Work and vocation

Articles, Films and practical Guides on work and vocation, part of Psyche’s coverage of relationships, work and leisure.
Photo of baseball team celebrating on-field victory under bright lights, players wearing blue jerseys with World Series patch.
COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION

How to build team spirit

The glue, or spirit, that binds certain teams is not mystical – you can cultivate it by changing how you work together

by Leigh Thompson

Photo of a person with long hair and glasses driving a car gesturing to someone outside through an open window.
PERSONALITY

A no-nonsense New York driving instructor’s rules of the road

Directed by Charles Frank

A smiling woman with two children in a sunny park, lush green trees in the background.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES

Fight like a mother

Doctors said my son would die. I wouldn’t believe them, raised millions of dollars and travelled the world for a cure

Amber Freed, as told to Lina Zeldovich

Close-up photo of a hand carving a pencil with a small knife, focusing on the pencil’s tip and wood shavings.
FOCUS AND ATTENTION

There’s joy in doing a job right. Just ask this artisanal pencil-sharpener

Directed by Kenneth Price

A group of office workers turned to face a colleague, clapping and smiling, in a modern meeting room setting.
WORK AND VOCATION

Are you saying ‘thank you’ too effusively?

Research suggests that people who express their gratitude more effusively are judged as lower status and less influential

by Christian Jarrett

A bulldozer and excavator at a quarry with a clear blue sky in the background.
NATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
1

Scarred

The highway I’d helped build stretched before me. For the first time, I saw clearly what we had done

by JShawn Guess

Photo of a hiker with a backpack and two dogs on a mountain peak at sunset, above the cloudline and overlooking a valley.
Psyche Exclusive
WORK AND VOCATION
2

A former office worker charts his own path, herding sheep high into the Pyrenees

Directed by Jake Joynson

Three people chatting at a rustic bar in a pub, with a brick interior and various decorations.
FRIENDSHIP

Our relationships, in five dimensions

Scientists offer a new way to compare and contrast social ties – like a ‘Big Five’ for relationships

by Matt Huston

A man with white hair in a suit sitting at the head of an empty boardroom table, facing forward, back toward the camera. Dozens of empty chairs line the outer edges of the room; windows at the rear of the room show trees outside.
WORK AND VOCATION

Don’t fall victim to the Peter Principle

You mustn’t assume that the skills that served you well in the past will be enough for any new challenges that lie ahead

by Christian Jarrett

A rugby player embracing one of his teammates.
COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION
6

How to be an emotional leader

In times of change and pressure, a set of skills known as ‘psychological flexibility’ can help you and your team to thrive

by Selda Koydemir

World map illustration showing physical geography with oceans, continents and elevation.
ETHICS

What makes a map ‘good’? On the ethics of cartography

Rendering the world in a responsible way means wrestling with what gets depicted on a map, how, and for whom

by Nat Case

Close-up of an elderly woman’s face with eyes closed, light grey hair, and a blurred brown background. Her expression is calm.
DEATH AND DYING
4

Why one death doula sees an examined death as vital to a good life

A film by Annie Marr

Black and white photo of a hand holding a scallop shell. The background is blurred and the shell shows detailed texture.
WORK AND VOCATION
1

A poetic, sea-soaked tribute to the ‘cockle women’ of Wales

Directed by Lily Tiger

Two silhouetted people stand against a dramatic orange and purple sunset sky.
FREEDOM AND CHOICE

In the outback, a town of two awaits visitors to their emergency airport

Directed by Yannick Jamey

A yellow shirt on a hanger by a door with sunlight streaming in through a window in the background.
WORK AND VOCATION
10

Six ways to use clothes to boost your confidence at work

Regardless of your budget or fashion sense, dressing with more intention can benefit your mindset and performance

by Dahlia Stroud

Painting of a bundle of American banknotes tied with a green ribbon pinned to a wall on a brown background.
VIRTUES AND VICES

Greedy people might be frowned upon, but are they the winners?

Some individuals have a persistent tendency to want ever more stuff and status. Psychologists are examining the lives they lead

by Karlijn Hoyer