Fixable

TED

Frances Frei is a Harvard Business professor. Anne Morriss is a CEO and best-selling author. Anne and Frances are two of the top leadership coaches in the world. Oh, did we mention they're also married to each other? Together, Anne and Frances move fast and fix stuff by talking to guest callers about their workplace issues and solving their problems – in 30 minutes or less. Both listeners and guests will receive actionable insights to create meaningful change in the workplace – regardless of their position on the company ladder. If you want to be on Fixable, call our hotline at 234-Fixable (that's 234-349-2253) to leave Anne and Frances a voicemail with your workplace problem.

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Our Editor's Take

Anne Morriss and Frances Frei, hosts of the podcast Fixable, spent decades helping people repair their work problems. They supported anyone from entrepreneurs starting out to CEOs of global corporations. Along the way, the pair noticed something surprising. It didn't matter if the issue was completely new or a problem they'd been wrestling with for years. Often, people were only one conversation away from removing the roadblock. They only needed one good talk to find a solution.

That's where Anne and Frances offer their expertise. The two guide people past those barriers so that they can make things happen. That's also what they're doing on the Fixable podcast. Each week, they take a call from someone who's stuck. They could have a work problem that they can't figure out how to solve. So the hosts discuss things like when to say enough is enough and say no to an unmanageable workload. If a person's boss is being unethical, they advise on how to talk to them without aggravating them.

Callers talk about breakdowns in communication and how it harms their work relationships. They reveal their struggles with finding meaning in their work. They also share their wishes to make their passions into their careers. In a short span of 30 minutes, Anne and Frances help them find achievable solutions. The hosts uncover the guests' strengths and explain how to lean into them.

Besides offering advice to the callers, the hosts also conduct a post-interview analysis in every episode. This helps the listeners to develop a better understanding of the issues. It provides tools for them to learn better problem-solving in their own working lives.

Anne and Frances use Fixable as a way to show the world the type of work they do. By doing so, they hope to spread the message that meaningful change happens quickly. Everything is fixable, and it doesn't need months or years to happen. It only requires someone who can offer guidance through the process.

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Fixable premieres April 3rd

Fixable premieres April 3rd

Beloved Harvard Business professor Frances Frei and her wife, CEO and bestselling author Anne Morriss, pull back the curtain on leadership advice that's typically reserved for their exec-level clients. This show offers listeners a chance to sit down with two of the top leadership coaches in the world to help solve everyday organizational challenges—big and small. Each week, Frances and Anne host unfiltered conversations with a handful of guests that tackle unique work challenges. Drawing from their work advising companies that have confronted the toughest of workplace situations (Uber, Riot Games, and WeWork), this wise duo is bringing their practical, battle-tested tools to the masses. If you want to be on Fixable, call our hotline at 234-Fixable (that’s 234-349-2253) to leave Anne and Frances a voicemail with your workplace problem.

Episodes

How Bill Gates spends $9 billion a year | The TED Interview

How Bill Gates spends $9 billion a year | The TED Interview

This is an episode of The TED Interview, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective, that we think you'll enjoy. To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft and the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is one of the top ten richest people in the world. But since 2008, he has traded his day-to-day role with Microsoft to focus full-time on his foundation's work to expand opportunity around the world. Chris interviews Bill about his philanthropy philosophy and digs into the opportunities and challenges that face one of the largest private charitable foundations in the world. The two also discuss The Giving Pledge, the movement Bill co-founded with Warren Buffet, which encourages wealthy individuals to commit the majority of their wealth to charitable causes within their lifetimes. Chris and Bill examine the importance of solving the world’s most pressing problems efficiently, talk about why meaningful change requires scale, and compare notes on how to best encourage collective excitement about giving back.

How to stop a bully (w/ Master Fixer Amy Cuddy) - Part 2

How to stop a bully (w/ Master Fixer Amy Cuddy) - Part 2

Bullies can’t bully alone – they need other people to participate in their campaigns to shame, discredit, and exclude their targets. This means that we often have more power than we realize to stop bullying in the workplace. In Part 2 of Anne and Frances’s conversation with Master Fixer and social psychologist Amy Cuddy, they explore smart, simple actions all of us can take to prevent bullying and shut it down in its earliest stages. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 of this interview, make sure to first check out the previous episode, “How to spot a bully in the workplace.” What problems are you dealing with at work right now? Text 234-FIXABLE or email fixable@ted.com to be featured on the show. Transcript for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts

(UPDATED) How to spot a bully in the workplace (w/ Master Fixer Amy Cuddy) - Part 1

(UPDATED) How to spot a bully in the workplace (w/ Master Fixer Amy Cuddy) - Part 1

(Note: This is an updated version of this episode – if you previously downloaded audio and got a different podcast, thanks for your patience as we deliver you the right episode, which is this one! The original episode is also updated and you can find it in this same feed.) Where do bullies go when they grow up? New research shows they just move from the playground to the workplace. This week, Master Fixer and social psychologist Amy Cuddy joins Anne and Frances to walk us through the strikingly stable patterns bullies follow to undermine and ostracize their targets – patterns that are way more common than you might think. Stay tuned for part two where Cuddy details actions you can take to stop bullies in next week’s episode. What problems are you dealing with at work right now? Text 234-FIXABLE or email fixable@ted.com to be featured on the show. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixabletranscripts. Mental Health at Work Index (https://mentalhealthindex.org/): A partnership of Columbia University’s Mental Health + Work Design Lab (https://www.cugmhp.org/programs/mental-health-and-work-design-lab/) and One Mind at Work (https://onemindatwork.org/). This is an in-depth assessment tool created by a team of psychologists and business leaders to help companies measure and improve their mental health efforts in a scientfic and data-driven way.

How to spot a bully in the workplace (w/ Master Fixer Amy Cuddy) - Part 1

How to spot a bully in the workplace (w/ Master Fixer Amy Cuddy) - Part 1

Where do bullies go when they grow up? New research shows they just move from the playground to the workplace. This week, Master Fixer and social psychologist Amy Cuddy joins Anne and Frances to walk us through the strikingly stable patterns bullies follow to undermine and ostracize their targets – patterns that are way more common than you might think. Stay tuned for part two where Cuddy details actions you can take to stop bullies in next week’s episode. What problems are you dealing with at work right now? Text 234-FIXABLE or email fixable@ted.com to be featured on the show. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixabletranscripts Mental Health at Work Index (https://mentalhealthindex.org/): A partnership of Columbia University’s Mental Health + Work Design Lab (https://www.cugmhp.org/programs/mental-health-and-work-design-lab/) and One Mind at Work (https://onemindatwork.org/). This is an in-depth assessment tool created by a team of psychologists and business leaders to help companies measure and improve their mental health efforts in a scientific and data-driven way.

Unsolicited Advice: Boeing & how to lead in a crisis

Unsolicited Advice: Boeing & how to lead in a crisis

Multiple deadly crashes, a door flying off mid-flight, a CEO forced to step down Boeing has had more than a few disasters. And in case anyone at Boeing is listening, Anne and Frances have some advice to offer for our first ever “Unsolicited Advice” episode. How can a company redeem itself after so many appalling headlines? Where does the leadership team go from here? Listen for valuable takeaways anyone can learn from on taking “radical responsibility” for an organization’s performance. What problems are you dealing with at work right now? Text 234-FIXABLE or email fixable@ted.com to be featured on the show. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixabletranscripts

The key to successful promotions

The key to successful promotions

How do you retain good people – and set them up for success in a dynamic, fast-moving environment? Promotion, job design, and clear career pathways are all part of the answer. This week, a pastor leading a growing church wants to know when is the right time to promote people and how to make sure they don't burn out. Anne and Frances deliver advice to help leaders embrace uncertainty and chart a course for success, whether they’re in the pulpit or the C-suite. What problems are you dealing with at work right now? Call or text 234-FIXABLE or email fixable@ted.com to be featured on the show. Transcripts for Fixable are available at https://go.ted.com/fixablescripts

How to talk about mental health at work

How to talk about mental health at work

Whatever happens off-the-job comes with us to work, including our mental health. And having the right tools to talk about it is crucial to improving our experience of work. In this episode, Master Fixer and Harvard Business School professor Lauren Cohen joins Anne and Frances to deliver some surprising statistics on mental health and why it’s vital to have conversations about wellness in the workplace. Whether you’re worried about an employee who lost a loved one or don’t know how to bring up your struggle with depression to your boss – you’ll hear how to have transparent conversations that can change the way you work for the better. What problems are you dealing with at work right now? Call/text 234-FIXABLE or email fixable@ted.com to be featured on the show. Transcripts for Fixable are available at https://go.ted.com/fixablescripts

How to stop your company’s size from slowing you down

How to stop your company’s size from slowing you down

Do ideas have the freedom to run in your workplace, or do they get caught in internal complexity? As companies grow, they tend to have more processes and stakeholders slowing down change. So what can you do to get things done? In this week’s episode, Anne and Frances help a rockstar Chief People Officer avoid her company’s bureaucratic tendencies and stay on the fast track to success. Tune in to learn how empowerment, reframing and intention can help accelerate your organization’s way of getting things done. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts. What problems are you dealing with at work right now? Text 234-FIXABLE or email fixable@ted.com to be featured on the show.

Friction 101: How to make the right things easier and wrong things harder (w/ Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao)

Friction 101: How to make the right things easier and wrong things harder (w/ Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao)

Do you feel like you’re hitting a wall at work? This week, Anne and Frances are joined by Master Fixers Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao. Bob and Huggy are professors at Stanford University and authors of “The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder”. Together, the four discuss how anyone can eliminate the obstacles to doing their best work—and create constraints that make work even better. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

How to take your good idea to the next level

How to take your good idea to the next level

You have a fantastic idea, but you're going to need help with execution. Thankfully, that’s what your network is for. In this week’s episode, a listener who developed her own pilates equipment business comes to Anne and Frances for advice on how to turn a successful product into a scalable company. With a little help from Anne and Frances, Bree learns actionable ways to ask the right people for help and make her goals a reality by focusing on what she’s great at! Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

Why Kim Scott thinks you need to ask for feedback | How to Be a Better Human

Why Kim Scott thinks you need to ask for feedback | How to Be a Better Human

You know what they say about unsolicited advice (don’t give it!) but when it comes to SOLICITED feedback, author and executive coach Kim Scott says: bring it on. Kim believes that when it comes to improving your life at home, work, and anywhere in between, it helps to ask for – and provide – kind, but radical, candor. In this episode, Kim shares what she’s learned about embracing candidness and care in the workplace, gives tips on how to engage in constructive conversations, and opens up about the benefits of addressing bias in communication. Her latest book, "Just Work: How to Root Out Bias, Prejudice, and Bullying to Build a Kick-ass Culture of Inclusivity" is out now. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts This is an episode of How to Be a Better Human, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective. For more, check out How to Be a Better Human wherever you get your podcasts.

How to manage multiple agendas — including your own

How to manage multiple agendas — including your own

Have you ever been caught in the middle of a tricky work dynamic, struggling to please everyone? Sometimes, the only solution is to realize it’s not your job to fix everything. This week, Anne and Frances talk to a listener who’s struggling to manage relationships with multiple bosses with competing priorities. Together, they chart a path for this superstar employee to make it clear she can’t solve every problem while also safeguarding her career. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

Three relationships to help you win at work (w/ Master Fixer Carla Harris)

Three relationships to help you win at work (w/ Master Fixer Carla Harris)

Sure, we all want our work to speak for itself… but who will make sure your impact is truly seen and valued? This week, Anne and Frances are joined by Master Fixer Carla Harris. Carla Harris is a Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley, the bestselling author of books like Expect to Win and Lead to Win, and an expert on building relationships at work. This week, she brings her wisdom to Fixable to discuss why it’s impossible to have a true meritocracy – and why strong relationships are the key to succeeding in your career. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

How to outsmart bias at work

How to outsmart bias at work

Have you ever felt like something about your identity was getting in the way of your success? This week, a listener needs help pushing through the resistance she’s facing as a woman navigating a male-dominated workplace. Anne and Frances discuss what you can do when someone else’s bias is standing in your way. Together, the three uncover how you can find your agency in unexpected places – and why you must use it unapologetically. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

How to win people over (w/ Robin Steinberg)

How to win people over (w/ Robin Steinberg)

How do you find common ground with skeptical audiences? Robin Steinberg is the CEO of The Bail Project, an organization that advocates for abolishing cash bail and reforming the criminal justice system. She knows her work is vital, but public anxiety about crime and safety often gets in the way of lasting change. Robin Steinberg asks Anne and Frances how to communicate her mission to people who don’t understand what she does or why she does it. They help Robin craft a new outreach strategy and discuss how you need more than just facts and data to win over new supporters.

How to write things that busy people will actually read (w/ Todd Rogers)?

How to write things that busy people will actually read (w/ Todd Rogers)?

What kinds of writing gets people to take action? In his book, “Writing Effectively for Busy Readers,” Harvard professor and this week’s Master Fixer Todd Rogers discusses his extensive research into the most effective writing styles. Todd talks with Anne and Frances about what it means to be "radically responsible" to your audience. Then he shares the best (and seemingly counterintuitive) writing techniques to stir your readers into action. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

How to communicate during uncertainty

How to communicate during uncertainty

How can you communicate confidence when the future is uncertain? Claire manages communications at a transportation company that’s going through major changes, and she’s tasked with making sure everyone—from C-level corporate executives to people out in the field—get the information they need. However, she finds herself competing with industry news cycles and word-of-mouth speculation to get people’s trust and attention. Anne and Frances discuss the importance of authenticity and trust at work – and show Claire how to create a clear line of communication at her company. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

How to finally make meetings more productive (Re-Release)

How to finally make meetings more productive (Re-Release)

Hi everybody, new episodes of Fixable are back next week! In the meantime, we are bringing back this episode in case you missed it. Anne and Frances are joined by their first “Master Fixer," author Claire Hughes Johnson, who’s here to help you fix your meetings! Her book Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building draws on her executive experiences at Stripe and Google and reveals her techniques for getting the most out of the people she’s leading – especially while they’re gathered together. In this episode, Claire shares her recipe for better meetings, including how to make them more inclusive, why it’s crucial to delegate tasks, and how to make space for dissent. And remember — if you want to be on next season Fixable, call Anne and Frances with your workplace problems at 234-Fixable (that’s 234-349-2253). You can also email fixable@ted.com or submit using THIS form.

What's your problem? with Anne and Frances

What's your problem? with Anne and Frances

This is an episode of one of our favorite shows, What's Your Problem? hosted by former Planet Money host Jacob Goldstein. Each week, Jacob talks to entrepreneurs and engineers about how they’ll change the world -- once they solve a few problems. We hope you enjoy Anne and Frances in conversation with Jacob while we're still on a short break. Find more about What's Your Problem at pushkin.fm And remember — if you want to be on next season Fixable, call Anne and Frances with your workplace problems at 234-Fixable (that’s 234-349-2253). You can also email fixable@ted.com or submit using THIS form.

How to be a leader even if you don’t have the title | Leading Up With Udemy

How to be a leader even if you don’t have the title | Leading Up With Udemy

This is another episode of one of our favorite shows, Leading Up With Udemy, hosted by Alan Todd, the Udemy Vice President of Leadership Development. We hope you enjoy it while we're on a short break! Roberta Matuson is a talent consultant and author of several incredible leadership books, including international bestseller Suddenly In Charge, Can We Talk?, and The Magnetic Leader. She discusses how to manage up and how to have difficult conversations at work. If you're looking to become a more effective leader, this episode is for you. Listen now to learn from Roberta Matuson's years of coaching diverse clients who work in a range of organizations, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. And remember — if you want to be on next season Fixable, call Anne and Frances with your workplace problems at 234-Fixable (that’s 234-349-2253). You can also email fixable@ted.com or submit using THIS form.