Squiggly Careers

Squiggly Shortcut: How to ask for feedback in a way that puts learning first

Asking for feedback can feel uncomfortable. What if you hear something you don’t agree with? What if it confirms your worst fears? And how do you ask without it feeling formal or awkward? In this Squiggly Shortcut, Sarah shares 3 simple ways to ask for feedback that actually helps you learn and grow.Episode 542🦞 Learn Like A Lobster:🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av 📚 Resources Mentioned3 Ways To Give And Get Constructive Feedback #457 - https://youtu.be/XbP49h60XE4?si=ya6IJS1nsJxbDCsCFor questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.comMore ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/🦞 Join the Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Practical Guide to Prototyping at Work

This week’s episode comes to you from a very snowy New York, where Sarah and Helen are launching the US edition of Learn Like a Lobster - in the middle of the biggest blizzard in ten years. Despite battling icy steps and snowy conditions, they’re diving into a topic that could transform how you approach ideas at work: prototyping.Borrowing brilliance from Nesta, Sarah and Helen explore a practical 4-part framework to help you move from “this might be a good idea” to something tangible, testable and useful.Episode 541🦞 Learn Like A Lobster:🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av📚 Resources MentionedSay the Hard Thing Scenario Planner - https://www.saythehardthing.ai/Learn Like a Lobster Profiler - https://www.learnlikealobsterprofiler... Nesta Prototyping Framework - https://www.nesta.org.uk/toolkit/prototyping-framework/For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.comMore ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/🦞 Join the Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Squiggly Shortcut: Give to Gain - The Career Strategy Nobody Talks About

If networking feels awkward or transactional, this Squiggly Shortcut offers a simpler starting point: give to gain. Inspired by the theme of International Women's day, Helen explores why focusing on what you can contribute, rather than what you can get, makes building relationships easier and more effective. Generosity strengthens connections and creates reciprocity, a concept backed by research from Adam Grant. To make it practical, she shares three easy ways to get started: reflect on what you’re recommended for, share lessons from your experiences, and offer your expertise in small, useful ways. A short, actionable guide to building career karma that feels genuine, not transactional.Episode 540🦞 Learn Like A Lobster:🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av 📚 Resources MentionedAre you a giver or a taker? | Adam Grant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyXRYgjQXX0How to create career karma | Squiggly Careers E298 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rcBw84iTUAFor questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.comMore ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/🦞 Join the Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to Change Behaviour at Work

In this episode, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from a powerful Harvard Business Review article by James Elfer, Siri Chilazi, and Edward Chang on the science of behaviour change at work.They unpack the “Four T’s” model, a practical framework used in big organisations to drive measurable behaviour change. But instead of keeping it theoretical, they apply it to real team challenges like:- Reducing interruptions in meetings- Prioritising important work over easy tasks- Keeping objectives alive (not just setting them)- Moving from “busy” to genuinely impactfulYou’ll hear how to get specific about the behaviour you want to change, design simple interventions that fit your culture, introduce them at the right moment, and measure whether they’re actually working. If you’ve ever said, “We know what to do… we’re just not doing it,” this episode will give you a structured, science-backed way to close that say-do gap, without adding more noise to your workload.Episode 539🦞 Learn Like A Lobster:🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av(00:00) How to Change Behaviour at Work(01:00) The Four T’s explained(05:49) Step 1: Target the right behaviour(07:02) Step 2: Build your theory of change(08:28) Step 3: Make it timely(09:27) Step 4: Test the effect(10:48) Real examples from teams📚 Resources MentionedTo Change Company Culture, Start with One High-Impact Behavior: https://hbr.org/2026/01/to-change-company-culture-start-with-one-high-impact-behaviorFor questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.comMore ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/🦞 Join the Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Squiggly Shortcut: How to Influence People Who Disagree With You

If influence sometimes feels uncomfortable or awkward, this is a fresh take that reframes it as collaboration rather than persuasion. In this Squiggly Shortcut, Sarah shares a practical, three-step approach to influencing with curiosity rather than control. Using the example of someone challenging the idea of squiggly careers, Sarah explores why pushing harder rarely works and why listening first is often your most powerful move. From opening up the conversation with genuine curiosity, to involving someone in shaping the solution, to landing on a payoff they actually care about, this episode is a simple guide to influencing in a way that feels thoughtful, not manipulative.Episode 538🦞 Learn Like A Lobster:🇺🇸PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn🇬🇧 Amazon UK - https://bit.ly/46lj8Av 📚 Resources MentionedEpisode 239: Ask the Expert with Connson Chou Locke - https://shows.acast.com/amazingif/episodes/239-ask-the-expert-influence-with-connson-chou-lockeFor questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.comMore ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/🦞 Join the Learn Like a Lobster Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.