Podcasts about Organizational behavior

What it takes to lead as a communicator and communicate as a leader.Leadership isn't just about making decisions — it's about how you communicate them. As Matt Abrahams puts it, “Communication is operationalized leadership.”At a recent Me2We event, in connection with Stanford GSB's Executive Education LEAD program, Abrahams held a live discussion with four of the podcast's most popular guests: Celine Teoh, facilitator of the GSB's famous Interpersonal Dynamics course; Huggy Rao, organizational behavior professor and co-author of The Friction Project; legendary Stanford basketball coach Tara VanDerveer; and Dave Dodson, lecturer and author of The Manager's Handbook.In this special live episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, the panel shares frameworks and lessons for leading and communicating more effectively. From Teoh's five A's for inviting dissent to Rao's warning against “jargon monoxide,” from VanDerveer's relationship-first approach to Dodson's case for leading like a teacher, this conversation explores what it takes to communicate as a leader — and lead as a communicator.Episode Reference Links:Celine TeohTara VanDerveerHuggy RaoHuggy's Book: The Friction ProjectDavid DodsonDavid's Book: The Manager's HandbookEp.194 Live Lessons in Levity and Leadership: Me2We 2025 Part 1 Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTubeMatt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn Chapters:(00:00) - Introduction (04:18) - Encouraging Dissent (06:40) - The Addition Bias (09:57) - Coaching Through Encouragement (12:12) - Leadership in the AI Era (16:24) - Teaching vs. Managing (17:46) - Making People Feel Appreciated (19:06) - Slowing Down Decisions (21:24) - Listening More (24:24) - Avoiding Jargon (26:31) - Giving Better Feedback (28:53) - Preparing for Communication (29:44) - Using Communication Frameworks (31:15) - Skills for Future Leaders (37:47) - Conclusion

What if the feeling that your job isn't fulfilling enough isn't a sign you're in the wrong place — but an invitation to build meaning where you are?In this Season 6 episode of the Career Transitions Podcast, we sit down with Winnie Jiang, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior at INSEAD Singapore, whose research sits at the heart of what this podcast is all about: how people make sense of their careers, find meaning, and navigate change.We explore why the "perfect job" myth can do more harm than good, and why meaning isn't something a job gives you — it's something you actively construct. Winnie introduces us to the concept of job crafting: the everyday, practical choices we make about tasks, relationships, and mindset that can transform how we experience our work right now, without changing roles.We also dig into the difference between meaning and purpose (and why it's okay not to have a grand "why"), the deeply social nature of career transitions — including what it really takes to claim a new professional identity — and how AI is reshaping meaning at work in ways that are more nuanced than the headlines suggest.Winnie's research on dancers navigating AI disruption offers a striking window into what meta agency looks like in practice: the shift from reactive adaptation to actively choosing how and where you grow.When was the last time you actively crafted your job — rather than waiting for it to feel more meaningful on its own?Connect with us on LinkedIn and let us know.Read more of Winnie's work:A Search for Daily Meaning: Building a Purpose-Driven CareerThree Lessons From Tech Layoffs on Building Career AgilityIs Working Yourself "To The Bone" Ever Worth It?Perceiving Fixed or Flexible Meaning: Navigating Occupational Destabilization (Administrative Science Quarterly, 2023)From Boundaryless to Boundary-Crossing: A Friction-Based Model of Career Transitions (Research in Organizational Behavior, 2024)Connect with us on LinkedIn: ·       Vanessa Iloste (Host)·       Vanessa Teo (Host) ·       Aaron Wu (Producer)

This is a preview of a premium episode. To listen to the full thing, visit our Susbtack: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/colin-fisher In jazz, there's a concept called minimal structures — a rhythmic framework, a harmonic pattern, an implied order of solos. Just enough to hold the band together, but plenty of space for autonomous creativity. It's a useful lens for thinking about how any team works, and it comes directly from today's guest. Colin Fisher was a professional jazz trumpet player before he became one of the leading researchers on group dynamics. He's now an Associate Professor of Organizations and Innovation at University College London, with a PhD in Organizational Behavior from Harvard, and his new book is The Collective Edge. In it, he makes a case that we systematically underestimate the role groups play in every breakthrough we celebrate. We love stories about lone geniuses — Newton, Einstein, Miles Davis — but when you peel back almost any one of them, you find a group behind it. We just tend to forget that part, because our brains are wired to remember heroes, not ensembles. Ask everyone on a six-person team how much credit they deserve for the group's output, and one study found the total came to 235%. In this conversation, we get into why teams are 6.3 times more likely than individuals to produce breakthrough work, why the sorting hat in Harry Potter is actually the series' true villain, and why 84% of managers try to coach their way out of team problems when the real fix is structural. We also talk about the dangers of using competition to motivate creative teams, why the ideal team size hovers around 4.5 people, and what it would take to pull our increasingly individualistic world back toward something more collective — without tipping into the other extreme. Bio Colin M. Fisher is an Associate Professor at University College London's School of Management and the author of The Collective Edge: Unlocking the Secret Power of Groups (Avery/Penguin Random House), translated into ten languages. His research on group dynamics, creativity, and improvisation has been published in top academic journals and featured in BBC, Harvard Business Review, NPR, Forbes, and The Times. Before earning his PhD in Organizational Behavior from Harvard, Colin was a professional jazz trumpet player and longtime member of the Either/Orchestra. He lives in London with his wife and two children, and can sometimes be found sitting in at jazz jams around the city. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine standing in a busy train station, asking strangers to answer a few questions. How many people would you need to approach before five say yes? In a now-classic study, Vanessa Bohns predicted twenty. The actual number was ten. People were almost twice as likely to agree as she expected, and two decades and more than 14,000 requests later, the finding still holds. We consistently underestimate how often others will say yes to us, and how hard it is for them to refuse. This is really a conversation about trust. We tend to assume that when someone agrees to a request, they have thought it through and decided the person asking can be trusted. Vanessa's research suggests something different. People often say yes in the moment because saying no is hard, not because they have decided to trust. The judgment about trust comes later, sometimes much later, and sometimes the trust we thought was there was never really there at all. In this episode we talk about why gratitude letters mean more than we expect, why Monica Lewinsky could call the same relationship consensual in 2014 and question it in 2018, how a single phone call from Countrywide Financial moved Moody's to reverse a credit rating overnight, and why telling people they have the right to refuse changes almost nothing, but giving them the words to do so changes a great deal. We also look at how moving so much of our professional and political life into email and text quietly erodes the trust we build with each other. Vanessa Bohns is the Braunstein Family Professor and Chair of Organizational Behavior at the ILR School at Cornell University. She is the author of You Have More Influence Than You Think, and her next book, Should I Say Something?, is out later this year.

In this special episode, created by one of our student podcast fellows, NYU student Avani Advani, interviews Joshua Lewis, an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the NYU Stern School of Business. Avani speaks to Joshua about the human side of decision-making, how “loss aversion” influences what we value, and why some people chase risk while others avoid it entirely.Professor Lewis researches consumer behavior, managerial decision-making, and global risk management. His research addresses wide-ranging themes such as when people will invest to improve outcomes they care about, how to optimally set targets, whether people neglect low probability risks, and much more. His work has been published in leading journals such as Journal of Consumer Research, Management Science, Psychological Science, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.In 2019, Professor Lewis received the Society for Judgment and Decision Making's Hillel Einhorn Award for the best paper by a new investigator, and in 2020, he received ACR's Best Paper award. He received his BS in Economics from the University of Warwick. He holds a PhD in Decision Processes from the University of Pennsylvania.For a full transcript of this episode, please email career.communications@nyu.edu. 

In episode 251, Coffey talks with Jennifer Yugo about why traditional interviews fail to identify top candidates and how competency-based, structured hiring improves outcomes.  They discuss the ineffectiveness of unstructured interviews and reliance on intuition in hiring decisions; confirmation bias and overconfidence in manager-led candidate selection processes; building competency-based hiring frameworks grounded in real job performance data; differences between skills and competencies in evaluating candidate success; designing structured interviews with behavioral and situational questions; aligning hiring processes with organizational culture and values; leveraging applications and assessments to enhance candidate evaluation consistency; improving hiring manager adoption through usability and stakeholder involvement; measuring hiring success through turnover, efficiency, and process compliance metrics; balancing candidate experience with standardized hiring systems for fairness.  For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP251  Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.   If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.   About our Guest:  Jennifer Yugo is a seasoned professional in building exceptional workplaces and business environments. With a 20-year career and her experience as Managing Director and Owner at Corvirtus, she applies science-driven frameworks to develop tools that enhance employee performance and engagement. Her leadership is instrumental in advancing the company's offerings in solutions including employee retention, hiring, and culture-building.  Jennifer's expertise is grounded in her comprehensive knowledge of Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Organizational Behavior, Human Resources, and Psychometrics.   She actively contributes to these fields through speaking engagements, writing, and presenting at conferences like DisruptHR.  Jennifer earned her PhD at Bowling Green State University's nationally-ranked Industrial-Organizational Psychology program and her Bachelor's degree in Psychology with Highest Honors from Purdue University.  Jennifer Yugo can be reached at   https://corvirtus.com  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferyugo  https://www.youtube.com/@corvirtus1779    About Mike Coffey:  Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business' small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.  Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.  Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas' 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.   Learning Objectives:  Understand the limitations of traditional, intuition-driven interview methods Apply competency-based frameworks to design structured hiring processes Evaluate candidates more effectively using behavioral and situational interview techniques 

Why is change so hard? Victoria Grady, an organizational psychologist and expert in adult attachment theory, joins me to discuss the space in between, where you are letting go of one thing and grasping for something new. When my mother died, the Paddington bear she gave me as a child gave me a clue about why and what we can do to make it a little easier for ourselves and others.Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.comCheck out the Silver Linings Handbook website at:https://silverliningshandbook.com/Check out our Patreon to support the show at:https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbookJoin our Facebook Group at:https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at:https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-storeVisit The True Crime Times Substack at:https://truecrimemessenger.substack.comThe Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music.See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How does gender affect workplace conflict? Task conflict – challenging ideas to find the best possible solutions – is essential for team innovation, but it carries hidden risks for women. While men are often rewarded with a boost in perceived agency for engaging in task conflict, women are frequently penalized for violating gender stereotypes. This subtle bias can lead to workplace distancing, lost opportunities, and long-term occupational segregation. Overcoming this barrier requires team members and leaders to think critically about their biases, audit their evaluations for gendered tone, and actively create conditions where everyone can safely discuss ideas. On this episode of Just One Q, Dominique chats with Dr. Samantha Hancock, an assistant professor at Western University whose research focuses on the challenges faced by women pursuing leadership. Together, they explore how gender bias penalizes women for the exact same assertive behaviors that benefit their male colleagues. Dr. Hancock shares actionable takeaways for individuals and leaders to recognize these micro-biases and build genuinely equitable teams. Keep Up with Samantha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sehancock27/ Try Learning Snippets: https://dialectic.solutions/signup Contact Us to Be a Guest on Just One Q: https://dialectic.solutions/podcast-guest

These episodes of #thePOZcast, live from Transform 2026 in Las Vegas, are proudly brought to you by our friends at Overalls What if your employees had one central hub to handle real life? Meet Overalls. A smarter way to support your team, combining expert human LifeConcierges™ with AI to solve everyday challenges across healthcare, caregiving, benefits, insurance, finances, life admin, and more. From start to finish, Overalls handles the details — using existing benefits where they fit, and filling in the gaps where they don't. So employees save time, reduce stress, and stay focused at work, while employers boost engagement and get more value from their benefits. Overalls is redefining how work supports life, helping employee teams from Reddit, Patreon, BeatBox, and more cross pesky to-dos off their lists every day. Learn more at https://getoveralls.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=pozcast Thanks for listening, and please follow us on Insta @NHPTalent and www.youtube.com/thePOZcast For all episodes, please check out www.thePOZcast.com   ABOUT: Lucia is a Chief People Officer working at the intersection of talent, technology, and strategy, helping organizations navigate transformation and scale intentionally. Over the past decade, she has partnered with leadership teams at public and high-growth companies to build operating models that support distributed work, enable durable growth, and strengthen resilience. At Virta Health, she built and scaled a fully remote organization recognized by Inc. as a Best Place to Work during a period of rapid expansion. At Patreon, she led the team through hypergrowth, M&A integration, and cultural evolution. Earlier in her career at Yahoo, Lucia designed and implemented analytics and decision-making infrastructure across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas. She holds a PhD in Organizational Behavior from Stanford GSB and brings a systems-driven approach to how organizations operate and evolve at scale.  Takeaways: 1. Honesty Is the Most Underrated Employee Benefit Lucia's diagnosis of broken cultures is blunt: a lack of honesty. In an era defined by uncertainty — AI, economic volatility, global instability — employees want leaders and organizations that will be straight with them. Transparency isn't a communication strategy; it's a cultural foundation. 2. Bring Your Customers Into Your Culture Virta Health keeps honesty alive by bringing its patients — the people receiving its treatment — into all-hands meetings, offsites, and board meetings. It's a radical form of accountability that makes it impossible to lose sight of what the organization is actually for. 3. Remote Done Right Is About Trust, Not Tools Flexibility is a genuine benefit — but only if it comes with trust, clear expectations, and a genuine output-over-hours mentality. Lucia's philosophy: I hired you to do a job from anywhere. Get it done. The moment you start monitoring screen time or sending 3 AM emails, you've broken the contract. 4. Know Your Population Before You Design Your Benefits Virta's benefits strategy starts with a simple question: who are our people and what do they need? Their workforce is majority women in their 30s — so fertility benefits aren't a nice-to- have, they're a core part of the value proposition. Benefits designed without demographic insight don't land. 5. Compensation Comes First — Then Benefits Can Differentiate You cannot win a talent war on benefits alone. Market-rate base, bonus, and long-term incentives have to be in place first. Once they are, benefits become the layer that signals culture and meets employees where they are in their lives. 6. Engagement Is the Proxy Metric for Peace of Mind How do you quantify something as qualitative as peace of mind? Lucia's answer: Track engagement before and after benefits changes. Employees who feel supported show up more connected to the organization. That connection is measurable — and it ties directly to retention and performance. 7. The Attrition Argument Wins the Benefits Budget Conversation When employees are in a high-stakes life phase — fertility, family planning, caregiving — and the company doesn't meet them there, they leave. The cost of replacing them is almost always higher than the cost of the benefit. Lucia builds her ROI case on that math, and it works. 8. AI Is Forcing Leaders to Lead With Meaning As AI automates the transactional parts of management, leaders are left with the one thing AI can't provide: genuine human connection and meaning. Lucia sees this as a cause for optimism — organizations that were coasting on process are now being pushed to actually invest in their people. 9. 3 AM Emails Are a Leadership Failure, Not a Work Ethic Signal Managers who send late-night or weekend messages aren't demonstrating dedication — they're demonstrating poor planning and setting a cultural expectation that others shouldn't have to absorb. If urgency is manufactured, the fix is upstream, not a Sunday Slack message. CHAPTERS: 00:00 – Introduction Adam welcomes Lucia Guillory, CPO at Virta Health, and gets a quick overview of what the company does — including their recent breakthrough linking their treatment to extended survival in pancreatic cancer patients. 02:00 – From Isolation to PhD: How Lucia Got Into People Lucia traces her path into organizational behavior through a personal lens — growing up dyslexic and with ADHD, studying people as a way to understand belonging, and ultimately earning a PhD to drive change in organizations. 05:00 – What's Most Broken in Bad Cultures Lucia's direct answer: a lack of honesty. In a world of tariffs, AI anxiety, and geopolitical turbulence, employees want authenticity and transparency above everything else — and it's rarer than it should be. 07:30 – How Virta Bakes Transparency In Virta's unusual approach to keeping honesty at the forefront: bringing patients (members) into all-hands meetings, offsites, and even board meetings — making it impossible to hide what's working and what isn't. 10:30 – Remote Done Right What it actually means to be a fully remote organization: output over hours, trust over monitoring, flexibility as a genuine benefit, and clear communication as the operating system that holds it all together. 13:30 – The 3 AM Email Problem Lucia's take on managers who send emails at 3 AM or on weekends: it's a leadership failure, not a badge of honor — and employees have to vote with their feet if that's the culture. 16:00 – Total Comp: Where Benefits Fit In You can't win on benefits alone — market compensation has to be there first. But once it is, benefits become the differentiator. Lucia's framework: know your population and design accordingly. 18:30 – Fertility Benefits & Knowing Your Workforce Why Virta chose Carrot as their fertility benefits platform — and how understanding that their workforce is majority women in their 30s made this an obvious, high-impact investment across the full spectrum of family planning. 21:30 – Measuring the ROI of Peace of Mind How do you put a number on peace of mind? Lucia's answer: track engagement. Benefits that reduce stress and meet employees where they are show up directly in engagement scores — and engagement ties to retention and performance. 24:00 – Linking Benefits to Attrition The business case Lucia makes to finance: when employees are in a critical life phase — fertility, family planning, caregiving — failing to meet them there drives attrition. The cost of that attrition is measurable. The cost of the benefit usually isn't. 26:30 – What's Lighting Lucia Up: AI & the Return of Meaning Lucia's optimistic take on the AI moment: as transactional management gets automated away, leaders are being forced to show up with something AI can't provide — meaning, connection, and genuine investment in their people.    

Alvin and German conduct a great conversation with Human Resources Director at Guardian News & Media US, Keisa Caesar '01. A seasoned HR leader with more than 20 years of experience, Keisa has built a career centered on strengthening organizations through people, culture, and inclusive leadership. In her current role, Keisa leads strategic human resources initiatives that support a high-performing and equitable workplace. Her expertise spans employee relations, organizational development, compensation and benefits, compliance, and people analytics, and her work has been instrumental in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Before being promoted to HR Director in 2024, Keisa served as an HR Manager at the Guardian and spent over two decades at The Associated Press. Based in Brooklyn, New York, she is also a proud mother of five, balancing leadership, service, and family with intention and purpose. After Colgate. she earned a Master's degree in Organizational Behavior from NYU Poly. A dedicated alumna, Keisa continues to give back through her service on the Colgate Alumni Council and her involvement in the Alumni Admission Program, mentoring prospective students and sharing her Colgate experience. While at Colgate, she was deeply engaged in campus life as a member of the Colgate Prep Band, Sojourners Gospel Choir, dance groups, and African American and Caribbean student organizations, and also studied abroad in Trinidad. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Anthropology, and Sociology, with a minor in Caribbean Studies.

This week, Sandro Boeri, former President of the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors and a globally recognized voice in the profession, joins the show.   He brings a perspective shaped by decades in the profession—combining practical experience with a strong focus on leadership, culture, and how internal audit needs to evolve to stay relevant. Rather than focusing only on tools, he emphasizes mindset, discipline, and the role auditors play in influencing better decisions.   The conversation centers on how the role of internal audit is shifting. From using AI as a thinking partner in everyday scenarios to the growing pressure to clearly articulate value, he shares what's changing—and what auditors need to do about it. He also breaks down the idea of moving beyond hindsight-based assurance toward becoming a trusted advisor present in key decisions.   Be sure to connect with Sandro on LinkedIn. 6:00 - Dealing with difficult emails using LLM 8:55 – The Adoption Journey of AI 11:43 – What Are You Teaching Right Now 13:00 – Is Internal Audit Becoming Irrelevant 15:42 - Why Audit Needs to Sell Its Value 16:30 - Why Audit Needs to Sell Its Value 20:17 - How Do You Audit Culture 25:43 - Selling Findings 27:46 - What Happens When AI Does the Audit Work 34:05 - Why Influence is the One Skill That Will Matter Most 40:15 – Final thoughts   Be sure to connect with Mark on LinkedIn. Also, be sure to follow us on our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.   Also be sure to sign up for The Audit Podcast newsletter and to check the full video interview on The Audit Podcast YouTube channel.   This podcast is brought to you by Greenskies Analytics, the services firm that helps auditors leap-frog up the analytics maturity model. Their approach for launching audit analytics programs with a series of proven quick-win analytics will guarantee the results worthy of the analytics hype.    Whether your audit team needs a data strategy, methodology, governance, literacy, or anything else related to audit and analytics, schedule.

In this episode, we tackle something everyone recognizes, but no one has really tested until now: corporate bullshit.Inspired by recent research and a Cornell study on the Corporate Bullshit Receptivity Scale, we break down what corporate BS actually is, why it works, and what it says about both the people delivering it and the people buying into it.We also put it to the test with a game of “Is It Corporate BS?” and discover that real executive communication is often indistinguishable from complete nonsense.Along the way, we explore a troubling paradox: the people most impressed by corporate jargon may be the least equipped to make good decisions, yet they are often the most satisfied and inspired at work.As always, we remain the most regularly irregular podcast on the planet, recording only when inspiration strikes.Key TakeawaysCorporate BS is not just annoying, it can signal poor decision-making“Semantically empty” language sounds impressive but lacks meaningPeople who are more receptive to corporate jargon may rate leaders more highlyThere may be a feedback loop where BS-friendly employees elevate BS-speaking leadersSometimes corporate BS is not accidental, it can be used intentionally to obscure realityIf you cannot understand something, it is not always because it is smartLinks ReferencedCornell article on corporate BS:https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2026/03/workers-who-love-synergizing-paradigms-might-be-bad-their-jobsOriginal research on the Corporate Bullshit Receptivity Scale:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/400597536_The_Corporate_Bullshit_Receptivity_Scale_Development_validation_and_associations_with_workplace_outcomesEpisode HighlightsThe definition of corporate BS and how it differs from real jargon“Semantically empty” as the phrase of the episodeThe Pepsi and Microsoft examples of BS gone wrongWeaponized corporate BS in layoffsThe “Is It Corporate BS?” gameThe realization that we may also be part of the problemCome visit us at busynessparadox.com to see episode transcripts,  blog posts and other content while you're there!

Summary In this episode, Andy welcomes Rebecca Hinds, organizational behavior researcher and author of Your Best Meeting Ever. Rebecca brings a behavioral science lens to one of the most persistent pain points in modern work: meetings that multiply, linger, and drain rather than deliver. Andy and Rebecca explore the concept of meeting debt, and why reducing meeting volume often matters far more than optimizing agendas. They discuss why meetings have become status symbols and performance art, how a simple social contract makes it nearly impossible to decline an invite, and what meeting minimalism actually means (hint: it's not about ruthless efficiency). Rebecca shares practical ideas, like calendar cleanses, Return on Time Invested (ROTI) ratings, and unexpected guardrails, including the fascinating case of the 27-minute meeting. They also wrestle with AI's potential to either genuinely improve meeting culture or simply make expensive, inefficient meetings feel more productive. If you're looking for a research-backed, practical guide to finally taking back your calendar, this episode is for you! Sound Bites "Why do we cling to this practice that has largely remained unchanged for decades and decades, and yet we know, we're highly aware that it's highly inefficient and dysfunctional." "It's ironic and unfortunate that we now consider so many of these dysfunctional practices, so many of these tactics as business as usual." "We tend to associate visibility with value and presence with productivity. A packed calendar is a very clear indication that you are busy, you're important, and you have high status within the organization." "Meetings are the most important product in our entire organization, and yet also the least optimized." "Meeting debt is so bad that it's not worth it to tinker at the edges and try to optimize the meetings that already exist because fundamentally, many of them should not exist in the first place." "Return on Time Invested (ROTI) is a concept I learned from my colleague Elise Keith. It asks people to rate the effectiveness of a meeting on a scale of zero to five based on whether this meeting was well worth it in terms of the time invested." "I don't mean efficiency for efficiency's sake, right? The goal isn't to make our meetings ruthlessly efficient at all costs." "He was tasked with running these 30-minute meetings. He was seeing them drag on and on rather than make the meeting longer, he made them exactly 27 minutes, and that jolted people out of autopilot." "What we're seeing in meetings overwhelmingly is people using AI to cognitively offload the work that they should be doing as humans." "I continue to believe there's nothing that communicates your leadership more clearly than being able to run a good meeting, but also being able to steer a bad meeting back on track because people very quickly make the cognitive jump that if you can lead a meeting, if you can lead a meeting back on track, you can probably lead a team, you can probably lead a project, you can maybe lead a function." "And the reverse is also true. If you can't lead a good meeting, it doesn't instill a whole lot of confidence in your ability to lead anything bigger." Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:27 Start of Interview 01:36 Rebecca's Background and Journey 02:51 The Meeting Sabotage Manual 04:38 Meetings as Status Symbols and Performance Art 07:30 Meeting Debt: Why Reducing Volume Comes First 10:12 Calendar Cleanses: Wiping the Slate Clean 11:28 Guardrails Against Meeting Bloat 14:30 Better Meeting Metrics: Return on Time Invested 17:34 Meeting Minimalism: What It Really Means 18:43 Minimalism in Practice 21:30 AI and Meeting Culture 27:50 Changing Meeting Culture Without Full Authority 32:06 End of Interview 32:39 Andy Comments After the Interview 35:34 Outtakes Learn More You can learn more about Rebecca and her work at RebeccaHinds.com. For more learning on this topic, check out: Episode 503 with Evan Unger. Evan shares some helpful ideas on leading better decision-making meetings. Episode 246 with Steven Rogelberg. Steven is a leading meeting researcher whose work also appears in Rebecca's book. Episode 72 with Steven Rogelberg. An earlier conversation with this leading meeting researcher. Episode 245 with Elise Keith. Elise shares some practical insights on how to make meetings more effective. Chat with PMeLa You can chat directly with PMeLa—the podcast's AI persona—to get episode recommendations and answers to your project management and leadership questions. Visit PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/PMeLa to chat with her. Pass the PMP Exam If you or someone you know is thinking about getting PMP certified, we've put together a helpful guide called The 5 Best Resources to Help You Pass the PMP Exam on Your First Try. We've helped thousands of people earn their certification, and we'd love to help you too. It's totally free, and it's a great way to get a head start. Just go to 5BestResources.PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com to grab your copy. I'd love to help you get your PMP this year! Join Us for LEAD52 I know you want to be a more confident leader–that's why you listen to this podcast. LEAD52 is a global community of people like you who are committed to transforming their ability to lead and deliver. It's 52 weeks of leadership learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Learn more and sign up at GetLEAD52.com. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills Topics: Meeting Culture, Meeting Debt, Meeting Facilitation, Return on Time Invested, Organizational Behavior, Leadership, Project Management, Behavioral Science, Meeting Minimalism, AI and Meetings, Team Productivity The following music was used for this episode: Music: Brooklyn Nights by Tim Kulig License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Fashion Corporate by Frank Schroeter License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

In this episode of Empowering Workplaces, Sanja sits down with Aoife O'Brien, founder of Happier at Work and author of the book Thriving Talent. Drawing on her twenty-year corporate career and a Master's in Organizational Behavior, Aoife discusses how leaders can move away from "old school" command-and-control styles toward environments where people truly flourish.

Only 21% of people globally are engaged at work. That number hasn't moved much despite years of attention, investment, and intervention. So what's going wrong? Aoife O'Brien is back on the show to talk about her new book, Thriving Talent, How Great Leaders Drive Performance, Engagement and Retention. After 20 years in corporate roles, a Master's in Organizational Behavior, and over 200 conversations with business leaders on her podcast Happier at Work, Aoife built a practical framework that helps leaders stop chasing engagement scores and start creating the conditions where people actually do their best work. In this episode, Brandon and Aoife dig into why most workplace interventions fail, why busyness is not the flex we think it is, how AI tools are making us busier instead of freeing us up, and why psychological safety is the foundation everything else depends on. Whether you lead a team of five or five hundred, this conversation will challenge how you think about culture, motivation, and what it really takes to help people thrive. Timestamps 0:00 Introduction and sponsor message 2:42 Welcome back, Aoife O'Brien 3:17 Why global engagement numbers haven't improved 5:38 The busyness trap and why it's not productivity 8:38 What else is wrong with work today 10:22 Why traditional workplace interventions fail 12:30 The personal experiences that shaped the Thriving Talent framework 15:15 Breaking down the Thriving Talent framework 20:20 Psychological safety and the signals leaders miss 23:17 How leaders create culture unintentionally 26:26 Should you stay or leave a toxic workplace? 29:42 Why money fails as a motivator and the case for emotional salary 33:26 The Eggbeater Effect and why AI is making us busier 37:38 Leadership as the capstone, not the foundation 40:42 Where to find the book and connect with Aoife A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR Host: Brandon Laws In Brandon's own words: "The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders." About Xenium HR Xenium HR is on a mission to transform workplaces by providing expert outsourced HR and payroll services for small and medium-sized businesses. With a people-first approach, Xenium helps organizations create thriving work environments where employees feel valued and supported. From navigating compliance to enhancing workplace culture, Xenium offers tailored solutions that empower growth and simplify HR. Whether managing employee relations, payroll processing, or implementing impactful training programs, Xenium is the trusted partner businesses rely on to elevate their workplace experience. Discover how Xenium can transform your workplace: Learn more Connect with Brandon Laws: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaws/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandonlaws About: https://www.intothepodverse.com/about Connect with Xenium HR: Website: https://www.xeniumhr.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xenaborhood Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/XeniumHR/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/xenaborhood Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xeniumhr/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/XeniumResources #Leadership #EmployeeEngagement #WorkplaceCulture #ThrivingTalent #PsychologicalSafety #HRStrategy #PeopleFirst #TransformYourWorkplace

It's once again 'Bring Your Paper to Work' day here at Mindtools Kineo, as Ross G, Dr Anna and Ross D each take turns to share an academic study that they think has key insights for L&D professionals. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, we discuss the following papers: Rogelberg, S. G., Kreamer, L. M., & Gray, J. (2026). 'Thirty years of meeting science: Lessons learned and the road ahead.' Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 13, 415–442. Castro, S., Englmaier, F., & Guadalupe, M. (2024). 'Fostering psychological safety in teams: Evidence from an RCT'. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2024(1), 16624. Shen, J. H., & Tamkin, A. (2026). 'How AI impacts skill formation' (arXiv preprint arXiv:2601.20245). In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross D mentioned National Grid: Live. For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit mindtools.com or kineo.com. There, you'll also find details of our Learning Management Systems, Content Hub for leaders and managers, and custom learning design service - including AI skills development! You can also email us at custom@mindtools.com. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at lddispatch.com Connect with our speakers     If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:  Ross Dickie  Anna Barnett  Ross Garner  

What about Portugal could contribute most to your longevity? Our latest guest Amelia Rita Monteiro helps us answer this question. Amelia is a researcher at Católica Lisbon a prestigious University where she is also the director of Research at The Center on Longevity Leadership. She has a PhD in Organizational Behavior and is a Stanford Center on Longevity Catalyst. She joins Dylan on the podcast to chat about our longevity and the factors that will help us enjoy those extra years we have left in this life. FOLLOW OUR GUESTSAmelia on LinkedinABOUT PORTUGAL THE SIMPLE LIFE PODCAST:   "Portugal - The simple life”, an insider's perspective to Portugal.  We already know about Portugal's fantastic weather, food and people. In this podcast, we go deeper to meet the people who make this country so wonderful.Dylan, who has made his life in Portugal, shares an insider's perspective on what makes Portugal the unique, beautiful and fantastic country it is. Join him and his guests weekly as they shed light on the incredible people, culture, history and lifestyle that make Portugal so appealing. A country where everyone feels like they belong.    Don't forget to subscribe to our Podcast to receive more stories about living and moving to Portugal!   SPONSOR:Portugal Realty, a Leisure Launch group company, sponsors this episode. 

Sometimes the most powerful guidance arrives quietly through intuition, synchronicity, and reflection. Join Amy and Dr. Judi Neal, the Founder of Edgewalkers, as they give into the Edgewalker framework and the creation of the Edgewalker card deck, a tool designed to help people navigate change while staying connected to purpose and inner wisdom. Together they discuss how symbols, affirmations, and reflective practices can reveal insight in unexpected ways. From leadership development to spiritual awareness, the discussion highlights how intuitive tools can help people reconnect with their gifts, bring creativity into their work, and move forward with clarity even in uncertain times. The message is simple yet powerful: when people learn to listen to both practical wisdom and deeper intuition, they become the kind of leaders the future needs.Key Takeaways:1. The Edgewalker Mindset – Discover the qualities that define people who bridge practical leadership and spiritual awareness in times of change.2. How The Card Deck Was Created – Learn how intention, creativity, and emerging technology combined to bring the Edgewalker deck into the world.3. The Role Of Synchronicity – Explore why seemingly random messages often arrive at exactly the right moment for reflection or decision making.4. Symbolism As A Source Of Insight – Understand how visual symbols and archetypes can activate intuition and deeper awareness.5. Leadership In Uncertain Times – Reflect on how spiritual grounding and community can help leaders navigate disruption and uncertainty.6. Living Your Gifts With Purpose – See why using your gifts in service to both your life and the world creates sustainable passion and energy.To purchase your own copy of the Edgewalker Card Deck visit https://createmagicatwork.net/shop/ols/products/the-edgewalker-card-deckAbout the Guest:Dr. Judi Neal is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Edgewalkers International. She was the founding director of the Tyson Center for Faith and Spirituality in the Workplace at the Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas. Judi is recognized as an expert on spirituality in the workplace and speaks and consults internationally. She received her Ph.D. from Yale in Organizational Behavior. In 1988 Judi began teaching management at the University of New Haven. She focused her research on business leaders who have a strong commitment to their faith and spirituality, and began studying how they bridged the spiritual world and the material world of business. That led to her research on people she calls “Edgewalkers.” Judi was a co-founder of the Management, Spirituality and Religion Interest Group at the Academy of Management, as well as co-founder of the Journal of Management, Spirituality and Religion, and the International Association of Management, Spirituality and Religion. She has published widely in the field, and is a popular and inspiring international speaker. She has consulted with major organizations such as Pfizer and General Electric as well as with small entrepreneurial companies and with non-profits.https://edgewalkers.org/https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14345722/https://www.instagram.com/edgewalkersAbout Amy:Amy Lynn Durham, known by her clients as the Corporate Mystic, is the founder of the Executive Coaching Firm, Create Magic At Work®, where they help leaders build workplaces rooted in creativity, collaboration, and fulfillment. A former corporate executive turned Executive Coach, Amy blends practical leadership strategies with spiritual intelligence to unlock human potential at work.She's a certified Executive Coach through UC Berkeley & the International Coaching Federation (ICF) In addition, Amy holds coaching certifications in Spiritual Intelligence (SQ21), the Edgewalker Profile, and the Archetypes of Change . In addition to being the host of the Create Magic At Work® podcast, Amy is the author of Create Magic At Work®, Creating Career Magic: A Daily Prompt Journal and the founder of Magic Thread Media™. Through her work, she inspires intentional leadership for thriving workplaces and lives where “magic” becomes reality.Connect with Amy:https://createmagicatwork.net/https://www.linkedin.com/company/create-magic-at-workhttps://www.facebook.com/112951637095427https://www.instagram.com/createmagicatworkhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnEm4h3fUgaq8qgvZpz6dGgThanks for listening!Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!Subscribe to the podcastIf you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.Leave us an Apple Podcasts reviewRatings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you are enjoying the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.Mentioned in this episode:This show was brought to you in part by the Magic Thread Media Network. To learn more visit: https://magicthreadmedia.com/

We'd love to hear from you. What are your thoughts and questions?In this conversation, Tom Savard discusses the importance of clarity in leadership, especially in complex environments. He introduces the 'clarity mindset,' which consists of five key behaviors that leaders can adopt to enhance decision-making and organizational effectiveness. Tom emphasizes the need for leaders to establish purpose, visualize connections, acknowledge uncertainty, optimize value, and promote clarity throughout their teams. He shares insights from his experiences in product development and highlights the human aspect of leadership, encouraging leaders to align their personal and organizational purposes for greater impact.Main Points:In this conversation, Tom Savard discusses the importance of clarity in leadership, especially in complex environments. He introduces the 'clarity mindset,' which consists of five key behaviors that leaders can adopt to enhance decision-making and organizational effectiveness. Tom emphasizes the need for leaders to establish purpose, visualize connections, acknowledge uncertainty, optimize value, and promote clarity throughout their teams. He shares insights from his experiences in product development and highlights the human aspect of leadership, encouraging leaders to align their personal and organizational purposes for greater impact.Connect with Tom Savard:tom.savard@theinnovationdoctors.comhttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570479507164https://www.instagram.com/innovationdocshttps://x.com/innovationdocs

Matt Abrahams, a leading expert in the field of communication, professor, podcast host, author, keynote speaker, and martial artist, joins me on this episode. Matt is a lecturer in Organizational Behavior at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, a highly sought-after keynote speaker, and a communications consultant and coach. He's also the host of the popular, award-winning podcast, Think Fast, Talk Smart.

This is a rebroadcast from episode 30In this episode of Libertarians Talk Psychology, we explore the psychology behind bureaucracy through the lens of organizational behavior and libertarian thought.Why do bureaucratic systems grow?How do group dynamics shape decision-making?And what happens to human productivity when structure turns into stagnation?We break down the social group phenomena that define bureaucratic institutions — from diffusion of responsibility and hierarchy reinforcement to risk aversion and institutional inertia. Using insights from organizational psychology, we discuss how centralized systems impact creativity, innovation, and individual motivation.We also examine a powerful thematic clip from Jupiter Ascending that highlights the absurdity and complexity of intergalactic bureaucracy — and why it feels so familiar in our own world.If you're interested in psychology, libertarian philosophy, organizational reform, and the human side of productivity, this episode connects the dots between theory, culture, and real-world systems.

Ron Johnson was one of the most successful retail executives in America. He'd made Target hip. He'd built the Apple Store from nothing into a retail phenomenon. So when J.C. Penney hired him as CEO in 2011, expectations were sky-high. Johnson moved fast. He killed the coupons. Eliminated the sales events. Redesigned the stores. When his team suggested testing the new pricing strategy in a few locations first, Johnson said five words that explain everything that happened next: "We didn't test at Apple." Within seventeen months, sales dropped twenty-five percent. He was fired. And here's the part nobody talks about: Johnson had access to all the data. Every week, the numbers told the same story. Customers were leaving. Revenue was collapsing. The board was getting nervous. He could see it all. He just couldn't act on it. Because changing course would mean he wasn't the visionary who reinvented retail. He wasn't making a business decision anymore. He was protecting who he believed he was. That's the identity trap. And it doesn't just happen to CEOs.  What if changing your mind didn't have to feel like losing yourself? Let's get into it. Why Identity Bias Looks Like Your Best Qualities The trap doesn't target bad thinkers. It targets good ones. Think about the entrepreneur who poured three years and her life savings into a startup. The data says it's failing. The metrics are clear. Her advisors are suggesting it's time to pivot or shut down. She has every analytical tool to evaluate this accurately. And she can't do it. She's plenty smart. The problem is that admitting failure would mean she's "a quitter." And she is not a quitter. That's not who she is. Johnson wasn't stupid either. He was brilliant. His identity as the retail visionary just happened to make him blind to the one thing that could save his company: the possibility that what worked at Apple wouldn't work at Penney's. He experienced his blindness as conviction. As leadership. And that's the disguise. Every other thinking error in this series, uncertainty, depletion, time pressure, social pressure, you can feel those happening. You know when you're tired. You know when you're rushed. But identity fusion is invisible from the inside. It disguises itself as your best qualities. The entrepreneur calls it perseverance. Johnson called it vision. The investor who won't sell a losing position? He calls it discipline. Your ego doesn't announce that it's taking over. It puts on a costume that looks exactly like your strengths. And your brain? Your brain is in on it. Why Changing Your Mind Feels Like a Threat When a belief becomes part of your identity, your brain defends it as it would defend your body. Challenge that belief, and your brain responds the same way it would to a physical threat. Not metaphorically. The same neural circuits that protect you from danger activate to protect you from being wrong. That's why arguments about strategy or direction can generate so much heat and so little light. You're not debating a position anymore. You're defending territory. And sometimes you defend it long past the point where the evidence says stop. A project you've poured months into. A strategy you championed. A hire you fought for. The data says cut your losses, but you keep going because walking away would mean all that time, all that effort, all that money was wasted. That's the sunk cost fallacy. And most people think it's about the money or the time. But it's not. Sunk cost is about identity. Think about that manager who spent eighteen months building a new system. The team knows it's not working. She knows it's not working. But scrapping it doesn't just waste eighteen months of budget. It means her judgment failed. It means she led her team down the wrong road for a year and a half. "I've invested too much to quit" sounds like a financial calculation. It's not. It's an identity statement. What she's really saying is: "If I quit, I'm the kind of person who wastes eighteen months of people's lives." The sunk cost isn't financial. It's existential. And suddenly you can see that every time you've held on too long, stayed in something past its expiration date, defended something you knew wasn't working, the force holding you there wasn't logic. It was your self-image refusing to absorb the hit. So how do you loosen the grip once you realize it's there? Three Warning Signs Your Ego Has Taken the Wheel Here's what to watch for. 1. Emotional Intensity That Doesn't Match the Stakes Someone suggests a different approach to a process you built. Not a criticism. Just an alternative. And you feel a flash of heat in your chest. Defensiveness. Maybe irritation. The reaction is way out of proportion to the suggestion. Pay attention to that gap. The intensity isn't about the process. It's about what being wrong would say about you. 2. How You Argue When someone pushes back on your position, watch what happens. If you find yourself attacking the person instead of engaging their argument, that's identity talking. "You don't understand our industry." "You haven't been doing this as long as I have." The moment you shift from "here's why the evidence supports my position" to "here's why you're not qualified to question it," you've stopped defending a conclusion and started defending yourself. The tell is subtle: you'll feel righteous, not curious. 3. The Evidence Filter When you're evaluating something objectively, new information can move you in either direction. But when identity is involved, watch what happens. You accept supporting evidence quickly, uncritically, almost with relief. Contradicting evidence? You tear it apart. You find flaws in the methodology. You question the source. You say, "That's just one study." When you're applying completely different standards depending on which direction the evidence points, that's not critical thinking. That's identity protection wearing a lab coat. How To Loosen the Grip So what do you do once you recognize the grip? Early in my career, I championed a technology direction that I was convinced was right. The evidence started coming back that it wasn't working. And I was doing exactly what I just described. Scrutinizing the bad data, embracing the good data, and getting irritated when people questioned me. It wasn't until a colleague looked at me and said, "You're not evaluating this anymore. You're defending it," that I realized my identity had completely hijacked my judgment. What helped was a shift in language that sounds simple but changes everything. Stop holding beliefs as part of your identity. Start holding them as a working thesis. The Reframe Listen to the difference between these two statements. First: "I believe this company will succeed." Second: "My working thesis is that this company will succeed." The first version fuses the belief to you. If the company fails, you were wrong. You made a bad bet. The second version builds in the expectation that your thinking will evolve. New data doesn't make you wrong. It makes you better informed. The Proof That colleague I mentioned? After that conversation, I started framing every strong opinion as a working thesis in my own head. Not out loud at first. Just internally. And the effect was immediate. I stopped feeling attacked when contradicting data came in. I started treating it as an update instead of a threat. The position I was defending? I reversed it completely. And the thing I was most afraid of — looking like I'd wasted everyone's time — never happened. The team was relieved. The Practice Next time you find yourself defending a position with more heat than it deserves, pause and restate it starting with "My working thesis is..." Then ask yourself: "What would I need to see to change this?" If you can't answer that question, if there's literally no evidence that could change your mind, that belief has become part of your identity. And your brain will protect it like one. The Door The goal isn't to be wishy-washy. Commit fully to your working thesis. Act on it with confidence. The difference is that you've built a door in the wall, and you've given yourself permission to walk through it if the evidence changes. That door is the difference between updating when you're wrong and doubling down until it costs you. Why Identity Is the Amplifier The identity trap doesn't operate alone. It recruits every other force we've covered in Part Two of this series. Facing uncertainty? Identity says, "You're not the kind of person who hesitates." Someone manufactures a deadline to pressure you? "Leaders are decisive. Act now." The whole room disagrees with your position? Identity whispers "I'm a team player" — or digs in with "I'm the one who sees what others miss." Identity is the amplifier. It takes every vulnerability from Episodes 10 through 13 and cranks up the volume. That's why we saved it for last. Everything else we've covered in Part Two? Necessary. But not sufficient. Because if you haven't dealt with your identity's grip on your beliefs, those skills have a backdoor that ego walks right through. And this is exactly what mindjacking exploits. I go much deeper into an article I wrote and in my dedicated mindjacking episode, links below. But the core mechanism is this: mindjacking doesn't just offer you convenient conclusions. It attaches those conclusions to who you are. "People like us think this." "Smart people choose this." Once a belief becomes a badge of identity, you'll convince yourself. No external persuasion required. From Seeing the Trap to Building the Escape Here's your challenge this week. Pick one belief you hold that you've never seriously questioned. Something professional. Your management philosophy. Your investment thesis. Your view on how your industry works. Something you'd describe as "just who I am." Now find the strongest argument against it. Not a straw man. The real, best case the other side would make. Sit with it. See if you can engage with it without your threat response kicking in. If you can? You've just proven that your thinking is bigger than your identity. And that is the most important skill in this entire series. If this episode shifted something for you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. And in the comments, tell me: what's a belief you held that you later realized was more about identity than evidence? I think we can all learn from each other on this one. Episode 15 is about designing your decision environment. Not tips. Systems. Structures that protect your thinking, so willpower becomes optional. Now you can see the trap. Next, we build the escape route. Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss it, and I'll see you in the next one.   Endnotes — Episode 14 How To Quit Defending Decisions You Know Are Wrong "He'd made Target hip. He'd built the Apple Store from nothing into a retail phenomenon": Brad Tuttle, "The 5 Big Mistakes That Led to Ron Johnson's Ouster at JC Penney," TIME, April 9, 2013, https://business.time.com/2013/04/09/the-5-big-mistakes-that-led-to-ron-johnsons-ouster-at-jc-penney/. Johnson is credited with creating Target's "cheap chic" brand positioning in the early 2000s and subsequently designing and launching Apple's retail stores, which became the highest-grossing retail outlets per square foot in America. "We didn't test at Apple": Tuttle, "The 5 Big Mistakes" (cited in note 1). When Johnson's team proposed testing the new pricing strategy on a limited basis before rolling it out chain-wide, Johnson reportedly shot down the idea with this statement. The quote has been widely attributed in retail industry reporting. See also James Surowiecki, "Why Ron Johnson Is Struggling at J.C. Penney," The New Yorker (The Financial Page), March 25, 2013. The article is archived under The New Yorker's legacy URL format; for a summary of Surowiecki's argument, see Derek Thompson's coverage in The Atlantic and Quartz: https://qz.com/58487/jc-penneys-ceo-wasnt-the-one-who-killed-it. "Within seventeen months, sales dropped twenty-five percent. He was fired.": Multiple sources confirm these figures. Sales fell $4.3 billion in 2012 — a 25 percent decline — and same-store sales dropped 31.7 percent in Q4 2012, which analysts called "the worst quarter in all retail history." Johnson was terminated on April 8, 2013, seventeen months after taking over. See Tuttle, "The 5 Big Mistakes" (cited in note 1); Sean Williams, "This May Be the Worst Quarter in Retail History," The Motley Fool, February 28, 2013, https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/02/28/this-may-be-the-worst-quarter-in-retail-history.aspx; and the Ron Johnson entry at Wikiwand, which aggregates and cites the primary financial reporting, https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/Ron_Johnson_(businessman). "When a belief becomes part of your identity, your brain defends it as it would defend your body": Jonas T. Kaplan, Sarah I. Gimbel, and Sam Harris, "Neural Correlates of Maintaining One's Political Beliefs in the Face of Counterevidence," Scientific Reports 6, 39589 (December 23, 2016), https://www.nature.com/articles/srep39589. doi:10.1038/srep39589. Using fMRI on 40 participants with strong political beliefs, the researchers found that challenges to identity-linked beliefs activated the amygdala and insular cortex — brain structures involved in threat detection and emotional processing — while also engaging the Default Mode Network, associated with self-referential thinking. Participants who resisted changing their minds showed the strongest activity in these areas. Lead author Kaplan noted: "The amygdala in particular is known to be especially involved in perceiving threat and anxiety." A 2026 replication by an independent European team confirmed these findings. See Kossowska, M., Szwed, P., Czarnek, G. et al., "Neural Correlates of Belief Change in Political and Non-Political Domains Among Left-Wing Individuals Confronted with Counterarguments," Scientific Reports 16, 4895 (January 8, 2026), https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-35397-6. doi:10.1038/s41598-026-35397-6. "That's the sunk cost fallacy": Hal R. Arkes and Catherine Blumer, "The Psychology of Sunk Cost," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 35, no. 1 (February 1985): 124–140. doi:10.1016/0749-5978(85)90049-4. Available via ScienceDirect: https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(85)90049-4. Arkes and Blumer defined the sunk cost effect as "a greater tendency to continue an endeavor once an investment in money, effort, or time has been made" and demonstrated across multiple experiments that the effect is driven by the desire not to appear wasteful — a fundamentally identity-protective motive rather than a financial calculation. "Sunk cost is about identity": The connection between sunk cost escalation and self-concept draws on Barry M. Staw, "Knee-Deep in the Big Muddy: A Study of Escalating Commitment to a Chosen Course of Action," Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 16, no. 1 (1976): 27–44. doi:10.1016/0030-5073(76)90005-2. Available via ScienceDirect: https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-5073(76)90005-2. Staw's central finding was that individuals committed the greatest resources to failing investments when they were personally responsible for the initial decision — an "intra-individual process in which people tend to act in ways to protect their own self-image." This reframes sunk cost escalation as identity protection rather than mere financial irrationality. See also Hal R. Arkes and Catherine Blumer, "The Psychology of Sunk Cost" (cited in note 5), whose findings complement Staw's by emphasizing the role of waste-avoidance norms tied to self-presentation. "To consider an alternative view, you would have to consider an alternative version of yourself": Jonas T. Kaplan, quoted in Emily Gersema, "Hardwired: The Brain's Circuitry for Political Belief," USC Press Room, December 23, 2016, https://pressroom.usc.edu/hardwired-the-brains-circuitry-for-political-belief/. This quote from the lead author of the fMRI study (cited in note 4) captures the identity-belief fusion mechanism described throughout this episode. Kaplan added: "Political beliefs are like religious beliefs in the respect that both are part of who you are and important for the social circle to which you belong."  

How can we redesign our culture by redesigning our meetings?Why do well-designed meetings allow for more time for individual and value-added work?My guest on this episode is Rebecca Hinds, author of “Your Best Meeting Ever” and leading expert on organizational behavior and the future of work.During our conversation, Rebecca and I discuss the following: Deciding what deserves to be a meeting (and what doesn't) is one of the most important decisions leaders can make.How poorly designed meetings become signals of busyness rather than drivers of real work.What meetings reveal about your organization's cultureWhy treating meetings like a product changes how leaders think about time, collaboration, and outcomes.How high-performing organizations design clear communication norms so meetings are a last resort, not the default.Connecting with Rebecca: Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn Learn more about Rebecca's book and AI research. Episode Sponsor: Next-Gen HR Accelerator - Learn more about this best-in-class leadership development program for next-gen HR leadersHR Leader's Blueprint - 18 pages of real-world advice from 100+ HR thought leaders. Simple, actionable, and proven strategies to advance your career.Succession Planning Playbook: In this focused 1-page resource, I cut through the noise to give you the vital elements that define what “great” succession planning looks like.

What if the most powerful clinical tool in healthcare wasn't a drug, a device, or a data platform — but a word? In this episode of Experiencing Healthcare, Jamie and Matt have a conversation that starts with Disney World germs and ends with something that will change the way you lead your team tomorrow. They unpack the idea of Intentional Positive Reinforcement — not the hollow "great job" you throw over your shoulder in the hallway, but the kind of deliberate, meaningful recognition that creates a ripple effect all the way to the patient's bedside. Matt shares what a dental hygienist taught him about doing things right, why a pair of clicking heels in a nursing home hallway was actually a leadership strategy, and what happens to a healthcare team that only ever hears what they're doing wrong. This is a conversation for the bedside nurse and the C-suite executive. For the credentialing specialist who never sees a patient and the clinical coordinator who sees dozens. Because in healthcare, everyone plays a role in the patient experience — and the way we lead people determines the care those people deliver. If you've ever wondered whether your words are adding to your team or subtracting from them, this episode is your answer.

Cultures are impacted by emotional intelligence and closing the gap between our intentions and our actions. Jason is joined by author and Harvard professor, Margaret Andrews, for an engaging conversation. Jason is joined by Margaret C. Andrews, Harvard University professor and seasoned executive, for a masterclass on the interpersonal dynamics that drive modern organizational success. Please rate and review the podcast to help amplify these messages to others! Summary: In an era where employee engagement has hit a ten-year low, how do elite leaders bridge the gap between corporate vision and the daily human experience? In this episode, Jason V. Barger sits down with Margaret C. Andrews to explore the shift from "soft skills" to "power skills." Margaret, a faculty member at Harvard who has worked with giants like Amazon and the United Nations, shares why emotional intelligence (EQ) and self-awareness are the ultimate competitive advantages in 2026. This conversation moves beyond theoretical management to the heart of "Culture-Making." Jason and Margaret deconstruct the "knowing-doing gap"—the space between understanding leadership principles and actually embodying them under pressure. They explore the critical distinction between being a "culture taker" versus a "culture maker," and how executives can use perspective-taking to resolve the cultural dissonance that often leads to cynicism and turnover. Essential listening for C-Suite executives, academic leaders, and managers at all levels, this episode offers a nuanced look at generational diversity, the "Chief Culture Officer" role of the CEO, and why walking beside your team is more effective than leading from the front. Episode Notes & Timestamps: [00:00] Intro: Jason sets the stage for a conversation on co-creating cultures that bring out the best in people during a time of low trust. [00:03] Meet Margaret Andrews: From master's swim teams to Harvard lecture halls, Margaret introduces her "excitement meter" and the Facets of Strategy. [00:06] The Harvard Perspective: Margaret discusses her courses on Managing Yourself and Leading Others, emphasizing that there is no "single right answer" in leadership—only context. [00:09] The Engagement Crisis: A look at recent data showing 10-year lows in engagement and why only 23% of employees trust their leadership's direction. [00:11] Culture Takers vs. Culture Makers: Margaret defines why most employees are culture takers and how the CEO must act as the "Chief Culture Officer" to move the needle. [00:15] The Satya Nadella Case Study: An analysis of how Microsoft's CEO transformed a legacy culture by being an "insider on the sideline" and changing who got the "seats on the bus." [00:19] Cultural Dissonance: Why "sharp elbows" in leadership destroy collaboration and how promotion criteria serve as the loudest signal of what a company truly values. [00:23] Identifying Your Heroes: The power of stories in transmitting culture. To change your culture, you must change who your organization celebrates as a "hero." [00:27] The "Soft Skills" Crusade: Jason and Margaret discuss why interpersonal skills are actually "superpowers" and why MIT alums consistently wish they had paid more attention to Organizational Behavior. [00:31] The EQ Quadrants: A breakdown of self-awareness, self-management, social competency, and empathy in the high-stakes environment of executive leadership. [00:37] The 6 vs. 9 Perspective: A viral analogy for the workplace—how two leaders can be looking at the same problem, seeing different "numbers," and both be "right" from their vantage point. [00:41] Digital Natives & The "Why": A deep look at Gen Z and Millennials. Why these generations don't need "hovering" leaders, but rather partners to walk beside them. Key Takeaways for Leaders: The Knowing-Doing Gap: Real credit in leadership isn't given for knowing you should listen or be empathetic; it's only given for doing it consistently. Vantage Point Curiosity: Replace judgment with curiosity. When a team member disagrees, ask what "vantage point" they are standing at to see the problem differently. Hero Alignment: Audit the stories told in your halls. Do your "office legends" embody the culture you want to build, or the one you are trying to leave behind? Listen to the full episode and access show notes at: https://jasonvbarger.com/podcast/culture-making-margaret-andrews/ Bio: Jason Barger is a husband, father, speaker, and author who is passionate about business leadership and corporate culture. He believes that corporate culture is the "thermostat" of an organization, and that it can be used to drive performance, innovation, and engagement. The show features interviews with business leaders from a variety of industries, as well as solo episodes where Barger shares his own insights and advice. Connect: Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonVBarger Make Your 2026 Effective! Book Jason with your team at https://www.jasonvbarger.com Like or Follow Jason

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by Nigel Nicholson, PhD, author and Emeritus Professor of Organizational Behavior at London Business School, to talk about unique individuality, which is the focus of his new book, Unique You: How Individuality Works and Why It Matters. Although Nigel's esteemed career as a business psychologist has focused on things like the application of evolutionary theory in business and management, educational innovation, and coaching political and business leaders, the topic of individual differences has fascinated him for much of his life, making him the perfect guest for this topic.Click here to buy Unique You: How Individuality Works and Why It Matters

16 years ago a chain of Chinese restaurants wanted to increase sales without changing the price.  They didn't change the product.  The service.  The chef.  The food.  Instead, they changed two words on their menu and increased sales by 18%.  The restaurants used the advice of today's guest on Nudge, Robert Cialdini.  Today, Cialdini explains the social proof principle, sharing how changing just two words could increase your sales. ---  Unlock the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Read Cialdini's bestseller Influence: https://amzn.to/4prHb7Y Read the new and expanded Influence: https://amzn.to/43TY0jI Read Pre-Suasion: https://amzn.to/48hA6Qr  Read Yes! (Containing 60 Psyc-Marketing Tips): https://amzn.to/48ddNNf  Join 10,428 readers of my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/  ---  Today's sources:  Aune, R. K., & Basil, M. D. (1994). A relational-obligations approach to fund-raising: The effects of guilt and credibility appeals on compliance. Communication Research, 21(4), 486–498. Binning, K. R., Kaufmann, N., McGreevy, E. M., Fotuhi, O., Chen, S., Marshman, E., Kalender, Z. Y., Limeri, L. B., Betancur, L., & Singh, C. (2020). Changing social contexts to foster equity in college science courses: An ecological-belonging intervention. Psychological Science, 31(9), 1059–1070. Boh, W. F., & Wong, S.-S. (2015). Managers versus co-workers as referents: Comparing social influence effects on within- and outside-subsidiary knowledge sharing. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 126, 1–17. Borman, G. D., Rozek, C. S., Hanselman, P., & Destin, M. (2019). Reappraising academic and social adversity improves middle school students' academic achievement, behavior, and well-being. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116(33), 16286–16291. Cai, H., Chen, Y., & Fang, H. (2009). Observational learning: Evidence from a randomized natural field experiment. American Economic Review, 99(3), 864–882. Frank, R. H. (2020). Under the influence: Putting peer pressure to work. Princeton University Press. Goldstein, N. J., Cialdini, R. B., & Griskevicius, V. (2008). A room with a viewpoint: Using social norms to motivate environmental conservation in hotels. Journal of Consumer Research, 35(3), 472–482. Hallsworth, M., List, J. A., Metcalfe, R. D., & Vlaev, I. (2017). The behavioralist as tax collector: Using natural field experiments to enhance tax compliance. Journal of Public Economics, 148, 14–31. Jung, J., Busching, R., & Krahé, B. (2019). Catching aggression from one's peers: A longitudinal and multilevel analysis. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 13(4), e12440. Linder, J. A., Meeker, D., Fox, C. R., Friedberg, M. W., Persell, S. D., Goldstein, N. J., Knight, T. K., Hay, J. W., & Doctor, J. N. (2017). Durability of benefits of behavioral interventions on inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in primary care: Follow-up from a cluster randomized clinical trial. JAMA, 318(14), 1391–1392. Meeker, D., Linder, J. A., Fox, C. R., Friedberg, M. W., Persell, S. D., Goldstein, N. J., Knight, T. K., Hay, J. W., & Doctor, J. N. (2016). Effect of behavioral interventions on inappropriate antibiotic prescribing among primary care practices: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA, 315(6), 562–570. Murrar, S., Campbell, M. R., & Brauer, M. (2020). Exposure to peers' pro-diversity attitudes increases inclusion and reduces the achievement gap. Nature Human Behaviour, 4(9), 889–897. Nolan, J. M. (2021). Social norm interventions as a tool for pro-climate change. Current Opinion in Psychology, 42, 120–125. Peterson, R. A., Kim, Y., & Jeong, J. (2020). Out-of-stock, sold out, or unavailable? Framing a product outage in online retailing. Psychology & Marketing, 37(4), 535–547.

Maslows Bedürfnispyramide kennt fast jede:r – aber was, wenn sie so nie gedacht war? Woher kommt sie eigentlich, warum ist sie bis heute so mächtig und was daran ist wissenschaftlich haltbar? In dieser Folge nehmen Leon und Atze eine der berühmtesten Ideen der Psychologie auseinander. Dabei sprechen sie über Leitern statt Pyramiden, Segelboote mit Leck, falsche Vereinfachungen und die Frage, ob Menschen wirklich erst „oben ankommen“ müssen, um zu wachsen. Eine Folge über Mythen, gute Ideen, schlechte Grafiken – und darüber, was wir wirklich brauchen, um ein erfülltes Leben zu führen. Fühlt euch gut betreut Leon & Atze Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leonwindscheid/ https://www.instagram.com/atzeschroeder_offiziell/ Mehr zu unseren Werbepartnern findet ihr hier: https://linktr.ee/betreutesfuehlen Tickets: Atze: https://www.atzeschroeder.de/#termine Leon: https://leonwindscheid.de/tour/ Vorverkauf 2026: https://betreutes-fuehlen.ticket.io/ Quellen Bridgman, T., Cummings, S., & Ballard, J. (2019). Who built Maslow's pyramid? A history of the creation of management studies' most famous symbol and its implications for management education. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 18(1), 81–98. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2017.0351 Compton, W. C. (2024). Self-actualization myths: What did Maslow really say? Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 64(5), 743–760. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167818761929 Cooke, B., & Mills, A. J. (2008). The fabrication of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2008(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2008.33633768 Davis, K. (1957). Human relations in business. McGraw-Hill. Hoffman, E. (1988). The right to be human: A biography of Abraham Maslow. Addison-Wesley. Kaufman, S. B. (2020). Transcend: The new science of self-actualization. TarcherPerigee. Kaufman, S. B. (2023). Self-actualizing people in the 21st century: Integration with contemporary theory and research on personality and well-being. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 63(1), 51–83. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167818809187 Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0054346 Maslow, A. H. (1970). Motivation and personality (2nd ed.; Original work published 1954). Harper & Row. McDermid, C. (1960). How money motivates men. Business Horizons, 3(4), 93–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/0007-6813(60)90004-3 McGregor, D. (1960). The human side of enterprise. McGraw-Hill. Oishi, S., Diener, E., Lucas, R. E., & Suh, E. M. (1999). Cross-cultural variations in predictors of life satisfaction: Perspectives from needs and values. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25(8), 980–990. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672992511006 Sheldon, K. M., Elliot, A. J., Kim, Y., & Kasser, T. (2001). What is satisfying about satisfying events? Testing 10 candidate psychological needs. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80(2), 325–339. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.80.2.325 Tay, L., & Diener, E. (2011). Needs and subjective well-being around the world. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(2), 354–365. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023779 Wahba, M. A., & Bridwell, L. G. (1976). Maslow reconsidered: A review of research on the need hierarchy theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 15(2), 212–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-5073(76)90038-6 Redaktion: Dr. Leon Windscheid Produktion: Murmel Produktions

"We need an answer by the end of the day." Ten words. And the moment you hear them, something shifts inside your chest. Your pulse ticks up. Your focus narrows. Careful thinking stops. The clock starts. You probably haven't even asked the most important question yet. Is that deadline real? Most of the urgency you feel every day is fake. Manufactured by someone who benefits from you deciding fast instead of deciding well. Most people can't tell a real deadline from a manufactured one. By the end of this, you will. Let's get into it. What Time Pressure Actually Does to Your Brain Last episode, we talked about decision fatigue. How your brain degrades over a long day. Time pressure is different. Fatigue is a slow drain. Time pressure is a switch. When the clock is ticking, your brain stops analyzing and starts reacting. Normally, the front of your brain runs the show: careful analysis, weighing trade-offs, long-term thinking. Under time pressure, a faster, older, more emotional region takes over. You don't feel less accurate. You feel more confident. Decades of decision science research have found that under time pressure, people's confidence in their decisions goes up while their actual accuracy goes down. You're not just thinking worse. You're thinking worse while being more sure you're right. That false confidence makes you predictably worse at three specific things. Evaluating trade-offs. You lock onto whichever side your gut grabs first. Considering consequences beyond the immediate. Second-order thinking goes offline. Recognizing what you don't know. Because you feel certain, you stop looking for what you're missing. And that's exactly what manufactured urgency is designed to exploit. This is mindjacking in its purest form. Someone engineers the pressure, your brain switches modes, and you make their decision instead of yours. The Urgency Trap: Real vs. Manufactured Not all time pressure is the same. Some deadlines are real. Your tax filing date is real. The board meeting on Thursday is real. The patient who needs a decision in the next ten minutes? That's real. These deadlines exist because of actual constraints in the world, not because someone manufactured them. A huge portion of the urgency you experience? It's engineered. "This offer expires at midnight." Really? Will the company stop wanting your money tomorrow? "We need your decision today." Why today? What actually changes between today and Wednesday? Manufactured urgency is one of the most effective persuasion tools ever invented. Countdown timers on websites that reset when you refresh the page. "Limited time" sales that somehow run every month. Negotiators who invent deadlines because pressure extracts concessions. Manufactured urgency is everywhere. And it works because of what we just covered. Time pressure flips you into fast-decision mode. When someone engineers urgency, they're not just rushing you. They're changing which part of your mind makes the call. The decisions that actually shape your career almost never show up with a countdown timer. The urgency trap pulls your attention to whatever is loudest, while the ones that matter sit quietly in the background. Until it's too late. Five Tests for Manufactured Urgency How do you tell the difference? I use five tests. Test One: The Source Test. Ask yourself: who benefits from me deciding quickly? If the answer is "the person creating the deadline," that's a red flag. Real deadlines serve the situation. Fake deadlines serve the person imposing them. The car salesperson who says "this price is only good today"? That deadline serves the dealership, not you. The surgeon who says "we need to operate within the hour"? That deadline serves the patient. Test Two: The Consequence Test. Ask: what actually happens if I wait? Not what I'm told will happen. What actually happens. "The offer expires." Does it? What would happen if you called back next week? In most cases, the offer magically reappears. Real deadlines have real, verifiable consequences. Manufactured ones have threats that evaporate on contact. Test Three: The History Test. Has this "urgent" situation happened before? If the company has run "ending soon" promotions every month for a year, that's not urgency. That's a business model. If a colleague marks everything "urgent" in their emails, that's not urgency. That's a habit. Test Four: The Reversibility Test. This one builds on our earlier work in the series. How reversible is this decision? If you can cancel, return, or renegotiate, urgency matters less. But if the decision is hard to reverse, like a long-term contract or a major hire, artificial urgency is especially dangerous. The less reversible the decision, the more suspicious you should be of anyone rushing you. Test Five: The Separation Test. Remove yourself from the pressure source and check if the urgency survives. Step out of the room. Sleep on it. Call back tomorrow. Real urgency persists when you leave. Manufactured urgency dissolves. You don't need all five to spot fake urgency. Two or three is usually enough. And once you start applying these tests, something shifts. You realize how much of the urgency in your life was never yours to begin with. I've watched this happen with more than one friend. A cancer diagnosis. Doctors giving them a timeline. And in every case, the same thing happened. Not panic. Clarity. Every manufactured urgency in their lives just fell away. The stuff that didn't matter stopped getting their attention. The stuff that did got all of it. They're well past the timelines their doctors gave them. The outlook is good. But the clarity never went away. They don't need the five tests. They already know which pressure is real. Most of us won't get that kind of forced clarity. So we need tools to create it for ourselves. When "I Need More Time" Is the Problem Everything I just said could become a very sophisticated excuse to never decide anything. "I need more time to think about it" is sometimes wisdom. And sometimes it's avoidance wearing wisdom's clothes. They feel identical from the inside. And that's what makes this so difficult. Recognizing avoidance in yourself is one of the hardest skills in this entire series. We spent all of Episode 10 on it because there's no quick trick for telling the two apart. If you haven't watched that one, I'd recommend going back to it. For this episode, the key connection is this: manufactured urgency and avoidance are opposite problems that feed each other. The more you've been burned by fake deadlines, the more justified "I need more time" feels. And the more you default to delay, the more vulnerable you become when real urgency hits. But watch for this: if you're using the Five Tests to justify delay rather than to evaluate urgency, that's avoidance borrowing the language of skepticism. The tests are meant to help you evaluate the deadline, not to give you another reason to avoid the decision. Calibrating Speed to Stakes So how do you calibrate between moving too fast and waiting too long? Jeff Bezos talks about one-way and two-way door decisions. I've expanded that into what I call the Stakes-Reversibility Grid. Two questions: How much does this matter? And how hard is it to undo? Low stakes, easy to reverse. Which project management tool to try. Where to hold the offsite. What to order for lunch. Decide immediately. These are the decisions people waste hours on that deserve minutes. High stakes, easy to reverse. A new marketing campaign. A pilot program. A hire with a 90-day probation period. Decide quickly, but build in a review date. You can course-correct, so speed matters more than perfection. Low stakes, hard to reverse. The subscription you never cancel. The small clause in a contract nobody reads. These are sneaky. They don't feel important, so you rush. But they're hard to undo, so they accumulate. High stakes, hard to reverse. A merger. A long-term contract. Shutting down a product line. This is where you slow down. This is where you deploy every test for manufactured urgency. This is where anyone rushing you should make you suspicious. Most people get this backwards. They spend weeks picking a laptop and fifteen minutes reviewing an employment contract. The grid fixes that. Be fast on what doesn't matter so you have the bandwidth to be slow on what does. From Knowing to Doing Early in my career, I watched all of this play out in a single conversation. I was negotiating a major technology partnership. The other side's lead negotiator dropped this line: "We need a signed term sheet by Friday or we're moving to the next candidate." Friday was two days away. I felt the shift. That tightening in my chest, that narrowing of focus. My brain immediately started racing toward "how do we make this work by Friday?" Not "should we?" Not "are these the right terms?" Just speed. Then I caught it. Source Test: who benefits from this Friday deadline? They did. We were their preferred partner and they knew it. Consequence Test: what actually happens if we miss Friday? They go to a backup they'd already passed over once. So I said: "We're serious about this partnership and we want to get the terms right. We'll have our response by next Wednesday." Pause. Then: "Okay." The deadline was never real. That's what this skill gives you. Not the ability to stall. Not the excuse to avoid commitment. The judgment to know which pressure deserves your speed and which deserves your skepticism. Next time you feel that tightening in your chest, that rush to decide, run two tests before you respond. The Source Test: who benefits from me deciding fast? The Consequence Test: what actually happens if I wait? You don't need all five every time. Those two alone will catch most manufactured urgency before it catches you. That's not indecisiveness. That's intelligence. Closing In Episode 10, we tackled uncertainty. In Episode 11, depletion. Now you can spot manufactured urgency. But there's a pressure harder to resist than any deadline. A room full of people who've already made up their minds, and they all disagree with you. The CEO nods. The team nods. Everyone nods. And you're sitting there thinking, "They're wrong." What do you do with that? That's next time. Subscribe so you don't miss it. Before You Go You've got the Source Test and the Consequence Test. Use them this week. Then drop a comment and tell me: what's the most obvious manufactured deadline you've ever seen through? I want to hear these stories. If mindjacking is a new concept for you, I've got a full episode that breaks down how your thinking gets hijacked, sometimes by outside forces, sometimes by yourself. Link's below. For those who want to support the work and the team behind these episodes, you can become a paid subscriber on Substack. That link is below too. Share this with someone who needs to hear it. We all know someone who either rushes every decision or can never pull the trigger. I'll see you in the next one.   Sources and References:  Less deliberation time leads to higher confidence (inverse relationship): Smith, J.F., Mitchell, T.R. & Beach, L.R. (1982). "A cost-benefit mechanism for selecting problem-solving strategies." Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 29(3), 370–396. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0030507382900343 Time pressure reduces processing efficiency and accuracy in decision-making: Dambacher, M. & Hübner, R. (2015). "Time pressure affects the efficiency of perceptual processing in decisions under conflict." Psychological Research, 79(1), 83–94. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24487728/ Time pressure increases risk-taking and alters neural outcome evaluation: Lin, C.J. & Jia, H. (2023). "Time pressure affects the risk preference and outcome evaluation." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4), 3205. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9963851/ Time pressure shifts exploration strategies and dampens uncertainty processing: Wu, C.M., et al. (2022). "Time pressure changes how people explore and respond to uncertainty." Scientific Reports, 12, 3955. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-07901-1 Comprehensive review of the speed-accuracy tradeoff: Heitz, R.P. (2014). "The speed-accuracy tradeoff: history, physiology, methodology, and behavior." Frontiers in Neuroscience, 8, 150. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4052662/ Stress rapidly impairs prefrontal cortex function and shifts control to subcortical structures: Arnsten, A.F.T. (2009). "Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function." Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10, 410–422. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2907136/ The amygdala's role in decision-making under emotional and time pressure: Gupta, R., et al. (2011). "The amygdala and decision-making." Neuropsychologia, 49(4), 760–766. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3032808/ Stress and decision-making — a neurobiological integrative model: Pabón, E., et al. (2024). "Decision-making under stress: A psychological and neurobiological integrative model." Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11061251/ Jeff Bezos's Type 1 / Type 2 decision framework (2015 Letter to Shareholders): Bezos, J. (2015). Amazon Annual Report — Letter to Shareholders. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1018724/000119312515144741/d895323dex991.htm The 70% information threshold (2016 Letter to Shareholders): Bezos, J. (2016). Amazon Annual Report — Letter to Shareholders. https://ir.aboutamazon.com/annual-reports-proxies-and-shareholder-letters/default.aspx Time pressure effects on decision-making in loss scenarios (eye-tracking): Zhou, Y-B., et al. (2024). "Time pressure effects on decision-making in intertemporal loss scenarios: an eye-tracking study." Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1451674. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1451674/full How time pressure in different phases affects human-AI collaboration: Cao, S., Gomez, C. & Huang, C-M. (2023). "How Time Pressure in Different Phases of Decision-Making Influences Human-AI Collaboration." Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 7(CSCW2), Article 277. https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3610068 All sources were active and validated as of February 2025.   

When we think about improving client outcomes, it's easy to focus on goals, programs, and data collection. In this episode, we zoom out and talk about what's happening behind the scenes. We dive into Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) and how the systems we work within, including training, communication, leadership, and culture, have a powerful ripple effect on everyone involved.We explore how OBM applies the same ABA principles we use with learners to organizations, teams, and leadership. From analyzing systems using an ABC framework to pinpointing key metrics like staff performance, burnout, and treatment fidelity, we discuss how small, strategic changes can lead to meaningful, sustainable impact. We also talk about leadership, feedback loops, and reinforcement systems, and how clear expectations and compassionate data use can build trust and alignment.Ultimately, we reflect on the ripple effect of strong systems. Better supervision leads to stronger future BCBAs and improved outcomes for clients and families. When we strengthen the system, we strengthen the forest, not just one tree.What's Inside:What Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) really is and why it matters in ABAHow systems and leadership directly impact client outcomesUsing behavioral systems analysis and data to drive meaningful changeThe ripple effect of strong supervision and organizational practicesMentioned in This Episode:Supervision Resource BundleCEU Event: Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) for BCBAs: Driving Change and Improving Workplace Performance with BCBA Mellanie PageHowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Gray divorce is one of the fastest-growing divorce trends, yet it remains one of the least talked about experiences. It is not just the end of a marriage. It is the unraveling of decades of shared life, identity, routines, and expectations. In this episode, Susan Guthrie is joined by gray divorce coach Maryjane Sweet for a deeply moving conversation about what it truly takes to navigate this transition with intention, emotional awareness, and integrity. Susan and Maryjane explore why gray divorce can feel so destabilizing, especially when it arrives unexpectedly, and how the loss extends far beyond the marriage itself. They talk about grief, identity shifts, nervous system overwhelm, and the invisible emotional labor women carry as they try to hold themselves and their families together during profound change. What You'll Learn Why gray divorce is not just a legal ending, but a profound emotional and identity shift after decades of shared life Why rituals around loss, such as leaving a family home or removing wedding rings, help create closure and support healing How daily anchors like sleep, nourishment, movement, and connection are essential tools during divorce Why adult children are deeply impacted by gray divorce and how parents can model integrity, resilience, and self-compassion How focusing on how you want to feel can help guide decisions when the future feels like a black hole Why coaching support can be critical during gray divorce and how it helps women move forward without getting stuck in the past About the Guest  Maryjane is a gray divorce coach and consultant. She combines the lived experience of ending a 26-year marriage with deep professional training to help women navigate the emotional and practical complexities of gray divorce. She holds a master's in Organizational Behavior and is an !CF-certified PCC coach with over 1,500 client hours worldwide. She's trained in mindfulness and meditation through Duke University, is a certified trauma-informed yoga instructor, and has taught university courses on well-being and neuroscience-based stress regulation. With more than twenty years in leadership development and human transformation, she offers women a grounded, evidence-based pathway through midlife divorce - one that honors both the unraveling and the rising. Connect with Maryjane Sweet Website: http://maryjanesweet.com Instagram: @thegreydivorcecoach Blog Article + Free Downloadable Resource

Martha Beck is a sociologist, life coach, speaker, and also a New York Times Bestselling author many times over. She holds Bachelor's, Master's and PhD degrees from Harvard, where she also taught Sociology, Social Psychology, Organizational Behavior, and Business Management. Martha has been featured on Oprah and Good Morning America, and has published several New York Times International Bestsellers including Finding Your Own North Star, The Joy Diet, and Expecting Adam.Her newest books are Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity and Finding Your Life's Purpose, and The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self, which explores why integrity - being in harmony with ourselves - is the key to a meaningful and joyful life.Follow To Dine For:Official Website: ToDineForTV.comFacebook: Facebook.com/ToDineForTVInstagram: @ToDineForTVTwitter: @KateSullivanTVEmail: ToDineForTV@gmail.com Thank You to our Sponsors!American National InsuranceFollow Our Guest:Official Site: MarthaBeck.comFacebook: Martha BeckInstagram: @TheMarthaBeckFollow The Restaurant:Official Website: The Original Pancake House - Scottsdale, AZ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How “spaciousness” helps teams move beyond busywork — and build the conditions for honest conversation.“We're just so busy right now” is one of the most common reasons cultures don't change — and it's exactly what Megan Reitz set out to understand. In her research, she describes two modes of attention at work: doing mode, where focus narrows to tasks, control, and quick progress, and spacious mode, where attention expands, insight emerges, and real connection becomes possible.Reitz is a leadership researcher whose work explores how people speak up, listen well, and create environments where others can be heard — because, as she puts it, “how you show up affects the voices of the people around you.” When teams are anxious or rushed, attention tightens and listening gets shallow; when there's more safety and space, people can pause, widen their perspective, and make better choices together.In this Quick Thinks episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Reitz and host Matt Abrahams discuss why organizations get stuck in doing mode and what it takes to build spacious agility. They share practical ways to name spaciousness, strengthen psychological safety, introduce healthy dissonance (even through assigned roles like devil's advocate), and respond in ways that keep people speaking up — not shutting down.Episode Reference Links:Megan ReitzMegan's Book: Speak Out, Listen UpEp.132 Lean Into Failure: How to Make Mistakes That WorkEp.148 Conviction and Compassion: How to Have Hard Conversations Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTubeMatt Abrahams >>> LinkedInChapters:(00:00) - Introduction (02:10) - Doing Mode vs. Spacious Mode (02:13) - Building Agility Between Modes (12:56) - Creating Psychological Safety (19:14) - Conclusion  ********Thank you to our sponsors.  These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost.This episode is brought to you by Babbel. Think Fast Talk Smart listeners can get started on your language learning journey today- visit Babbel.com/Thinkfast and get up to 55% off your Babbel subscription.Join our Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community and become the communicator you want to be. 

Why it's critical to say what needs to be said — and listen when others do the same.Speak out, listen up — these are Megan Reitz's core pillars of workplace communication. According to her, healthy organizations are only possible when everyone can say what they think, and they know they'll be heard.Reitz is an academic and author whose work focuses on creating workplaces where all voices are heard and valued. Her latest book, Speak Out, Listen Up, explores the power dynamics that shape our communication at work and beyond. “Conversational habits define organizational success and our capacity to flourish,” she says. “Ethical conduct depends on what we're able to say and what we aren't, and whether we're heard or not. Innovation depends on our capacity to speak up, challenge, and disrupt, and whether that is heard or not. And of course, our engagement and our ability to perform depends on a feeling that our opinion is valued and that we're respected.”In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Reitz and host Matt Abrahams discuss how to create workplaces where every voice is heard. From her T.R.U.T.H. framework (trust, risk, understanding, titles, and how-to) to the pitfalls of communicational power dynamics, Reitz's insights reveal why healthy organizations are only possible when we all speak out and listen up.Episode Reference Links:Megan ReitzMegan's Book: Speak Out, Listen UpEp.132 Lean Into Failure: How to Make Mistakes That Work Ep.148 Conviction and Compassion: How to Have Hard Conversations Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTubeMatt Abrahams >>> LinkedInChapters:(00:00) - Introduction (02:21) - The TRUTH Framework (05:32) - Status, Titles, and Voice (09:21) - Power Traps For Leaders (14:06) - Mindful Leadership = Habit Change (18:35) - The Final Three Questions (25:46) - Conclusion ********Thank you to our sponsors.  These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost.Strawberry.me. Get 50% off your first coaching session today at Strawberry.me/smartJoin our Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community and become the communicator you want to be. 

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Lauren Tropeano about how companies can tap into the humanity of their people in the era of AI. Lauren Tropeano is the Chief People Officer at Docebo. She brings over 20 years of Human Resources expertise to Docebo, having led diverse, multinational teams for several global, high growth tech organizations. Prior to Docebo, Lauren was the Chief People Officer at Skillshare, a leader in creative learning, from 2022 to 2024. She also held several executive roles leading global People teams at tech companies such as DraftKings from 2018 to 2022, and Cogito, Pivotal Software and Dell/EMC prior. In those leadership roles, she led teams and organizations through several periods of rapid growth and transformation. She is also the founder of Destination People, a boutique human resources consulting firm. Lauren received her MBA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and B.A. in Organizational Behavior from Boston College. Check out all of the podcasts in the HCI Podcast Network!

Jeffrey Pfeffer is the Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University where he has taught since 1979. He is the author or co-author of 16 books. Dr. Pfeffer received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Carnegie-Mellon University and his Ph.D. from Stanford. In this episode, Robinson and Jeffrey discuss the field of organizational behavior. More particularly, they talk about the aims and methods of the field, some of its subjects—such as power and influence—and case studies. Jeffrey's latest book is the 7 Rules of Power (Holt, 2022). 7 Rules of Power: https://a.co/d/58WWhiCOUTLINEOUTLINE00:00 Introduction05:46 Understanding Vs Implementation11:42 The Seven Principles of Influence19:33 Evolutionary Biology20:49 How Self-Interest Rules Organizations29:37 Power and the Prevalence of Conspiracies33:53 Jeffrey Epstein and the Laws of Power42:55 The Administration of Health Benefits49:16 How Jeffrey's Research Has Influenced His Behavior59:06 The Price of PowerRobinson's Website: http://robinsonerhardt.comRobinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

We return to the podcast circuit in 2026 to examine Scott Galloway: NYU professor, prolific podcaster, and, more recently, part-time life coach for struggling young men.Joining him on an episode of Modern Wisdom with Chris Williamson, we are invited into one of the few remaining forbidden conversational spaces: men, masculinity, and men's problems. You may have been misled by the relentless popularity of Joe Rogan, Modern Wisdom, The Tucker Carlson Show, Triggernometry, The Diary of a CEO, Huberman Lab, and several dozen adjacent properties into thinking these topics are already discussed at length on a near-weekly basis. Alas, this turns out to be a dangerous illusion.In reality, even mentioning men's issues requires an extended ritual acknowledgement of women, failure to perform which risks immediate cancellation. Braving these cultural headwinds, we wade into manly dialogue about masculinity, sex differences, and male malaise. Along the way, we ponder the intricacies of culture war evolutionary psychology, anthropological wars over Man the Hunter, optimised dosages for manly whingeing, and whether making boys learn French verb conjugations qualifies as a human rights abuse.So get your notebooks ready for some important notes from two of the most masculine men in the modern male podcasting space. Men...LinksModern Wisdom: The War On Men Isn't Helping Anyone - Scott GallowayThe Diary of a CEO: Scott Galloway: We're Raising The Most Unhappy Generation In History! Hard Work Doesn't Build WealthAcademic papers ReferencedChanges in gender-based hiring bias (large meta-analysis): Schaerer, M., Du Plessis, C., Nguyen, M. H. B., Van Aert, R. C., Tiokhin, L., Lakens, D., … Gender Audits Forecasting Collaboration. (2023). On the trajectory of discrimination: A meta-analysis and forecasting survey capturing 44 years of field experiments on gender and hiring decisions. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 179, 104280.Epidemiology of alcohol use disorder by marital status (US, NESARC-III): Grant, B. F., Goldstein, R. B., Saha, T. D., et al. (2015). Epidemiology of DSM-5 Alcohol Use Disorder: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions III. JAMA Psychiatry, 72(8), 757–766.Protective effects of marriage on life expectancy (US Medicare sample): Jia, H., & Lubetkin, E. I. (2020). Life expectancy and active life expectancy by marital status among older US adults: Results from the US Medicare Health Outcome Survey (HOS). SSM – Population Health, 12, 100642.Widowhood and well-being (contrary to claims of increased happiness): Adena, M., Hamermesh, D., Myck, M., & Oczkowska, M. (2023). Home alone: Widows' well-being and time. Journal of Happiness Studies, 24(2), 813–838.Meta-analysis of the widowhood effect on mortality (men and women): Shor, E., Roelfs, D. J., Curreli, M., Clemow, L., Burg, M. M., & Schwartz, J. E. (2012). Widowhood and mortality: A meta-analysis and meta-regression. Demography, 49(2), 575–606.Marriage and life satisfaction across the life course (multi-country): Mikucka, M. (2016). The life satisfaction advantage of being married and gender specialization....

We're here to wish you a very happy New Year! We hope you're ringing in the new year in good health and looking forward to what's ahead in 2026. As people are setting goals and making resolutions, we're re-running an episode today on the future of motivation. Last year, we sat down with Szu-chi Huang, an expert in motivation. She explained how science is changing our understanding of goal-setting and achievement, and offered a few tricks you can try when you feel stuck. We hope you'll tune in again today and pick up a few insights on how to sustain enthusiasm for your goals over time.Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to thefutureofeverything@stanford.edu.Episode Reference Links:Stanford Profile: ​​Szu-chi HuangConnect With Us:Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / MastodonConnect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / FacebookChapters:(00:00:00) IntroductionRuss Altman introduces Szu-chi Huang, a professor of Marketing at Stanford GSB.(00:02:13) Studying MotivationSzu-chi shares what led her to study motivational science.(00:02:45) Defining MotivationMotivation as the drive to close the gap between current and ideal self.(00:03:39) The Science of MotivationStudying motivation through behavioral and neurological data.(00:04:30) Why It Matters in BusinessHow motivation science applies to leaders, teams, and customers.(00:05:21) The Motivation FrameworkThe strategies needed in order to stay motivated over time.(00:06:24) Journey vs. Destination MindsetThe different mindsets needed throughout the stages of motivation.(00:08:03) Motivating Kids to Choose HealthyCollaborating with UNICEF to study what motivates children.(00:09:37) Gamified Coupons in PanamaA study using gamified coupons to influence children's food choices.(00:13:08) Loyalty Programs as MotivationHow customer reward programs act as structured goal journeys.(00:15:29) Progress Versus PurposeThe different incentives needed in each stage of loyalty programs.(00:17:11) Retirement Saving LessonsHow financial institutions apply motivational science to long-term goals.(00:19:54) Motivation in Social ContextThe role of social connections in goal pursuit and sustaining motivation.(00:21:20) Support vs. Competition in Shared GoalsThe benefits and drawbacks of sharing goal journeys with others.(00:24:52) Designing Apps for MotivationHow redesigning user interfaces can help users stay motivated.(00:26:02) AI as a Motivation CoachUsing AI to personalize feedback across all stages of goal pursuit.(00:28:50) Starting and Sustaining a GoalPractical strategies for launching and sustaining a goal.(00:30:59) Conclusion Connect With Us:Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / MastodonConnect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dan Cable was doing his job and getting compensated for it, but there was a problem: he was going through the motions with no growth, learning, or sense of excitement. He knew he needed to make a change to excel. By exploring the neuroscience behind thriving at work, Dan has since used his experience to help companies like Coca-Cola and Twitter (now X) optimize employee conditions. In this revisited episode, Dart and Dan discuss the neuroscience of enthusiastic employees, the practices that shut people down, and what we can do to set them free.Dan Cable is a researcher, author, and Professor of Organizational Behavior at the London Business School. He is the author of Alive at Work and uses his expertise to assist clients like Coca-Cola, Twitter, McDonald's, and Prudential. In this episode, Dart and Dan discuss:- Dan's book, Alive at Work - The biology behind enthusiastic employees- How Dan helped reduce a company's turnover by 30%- Why experimentation and play at work are essential- Creating conditions for experimentation without risking company goals- What stifles employee energy- Playing to the strengths of your team- The type of leadership that creates thriving employees- How managers can create personalized work- And other topics…Daniel M. Cable is a researcher, author, and Professor of Organizational Behavior at London Business School. He uses his expertise to assist clients like Coca-Cola, Twitter, McDonald's, and Prudential, among others. He has won the London Business School's Excellence in Teaching Award and was selected for the 2018 Thinkers50 Radar List.Dan holds a BA from Penn State University and an MS Ph.D. from Cornell. He has published three books – Change to Strange, Alive at Work, and Exceptional – as well as more than 50 articles in top scientific journals. His work has been featured in The Economist, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and CNBC.Resources Mentioned:Alive at Work, by Daniel Cable: https://www.amazon.com/Alive-Work-Neuroscience-Helping-People/dp/1633697665Design for Belonging, by Susie Wise: https://www.amazon.com/Design-Belonging-Inclusion-Collaboration-Communities-ebook/dp/B0998BMN9HConnect with Dan:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-cable-a0b581a0/ Twitter: @dancable1Website: www.dan-cable.comWork with Dart:Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what's most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

Stability in Motion  Description: Listen as Mary Bier, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC), discusses what military-connected children need most to thrive amid constant change. Drawing on both professional leadership and lived experience as a military parent, she reflects on the importance of stability, belonging, and prepared adults. This conversation offers parents and educators thoughtful insight into how consistent support helps military kids learn, lead, and feel grounded wherever they go.  This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the USAA Foundation.     Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.   Bio:  Mary Bier, President & Chief Executive Officer of MCEC  Mary Bier, MBA, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC). A seasoned leader with more than 20 years of experience in business strategy, organizational leadership, and community engagement, she brings a dynamic vision to MCEC's mission of ensuring every military-connected child has access to quality educational opportunities.   As a military spouse and parent, Bier has firsthand insight into the unique challenges and strengths of military families. This lived experience fuels her passion for advocating for military-connected students, ensuring they receive the educational support and opportunities they deserve.   Bier's professional background spans both the corporate and nonprofit sectors, where she has successfully led high-impact initiatives, built collaborative partnerships, and served as a subject matter expert on veteran and military family issues. She has been invited to the White House to share insights on military-connected programs, testified before the New York City Department of Veteran Affairs, and facilitated expert panels on military family well-being.   Prior to joining MCEC, Bier held leadership roles in business strategy, customer success, and military initiatives, where she was instrumental in scaling operations, optimizing talent development, and fostering inclusive organizational cultures. Her ability to translate strategic goals into actionable outcomes has driven mission impact across multiple organizations.   At MCEC, Bier is committed to expanding the organization's reach, deepening partnerships, and championing the needs of military-connected children. Under her leadership, MCEC will continue to be a trusted resource for families, educators, and policymakers dedicated to supporting military students on their educational journey.   Bier holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus on Management and Organizational Behavior and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from California Lutheran University.   She resides with her family in Madison, Wisconsin.               

The right rituals—and the right conversations—can transform how your team collaborates.Strong collaboration starts with thoughtful practices and clear communication. As Molly Sands, Head of the Teamwork Lab at Atlassian, emphasizes, the teams that thrive are the ones that regularly pause to align on what matters and how they're progressing. “You want to know if you're making progress,” she notes, “and you want ways to redirect early—before you're scrambling at the end.”Through her research with teams across Atlassian and around the world, Sands has seen how small, consistent habits—monthly goal reviews, transparent updates, shared spaces for spontaneous interaction—build alignment, psychological safety, and momentum. And in hybrid and distributed environments, she highlights how “bursty” collaboration patterns and intentional meeting design help teams move faster without burning out.In this Quick Thinks episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Sands and host Matt Abrahams break down the rituals that make teamwork work, from OKR check-ins to collaboration hours to the rotating Chief Vibes Officer. No matter where your team sits, Sands shows how intentional communication unlocks connection, speed, and more satisfying ways of working together.Episode Reference Links:Molly SandsEp.241 Team Spirit: How to Make Group Work WorkConnect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTubeMatt Abrahams >>> LinkedInChapters:(00:00) - Introduction (02:43) - Measuring Collaboration the Right Way (05:35) - Training Leaders & Goal Rituals (07:49) - Creating Space for Spontaneous Work (11:20) - Making In-Person Time Count (11:44) - Three High-Impact Team Gatherings (14:00) - Supporting Diverse Communication Styles (16:08) - Conclusion  ********Thank you to our sponsors.  These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost. Go to Quince.com/ThinkFast for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Join our Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community and become the communicator you want to be.

In this episode of “This Is Purdue,” we're talking to Kasie Roberson, clinical associate professor in the Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management Department in Purdue University's Mitch Daniels School of Business and head of the Leadership Coaching Institute in the Center for Working Well.   As a nationally recognized educator and communication and AI expert, Kasie guides undergraduate and graduate students and professionals in topics like critical thinking, emotional intelligence and best practices for using AI as an effective communication tool.   In this episode, you will:   Learn more about Kasie's people-first approach to effective communication and using AI as a tool, including five skills that will set you up for success in the real world   Gain insights into recent data on the realities of Gen Z's use of and relationship with generative AI and how it's informed Kasie's research and teaching   Hear about Kasie's exciting and inspiring fireside chat at the inaugural Sunniefest in Dallas and her three-tiered approach for Gen Z and Gen Alpha to navigate AI while maintaining their authenticity and voice   Discover how adults, including parents and educators, can positively shape younger generations' experiences with AI, from playing with fun brainstorming prompts to navigating important ethical issues    Find out about Kasie's innovative work at the Center for Working Well and the Leadership Coaching Institute as well as upcoming programs for students and professionals seeking to improve their communication skills, based on Purdue principles like grit, persistence and resilience   You don't want to miss this insightful episode with a Boilermaker and communication expert who's helping students and professionals become more effective, empathetic communicators and AI users.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The secret to effective teamwork and collaboration.To collaborate, we have to communicate. As Molly Sands knows, “The more that we can get on the same page, the more effective we are.”Sands is a behavioral scientist and the head of the Teamwork Lab at Atlassian, where she researches how teams can collaborate more effectively and efficiently, especially in distributed and hybrid work environments. As she's seen in her research and within her own team, “People can accomplish a lot more together when they work well together.” The key to unlocking that potential lies in communication that aligns people not just in their activity, but in their deeper goals and vision. “The best work happens when you start by asking why,” she says, “getting people to really understand: why is this a problem, why do we wanna solve it, and how are we uniquely positioned to do that? The more that we can map this out together, the more effective our teams tend to be.”In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Sands and host Matt Abrahams discuss strategies for effective collaboration, from “page-led” meetings and asynchronous video messages to using AI as a collaborator. Whether your team is working face-to-face or across time zones, Sands' insights show how better communication is the key to better collaboration.Episode Reference Links:Molly SandsEp.241 Team Spirit: How to Make Group Work WorkConnect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTubeMatt Abrahams >>> LinkedInChapters:(00:00) - Introduction (02:32) - How the Teamwork Lab Works (04:03) - Top Challenges for Teams (04:37) - Clarifying Goals & Alignment (07:19) - AI as a Collaborative Partner (09:25) - Atlassian's AI Onboarding Buddy (12:49) - Rethinking Meetings (15:58) - Three Types of Work Time (17:17) - Replacing Meetings with Asynchronous Video (20:02) - The Final Three Questions (24:11) - Conclusion  ********This episode is sponsored by Grammarly. Let Grammarly take the busywork off your plate so you can focus on high-impact work. Download Grammarly for free today Join our Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community and become the communicator you want to be.

Show notes: (0:00) Intro (1:05) Ryan's journey from sports psychology to mindset research (2:41) The story of Cheryl and the difference between "doing" and "being" (6:37) Why mindset matters more than skillset (9:09) Fixed vs. Growth Mindset (11:54) Closed vs. Open mindset and the power of feedback (22:28) Prevention vs. Promotion mindset: how goals change your wiring (29:57) Inward vs. Outward mindset: seeing others as people, not objects (34:08) Trauma, healing, and upgrading your inner programming (35:50) Three levels of development: from journaling to deeper healing (41:40) How to work with Ryan and access the free mindset assessment (44:25) Outro Who is Ryan Gottfredson, PhD?   Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D., is a leading leadership development author, researcher, and consultant specializing in vertical development and mindset transformation. A Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author, he wrote Success Mindsets and The Elevated Leader. Through his firm, Ryan Gottfredson LLC, he helps executive teams and organizations elevate performance and culture, working with major brands such as CVS Health, Deutsche Telekom, Experian, the Federal Reserve Bank, Nationwide Insurance, and Cook Medical. Ryan also serves as a leadership professor at California State University–Fullerton. He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources from Indiana University and has published more than 20 scholarly articles across top journals. His research on leadership and organizational behavior has been cited over 4,000 times since 2018, establishing him as a respected authority in the field.   Connect with Ryan: Website: https://ryangottfredson.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-gottfredson-9a0b466 Links and Resources: Peak Performance Life Peak Performance on Facebook Peak Performance on Instagram  

Mike Baer is an award-winning business professor at Arizona State University, where he researches trust, justice, and impression management. Mike has published his research in top academic journals, including the Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, and Personnel Psychology, and Mike is currently the Editor-in-Chief at one of the field's top journals—Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.  Mike's research has been covered by media outlets such as Harvard Business Review, Financial Times, PBS, NPR, Business Insider, Men's Health, and New York Magazine among others. Prior to joining academia, Mike worked in the construction industry, at Hewlett Packard's Executive Leadership Development group, and in publishing and online education. He earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from BYU, and his PHD from the University of Georgia. In this episode we discuss the following: Trust is both a gift and a burden. When we trust others, we can increase their pride and opportunities but can also overload them with responsibilities and pressure. Leaders routinely overload their most trusted people without taking anything off their plates, while under-investing in newer employees who could grow with smaller tasks. Trust shapes how we interpret behavior: trusted employees get the benefit of the doubt; less-trusted ones receive harsh judgments for the same mistakes, which can make early impressions disproportionately powerful. When people are forming those early impressions and deciding whether to trust us, they are thinking about three things: Are we competent? Do we care about them? Do we have good values? So if we do our job well and help other people without being asked, we will tend to make a good impression. About 25% of employees don't actually want more trust—they want stability, not responsibility.

2 out of 3 internet users in the USA pay for Prime.  Yet, most of them are irrationally loyal.  They feel like the subscription provides more cost savings than reality.  Today, on Nudge, Richard Shotton and I explore the behavioural science behind Amazon Prime.  We look at the sunk-cost fallacy and pennies-a-day effect to explain why so many are irrationally loyal to Amazon Prime.  ---  Subscribe to the Nudge Vaults: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults Read Richard's book: https://a.co/d/fEW7amQ Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/  --- Today's sources: Arkes, H. R., & Blumer, C. (1985). The psychology of sunk cost. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 35(1), 124–140. Gourville, J. T. (1998). Pennies-a-day: The effect of temporal reframing on transaction evaluation. Journal of Consumer Research, 24(4), 395–403. Gourville, J. T., & Soman, D. (1998). Payment depreciation: The behavioral effects of temporally separating payments from consumption. Journal of Consumer Research, 25(2), 160–174. Roth, S., Robbert, T., & Straus, L. (2015). On the sunk-cost effect in economic decision-making: A meta-analytic review. Business Research, 8(1), 99–138.

My guest on today's episode of Nudge has spent decades studying leaders.  I asked Prof. Adam Galinsky to share his top five (evidence-backed) leadership tips.  Want to become a better leader?  This is the episode for you.  ---  Watch the bonus episode: https://nudge.kit.com/a53ff22931  Read Adam's book: https://amzn.to/4htZCGc Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew-22213187/ Watch Nudge on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nudgepodcast/ --- Blunden, H., Kristal, A. S., Whillans, A. V., Yoon, J., Burd, K., Bremner, S., & Yeomans, M. (2025). Eliciting advice instead of feedback improves developmental input. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 193, 104343. Chou, E. Y., Halevy, N., Galinsky, A. D., & Murnighan, J. K. (2017). The Goldilocks contract: The synergistic benefits of combining structure and autonomy for persistence, creativity, and cooperation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(3), 393–412. Hoff, M., Rucker, D. D., & Galinsky, A. D. (2025). The vicious cycle of status insecurity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 128(1), 101–122. Leonardelli, G. J., Gu, J., McRuer, G., Medvec, V. H., & Galinsky, A. D. (2019). Multiple equivalent simultaneous offers (MESOs) reduce the negotiator dilemma: How a choice of first offers increases economic and relational outcomes. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 152, 64–82. Liljenquist, K. A., & Galinsky, A. D. (2007). Turn your adversary into your advocate: Strategic requests for advice can transform disputes into amiable problem-solving ventures. Kellogg Insight. Northwestern University. Majer, J. M., Trötschel, R., Galinsky, A. D., & Loschelder, D. D. (2020). Open to offers, but resisting requests: How the framing of anchors affects motivation and negotiated outcomes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 119(3), 582–599. Wu, S. J., & Paluck, E. L. (2022). Having a voice in your group: Increasing productivity through group participation. Behavioural Public Policy, 9(1), 192–211.

How to unlock the power of groups through collective communication.They say teamwork makes the dream work. But as Colin Fisher knows, unlocking the power of groups requires a specific kind of collective communication.Fisher is an associate professor of organizations and innovation at University College London School of Management and author of The Collective Edge: Unlocking the Secret Power of Groups. His research reveals the dichotomy of group dynamics: "Groups can be the pinnacle of human accomplishment," he says. "But groups also have these tendencies to restrict us, to take away our individuality, and to sometimes make us the worst versions of ourselves.” The key, he argues, is fostering communication that maximizes the creative synergy of collaboration while minimizing the pressure to conform.In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Fisher joins host Matt Abrahams to share evidence-based strategies for effective teamwork, from selecting the ideal group size to fostering psychological safety. Whether with our coworkers, our families, or our friends, Fisher's insights reveal how collective communication can make or break group success.To listen to the extended Deep Thinks version of this episode, please visit FasterSmarter.io/premium.Episode Reference Links:Colin FisherColin's Book: The Collective EdgeEp.174 Fix Meetings: Transform Gatherings Into Meaningful MomentsEp.124 Making Meetings Meaningful Pt. 1: How to Structure and Organize More Effective Gatherings   Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTubeMatt Abrahams >>> LinkedInChapters:(00:00) - Introduction (02:19) - Advantages and Disadvantages of Groups (03:53) - What Makes Teams Successful (05:37) - The Ideal Group Size (06:33) - Building Psychological Safety (08:49) - Launching a Team for Success (13:10) - Making Meetings More Effective (16:25) - The Final Three Questions (23:13) - Conclusion   ********This episode is sponsored by Grammarly. Let Grammarly take the busywork off your plate so you can focus on high-impact work. Download Grammarly for free today

This episode explores how technology and healthcare intersect. We talk with Jhonatan Bringas Dimitriades, MD, CEO of Lapsi Health, about Keikku, the first FDA-cleared smart stethoscope with an AI scribe. You will hear how this tool impacts clinical workflows, patient communication, and the broader healthcare system.Key points covered • How clinicians use AI during real-world visits • Measurable time savings in documentation • Data privacy and HIPAA/GDPR compliance • Effects on clinician burnout and emotional fatigue • Future applications of AI in public health and care settings • Skills health professionals need as tech advancesWhy it matters • You see how AI tools shape medical decision-making and patient engagement • You get insight into how tech adoption fits into social systems and workplace culture • You hear practical examples that support ongoing conversations in public health and social scienceThink about this • How does technology influence trust in the patient-provider relationship? • What skills will workers need as AI expands in healthcare? • What policies should protect patients and providers as these tools grow?Listen and reflect on how innovation, behavior, culture, and care systems interact.Resources Mentioned:Website: https://www.keikku.health/Connect with Jhonatan: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter/XPhysician burnout researchStay Connected & Support the Show:Want to keep up with conversations like this that challenge the status quo and center community voices? Sign up for The Healthy Project newsletter at www.healthyproject.co for exclusive insights, resources, and updates you won't want to miss.Love what you're hearing? Support independent podcasting that prioritizes truth over trends. Join THP+ for just $5/month and get bonus content, early access to episodes, and the satisfaction of knowing you're fueling more conversations that matter.Visit www.healthyproject.co to subscribe and support today. ★ Support this podcast ★

If you walked into your backyard and scooped up just a pinch of dirt, you'd be holding an entire underground universe in your fingers — one teeming with life and mysteries you've probably never imagined. I'll reveal what's really hidden in that soil. Source: David W. Wolfe, author of Tales From The Underground https://amzn.to/3tvUBIk Speaking in front of people — whether it's a handful of colleagues or a packed room — can feel nerve-wracking. But with a few simple techniques, you can transform that anxiety into confidence and make your message land with impact. Communication expert Matt Abrahams, lecturer in Organizational Behavior at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business and author of Think Faster: Talk Smarter (https://amzn.to/3Q6zMev), shares practical advice that will instantly make you a more effective, engaging speaker. When you pour a bowl of cereal, you probably think of brightly colored boxes from Kellogg's, Post, or General Mills. But the history of breakfast cereal stretches back centuries — and the quirky, sometimes bizarre story of how corn flakes and cold cereals became a global staple is full of fascinating characters and surprising twists. Kathryn Cornell Dolan, associate professor of English at Missouri University of Science and Technology and author of Breakfast Cereal: A Global History (https://amzn.to/3ZKV0Tz), takes us through the delicious backstory. Here's something strange: in just the last few decades, human feet have been getting noticeably bigger. Both men and women today wear larger sizes than previous generations. Why is this happening? I'll explain the prevailing theory behind the rise of bigger feet. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1239975/Female-feet-getting-larger-size-10s-demand.html PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! DELL: Huge savings on Dell AI PCs with Intel Core Ultra processors are here, and they are newly designed to help you do more, faster.  Upgrade today by visiting⁠⁠ https://Dell.com/Deals⁠⁠ QUINCE: Keep it classic and cool this fall with long lasting staples from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! HERS: Whether you want to lose weight, grow thicker, fuller hair, or find relief for anxiety, Hers has you covered. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forhers.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you! SHOPIFY: Shopify is the commerce platform for millions of businesses around the world! To start selling today, sign up for your $1 per month trial at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices