Fixable

This is an episode of a podcast we hope you'll love. On After Hours, Harvard Business School professors Mihir Desai and Felix Oberholzer-Gee discuss and debate current events that sit at the crossroads of business and culture. In this episode, Felix and Mihir discuss how Sam Altman was fired and reinstated over the course of just a few days. Was the board right to dismiss Altman? Does the turmoil change how we think about hybrid organizations that combine nonprofit and for-profit motives? What does the episode teach us about the future of AI? Plus, we look at the reasons why men now die even earlier than women. What do the numbers say about being male today? And remember — if you want to be on next season Fixable, call Anne and Frances with your workplace problems at 234-Fixable (that’s 234-349-2253). You can also email fixable@ted.com or submit using THIS form.

Hi Fixable listeners! We are going on a short break before we bring you new episodes of Fixable. In the meantime, here is another podcast we thought you’d love. It’s an episode from ReThinking with Adam Grant, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective. Carla Harris is a fierce leader, a devoted mentor, and a dynamic speaker. A Wall Street veteran who has been named one of the most powerful Black executives in America, Carla’s worked across multiple industries in her 30+ year career, and was appointed by President Barack Obama to chair the National Women's Business Council. In a highly entertaining Authors@Wharton event, Carla speaks with Adam about strategies for building relationships with mentors and sponsors, how to advocate effectively for ourselves and authors, and what to do when we’re not getting the support we need. Carla’s latest book “Lead to Win” is out now. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/RWAG15 And remember — if you want to be on next season Fixable, call Anne and Frances with your workplace problems at 234-Fixable (that’s 234-349-2253). You can also email fixable@ted.com or submit using THIS form.

Hi Fixable listeners! We are going on a short break before we bring you new episodes of Fixable. In the meantime, here is another podcast we thought you’d love. It’s an episode from TED Talks Daily, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective. Resumes are a mainstay of the job application process — despite little evidence that they actually help job-seekers or employers get what they want. So why are we still so preoccupied with them? HR leader Nicos Marcou dives into the absurdity of these one-page documents (or can they be two pages?) and offers an update on how companies should think about hiring qualified candidates. And remember — if you want to be on next season Fixable, call Anne and Frances with your workplace problems at 234-Fixable (that’s 234-349-2253). You can also email fixable@ted.com or submit using THIS form.

How do you balance what works professionally with other goals and needs? Curtis Sittenfeld is the bestselling author of Prep and Romantic Comedy. Though she has found great success as a full-time writer, Curtis wants more interpersonal connection than what she often gets from her very isolated approach to writing. In this episode, Anne and Frances talk to Curtis about how she can build more community in her day-to-day life without abandoning the most important part of her writing process. They also explain how we can all be more deliberate about work-life balance and make our jobs emotionally sustainable. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

Do you want to feel more confident about speaking up at work? This week, Anne and Frances are joined by a Master Fixer: “Think Faster, Talk Smarter” author Matt Abrahams. Matt is a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and an expert in communication. In this episode, Matt gives Anne and Frances a wide-ranging playbook for how to be a better, less anxious communicator, including how to recover after blanking out and the way focusing on an audience can actually make you more confident. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

How can you be caring at work while still maintaining personal boundaries? Gina Gutierrez, founder of the audio erotica app Dipsea, loves her close-knit team — but she’s worried that she might be acting too much like a parent as opposed to a boss. In this episode, Anne and Frances show Gina how to empower both herself AND her team while establishing limits at work. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

How can you make change in your workplace as a newer hire? That’s the problem Al is dealing with. He's an enthusiastic middle school teacher who is finding that his more senior colleagues are hesitant to embrace change and address bias in education. In this episode, Anne and Frances discuss ways Al can empower himself to be a change maker in the community and have more productive conversations with his colleagues in order to improve education for his students. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

How will AI change the way you work? This episode’s caller A.J. Jacobs is a journalist and author who has written books like The Year of Living Biblically, The Puzzler, and Thanks a Thousand. He's built a career off of his creative ideas, but the rise of ChatGPT has made him concerned whether there’ll still be a place for his work as technology gets more advanced. In this episode, Anne and Frances discuss why AI is a resource (not a replacement) and the ethical dilemmas that must be confronted as AI becomes a greater part of our lives. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

It’s hard to be honest about something not going well at work. Eliana, today’s caller, is struggling to navigate a classic problem — a coworker unwilling to improve or communicate. She knows it’s time for a drastic change but still wants to be kind. Anne and Frances share how to get over the fear of giving feedback and discuss why we can all benefit from having tough conversations at work. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

How can you make sure everyone on your team is on the same page? That’s the question posed by this episode’s caller, Luís Martín. Luís is the founder and CEO of an early stage startup, and he’s noticed some tension between his older employees and their Gen Z colleagues due to their different work styles. With the help of Anne and Frances, Luís gets to the root of the problem: when a company lacks focus, it’s hard for the employees to be aligned. Together, they create a roadmap to bring the company together on projects with a singular, united goal. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

As a standup comedian and the host of the TED podcast How to Be a Better Human, Chris Duffy knows how to be engaging in front of a microphone. However, he feels awkward about posting on social media yet worries that not posting is costing him opportunities and a bigger audience. It's a problem that Anne and Frances have faced too. Together, they talk about the art and mindset of self-promotion and the ways YOU can rethink your online presence so it feels more aligned with what you stand for. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

What’s the best way to transition back to work after going on leave? Wren is a newly minted director at a fintech company who got promoted into the role just a few months before going on maternity leave–and now she’s returning as the mom of a child with health challenges. However, her job and team have changed dramatically in her absence, and Wren doesn’t feel like the same person she was before her baby, either. Not knowing how to go into the office again, Wren turns to Anne and Frances for help. Anne and Frances give Wren a bombshell—she’s not going back to her old job, she’s starting a new one. Together, they create a plan for a successful restart and making the most of any transition. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

There are unhelpful managers, and then there are ones who make you actively question your own skills. Rachel is a mid-level employee facing one big obstacle at work: a boss who refuses to hear her thoughts. The repeated stonewalling has made Rachel question her ability to do her job, and she turns to Anne and Frances for help. Together, they help Rachel unlock her inner fierceness and give her tips that can help anyone confront a dismissive boss. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

Remote work is here to stay — but even for companies that did it pre-pandemic, new challenges are popping up. Dean’s accounting firm has 4,000 employees, and people once happily alternated between working from home and the office. But recently there's been a shift, and the once-thriving hybrid environment is not quite as bustling. Afraid of losing the supportive and social in-office culture, Dean turns to Anne and Frances for help. Together, they find a balance between remote flexibility and in-person interaction. Anne and Frances also share tips on making office days not only productive but exciting for everyone who joins. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

Welcome back to Fixable. This one’s a little different! This week, Anne and Frances dive into their area of expertise: trust. Frances recounts the time when she was brought in to help Uber fix their huge trust breakdown. Using Uber as a case study, they explain the three pillars of trust – authenticity, empathy, and logic – and actionable solutions to strengthen each leg when they’re on shaky ground. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

Fixable will be back next week! For now, here's an episode of TED Talks Daily we think you'll like. Every weekday, TED Talks Daily brings you the latest TED talks on every subject imaginable — from Artificial Intelligence to Zoology, and everything in between — given by the world's leading thinkers and creators. In this practical, playful talk, leadership visionary Anne Morriss reinvents the playbook for how to lead through change -- with a radical, one-week plan to build trust and fix problems by following a step per day. Follow TED Talks Daily wherever you're listening to this.

Reshma is the co-founder of Girls Who Code, and she’s embarking on a second time founder journey now with her new organization Moms First. And she says being a second time founder is, in some ways, even harder than going at it completely green. So her question is, how do you reconnect to motivation for a project you love and feel passionate about – but which (for mostly external reasons) is maybe not organically as energizing as previous projects?

For some of us it’s easy to lose ourselves in our work. But a lack of boundaries between your personal and work life is something mental wellness educator Gloria Chan Packer would warn you twice about. Gloria speaks about the perils of gaining your sense of self-worth from your job, discusses her experience with burnout and stress and shares empowering insights on how to shift our perspectives to create – and maintain – a healthy distance. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts. This is an episode of How to Be a Better Human, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective. Find more How to Be a Better Human wherever you're listening to this.

Marcella Arguello is a walking business. As a comedian, she’s tasked with being her own marketer, manager, and more — on top of actually performing. However, she’s found that the unfiltered honesty that captivates an audience often gets her in trouble in business meetings. Needing help to manage these conflicting expectations, she turns to Anne and Frances for help. Together, they design a strategy for Marcella to be her most authentic self without compromising her career. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

Lynn works in HR and leads DEI efforts for a multinational company. She’s seen leadership get excited about the idea of inclusion only to retreat at their first blunder. Now, she asks Anne and Frances for help on charging ahead. Together, they dig into the anxieties that prevent action from being taken — and create a plan to make DEI a real priority. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.