Mind Your Work – Details, episodes & analysis

Time to pull it all together! In this episode, we wrap up our mini-series on data literacy by discussing how to communicate effectively using data. We cover important things to consider when preparing your talk (or write-up), knowing your audience, and effectively structuring your message. We also briefly talk about data visualization as a tool that can be used to augment your delivery.      Timestamps: 0:50: Why is storytelling important? 2:30: Putting data and stories together 4:38: Preparation: Deciding on your purpose 6:30: Preparation: Knowing the context 9:45: Knowing your audience 22:25: Structuring your presentation or message 28:55: The structure of a story 31:30: Data visualization 34:27: Data viz “commandments” (aka basic tips) 36:15: Effective delivery in presentations 39:40: Effective delivery in documents or manuscripts 41:40: Wrap-up   Mentioned This Episode: Cicero Public Speaking Cards Examples of great storytelling: The beauty of data visualization – David McCandless (chosen by Jose) Start with why – Simon Sinek (chosen by Nicholas) mindyourworkpodcast@gmail.com – Email us your ideas or suggestions here! MindYourWorkIO – Send us a tweet! Mindyourwork.io – Find us here!   Credits: Our intro and outro music is “Ingenuity” by Lee Rosevere, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC 3.0). You can find more of Lee’s music at https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/. https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/. Our transition music for this episode is “Bike ride with you” by Ryan Anderson. Licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC 4.0).   Logo Artwork by Antonella Espinoza. Find her at @ellaspin on Twitter!

Okay, we’ve got a research question and some data! Now what? In this episode, we talk about common analytical techniques used in the social sciences (particularly industrial and organizational psychology) and what questions they can help answer. We also talk about the only “true” way to demonstrate that X causes Y and cover some common things to watch out for when conducting analysis.   Timestamps: 1:00: Statistics and how we’re teaching them the wrong way 6:10: Describing data vs making inferences with data 9:40: Describing survey data with “percent favorability” 13:55: Why Jose thinks (knows) descriptive stats are great 17:08: Let’s talk about correlations and shark attacks 23:05: T-tests 32:23: Experimental design 101 36:13: Statistical pitfalls 40:48: Wrap-up   Mentioned This Episode: Tyler Vigen – Spurious Correlations Science Forum – Ten common statistical mistakes to watch out for mindyourworkpodcast@gmail.com – Email us your ideas or suggestions here! MindYourWorkIO – Send us a tweet! Mindyourwork.io – Find us here!      Credits: Our intro and outro music is “Ingenuity” by Lee Rosevere, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC 3.0). You can find more of Lee’s music at https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/. https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/. Our transition music for this episode is “Tech Toys” also by Lee; licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC 3.0).      Logo Artwork by Antonella Espinoza. Find her at @ellaspin on Twitter!

Mentorship is a well-known concept that is ubiquitous in organizations and frequently depicted in popular media (remember Master Yoda? “Do. Or do not. There is no try”). This is for good reason as mentors are the teachers, guides, and confidants who help us grow and reach our potential. In this episode, we discuss the research behind mentorship in the workplace. We outline some of the benefits of mentoring for mentees, the mentors themselves, and organizations. We also discuss some alternative forms of mentoring, such as sponsorship and “reverse mentoring”.      Timestamps: 1:28: What is mentorship? 3:20: Formal vs informal mentorship 6:23: Benefits of mentoring for individuals 10:02: Benefits of mentoring for organizations 11:27: How to get the most of your mentorship program 13:20: Alternatives to mentorship programs 24:45: This is Not Homework ­– What could you offer to others as a mentor?      Mentioned This Episode: HBR Article – Why Reverse Mentoring Works and How to Do It Right Reverse Mentoring: A Social Exchange Tool for Keeping the Boomers Engaged and Millennials Committed mindyourworkpodcast@gmail.com – Email us your ideas here! MindYourWorkIO – Send us a tweet! Mindyourwork.io – Find us here!      Credits: Our intro and outro music is “Ingenuity” by Lee Rosevere, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC 3.0). You can find more of Lee’s music at https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/. https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/. Our transition music for this episode is "Looking Back” also by Lee; licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC 3.0).      Logo Artwork by Antonella Espinoza. Find her at @ellaspin on Twitter!

In this episode, Jose and Nicholas discuss the thorny ethical issue of cognitive enhancement in the workplace. They cover what constitutes pharmacological cognitive enhancement (or PCE), talk about the norms around drug use, and explain how organizations benefit. They also discuss some of the reasons for, and against, the use of cognitive performance enhancing drugs in society.      Timestamps: 0:36: What is pharmacological cognitive enhancement (PCE)? 3:55: Pressure to cognitively enhance and social norms 7:05: Is PCE ethical? 14:47: The case for cognitive enhancement 16:26: Key takeaways      Mentioned This Episode: mindyourworkpodcast@gmail.com – Email us your ideas here! MindYourWorkIO – Send us a tweet! Mindyourwork.io – Find us here! Pro-cognitive enhancement article - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23627947_Towards_responsible_use_of_cognitive-enhancing_drugs_by_the_healthy      Credits: Our intro and outro music for Unscripted is “Pamgaea” by Kevin McLeod, licensed under licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. You can find more of Kevin’s music at incompetech.com. Logo Artwork by Antonella Espinoza. Find her at @ellaspin on Twitter!

“Crunch Mode” may sound like a fun breakfast cereal, but it’s actually kind of a bummer. Crunch Mode is a controversial labour practice that is common in the video game industry. It involves long hours, high amounts of stress, and no extra pay. In this episode, Jose and Nicholas talk about where Crunch Mode came from, why it is so bad, and what could be done about it.   Timestamps: 0:40: What is Crunch Mode? 2:15: The rise of awareness of Crunch Mode 3:43: What are the specifics behind Crunch Mode? 8:42: What’s so bad about Crunch Mode? 14:27: How do we change this practice in the industry? 16:05: Key takeaways   Mentioned This Episode: mindyourworkpodcast@gmail.com – Email us your ideas here! MindYourWorkIO – Send us a tweet! Mindyourwork.io – Find us here! Original Crunch Mode blog entry - https://ea-spouse.livejournal.com/ Patriot Act Episode on Crunch Mode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLAi_cmly6Q Kotaku article on Crunch Mode - https://kotaku.com/inside-rockstar-games-culture-of-crunch-1829936466 Kotaku article on hiring cycles: https://kotaku.com/why-game-developers-keep-getting-laid-off-1583192249   Credits: Our intro and outro music for Unscripted is “Pamgaea” by Kevin McLeod, licensed under licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. You can find more of Kevin’s music at incompetech.com. Logo Artwork by Antonella Espinoza. Find her at @ellaspin on Twitter!

In this episode of Unscripted, Jose and Nicholas discuss their thoughts on the taboo of talking about pay with your coworkers. They cover their own ideas as to why this taboo is so prevalent, how it negatively impacts workers, and what organizations have to gain from being more transparent about what and how they pay their employees.   Timestamps: 00:20: Introduction and why we’re talking about this topic 2:43: Our feelings on talking about money and why it can be difficult 7:30: Why talking about pay is important for employees 9:34: Can organizations and stakeholders benefit from pay transparency? 14:28: Pay bands in the context of pay transparency 16:58: Glass Door and crowd-sourced pay information 20:55: Our takeaways and wrap-up   Mentioned This Episode: mindyourworkpodcast@gmail.com – Email us your ideas here! MindYourWorkIO – Send us a tweet! Mindyourwork.io – Find us here!   Credits: Our intro and outro music for Unscripted is “Pamgaea” by Kevin McLeod, licensed under licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. You can find more of Kevin’s music at incompetech.com.   Logo Artwork by Antonella Espinoza. Find her at @ellaspin on Twitter!

We all know getting enough sleep is important, but a good night’s rest is often one of the first things we skip out on when life gets busy. In this episode, we cover the intersection between sleep and work. We outline some of the work-related consequences of lacking sleep, explain how work can hinder employees’ sleep, and discuss some of the ways organizations can support their employees’ sleep schedules and wellbeing. We also share some of our own experiences, and challenges, when it comes to sleep hygiene.      Timestamps: 1:04: Episode outline 1:52: The consequences of a lack of sleep 4:01: Why lacking sleep is harmful 7:16: How work interferes with sleep 11:01: What can organizations do to support their employees when it comes to sleep? 14:45: What can we do as individuals to improve our sleep? 17:28: Our own sleep hygiene practices and personal recommendations for getting a better sleep 23:12: Sleep tracking applications and This is Not Homework      Mentioned This Episode: f.lux - Blue light reducing software Felix Gray - blue light blocking glasses sleepscore and Sleep Cycle – Sleep tracking applications mindyourworkpodcast@gmail.com – Email us your ideas here! MindYourWorkIO – Send us a tweet! Mindyourwork.io – Find us here!      Credits: Our intro and outro music is “Ingenuity” by Lee Rosevere, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC 3.0). You can find more of Lee’s music at https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/. https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/. Our transition music for this episode is "Looking Back” also by Lee; licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC 3.0).      Logo Artwork by Antonella Espinoza. Find her at @ellaspin on Twitter!

In the second episode of a two-part series, Jose and Nicholas cover what went wrong with the NYPD’s system for tracking crimes and have a broader discussion around the challenges of picking metrics to incentivize behavior and drive performance.   Timestamps: 0:40: Brief recap of part 1 and setup for part 2 1:50: Downsides of applying “The Crime Machine” 4:37: The problem with chasing metrics 7:18: Maximum or ceiling value of metrics 9:09: Danger of focusing on single metrics at the expense of others 11:16: “The Cobra Effect” 15:38: Our takeaways and wrap-up   Mentioned This Episode: Reply All: The Crime Machine Part I – https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/o2hx34/ Reply All: The Crime Machine Part II – https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/n8hwl7/ mindyourworkpodcast@gmail.com – Email us your ideas here! MindYourWorkIO – Send us a tweet! Mindyourwork.io – Find us here!   Credits: Our intro and outro music for Unscripted is “Pamgaea” by Kevin McLeod, licensed under licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. You can find more of Kevin’s music at incompetech.com.   Logo Artwork by Antonella Espinoza. Find her at @ellaspin on Twitter!

In the first episode of a two-part series, Jose and Nicholas use Reply All’s The Crime Machine episodes to talk about the importance of good metrics and what they mean for making successful changes in an organization. They also discuss the role of high-level leaders in ensuring that interventions are carried out effectively.   Timestamps: 0:34: A recap of The Crime Machine episodes from Reply All 4:44: Good data and how it can help you allocate resources effectively 6:17: Finding the right metrics to address a problem 8:31: Understanding the importance of data quality 10:02: The role of “buy-in” from the top in interventions and reward vs. punishment 13:44: The police as a critical case study for learning about these concepts 15:07: Our takeaways from the discussion and wrap-up   Mentioned This Episode: Reply All: The Crime Machine Part I – https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/o2hx34/ Reply All: The Crime Machine Part II – https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/n8hwl7/ mindyourworkpodcast@gmail.com – Email us your ideas here! MindYourWorkIO – Send us a tweet! Mindyourwork.io – Find us here!   Credits: Our intro and outro music for Unscripted is “Pamgaea” by Kevin McLeod, licensed under licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. You can find more of Kevin’s music at incompetech.com.   Logo Artwork by Antonella Espinoza. Find her at @ellaspin on Twitter!

Jose and Nicholas have been a little busier than usual lately so MindYourWork will take a break for June and be back in July with a new episode! Mentioned This Episode: Jose’s personal Twitter (@jae_noza) Nicholas’ personal Twitter (@nlbremner) MindYourWorkIO (@mindyourworkio) – Send us a tweet!   Credits: Logo Artwork by Antonella Espinoza. Find her at @ellaspin on Twitter!