On adrenaline-charged days, when you’re completely focused, tearing through your to-do list and racking up accomplishments, the last thing you want to do is slow down. You might even worry that if you take a break, you’ll lose momentum and…
Many of us don’t like to say no to a co-worker or a boss, as we’re worried about damaging the relationship. That’s because it often feels synonymous with confrontation. Further, whether you are conflict-averse or conflict-ready, your counterpart may not always handle hearing…
Managers in different parts of the world are conditioned to give feedback in drastically different ways. A Chinese manager learns never to criticize a colleague openly or in front of others, while a Dutch manager learns always to be honest…
One of the many things managers worry about is employees breaking the rules. Evidence suggests that such behavior is widespread, and it can have devastating consequences. Companies have tried many different ways to limit unethical behavior – creating codes of conduct to implementing…
“I get completely caught up in fire-fighting and can’t find the time to advance my longer-term priorities.”- It’s a common managerial wailing. We all have either used it ourselves or have heard people around us use it at work. The…
To grow and innovate, organizations have to come up with creative ideas. At the employee level, creativity results from a combination of expertise, motivation, and thinking skills. At the team level, it results from the synergies between team members, which…
There is a lot of research – most of it from the West, on what keeps employee engagement high. While there is truth to all that research of understanding an employee’s intrinsic motivation – their values, personal vision aspirations etc.,…
The 18th-century polymath Jeremy Bentham once wrote, “Pain and pleasure govern us in all we do, in all we say, in all we think.” Modern neuroscience strongly supports Bentham’s intuition. The brain’s limbic system, which is important for emotion and…
When you exchange pleasantries with a co-worker in the elevator, the two of you are building trust. Face-to-face meetings, office parties, and opportunities to socialize together after work-hours can all contribute to the feeling that your fellow employees will be…