It Doesn’t Need to be This Overwhelming — It Doesn’t Need to be This Overwhelming I don’t know you, but I’m guessing that you’re considering a career in management. You probably wouldn’t have clicked on this story otherwise. Maybe you’re wondering if it’s the right call for you. Maybe you’ve started down the path and are beginning to…

When Did Happiness Become a Means to an End? — When Did Happiness Become a Means to an End? “Play leads to brain plasticity, adaptability, and creativity,” said Stuart Brown in a TED talk on the subject. “Nothing fires up the brain like play.” In recent years, there’s been an upsurge of articles on the importance of play in our…

They Encourage Them to Think for Themselves — They Encourage Them to Think for Themselves “What we obtain too cheaply, we esteem too lightly,” wrote Thomas Paine. We value things more if we struggle to achieve them. It holds true for accomplishments, knowledge, and IKEA furniture. …

Increase Retention without Increasing Pay — Increase Retention without Increasing Pay Everyone’s quitting their jobs. At least, that’s how it feels if you spend any time reading headlines on the great resignation. In the face of this crisis, every worthwhile manager is trying to do what they can to improve retention. Yet there’s still a question…

Just Because Everyone Says It Doesn’t Mean It’s True — Just Because Everyone Says It Doesn’t Mean It’s True It’s often said that the more we hear something, the greater our tendency to believe it. It’s called the illusory truth effect and it preys on our availability bias, that human tendency where we associate the importance of something with how…

Internal Competition Drives Toxic Behaviors — Internal Competition Drives Toxic Behaviors The idea of a workplace meritocracy sounds great. If you perform, you succeed. Privilege and politics don’t factor into the equation. The hardest workers and best performers get ahead while those less dedicated do not. In theory, meritocracies work well. …

Why Your Culture Sucks. And What to Do About It. — Why Your Culture Sucks. And What to Do About It. Kevin Berling asked his company not to give him a birthday celebration. They ignored his request. Then they fired him for it. Kevin, as someone who struggles with anxiety, was worried that a birthday party would trigger a panic attack…

Innovation Requires More Than Brainstorming Sessions and Creative Workshops — Innovation Requires More Than Brainstorming Sessions and Creative Workshops Psychological safety is important. We can all agree that people need to feel safe taking risks, challenging paradigms, and testing new ideas for innovation to succeed. …

Ignore Them at Your Peril — Ignore Them at Your Peril Every company has politics. If you work with people, it’s part of the job. We either recognize this and deal with it or let it hinder our success. Failing to recognize and understand this creates a major risk to your success. When I first started…