode from another Fast Company podcast, Creative Conversation. As an editor and writer for Fast Company magazine, Kc Ifeanyi covers some of the most creative minds in film, television, business and beyond. In this podcast, he unpacks the most frustrating parts of the creative process by talking to psychologists, scholars, and experts who are on the forefront of understanding creativity. Subscribe to Creative Conversation on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

On the long list of crucial job skills that you aren't taught in school, how to manage up ranks high. You may enter the workforce with the belief that your boss is there to manage your performance, and their management style is something you have no control over. Learning the best way to manage your boss, however, is an essential skill that you'll use throughout your career (it also works with colleagues who have different working styles). Whether you have a micromanager who needs constant updates, or the opposite—a boss who is totally MIA—there are usually subtle ways you can help them adjust their style to make your working life easier. If you have a problem in your career or on the job hunt, tell us about it. Leave us a voicemail at ‪(201) 371-3278 or tweet with #FCMostProductive and we will find an expert to answer your question. Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Reporting to a boss keeps many employees focused and productive. But how do you stay accountable to your goals when you are your own boss? Chris Denson, host of Innovation Crush and innovation consultant, shares his strategies for getting things done. If you have a problem in your career or on the job hunt, tell us about it. Leave us a voicemail at ‪(201) 371-3278 or tweet with #FCMostProductive and we will find an expert to answer your question. Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Starting a new job is stressful for anyone. Not only do you have to get used to new people, new environment, and maybe a new commute. You also have to figure what the unwritten rules and etiquettes are, and who you should talk to for specific questions. Then there's the challenge of actually doing good work and impressing your hiring manager. That in itself can feel like an overwhelming challenge. On this week's episode of Secrets Of The Most Productive People, we tackle this tricky (yet necessary) step of starting a new job. If you have a problem in your career or on the job hunt, tell us about it. Leave us a voicemail at ‪(201) 371-3278 or tweet with #FCMostProductive and we will find an expert to answer your question. Subscribe to this episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.

On this mini episode, marketing expert Dorie Clark is back on the show to answer a listener’s question. This listener recently moved to a new city and asks if his presence online is hurting his chances while job hunting. When you google his name, you get pages and pages of results about an internationally known mass murderer. Dorie Clark gives expert advice to help this listener navigating a tricky situation. If you have a problem in your career or on the job hunt, tell us about it. Leave us a voicemail at ‪(201) 371-3278 or tweet with #FCMostProductive and we will find an expert to answer your question. Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Talking about money can be really uncomfortable. No matter how you frame the conversation there is a lot of potential for missteps. Which is why on this episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People, the cohosts break down how exactly what to frame your ask and the common minefields to avoid (hint: don't mention how expensive your rent is or how your co-worker makes more). Stever Robbins, the host of the Get-it-Done Guy podcast, answers questions from listeners.  If you have a problem on the job search or in your career, tell us about it. Leave us a voicemail at ‪(201) 371-3278 or tweet with #FCMostProductive and we will find an expert to answer your question. 

On this episode we’re answering an intern’s question about overtime. How do you approach your manager when you’re working overtime and not getting paid for it? Donna Morris, the Chief Human Resources Officer of Adobe, offers advice.   This is the first episode of a series called Work Smarter Wednesdays—expert advice for your most challenging questions. You’ll find Work Smarter Wednesdays during the weeks between regular episodes of Secrets of the Most Productive People. If you have a problem on the job search or in your career, tell us about it. Leave us a voicemail at ‪(201) 371-3278 or tweet with #FCMostProductive and we will find an expert to answer your question. 

For many people the entire job interview process can feel like blind dating: Do you like them? Do they like you? Is there a future? And just like with dating, even if that first meeting went well, it's totally possible to screw it up if you follow up in the wrong way. With job interviews there's a well-known way to make a good impression: send a thank you note, and a sure-fire way to sour a good thing: annoy the hiring manager by checking in too frequently or too aggressively. But there is still a lot in the process that can be confusing: What exactly should your thank you note say? How long should you wait before checking in? What if you get another job offer?

(Presented by Citrix) When Nicole Wolfe, director of partnerships at ClassPass, first started her career, wellness was defined by numbers. There were weight loss goals, daily step counts, weekly activity goals. But wellness has undergone a sea change in the last decade, with both people and firms understanding that health goes way beyond counting calories and building up a sweat. On this episode of Productivity Confidential, we talk with Wolfe about the transforming wellness landscape, and how companies are beginning to understand that healthy, happy teams are productive teams.