Shockingly there are 3 people in this podcast – DAS and Peter welcome their first ever guest, Donna Cooper – Services Leader and Untra-Marathon runner.

DAS kicks it all off by introducing a brand-new word (to Peter anyway) – Sisu: A Finnish word variously translated as stoic determination, tenacity of purpose, grit, bravery, resilience, and hardiness – and this is the Squid of the Day.

In the light of this Donna talks about her running experiences and challenges considering the value of a clear goal, flexibility of plans, and choice, and how this can play out in the business world.

Peter reflected on a quote by Tim Noakes, a 70 times marathon/ultra-marathon runner ‘Your body will argue that there is no justifiable reason to continue. Your only recourse is to call on your spirit, which fortunately functions independently of logic’.

Which seems to sum up a lot of the conversation and shared thoughts.

And it all concludes with Peter asking Donna how many trainers/running shoes she burns through each year.

In which David (aka DAS) and Peter (aka The Lazy Project Manager and now also aka Pedro) explore the value and purpose of evolving a personal brand

Along with stories of branding successes the dynamic duo (think the Ant and Dec of the business world) consider how anyone can invest in their own brand and what this can offer to them in their business and personal life

So, Squid of Despair Episode 21 - a new and improved podcast? Up to you to decide

Spoiler alert - episode concludes with Peter receiving quite a shock from DAS (listeners of a nervous disposition please be warned)

Where DAS assumes complete control of the podcast topics for 2024 (not precisely a coup but Peter is assuming a subservient role...)

Exploring Balance in Leadership

DAS and Peter reflect on the 'old school' style of command and direct leadership and the more relevant and appropriate blended leadership model that is both expected and needed in the modern business world.

Peter, despite his 'underling' position does lead the conversation in the somewhat random direction of tightrope walking records that DAS consider interesting but not specifically relevant to the podcast topic.

Happy New Year - they are back!

This week, we're tackling a topic that's increasingly relevant in today's world Peter feels: The danger of uninformed opinions.

Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance – Plato.

Opinion has caused more trouble on this little earth than plagues or earthquakes – Voltaire.

But that is only Plato’s and Voltaire’s opinion of course, the question is whether they were both either informed or uniformed?

It is about the importance of speaking from real knowledge, especially in a world where opinions can be hugely and rapidly amplified through various platforms - #socialmedia

DAS and Peter explore this topic that is (it becomes apparent after the recording) very similar to the infamous lost squid episode (how did that happen…).

As usual DAS tries to put together a list and Peter goes off-piste talking about airline travel in the 1970s.

Incorporating the now famous 'lost episode of Squid' when a technical issue caused a significant loss to DAS and Peter but the subject of this episode is resilience and they are committed to therefore being 'resilient' about it all.

Resilient - (of a person or animal) able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions

The dynamic duo explore whether you are, or aren't resilient, and why - and consider ways to become more resilient in the future, as well as ways to stave off the cause of stress that may test any resilience that you have.

And DAS, reluctantly. talks about cupboards.

Summary

• Dealing with absurd questions and lost audio. 0:08
  
  • Host David Smith and co-host Peter Taylor discuss a missing episode of their podcast, "Squid of Despair," and the potential causes of its disappearance.
  • DAS shares a funny story about a car accident that resulted in a bad joke, leading to a discussion on dealing with illogical questions and advice.
  • Peter reflects on the episode's content, concluding with a rewrite of the original question and paying tribute to the lost squid.
• Resilience and coping strategies for dealing with stress. 3:22
  
  • Resilience requires coping skills, says Peter, a resilient individual.
  • Peter discusses the importance of resilience in dealing with challenges at work, suggesting that it can act as a catalyst for personal growth.
  • DAS agrees that resilience is hard to define but believes it can be a catalyst for growth when approached with a positive mindset.
  • DAS describes different stages of chronic stress, including feeling under stress but coping, becoming frazzled, and reaching a breaking point with an outburst.
  • Peter relates to this experience, acknowledging they are resilient but can relate to the stages of chronic stress.
• Resilience and stress management in project management. 9:15
  
  • Peter describes their experience with stress and burnout while managing a massive project, recognizing the need for change to avoid harming themselves.
  • Peter wrote a book, "The Lazy Project Manager," based on their lessons learned to help others avoid similar experiences.
• Stress management and mindfulness. 11:23
  
  • Peter describes feeling centered and balanced most of the time, with a sense of calm and positive mood.
  • DAS notes that stress can be addictive, with people often seeking stimulation and distractions rather than contentment.
  • Mindfulness is key to balance in life, according to Peter and DAS.
  • Peter mentions that mindless behavior, such as excessive drinking or seeking distraction, can be a sign of stress and overwhelm.
  • DAS agrees and adds that recognizing these behaviors in oneself and others can help identify potential problems before they become more serious.
• Managing stress and finding balance in work and life. 18:05
  
  • Peter discusses the power of the mind in managing stress and achieving positive outcomes, citing the placebo effect as an example.
  • Peter suggests that maintaining a positive mindset can help deal with challenges and stress, even if they are difficult or overwhelming.
  • Peter and DAS discuss common triggers for work-related stress, including micromanaging and catastrophizing.
  • They also explore how hobbies can provide insight into how to approa

An episode spoken with a soft voice but with a strong message in which DAS argues that the quietest voice in the room can, in fact, be the loudest (which initially confuses Peter a lot)

Can a quiet voice be a powerful voice?
Can you mistake such quiet for weakness or mistake seniority?
Is it possible to balance the loud and the quiet?

Many questions are raised and, hopefully, addressed in this intriguing episode

Perhaps the #1 topic out there at the moment - the rapid (or so it seems) rise of artificial intelligence with technology like ChatGPT and Synthesia and MS Co-Pilot and Bing (and more) had to be discussed by the hosts eventually, and here it is.

Joining DAS and Peter is a non-person who still contributes to this episode with some thoughts of value (and humour).

Important questions such as do fish really have fingers and will AI replace the water cooler chats in the future will be addressed, as will the the aspects of the ethical use of AI, the human/digital partnership and impact on business and society.

Plus, at no point is The Terminator directly mentioned (or HAL).

In this episode DAS has a proposition: He would like to suggest that we experience time as a variable, not a constant.

Interesting start, he continues:

That you think our experience of time changes depending on the context, when we're happy time flies, when we're not enjoying ourselves, time seems to drag. And there's lots of phrases about this, you talk about people describing themselves as being slaves to time where you're trapped by the amount of time you've got available to do the things you want to do, which often you don't want to do. But I'm going to suggest in this podcast that I think we can make time elastic, we can manipulate it, so it appears to slow down or speed up according to our requirements, so we can be the master of time rather than the slave of time.

And so, the two intrepid podcasters become Time Lords (cue Dr Who music).

Peter also discovers a character called ‘Julian of Norwich’, who turns out to be a lady who famously said ““And all shall be well. And all shall be well. And all manner of things shall be exceeding well.” Which DAS thinks is insightful, and Peter finds slightly repetitive (but in an inspiring way).

Peter prefers the insight of Pink Floyd:

• Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
• Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
• Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
• The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say