“Never Split the Difference” Review: How to Negotiate Better

What happens to your brain when you hear or read the word “negotiation?” If you are anything like me (and many people), your heart rate quickens, and you might get a pit in your stomach or feel your shoulders tense up. Why would I even review a book on negotiating—specifically, Never Split the Difference: Negotiating read more…

How to Transform SMART Goals into SMARTEST Goals

Thanks to Vaibhav Agarwal for this guest post about how to transform SMART goals into SMARTEST goals! Vaibhav is an analytics leader who is a staunch proponent of change and adapting with it. He loves to talk to people and get inspired by others around him, loves reading, and is an amateur LinkedIn writer. Not read more…

Regret and Hope: Surviving the Grief Coaster

My dad passed away on July 2nd. It was a total shock! We had talked on Tuesday about how he was feeling under the weather…and by Thursday, he was gone. I thought I was doing well coping with all the curveballs thrown my way this 2020. But when this tragedy came, I had a firsthand read more…

Playing Games to Cope: Behind the Scenes @ Happy Brain Science

Happy Fortyteenth of Maprilay! How have you been doing in this truly crazy time? If you are like me, you may sometimes find yourself feeling overwhelmed and unproductive during this period of uncertainty. Science suggests that what we’re feeling right now is totally OK. In order to cope, I’ve seen many people taking up comforting, read more…

Humor at Work: How to Get a Serious Boost

You know what helps with a serious situation? Laughter! Life is difficult—that’s a fact. Recently, we’ve also been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has thrown a major wrench into life as we know it. It’s a serious situation for all of us, at work and in our daily lives. But do you know what read more…

How to Spot Strengths to Boost Engagement & Results

Spot Strengths: A Story Adam was a few months into his new job as a Technical Lead. Fortunately, both he and his boss, Chris, thought he was doing pretty well. However, Adam felt a bit concerned about his tendency to ask questions about how different decisions would play out over time. Every time a colleague read more…

Diaries of a Recovering Cynic

This guest post about choosing happiness at work (and in life) is by Catherine Wheeler. Thanks, Catherine! Picture this…City woman moves back to her small hometown to care for a family member. She leaves her dream job to start a new job and now faces the unknown on all fronts ⁠— a new team in a read more…

Character vs. Circumstance: The Fundamental Attribution Error

What is the Fundamental Attribution Error, how does it make your work harder, and how can you fix it? Let me explain, starting with a story: Imagine a busy work week, where everyone has a backlog of tasks assigned plus a critical deadline coming up. You committed to delivering an article for your company’s blog read more…

Let’s Vote: Crowdsourcing and Gamifying Change

Would you and your colleagues all agree on the biggest problem your organization faces? Would you agree on how to solve it? How cool would it be if you could discover the answers — and real practical solutions — through a fun, game-like experience that doubles as a powerful training? Can you “gamify change”? I read more…

SPECIFIC Gratitude: How to Maximize Appreciation

Employee survey results indicated that Adam was doing well overall as a manager. But the survey scores were lower when his supervisees were asked about feeling appreciated. Adam was confused. He was sure he expressed appreciation to the people on his team frequently. He brought up the issue during his next one-on-one meeting with his read more…