June 23, 2025 • 18 mins
Tax time is looming, performance reviews are on the horizon, and your motivation has completely ghosted you.The second half of 2025 is when the real work begins, and we're showing you how to thrive while everyone else just survives!
Expect to learn the exact strategies you need to stay sharp when everyone else is burning out, how to sound more confident by saying less, the precise words to shut down condescending colleagues without getting fired, master networking when you'd rather hide under your desk, and why your mentor strategy is probably broken.
This is your mid-year reset – no fluff, just the career advice that actually works!
Sign up to the BIZ newsletter here
You might be interested in our full episodes on:
- How To Stop Over-Explaining And Start Impressing
- How Do I Handle A Patronising Employee?
- How To Be More Productive (Without Trying Too Hard)
- How To Nail Networking Even When It Feels Super Awkward
- You Don't Need A Work Mentor You Need This
THE END BITS
Support independent women's media.
Follow the Biz Instagram
Got a work life dilemma? Send us all the questions you definitely can't ask your boss for our Biz Inbox episodes - send us a voice note or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au. You can remain anon!
HOST: Em Vernem
EXEC PRODUCER: Sophie Campbell.
AUDIO PRODUCER: Leah Porges
Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to amm with mea podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Hello and welcome to biz your work life sorted. Last
week we covered the essential workplace hacks you need to
know for twenty twenty five. It was those foundational skills
to set you up for success. But now it's time
to level up because we all know that the second
half of the year is where things actually get really intense.
(00:33):
Tax time is looming, performance reviews are on the horizon,
and your to do list has more dues than done.
That is for me personally. So today we are hitting
you with Part two, the exact strategies you need to
finish twenty twenty five strong when everyone else is burning out.
Like always, no fluff, just practical hacks to maintain momentum
(00:55):
when your motivation has completely ghosted you. We are covering
how to sound more confident by simply saying less, the
exact phrases to shut down condoce sending colleagues without getting fired,
networking techniques for people who'd rather be anywhere else, and
why your mental strategy might need a complete overhaul. But first,
(01:16):
let's tackle the number one skill for the second half
of any year, how to stay motivated when motivation has
completely left the chat. We've all done it. Your boss
asks a simple question and suddenly you're delivering a ted talk,
complete with the backstory, three examples, and a disclaimer about
(01:38):
why your answer might be wrong. And then you see
their eyes glaze over and realize that you've completely lost them.
Over explaining is the silent killer that most of us
don't even realize we're doing. It's a nervous tick. The
next hack completely transformed how I communicated work, and it
all comes down to one brilliant metaphor.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
There is one tool that I teach when it comes
to over talking or over explaining, and it's this mindset,
be a waterfall, be a well. So rather than feeling
like they have to give you have to give all
the information, there's this feeling we have to give all
the context. What happens when we over explain. It's almost
(02:19):
the opposite effect, this idea of the more words it
takes to tell the truth, the more it sounds like
a lie. The more you explain, the longer it takes
you to get to the point, the more it sounds
like you may not know exactly what you're talking about.
So instead you want to think of yourself as a well.
That means short responses, and if somebody else has a question,
(02:41):
they will ask. I teach this to when I prepare
my clients through depositions and cross examinations. I say, when
you answer, only answer the question. Keep it short and
brief and sweet, because the longer your answer, I can
be rest assured the more questions they're going to get. So,
rather than being a waterfall, be a well.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
My god, it's so true, especially when you are communicating
with any leaders. We feel nervous. They ask us a
question after our presentation and will want to talk for
like three paragraphs. And really they wanted like it's launching
in June, you.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Know exactly, they wanted three words, that was it.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Less really is more when it comes to sounding like
you know your stuff. In a world where everyone's fighting
to be heard, speaking less actually gives your words more
weight and people instinctively trust your expertise more. This tiny
shift in communication style can be the difference between being
seen as a junior talent or leadership material. Okay, can
(03:38):
we please talk about those colleagues who speak to you
like you somehow miss the adult orientation day. You know
exactly who I mean it's that person who's just popped
into your head, who explains your own job to you,
or uses that tone that makes you want to change
careers just to avoid them. Being patronized at work is infuriating.
But before you start drafting up resignation emails, here are
(04:00):
some brilliant responses that shut it down without making you
the office villain.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Example, some things you can say is like a lot
of young people get patronized for being young right in
the workplace. So it might be like someone might say, oh,
because you learned that at UNI, and you can be like,
I did learn this at UNI, but why did you
say it like that? So you can just want to
ask them a question, and if you can get a
tone that is genuinely curious, like I'm genuinely curious as
to why you said it that way, that can be
(04:27):
really good. Then you can go a little bit stronger
and you can kind of give them an opportunity to
course correct if they maybe didn't mean it that way.
It sounds like your colleague did intend to be brud
to you, though, But you can say something like, the
way that you said that actually sounded a bit patronizing.
Is that how you meant it to sound and then
people might be like, oh, no, I didn't mean it
to sound like that. And one you've let them know that,
(04:47):
like you're onto them, even if they did mean to
say it like that, but it can give them an
opportunity course correct. And sometimes people will do that. They'll
kind of know when they'll stop if they keep doing it.
So for example, if someone's like really in the workplace,
patronizing you about you're so young, whatever, say they're like
over explaining something to you a lot, and you you
can kind of say, you know, it's cool. I am
actually pretty familiar with this topic. I'm keeping up with
(05:10):
what you're saying. You don't need to over explain it.
Or it might be something like, you know, I'm not
sure you know this, but I have actually got a
year of experience doing this in my previous job. Is
there something in the way that I'm doing it that
makes you think that I don't know how to do
it or something like that, So you can kind of
just like start to bring in language.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
That's so good. I also have one that I think
it's a bit sneaky, but I've used it a few
times now and it's worked every time. If someone makes
a snarky comment towards you in like a big meeting
or with a group of people, I pretend I didn't
hear it, and I ask them to repeat themselves. I'm like, sorry,
what was that? And they never do. They always change
up the language. These techniques are gold professional but powerful.
(05:50):
I especially love the sorry what was that?
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Move?
Speaker 2 (05:54):
It forces people to either own their rudeness or backtrack completely.
These responses work for everyone, from man explaining colleagues to
condescending leaders, letting them know you won't create drama, but
you also won't be spoken down to. Let's talk about
(06:16):
that moment when your manager drops another quote unquote quick
task to your max out plate and somehow you still
hear yourself saying yeah, sure, no problem. We have all
been there. That cycle of taking too much on isn't
just exhausting, it's actually hurting your career. Quality always suffers
when quantity takes over. So how do you say no
(06:37):
without looking uncommitted? This technique completely changed how I managed
to workload conversations.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
I think a lot of people think it's up to
my manager to prioritize my work for me, and it's
actually not it's everyone's responsibility to protect not just their focus,
but to protect the focus of their whole team by
pushing back and saying no. So this is sort of
the whole point of the thing that I'm going to
share with you. Let's bring it back to our gen
z and millennial friends listening to You're sitting there thinking, so,
(07:07):
how do I actually do less? How do I say no?
And how do I push back? So internalize this. People
are going to keep piling work on top of you
until you can't take it anymore. It's not that they're
trying to hurt you. It's just human nature. And I
think it is harder when you're more junior because you've
just got all this stuff coming down and you're not
in that position to sort of be pushing back in
(07:28):
and making big decisions. So learning to protect your focus
and push back is like top three core skills that
you need to learn, and it is extremely hard. But
come with me. I'm going to give you one really
simple thing that you can start doing today that's going
to help you. So that is saying no to your
manager with respect. And here's the secret. You might actually
(07:52):
be better placed to make decisions about certain things than
your manager, because you are closer to the work. You're
the person on the tools, you're the person in the details,
and you actually know how long things take, how much time,
and how much effort tasks actually take, and your manager
doesn't always know that. So it's not like they're trying
to overload you with tasks. It's just that they don't
(08:13):
have that information. So it's sort of your responsibility and
it's in your power to push back. But it is
really difficult. So you know, has this ever happened to you?
Your manager says this should take about twenty minutes, it
should be easy, right, and in your head you're thinking
like that actually takes two to three hours. But then
out loud you're like, no, worries, I can do it.
(08:33):
What you want to do instead is you want to
position it as a trade off. And that's the thing, right.
It's not like the ideas and tasking your manager is
giving you are bad. It's just that there's a lot
of other things in your plate and everything, in a
way is a trade off. So this script I'm going
to share. It's from a global work expert and entrepreneur.
Her name is wes Ko. I don't want to give
(08:55):
her credit. She's brilliant and this is her favorite way
to say no to a manager. So imagine your manager
has just like throwed another bloody idea of task you.
So thanks for the idea. I've added it to my
list quick heads up. A task like this usually takes
two to three hours. We had talked about prioritizing this
other task because it was going to help us hit
(09:18):
this big goal of block. I can refocus on the
new task, but we'll probably need to make some trade offs,
and you drop those in, for example, some other things
that you're going to delay. My recommendation is that I
work on the new task after the other task is done.
Let me know if that sounds good or if you're
thinking about it differently. And that last point is really
(09:39):
important because you are showing respect to your manager. You
know more details about the time and effort, but they
might be more exposed to some of those conversations withining
your leadership or other types of priorities. So if they say, well, actually, yes,
I do see it differently, you do need to respect
them and it's a conversation, but this is a way
to do it that's going to make you feel good
and it's not going to feel like you're saying I'm
(10:01):
not going to do that.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
I love this approach. It refrains saying no, from confrontational
to strategic. The surprising truth is that managers respect this
thoughtfulness more than blind agreement, and people who master this
boundary setting actually gets promoted faster because they deliver excellent work,
not rushed work. Next up, networking for people who'd rather
(10:24):
be doing literally anything else. Okay, let's talk about networking
events aka my personal nightmare. For years, I used to
break into a cold sweat literally just receiving the calendar invite.
(10:45):
I'd end up either stuck in endless conversations with the
wrong people or awkwardly clutching my drink like it was
a life raft. But I've learned this actually a science
to this madness, and it all comes down to where
you actually physically stand in the room. So get ready,
grab a pen and paper, because this is a really
good one.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
So if you know someone at the event, and it
can feel so natural to just go and seek that
person out and find comfort in that existing relationship, but
it's going to hold you back. So a good idea
is to if you see someone you know, be like, hey,
great to see you. I'm just going to go and
chat to this person. I'm going to come find you later,
(11:24):
and just like park those ones and give yourself the
best opportunity to meet new people. The third zone, and
this is where you want to be existing. There's two options.
The first one is by the bar, so she says
that as people are leaving the bar, they've got their drink,
they're feeling settled, and they're ready for a conversation, and
(11:45):
a really easy in can just be like cheers, cheer someone,
introduce yourself and that's a good opportunity to start a
conversation where you're probably both ready. The second good zone
to be in is near the host. So going up
to the host, introduce yourself, thanking them for inviting you,
(12:08):
and then you could even ask them, is there anyone
here that you would suggest I speak to, and then
maybe they can help introduce you to someone else who's
in a similar space to you or someone that they
think might be a good connection for you. But by
the host, they're also going to have a lot of
people just around them, so it's also a good zone
(12:30):
to exist in.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Mind blown that is epic advice.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Yeah, it's so simple, but for someone who's a bit scared,
I also feel like by the host is also a
nice icebreaker as well, like this is someone who's there
to welcome you, is going to be down for a chat.
But she does make a point actually like only if
they're looking available, like you don't want to loiter around them.
So yeah, by the bar or buy the host. That's
(12:57):
how you're going to nail where you stand at a
networking event.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
I love it, and one super quick build. If it
is a sit down dinner, often the people or like
the two people that you're chatting to write before everyone
goes to sit down will be the people you end
up sitting with. If it's not like a named they
haven't decided where people are sitting, because you'll end up
walking sort of into the seating area with those people.
So very strategically, if there's a particular person that you
(13:21):
really want to sit next to at dinner, try to
make sure that you are talking to them or close
to them right before they say okay, everyone come and
sit down.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
The zone strategy is brilliant, such a simple lift, but
it completely transforms networking from random chance to strategic connection.
No more hiding in the bathroom to avoid talking to people.
We need to talk about work mentors because I've always
wanted one, but I didn't know where to start or
where to find them. Everyone would just tell me just
(13:51):
connect with people who inspire you. As if it was
so easy, I'd spend literal hours crafting these lengthy, overly
formal emails that I'd never actually send because I'm so embarrassed.
But you actually don't need some perfectly polished message it
makes you sound impossibly impressive. You just need these five
honest lines.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Step one is to really ask yourself why am I
doing this? So what am I trying to get out
of it? And I thought it might be helpful to
give you a live example. So let's use the example
of someone who they currently work in sales and maybe
they want to go and work in marketing and they're
kind of thinking like do I do that now? Or
should I just say in sales a bit longer and
work my way out? So Step maulble one is asking yourself,
(14:31):
what am I trying to get out of it? And
why do I want to have these chats? Step number
two is to actually build yourself a short list of people.
So to do that, you're going to be looking at, Okay,
I'm trying to pivot my career from sales to marketing.
Let me maybe try and find some people that have
done that. So you can first look at your internal network.
There might be people within your company that have done it.
(14:52):
You can then go and do a bunch of LinkedIn stalking,
so people have so much information about their careers. It's
actually so easy to find people who have done something
similar to what you're trying to do, and then also
just ask you around. You want to try and land
on three to five people who have done something similar
to what you're trying to do. Now on too. Step three,
which is the very simple five line email that you
(15:15):
were going to send them. So I wouldn't normally read
out an email live, but because it's so simple, actually
just wanted to share that with you. Now, if you're
up for it, love it. Let's go the five lines.
Line one is HI, person's name. I know you're busy
and you get a lot of emails. Part two you're
going to start with them. This is very important. So
(15:35):
you want to show I have spent time researching you,
I know something about you. And you're going to start
with them. So an example of that might be I
admired the way you pivoted your career from X to Y.
Or it might be I've been following your career for
a while now and I love the way you talk
about topic X. Part three you're going to link to
you and why you actually want to have that conversation.
(15:58):
So an example might be the reason I'm interested in
this is because I'm also trying to pivot my career
from sales to marketing. And you know I'm currently working
in this role at this company and it would really
help me to understand your process. Line four. It would
have a huge impact on my career if you're able
to give me twenty minutes on the phone or zoom
(16:19):
for a career chat so I can learn from your experiences.
And five give them an out so you say, I
know this is a long shot, and I understand you
might need to say no due to bandwidth. Even getting
a reply from you would make my day.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
I love this. Networking isn't just about perfection, It's about
being specific and brief. I wasted years not reaching out
because I was terrified of rejection, when actually most people
are just happy to help if you make it easy
for them, keep it short, be genuine, and suddenly those
intimidating career connections actually feel possible. That is it. You
(16:56):
are now officially equipped with every workplace hack you need
to absolutely dominate the second half of twenty twenty five
while everyone else falls. Apart from pushing back on your
manager without getting fired to mastering the strategic networking zones,
You've got the complete toolkit to smash those ends of
your goals and glide into December as the only person
(17:17):
who is in drowning in deadlines and burnout. In huge news,
we are launching a fresh new season of BYZ with
two new hosts at the Helm, bringing you a completely
new perspective and wealth of expertise. Keep your eyes glued
on our Instagram at Beiz by Mamma Mia this week
for the big host reveal, and remember our biz Inbox
episodes dropped this Thursday, where we solve all of your
(17:40):
professional dilemmas, So drop us your questions through the link
in our show notes. Mamma Mia Studios are style with
furniture from Fentin and Fentin. Visit Fentinanfentin dot com, dot au.
All of today's info is waiting for you in our
very free newsletter. If you want to jump in there
and sign up, there is a link in our bio
to do so, same time, same place next week for
(18:01):
our new season of BYZ. Until then, go forth and
do less the better.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Bye.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Mamma Mia acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters
that this podcast is recorded on
You're listening to amm with mea podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Hello and welcome to biz your work life sorted. Last
week we covered the essential workplace hacks you need to
know for twenty twenty five. It was those foundational skills
to set you up for success. But now it's time
to level up because we all know that the second
half of the year is where things actually get really intense.
(00:33):
Tax time is looming, performance reviews are on the horizon,
and your to do list has more dues than done.
That is for me personally. So today we are hitting
you with Part two, the exact strategies you need to
finish twenty twenty five strong when everyone else is burning out.
Like always, no fluff, just practical hacks to maintain momentum
(00:55):
when your motivation has completely ghosted you. We are covering
how to sound more confident by simply saying less, the
exact phrases to shut down condoce sending colleagues without getting fired,
networking techniques for people who'd rather be anywhere else, and
why your mental strategy might need a complete overhaul. But first,
(01:16):
let's tackle the number one skill for the second half
of any year, how to stay motivated when motivation has
completely left the chat. We've all done it. Your boss
asks a simple question and suddenly you're delivering a ted talk,
complete with the backstory, three examples, and a disclaimer about
(01:38):
why your answer might be wrong. And then you see
their eyes glaze over and realize that you've completely lost them.
Over explaining is the silent killer that most of us
don't even realize we're doing. It's a nervous tick. The
next hack completely transformed how I communicated work, and it
all comes down to one brilliant metaphor.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
There is one tool that I teach when it comes
to over talking or over explaining, and it's this mindset,
be a waterfall, be a well. So rather than feeling
like they have to give you have to give all
the information, there's this feeling we have to give all
the context. What happens when we over explain. It's almost
(02:19):
the opposite effect, this idea of the more words it
takes to tell the truth, the more it sounds like
a lie. The more you explain, the longer it takes
you to get to the point, the more it sounds
like you may not know exactly what you're talking about.
So instead you want to think of yourself as a well.
That means short responses, and if somebody else has a question,
(02:41):
they will ask. I teach this to when I prepare
my clients through depositions and cross examinations. I say, when
you answer, only answer the question. Keep it short and
brief and sweet, because the longer your answer, I can
be rest assured the more questions they're going to get. So,
rather than being a waterfall, be a well.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
My god, it's so true, especially when you are communicating
with any leaders. We feel nervous. They ask us a
question after our presentation and will want to talk for
like three paragraphs. And really they wanted like it's launching
in June, you.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Know exactly, they wanted three words, that was it.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Less really is more when it comes to sounding like
you know your stuff. In a world where everyone's fighting
to be heard, speaking less actually gives your words more
weight and people instinctively trust your expertise more. This tiny
shift in communication style can be the difference between being
seen as a junior talent or leadership material. Okay, can
(03:38):
we please talk about those colleagues who speak to you
like you somehow miss the adult orientation day. You know
exactly who I mean it's that person who's just popped
into your head, who explains your own job to you,
or uses that tone that makes you want to change
careers just to avoid them. Being patronized at work is infuriating.
But before you start drafting up resignation emails, here are
(04:00):
some brilliant responses that shut it down without making you
the office villain.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Example, some things you can say is like a lot
of young people get patronized for being young right in
the workplace. So it might be like someone might say, oh,
because you learned that at UNI, and you can be like,
I did learn this at UNI, but why did you
say it like that? So you can just want to
ask them a question, and if you can get a
tone that is genuinely curious, like I'm genuinely curious as
to why you said it that way, that can be
(04:27):
really good. Then you can go a little bit stronger
and you can kind of give them an opportunity to
course correct if they maybe didn't mean it that way.
It sounds like your colleague did intend to be brud
to you, though, But you can say something like, the
way that you said that actually sounded a bit patronizing.
Is that how you meant it to sound and then
people might be like, oh, no, I didn't mean it
to sound like that. And one you've let them know that,
(04:47):
like you're onto them, even if they did mean to
say it like that, but it can give them an
opportunity course correct. And sometimes people will do that. They'll
kind of know when they'll stop if they keep doing it.
So for example, if someone's like really in the workplace,
patronizing you about you're so young, whatever, say they're like
over explaining something to you a lot, and you you
can kind of say, you know, it's cool. I am
actually pretty familiar with this topic. I'm keeping up with
(05:10):
what you're saying. You don't need to over explain it.
Or it might be something like, you know, I'm not
sure you know this, but I have actually got a
year of experience doing this in my previous job. Is
there something in the way that I'm doing it that
makes you think that I don't know how to do
it or something like that, So you can kind of
just like start to bring in language.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
That's so good. I also have one that I think
it's a bit sneaky, but I've used it a few
times now and it's worked every time. If someone makes
a snarky comment towards you in like a big meeting
or with a group of people, I pretend I didn't
hear it, and I ask them to repeat themselves. I'm like, sorry,
what was that? And they never do. They always change
up the language. These techniques are gold professional but powerful.
(05:50):
I especially love the sorry what was that?
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Move?
Speaker 2 (05:54):
It forces people to either own their rudeness or backtrack completely.
These responses work for everyone, from man explaining colleagues to
condescending leaders, letting them know you won't create drama, but
you also won't be spoken down to. Let's talk about
(06:16):
that moment when your manager drops another quote unquote quick
task to your max out plate and somehow you still
hear yourself saying yeah, sure, no problem. We have all
been there. That cycle of taking too much on isn't
just exhausting, it's actually hurting your career. Quality always suffers
when quantity takes over. So how do you say no
(06:37):
without looking uncommitted? This technique completely changed how I managed
to workload conversations.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
I think a lot of people think it's up to
my manager to prioritize my work for me, and it's
actually not it's everyone's responsibility to protect not just their focus,
but to protect the focus of their whole team by
pushing back and saying no. So this is sort of
the whole point of the thing that I'm going to
share with you. Let's bring it back to our gen
z and millennial friends listening to You're sitting there thinking, so,
(07:07):
how do I actually do less? How do I say no?
And how do I push back? So internalize this. People
are going to keep piling work on top of you
until you can't take it anymore. It's not that they're
trying to hurt you. It's just human nature. And I
think it is harder when you're more junior because you've
just got all this stuff coming down and you're not
in that position to sort of be pushing back in
(07:28):
and making big decisions. So learning to protect your focus
and push back is like top three core skills that
you need to learn, and it is extremely hard. But
come with me. I'm going to give you one really
simple thing that you can start doing today that's going
to help you. So that is saying no to your
manager with respect. And here's the secret. You might actually
(07:52):
be better placed to make decisions about certain things than
your manager, because you are closer to the work. You're
the person on the tools, you're the person in the details,
and you actually know how long things take, how much time,
and how much effort tasks actually take, and your manager
doesn't always know that. So it's not like they're trying
to overload you with tasks. It's just that they don't
(08:13):
have that information. So it's sort of your responsibility and
it's in your power to push back. But it is
really difficult. So you know, has this ever happened to you?
Your manager says this should take about twenty minutes, it
should be easy, right, and in your head you're thinking
like that actually takes two to three hours. But then
out loud you're like, no, worries, I can do it.
(08:33):
What you want to do instead is you want to
position it as a trade off. And that's the thing, right.
It's not like the ideas and tasking your manager is
giving you are bad. It's just that there's a lot
of other things in your plate and everything, in a
way is a trade off. So this script I'm going
to share. It's from a global work expert and entrepreneur.
Her name is wes Ko. I don't want to give
(08:55):
her credit. She's brilliant and this is her favorite way
to say no to a manager. So imagine your manager
has just like throwed another bloody idea of task you.
So thanks for the idea. I've added it to my
list quick heads up. A task like this usually takes
two to three hours. We had talked about prioritizing this
other task because it was going to help us hit
(09:18):
this big goal of block. I can refocus on the
new task, but we'll probably need to make some trade offs,
and you drop those in, for example, some other things
that you're going to delay. My recommendation is that I
work on the new task after the other task is done.
Let me know if that sounds good or if you're
thinking about it differently. And that last point is really
(09:39):
important because you are showing respect to your manager. You
know more details about the time and effort, but they
might be more exposed to some of those conversations withining
your leadership or other types of priorities. So if they say, well, actually, yes,
I do see it differently, you do need to respect
them and it's a conversation, but this is a way
to do it that's going to make you feel good
and it's not going to feel like you're saying I'm
(10:01):
not going to do that.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
I love this approach. It refrains saying no, from confrontational
to strategic. The surprising truth is that managers respect this
thoughtfulness more than blind agreement, and people who master this
boundary setting actually gets promoted faster because they deliver excellent work,
not rushed work. Next up, networking for people who'd rather
(10:24):
be doing literally anything else. Okay, let's talk about networking
events aka my personal nightmare. For years, I used to
break into a cold sweat literally just receiving the calendar invite.
(10:45):
I'd end up either stuck in endless conversations with the
wrong people or awkwardly clutching my drink like it was
a life raft. But I've learned this actually a science
to this madness, and it all comes down to where
you actually physically stand in the room. So get ready,
grab a pen and paper, because this is a really
good one.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
So if you know someone at the event, and it
can feel so natural to just go and seek that
person out and find comfort in that existing relationship, but
it's going to hold you back. So a good idea
is to if you see someone you know, be like, hey,
great to see you. I'm just going to go and
chat to this person. I'm going to come find you later,
(11:24):
and just like park those ones and give yourself the
best opportunity to meet new people. The third zone, and
this is where you want to be existing. There's two options.
The first one is by the bar, so she says
that as people are leaving the bar, they've got their drink,
they're feeling settled, and they're ready for a conversation, and
(11:45):
a really easy in can just be like cheers, cheer someone,
introduce yourself and that's a good opportunity to start a
conversation where you're probably both ready. The second good zone
to be in is near the host. So going up
to the host, introduce yourself, thanking them for inviting you,
(12:08):
and then you could even ask them, is there anyone
here that you would suggest I speak to, and then
maybe they can help introduce you to someone else who's
in a similar space to you or someone that they
think might be a good connection for you. But by
the host, they're also going to have a lot of
people just around them, so it's also a good zone
(12:30):
to exist in.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Mind blown that is epic advice.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Yeah, it's so simple, but for someone who's a bit scared,
I also feel like by the host is also a
nice icebreaker as well, like this is someone who's there
to welcome you, is going to be down for a chat.
But she does make a point actually like only if
they're looking available, like you don't want to loiter around them.
So yeah, by the bar or buy the host. That's
(12:57):
how you're going to nail where you stand at a
networking event.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
I love it, and one super quick build. If it
is a sit down dinner, often the people or like
the two people that you're chatting to write before everyone
goes to sit down will be the people you end
up sitting with. If it's not like a named they
haven't decided where people are sitting, because you'll end up
walking sort of into the seating area with those people.
So very strategically, if there's a particular person that you
(13:21):
really want to sit next to at dinner, try to
make sure that you are talking to them or close
to them right before they say okay, everyone come and
sit down.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
The zone strategy is brilliant, such a simple lift, but
it completely transforms networking from random chance to strategic connection.
No more hiding in the bathroom to avoid talking to people.
We need to talk about work mentors because I've always
wanted one, but I didn't know where to start or
where to find them. Everyone would just tell me just
(13:51):
connect with people who inspire you. As if it was
so easy, I'd spend literal hours crafting these lengthy, overly
formal emails that I'd never actually send because I'm so embarrassed.
But you actually don't need some perfectly polished message it
makes you sound impossibly impressive. You just need these five
honest lines.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Step one is to really ask yourself why am I
doing this? So what am I trying to get out
of it? And I thought it might be helpful to
give you a live example. So let's use the example
of someone who they currently work in sales and maybe
they want to go and work in marketing and they're
kind of thinking like do I do that now? Or
should I just say in sales a bit longer and
work my way out? So Step maulble one is asking yourself,
(14:31):
what am I trying to get out of it? And
why do I want to have these chats? Step number
two is to actually build yourself a short list of people.
So to do that, you're going to be looking at, Okay,
I'm trying to pivot my career from sales to marketing.
Let me maybe try and find some people that have
done that. So you can first look at your internal network.
There might be people within your company that have done it.
(14:52):
You can then go and do a bunch of LinkedIn stalking,
so people have so much information about their careers. It's
actually so easy to find people who have done something
similar to what you're trying to do, and then also
just ask you around. You want to try and land
on three to five people who have done something similar
to what you're trying to do. Now on too. Step three,
which is the very simple five line email that you
(15:15):
were going to send them. So I wouldn't normally read
out an email live, but because it's so simple, actually
just wanted to share that with you. Now, if you're
up for it, love it. Let's go the five lines.
Line one is HI, person's name. I know you're busy
and you get a lot of emails. Part two you're
going to start with them. This is very important. So
(15:35):
you want to show I have spent time researching you,
I know something about you. And you're going to start
with them. So an example of that might be I
admired the way you pivoted your career from X to Y.
Or it might be I've been following your career for
a while now and I love the way you talk
about topic X. Part three you're going to link to
you and why you actually want to have that conversation.
(15:58):
So an example might be the reason I'm interested in
this is because I'm also trying to pivot my career
from sales to marketing. And you know I'm currently working
in this role at this company and it would really
help me to understand your process. Line four. It would
have a huge impact on my career if you're able
to give me twenty minutes on the phone or zoom
(16:19):
for a career chat so I can learn from your experiences.
And five give them an out so you say, I
know this is a long shot, and I understand you
might need to say no due to bandwidth. Even getting
a reply from you would make my day.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
I love this. Networking isn't just about perfection, It's about
being specific and brief. I wasted years not reaching out
because I was terrified of rejection, when actually most people
are just happy to help if you make it easy
for them, keep it short, be genuine, and suddenly those
intimidating career connections actually feel possible. That is it. You
(16:56):
are now officially equipped with every workplace hack you need
to absolutely dominate the second half of twenty twenty five
while everyone else falls. Apart from pushing back on your
manager without getting fired to mastering the strategic networking zones,
You've got the complete toolkit to smash those ends of
your goals and glide into December as the only person
(17:17):
who is in drowning in deadlines and burnout. In huge news,
we are launching a fresh new season of BYZ with
two new hosts at the Helm, bringing you a completely
new perspective and wealth of expertise. Keep your eyes glued
on our Instagram at Beiz by Mamma Mia this week
for the big host reveal, and remember our biz Inbox
episodes dropped this Thursday, where we solve all of your
(17:40):
professional dilemmas, So drop us your questions through the link
in our show notes. Mamma Mia Studios are style with
furniture from Fentin and Fentin. Visit Fentinanfentin dot com, dot au.
All of today's info is waiting for you in our
very free newsletter. If you want to jump in there
and sign up, there is a link in our bio
to do so, same time, same place next week for
(18:01):
our new season of BYZ. Until then, go forth and
do less the better.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Bye.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Mamma Mia acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters
that this podcast is recorded on
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.