6 Posts found for Author: Shane Parrish

The social rewards for going with the crowd are felt long before the benefits of going against it are gained. One measure of a person is the degree to which they’ll do the right thing when it goes against popular belief.

Content: Quotation | Author: Shane Parrish | Source: Farnam Street | Subjects: Organizational Behavior, Personal Development, Personality / Behavior

The greatest aid to judgment is starting from a good position. What looks like talent is often good positioning and the best way to put yourself in a good position is with good preparation. A good position allows you to think clearly rather than be forced by circumstances into a decision.

Content: Quotation | Author: Shane Parrish | Source: Farnam Street | Subjects: Career, Personal Development

No incentive system turns mediocre into extraordinary.

Content: Quotation | Author: Shane Parrish | Source: Farnam Street | Subjects: Human Resources, Management, Organizational Behavior

People who are more creative also tend to be more playful, unconventional, and unpredictable, and all of this makes them harder to control. No matter how much we say we value creation, deep down, most of us value control more. And so we fear change and favor familiarity. Rejecting is a reflex.

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When the same tests are applied to decision-makers and authority figures in business, … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Authors: Kevin Ashton, Shane Parrish | Source: Farnam Street | Subjects: Hiring, Human Resources, Innovation, Organizational Behavior

We tend to measure performance by what happens when things are going well. Yet how people, organizations, companies, leaders, and other things do on their best day isn’t all that instructive. To find the truth, we need to look at what happens on the worst day.

Content: Quotation | Author: Shane Parrish | Source: Farnam Street | Subject: Management

Genius is always recognized in hindsight, with the benefit of positive results in mind. We “cherrypick” the good results of divergent thinkers, but forget that we use the results to decide who’s a genius and who isn’t. Thus, tolerating divergent, genius-level thinking requires an ability to tolerate failure, loss, and change if it’s to be applied prospectively.

Content: Quotation | Author: Shane Parrish | Source: Farnam Street | Subjects: Innovation, Organizational Behavior