30-Minute People Skills
Published by O'Reilly Media, Inc.
Some workplace conversations are hard to get right and are nerve-wracking in the moment, such as pushing back on your boss’s new priority, giving feedback to someone who gets defensive, or making sure your work is recognized without you bragging about it.
30-Minute People Skills is a live monthly series that helps you navigate these challenging conversations with greater care and confidence.
In each 30-minute episode, Anjuan Simmons and Elif Schaefer act out a familiar workplace situation, showing how it can go wrong. They explain what’s happening beneath the surface, introduce one practical technique that can smooth out the situation, and replay the conversation using language and behaviors you can use at work. You’ll leave each session with a practical response for a real workplace moment and a stronger foundation for everyday conversations that shape your work, relationships, and career.
What you’ll learn and how you can apply it
- Clarify the new assignment before committing
- Explain your current workload without sounding defensive
- Make competing priorities and business trade-offs visible
- Ask your manager what should move, change, or stop
- Agree on realistic expectations, deadlines, and next steps
- Respond productively when your manager insists that everything is urgent
Schedule
The time frames are only estimates and may vary according to how the class is progressing.
Review the Schedule section below to see what skill we’re tackling each week.
- January 15, 2027 – How to Push Back When Your Boss Adds One More Priority
- February 12, 2027 – How to Give Feedback to Someone Who Gets Defensive
- March 12, 2027 – How to Make Your Work Visible Without Bragging
Your Hosts and Guests
Anjuan Simmons
Anjuan Simmons has led software development teams for over two decades, shipping features that customers love while also managing healthy teams. He’s delivered software for large global management consulting companies like Accenture and Deloitte as well as several startups. Anjuan’s approach to leading teams combines the rigor of large corporations with the scrappy style of new ventures. He’s also an energetic and informative speaker who presents at conferences, universities, and corporations around the world on topics including leadership, diversity and inclusion, and effective software development practices. Anjuan has an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Texas A&M University.
Elif Schaefer
Elif Schaefer has spent over a decade working in the data field as both a developer and manager before transitioning to leading teams in low-code development. With a background in computer education and educational technology and a master’s degree in digital media focused on educational data warehouses, she has long been interested in the intersection of technology, learning, and people. Elif is also a trained communication coach and qualified mediator who enjoys solving people challenges, facilitating workshops, and creating engaging learning experiences. She brings together her technical and leadership experience with a passion for communication, collaboration, and helping people learn. She regularly moderates workshops and speaks at events on technology, leadership, and effective collaboration.