Ep 203: It's never too late for a fresh start
My Pocket Psych
In this episode, I take a few minutes to remind us all that we can make a fresh start on any day of the year. There's nothing particularly magical about January 1st! So if your attempts at change since New Year's Day haven't been fruitful, it's never too late to try again. But rather than simply repeating the same unhelpful or overly-demanding approach again and again, I have some recommendations for how you can Reflect, Recalibrate and be Realistic about your planned changes and then leverage the 'fresh start' effect. "Fresh starts increase your motivation to change because they give you...
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Ep 202: Culture isn't a Pinterest board!
My Pocket Psych
Welcome back for the first of our episodes for 2026 🎉 In this episode, Richard is once again joined by business psychologist Kara Daley. This time, it's for a discussion on the wide-ranging topic of organisational culture. What exactly is it? Why can it be so hard to pin down and change? And what exactly is the role of leaders in culture development and change? We'd love to hear from you on this key topic. Drop us an email "podcast at worklifepsych dot com" or join us for online discussion on WorkLifeSpark, our personal development community. . As ever, thanks for listening!...
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Ep 201: Wrapping up for a fresh start
My Pocket Psych
Hello and welcome to the final episode of My Pocket Psych for 2025. In this brief episode, I take a look ahead to the benefits of side-stepping unhelpful messages about the New Year, and how small changes, personal experiments and a fresh start might be what we all need instead. No matter what holiday you're celebrating in December, I hope you get a chance to effectively disconnect from work. I hope you get a chance to engage in whatever traditions bring you a sense of meaning and purpose, and really importantly, get a chance to relax and enjoy yourself. I'll be back in touch in 2026,...
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Ep 200: I'm still here!
My Pocket Psych
In this special celebratory 200th episode, we turn the tables: Richard is in the hot seat and interviewed by friend of the show, Ross McIntosh. Ross asks Richard about the origins of the show, what he learnt over 199 episodes, how he's changed and what lessons he'd share with others. We look at popular episodes, why psychics don't get invited on, and answer a series of questions from listeners. The show wouldn't exist without its listeners. So a massive thank you to everyone who's ever given the show a chance. Huge thanks to everyone who has ever written in with feedback, questions...
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Ep 199: Coping for leaders
My Pocket Psych
Richard is once again joined by fellow psychologist Ross McIntosh to discuss the importance of coping with difficulties and setbacks - especially when it comes to leadership roles. They outline the inevitability of challenges and the importances of using healthy and sustainable coping strategies in response. They look at why some of the more unhealthy and unhelpful strategies are so attractive and present some simple and accessible alternatives. Thanks for listening! And we hope you'll join us for the livestream of our 200th episode on Monday 8th December at 4pm UK time. Join our...
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Ep 198: Self-care for leaders (and everyone else!)
My Pocket Psych
In this episode, Richard is joined by colleague and fellow psychologist Ross McIntosh for a discussion about the importance of self-care for leaders. Given the tough roles leaders occupy, maintaining a focus on their wellbeing is key. Richard and Ross look at common misunderstandings about self-care and why it's not all glasses of wine in luxurious bubble baths! They also explain its relevance of leadership effectiveness, why it's so hard to consider our future selves, and how self-care is different to coping. Join us for our next episode, when we'll build on these concepts and explain how to...
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Ep 197: The Intercultural Aspects of Leadership
My Pocket Psych
In this episode, Richard is joined by Dr. Austin Tay, a chartered psychologist with significant experience of working across cultures in the fields of assessment, leadership development and coaching. Together, they explore why leaders benefit from intercultural awareness, why it's important not to fall back on overly-simplistic stereotypes about national cultures, and why curiosity and observation go a long way for leaders working in other cultures. Are you a leader who has worked across cultures? Have an example of how intercultural awareness has helped or hindered your effectiveness in the...
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Ep 196: The role of coaching in leadership development
My Pocket Psych
This episode focuses on the important role that good quality coaching can play as part of structured leadership development. As part of a leadership programme, coaching allows the participants to explore new concepts and practice bringing them to life, to work on barriers to behavioural change, and any other important personal development topics not covered in the programmes core curriculum. This episode is made up of a recording of a recent webinar on the topic, co-facilitated by Dr. Richard MacKinnon and Dr. Rachael Skews. They also explore what to look for in a prospective leadership...
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Ep 195: How to maintain a focus on your development
My Pocket Psych
Following on from the last episode, where I discussed how to get the most from your experience on a development programme, this time I ask: once the programme is over, how do you keep focused on your development? How do you avoid letting your new knowledge and skills wither on the vine? How do you prevent your new perspectives and concepts staying in notebooks and folders, rather than being brought to life in your decisions and day to day behaviour? I share ten tips that will help ensure your development remains an ongoing are aof focus - just like your career, your wellbeing and your...
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Ep 194: How to get the most from your leadership development programme
My Pocket Psych
And we're back! After a break to enjoy my summer holiday in Japan, My Pocket Psych is back with a focus on how to get the most from your involvement in a leadership development programme. We look at the importance of four key factors: mindset, engagement, reflection and application. These include your own thoughts and beliefs about development, the extent to which you get 'stuck in' to the programme, how you reflect on your development journey and how you put what you've learnt into practice. This epsiode is part of our Sustainable Leadership series and you can find out more about this...
info_outlineIn this latest episode of our 'Thriving at Work' series, Richard takes a fresh look at the concept of self-care. While it may conjure up images of bubble baths and cups or tea, there's a lot more to it than that. Richard outlines some quality markers to bear in mind when selecting self-care activities and flags some common pitfalls to avoid.
Full show notes for this episode can be found at worklifepsych.com/podcast/172
Thanks for listening!