Why does work feel like it never stops? Melissa Swift explains work intensification and how to feel effective again.
Plus: how to stand out in an AI job market, and what high-stakes professionals can teach us about clear communication.
Organizational consultant Melissa Swift, founder of Anthrome Insight and author of Effective: How to Do Great Work in a Fast-Changing World, joins @loriadams-brown to talk about the forces making modern work harder, from too many tasks and too many people to too much emotion. They also discuss how AI can erode trust at work, how to describe your strengths when AI is screening resumes, and why caring people are often the first to burn out.
Timestamps:
0:00 Welcome and introduction
1:27 What living in London taught Melissa about culture
3:50 Direct and indirect communication across cultures
6:42 More communication, less clarity
10:02 What work intensification is
12:49 Emotional regulation and leadership
17:45 AI and the erosion of trust
21:49 Learning AI with your peers
27:43 Change agility and staying power
32:09 Standing out in an AI resume era
38:17 Lessons from high-stakes work
43:37 Younger workers and the "unboiled frogs"
46:14 Burnout, boundaries, and agency
49:06 Where to find Melissa
Find Melissa Swift at:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swiftmelissa
Website: https://www.anthromeinsight.com
Book: https://www.anthromeinsight.com/books
Connect with A World of Difference:
Website: https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com
Leave a review: https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com/reviews/new/
Patreon (Difference Makers) Exclusive Bonus with Melissa here: https://www.patreon.com/aworldofdifference/posts/bonus-air-who-170969282?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
Lori on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loriadamsbrown
Substack: https://loriadamsbrown.substack.com
The Global Edge newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7287957228622360577
Our Passport Stamp this week is Kenya! To all our Difference Makers in Kenya, we say "Jambo," and thank you for joining us here each week to listen around the table and make a difference together. Check out our episode last year with Holly Berkley Fletcher who went to boarding school at Rift Valley Academy in Kenya here: https://youtu.be/R3uiZJKgkPg?si=nVT1hESqhma1caIi
Want to see how your leadership shows up under pressure? Explore the VOICE diagnostic from Brava Global Advisory: https://www.bravaglobaladvisory.com/voice
Thinking about a life abroad? I use and recommend Expatsi to help navigate the move: https://www.expatsi.com/?ref=2kJ926HZ. As an affiliate, I may earn a small commission.
Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs it.