Red Flags, Green Flags : Modern Psychology for Everyday Drama

In our final episode of Season 2, I speak with Mohammed Al Hakim (senior strategic sourcing manager) about work relationships in the Middle East. We discuss about the peculiarities of Middle Eastern business culture and practices and explore what one needs to learn to be successful in business in the region. The emphasis in this episode is on culture and how much people need to be aware of cultural differences when operating in an international environment. Red and green flags can be interpreted differently depending on one's cultural lens.

In this interesting episode, I speak to Nisheeth Pathak (Co-Founder and CEO of WeSoar - a workforce engagement and people analytics startup) about why people are less engaged in the workplace nowadays and how different generations have different beliefs about work. We specifically look at GenZ in the workplace and what their general attitude and relationship is to work. Should managers evaluate GenZ's commitment to the workplace with the same lens as older generations or should managers be more mindful of the priorities younger generations have when it comes to traditional jobs like sales, marketing and finance? Younger generations might have different aspirations than older generations and might not see work as defining of one's life. During this interview, Nisheeth not only speaks about HR challenges when it comes to managing and motivating a younger generation at work, but also shares his own struggles with his kids trying to guide them to what he believes is best for them. An interview many parents and managers I believe can relate to.

During this podcast, I speak with Karl Feilder, Chairman and CEO of Neutral Fuels the largest producer of biofuel in the Gulf, about how to identify toxicity at work. Karl, having successful started, run, and sold various companies in his lifetime, shares various personal experiences which help identity the traits of toxic bosses and characteristics of unhealthy work environments. We also decipher what people's behaviors say about themselves and how as a manager being too controlling or too observant could actually mean there are ulterior motives at play. We dive deep into the psychology of unhealthy behaviors (talking about narcissism, psychopathology, belittling, shouting, and discriminiation) at work and identify how to counter them if you decide to stay. All in all, a great discussion you won't want to miss! 

During this very engaging and personal episode, I speak with serial entrepreneur and investor LouLou Khazen about the red flags and green flags in Startups. The startup world is a very dynamic environment which is very different than most corporate work environments, and which comes with unique challenges. To be successful in a startup you need to be of a different breed. It requires a lot of mental toughness, determination, and to some degree even stubbornness and a tat of delusion. Neurodiversity is a common theme also in the startup world, with many highly successful entrepreneurs being neurodiverse themselves (e.g. ADHD, Autism).  Founder dynamics have a huge impact how the company is run and how it grows which can impact how employees experience work in both good and bad ways. High dynamics is a feeding ground for drama so it is important to learn how to deal with these dynamics effectively. LouLou shares some of her personal stories as an entrepreneur and explains what she learned from her experiences and how important grit and perseverance is to be successful. Understanding the red and green flags in startups can not only help you navigate the dynamic work environment more effectively, but also can help you succeed as an entrepreneur! 

In season 2 episode 2, I interview legal counsellor Candida Pinto about her personal experiences with bad management. Candida provides a phenomenological perspective of bad management in the workplace and the impact it can have on you emotionally and mentally. Through her stories we explore the characteristics of good and bad management and reflect on the impact bad management can have on employee performance and mental health. We also talk about the role of (organizational) culture and how it can facilitate bad management practices. During this interview we not only speak about red and green flags in management, but also discuss strategies how to deal with bad/toxic managers in the workplace. A story many of us can relate to. 

Welcome back everyone, kicking off 2024 with new episodes of drama for Season 2 of Red Flags Green Flags : Modern Psychology for Everyday Drama. I am super excited to showcase 6 amazing episodes about red flags and green flags at work.  We spend 2/3 of our lives at work and it is inescapable part of social life. If you experience drama at work, you cant just walk away from it (not without losing your job). Learning how to deal with red flags at work is super important for your career success and also to your mental health. One major cause for drama at work is office politics. office politics (or workplace/organizational politics as its often referred to) is present in every organization and often has a negative connotation to it. This is why many people refrain from engaging in organizational politics or why most business schools don't want to teach how to deal with politics at work. What many people don't realize is that office politics entails such a broad spectrum behaviors, most of them being very positive attributes. In this podcast you will learn about office politics and how to build your political intelligence.

In Episode 6 of 'Red Flags, Green Flags: Modern Psychology for Everyday Drama' I speak with Elham Murdaa and Abdullah Ahmad about romance and how toxic the modern dating world has become.  One thing that is undeniable about today's dating world is people's growing unhappiness with how they are being treated by others. Social media is full of memes, videos, and stories of how people are getting ghosted, catfished, cookie jarred, bread crumbed, and orbited.  If you don't know what these terms mean, don't worry. You will learn about them in today's episode of red flags, green flags. It seems that toxic behaviors have become the norm in today's dating world. Dating apps and online dating definitely play a role in the rise of these behaviors. But what else is causing people to behave the way they do nowadays? We will dive into the psychology of toxic behaviors to find answers to these questions, and also reflect on the different experiences that people have in dating. 

One of the perspectives we will be capturing in today's Episode 5, is from my fellow penises. Men’s perspectives in dating are often overlooked, brushed away, or even ridiculed, especially on social media. Men are often portrayed as the rotten apples in the dating equation and when many men do speak up or share their opinion or even their emotions, wrongly or rightly so, are often being told that they are insensitive, mansplaining, or not man enough. It is not a surprise that public figures like Jordan Peterson and Andrew Tate have a huge following as they provide men with a safezone to feel heard and understood even when certain ideas or rhetoric are out of the normal. Today, we won’t be speaking about controversies or the battle of the sexes, but opening up a space where my guests can speak candidly about their experiences and give their opinions about today’s modern dating world without being judged. One of the most vulnerable conversations I have had this season!

In this episode of 'red flags green flags - modern psychology for everyday drama', I speak with Soumana Ammar about the importance of knowing who you are. Especially in dating, people are more focused on the other person, especially when things go wrong. Having a successful relationship requires a deep understanding of self. Not only in terms of unconscious biases and past traumas, but also how relationship norms and gender roles are changing in a modern world and how you personally evolve to meet these changes (or not). Knowing yourself is key to your personal development and also to your relationship success.

In Episode 3, I speak about the benefits and challenges of dating someone older/younger than yourself. I dive deep into the psychology behind age attraction and explain what older/younger age signals to potential partners. Having a relationship with someone much older (>10 years) can be amazing and enriching, but it is not without drama. I describe the different issues that age-disparate couples can have and how best to overcome them. And I also talk about the shocking truth about gender differences when you are the older partner dating younger and how best to deal with public opinions about your relationship. An episode you will not want to miss if age is a factor of attraction for you!

In Episode 2, I deep dive into the realm of infidelity. What is cheating, what kind of forms of cheating are there? And why is cheating on the rise? In this episode you will learn why people cheat and which red flags to watch out for to assess if your partner is cheating on you or not.