A growing body of research reveals that our behavior and decisions are influenced by an array of strong psychological undercurrents, all of which are more powerful and pervasive than we realize. By charting these undercurrents and their unanticipated effects, we can identify our faulty thinking … [Read more...] about 5 Biases That Lead to Bad Decisions
Communications
Leading Change, One Conversation at a Time
Business is fundamentally an extended conversation. Whether you’re speaking with your boss, team members, colleagues or direct reports, conversations shape what gets done. As a leader, you must engineer conversations to foster: Clarity Cooperation Creativity Connection to company … [Read more...] about Leading Change, One Conversation at a Time
Rethinking Motivation
Most business leaders have lost sight of what motivates people at work. In fact, some companies haven’t updated their management practices in years, which means they’re incapable of creating high-performance teams. Companies continue to ignore the obvious: Offering incentives and rewards is less … [Read more...] about Rethinking Motivation
Humor at Work: How Not to Be a Jerk
In the national bestseller Flow, University of Chicago psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi suggests two key factors determine our overall happiness: Our relations with other people How we experience our work You can improve both areas by bringing humor to work each day. Harvard Business … [Read more...] about Humor at Work: How Not to Be a Jerk
20 Common Habits to Stop
Almost everyone keeps a “to-do” list. We begin the New Year with resolutions to start new regimes to make us healthier, wealthier, and, hopefully, wiser. What’s needed is a “to-stop” list of bad habits, when it comes to communicating and interacting with our peers, colleagues, direct reports and … [Read more...] about 20 Common Habits to Stop
He Thinks, She Thinks: Different Brains
Anyone with workplace experience knows men and women process information and communicate differently. Dealing with gender differences can prove challenging, especially for managers and leaders. Regardless of which industry you’re in or the position you fill, male and female coworkers can … [Read more...] about He Thinks, She Thinks: Different Brains
Complacency: It’s Everywhere…
Combat Complacency to Make Change Happen “Bad business results are both a blessing and a curse. Losing money does catch people’s attention, but it gives less maneuvering room. With good business results, the opposite is true; convincing people of the need for change is much harder, but you have … [Read more...] about Complacency: It’s Everywhere…
What’s Needed Next? Transparency & Trust
We need a better way to evaluate our business leaders, assert James O’Toole and Warren Bennis in a recent Harvard Business Review article (“A Culture of Candor,” June 2009). It’s no longer prudent to judge American corporate leaders’ performance solely on the extent to which they create wealth for … [Read more...] about What’s Needed Next? Transparency & Trust
The Language of Leadership: Inspiring Change
“Human communication has its own set of very unusual and counterintuitive rules.” — Malcolm Gladwell What does it take to transmit bold new ideas to people who don’t want to hear them? How can the language you use facilitate enthusiastic, energetic implementation? Transformational … [Read more...] about The Language of Leadership: Inspiring Change
A Checklist for Managing Your Boss
There will always be those who view the concept of managing upward as flattery and manipulation. Others hold the common belief that if bosses are wise, they don’t need to be managed and such efforts will be viewed solely as attempts to play office politics. But managing upward is not about … [Read more...] about A Checklist for Managing Your Boss