Fixable

Hosted by TED

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About the show

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. From CEOs to nurses, the restaurant world to Silicon Valley, Frances and Anne have a plan for anyone hoping to improve their their workplace. Follow Anne on Instagram @annemorriss and on LinkedIn @anne-morriss . Follow Frances on Instagram @francesxfrei and on LinkedIn @francesfrei 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, or email us at fixable@ted.com . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 24, 202642 min

How to learn from your mistakes with Robert “Cujo” Teschner

The act of reflection at work has many names—debrief, post-mortem, after-action review—but no matter what you call it, it’s a wildly powerful tool for making teams better. But are you getting the most out of it? Robert Teschner (whose call sign in the Air Force was “Cujo”) is a former fighter pilot and commander who flew some of the world's most advanced fighter jets before becoming an instructor at the Weapons School. In the Air Force, figuring out what went right and wrong can be a matter of life and death. Today, Cujo teaches business leaders how to bring the awareness, accountability, and rigor of military debriefs to their own teams. Anne and Frances sit down with Cujo to discuss how to conduct a successful debrief, where debriefs can go wrong, and how to get to the root cause of a problem. They also explore the importance of vulnerability and non-judgement when it comes to creating a psychologically safe space for reflection and learning. Featured guest Follow Robert Cujo Teschner on Instagram , LinkedIn , and at https://cujoteschner.com/ Buy Debrief to Win Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDPods Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X , Instagram , Facebook , LinkedIn , and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 17, 202644 min

How to quit (and why it matters) with Anthony Klotz

During the pandemic, Anthony Klotz predicted the “Great Resignation”: a mass exodus of unhappy workers leaving their jobs after COVID epiphanies. Now, he’s seeing a different pattern begin to emerge as people opt to hunker down in their current jobs until they can find a better option. Anthony is an organizational psychologist and professor at the London School of Management. His recent book, Jolted: Why We Quit, When to Stay, and Why It Matters, explores how we make decisions in our jobs and careers. In this episode, he joins Anne and Frances to weigh in on the patterns developing right now in the world of quitting, offer practical advice for how to make measured decisions in a fickle job market, and explain the phenomenon he calls “jolts,” when a person experiences something that causes them to suddenly reevaluate their position. Together, they also work through a listener’s dilemma as she navigates a relationship with collaborators who mistrust each other, and offer tips for leaders who suspect a member of their team may be considering quitting. Featured guest Follow Anthony Klotz on LinkedIn and at anthonyklotz.com/ Buy Jolted: Why We Quit, When to Stay, and Why it Matters Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDPods Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X , Instagram , Facebook , LinkedIn , and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 10, 202641 min

How play is the secret to success at work with Maxwell Pearce | from How to Be a Better Human

Why is it so fun to watch your team win in the World Cup or to be a Knicks fan as they finally get an NBA championship? There’s a collective joy in sports that can also be found in art, theater, and comedy. In this episode of How to Be a Better Human with Maxwell Pearce, Chris talks to him about his accomplishments as a mixed media artist and a Harlem Globetrotter. Maxwell integrates playfulness into his art and in sports—whether it’s using shoelaces as texture in his artwork or training his body to perform a basketball trick shot. Maxwell shares how play is the secret ingredient in his career and how changing the way he thinks about the rules and mistakes allows him to have more fun and more successes. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 3, 202638 min

How to get the most out of AI with Nick Lichtenberg

As an editor at Fortune, Nick Lichtenberg made a big stir in the world of journalism and beyond when he revealed that he used AI to help publish over 600 articles this year.His expansive use of this new tech to research, edit, and draft many of his stories has sparked fierce debate both inside and outside the media industry. In this episode, Nick joins Anne and Frances to break down his approach to AI, and make the case for why AI can’t replace your job, but it can make you better at it. He also shares his theory that AI tools benefit just as much from positive reinforcement as people do, and offers practical advice for how to make the most of them without sacrificing human judgment. Featured guest Follow Nick Lichtenberg on LinkedIn and at fortune.com/author/nick-lichtenberg/ Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDPods Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X , Instagram , Facebook , LinkedIn , and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 27, 202637 min

How to manage in times of uncertainty with Dara Treseder

When change is constant, strong leadership keeps teams grounded and ready for what’s next. Dara Treseder, chief marketing and commercial officer at the tech company Autodesk, has helped lead her organization through this fast-moving moment with clarity and optimism. In this episode, Anne and Frances talk with Dara about her approach to AI and the future of work, and how she helps her team embrace uncertainty with confidence. Dara also shares advice on cultivating advocates early in your career and reflects on a lesson from her mother about the power of persistence. Featured guest Follow Dara Treseder on Instagram , LinkedIn , and at https://daratreseder.com/ Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDPods Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X , Instagram , Facebook , LinkedIn , and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 20, 202644 min

How to handle big feelings at work with Ethan Kross

In this era of profound change, uncertainty creates not only strategic challenges at work, but emotional ones, too. Ethan Kross is a psychology professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business whose research explores how people can better manage their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In this episode, Ethan joins Anne and Frances to debunk common misconceptions about managing emotions and shares practical tools for navigating stress more skillfully. He also offers advice for leaders coaching their teams through emotionally charged moments, and helps Frances reframe a conflict with her mother. Featured guest Follow Ethan Kross on Instagram , LinkedIn , and at https://www.ethankross.com/ Buy Shift: Managing Your Emotions—So They Don't Manage You Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDPods Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X , Instagram , Facebook , LinkedIn , and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 13, 202633 min

The power of constraints (w/ Master Fixer David Epstein)

Constraints often feel frustrating and limiting — but they can also create the friction that sparks creative breakthroughs, reveals better solutions, and leads to more thoughtful decisionmaking. In this episode, Anne and Frances are joined by David Epstein, an investigative reporter and bestselling author of the new book Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better. They discuss why limits are powerful tools for clarity and innovation, examining case studies of companies that used constraints to accelerate their success (and others that struggled after removing them). They also explore the constraints-based strategies elite athletes use in their training routines. Featured guest Follow David Epstein on Instagram , LinkedIn , Facebook , and at davidepstein.com/ Buy Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better Subscribe to David's substack Range Widely Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDPods Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X , Instagram , Facebook , LinkedIn , and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 9, 202646 min

What sitting all day does to your brain and body | Keith Diaz | Your Body on Tech

Can a five-minute walk change how you feel all day? Exercise scientist Keith Diaz shows how your body is built for the kind of movement that modern life has quietly erased — and suggests something refreshingly doable: making time for small doses of movement sprinkled throughout the day, as a way to boost your brain and body. And stick around after his talk for a deep dive conversation with our guest host for the week, author and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi, into the ideas he shared on stage and beyond. This is episode one of a seven-part series airing this week on TED Talks Daily , where Manoush — and the seven speakers she curated for TED2026 — explore how you can live a healthier life in our high-tech era. To hear more from Manoush, listen to TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts. Check out her new book, Body Electric , to learn more about the hidden health costs of the digital age. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 6, 202637 min

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

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. This episode originally aired in 2024. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June 29, 202650 min

Finding Purpose: Why purpose is the answer to uncertainty and anxiety (w/ Arun Gupta)

Work today is a lot less stable than it used to be. Career paths that once seemed predictable are constantly being disrupted and reshaped, leaving many of us feeling unsteady. In this final episode of the Finding Purpose series, Anne and Frances are joined by Arun Gupta, CEO of the NobleReach Foundation, who has spent his career helping people find ways to serve causes bigger than themselves. Arun makes the case for why following your purpose can be a powerful antidote to instability and anxiety, and shares practical ways to discover your own purpose. Anne and Frances also reflect on what they’ve learned from guests throughout the series. Featured guest Arun Gupta Connect with the team Follow Anne on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow Frances on Instagram and LinkedIn Watch Fixable videos on youtube.com/@TEDAudioCollective Visit Anne and Frances’ website Have a question you want Anne and Frances to solve? Email the team at fixable@ted.com or leave a voicemail at 234-349-2253 Follow TED on X , Instagram , Facebook , LinkedIn , and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.