1 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 1: Welcome to How I Work, a show about the tactics 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 1: used by leading innovators to get so much out of 3 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:12,240 Speaker 1: their day. I'm your host, doctor Amantha Imbach. I'm an 4 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:16,120 Speaker 1: organizational psychologist, the CEO of Inventium, and I'm obsessed with 5 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:20,279 Speaker 1: finding ways to optimize my work day. This episode is 6 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:24,640 Speaker 1: another my Favorite Tip episode. The title is probably pretty 7 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: self explanatory. It's about my favorite tip from each of 8 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: the interviews I conduct. I use this format because I 9 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:34,200 Speaker 1: sometimes feel as a podcast listener that I just want 10 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: to get in and get the most value from an 11 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 1: episode and then get out, So in this format, I 12 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: try to do just that. So I'll be going through 13 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: past episodes of How I Work and digging up my 14 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:48,160 Speaker 1: favorite tip from each interview. My guest today is doctor 15 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: Jason Fox. I've known Jason for the best part of 16 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: a decade, and like me, he's a scientist at heart 17 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: and has a bias for strategies that are grounded in research. 18 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: So Jason travels all around the world helping companies such 19 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: as Microsoft, Salesforce, McDonald's, and Toyota in the area of 20 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: motivation design. In this excerpt, we get to hear about 21 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 1: how Jason identifies what he calls fulfillment factors. So these 22 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:17,759 Speaker 1: are critical things that need to be present in our 23 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: lives for us to feel happy, energized, motivated, and I 24 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:25,559 Speaker 1: guess fulfilled. This excerpt starts off with Jason talking about 25 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,479 Speaker 1: his weekly and monthly rituals, which include checking in on 26 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,040 Speaker 1: his own and his partners fulfillment factors, and then we 27 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: delve into how to identify your own fulfillment factors. 28 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 2: Over to jas Yeah, so weekly, there's a in an 29 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,039 Speaker 2: ideal world, there's a partner meeting. This happens only about 30 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 2: half the time. The partner meeting is us Kim and 31 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 2: I are checking in the business, but it's also checking 32 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 2: in with each other's for filment factors, what's working for us, 33 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 2: what might be getting the way we refresh our for 34 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 2: filment factors at least or whenever needed, but it usually 35 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 2: translates to every year. Things for me include curiosity, includes 36 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 2: a word like vitality, and vitality includes physical activity time 37 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 2: and nature, time with friends and things like that. Weekly 38 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 2: is also a good chance to identify friction. So friction 39 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 2: things that the things that happen each week. These are 40 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 2: the things that if you nibble them in the bud early. 41 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 2: They don't have to turn into something bigger later. But 42 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 2: these things, they're a little pesky, annoying things. But if 43 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 2: there's a space to be like, hey, Finn, it like 44 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 2: it takes way too much time to do this, so 45 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 2: we could probably do this better. That appears weekly. Monthly, 46 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 2: we try to have some sort of full day dedicated 47 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 2: to looking at the business, looking at what we're doing. 48 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 2: And that's something where we try to go beyond the 49 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 2: operational stuff and bring a little bit more creativity into it, 50 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 2: like what's a better way that we can do this? 51 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 2: Or in the moment, I'm looking at my booking agreement 52 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 2: and thinking, okay, the lawyers had a look at that, 53 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 2: can we humanize this at all? Are there any opportunity? 54 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 2: Is probably dangerous thing to be focused on, But there's 55 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 2: things that happen on the website or other things like that. 56 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 2: It's just that monthly thing gives us a chance to 57 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,679 Speaker 2: look at a little bit deeper. It also makes us think, 58 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 2: do we want to host do we want to host 59 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 2: an event tour? What's some quirky collaboration that Kim with 60 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,919 Speaker 2: her illustration writing and myself we might be able to 61 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 2: put together quarterly bigger projects. And there's also a seasonality 62 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 2: to things, and mid midwinter there's like a brooding time 63 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 2: of deep work and writing and stuff. And yeah, midsummer 64 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 2: is much more, much more. Just stop working and allow 65 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 2: some empty time into our world. 66 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: Hmm, that's nice. I like the seasonality. It reminds me 67 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: of the book by the base Camp Guys. It doesn't 68 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: have to be crazy at work where they talk about 69 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: the seasonal your base camp and how in the summer 70 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: months they'll do I think a four day, thirty two 71 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 1: hour week and you know winter will feel very different 72 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: this summer and it's sort of it's seasonal. 73 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 2: I like that a lot. 74 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: I want to know with your fulfillment factors, how did 75 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,279 Speaker 1: you know what they were? How did you uncover those? 76 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 2: So yeah, good question. And this is this is a 77 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:25,719 Speaker 2: good thing for I think any team leader to do 78 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 2: for themselves and ask of their team as well. This 79 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 2: is this came across where essentially I read an article 80 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 2: about anti goals. So if you think about the types 81 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 2: of things within your day that contribute to a really 82 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 2: crappy day, like day full of meetings or you know, 83 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 2: not sleeping well, running late, think about all those things, 84 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,039 Speaker 2: and that's the starting point. Then think about the times 85 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 2: in your life where you've experienced extreme versions of this, 86 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 2: like extreme lack of f moment, and then the flip 87 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:04,920 Speaker 2: side wherever the times what's been going on you've felt 88 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 2: really quite fulfilled? What have been the factors that contribute there? 89 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 2: So I know there's this spiral that happens for me 90 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 2: that if I have a lot of time traveling where 91 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 2: I'm doing interstate or international work with clients, the flights, 92 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,479 Speaker 2: the time difference, the diet that changes when I'm in hotels, 93 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 2: sleeping in different rooms can set me on this little 94 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 2: bit of a spiral in terms of health and making 95 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 2: bad choices. I know also that if I have more 96 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 2: than three days past where I haven't done my morning 97 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 2: pages or my morning ritual, that's usually an early indicator 98 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 2: that something's going on here. If there's more than three 99 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 2: days past where I haven't had time to read books 100 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 2: or feed my curiosity, which is a fulfillment factor, that's 101 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 2: an early warning sign. And so all these things. If 102 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 2: we look at these factors and distill it down to 103 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 2: a list of three or five things, that's usually enough 104 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,040 Speaker 2: of a sense. All right, Well, what does it look 105 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:03,360 Speaker 2: like if vitality of the fulfillment factor is being that, 106 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 2: it looks like going to the gym three times a 107 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 2: week and looks like getting good sleep, and so you 108 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:11,640 Speaker 2: can usually distill it into something quite measurable. That's the 109 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:15,719 Speaker 2: process of how that comes about. And it's not a 110 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:18,480 Speaker 2: set and forget. I think some things become different priorities 111 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 2: at different times. But it's something that serves us as 112 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 2: a background reminder. 113 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:26,040 Speaker 1: Okay, so you're kind of tapping into what are the 114 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: things that frustrate you and then kind of looking at 115 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: what's what's the opposite. 116 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:39,239 Speaker 2: With the explore both extremes and they provide the hints 117 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:43,280 Speaker 2: as to what's what's lacking or what's there in abundance 118 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 2: and what is that thing if you if you if 119 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 2: you expand up into a higher level of abstraction, what 120 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 2: is that thing there? Yeah? 121 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:53,599 Speaker 1: I like that, And that's nice that you do that 122 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 1: with your partner Kim as well. That's that's a really 123 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 1: nice ritual. 124 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, and it's happened with some teams that I've 125 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 2: helped facilitate this with where they've gotten to know each other. 126 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:09,279 Speaker 2: It's really significant fulfillment factors. So for some folks it's 127 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 2: been you know, if the time with time with family 128 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 2: in the morning or in the evening and stuff is 129 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 2: really really important. And I know that there are times 130 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 2: where we've got to stay back late at work, but 131 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 2: there are just some things that are really vital and 132 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 2: for the rest of the team to know that means 133 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 2: that they can champion their fulfillment factors. More. Other things 134 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 2: are like, you know, if it comes to a fulfillment 135 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 2: factor around curiosity, for example, a culture around where there's 136 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 2: an active, live conversation around what are you reading or 137 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 2: what things what are you hearing from? That can help 138 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 2: in that fulfillment factor too. 139 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 1: Hey, it's a mad to hear again. So I really 140 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: love this idea of identifying and checking you in on 141 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: your own fulfillment factors. I feel like at work we 142 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 1: can be so focused on goals and metrics and hard 143 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 1: numbers like that, and it's so easy to lose sight 144 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 1: of what's actually personally important to us. I went through 145 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 1: the process of identifying fulfillment factors with my team at 146 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 1: Inventium a few years ago now, which was really fantastic, 147 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: and I'm now thinking that it might be time to 148 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:23,320 Speaker 1: go through that process again because it really added this 149 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 1: extra layer of depth in understanding the people that I 150 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:30,880 Speaker 1: work with every day. So that is it for today. 151 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: If you like this excerpt, you might want to listen 152 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 1: to my full chat with Jason, which I linked to 153 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 1: in the show notes. And if you're enjoying how I work, 154 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:42,600 Speaker 1: I'd love it if you could take five seconds that's 155 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:44,400 Speaker 1: literally a little will take to leave a review in 156 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:47,920 Speaker 1: iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. So leaving reviews 157 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:51,359 Speaker 1: actually makes it easier for other people to find this podcast. 158 00:08:51,559 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 1: And I should also say thank you to all the 159 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 1: wonderful people who have left five star reviews and written 160 00:08:56,880 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 1: some lovely words. It truly does make my day. And 161 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 1: on that note, I'll see you next time.