Women are frequently told that they ought to be more confident at work. Confidence is offered as a silver bullet of sorts for all and every challenge women encounter in their careers.

But do women actually 'lack confidence' at work - or is it simply a convenient way to ignore structural issues? Is it an individual barrier that must be overcome - or are there more useful actions available?

This episode, Lara Pecis talks about her recent paper, co-authored with Elisabeth Kelan, "Fix Thyself: Un/Doing Confidence in Women's Entrepreneurship". In it, confidence as an individualized women's issue is analyzed and evidence-based solutions are recommended. We discuss discourse on confidence, what it means and how it shapes exclusions and potentials. We talk about individualization are its outcomes, and actions for real change - such as collective care practices.

• Pecis, L. (2022) Case Study. Inclusive innovation: Sustaining productivity and socio-economic inclusion through innovation centres, hubs and districts. Available at: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/media/lancaster-university/content-assets/documents/lums/research/Case-Study-Inclusive-Innovation.pdf
• Pecis, L. and Banerjee, A. (2020). Inclusive innovation: sustaining productivity and socio-economic inclusion through innovation centre, hubs and districts. Report for ESRC Productivity Insight Network. Available at: https://productivityinsightsnetwork.co.uk/app/uploads/2020/02/PecisBanerjee_InclusiveInnovation_February2020.pdf
• Policy Impact: work cited in ‘Female entrepreneurship’, Women and Equality Committee (WEC), UK Government, Published on 22 October 2025, available at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmselect/cmwomeq/711/report.html
• Written evidence for the Women and Equalities Committee, UK Parliament, published on 25/03/2025, Available at: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/139229/pdf/

Do you have a career calling? What does it mean and where does it come from? How is it shaped by our work environments? Is it always positive, or is there also a dark side?

This episode, I talk with Sophie Gerdel about the concept of a career calling. We discuss what it means, how it can be of use, and its potentials in the Future of Work.

Follow Sophie and her work on her LinkedIn. Also, consider taking her short assessment on Calling to reflect on your current role!

For more of my work, visit my blog.

Further Reading

LSE Business Review article: The Many Ways to Make a Meaningful Career Out of a Calling

Gerdel, S., Bergner, S., & Vianello, M. (2025). Fostering calling in the leader–member exchange: individual and team-level effects. Career Development International, 30(3), 309–325. https://doi.org/10.1108/cdi-12-2023-0446

Zhou, S., Aitken, J. A., & Kuykendall, L. (2023). Callings can take different shapes: Scope, proximity and duration as new complexifications of calling. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 97(1), 27–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12459

Are humanoids the future of work?

Will humans be replaced by robots in the next decade?

Is AI something that ought to be thought of as a colleague?

These are some of the questions for my guest today as we discuss the future of robots at work!

I talk to Professor Tiziana C. Callari from the University of Turin who pursues these themes in her research.

In an effort to separate hype from reality, we discuss what the Future of Work actually looks like based on her years of research and insights. Our conversation covers themes like: Industry 5.0, human-robot integration, meaningful work, re-skilling, craftsmanship, and so much more!

Share this episode and follow this podcast for future conversations with scholars who study various aspects of work.

Find my work > Professional Development Designs

In season five, I'll talk to scholars and experts who study the world of work.

Tune in to hear what evidence-based recommendations they have on topics like resilience, leadership, wellbeing, ageism, AI, dignity, and much much more!

In this episode, I attempt to cut through the AI hype and focus instead on practical workplace applications. I explore how professionals can actively incorporate AI into their workflow to reduce hindrance stressors rather than create new ones.

Neither 'doomerist' nor overly optimistic, this episode examines the concept of "Human-AI Task Fit" through an Organisational & Occupational Psychology lens. Learn a three-step approach for evaluating where AI can enhance your work:

Tools Assessment

Task Assessment

Collaborative Effort

I'll discuss the research behind successful AI implementation, common pitfalls including bias, errors, and allure - and how to ensure these technologies serve as resources rather than demands in your work.

Join me to discover how mindful AI integration can free you up for what makes work meaningful: autonomy, collaboration, and demonstrating your uniquely human competence.

Good luck, Professionals!

Works Cited:

Bondanini, G., Giorgi, G., Ariza-Montes, A., Vega-Muñoz, A., & Andreucci-Annunziata, P. (2020).

Mollick, E. (n.d.). 15 Times to Use AI - and 5 Not To. One Useful Thing.

Raisch, S., & Krakowski, S. (2021)

Scholze, L., & Hecker, S. (2024).

Wang, Y., & Siau, K. (2019).

What EDI initiative will produce meaningful change in your organisation? Good question.

"Of the hundreds of studies we examine, a small fraction speak convincingly to the questions of whether, why, and under what conditions a given type of intervention works," (Paluck and Green, 2009, p.339).

That was a review published 15 years ago. Surely, things are different now!

"The past decade has seen rapid growth in research that evaluates methods for reducing prejudice," (Paluck et al., 2021, p. 533).

Yay!

"However, 76% of all studies evaluate light touch interventions, the long-term impact of which remains unclear," (ibid. p. 533).

Oh.

So, what does work? For practical (middle-manager layer) applications of a recent meta-analysis by Costa (2024), listen to this episode.

References

• Costa, E. (2024). Examining the effectiveness of interventions to reduce discriminatory behavior at work: An attitude dimension consistency perspective. Journal of Applied Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001215

• Guillaume, Y. R., Dawson, J. F., Otaye‐Ebede, L., Woods, S. A., & West, M. A. (2015). Harnessing demographic differences in organizations: What moderates the effects of workplace diversity? Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38(2), 276–303. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2040

• Shea, C.M., Malone, M.F.F.T., Young, J.R. and Graham, K.J. (2019), "Interactive theater: an effective tool to reduce gender bias in faculty searches", Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Vol. 38 No. 2, pp. 178-187. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-09-2017-0187

Normally stress is something we try to avoid at work. In fairness, some days it feels everlasting. However, are all stressors made alike? Is there any use in some? Does it ever help in our work function?

In this episode, I highlight some of the research on something called 'hindrance stressors' and 'challenge stressors'. I give you examples of both, and discuss how challenge can be helpful in our professional development. As always, I highlight some practical actions that may put those challenge stressors to good use - for managers and for individuals.

References in this episode include:

• Laying the Foundation for the Challenge-Hindrance Stressor Framework 2.0
• Oliver Burkeman's Inconvenient Truth
• Bob Sutton, Huggy Rao - The Friction Project
• Prof Arnold B. Bakker - various publications
• Differences among a satisfied, a meaningful, and a psychologically rich working life
• Dispositional effects on job and life satisfaction: The role of core evaluations
• Bad is Stronger Than Good
• Evaluation of the “rethink stress” mindset intervention: A metacognitive approach to changing mindsets
• Rethinking Stress Toolkit

Good luck, Professionals!

Dear Manager, how can you notice performance gains, increase learning, engagement, information sharing, and improve commitment?

I'll give you a hint... the answer does not involve shouts, rants, rages, screams, humiliation, nor punishment.

It happens in spaces where a team feels safe enough to share problems, mistakes, and concerns - and rely on interpersonal exchanges to overcome them.

Tune in to define Psychological Safety beyond the buzzword (buzzphrase?) and back to the brainstorming session, where it belongs.

References in this episode include:

• Personal and Organizational Change Through Group Methods: The Laboratory Approach (Schein & Bennis, 1965).
• Psychological Conditions of Personal Engagement and Disengagement at Work (Kahn, 1990)
• The Fearless Organization (Edmondson, 2018)
• Psychological Safety survey

Good luck, Professionals!