5 ways to focus in a crisis
How do you focus on anything, especially work, when…? …Nine people were massacred in an historic church a mile-and-a-half away …The heat index was hovering in the triple digits with no relief in sight …Your home air conditioning unit stopped working and inside...
It’s in your paygrade
“That’s above my paygrade.” That excuse—which I’ve already heard multiple times this year—is so last century. The reasons for saying "that's above my paygrade" are varied. For example, individuals may prefer staying quiet and not speaking up because they want to...
Be audacious to reenergize
Think you’re too busy with work and personal obligations to spend time on hobbies? Think again. A pastime you enjoy could be just what you and--your brain--crave to feel good, feed your soul and contribute to your performance. That’s what Sir Winston Churchill, the...
Let’s have a party….
How about throwing a party the next time you’re conducting a meeting? Or at least pave the way for stimulating conversation? By adopting the mindset of a gracious host, you can create a more welcoming environment for more productive meetings. That’s the brain-friendly...
Pay, give or hoard attention?
In case you haven’t noticed, we residents of the First World are experiencing a critical shortage of a vital natural resource. Our attention spans—which are a necessary resource for functioning as productive, healthy humans—keep getting shorter and shorter. According...
Strategy and execution deserve communication with more punch
Are strategy and execution two separate actions, or are they the same thing? Wherever you land on this topic, the communication about both is inadequate, especially to get the results leaders want. Several heavyweights, starting with professor and author Roger Martin...
Open your mind for a better future
To paraphrase the pop standard, “I got it bad and that ain't good.” My crime: nurturing biases in affective forecasting. Affective forecasting is the prediction of one's affect —emotional state—in the future, which I’ve been studying in my applied neuroscience...
Listen with feeling
Hearing happens—assuming you’re not hearing impaired. Hearing is the act of the ear perceiving sound. Listening, on the other hand, is not automatic. It requires hard work that you must consciously do, as I’ve learned in my applied neuroscience program. To listen, you...
Bust these 5 myths that hurt work performance
Let’s bust five myths that hurt our work performance. As I’ve been reflecting on my learnings from my applied neuroscience program, I’m struck by the stickiness of five myths that seem as powerful and magical as unicorns. Even though neuroscientists have disproved...
