Better At Work with Cathal Quinlan

Pet Shop Rabbits, Hope, and Big Career Moves | Q&A with Annette

Better At Work with Cathal Quinlan

Show Notes

Annette's back with three takeaways from last week's Jennifer Moss episode that genuinely changed how we think about hope at work. Plus a listener question from Paul, an Australian who's been working in Dublin for 7-8 years and is now moving the family home to Melbourne while weighing a career change.

In this Q&A:

- The Admiral McRaven "make your bed" reminder - FOBO (fear of becoming obsolete) and the five-step Gallup framework for compassionate leadership in the AI era - Why scheduling time for learning is the part most leaders skip - "Hope is not a method" vs. "hope IS a strategy": Annette's full reframe - The four-part hope framework: goals, pathways, personal agency, agency for others - Paul's question: how do you survive an international move AND a career pivot at the same time? - The both/and move that changes the maths on midlife career transitions

Annette tells the story of the Post-it she kept on her monitor at one of the toughest jobs of her career: "Hope is not a method." Years later, Jennifer Moss reframed it for her. Hope is a strategy when you build goals, pathways, and agency underneath it. Without those, it's just wishful thinking with better PR.

For Paul, and anyone considering a big move plus a big career shift at the same time, the advice is the both/and: contract while you network, build foundations while you research, and don't try to do all the big rocks at once.

Got a career dilemma? Send it in at betteratwork.com

NEXT WEEK: Wendy Smith on Both/And Thinking. You're going to love it.

Making your work life better, one conversation at a time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More from Better At Work with Cathal Quinlan

Oct 13, 2026

What makes an office worth coming back to?

Oct 6, 2026

A team member keeps missing commitments. There is always a reason, the rest of the team is frustrated, and their manager is running out of patience. What should happen next?

Sep 29, 2026

A good conversation changes what you say next.

Sep 22, 2026

Saying yes to one thing leaves less time for something else. So how do you decide what deserves your attention?

See all episodes →