Squiggly Careers

How do you make sure your message gets heard—and acted on? In this Squiggly Careers Ask the Expert episode, Helen speaks with author and influence expert Steve Martin about the powerful role of the messenger in communication. Drawing on insights from his book Messengers, Steve explains how people respond differently depending on who delivers the message, and why understanding the difference between hard and soft messenger traits can transform your influence at work.Together, they talk about how you can be more effective in meetings, remote settings, and team communication—plus how to match the right message to the right messenger for maximum impact.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 Welcome to the Squiggly Careers Podcast01:00 Why the Messenger Matters as Much as the Message04:40 Trust vs Truth: How We Really Decide Who to Listen To07:20 Hard vs Soft Messengers (and When Each One Works Best)13:15 The Kevin Keegan Story: Choosing the Right Messenger15:20 Why Content Isn't Everything: Choosing the Right Voice16:30 A Better Way to Start Meetings (That Builds Credibility)20:00 The Role of Introductions in Empowering Messengers21:15 Influence in Remote Work: Tips for Zoom & Teams25:30 Mimicry and Mirroring: Small Shifts That Build Connection29:08 Announcements 🎯 What You’ll Learn- Why who delivers a message can be more important than what they say- The difference between hard and soft messenger traits—and when to use each- Practical ways to increase your influence in meetings and remote settings- How to elevate others as effective messengers to get results as a team📚 Resources MentionedSteve's Book, Messengers: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Messengers-Who-Listen-Dont-Why/dp/1847942350Try Steve’s free quiz: https://www.influenceatwork.com/quiz/Influence with Robert Cialdini: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d5VBsx-RecFor questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.comMore ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:📩 Download our free careers tools https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/🏃‍♂️ Sign-up for our Squiggly Careers Skills Sprint https://bit.ly/skillssprint2024📮 Sign up for Squiggly Careers in Action, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction📚 Read our books ‘The Squiggly Career’ and ‘You Coach You’ www.amazingif.com/books/ http://www.amazingif.com/books/

Are you always doing too much yourself? Do you struggle to let go, even when you know you should? In this episode of the Squiggly Careers Podcast, Helen and Sarah explore why so many of us don’t delegate—and what we can do differently to delegate with clarity, confidence, and collaboration. Learn how to avoid the 4 common delegation mistakes and how to give people space without leaving them stuck.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 Welcome to The Squiggly Careers Podcast00:48 Why You Don’t Delegate (Even When You Should)12:55 4 Don'ts Of Delegation (And What To Do Instead)13:15 Don’t Delegate the How16:52 Don’t Delegate and Disappear22:41 Don’t Do It for Them25:06 Hybrid Approaches to Teaching & Delegating26:25 Don’t Expect It Done Your Way28:00 Letting Go of “Your Way” and Embracing Other Styles🎯 What You’ll Learn- Why delegation feels uncomfortable for even experienced leaders- 4 delegation mistakes to avoid & what to do instead- How to give people freedom without micromanaging- The power of clear outcomes, expectations, and trustFor questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.comMore ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:📩 Download our free careers tools https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/🏃‍♂️ Sign-up for our Squiggly Careers Skills Sprint https://bit.ly/skillssprint2024📮 Sign up for Squiggly Careers in Action, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction📚 Read our books ‘The Squiggly Career’ and ‘You Coach You’ www.amazingif.com/books/ http://www.amazingif.com/books/

In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore how to help teams think better—together. They share simple but powerful tools you can use to encourage reflection, collaboration, and better decision-making in your team. Discover a practical matrix to help you choose the right thinking tool for your team—whether you need to improve performance or inspire new ideas. From “worry lists” to “borrowed brilliance,” you’ll learn how to create space for smarter, more intentional team thinking.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 Intro: Welcome to the Squiggly Careers Podcast00:43 Why We Struggle to Think as Teams01:56 Who Are Your Thinking Partners?02:18 Team Thinking Drives Team Performance03:02 Principles for Better Team Thinking07:38 Signal Thinking Activities in Your Team08:46 Turning Thinking into Action via Experiments09:43 The Team Thinking Matrix Explained11:48 Idea for Improvement: Worry Lists17:20 Idea for Improvement: What's Not Working (The "Knots")23:30 Everyday Idea for Inspiration: Borrowed Brilliance🎯 What You’ll Learn:- Why teams need more time to think (and how to make that time work)- 3 powerful principles for better collective thinking- Tools like “worry lists,” “what’s not working,” and “borrowed brilliance”- How to run quick team exercises- Ways to turn thinking into action—without overcomplicating itFor questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.comMore ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:📩 Download our free careers tools https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/🏃‍♂️ Sign-up for our Squiggly Careers Skills Sprint https://bit.ly/skillssprint2024📮 Sign up for Squiggly Careers in Action, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction📚 Read our books ‘The Squiggly Career’ and ‘You Coach You’ www.amazingif.com/books/ http://www.amazingif.com/books/

We often talk about the value of having a role model - someone to learn from and be inspired by. But what about the impact of being a role model?In this week’s episode, Helen and Sarah explore how being a role model can support your development, raise your profile, and help you build stronger connections at work. When you're intentional about how you show up, you attract opportunities and create a community around your work. They explore practical ideas to help you decide your role model focus, borrow brilliance, and put role modelling into practice in your day-to-day work.For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.comMore ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:📩 Download our free careers tools https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/🏃‍♂️ Sign-up for our Squiggly Careers Skills Sprint https://bit.ly/skillssprint2024📮 Sign up for Squiggly Careers in Action, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction📚 Read our books ‘The Squiggly Career’ and ‘You Coach You’ www.amazingif.com/books/ http://www.amazingif.com/books/

Better conversations help you build stronger relationships, understand others more deeply, and make meaningful progress - together.In this episode, Sarah talks to Jefferson Fisher, lawyer, speaker, and best-selling author, about five common situations where conversations can get tricky. From dealing with someone very different to you, to getting interrupted, or feeling stuck in people-pleasing, Jefferson shares simple shifts that can help you handle these moments with more clarity and confidence.For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.comMore ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:📩 Download our free careers tools https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/🏃‍♂️ Sign-up for our Squiggly Careers Skills Sprint https://bit.ly/skillssprint2024📮 Sign up for Squiggly Careers in Action, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction📚 Read our books ‘The Squiggly Career’ and ‘You Coach You’ www.amazingif.com/books/ http://www.amazingif.com/books/

Change at work isn’t always something you choose — sometimes your role is restructured, your team shifts, or decisions are made around you. When that happens, it’s easy to feel stuck, like your career progression is out of your hands. In this episode, Helen and Sarah share some practical actions you can take to regain control, build your confidence, and keep moving forward, even when change feels uncomfortable.They explore how to make the best of where you are right now and take action, from shifting your mindset, to spotting opportunities in uncertain situations and choosing your change story — so change doesn’t stall your Squiggly Career.For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.comMore ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:📩 Download our free careers tools https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/🏃‍♂️ Sign-up for our Squiggly Careers Skills Sprint https://bit.ly/skillssprint2024📮 Sign up for Squiggly Careers in Action, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction📚 Read our books ‘The Squiggly Career’ and ‘You Coach You’ www.amazingif.com/books/ http://www.amazingif.com/books/

Self-reflection and career development can be supercharged with the right questions — and AI can help you ask them. In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore 4 practical AI prompts designed to help you accelerate your Squiggly Career. They focus on key areas including how to build better relationships at work, get unstuck when you’re feeling uncertain, cope with change more confidently, and understand what your LinkedIn profile might be saying about you (without you realising it!). Whether you're curious about AI or looking for new ways to learn and grow, this episode will help you get started.For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.comMore ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:📩 Download our free careers tools https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/🏃‍♂️ Sign-up for our Squiggly Careers Skills Sprint https://bit.ly/skillssprint2024📮 Sign up for Squiggly Careers in Action, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction📚 Read our books ‘The Squiggly Career’ and ‘You Coach You’ www.amazingif.com/books/ http://www.amazingif.com/books/

We spend so much of our time at work on autopilot that we often miss what's right in front of us. In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore the art of noticing — how paying closer attention can unlock creativity, spark new ideas, and help you learn and lead in more meaningful ways. They share 9 simple and practical ways to start noticing more at work, from tuning into what’s left unsaid in meetings to spotting the tasks that never seem to get done.00:00 Introduction01:20 What is noticing?03:57 Idea 105:04 Idea 207:15 Idea 310:35 Idea 412:36 Idea 515:37 Idea 618:42 Idea 722:27 Idea 826:33 Idea 9For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.comMore ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:📩 Download our free careers tools https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/🏃‍♂️ Sign-up for our Squiggly Careers Skills Sprint https://bit.ly/skillssprint2024📮 Sign up for Squiggly Careers in Action, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction📚Read our books ‘The Squiggly Career’ and ‘You Coach You’ www.amazingif.com/books/ http://www.amazingif.com/books/

In a recent survey, many of our listeners told us that their biggest career worries are around learning new skills and staying relevant. But what skills really matter most for your future career? It’s a big question — and one that can feel overwhelming when you’re juggling a busy job and facing constant pressure to keep up and reskill. In this episode, Helen and Sarah share practical and reassuring ways to take ownership of your skill development, so you can navigate your squiggly career with confidence and control. You’ll learn how to identify the skills that matter most to you right now, which ones to invest in for your future self, how to stretch your strengths, and how to make space for learning — even when time feels tight.00:00 What skills matter most for your future career?03:32 Identify your skills 13:47 Learn skills from others16:54 Stretch your strengths19:10 How to find time to improve your skills21:09 How to skill swap in your team26:08 Find a skills sponsor

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SquigglyCareersFor questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.comMore ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:1. Download our free careers tools https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/2. Sign-up for our Squiggly Careers Skills Sprint https://bit.ly/skillssprint20243. Sign up for Squiggly Careers in Action, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction4. Read our books ‘The Squiggly Career’ and ‘You Coach You’ [www.amazingif.com/books/](http://www.amazingif.com/books/)