Ways to Change the Workplace with Prina Shah

Prina Shah
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This podcast is all about helping you to find Ways to Change the Workplace. We spend more time of our waking day at work than with loved ones, my mission is to make your workplace a good place to be! Sometimes I speak to amazing thought leaders, sometimes the podcasts will be solo episodes. I am Prina Shah, I am a Global Coach, Consultant, Trainer and Speaker with 20+ years of experience in developing Executives, Leaders and Teams. My specialty is in developing your people and working with you to optimise your organisational cultures. Thank you for tuning in! Prina (can't wait to share great things with you) Shah

  1. 159. Why We Resist Change (and What Leaders Can Do About It) with Dr Vish Ramakonar

    4D AGO

    159. Why We Resist Change (and What Leaders Can Do About It) with Dr Vish Ramakonar

    Dr Vish Ramakonar is a change and neuroscience practitioner, academic and corporate trainer with a background in engineering, IT and project management. He lectures at Edith Cowan University and delivers evidence-based programs grounded in neuroscience to support organisational change, resilience, wellbeing and performance. Vish is passionate about helping organisations create environments where people can adapt, innovate and thrive – not just survive. In this episode of Ways to Change Your Workplace, Prina Shah is joined by Dr Vish Ramakonar for a deep, practical conversation about why humans resist change – and what leaders can actually do about it. Vish brings together engineering, project management, change management, neuroscience and teaching to unpack what is really happening in our brains and bodies when change is introduced at work. This is not a surface-level change conversation. It goes beneath behaviours and into survival responses, habits, emotions and identity. Together, Prina and Vish explore why change often feels exhausting, why resistance is not stubbornness, and how leaders can create the psychological safety required for people to genuinely adapt and embed new ways of working. This episode is especially relevant for leaders navigating constant organisational change, technology transformations, restructures, or culture shifts. Connect with Dr Vish: https://drvishramakonar.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-vish-ramakonar-853a1512/ In this episode, we discuss: • Why humans are biologically wired to resist change  • How the fight-or-flight response shows up at work  • The link between past experiences, emotions and resistance  • Why change takes more energy than we expect  • The role of habits, automatic behaviour and the subconscious mind  • Why constant change without recovery leads to overwhelm  • The difference between external change and internal transition  • Why people move through change at different speeds  • The neuroscience behind embedding new behaviours  • The cost of rushing change without support  • How leaders unknowingly trigger threat responses  • Ca Send Prina a text to let her know how you'd change the workplace Support the show If you are seeking professional advice or would like to change your company culture through training, consulting, speaking and coaching, get in touch with Prina Shah today. Email Prina. For More Info on Prina Shah & her Services: SIGN UP TO PRINA'S NEWSLETTER WHERE SHE SHARES A HEAP OF PRACTICAL TOOLS MONTHLY-ISH https://www.prinashah.com/signup Grab a copy of Make Work Meaningful and start creating your own legacy at work and leave me a review. https://www.makeworkmeaningful.shop/book Subscribe to the Ways to Change the Workplace Podcast for more actionable insights. https://www.waystochangetheworkplace.com/ Prina Shah LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/prinashah/ Prina Shah Website⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.prinashah.com/ Prina Shah Instagram⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.instagram.com/prina.shah/ Prina (Helping you find GREAT ways to change your workplace) Shah

    39 min
  2. 158. Living in a Fishbowl: Being the CEO in a Small Town with Simone Pickering

    FEB 13

    158. Living in a Fishbowl: Being the CEO in a Small Town with Simone Pickering

    What happens when leadership doesn’t end at the office door? In Living in a Fishbowl, Prina Shah is joined by regional HR expert Simone Pickering to explore what it really means to be a CEO in a small town — where anonymity doesn’t exist, visibility is constant, and leadership follows you to the supermarket, the school gate, and community events. This episode moves beyond leadership theory and into lived experience. It unpacks the emotional load of being both an organisational leader and a public figure, the isolation that often comes with senior roles in small communities, and why boundaries, wellbeing, and support systems are not optional for sustainable leadership. From local government CEOs and not-for-profit leaders to boards and councillors, this is an honest conversation about responsibility, burnout, and compassion — for leaders and for the humans behind the titles. In this episode, we discuss: Why CEOs in small towns are never “off duty”Leadership visibility and being constantly observedHow small actions are magnified and misinterpretedCEOs as public figures, not just organisational leadersDecision-making when social consequences are unavoidableThe emotional isolation of senior leadership rolesConfidentiality challenges in tight-knit communitiesWhy some CEOs need to physically leave town to recoverBurnout risks in regional and not-for-profit leadershipThe hidden cost of networking, stakeholder events, and “being on”Why purpose-driven leaders are at higher risk of burnoutThe critical role of boards and councils in shaping cultureTwo questions every board must ask:  What does it feel like to work here? How does our conduct impact organisational culture?About Simone Pickering. Simone is a Kalgoorlie local and the founder of The People & Culture Office, a consultancy she launched in 2018 to make HR practical, human, and accessible for regional businesses. Simone’s career spans local government, mining, and the not-for-profit sector, giving her dee Send Prina a text to let her know how you'd change the workplace Support the show If you are seeking professional advice or would like to change your company culture through training, consulting, speaking and coaching, get in touch with Prina Shah today. Email Prina. For More Info on Prina Shah & her Services: SIGN UP TO PRINA'S NEWSLETTER WHERE SHE SHARES A HEAP OF PRACTICAL TOOLS MONTHLY-ISH https://www.prinashah.com/signup Grab a copy of Make Work Meaningful and start creating your own legacy at work and leave me a review. https://www.makeworkmeaningful.shop/book Subscribe to the Ways to Change the Workplace Podcast for more actionable insights. https://www.waystochangetheworkplace.com/ Prina Shah LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/prinashah/ Prina Shah Website⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.prinashah.com/ Prina Shah Instagram⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.instagram.com/prina.shah/ Prina (Helping you find GREAT ways to change your workplace) Shah

    17 min
  3. 157. Adapting Your Communication Style for Your Team with Mel Loy

    FEB 6

    157. Adapting Your Communication Style for Your Team with Mel Loy

    In this first episode of our five-part collaboration series, Prina Shah and Mel Loy dive into one of the most common leadership challenges - adapting your communication style to suit your team. Too often, leaders communicate based on their own preferences and assume the message has landed. In reality, effective leadership communication requires intentional adaptation, self-awareness, and trust-building. Contact Mel: https://au.linkedin.com/in/melanieloy Get your hands on Mel's practical books: https://cuttlefish.group/books In this episode, we explore: • Why new leaders are rarely taught how to communicate effectively  • The myth of one-size-fits-all communication  • How different communication styles impact trust and performance  • A real-life leadership lesson on tailoring communication for decision-makers  • Why leaders must step out of positional power to truly connect with their teams  • The value of creating a “user manual of me” for better team collaboration  • How introversion, learning styles, and thinking preferences influence communication  • Why communication tools are useful - but only when used well  • The danger of using communication style as an excuse for poor behaviour  • Trust, the messenger effect, and why titles don’t equal credibility  • Navigating peer-to-leader transitions and respectful boundaries  • Leading teams where age, experience, and expectations differ Send Prina a text to let her know how you'd change the workplace Support the show If you are seeking professional advice or would like to change your company culture through training, consulting, speaking and coaching, get in touch with Prina Shah today. Email Prina. For More Info on Prina Shah & her Services: SIGN UP TO PRINA'S NEWSLETTER WHERE SHE SHARES A HEAP OF PRACTICAL TOOLS MONTHLY-ISH https://www.prinashah.com/signup Grab a copy of Make Work Meaningful and start creating your own legacy at work and leave me a review. https://www.makeworkmeaningful.shop/book Subscribe to the Ways to Change the Workplace Podcast for more actionable insights. https://www.waystochangetheworkplace.com/ Prina Shah LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/prinashah/ Prina Shah Website⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.prinashah.com/ Prina Shah Instagram⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.instagram.com/prina.shah/ Prina (Helping you find GREAT ways to change your workplace) Shah

    29 min
  4. 156. Who Gets Heard at Work - And Who Doesn’t with Victoria Rennoldson

    JAN 30

    156. Who Gets Heard at Work - And Who Doesn’t with Victoria Rennoldson

    In this episode of Ways to Change Your Workplace, Prina Shah is joined by London-based communication coach and cultural intelligence trainer Victoria Rennoldson for a powerful conversation about voice, silence, and the hidden dynamics shaping who gets heard at work. In this episode, Prina and Victoria explore: • Why being quiet is often misinterpreted as disengagement or lack of confidence  • How dominant voices shape meetings - especially in virtual environments  • The cultural assumptions behind how meetings are run and voices are valued  • Why communication is more than speaking - it requires listening and processing  • How multilingual and multicultural professionals are often overlooked despite strong performance  • The link between voice, belonging, and psychological safety  • How miscommunication and misinterpretation erode team and organisational culture  • Why people get stuck in their careers despite ticking all the boxes  • The role of leaders in creating an equal share of voice within teams Victoria introduces the concept of cultural intelligence (CQ) and explains how understanding behavioural preferences, communication styles, and non-verbal cues can transform team dynamics.  About the guest: Victoria Rennoldson is a communication coach and cultural intelligence trainer, and the CEO and Founder of Culture Cuppa. She works with current and future global leaders to elevate and amplify their communication, and supports multicultural teams to build connection, trust, and collaboration across borders. Victoria is also the host of the Cultural Communication Confidence podcast. Connect with Victoria: • Website: https://culturecuppa.com/about/ • Book - Become a Global Leader: https://culturecuppa.com/book/ • Podcast: Cultural Communication Confidence: https://culturecuppa.com/podcasts/making-work-meaningful-with-prina-shah/  • LinkedIn: Send Prina a text to let her know how you'd change the workplace Support the show If you are seeking professional advice or would like to change your company culture through training, consulting, speaking and coaching, get in touch with Prina Shah today. Email Prina. For More Info on Prina Shah & her Services: SIGN UP TO PRINA'S NEWSLETTER WHERE SHE SHARES A HEAP OF PRACTICAL TOOLS MONTHLY-ISH https://www.prinashah.com/signup Grab a copy of Make Work Meaningful and start creating your own legacy at work and leave me a review. https://www.makeworkmeaningful.shop/book Subscribe to the Ways to Change the Workplace Podcast for more actionable insights. https://www.waystochangetheworkplace.com/ Prina Shah LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/prinashah/ Prina Shah Website⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.prinashah.com/ Prina Shah Instagram⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.instagram.com/prina.shah/ Prina (Helping you find GREAT ways to change your workplace) Shah

    30 min
  5. 155. Fear, Trust and the Cost of Playing It Safe at Work – A Real Conversation with Prina Shah and Trina Sunday

    JAN 23

    155. Fear, Trust and the Cost of Playing It Safe at Work – A Real Conversation with Prina Shah and Trina Sunday

    Fear is quietly running many workplaces. It hides behind process, compliance, and so-called safety. In this episode, Prina Shah is joined by Trina Sunday, founder of Reimagine HR, for a candid and deeply practical conversation about fear, trust, leadership, and the human cost of risk avoidance at work. Together, they unpack how fear shows up in leadership behaviours, why HR is often stuck in the middle, and how systems, not people, are frequently the real problem. This is an honest conversation about courage, accountability, and what it really means to lead with heart, not fear. If you work in HR, lead people, or feel stuck in a system that values process over humanity, this episode will resonate. What we cover: Why fear and trust sit at opposite ends of the employee experienceHow fear shows up as control, perfectionism, indecision and micromanagementThe rise of compliance over courage in leadershipWhy avoidance is being mistaken for safetyThe capability gap in having difficult, human conversationsHow performance systems and structures reinforce fear-based behaviourWhy restructures often treat symptoms, not root causesThe problem with two-week “consultation periods”HR’s responsibility to influence, not retreatThe cost of neutrality when humanity is requiredRebuilding trust through micro moments, not grand gesturesWhy clarity, consistency and empathy matter more than policiesFalse agreement, the HIPPO effect, and why silence is dangerousLegacy as a daily choice, not an end-of-career conceptMoving from passenger to driver in your careerTrauma, poly-crisis, and the emotional reality people bring to workWhy courage does not come from workshops but from daily choicesAbout the Guest – Trina Sunday: Trina Sunday is the founder of Reimagine HR and a fierce advocate for transforming the HR profession. Her work focuses on empowering HR leaders to be courageous change makers who lead with confidence, clarity, and humanity. Trina believes that changing HR is how we ultimately change workplaces and communities. Send Prina a text to let her know how you'd change the workplace Support the show If you are seeking professional advice or would like to change your company culture through training, consulting, speaking and coaching, get in touch with Prina Shah today. Email Prina. For More Info on Prina Shah & her Services: SIGN UP TO PRINA'S NEWSLETTER WHERE SHE SHARES A HEAP OF PRACTICAL TOOLS MONTHLY-ISH https://www.prinashah.com/signup Grab a copy of Make Work Meaningful and start creating your own legacy at work and leave me a review. https://www.makeworkmeaningful.shop/book Subscribe to the Ways to Change the Workplace Podcast for more actionable insights. https://www.waystochangetheworkplace.com/ Prina Shah LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/prinashah/ Prina Shah Website⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.prinashah.com/ Prina Shah Instagram⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.instagram.com/prina.shah/ Prina (Helping you find GREAT ways to change your workplace) Shah

    52 min
  6. 154. The Polycrisis at Work: Why Organisations Can’t Separate ‘Outside’ and ‘Inside’ Anymore

    JAN 16

    154. The Polycrisis at Work: Why Organisations Can’t Separate ‘Outside’ and ‘Inside’ Anymore

    Work feels heavier. People feel more stretched. And even when organisations are performing well on paper, something feels off. In this solo episode of Ways to Change the Workplace, Prina Shah explores the concept of a polycrisis and what it really means for leaders, organisations, and workplace culture. A polycrisis is not just multiple crises happening at once. It is when economic pressure, social tension, climate anxiety, political instability, and constant change collide and amplify each other. And work sits right at the centre of that collision. In this episode, Prina unpacks why organisations can no longer separate what happens outside the workplace from what happens inside, and why wellbeing initiatives alone will never be enough. This is a practical, systems-focused conversation about how leadership behaviour, organisational design, and culture must change if work is going to remain meaningful in complex times. In This Episode, You’ll Learn • What a polycrisis is and why it matters at work  • Why the boundary between ‘outside’ and ‘inside’ has collapsed  • How workplace systems can either absorb or amplify pressure  • Why counselling and wellbeing initiatives are necessary but not sufficient  • What leaders need to do differently under sustained complexity  • What organisations need to redesign to stop quietly breaking people  • How meaningful work becomes a stabilising force in uncertain times Key Topics Covered • The polycrisis explained in practical, workplace terms  • Why work is where pressure converges  • The outside-inside loop and its impact on people, families, and communities  • Leadership behaviour under pressure  • Organisational systems, workload, and role clarity  • Change without recovery and why it erodes trust  • Designing work for sustainability rather than endurance The polycrisis is not temporary. What happens outside will keep coming inside. And what happens inside will keep going back out. The responsibility is not to fix everything. It is to stop making it worse. Call to Action Share this ep! If you’re r Send Prina a text to let her know how you'd change the workplace Support the show If you are seeking professional advice or would like to change your company culture through training, consulting, speaking and coaching, get in touch with Prina Shah today. Email Prina. For More Info on Prina Shah & her Services: SIGN UP TO PRINA'S NEWSLETTER WHERE SHE SHARES A HEAP OF PRACTICAL TOOLS MONTHLY-ISH https://www.prinashah.com/signup Grab a copy of Make Work Meaningful and start creating your own legacy at work and leave me a review. https://www.makeworkmeaningful.shop/book Subscribe to the Ways to Change the Workplace Podcast for more actionable insights. https://www.waystochangetheworkplace.com/ Prina Shah LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/prinashah/ Prina Shah Website⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.prinashah.com/ Prina Shah Instagram⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.instagram.com/prina.shah/ Prina (Helping you find GREAT ways to change your workplace) Shah

    17 min
  7. 153. When Work Follows You To the Shops: Boundaries In Small Towns

    JAN 9

    153. When Work Follows You To the Shops: Boundaries In Small Towns

    In this episode of Ways to Change the Workplace, Prina Shah is joined by Simone Pickering as part of the series Rethinking Regional Workplaces with Simone Pickering. In When Work Follows You to The Shops, they explore what boundaries really look like when you live and work in a regional community or small town – where colleagues are neighbours, clients are parents at the school gate, and confidentiality is constantly tested. This conversation moves beyond theory and into lived experience. It unpacks the emotional load of being “always on”, the complexity of dual relationships, and why boundary-setting in small towns is often misunderstood as being difficult rather than responsible. In this episode, we discuss: Why boundaries feel different in regional communitiesDual relationships and blurred personal-professional linesBeing approached about work everywhereConfidentiality and trust in small ecosystemsDigital and after-hours boundariesBoundary-setting as leadership behaviourReflection questions Where has work quietly followed you into your personal life?Which boundaries have become blurred because “that’s just how it is here”?What would change if boundaries were treated as leadership, not attitude?Simone Pickering is a Kalgoorlie local and the founder of The People & Culture Office, a consultancy she launched in 2018 to make HR easier for regional businesses. Her career began in local government before she spent almost a decade in the mining industry, later stepping into the not-for-profit sector where the human impact of good HR became impossible to ignore. Today, Simone partners with organisations across regional WA, helping leaders strengthen culture, lift capability and build workplaces people actually want to be part of. With deep experience, a human-centred approach and a clear lens on the reality of small-town workplaces, she brings insight, honesty and a steady hand to conversations about work in the regions. Her amazing The Real Work Magazines Send Prina a text to let her know how you'd change the workplace Support the show If you are seeking professional advice or would like to change your company culture through training, consulting, speaking and coaching, get in touch with Prina Shah today. Email Prina. For More Info on Prina Shah & her Services: SIGN UP TO PRINA'S NEWSLETTER WHERE SHE SHARES A HEAP OF PRACTICAL TOOLS MONTHLY-ISH https://www.prinashah.com/signup Grab a copy of Make Work Meaningful and start creating your own legacy at work and leave me a review. https://www.makeworkmeaningful.shop/book Subscribe to the Ways to Change the Workplace Podcast for more actionable insights. https://www.waystochangetheworkplace.com/ Prina Shah LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/prinashah/ Prina Shah Website⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.prinashah.com/ Prina Shah Instagram⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.instagram.com/prina.shah/ Prina (Helping you find GREAT ways to change your workplace) Shah

    28 min
  8. 152. How to Use Fallow Periods to Enhance Your Career

    JAN 2

    152. How to Use Fallow Periods to Enhance Your Career

    Embracing Fallow Periods in Your Career In this episode of The Ways To Change Your Workplace Podcast, host Prina Shah delves into the importance of fallow periods in one's career.  She compares these quiet, slow patches to a field left fallow in agriculture, emphasizing their purpose for rest and recuperation.  Prina shares a real-world story of a client she named Amira, who turned a period of career stagnation into a launchpad for personal growth and career pivot.  Practical tips for navigating these periods include acknowledging the transition, tracking energy levels, reconnecting with values, and resting without guilt.  Prina also challenges leaders to create workplace cultures that allow for such necessary pauses. The episode underscores that fallow periods are fertile times for future growth and innovation. 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast 01:08 Understanding Fallow Periods 02:56 Real-Life Example: Amira's Story 04:58 The Importance of Fallow Periods 06:57 Practical Tips for Navigating Fallow Periods 08:37 Workplace Culture and Fallow Periods 09:39 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Send Prina a text to let her know how you'd change the workplace Support the show If you are seeking professional advice or would like to change your company culture through training, consulting, speaking and coaching, get in touch with Prina Shah today. Email Prina. For More Info on Prina Shah & her Services: SIGN UP TO PRINA'S NEWSLETTER WHERE SHE SHARES A HEAP OF PRACTICAL TOOLS MONTHLY-ISH https://www.prinashah.com/signup Grab a copy of Make Work Meaningful and start creating your own legacy at work and leave me a review. https://www.makeworkmeaningful.shop/book Subscribe to the Ways to Change the Workplace Podcast for more actionable insights. https://www.waystochangetheworkplace.com/ Prina Shah LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/prinashah/ Prina Shah Website⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.prinashah.com/ Prina Shah Instagram⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.instagram.com/prina.shah/ Prina (Helping you find GREAT ways to change your workplace) Shah

    12 min
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This podcast is all about helping you to find Ways to Change the Workplace. We spend more time of our waking day at work than with loved ones, my mission is to make your workplace a good place to be! Sometimes I speak to amazing thought leaders, sometimes the podcasts will be solo episodes. I am Prina Shah, I am a Global Coach, Consultant, Trainer and Speaker with 20+ years of experience in developing Executives, Leaders and Teams. My specialty is in developing your people and working with you to optimise your organisational cultures. Thank you for tuning in! Prina (can't wait to share great things with you) Shah

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