When You Can’t Stop Stupid…

Here’s a painful feeling you might be familiar with: something is going wrong, you think, “I can fix this,” and you proceed to double, triple, quintuple, and ultimately go all-in on despite its borderline hopelessness. Been there? Turns out there’s a name for it (because of course there is). They’re called, “escalation of commitment errors.” … Continue reading When You Can’t Stop Stupid…

Podcast Of The Week: Brené Brown On What Vulnerability Isn’t

Adam Grant is lining up all my favorite people at the moment, and this WorkLife podcast with Brené Brown does not disappoint. What I like most about this conversation is they focus on how vulnerability, shame, guilt, authenticity, boundaries, and more – belong in our conversations at work. Not fit in, belong. Uncomfortable yet? It’s … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: Brené Brown On What Vulnerability Isn’t

Scientific Thinking Isn’t About Being Certain

It’s a pet peeve of mine, ok? I get upset when people think science is all about certainty. Science isn’t about certainty. Science is about living with uncertainty and still making progress. It’s about mistakes, experiments, and learning. Thinking like a scientist, in life and with our careers, isn’t a bad approach, it’s the approach … Continue reading Scientific Thinking Isn’t About Being Certain

What Mode Are You In – Preacher, Prosecutor, Or Politician?

One of Philip Tetlock’s big ideas* is that we are typically operating in one of three modes when expressing or receiving an idea. Being aware of these can dramatically change the approach we take for ourselves and our audience. The three modes (and a quick explanation of each) are: Preacher – we hold a fundamentally … Continue reading What Mode Are You In – Preacher, Prosecutor, Or Politician?

Podcast Of The Week: The Real Reason You Procrastinate

As the meme goes, “I used to just crastinate, but then I went PRO.” Already mentioned this week here (“The Trash Can Is Your Friend”), but it is just so good – Adam Grant’s Work Life Podcast episode, “The Real Reason You Procrastinate.” Whether it’s over being creative or getting to the bottom of then … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: The Real Reason You Procrastinate

The Trash Can Is Your Friend

“The waste paper basket is your friend,” according to The Handmaid’s Tale author Margaret Atwood. She told Adam Grant (Work Life Podcast, “The Reason You Procrastinate”) this relationship is how she deals with procrastination and getting creative. Before we have good ideas, we have to have ideas. The process of getting thoughts on the table … Continue reading The Trash Can Is Your Friend

Podcast Of The Week: The Best Businesses Almost Spin Out Of Control

There was an abundance of great podcasts this week, but the top pick has to be Vaughn Tan on the Invest Like The Best Podcast (ep. 150) with Patrick O’Shaughnessy. It’s a beautifully sprawling conversation. Tan’s work on quality and innovation, particularly in the restaurant industry is like Clayton Christensen (disruptive innovation) meets Brunello Cucinelli … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: The Best Businesses Almost Spin Out Of Control

Podcast of the Week: “The Creative Power of Misfits”

There are two types of disgruntled people in our organizations (and lives): the ones who are just disgruntled at everything, and the ones who are disgruntled at something they think could be done better. Adam Grant’s WorkLife Podcast returns this week to talk about the latter – “The Creative Power of Misfits.” Featuring the story … Continue reading Podcast of the Week: “The Creative Power of Misfits”

Power Moves

In Adam Grant’s Audible Original, Power Moves, he explains how influence works differently in hierarchies and networks. Through a series of interviews conducted at Davos, Grant gives us the tools to drive progress in each structure and also shows us how to avoid the types of thinking that can trap an organization. These tools apply to everyone.    … Continue reading Power Moves