Learning on the go: My Podcast Playlist
OK, so I admit it. I’m a bit of a personal development junkie. Aside from a few great teachers who captured my interest and imagination I found school and learning a chore. Once I got my degree under my belt I stopped learning to get grades and certificates and started learning for the pleasure of it. This has created a life long passion for finding out more and hopefully, I can learn new stuff faster than my dyslexic brain forgets what it once knew. While by dyslexic standards my reading is not too bad I find it hard so I tend to learn by other methods. I find podcasts and audio books a great way to learn. I listen to podcasts in the car so that my morning commute is not dead time – 40 minutes of personal development every day – or listen at 2x for even more 🙂 Here is a round up of my current playlist:
Manager Tools
Focused on helping professionals become more effective managers and leaders. It has a strong focus on actionable advice with concrete implementation steps rather than management theory. A lot of their guidance has tailoring for specific DISC types (DISC is a behaviour assessment tool based on the DISC theory of psychologist William Moulton Marston, which centers on four different behavioural traits, which today are called: dominance, influence, support, and caution. This theory was then developed into a behavioural assessment tool by industrial psychologist Walter Vernon Clarke). There are many years worth of podcasts but a quick intro is the manager tool basics which cover their core topics of one to one meetings, feedback, delegation and coaching. it’s also worth listening to some of their DISC podcasts to get the most from the weekly casts. They have podcasts on every conceivable topic so whatever you want to know they will have the answer. You can buy a personal licence to the podcast and get show notes which are really helpful. I find the 30 minute shows packed with actionable advice a great way to learn how to up my game in the workplace.
Career Tools
By the good folks that do Manager Tools a podcast focused on specific actions you can take to enhance your career. How to prepare for your performance review, how to manage your calendar, how to process your email, how to deal with a whiny co-worker, how to deal with a bad boss, how to build relationships and many more topics are covered. And if you want to dive really deep there is even guidance on how to eat lunch and how to shake hands.
Since I’ve mentioned Manager Tools and Career Tools I feel I have to mention their interview series. This is not free (150USD) but it is packed with guidance on how to prepare for interviews from CV and cover note, through interview questions and post interview follow up. Some of the casts are available for free in the career tools feed. Most of the guidance I give to folks on how to be interviewed is covered in a lot more detail in these podcasts.
The Codpast
The Codpast is a fresh and contemporary online publication as well as a podcast for students and adults with Dyslexia. If you’re looking for up to the minute news and views on technology, study skills, employment, events and entertainment; they’ve got it covered. Sadly the podcasts only come out once a month so much less frequent than the other podcasts covered here but this is complemented by videos, articles and blog posts. thecodpast.org is a go-to resource for information on assistive technology to help minimise the challenge of dyslexia.
Get it done guy’s quick and dirty tips to work less and do more
A productivity podcast with an overtone of a zombie musical and killer plants – what’s not to love. Episodes are to the point and typically about 8 minutes and cover a tip for, well, working less and doing more. His learning lists idea is why I have camp packing lists, business travel lists and similar lists in my bullet journal.
The Project Management Podcast
In my day job, I am a project / programme manager so this is quite a domain specific podcast. In recent years this has become more focused on the PMI exam (the presenter also does a paid cast on PMI exam prep) but he still has good interviews. I just skip the PMP exam related episodes. If you are not a project manager you are not likely to get much from this. If you are a PM it is a chance to dig deep into new methodologies, new insights on existing methodologies and a collection of PM-related stuff.
The Tim Ferriss Show
From the chap that wrote the 4 hour work week (a book that might just change your life). Tim is a self-experimenter keen on stoic philosophy who deconstructs world class performers. Episodes can be anywhere from a 10-minute in-between-episode to a 3-hour marathon interview where he digs deep to find tools and tactics listeners can use. His topics and guests are quite an eclectic collection as he continues his tormented journey for his own self-improvement, so if one episode if not to your liking try another.
HBR Ideacast
A weekly 20-minute podcast featuring leading thinkers in business and management who have recently featured in the Harvard business Review. Not directly productivity but good for thinking wider on business, management and leadership. The podcasts are a nice taster and if one provokes interest there is the opportunity to dive deeper with in-depth articles on their website (or printed magazine).
TED Radio Hour
A favourite easy listen for when I’m in the gym. Each episode is based around a theme (why we lie, nudge, Maslow’s Human Needs, Crowd Sourcing Innovation, The Power of Design, the list goes on) based on talks on that theme given at TED events. This is not about actionable guidance but a chance to think about things in a different way.
The Art of Charm
This started life as a cast on dating advice aimed squarely at blokes some 500+ episodes ago. It’s morphed into more of a productivity cast where you can learn from the diverse mix of experienced mentors, scientists, entrepreneurs, bestselling authors and leading lights in business. He does week long boot camps for those that want to go really deep into their toolkit. The host is great because he is not afraid to challenge his guests to back up what they say.
The EntreLeadership Podcast
Aimed at entrepreneur leaders and small business owners but they have great interview guests like Seth Godin, Jim Collins, Simon Sinek and more. I just skip the episodes on sales and marketing and listen intently to the shows on personal growth and developing teams.
Photography Tips From the Top Floor
Well, all work and no play… This is the longest running photography podcast on the web. If pushed to provide a productivity angle I’d highlight the 1 hour 1,000 photos workflow guide (not available as a free ebook)which shows productivity tools can be used in creative pursuits. I’ve not managed to find a good podcast of scuba diving.
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