CoolTimeLife

In this episode, I dive into an exciting and timely topic: how generative AI is becoming a powerful and innovative tool for boosting human motivation, unleashing creativity, and reducing the fear of failure. It explores how today's AI tools are not just for coders and tech-savvy professionals—they are emotional allies, collaborators, and motivators for anyone looking to innovate and express themselves. I offer a thought-provoking narrative that looks at the emotional side of creativity, seeking to make the case that the real value of generative AI lies not in replacing human effort, but in enhancing confidence, reducing creative blocks, and providing a safe, judgment-free space for people to try new ideas. Whether it's writing a song, designing a business plan, or simply exploring new ways of thinking, AI can act as a motivational partner, helping people take that crucial first step. One of the most compelling points made in this episode is that creativity doesn't always have to start with a blank page. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and others can provide prompts, first drafts, and conceptual ideas that give people the courage to keep going. These tools "ignite the spark"—the initial momentum that's often the hardest part of any creative journey. The episode also discusses how AI reduces the fear of failure. Since the interaction happens privately on a screen, people are more willing to experiment, iterate, and take risks. This gives AI a surprising and powerful role as a personal motivator, one that doesn't judge or grade, but simply supports. I explore how this can have deep implications across all walks of life—from students and professionals to entrepreneurs and artists. Generative AI becomes not just a tool, but a trusted creative collaborator, always ready to listen and offer ideas, no matter the time of day. This episode is a must-listen for anyone feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or creatively blocked. If you're curious about how AI can be more than just a technical assistant, and instead become a source of emotional empowerment and creative liberation, this episode is for you. Tune in to discover how you can turn generative AI into your personal muse. If you have a comment about this podcast, feel free to drop me a line through the contact form at https://cooltimelife.com. A full listing of our past CoolTimeLife episodes is available there too. I update the episodes regularly so that the concepts do not get dated. So, check them out and download whatever feels good. If you feel you are getting value from this series, please leave a review, and tell just one person about us, or mention us on social media. And if you want, you can support us on Patreon. Contributions from our listeners allow me and my team to spend more time researching and preparing our podcast series. If that feels fair to you, please visit https://patreon.com/steveprentice.SEO Keywords and Phrases:Generative AI motivationAI creativity toolsUsing AI to overcome creative blocksChatGPT for inspirationHow AI helps with creativityAI as emotional supportAI collaboration in the workplaceGenerative AI podcastCreative productivity with AIPersonal growth through AI

The Lost Dimension - How Reconnecting with Physical Space Enhances Learning and CommunicationIn an era dominated by video calls and digital communication, we may be overlooking a critical element that enhances learning, creativity, and connection: our interaction with the physical spaces around us. This podcast explores the profound impact of three-dimensional awareness on our ability to learn, communicate, and engage with others. It delves into how the simple, tactile act of using a landline telephone in the past offered a richer, more grounded conversational experience compared to today's mobile phones and video chats.A full listing and descriptions of our episodes is available at https://cooltimelife.com. If you're interested in supporting the CoolTimeLife podcast series, visit https://www.patreon.com/steveprenticeKey Takeaways:  1. The Lost Art of Tangible Interaction: The transition from landline telephones to mobile devices and video chats has diminished the unique, focused engagement once fostered by fixed-location conversations. Reconnecting with tangible, physical surroundings can enhance communication and creativity.  2. The Value of Passive Focus: Activities such as watching an aquarium or playing sports like tennis allow the mind to relax and focus naturally, emphasizing the importance of integrating passive, manageable stimuli into modern technology-driven interactions.  3. Video Chat Limitations: Video conferencing, while convenient, often lacks the depth of connection and engagement found in in-person meetings or even traditional phone calls. This is largely due to the sterile, two-dimensional nature of video calls.  4. Importance of Shared Spaces in Communication: Physical surroundings in a shared space enrich conversations and foster creativity. Virtual environments, like Virbela, offer a promising alternative by simulating three-dimensional interaction.  5. Human Connection in Retail and Beyond: The resurgence of human cashiers and knowledgeable sales assistants in retail highlights the enduring need for personal interaction and the value of contact with three-dimensional, real-world environments. Keywords: - Importance of tangible interaction in communication - Benefits of passive focus for creativity - Limitations of video conferencing for engagement - Virtual environments for three-dimensional communication - Role of shared spaces in meaningful conversations - Enhancing remote meetings with virtual reality platforms - Connection between physical surroundings and creative thinking - Benefits of human interaction in retail settings - Reducing video call fatigue with innovative technologies - Reimagining workplace communication in a digital age 

In this episode, I encourage listeners to dedicate time to comfort as part of their work strategy. By proactively managing client and employee expectations, sharing stories, and reframing change as an opportunity rather than a threat, you can turn fear into trust and satisfaction into loyalty. Whether you're dealing with customers, employees, or adapting to emerging technologies like Generative AI, comfort is your greatest ally in fostering connections and inspiring confidence.  Tune in to this episode for actionable insights and transformative stories that show how delivering comfort can set you apart in today's competitive world. For more, visit the episode page at cooltimelife.com/comfort.5 Key Takeaways from the Episode Comfort vs. Satisfaction: Comfort precedes satisfaction in customer relationships. It establishes trust and reduces stress, forming the foundation for lasting loyalty and engagement. The Power of Storytelling: The phrase “let me tell you a story” instantly connects with people, creating a safe, relaxed environment for effective communication. Proactive Communication: Simple acts like providing updates or setting clear expectations deliver comfort and reassure customers, employees, or clients. Managing Change Through Comfort: Leaders can ease fears about new technologies like Generative AI by reframing change as an opportunity and emphasizing human adaptability. Comfort in Leadership: Within organizations, delivering comfort to employees builds engagement, reduces turnover, and fosters a positive culture of trust and respect. If you have a comment about this podcast, feel free to drop me a line through the contact form at cooltimelife.com. A full listing of our past CoolTimeLife episodes is available there too. I update the episodes regularly so that the concepts do not get dated. So, check them out and download whatever feels good. If you feel you are getting value from this series, please leave a review, and tell just one person about us, or mention us on social media. And if you want, you can support us on Patreon. Contributions from our listeners allow me and my team to spend more time researching and preparing our podcast series. If that feels fair to you, please visit patreon.com/steveprentice.Keywords:- The importance of comfort in customer service relationships - How to build trust through proactive communication - The role of storytelling in delivering comfort and trust - Managing employee fears during technology adoption - Comfort strategies for building loyal customers - How to differentiate comfort vs. satisfaction in customer service - Effective leadership through managing expectations and delivering comfort - Creating a positive organizational culture with proactive reassurance - Storytelling techniques for enhancing customer experience - AI in customer service: addressing fears and creating opportunities

We all communicate, but we don't all do it well. The need to send information in small packages, like texting, has taken away a vital component of conversation: conflict. Sounds strange, right? But we learn more when arguments and counterfactual discussions are introduced into our interactions. It strengthens knowledge and relationships. My guest, Douglas Squirrel, is an expert in practising the art of constructive conflict.You can find out more about Douglas Squirrel by visiting https://douglassquirrel.com.A full listing and descriptions of our episodes is available at https://cooltimelife.com. If you're interested in supporting the CoolTimeLife podcast series, visit https://www.patreon.com/steveprentice

AI's Unmentioned Emissions: Induced Demand, Ergonomic Inflation, and what they might mean for you. There's no question that AI and generative-AI can do a lot of great things, with more being developed every day. But humans have a terrible knack of falling prey to “induced demand” and “ergonomic inflation,” both of which hold the potential of stealing away all the productivity that AI promised to deliver.If you have a comment about this podcast, feel free to drop me a line through the contact form at https://cooltimelife.com. A full listing of our past CoolTimeLife episodes is available there too. I update the episodes regularly so that the concepts do not get dated. So, check them out and download whatever feels good. If you feel you are getting value from this series, please leave a review, and tell just one person about us, or mention us on social media. And if you want, you can support us on Patreon. Contributions from our listeners allow me and my team to spend more time researching and preparing our podcast series. If that feels fair to you, please visit https://patreon.com/steveprentice.

Why is it that so many people lose the brilliance and creativity they are born with? Life has a way of pressing peoples' motivations and self confidence down to a tiny fraction of their former selves.This is particularly tragic when you realize just how many times people hear the word "no" as they are growing up. My guest for this episode, Simon T. Bailey wants to give people their ability to be brilliant again. His drive and passion are refreshing and inspiring, and time spent with him will give you the chance to reconnect with your own inner brilliance and resilience.

Much has been written about great leaders, but what happens when a leader starts to poison the well? Some leaders do not have the right people skills, some are only in it for themselves and others actually see a merit in appearing as a saint while ruling through fear and oppression behind closed doors. It only takes one person with one drop of poison to cause enormous and lasting damage to an organization. My guest, Sean Lemson, is an expert in spotting and fixing the poisonous leader problem.Sean's website is https://motivatedoutcomes.com and his/her/their LinkedIn profile is https://www.linkedin.com/in/slemson/.If you have a comment about this podcast, feel free to drop me a line through the contact form at cooltimelife.com. A full listing of our past CoolTimeLife episodes is available there too. I update the episodes regularly so that the concepts do not get dated. So, check them out and download whatever feels good. If you feel you are getting value from this series, please leave a review, and tell just one person about us, or mention us on social media. And if you want, you can support us on Patreon. Contributions from our listeners allow me and my team to spend more time researching and preparing our podcast series. If that feels fair to you, please visit patreon.com/steveprentice.

An interview with Rebecca AhmedThe most recent State of the Global Workforce Report from the Gallup Organization says that less than one-quarter of the U.S. workforce is engaged at work, and traditional methods to engage workers clearly aren't working, especially when it comes to attracting and retaining Gen Z workers. Some might say it has always been that way, but it doesn't need to be, and Rebecca Ahmed is leading the charge to restore energy into work culture.Visit Rebecca at: energeticimpact.comHer book, The Energy of Success, is available everywhere books are sold.                                                                     A full listing and descriptions of our episodes is available at CoolTimeLife.com If you're interested in supporting the CoolTimeLife podcast series, visit https://www.patreon.com/steveprentice

An interview with Drew Jones, PhD.For decades, companies have been spending money on culture and training and have very little to show for it. Why? Because they have been going about it all wrong. They have been ignoring the concept that Drew Jones and others call “the collective brain” which is more organic, a lot easier, and tends to stick a whole lot more easily.Visit Drew Jones at drewjones.co and his company at Experient.work. He is available on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amjonesphd/Drew's book, The Open Culture Handbook: Five Questions to Drive Engagement and Innovation is available wherever books are sold.A full listing of our episodes is available at CoolTimeLife.com.If you're interested in supporting the CoolTimeLife podcast series, visit Steve on Patreon at patreon.com/steveprentice 

Far too much of our management practices are based on thinking developed as far back as the 1950s. Lori Mazan says this needs to change, but there are many reasons why it takes so long. Lori is co-founder, president, and chief coaching officer of Sounding Board, Inc., a center for leadership development. She is also author of a new book, Leadership Revolution: The Future of Developing Dynamic Leaders (Wiley, 2023)A full listing and descriptions of our episodes is available at CoolTimeLife.com.  If you're interested in supporting the CoolTimeLife podcast series, visit Steve on Patreon.

Barbie Brewer has held executive positions at Netflix and GitLab and has been instrumental in establishing successful hybrid work environments at both places. In this interview she talks bout what she learned, how it affected her own life and what she recommends for leaders who are struggling with the concept of hybrid work at their own locations.Her website is https://barbiejane.comA full listing and descriptions of our episodes is available at https://CoolTimeLife.com If you're interested in supporting the CoolTimeLife podcast series, visit https://www.patreon.com/steveprentice

UPDATED January 2023: The Box of Time - Sounds like a science fiction movie, doesn't it? But it's not. At least not here. A box of time is a highly powerful way of influencing people and managing time, simply by managing expectations and giving people an alternative to fearing the unknown. It will allow you to to be left alone to focus, and also get people to show up when you want them to. It will give you some ideas on how to best structure your day and even lighten your load by no longer being the path of least resistance.. As a bonus, you'll even learn a bit about Bonsai trees.More information on our CoolTimeLife series is available at https://cooltimelife.comIf you're interested in supporting the CoolTimeLife podcast series, visit https://www.patreon.com/steveprentice

Every week we take some of the most interesting news stories about people, work and life and summarize them. Here's what we found interesting about the workweek this week:More companies seem to be rejecting the work-from-home model High-flying executives enjoy WFH and a premium commute – but they're still under scrutinyFeedback is now a bad thing. Welcome to the world of “feedforward.”SalesForce releases Einstein Copilot – a model of how jobs will change with AIShow notes to this episode are available at https://cooltimelife.comIf you're interested in supporting the CoolTimeLife podcast series, visit https://www.patreon.com/steveprentice

The problem with in-person get-togethers: Whenever events and get-togethers occur, they come up against a big problem – people's time. We're just not as available as we used to be, and frankly we don't always want to go. So, what's to be done? Are get togethers worth it anymore?A full listing and descriptions of our episodes is available at https://CoolTimeLife.com If you're interested in supporting the CoolTimeLife podcast series, visit https://www.patreon.com/steveprentice

Every week we take some of the most interesting news stories about people, work and life and summarize them. Here's what we found interesting about the workweek this week: Looking for work-life balance? How about sharing your job? The four-day workweek grows in popularity.  Britons least likely to say work is important to them, world study finds. Treat yourself: one way people are finding back-to-the-office motivation. Late for your meeting? Zoom's new 'AI companion' has your backShow notes to this episode are available at https://cooltimelife.com If you're interested in supporting the CoolTimeLife podcast series, visit https://www.patreon.com/steveprentice

Many high-profile companies these days are reflections of their superstar CEOs – people like Elon Musk and Jamie Dimon. Author Thomas Keil suggests that although they may be good for branding, just like regular rock stars, they can't truly do it alone.His new book, co-authored with Marianna Zangrillo, is entitled The Next Leadership Team: How to Select, Build, and Optimize Your Top Team, and is available at Amazon and elsewhere.Thomas Keil, D.Sc. (Tech.)Thomas professional aim is to bridge the divide between academia and practice.He is a Full Professor at the University of Zurich, Switzerland where he teaches strategy and international management. Thomas holds a D.Sc. (Tech.) and Lic. Tech. from Helsinki University of Technology and a Dipl. Wirtsch. Ing from TH Darmstadt. Previously he taught at the Schulich School of Business at York University in Canada and at Aalto University in Finland.Thomas' research focuses on the senior leader's agenda in multinational corporations, specifically board design, CEO succession, leadership teams, transformation, mergers and acquisitions, and strategy. His research has won several awards and has been published in leading practitioner journals, including the Harvard Business Review and the MIT Sloan Management Review in addition to top academic journals.Thomas is a partner in The Next Advisors a consulting firm advising CEOs, executives, and boards of small and large corporations across a wide range of industries. As an internationally recognized authority on CEO, leadership, and strategy topics, he has taught executives from Asia, Europe, and North America and is a regular keynote speaker.Marianna Zangrillo, D.Sc. (Tech.)Born in 1974, Marianna is a transformational leader, a business angel and an author.She has spent the past 20 years working in senior roles across industries, where she has been driving significant transformation initiatives to drive operational excellence, higher ROI and increased corporate performance. In those roles, Marianna has led teams and projects in Europe, Middle East, Asia and North America.Marianna has been teaching at leading European universities including Aalto University and the University of Zurich and has been a keynote speaker at various practitioners' conferences.In addition, she has conducted research on boards, CEO succession, leadership teams, and board design which has been published in MIT Sloan Management Review, LSE Business Review, I by IMD, her book “The Next CEO” and her new book “The Next Leadership Team”.Marianna holds a Master of Laws (Italy, 1999), a LLM in Contract and Commercial Law (Finland, 2000), a MBA in International Management (U.K., 2005) and a PhD in Supply Chain Management (Finland, 2017).Marianna is a partner in The Next Advisors where she advises to CEOs, executives, and boards members in multiple industries.

In June 2023, FORTUNE magazine published a piece entitled "Bosses are fed up with remote work for 4 main reasons. Some of them are undeniable." Well, I'm going to deny them.  If you're interested in supporting the CoolTimeLife podcast series, visit https://www.patreon.com/steveprentice

A career never should be a clear, straight highway laid out by someone else for you to follow. This is increasingly true in this age, where career mobility and self-determination are more valuable and more appreciated than ever. There has never been a better time to explore your options, and Chris Fontanella is here to share his story and his wisdom.Find Chris at https://chrisfontanella.com/If you're interested in supporting the CoolTimeLife podcast series, visit https://www.patreon.com/steveprentice

Have you ever thought of the word office as a verb? It changes everything, shining a light on the work we do rather than the place we do it. This is just one of many great ideas presented by futurist Bob Johansen in his new book, Office Shock. In this conversation, Bob shares his views on the future of work, the impact of AI on careers, the way we handle change, and much more, all through the lens of his special brand of future-back thinking. Bob's book, Office Shock, Creating Better Futures for Living and Working, co-authored with Joseph Press and Christine Bullen, and published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers is available here. You can get a 30% discount off the purchase price by entering the code “OFFSHOCK” after adding the book to your cart. More information about The Institute for the Future can be found here.If you have a comment about this podcast, you can drop me a line through the contact form at steveprentice.com, where you can also find my social media links. A full listing of past episodes is available at steveprentice.com/podcast. I update all episodes regularly so that they remain a collection if viable and timely concepts. So, check them out and download whatever feels good. If you feel you are getting value from this series, please leave a review, and if you want, you can support us on Patreon. Contributions from our listeners allow me and my team to spend more time researching and preparing our podcast series. If that feels fair to you, please visit patreon.com/steveprentice.

One of the ways the workplace has changed is an increase in disrespectful leadership. Where did such disrespect come from, and what can leaders to to reverse the trend? Can we blame politics? Social Media? How about the fall of the Berlin Wall? Or maybe all those things. Here's my interview with author and leadership expert Gregg Ward.Find Gregg's tour schedule at https://restoringrespectbook.comThe first CoolTimeLife listener who connects with Gregg on LinkedIn and mentions the CoolTimeLife podcast in the connection message will receive a a free all conference pass for March 6-8, 2023Gregg's main website is https://centerforrespectfulleadership.org/ and his Amazon author page is https://www.amazon.com/stores/Gregg-Ward/author/B001K7X112If you're interested in supporting the CoolTimeLife podcast series, visit https://www.patreon.com/steveprentice

ChatGPT took the world by storm in early 2023. But it's not what you think it is. Steve takes a look at what it does and how it might affect you.Here is David Smerdon's Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/dsmerdon/status/1618816703923912704Here is a link to my YouTube video about avoiding phishing traps: https://youtu.be/-QhgT5icZV0If you're interested in supporting the CoolTimeLife podcast series and discovering our Work Like a Wolf Series, visit https://www.patreon.com/steveprentice

The 40 hour workweek is a myth in term of productivity expectations. The reality is people in knowledge work positions get far less than 40 hours of work done per week, in fact you're lucky if you get 40 days' worth or work done in a year. This episode looks at the numbers and a suggests it's time for a better way for employers to assess what work actually is.

The pandemic got everyone onto video chat faster than they may have wanted. As convenient as it may be it lacked a certain three-dimensionality But there are new environments available in which your avatar can walk around and be more natural as we spend time together. Are you ready for it? Is the world ready for it?Curious about Virbela? Check out https://www.virbela.com/

The "slacker barista". The "McJob". The Liberal Arts "Basket weaving" degree. These terms are routinely used to make fun of people who work hard in the food service industry, or who pursue education that does not seem to have a direct path to a set career. In all cases, these people are thought of as unmotivated and unsuccessful. But despite the fact they are working hard to make a living, there is great career potential that can come from the experiences gained in the food service, and through broad education.

Why Asynchronous meetings make more sense for the future of work.Email and meetings have been uncomfortable necessities for decades, and they both hearken back to a time when communication was formal and hierarchical. The fluid nature of collaboration technologies like Slack is a game changer.

Regain mental fluidity by leaving email behind.Email and meetings have been uncomfortable necessities for decades, and they both hearken back to a time when communication was formal and hierarchical. The fluid nature of collaboration technologies like Slack is a game changer.

How Human Reflex Stands in the Way of Digital TransformationHidden behind the term digital transformation is the word “change,” and that does not sit well with most people because change represents a threat that strikes at the hearts of our greatest fear: losing our job. 

A discussion with author Alberto Silveira about his new book on managing distributed teams.There is a big difference between remote work teams and distributed work teams, and this is as much to do with workplace innovation as with how the team members are managed, and with how they interact from their separate locations. Author Alberto Silveira chats with Steve about his book and his career to date, building successful companies by employing people who work somewhere other than the office.

Night owls have always had it tougher in a workday designed by and made for “morning people.” So why are some people aligned to a later body clock and what does the new normal hold for them? It's good news.

Night owls have always had it tougher in a workday designed by and made for “morning people.” So why are some people aligned to a later body clock and what does the new normal hold for them? It's good news.

Dan Price is CEO of Gravity Payments and his attitude towards how work should be done is a great proof of concept that could lead to a mutually beneficial reversal in hiring and onboarding processes.

The multi hour classroom session never really worked. It was too much information delivered in the wrong way, to a range of people with vastly different learning styles. The better, more effective way is upon us, and it's called microlearning. 

One of the chief pushbacks to virtual presence technology and the work-from-home lifestyle has been that people will miss out on networking and career enhancement opportunities. Steve assesses whether this is true or not.

Trust is a fragile thing, but must only be shared between people who know each other well. Unfortunately, we trust too many other things, especially when this comes to technology, and it has to change. We need to embrace a trustless society. In this episode, Steve shares his easy-to-learn and easy-to-teach technique for avoiding getting tricked by SMS and spam messages, avoiding robocalls, understanding social engineering, and the blockchain. All in 15 minutes.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being Virtual: How to Enjoy a Full-Time Virtual Workspace.There will soon be a time when we question why we ever packed ourselves into cars, trains and subways twice a day, just to do what we can do from home. The Virtual Workplace is not about endless Zoom meetings. It's about establishing a presence where work and socializing can occur. And it's here now.Kosy Office is available at https://kosyoffice.comToucan is available at https://toucan.events

The Persistence of Memory: What the Pandemic Taught Us About How We RememberWhen you visit a place that you haven't been to for a year or more, the first is you say to yourself, “is it really a year since I was last here?” This phenomenon reveals something about memory that should change the way we work and learn.

For centuries, people in crowds have acted irrationally, passionately and violently, even if they didn't start out that way as individuals. This episode looks at the contagion of crowd madness and where it comes from.

One of the key discoveries we made in 2020 about video chat technology was how much it revealed about what was not there: the hum of human presence. We need a technology that helps us not only get through the meetings together but one that will get us through the whole day. If you ever visited Wii Island, you’ll see what I mean.

People around the world have reported experiencing more vivid dreams as they endure the COVID-19 lockdown. So why is this? This episode looks at how sleep and dreaming actually work and how we are rediscovering its mechanics due to social isolation.

What did people eat back in the 1930’s and 1940’? How did they cook? Becky Brillon has done the research and has created a website, TheWarInMyKitchen.com, as well as a companion cookbook, Generations Cookbook. She discusses what inspired her to research foodie life in the era of Depression and wartime rationing and its impact on us today.

Socializing through video in the era of the COVID-19 lockdown has given people a new perspective on how to relate to fellow humans, in terms of what we can do online and what we can no longer do in person. My interview with tech design guru Howard Suissa talks about being human online, the future of personal technology, the future legal status of your VR avatar, and even why Blade Runner is better than Star Trek. All of this in 18 minutes.

“I know what you did” is a type of leading phrase that cuts right through to your hidden guilt and fear. It gives the accuser enormous power over you, even if they know nothing about you. It has been used as a source of power throughout history and continues to be so, especially in politics and religion. In this podcast Steve looks at its enormous influential power.

The growing COVID-19 pandemic presents us with unprecedented levels of fear and uncertainty. In this episode, Steve looks at why the phase “Keep Calm and Carry On” was used during World War II. He describes how your mind will likely react to change, and tips on how to deal with it better.

Working from home has been around for a while, and current events are making it more necessary. Now is a good time for managers to see just how good it is for their organization's future. Here are five reasons (and two bonus reasons why working from home and remote work should be encouraged, now and always.

Information no longer comes at us in alphabetical order. It swirls around us on social media, and there's a lot out there that could really help your business or career. Being able to find it is what I call part of "Digital Literacy." Join me as I explain just how to find it.

Thinking up passwords is a chore. Two factor authentication is complicated. And hacking and data breaches? They'll never happen to us. That's for the biggest of the big companies. Wrong on all counts. Cyberhygiene, the practice of securing passwords, accounts and devices, is straightforward and easy. It's also vital. Not just at work, but at home, too. We are all connected - like a global game of six degrees of separation, and the bad guys count on you being the weak point that will help them go wherever they want. This 10-minute episode looks at why we feel it is such a chore, and what we should all be doing right now to patch up the security holes that affect us all.

People try their best to plan their days, but then there are those unexpected activities - calls or requests from your boss or customers that throw it all out the window. But it doesn't have to be that way. Humans are hard-wired to react, but when we learn to pro-act, a calendar becomes a tool of influence, and crises need no longer happen. Here's my simple three step plan.

Thinking up passwords is a chore. Two factor authentication is complicated. And hacking and data breaches? They'll never happen to us. That's for the biggest of the big companies. Wrong on all counts. Cyberhygiene, the practice of securing passwords, accounts and devices, is straightforward and easy. It's also vital. Not just at work, but at home, too. We are all connected - like a global game of six degrees of separation, and the bad guys count on you being the weak point that will help them go wherever they want. This 10-minute episode looks at why we feel it is such a chore, and what we should all be doing right now to patch up the security holes that affect us all.

At the end of every problem, task or opportunity, there is a person waiting for something. This means that the best way to manage stress, time and actual productivity is to ensure you focus on the needs and expectations of that person, and not just the work itself. In this podcast, you will learn four essential techniques for learning how to influence people to help ensure a more productive and healthier workday.

Food and exercise. How often have you had to deal with these twin pressures – somehow in the midst of a busy day, we have to find the time and discipline to eat right and get more exercise. According to executive health and longevity expert Tim Bean, there are five key principles of effective nutrition. Get these easy tips down and you will be burning calories like an elite athlete.

Thought leaders and research companies that study the future of work state that soft skills, such as critical thinking and empathy will be vital. These techniques will contribute to lifelong learning, enhanced collaboration and even cybersecurity by ensuring people think more before doing, and who seek to connect more efficiently with the people they are communicating with. As AI and machine learning take over more of people's current work responsibilities, it will be "soft" people skills that will become central to each person's professional destiny.