How to Make Use of Your Anxiety for Positive Results

November 04, 2013

How to Make Use of Your Anxiety for Positive Results

Research participants who were asked to give an impromptu three-minute talk scored higher on persuasiveness and confidence if they first said to themselves “I am excited,” in comparison with those who said “I am anxious” or explicitly tried to calm down, says Alison Wood Brooks of Harvard Business School. Similarly, karaoke singers who first said “I am excited” scored an average of 81% on pitch, volume, and rhythm, compared with those who said “I am anxious” (69%) or “I am calm” (53%). People who are in a “high arousal” state tend to believe that calming down will help them perform, but it can be better to channel that arousal in a positive direction by being energetic and passionate, Brooks says.


SOURCE: Overcoming Nervous Nelly

A Case for democratic leadership !

November 05, 2013
A Case for democratic leadership ! 
Research finding : 
When You Feel Powerful You Talk Too Much, and Your Subordinates Perform Poorly
Experiment : 
In a computer-based simulation of a Mount Everest expedition, teams whose leaders had been induced to feel powerful (“Think about a time when you had power over someone”) achieved just 59% of their goals, in comparison with 76% by teams whose leaders hadn’t been induced to feel powerful . 
Reason ? 
A feeling of power prompts leaders to verbally dominate, which gives the impression that they are LESS  open to others’ ideas ! 
This perception diminishes team performance. 
Advice to Orgnanizations : 
Organizations might be able to minimize this effect by maintaining an egalitarian culture, reminding leaders of subordinates’ importance, and encouraging employees to question the legitimacy of leaders who dominate social interactions, the researchers say.
Research Conducted by : Leigh Plunkett Tost of the University of Michigan, Francesca Gino of Harvard, and Richard P. Larrick of Duke. 
SOURCE: When Power Makes Others Speechless: The Negative Impact of Leader Power on Team Performance

Dear Leader , Should You Be Nice or Tough?

November 06, 2013

Should You Be Nice or Tough?

Leaders often take one of two approaches: “Drivers” are good at establishing high standards, keeping people focused on goals, and continually improving. 

“Enhancers,” by contrast, act as role models, giving honest feedback in a helpful way, developing people, and maintaining trust. 
NEITHER  approach on its own is sufficient to increase employee engagement. 

Instead, think in terms of “and” instead of “or.”
 You can demand a great deal from employees, but also be seen as considerate, trusting, and collaborative.
 If you consider yourself a driver, don’t be afraid to be the “nice guy” sometimes. For example, when setting a challenging target, acknowledge just how hard it might be on your team and offer to help if they need it ! 

On the other hand, if you’re an enhancer, try setting demanding goals with your usual words of encouragement. Both approaches need to be used with equal force to maximize engagement.

Adapted from “Nice or Tough: Which Approach Engages Employees Most?” by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman.

It Matters Which Avatar You Choose When Gaming

February 27, 2014

It Matters Which Avatar You Choose When Gaming

Research participants who had played a 5-minute computer game using a Superman avatar were subsequently kinder to other people, and those who had played as the evil Voldemort were less kind, say Gunwoo Yoon and Patrick T. Vargas of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After the computer game, the participants were instructed to provide an unspecified amount of chocolate and hot chili sauce to other people who they believed would be required to eat it all (untrue); those who had been “Superman” provided about twice as much chocolate as chili sauce, while those who had been “Voldemort” did the reverse.

SOURCE: Know Thy Avatar: The Unintended Effect of Virtual-Self Representation on Behavior

Can a President’s Happy Talk Hurt the Economy?

February 28, 2014

Can a President’s Happy Talk Hurt the Economy?

It’s known that fantasizing about an ideal future makes individuals decrease their effort, but can the same effect be seen on the scale of a national population? After studying U.S. presidential inaugural addresses, a team led by A. Timur Sevincer of the University of Hamburg in Germany concluded that the answer is yes: 

Positive thinking about the future, as expressed in these speeches, predicted declines in GDP over the subsequent presidential term. Happy talk may prevent people from preparing for difficulties, the researchers say.

SOURCE: Positive Thinking About the Future in Newspaper Reports and Presidential Addresses Predicts Economic Downturn

How to Build a Feedback-Rich Culture

February 10, 2014

How to Build a Feedback-Rich Culture

Direct feedback is the most efficient way for people to understand their impact on others in working relationships — but few of us realize that interpersonal feedback is as much a product of the surrounding CULTURE  as of the relationship itself. To cultivate a culture conducive to feedback here are 2 steps : 

(1) Start small. 
We miss opportunities to provide positive feedback every day because we think only big wins merit discussion ! 
 When you see any behavior you want to encourage, ACKNOWLEDGE  it - and express appreciation.

(2) Make it OK to say no. 
 If people feel free to postpone such ( feedback ) conversations when they’re NOT READY to have them, they’ll feel respected , and be MORE willing to listen when the conversations do take place.
Adapted from “Building a Feedback-Rich Culture” by Ed Batista.

Italy’s Government Unwittingly Helped Spread the Mafia to Northern Cities

February 11, 2014

Italy’s Government Unwittingly Helped Spread the Mafia to Northern Cities

One reason for the recent pervasive infiltration of southern-Italian crime organizations into the country’s northern regions is a government policy that punishes mafiosi by forcing them to resettle far from their home towns, say Paolo Buonanno of the University of Bergamo in Italy and Matteo Pazzona of Universidad Catolica del Norte in Chile. The Italian government assumed that if gangsters were removed from the south and immersed in the more-law-abiding north, they would reform; nearly 3,000 suspected criminals were resettled under the confino plan from 1961–1974. But these individuals acted as seeds in transplanting crime into formerly mafia-free areas, the researchers say.

SOURCE: Migrating Mafias

" Banish Bland Language ( empthy corporate cliches ) from Strategic Plans !! "

CEO mentioned in this piece - looks like my first KAJIN SISTER  ( Cousin ) in our previous birth ! Here is why !! 

February 07, 2014

" Banish Bland Language ( empthy corporate cliches )  from Strategic Plans !!  "

Strategic plans are often filled with empty phrases like 
“Leverage Our World Class Operating Capabilities” or
 head-scratching aspirations like “Reshape Our Pricing and Trade Strategy to Effectively Drive Demand While Maintaining Market Access.” 

Language like this can signal that a team DOESN'T  have a clear idea of what they need to succeed ! 

To counter this dynamic, the CEO of a large financial services firm BANNED  her organization from using a LIST of words and phrases such as “leverage,” “synergy,” “disintermediation,” and “robust.”

 With the right leadership, a good strategic plan will deliver meaningful substance that can be translated into action.

Adapted from “Four Tips for Better Strategic Planning” by Ron Ashkenas and Logan Chandler.a

Comfortable Music Makes You Dream of Comfort

February 07, 2014

Comfortable Music Makes You Dream of Comfort

Research participants who browsed tourist accommodations online were 16 times more likely to prefer a hotel room if they were listening to jazz rather than to West African djembe drumming; those who had heard the drums were more likely to choose campsites or youth hostels, according to research reported in the Wall Street Journal. Jazz may stimulate thoughts of comfort, while drumming may trigger visions of the countryside and adventure, the researchers say.

SOURCE: Music Genres May Influence What We Buy Online

A Better Way to Manage Family-Friendly Schedules

February 06, 2014

A Better Way to Manage Family-Friendly Schedules
( and how to be a Family-Friendly boss !! ) 

Many managers want to allow employees to create flexible work arrangements, but it can be hard to know how to respond to such requests. Here are two guidelines for well-meaning supervisors who want to provide for more flexibility:

(1) Evaluate performance continuously. 
Employees should submit regular progress reports, with any special arrangements regarding flexibility contingent on their upholding required levels of performance. Schedule evaluations around the rhythms of CLIENT PROJECTS rather than arbitrary annual deadlines; focus on goal-setting and coaching as much as reviewing accomplishments.

(2) Delegate, coach, and let your people earn trust. 
Develop employees so they can work more autonomously through coaching, feedback, and resources. Having the confidence to allow employees more discretion over how and where they work frees you up to focus more on value-adding work than double-checking theirs.
Adapted from “How to Be a Family-Friendly Boss” by Scott Behson.

Setting Consecutive Difficult Goals Has a Dark Side - Unethical Behaviour

February 05, 2014
Research Fact :
Setting Consecutive Difficult Goals Has a Dark Side - Unethical Behaviour 
( important fact for managers and supervisors ) 
Finding : 
Consecutive high-performance goals deplete employees’ cognitive resources and tend to exacerbate unethical behavior over time . 
For example, research participants who were given the most difficult goals in a series of arithmetic tasks CHEATED 84% more than the average !! 
Advice for Managers : 
 Although tough goals can increase performance, managers should be aware that consecutive DIFFICULT goals may generate NEGATIVE  consequences for organizations, the researchers say . 
Research Conducted by :  David T. Welsh of the University of Washington and Lisa D. Ordóñez of the University of Arizona. 
SOURCE: The dark side of consecutive high performance goals: Linking goal setting, depletion, and unethical behavior

Develop Your Emotional Agility

November 08, 2013

Develop Your Emotional Agility

Everyone has felt critical, doubtful, or scared, even at work—and attempting to minimize or ignore such emotions can amplify them. Effective leaders neither buy into nor try to suppress their inner experiences—instead, they develop “emotional agility,” a skill which enables them to approach their inner experiences in a mindful and productive way. These practices can help you do the same:

(1) Recognize your patterns. 
In what instances does your thinking become rigid and repetitive, playing like a broken record you’ve heard time and time again? That’s a telltale sign that you’ve been hooked by a thought or feeling.

(2) Label your thoughts and emotions. 
This allows you to see them as they are: transient sources of data that may or may not prove helpful. Taking this “helicopter view” of your emotions simplifies them; it turns the thought “My coworker is wrong—he makes me so angry,” into “I’m having the thought that my coworker is wrong, and I’m feeling anger.”

(3) Accept feelings with an open attitude. 
They may be signaling that something important is at stake, like your values. This gives you the chance to act on them.


Adapted from “Emotional Agility,” by Susan David and Christina Congleton.

Three Tips for Motivating Your Customer Service Team

February 11, 2014

Three Tips for Motivating Your Customer Service Team

Scripting exactly what customer service employees should do in every situation drains the initiative out of even the most highly motivated workers ! But when you set up a system that enables you to trust your employees to exercise their own judgment and learn from their experience, they may well deliver a far better customer experience.

(1) Establish guardrails ! 
People handling calls should understand where they have latitude and where they don’t. Within those guardrails, your team should be free to exercise judgment.
(2) Seek feedback. 
Ask customers for feedback after each transaction. Circulate the comments to team leaders so they can see where they’re succeeding, where they still have work to do, and what, specifically, your customers point out.
(3)Coaching and support.
 Free your supervisors and experienced customer care professionals from some tasks so they can devote time to coaching and getting new hires get up to speed.
Adapted from “Leading by Letting Go” by Rob Markey.

Job Satisfaction & Gratitude during recession

January 31, 2014
Research Finding : 
People Who Join the Labor Force in Recessions Are Happier with Their Jobs ! 

In a study of U.S. survey data from 1975 through 2008, Emily C. Bianchi of Emory University finds that people who entered the work force when the economy was faltering are more satisfied with their jobs in later years. 

For example, graduating from a university when the unemployment rate was 9.7% as opposed to 7.0% is associated with a 9% increase in one measure of job satisfaction. 
Reason : 
People who graduate in tough economic times are subsequently less likely to ruminate about how they might have done better and are more likely to FEEL GRATEFUL for the jobs they have, Bianchi suggests.
SOURCE: The Bright Side of Bad Times: The Affective Advantages of Entering the Workforce in a Recession

Work-Life Balance Begins with Exercise

February 03, 2014

Work-Life Balance Begins with Exercise

Recent research has found that regular exercisers are less likely to experience conflict between their work and home roles. Exercise reduces stress, which makes time at home and at work more productive and enjoyable. You may view an exercise regimen as yet another commitment, but a reduction in stress is tantamount to an expansion of time. People who exercise regularly also feel more capable of taking things on and getting them done, which carries over into both work and home roles.

To add fitness to your schedule, try exercising before your workday starts (it’s so easy to find reasons not to exercise later in the day); high-intensity interval training workouts are effective and fast. Or take a break during your workday to work out, especially if you can take advantage of on-site facilities. You’ll return to your desk ready to tackle that next challenge.

Adapted from “How Regular Exercise Helps You Balance Work and Family” by Russell Clayton.

Social Experiment : Lying to your Life Partner or the Significant Other

Social Experiment : Lying to your Life Partner or the Significant Other ! 
November 13, 2013
" Are You Among the 14% Who Always Tell the Truth? " 
The Experimetn : 
There was a laboratory experiment to test people’s willingness to lie to a PARTNER  in a game . 
Here are the results ( Ahem ) ! 
(a) 14% of people always chose to be truthful, even if lying would have benefited them ! 
(b)  14% chose to LIE  whenever they stood to GAIN ! 
 (c) The rest reacted in VARIABLE  ways to incentives, sometimes lying and sometimes not, except for one participant
(d)  who ALWAYS lied , regardless of circumstances ! 
Experiment Conducted by :  a team led by Uri Gneezy of the University of California, San Diego.
Courtesy : Harvard Business Review 

Yes, It’s Worth It to Work Those Long Hours

November 12, 2013

Yes, It’s Worth It to Work Those Long Hours

For young, highly educated workers who usually put in long hours, working 5 extra hours per week is linked to a 1% increase in annual wage growth, according to a study of thousands of U.S. workers by Dora Gicheva of the University of North Carolina. The finding holds only for those who work at least 48 hours per week; when hours are lower than that, there’s no correlation between additional work and wage growth. Males’ willingness or ability to work long hours accounts for some, but not all, of the gender difference in wage growth, Gicheva says.


SOURCE: Working Long Hours and Early Career Outcomes in the High-End Labor M 

How Temporary Teams Can Encourage Innovation

November 13, 2013

How Temporary Teams Can Encourage Innovation

We tend to think that the longer a team is together, the better it will perform. But research into the inner workings of teams, particularly creative ones, suggests that the best teams might temporary. Short-lived teams form around a given project, collaborate, disband, and repeat – and to get things done quickly, need to be made up of a diverse pool of talent. This encourages innovation, as individuals on the team are exposed to a broad set of business challenges and can cross-pollinate ideas from different industries, life experiences, and cultural perspectives. To put this insight into practice, try shaking up your organization’s same-old team divisions to collaborate on a new short-term project, looking beyond job titles and business units. You may well find that more experienced colleagues bring knowledge of the process while greener members bring fresh ideas that enhance creativity.

Adapted from “Why The Best Teams Might Be Temporary,” by David Burkus.

Importance of Aptitude Test before job interviews .

Importance of Aptitude Test before job interviews . 

November 14, 2013

Test Candidates Before Interviewing Them

In most organizations, recruiters review résumés, conduct interviews with promising candidates, and then use tests to determine which applicant is the best fit. 

But recent research shows that using short, web-based APTITUDE  tests as the FIRST SCREENING step efficiently weeds out the least-suitable applicants, leaving a smaller pool for the more costly aspects of the hiring process. 

These tests more accurately predict performance than an interview, especially in the SERVICE  industry. 

For example, a company concerned about absenteeism found that workers who scored in the highest 30% were more than twice as likely to have perfect attendance as workers in the bottom 30%. 

A security company learned that the bottom 30% of test-takers had five times as many accidents as the top 30%. 
One organization began testing to screen out the bottom quarter of applicants before reviewing applications. The candidates called in for interviews were better qualified, the average number interviewed for each successful hire fell, and managers saved thousands of hours of effort.

Adapted from “When Hiring, First Test, and Then Interview,” by John Bateson, Jochen Wirtz, Eugene Burke, and Carly Vaughan.

Are Your Employees Happy?

November 19, 2013

Are Your Employees Happy?

Do you know how your employees feel about their jobs? Checking in with your team about their satisfaction can help you retain them. Book a recurring appointment every month or quarter to ask your direct reports whether they are happy at work and what you can do to make them happier. Don’t wait for the annual review to have this conversation, and don’t assume that you have all the information you need if you’ve asked once—circumstances change over time and feelings can evolve accordingly. 

These simple questions not only show your team that they have your support, but can boost their job performance and the fulfillment they get from it. Maintain open lines of communication so that you can address issues before they become full-blown problems.

Adapted from “Go Ahead: Ask Your Employees If They’re Happy,” by Allison Rimm.

Fuel Your Team’s Curiosity

November 18, 2013

Fuel Your Team’s Curiosity

It can be hard to find time for reflection and thoughtful conversation at the office, but work is more rewarding when it involves some level of discovery. Here are a few tips to encourage your team’s desire to learn:

(1) Write agendas as questions. 
People are more likely to engage in discussions when they know they can affect the outcome. Presenting your agenda in question form invites everyone at the meeting to contribute.

(2) Avoid blame.
 Instead, try to find ideas for improvement. Without reprimanding your employee, ask him what he thinks should be done to get a project back on track. This allows him to take accountability and add value.

(3) Embrace all learning. 
Employees usually feel that they should only ask for educational resources that are explicitly work-related, but all learning is valuable !  Practicing curiosity can benefit your organization in unexpected ways; an employee requesting funds for a photography class, for example, may save you the expense of hiring outside photographers down the road.


Adapted from “Four Ways to Cultivate a Culture of Curiosity,” by Katie Smith Milway and Alex Goldmark.

Lavish Praise Can Backfire in Some Cases

January 30, 2014

Research Finding 

Lavish Praise Can Backfire in Some Cases

Children whose self-esteem was at least 1.3 standard deviations below average reacted to lavish praise (“You made an incredibly beautiful drawing”) by becoming less willing to take on challenges, possibly out of fear that they might not be able to perform as “incredibly” well in the future, according to a study led by Eddie Brummelman of Utrecht University in the Netherlands. 

Children with high self-esteem did the opposite, responding to lavish praise by seeking greater challenges. 

Although many educators encourage parents and teachers to shower praise on pupils, adults should resist the temptation in the case of children who appear to have low self-esteem, the researchers say.

SOURCE: “That's Not Just Beautiful--That's Incredibly Beautiful!”: The Adverse Impact of Inflated Praise on Children With Low Self-Esteem

Motivate Your Customer-Experience Team

January 30, 2014

Motivate Your Customer-Experience Team

Outstanding customer experience requires motivated, empowered frontline employees. To engage your customer-experience team and motivate them to provide an exceptional customer experience:

(1) Hire for attitude, not aptitude — and then reinforce attitude. 
To get friendly service, hire friendly people. Recruit frontline staff with a natural service bent by conducting group interviews. Seeing how applicants interact with one another will help you assess their communication and people skills.

(2) Focus on purpose, not rules. 
Rules are necessary, but they go only so far. To motivate employees and give meaning to their work, define your company’s purpose: a succinct explanation of the intended customer experience that resonates at an emotional level. When you set clear expectations and trust your people to do their jobs, they’ll feel valued and empowered – and they’ll go that extra mile through passion, not compliance.


Adapted from “The Secret to Delighting Customers” by Dilip Bhattacharjee, Bruce Jones, and Francisco C. Ortega.

coaching subordinates - 4 questions

03 Oct 2019 ( read full article ) 
Coaching an Employee to Solve Problems in New Ways
Sometimes an employee gets stuck while solving a problem. They try once and, when they fail, either give up or try again with the same method. You can help a direct report expand their tool set and consider new approaches with coaching. Start off by asking a few questions: What problem are you solving? What concerns you about it? What frustrates other people about it? Your goal is to get the person thinking about why their efforts aren’t working. Repeat their answers back to them. Once they understand why their plan of action is flawed, ask what else they might try, based on what they know about the problem. Encourage them to think about what type of solution would make sense for this type of problem. Remember, your role here is not to provide answers. It is to clarify the questions the employee is trying to answer, push them to consider new perspectives, and help them reflect on what they’ve learned.

This tip is adapted from “To Coach Junior Employees, Start with 4 Conversations,” by Jerry Connor

How to Handle a Meeting Gone Off-Track

November 20, 2013

How to Handle a Meeting Gone Off-Track

When someone derails a meeting, it’s easy to assume that they’re the problem and the solution is to rein them in—but your assumptions may also be off-track. For smoother meetings, try these techniques:

(1) Define what will be covered. 
If your team doesn’t explicitly agree on the meeting’s purpose and topic, interpretations will differ. Start your meeting by saying something like, “My understanding of the purpose of this meeting is X; does anyone have a different understanding, or think we need to add anything?”

(2)Take a breath before a new topic. 
To reduce the chance that people will reintroduce issues that have been fully discussed, ask if anyone has something to add before moving on to a new topic.

(3)Make fresh connections.
 If you’ve agreed on what to discuss and someone still seems off-track, ask her to explain how the topics are related. You might learn of a correlation that you hadn’t considered; if so, let the team decide whether to explore the idea now or, if it’s unrelated but still important, at a future meeting.

Camaraderie at Work Can Be a Competitive Advantage

December 18, 2013

Camaraderie at Work Can Be a Competitive Advantage

Not surprisingly, workers enjoy their jobs more when they have friendships with colleagues. But camaraderie is more than just having fun; it’s also about creating a common sense of purpose.

 Companies should create and value camaraderie as a competitive advantage for recruiting top talent, retaining employees, and improving engagement, creativity, and productivity. Many companies engage in corporate challenges such as bike-to-work day, wellness competitions, community service events, and other activities to build a sense of teamwork and togetherness. Help foster a culture of camaraderie by being clear what you want the culture to be within your organization. Model the culture: spend time with employees and treat people with respect. Leverage your employees’ talents by encouraging their ideas; your people must feel proud of the products and services your organization provides.

Adapted from “We All Need Friends at Work” by Christine M. Riordan.

Use Note-Taking Apps to Prioritize

December 17, 2013

Use Note-Taking Apps to Prioritize

With the remarkable retrieval capacity of digital note-taking apps, you can always find (and remember) your records of important conversations and meetings. 
Better still, thoughtfully organizing your notes will help you focus on your top priorities and drive your energies toward your most important work. 
In Evernote ( OneNote, Springpad, and SimpleNote are other popular apps), create notebooks that are as broad as possible while still reflecting specific projects and responsibilities; rather than "XYZ account," for example, use "Key Industries" or "West Coast Prospects." 

Evernote automatically organizes notebooks alphabetically, but any notebooks that have names beginning with punctuation or symbols ("!ManagementTips") show up at the top of the list, followed by names beginning with numbers. Use this to your advantage: name notebooks to keep key priorities, projects, and responsibilities on top so that you’ll see and think about them every day.

Adapted from Work Smarter With Evernote by Alexandra Samuel.

Shopping for Things Brings Emotional Benefits ( shopping therapy )

December 25, 2013

Shopping for Things Brings Emotional Benefits

Research participants who had viewed a movie clip of a sad scene (the death of a boy’s mentor in The Champ) registered a sadness decline of 2.28 points (on a 100-point scale) as a result of shopping for small quantities of office supplies such as ball-point pens, according to a study led by Scott Rick of the University of Michigan. 

The research underscores that making shopping CHOICES helps to restore a sense of personal CONTROL  over one’s environment and thus helps alleviate sadness, the researchers say.

SOURCE: The Benefits of Retail Therapy: Making Purchase Decisions Reduces Residual Sadness

A Simple Daily Intervention Decreases Employee Stres

January 28, 2014

A Simple Daily Intervention Decreases Employee Stress

Stress levels and physical complaints declined by roughly 15% after employees were directed to spend 10 minutes writing about three things that had gone well each day, says a team of researchers led by Joyce E. Bono of the University of Florida. At the end of the work day, the employees logged on to a website where they were asked to write about events large or small, personal or work-related, and explain why they had gone well. The findings suggest that this intervention could have important effects on employee stress and health, the researchers say.

SOURCE: Building Positive Resources: Effects of Positive Events and Positive Reflection on Work Stress and Health

Tweak Your To-Do List to Really Get Things Done

January 29, 2014

Tweak Your To-Do List to Really Get Things Done

Deciding in advance when and where you will complete a task can double or triple your chances of actually doing it. Add a specific when and where to each task on your list. For example, “Call Bob” becomes “Tuesday after lunch, I’ll call Bob from my desk.” By creating a specific plan for calling Bob, you can seize the critical moment and make the call, even when you’re busy doing other things. You’ve already done the hard work of deciding what to do — now you can execute the plan without consciously thinking about it.

Adapted from the HBR Guide to Managing Stress at Work.

Getting People to Publicly Support a Cause Can Be Counterproductive

December 03, 2013

Getting People to Publicly Support a Cause Can Be Counterproductive

Nonprofits hope that getting people to publicly support a cause will plant the seed for deeper commitment later on, but research shows that inducing a private gesture of support can be much more effective. For example, in an experiment in a public space, people who accepted a free poppy “to wear right now” in support of war veterans subsequently contributed 60% less money to a veterans’ fund than those who had accepted a poppy simply “to take with you,” says a team led by Kirk Kristofferson, a doctoral student at the University of British Columbia. A public display of support often satisfies people’s need to present themselves in a positive light, and they subsequently lose interest in the cause.

SOURCE: The Nature of Slacktivism: How the Social Observability of an Initial Act of Token Support Affects Subsequent Prosocial Action

Before You Get Defensive, Take a Breath

January 31, 2014

Before You Get Defensive, Take a Breath

When we get defensive we make it harder for our conversational counterparts to hear what we’re saying, and we usually trigger the other person’s defensiveness, too. 
After someone has said something that causes you to want to become defensive, these three steps can lead you toward cooperation — and away from explosion:

(1) Take a deep breath. 
Think of the first thing you want to say or do and don’t do that. Your first instinct may be to defend yourself against what you perceive as an attack, slight, or offense.
(2)Take another breath. 
The second thing you want to say or do may be to retaliate, but that will only escalate matters. Don’t do that, either.
(3)Focus on a solution.
 Think of the third thing you want to say or do and then do that. Once you get past defending yourself and retaliating, you have a better chance of collaborating on a solution.
Adapted from “Don’t Get Defensive: Communication Tips for the Vigilant” by Mark Goulston.

Encourage Your Team to Challenge You

November 15, 2013

Encourage Your Team to Challenge You

We’re all drawn to people who repeat back to us what we already believe. But dissent, not consensus, leads to smarter decisions. Still, few leaders actively seek out challenging opinions. Are you clearly signaling to your team that you want to hear views different than your own? When people are encouraged to express divergent opinions, they share more information, reconsider assumptions, identify creative alternatives, and alert you to errors. Let your team know you welcome their opinions even—especially—if they differ from yours. Or take it a step further: Enlist a trusted Challenger in Chief to interrogate you about the decisions you’re making, inviting you to rethink, contradict, or even refute your position.

Adapted from “Every Leader Needs a Challenger in Chief,” by Noreena Hertz.

Give Unemployed Candidates a Second Look

November 29, 2013

Give Unemployed Candidates a Second Look

Going with your gut in hiring decisions can work out well, but it can also mean acting on unstated—in many cases unconscious—bias. 

Recent research shows that after someone is unemployed for more than a month, positive responses from employers fall sharply and decline further as time passes, even if he or she has the same qualifications , skills, competence and ability -  as other applicants ! 

But overlooking these candidates, like ignoring any other potential good hire, will likely cost you ! 
They are likely to be less demanding in salary & perks  and easier to hire because you don’t have to woo them away from their current employer ! 

 Such candidates are persistent, determined to succeed, and will likely be grateful to have a job—and gratitude is associated with many aspects of good job performance ! 

Adapted from “Why HR Needs to Stop Passing Over the Long-Term Unemployed,” by Peter Cappelli.

November 28, 2013

The Pitfalls of Having Good People Skills

Every strength, no matter how valuable, can be taken too far. When tackling performance issues with underperforming employees, caring leaders with strong people skills must recognize the value of being tough-minded. If you have a hard time being tough on accountability, take charge in a constructive, respectful way. Be direct, especially when there’s a conflict. Avoiding your employee is not helping her; nor is soft-pedaling your message so much that she underestimates the seriousness of the situation. If you need to let an employee go, don’t dawdle by mulling over his good points. If you find yourself saying “It will be hard to find a replacement” or “It’s a bad idea to make a change now,” self-delusion is your biggest threat.

Adapted from “Can You Overdo People Skills?” by Robert B. Kaiser and Robert E. Kaplan

Gratitude - An American Survey !

Gratitude, an American Survey ! 


November 28, 2013

Research Finding : 
We Could Be Better at Giving Thanks
Report Summary : 
Although people say they want to be thanked more often at work, fewer than 50% of Americans polled for the John Templeton Foundation, a philanthropic organization, reported that they would be very likely to thank 
salespeople, their mail carriers, or cleaning crews, and just 15% express daily gratitude to friends or colleagues. 

74% never or rarely express gratitude to their bosses—but 70% said they’d feel better about themselves if their bosses were more grateful !! 

SOURCE: How Grateful Are Americans?

Identify Your 3 Most Important Job Tasks !

November 26, 2013
Career success tip 
Identify Your 3 Most Important Job Tasks ! 

Passion and skills alone aren’t enough to ensure success, but periodically analyzing the key success factors of your job can help you excel. 

To get up to speed, start by addressing the top 3 tasks that are most vital to your career success.
 Step 1 : Ask yourself: 
If you were starting the job now, what would be the three tasks most critical to superb performance? 
Step 2 : 
Then assess how your CURRENT  skills align with those requirements.  And GAPS . 
What training or skills development do you need? 
Step 3 : 
Focus on a plan to UPDATE your skills and spend at least 70% of your time on these responsibilities. 
To keep your three key tasks in focus, write them out and look at your list before agreeing to other demands on your time. 
Going forward, reassess your key tasks on a regular basis and update your list.
Adapted from What You're Really Meant to Do, by Robert Steven Kaplan.

Three Ways to Keep Your Next Meeting on Track

January 28, 2014

Three Ways to Keep Your Next Meeting on Track

Meetings can easily get out of hand, with people wandering off on tangents or giving long speeches. How can you keep meetings focused without being a taskmaster or squashing creativity?

(1) Beforehand, make the meeting purpose clear and send out an agenda. Also consider sending a list of things that won’t be discussed in the meeting.

(2) Include only those who are critical to the conversation; meetings can get unmanageable if there are too many people in the room. If you know an attendee tends to monopolize meeting time, talk to him before you get in the room and ask him to keep comments to a minimum to allow others to be heard.

(3) End the meeting productively. 
Discuss next steps, who’s responsible for them, and when they’ll get done. Afterward, send a follow-up e-mail so everyone will remain clear and accountable.


Adapted from “The Seven Imperatives to Keeping Meetings on Track” by Amy Gallo.

Residents of Poor Countries Have a Great Advantage: Religion

January 27, 2014

Research Finding 
Residents of Poor Countries Have a Great Advantage: Religion
Sample size and analysis : 
An analysis of polling data from 132 nations shows that religious belief appears to be the main reason why people in poor countries see greater meaning in life than residents of wealthy countries .  

Among the nations with the highest sense that life has meaning are Niger Republic , Sierra Leone, Togo, Ethiopia, Laos, and Ecuador. 
Possible Reason : 
By connecting daily experiences with a coherent belief system, religion plays a critical role in helping people construct meaning out of extreme hardship ! 
Research Conducted by :  Shigehiro Oishi of the University of Virginia and Ed Diener of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
SOURCE: Residents of Poor Nations Have a Greater Sense of Meaning in Life Than Residents of Wealthy Nations

In Over Your Head? Try an S.O.S.

January 27, 2014

In Over Your Head? Try an S.O.S.

Ambition can sometimes land you in situations where everything is coming at you way too fast and you’re in over your head. Perhaps the problem you were hired to fix is much bigger than anticipated or you’re short on the skills you need. Before you drown, send out an S.O.S.: stop, organize, secure. 

Don’t make it worse by acting without thinking and moving uncontrollably, such as sending out e-mails you haven’t slept on or vetted thoroughly. When you stop, you conserve emotional and physical reserves and preserve your political capital. 
Next, organize, assessing the situation and appraising what you need to do to regain your buoyancy. 
As for securing what you need to succeed, with the right strategy, you’ll be able to ask for and get the help you need.

Adapted from “If You're in Over Your Head at Work, Try an S.O.S.” by Whitney Johnson.

When Senior Leadership changes at the Top, share Your Company’s Story !

November 27, 2013

When Senior Leadership changes at the Top, share Your Company’s Story ! 

Companies make products and provide services, but they also make MEANING ! 
 A company’s story or narrative allows customers to apply that meaning to THEIR OWN lives, which encourages LOYALTY! 

 Preserving this CORE NARRATIVE should be your company’s first priority if senior leadership changes. 

Take time to unearth and understand the authentic story that drove the company to its current success . 

 When looking for a replacement, credentials count, but you need someone who also understands the power of your history. 

 How do prospective candidates respond to your organization’s narrative?

 Ask what first actions a prospective leader would take to support the company’s story. 

By recruiting a leader who is truly committed to advancing your company’s core narrative, your organization will set itself up for an EASIER TRANSITION and greater future success.

Adapted from “If Your Leader Departs, Preserve the Company's Story First,” by Ty Montague.

An Oddity: Ex-Smokers Earn More than Those Who Have Never Smoked

November 27, 2013

Research Finding 
An Oddity: Ex-Smokers Earn More than Those Who Have Never Smoked

It has been well documented that smokers make less money than nonsmokers, but it’s less widely known that former smokers earn a 7% wage premium over people who have never smoked, according to an analysis of nearly two decades of U.S. data by Julie L. Hotchkiss of Georgia State University and M. Melinda Pitts of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

 The reasons for the ex-smokers’ higher wages are unclear ! 
The authors cite past research suggesting, somewhat cryptically, that people who are able to stop smoking tend to have individual characteristics that are associated with higher productivity.
SOURCE: Even One Is Too Much: The Economic Consequences of Being a Smoker

Learn to Hear the Coaching in Criticism

January 13, 2014

Learn to Hear the Coaching in Criticism

Criticism can be hard to hear, but pulling value from it is essential to your development and success. Luckily, it’s possible to strengthen your capacity to receive feedback. 

To get more from criticism, recognize that some feedback is evaluative (“Your rating is a 4”) and some is coaching (“Here’s how you can improve”). 

Work to hear the coaching in feedback; don’t get stuck on the evaluation. Next, don’t wait for a formal review: ask for bite-size pieces of coaching from a variety of people throughout the year. 

Instead of asking an unfocused question like “Do you have any feedback for me?” make the process more manageable by asking, “What’s one thing you see me doing (or not doing) that holds me back?” This way, you’ll get more concrete information.

Adapted from “Find the Coaching in Criticism” by Sheila Heen and Douglas Stone.

Virtual Work Isn’t for Everyone

January 10, 2014

Virtual Work Isn’t for Everyone

When putting together virtual teams, remember that not everybody is suited to virtual work. Entrepreneurial spirit, initiative, and technical skills are necessary for a remote worker to thrive, as are:

(1) Self-sufficiency: 
Remote workers are not able to turn to others as easily as their co-located counterparts. They must be able to tolerate ambiguity — which could include everything from a terse email that might be taken negatively to not knowing project details as quickly as on-site workers.

(2) Communication skills:
 Remote workers have to express themselves well and update project documents quickly and consistently. Distance and time lags are an inevitable downside of working remotely. There’s no room for personality conflicts or information hoarding.

(3) Connection: 
All employees, remote or on-site, need to feel connected to others within the organization. For effective virtual teams, choose self-directed people who can engage with each other easily.

Understand Meeting Dynamics

December 02, 2013

Understand Meeting Dynamics

As much as we’d like them to be, meetings aren’t purely logical business mechanisms; like any human interaction, they’re embedded with non-rational dynamics.

 Consider underlying motivations and personal agendas: For some people, being part of a meeting is a status symbol, so they may continue to attend even when they have little to contribute. Others view meetings as social gatherings, or opportunities to score political points. No matter how clear the agenda, everyone will arrive with a different perspective. Some attendees will consider it high priority, while others will show up late. Some participants are comfortable letting someone else take the lead, while others will sabotage the leader or become passive aggressive. These unconscious aspects can undermine effectiveness, but understanding them improves your chance of actually accomplishing something.

Adapted from “The Hidden Side of Meetings,” by Ron Ashkenas.

Research Finding . Hawthrone Effect on Productivity

Beautiful OB Research . 


December 02, 2013
Research Finding . Hawthrone Effect on Productivity 

Factory Workers Are More Productive When Managers Can’t See Them ! 

The Experiment 

The Setting : In a factory where mobile data cards were being made, hanging a curtain to conceal workers from managers’ view increased production by 10% to 15% !  

The curtain prevented distractions and allowed workers to test productivity-boosting ideas before explaining them to managers. 
What Mangers should do : 
Managers need to consider not only their individual workers’ privacy on the job but also , GROUP PRIVACY ! 

Research Conducted by :  Ethan S. Bernstein of Harvard Business School. 
SOURCE: Hiding From Managers Can Increase Your Productivity 

Dealing with a Boss Who Betrays You

17 Sept 2019 tue 

Dealing with a Boss Who Betrays You
Being betrayed by your boss is painful, to say the least. Whether they publicly shamed you for their mistake or gave someone else the promotion they promised you, it can make you want to quit. If your boss habitually undermines you, leaving may in fact be your best bet. But if quitting isn’t an option, or isn’t an option right now, there are steps you can take to protect yourself. Continue to show respect to others, share ideas, and give credit. When your manager fails to keep promises, document it to help you remember what happened. When they take credit for your work, make sure important stakeholders know about your efforts. And find an outlet for your feelings. You’re going to need to vent, so write in a journal or talk with someone outside of work. Above all, don’t retaliate or compromise your values. Don’t let your boss’s actions turn you into someone you don’t want to be.
This tip is adapted from “What to Do When Your Boss Betrays You,” by Ron Carucci

Make the Most of Your Next Conference With Social Media

December 05, 2013
Business Networking Tip 
Make the Most of Your Next Conference With Social Media

Dealing with logistics and meeting a new horde of people can make out-of-town conferences stressful, but using social tools can help you make them as productive (and fun) as possible.

(1) With LinkedIn’s advanced search, find new or established connections in your destination city. 
If you want to meet with any of them while you’re in town, reach out ahead of time.

(2) Dress Code ? To minimize dress-code anxieties and packing hassles, use a Google image search to find photos of past years’ events and check out what people wore ! 

(3) Networking duing the event : Use OpenTable to book 8-to-12-person tables at restaurants near the conference venue for each evening of the conference, and invite people to join you for dinner. 
(Saying you’re “convening a gang” avoids the implication that you’re paying for the whole table ! Tell clearly, you are all going to split the bill ! ) Enlist a few co-conspirators to invite two or three people each.
Adapted from Work Smarter with LinkedIn, by Alexandra Samuel.

Get More From Your Review Session

December 03, 2013

Get More From Your Review Session

When giving critical feedback, often even the most well-intentioned managers convey little more than their impressions—but you need to hear specific observations to understand your skill deficiencies and take constructive actions to improve. Before your review, assess your own skill-based strengths and weaknesses to give you context for asking questions. In the session, don’t be bashful about asking for more information: “Could you be more specific? What skills should I work on to address this?” 
Recognize, however, that a year-end review is rarely the best forum for getting coaching. If you’re confused by what you hear, suggest a follow-up meeting for further discussion. Also consider that your current boss may not be skilled at giving constructive feedback; you may need to seek out others’ opinions, even if you don’t have a formal reporting relationship.

Adapted from What You're Really Meant to Do, by Robert Steven Kaplan.

A Little Meditating Helps You Make Better Business Decisions

January 23, 2014

A Little Meditating Helps You Make Better Business Decisions

Research participants who had spent just 15 minutes in “mindfulness” meditation, focusing on their breathing, were 77% more likely than others to resist what’s known as the “sunk-cost bias,” the tendency to stick with a less-than-optimal strategy merely because a lot of money has been sunk into it, says a team led by Andrew C. Hafenbrack of Insead business school in France. In a fictional scenario, the participants had to decide whether to buy a highly efficient $10,000 machine shortly after spending $200,000 on equipment that was much less efficient (and couldn’t be sold). Meditation’s impact on the sunk-cost bias may have to do with its ability to improve mood and decrease people’s focus on the future and past, the researchers suggest.

SOURCE: Debiasing the Mind Through Meditation: Mindfulness and the Sunk-Cost Bias

It’s Not Too Late to Reinvent Yourself

January 23, 2014

It’s Not Too Late to Reinvent Yourself

Professional reinvention is different later in your career. Over-50 professionals who hope to make a transition should consider these tips:
Overqualified? Own it.
 Instead of ducking the issue, lead with it. Having been a manager, you understand the pressures and frustrations your potential employer faces, so you can be an even better employee.

Social media is no longer optional. 
If you don’t have a presence on basic sites like LinkedIn or Twitter, you’re likely to be dismissed as a Luddite. Your social presence is increasingly viewed as a proxy for staying current professionally.

Connect with your past.
 Some of the most valuable professional opportunities come from people we’ve lost touch with. In the years since you last communicated, your “dormant ties” have connected with new people and gathered new knowledge. Your history and shared experience makes it more comfortable to reconnect; reach out and reintroduce yourself.


Adapted from “How to Reinvent Yourself After 50” by Dorie Clark.