Conflict brings people together
Usually we try to avoid conflict, but there's nothing better than a common antagonist to bring a team together. Minor differences between teammates immediately resolve themselves »
The problem with change for the sake of change
Institutional memory helps prevent people from making the same mistakes year after year. But, by making change more difficult, you'll likely have suboptimal outcomes. So, it's »
Venues for events
I love going to events that are standing room only. It's as if everyone's energy is echoing off the walls. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. »
Effective interview questions
It's unfortunately common for less-technical people to ask questions that amount to technical trivia as a way of assessing candidates' abilities. As a result, these interviews »
Communicating change
To effectively persuade others, a leader needs to engage people on multiple levels. Aristotle articulated this as ethos, pathos, and logos. But, even if people agree »
Adversity tourism
People are surprisingly willing to pay for experiences that make them uncomfortable. For example, they pay to go backpacking and they pay to participate in Tough »
Dubious proposals
In emerging markets, it's not uncommon for transactions be split between a portion that's reported to the tax authorities and an unreported cash transaction. So, if »
Responding to compliments
While I love receiving compliments, they make me uncomfortable because I'm never sure how to respond. After saying thank you, I instinctively try to reciprocate and »
Certifications as a business model
Who decides that an organization is qualified to issue certifications Organizations, like the CFA and the ABET, have made themselves extremely difficult to replace. While these »
Hold onto your truth tellers
Finding friends who are willing to tell you things that you don't want to hear is hard. Even when you explicitly solicit feedback, most people are »