Episode 65: Managing Pain and Suffering at Work with Amy Newell

Managing Pain and Suffering at Work with Amy Newell

Guest

Amy Newell:: Director of Engineering at Wistia. Previous Director of Engineering at PatientsLikeMe. RailsConf 2019 - Failure, Risk, and Shame: Approaching Suffering at Work by Amy Newell

Summary

Our guest this week is Amy Newell. Amy is the Director of Engineering at Wistia, and she gave a talk at RailsConf this year entitled “Failure, Risk, and Shame: Approaching pain and suffering at work”. We have what I hope is an uplifting conversation about failure and pain, how to recognize it, and how to skillfully manage those feelings to be more resilient, prevent additional pain, and ultimately be more satisfied with your job.

Notes

01:56 - Why Use Words Like “Pain” and “Shame” When Talking About Work Experience

• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

04:21 - Specific Kinds of Pain and Suffering at Work

07:31 - Mistakes People Make When They’re Dealing with Failure, Anxiety, and Shame

10:28 - Skillful Responses

17:37 - Mitigating Pain

21:57 - Skillful Responses (Cont’d)

25:04 - Mindfulness

• RAIN: Tara Brach

30:34 - Feedback and Identity

• Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen
• Paul Graham: Keep Your Identity Small

Special Guest: Amy Newell.